I Came Back but the World is Still a Fantasy!?

4-46: Training and Blunder (3/5)

Ryou wanted to tease Tomoe a bit and ask if shed picked that color out intentionally or untintenionally, but Ryou was too exhausted physically and mentally to bother.

Ahh Im beat

Thats why the next words that came out of his mouth next were so heavy they seemed to come from the depths of hell itself.

So exhausted was that voice that it seemed even the fathers working through another overtime had it better.

That was neither exaggeration nor fiction but the unadulterated truth.

You lost one-sidedly today too, huh, Tomoe said.

And his childhood friend, who was busy reading, was more than happy to point that out as though she found the fact hilarious.

But as someone being tortured by the same master, Tomoe understood his difficulties well.

Of course, Ryou was studying interpersonal combat, while Tomoe was studying jutsu combat, so their respective situations werent exactly the same, but they were being trained with the same method, so the exhaustion they felt was similar.

Thats probably why he had no words to rebut with and just meekly acknowledged her remark.

Yeah, I lost again. Lose, lose, lose, thats all Ive been doing. But day by day Im also getting a better understanding of what he told me at the start.

Its only been a few days since their training began, but Ryou has been repeating this process since.

Shinichi told him that he would thoroughly beat into him the essence of close combat.

He said that he would make him quickly learn how to deftly handle that onslaught hed received just awhile ago, as well as the ability to read his opponents movements.

If one were to borrow Shinichis words, then

What you lack most is experience in interpersonal combat. If you cant even read your opponents, then defeating a person stronger than you is just an empty dream. First, you need to understand that your opponent is also fighting to win.

But in your case, you wont be able to get it if I were to throw it at you all at once, so youll have to learn the skills one by one with your body.

And thats why theyve been continuing this training with restrictions until now.

Tomoe was surprised to see Ryou so understanding of Shinichis methods despite his slight unhappiness.

Thats rare. Normally, youd have started grumbling already.

If he hadnt explained anything, then yeah maybe. He answers properly if you ask, and he can meticulously point out my mistakes too. Also, he told us to attend our lectures properly, right? To be honest, I wanted to use my special privileges to rest, but when I attended the class just once, I understood.

Understood what?

Unlike the special classes, the normal classes rarely had the opportunity to spar with their fellow students.

Moreover, Tomoe herself was receiving lessons regarding her jutsus, so she was yet to understand it, but Ryous next words enlightened her.

The teachers the students Everyone elses movements are becoming slower and slower. I could tell how they would move next, and they moved so different from that guy that I have so much leeway on how to respond.

Until now hes never thought about stuff like that and would just send his opponents flying right from the start.

When he thought of how sloppy he used to fight, he couldnt help but be dumbfounded.

He might be beating me up everyday, but Im gradually realizing what hes been telling me all this time. Dont avert your eyes, read the next move, dont be careless, keep using your head I know all of these in my head, but it wasnt until now that Ive become so aware of it. With all that, I cant really complain.

The training these past few days has made him aware just how inexperienced he was and how much progress he was making.

Though he didnt stand a chance in a direct confrontation, his teacher(Shinichi) seemed to believe that he could overcome the challenge he was throwing at him.

Thats why when Ryou cursed earlier, it wasnt because he was unhappy about his situation.

I see. In your case, your training includes your classes too. The knowledge is drilled into you in the night, and then you practice it in the day. Huh, despite hating the idea so much, hes actually doing a proper job, isnt he?

They could not publicize their relationship as master and disciple, they could also only train in a place and time with no other people, but Shinichi was making full use of the other hours too by indirectly training them.

Well, Im still no match for Nakamura, though. I cant keep up with him at all. But whats really annoying is how it seems like hes always just within reach, Shinguuji said as he laughed in self-deprecation.

Huh, youre more capable of objectively judging yourself than I thought, Shinguuji.

The boy who said that as though Ryou had said something funny was none other than their master.

