Chapter 356: Progress |
Hoshino Gen's eyes showed a hint of surprise. "The second stage is almost complete. That is very fast."
Sasaki Ayane looked at him quietly.
Hoshino Gen bent down, picked up a pebble, and used the Sword Control Method to make it float in mid-air. "Control your pebble and crash it into mine."
Sasaki Ayane did as she was told. She focused her mind, channeling all the energy she had attached to the pebble. Then, with a sharp swish cutting through the air, the pebble she controlled shot forward like a bullet.
Bang!
An explosion echoed in the air, the violent result of the two pebbles colliding.
In the instant Sasaki Ayane launched her stone, Hoshino Gen also drove his pebble forward to meet the attack head-on.
Even though it was literally a stone striking a stone, the result looked exactly like an egg striking a rock.
The pebble controlled by Hoshino Gen remained floating in mid-air, completely unscathed, while Sasaki Ayane's pebble had been smashed into fine powder by the collision.
Sasaki Ayane nodded slightly. She did not mention that increasing the energy output would make it harder to control, nor did she say that the amount of energy she could unleash at once was limited. She knew these were her own problems to solve. She just needed to follow Hoshino Gen's instructions and improve.
"Now, attack me with your ability," Hoshino Gen said.
Sasaki Ayane wasted no words. The moment she raised her hand, a lightning glow sparked in the air. With a gentle wave of her slender, pale palm, the deafening roar of thunder power instantly filled the surrounding space. The air itself took on a scorched scent from the searing heat, as violent and dense arcs of lightning surged toward Hoshino Gen from all directions.
Hoshino Gen raised his palm—Palm Thunder.
An identical lightning glow sparked, accompanied by the same flashes of lightning and roars of thunder, just as dense and just as violent.
The blinding white lightning glow and blue-white flashes intertwined in an instant. The sky above the courtyard seemed enveloped by a Great Thunder Net, while the shrieking of the electricity sounded like the chirping of a thousand birds and the neighing of ten thousand horses.
A few moments later, the lightning glow finally faded.
Like the desolation left after a grand spectacle had ended, an utter silence fell over the courtyard once the violent rumbling of thunder dissipated.
Hoshino Gen thought for a moment and asked, "Was that your full strength?"
Sasaki Ayane nodded.
"Very impressive," Hoshino Gen stated. "At the very least, compared to a month ago, you are much stronger now. According to the international transcendent tier classification, that last strike of yours should be at the C-tier level."
"You are ready for actual combat," Hoshino Gen said, looking at her. "Do you want to try handling a supernatural incident yourself?"
"Actively hunting down the supernatural with me accompanying you will be much safer. If you do not adapt to fighting vengeful ghosts in advance, it will be extremely dangerous when you are caught off guard by a supernatural encounter in the future with no experience."
"The supernatural world is just like that. Even if you do not actively seek out danger, danger will eventually come seeking you."
"The path of a transcendent is much shorter than that of a normal person. And those who walk this path must sprint toward its end, because there are always unknown entities chasing closely behind us."
"If they catch up, there is only death. Therefore, you must run as fast as possible, even if you have no idea how short this path is, or how many obstacles and ambushes lie ahead..."
Hoshino Gen paused there. He looked at Sasaki Ayane, quietly awaiting her decision.
"I understand," Sasaki Ayane replied calmly. "My grandfather told me something similar."
"When you heard those words, did you not resent the old man? After all, with his tacit approval and even his active pushing, your lifespan has been cut by at least half. What should have been a smooth journey has become twisted and full of the unknown," Hoshino Gen asked, seemingly with a hint of malice.
"But the scenery along the way has also become much more vibrant and beautiful," Sasaki Ayane said calmly.
"Is that so." Hoshino Gen smiled. "I will find a suitable supernatural incident as soon as possible. For now, you should just continue practicing Object Control. You already know the method, so you do not need much more guidance from me."
Sasaki Ayane nodded without making a sound.
......
After Sasaki Ayane left, Hoshino Gen returned to the reception area in the front building.
Through her daily work, Shimizu Yu had gained quite a bit of experience in cleaning and organizing the house. At the very least, her speed was much faster than when she first started.
In the short time Hoshino Gen was in the backyard testing Sasaki Ayane's training progress, Shimizu Yu had already finished dusting and was wiping down the wooden stairs.
Hoshino Gen offered a word of encouragement—"Good job, keep it up"—before returning to sit at the low table. However, he did not play on his mobile phone or bring out his laptop to play a game this time.
What he had told Sasaki Ayane earlier were not empty words; he truly intended to help her find an appropriate supernatural incident to accumulate combat experience.
And for this sort of thing, contacting the Special Affairs Group was naturally the best choice.
Hoshino Gen made a telephone call. The moment it connected, Kiryu Wakaba's voice ringing with enthusiasm immediately came from the other end. "What is it, Senior Student?"
"Does your Special Affairs Group have any backlog of unresolved supernatural incidents? It would be best if the location is in Tokyo."
"Of course we do. But is that all you called me for, Senior Student?" Kiryu Wakaba's voice carried a hint of resentment. "What about your promise to treat me to a meal alone?"
"..." Hoshino Gen paused for a moment. "If you have time, we can do it right now."
"Eh! Really?" Kiryu Wakaba instantly cheered up again. "As long as you want to, Senior Student, I always have time! That works out perfectly. I will organize the files on the pending supernatural incidents in Tokyo first, and hand them to you in person when we meet up."
"Alright. Sorry for the trouble."
"Hehe, if it is for you, Senior Student, it is no trouble at all."
"Send me your location, I will come pick you up."
"Okay!"
"......"
After hanging up the telephone, Hoshino Gen turned his gaze to Shimizu Yu, who was still wiping the stairs. After a moment of thought, he said, "I have some business to attend to and need to step out for a bit. Keep the key I gave you earlier. From now on, whether I am here or not, you can open the door and come in yourself. But you must remember to lock the door when you leave."
Shimizu Yu, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for so long, looked up at Hoshino Gen sitting behind the low table. After a brief hesitation, she nodded. "Oh."
Hoshino Gen stood up and walked toward the door. Before leaving, he could not help but glance back a few times at the unusually quiet Shimizu Yu, but ultimately left without saying anything else.
Click.
The door of the antique shop gently swung shut. In the empty room, Shimizu Yu sat alone on the stairs, wiping the floor. In the blink of an eye, a few teardrops silently rolled down her cheeks, shattering into pieces as they struck the wooden floorboards...