Chapter 79: Please Go Back, You Two
Shinobu Kocho didn't train in three different Breathing Styles because of a
"collector's itch" like Natsuya.
In the beginning, both sisters trained together under a Water Breathing
Cultivator. When her sister Kanae discovered that Flower Breathing was a better
fit for the female physique, Shinobu had tried to master it as well.
But unlike Kanae, Shinobu's bone structure and muscle density were far below
that of an average swordsman—finer even than most women. Even with the massive
stat-boost provided by a Breathing Style, this innate physical deficit made it
impossible for her to compensate for her lack of raw strength. If a demon was
even slightly higher-level, her Nichirin Sword simply couldn't hack through its
neck.
A Demon Slayer who can't decapitate? It sounded like a cruel, ironic joke.
So, she chose a path that no one in history had ever attempted. She abandoned
the wide slashes of Water Breathing and the fluid flexibility of Flower
Breathing, keeping only the raw explosive speed and agility. Using the framework
of Flower Breathing, she derived an extremely specialized, simplified system.
It was a "Second-Generation Derivative" style.
Then, utilizing her family's legacy of pharmaceutical knowledge, she
successfully extracted a brand-new toxin from Wisteria that was lethal only to
demons. By combining precision thrusts with high-potency poison, Shinobu managed
to kill her first demon.
[Insect Breathing] was born.
Because of this, she knew better than anyone that without the poison, her
Breathing Style was a "trash tier" build. But how far could the toxin go? Where
was its hard cap? She didn't know. She was walking a lonely path with no
guideposts and no light at the end of the tunnel.
She rarely showed this vulnerability to outsiders. Perhaps it was because she
had just witnessed Natsuya's overwhelming, frontal combat power, or perhaps it
was the pressure of seeing Kanae grow so strong so quickly, but she let a sliver
of her doubt show in front of this boy who was only a few years older than her,
yet seemed to be walking on a different path to godhood.
Natsuya swallowed his rice ball and thought for a moment.
"It's decent. Not weak at all."
"The skill's base damage multipliers are low, sure, but you have [Poison DoT] as
a separate damage bucket. If you scale that correctly, it's not necessarily
weaker than the five basic styles."
The girl blinked. I understood half of those words...
Natsuya continued his "Gamer Talk" to himself. "No matter how much you stack raw
stats, you hit diminishing returns in the late-game. Unique damage buckets and
special mechanics are the real 'Meta.' Early on, 100 points of Strength are
better than poison, but late-game? Even a 10% poison multiplier can outweigh
several hundred points of raw Strength."
Of course, it depended on the game's damage formula, but generally, unique
multipliers were the best long-term investment.
Shinobu struggled to digest these strange metaphors, but then she felt a hand
land gently on her head. Natsuya gave her a small pat.
He saw her concern. Her "Starting Template" was too weak for a Warrior role, so
she was forced to multiclass into a Poison-Assassin, but she was worried about
the viability of the build in the end-game.
Normal worries, Natsuya thought. But in every game, there are 'Underdog Classes'
that high-level specialists turn into S-Tier threats by using builds the devs
never intended.
Recalling the unique shape of Shinobu's stinger-like sword, Natsuya added, "Are
you worried your arm strength won't keep up, or that your toxins will fail
against high-Resist Bosses?"
Shinobu's eyes went wide. How does he know my exact anxieties?!
"In my opinion, if you're going for a poison build, you need to go all-in on the
delivery system."
"Developing a demon-killing toxin isn't that easy—" Shinobu whispered.
"Then increase the dosage," Natsuya said matter-of-factly. "That Nichirin Sword
of yours is custom, right? How much can you inject in one go?"
About fifty milligrams? For a single thrust... Shinobu calculated internally.
"Pathetic. You need to 10x that amount. Since you're a thrust-specialist, it
doesn't matter if your sword looks like a long-sword or a giant spear-sized
syringe. If fifty milligrams doesn't kill it, use three hundred. Use five
hundred. If the dose is high enough, the toxicity level of the poison becomes
irrelevant."
Shinobu: "Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? If you aren't putting the volume in the sword, where
are you putting it? In your own veins?"
The girl was momentarily speechless. Wait... this 'Block of Wood' actually has a
point. Her arm strength was "weak" compared to Slayers who could cleave
boulders, but compared to normal humans, she was still a superhuman. She could
handle a slightly heavier, high-capacity delivery weapon.
But Natsuya wasn't done.
"And if the toxin itself lacks 'shred,' try adding physical irritants to the
mix. Put some glass fibers in there, or alkaloids, or heavy-metal neurotoxins...
Wait! Add that!"
Natsuya looked like he just had a divine epiphany.
"Nichirin Sand! Use the powder!"
"If the swords forged from that steel can bypass demon regeneration, then
injecting the dust directly into their bloodstream should deal Permanent True
Damage, right?"
Shinobu's brain short-circuited. That... that actually sounds incredible.
"Once you brew that up, give me a sample," Natsuya added. "I'm curious about the
'On-Hit' effects it'll have on a demon."
He lowered his voice, offering a bit of playful encouragement. "So don't worry
about your 'tier' in the future. There are plenty of ways to break the game."
He patted the heavy object at his waist—the Colt pistol.
"I'm still trying to figure out how to master 'American Breathing'. Rule number
one: 'Beyond seven paces, the gun is fast. Within seven paces... the gun is fast
AND accurate'."
Shinobu froze for a second, then burst into a fit of giggles. she covered her
mouth, her shoulders shaking.
He's such a weirdo. But... he's a Senior who actually makes sense in his own
insane way. It's... comforting.
After the laugh, the atmosphere became much warmer. Shinobu spent the rest of
the trip talking to Natsuya about toxins and medical theory. She didn't notice
that Natsuya had quickly returned to his "Auto-Pilot" mode.
At sunset, the train finally pulled into Tokyo.
The Rengoku Estate stood quietly in a secluded alleyway. It was the only
lineage-based Dojo left, and the primary training ground for all Flame Breathing
users.
Natsuya knocked on the gate and handed Master Kazami's letter to the servant who
answered.
And then—
"I am terribly sorry, sir. Please return another day."
"Lord Rengoku is not receiving guests at this time."
Wait, what?
Natsuya frowned. Did the Old Man forget to pay his subscription to the Rengoku
family? Why can't I get past the gate?!
"Hold on, I'm a member of the Corps. I'm not a random visitor."
The servant shook his head, looking troubled. "It is not a matter of your rank,
sir. It is... because of the Lady's health. Lord Rengoku is not in a state to
receive anyone. Please understand."
Natsuya was still processing the "Quest Blocked" notification when Shinobu,
seeing him fail the social check, let out a smug little smirk.
"We are physicians from the Butterfly Mansion," she announced, stepping forward.
"We are here for Lady Ruka's scheduled consultation."
"And this Mr. Kokonoe... he is my medical assistant."
Looking at Shinobu's youthful face, the servant hesitated. She whipped out
another letter and handed it over.
"This is from my sister, Kanae. Also, a Kasugai Crow should have arrived earlier
with the dispatch notice from the Mansion."
A doctor from the Butterfly Mansion? The servant's eyes lit up with hope. Maybe
they can finally help the Lady recover.
He read the letter quickly and stepped aside, bowing deeply.
"Please, come in. Both of you."
Natsuya looked at the "rejected" letter in his hand, then at the "VIP Pass" in
Shinobu's.
Master Kazami... your Faction Reputation with this family is trash.
☆☆☆
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