Tomoe and Ryou were speechless. Just awhile ago he was still a long way away from them, but before they knew it, he was right in front of them.

Shinichi pulling things out of his hat was already an everyday occurrence for them, though, so their surprise lasted only for a moment.

But that was likely just because if they actually minded all the oddities about him, they wouldnt be able to stand fighting him.

Youre a brat on the surface, but I see now that youre just dishonest with your feelings.

It was curious if hed done that on purpose or was just being serious, but regardless, he happily nodded and appraised Ryou as such, leading Ryou to make a sullen face.

Although he had no faults to find with Shinichis teaching, his words frequently irritated him.

All the more so given that he was still just 16 years old, an age at which a person was still highly emotional.

Teens that age would likely revolt if someone started treating them as a good kid.

Though Ryou might have received the blood of an exorcist clan and carried with him a cruel past, he was still a boy in the end.

Hmph, who is?

Im sure its because your mom did a good job raising you.

Uu!

Whatever complaints Ryou had vanished with that one line.

People at his age might tend to be rebellious toward their parents, but in Ryous case, his mother literally risked her life to bring him up.

Refuting Shinichis words would be the same thing as to refute his mothers efforts, and Ryou could not do that.

She raised you up into a fine young man worth training. Im sure your mother must be looking at you from heaven with pride.

U-Ugu, y-you

On top of that, Shinichi continued to praise him while talking even more about his mother. In the end, what was it that Ryou was feeling now? Was it anger? Was it shame?

Perhaps he himself didnt know, but one thing for sure was that his face flushed with red, neither able to deny nor confirm Shinichis words, only glare at him with a face that kept changing.

Of course, Shinichi said all that knowing full well what kind of effect it would have on him.

Youre such a bad man.

Tomoe muttered in astonishment as she watched him toy with Ryou.

But Shinichis ears were sharp enough to pick up on that, and he said in response.

It is an honor to receive your praise, Princess() Tomoe.

Whos praising you!? And I told you not to treat me like a princess!

Oh no! Even as Tomoe realized that her remark turned the end of the spear onto her, she reflexively answered back with a flushed face.

Ever since they asked him to train them, Shinichi would pick a time and suddenly start treating her like a princess.

Lineage-wise, it was true that it wasnt wrong to call her a princess, but emotionally and personality-wise, she didnt feel like it suited her to be treated as one.

Moreover, the way Shinichi acted whenever he called her a princess made her restless for some reason.

That outfit suits you so well, it just came out by itself.

As expected, Shinichi didnt act like hed done anything wrong and just laughed.

This man, Tomoe thought to herself as she glared at him with a face, beet red, but Shinichi didnt mind that one bit.

I got to say, though, to be able to imitate and remodel a shikioni after reading about it just once How frightening.

Satisfied with her response, he turned his gaze to the black shikioni.

All hints of playfulness left his eyes as he assessed the craftsmanship of Tomoes work.

Tomoe didnt miss that change in his gaze, so she immediately changed gears and straightened her back.

There was a tension in the air no lesser than those times when her mother assessed her jutsus.

That was how meticulous and stringent Shinichis eyes and lips were.

Ready yourself now, I will test your endurance.

Yes.

The time for frolicking has passed, and though neither spoke in the polite language, Shinichi was now her master, and her, his disciple.

Master and disciple changed so quickly that Ryou found himself darting his eyes to and fro, but that was a skill said to be indispensable for exorcists, and Tomoe was able to pull it off.

With a glance from Tomoe, the shikioni nimbly jumped and distanced itself from her, and Shinichi too stood opposite it while wielding his great sword of rock.

As the black shikionis face transformed to that of anger, it assumed stance with its watermelon-sized fists, while the boy in black assumed a high stance with his great sword in his right, while his left beckoned the shikioni to come.

That provocation was meant less for the oni before him and more for Tomoe, who had conjured it.

Though to her, that was less a provocation and more a signal to hurry up.

Go!

Thats why Tomoe raised her voice and commanded her own shiki.