Chapter 80: Matters of the Rengoku House
Shinjuro Rengoku. Currently the strongest among the Nine Hashira and the one
with the most seniority. Even Natsuya had to admit it: this was a formidable
swordsman.
The moment he saw him, the man's status panel dominated the view.
[Shinjuro Rengoku (Power Level: 457)] — Flame Breathing LV.6
Nearly a hundred points higher than Igarashi...
This Owl Uncle is cracked, Natsuya thought, standing in the courtyard of the
Rengoku estate. He stared at the numbers on the HUD, his brow furrowed. Man, I'm
starting to wonder just how buffed the Upper Moons are if these Pillars find
them 'troublesome'.
However, despite being acknowledged as a "Top-Tier" unit by Natsuya, Shinjuro
currently radiated zero "Strongest Swordsman" energy. His eyes were hollow,
devoid of any spark. A thick aura of resignation and gloom clung to him, like a
furnace that had lost its flame-core.
Natsuya honestly felt that if they fought right now, even Igarashi could
probably take this "Owl Uncle" down while he was in this state.
"Mr. Kokonoe, we should go in."
Shinobu's voice snapped him back. At eleven years old, she already displayed a
level of composure that far exceeded her age. Carrying a small medical kit and
standing at her diminutive height, she still didn't feel like a "child."
She was here as a physician from the Butterfly Mansion for a follow-up. Natsuya
followed as an "assistant" and a "Flame Breathing applicant."
"So the uncle is refusing guests because his wife is sick?" Natsuya whispered.
"What's the diagnosis? Have they tried both Western and Eastern meds?"
Shinobu shook her head, a rare look of helplessness crossing her violet eyes.
"Lord Shinjuro and Lady Ruka... it's unexplained organ failure. Traditional
doctors and the Western hospitals in Tokyo have all tried. Medicine can only
manage the pain and slow the progression... but it can't reverse it."
"Even we at the Butterfly Mansion—"
She didn't finish, but Natsuya understood.
When they entered the room, Shinjuro didn't even look at them. He sat in a chair
by his wife's futon, holding an empty sake gourd. The room didn't smell like
alcohol, though; it was filled with the heavy, bitter scent of boiling herbs.
A woman with raven-black hair and a gaunt, pale face lay on the bed. Despite her
frailty, her expression was serene. She gave them a gentle nod.
"Lord Shinjuro, please, at least let me examine Lady Ruka," Shinobu said, her
voice steady and firm. "Kanae-nee-san has developed a new recipe for pain
management, perhaps—"
"Perhaps it's useless," Shinjuro interrupted, his voice raspy and harsh. "How
many times have you come? Every time it's 'perhaps' or 'let's try,' and what's
the result?"
"Go home. I don't want her poked and prodded anymore."
His tone was blunt, bordering on aggressive. Lady Ruka, however, gave her
husband a sharp, rebuking look. "Shinjuro. These are guests who have traveled
far."
"My apologies, you two. Shinjuro has been... unsettled lately because of my
condition. Please forgive his rudeness."
The Flame Hashira took a deep breath, looking as though he were using every
ounce of his strength to suppress his surging emotions. "I was too hasty, Lady
Kocho. Once again... I leave her in your care."
Just then, a loud, clear voice rang out from the hallway.
"Father! Have the guests arrived?"
A boy who looked a few years older than Shinobu marched into the room.
[Kyojuro Rengoku (Power Level: 43)] — Flame Breathing LV.1
He had the same gold-red hair as Shinjuro and bright, piercing eyes that looked
like twin embers. He was unmistakably the "Owl Cub."
Seeing Shinobu, he bowed respectfully. "Lady Doctor! You've come to treat Mother
again! Thank you very much!"
Then he looked at Natsuya, tilting his head. "And this Senior is?"
The boy saw the Demon Slayer uniform and Natsuya's sharp, disciplined aura. He
definitely looks like a high-level unit—is he a new Hashira?
"Kokonoe Natsuya. Hei (Rank 3). I'm here to study Flame Breathing," Natsuya
introduced himself simply. "And... currently acting as the Lady Doctor's
assistant."
Though Natsuya wasn't a Hashira, Kyojuro didn't look disappointed. His eyes grew
even brighter. "Oh! A new practitioner! Father, we can train together—"
"I don't have the time."
The boy's enthusiasm was met with his father's ice-cold rejection. Natsuya
glanced at Shinjuro. This uncle really needs to vent some of that heat. He's way
too 'salty' right now.
Shinjuro stood up and, for the first time, looked Natsuya in the eye. His gaze
held no anger or prejudice—only exhaustion and pain. Natsuya had seen that look
before on the families of terminal patients in real-world hospitals.
"If you truly want to learn, train with Kyojuro. He has mastered the basic form.
If that doesn't satisfy you, there are other Flame-users at the dojo you can
observe."
With that, he turned toward the window and fell silent.
Shinobu nudged Natsuya with her elbow. "I'm going to administer the medicine to
Lady Ruka. Natsuya-kun, you go out with Kyojuro for now."
In the courtyard, Kyojuro's energy was at 100%. He gripped a wooden sword, eager
to show the "transfer student" what he knew.
"Mr. Kokonoe! Please watch closely! My Flame Breathing!"
A puff of white mist, hotter and denser than other styles, escaped his teeth.
The Owl Cub lunged forward with explosive force.
"Flame Breathing, First Form: UNKNOWING FIRE!"
Unlike most swordsmen who moved in silence, Kyojuro roared the name of the
technique with everything he had. Natsuya caught a glimpse of tiny, flickering
sparks along the arc of the wooden sword.
So that's why they call it Flame Breathing, Natsuya noted.
The move was spirited, but unrefined. Kyojuro finished the form and looked at
Natsuya with a wide, expectant grin.
"What do you think?"
"Not bad," Natsuya said. "Your physical base is solid, and your movements are
clean. It really feels like a fire is burning."
He added, "Most importantly... you've got great spirit!"
Kyojuro nodded vigorously, his voice booming. "Because that is what Flame
Breathing is! Mother says that fire burns to light the way for others and to
protect them! Therefore, the user must have a heart of unshakeable justice!"
What a classic 'Main Character' setup, Natsuya mused. Sick mom, depressed
god-tier dad, and a high-energy 'idiot' son with pure intentions. If this were a
Shonen anime, this kid would be the protagonist.
"I've heard the 'strength exists to stomp the weak' speeches before," Natsuya
said, nodding in approval. "But mostly those people are just trolls. Nobody
likes being bullied for no reason. Your mom sounds like a good person. Anyway,
keep going. Show me the rest."
Kyojuro's smile dimmed for a split second, though his voice remained just as
loud.
"I'm sorry, Senior! I currently only know this one form!"
Wait, what? You said that so loudly I thought you were bragging. You really only
know one?
"Just one form?" Natsuya probed. "Do you have any other 'hidden mechanics'?
Poison? CQC skills? Street-fighter moves?"
The kids back at Mt. Sagiri and the textile factory usually had a few tricks,
and even that guy Dojima knew four or five forms. It didn't make sense for the
Second-Gen Flame Shadow to only have the First Form.
"I don't know any of those things, Senior!"
The boy's smile faltered, but his spirit didn't break.
"Father... hasn't taught me the advanced essentials or the other forms yet."
Shinjuro had been a bright, powerful man once. But Lady Ruka's illness had
drained his spirit. The lessons Kyojuro had just begun were put on indefinite
hold.
Still, the boy believed. He believed his mother would get better, and he
believed his father would one day roar with fire again.
☆☆☆
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