The End of Vacation
I asked, “How far have you mastered the Abyss?”
Ah, so Fujigasaki Rinka was worried about the dangers of the Abyss. Mastering Shinkaiyatsude would awaken the Abyss, and the Abyss stat came with side effects. She must have been concerned about how much those side effects had taken hold.
“Don’t worry, Master. I’m controlling it well.”
“Hmm. Shall we have a quick spar? Just a light one.”
Even after my answer, Fujigasaki Rinka still didn’t seem convinced and suggested a spar. She tossed the bag slung over her shoulder aside and hopped onto the ring with a light leap. Then, with a playful expression, she crooked her index finger at me.
Since this was a chance to trade blows with Fujigasaki Rinka, who was far more skilled than me, there was no reason to refuse. It would also let me show my master that my Abyss manipulation was under control.
The moment I stepped onto the ring, Fujigasaki Rinka threw a surprise punch. It carried terrifying speed and pressure, like a spear being thrust forward.
"Shinkaiyatsude (Deep Sea Eight Hands)"
"Shin'en Kyūban (Abyssal Suction Cup: Abyss Sucker)"
I deflected Fujigasaki Rinka’s arm while simultaneously generating suction to twist the trajectory of her fist. While she was being pulled in by my Shin'en Kyūban, she instead used that force to grab my wrist, leap up, and land a kick squarely on the side of my neck.
“Guh!”
It happened so fast that my vision flashed white and my head spun from the impact. But since she was going easy because this was just a spar, the actual damage wasn’t that severe.
“Hah!”
I countered with a low kick. Fujigasaki Rinka tried to dodge, but shackles burst from her own shadow and wrapped around her ankle. Naturally, she couldn’t avoid it and was forced to take my low kick head-on.
With a sharp crack!, the top of my foot whipped across the side and back of her thigh. Yet Fujigasaki Rinka was smiling as if she hadn’t taken any damage at all. Looking closer, it seemed she had instantly drawn on the Abyss around her thigh to defend against the kick.
“That’s an interesting method.”
Watching me create shackles through Shadow Dominion, Fujigasaki Rinka looked like a child who had just seen something fascinating. Her pure delight made it clear just how serious she was about martial arts.
“Show me something else!”
Other than Shadow Dominion, I didn’t really have anything else to show. I could probably alter the trajectory of a punch or kick using telekinesis, but…
Fujigasaki Rinka came at me with sparkling eyes, but I ended up getting thoroughly beaten. Her level in Shinkaiyatsude was far higher, and after countless real battles, she could instantly read the intent behind every technique I used. I couldn’t even mount a proper counterattack and just kept getting hit.
“Hmm…”
Aside from landing that one low kick (which she had blocked with the Abyss anyway), I spent the entire round getting pummeled until I collapsed from exhaustion. I had used some Shinkaiyatsude forms, but since they were the very ones she had taught me, she saw through every move and countered perfectly.
Normally I wouldn’t tire out after just one round, but I had already expended a massive amount of energy fighting Famine. This single bout had completely drained me.
“Well done, my disciple. You haven’t been devoured by the Abyss.”
As I lay on the ring floor gasping for breath, Fujigasaki Rinka crouched in front of me and gently stroked my head.
“When I left for America, I thought you had given up on martial arts entirely. I’m glad you kept at it.”
“My body became something I had to protect myself.”
At my words, Fujigasaki Rinka—who had already heard the rough details from Kiyohira and Kizuhiro—nodded.
“If you ever really need help, I’ll lend a hand once or twice. But overcoming moderate hardships is what makes a fighter grow. I can’t follow you around like a mother forever.”
Um… I don’t actually want to grow as a fighter, though? All I want is to eventually become the head of the Taira Group according to my ambitions.
Because she looked at me with such high expectations, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her I had no interest in becoming a martial artist. I just laughed awkwardly and said, “Ahaha.”
“Then tell me about that strange fellow called Famine. He seems like a worthy opponent. This master of yours will avenge you.”
“Well, first…”
I explained everything about Famine to Fujigasaki Rinka. How he used a gray energy similar in nature to the Abyss that could drain life force, how he could fly, and how he possessed incredibly powerful regeneration. After listening, she rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment.
“The flying part is annoying. Guess I’ll have to fight him next time!”
She gave up so cheerfully it was almost refreshing. When I gave her an incredulous look, Fujigasaki Rinka suddenly shouted.
“A true warrior wins by fighting in advantageous conditions! The duel between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojirō…”
“Yeah, yeah~”
Now that I had recovered a bit of stamina, I gave half-hearted replies as Fujigasaki Rinka launched into a long lecture. I dragged myself up from the ring. I needed to go eat something. The calories I’d burned today were insane; I was on the verge of starvation. At this rate, I’d lose muscle mass.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
Fujigasaki Rinka stopped me as I tried to leave the training area. She walked over to a shelf in the corner of the training room, mixed up a protein shake, and handed it to me. As expected, she couldn’t stand the thought of her disciple suffering muscle loss.
“Now we need to review our spar, don’t we?”
“Ah!”
I was helplessly trapped by Professor Fujigasaki Rinka and forced to attend an introductory lecture on combat theory.
“Explain the shadow ability you used earlier.”
The first thing Fujigasaki Rinka asked about was my Shadow Dominion. After I explained it, she looked at me with a slightly frustrated expression.
“You’re telling me you only used such a good technique for shackles? When you learn a new skill, you have to explore its applications. Schools that claim to value fundamentals but only teach one pattern are destined to lose and disappear.”
She then taught me various applications she had come up with. For example, adding an extra strike from the shadow during a kick for a double hit, or drawing aggro with a one-two punch while attacking the opponent’s groin from the shadow. All sorts of tricky, irregular techniques.
Then, apparently finding her own explanation funny, she suddenly burst into loud laughter.
“It’s what you’d call a chinpo attack! Kahahahat! Imagine how shocked the opponent would be if a huge black shadow attacked them from between their legs?”
Yeah… I honestly couldn’t tell if she was giving serious advice or just messing with me.
“Sumikazu!”
“Big bro, Genbaki!”
It was late evening by the time Kazuhiro drove up to Fujigasaki Rinka’s mansion.
“Sorry. The club told me to get counseling from a psychiatrist before I left.”
Well, it was a huge incident, so that made sense. Kazuhiro and I headed to the large dining room prepared for multiple people and took our seats.
Since the home party had been canceled because of the incident, there were tons of ingredients left over. The staff had prepared an incredible variety of dishes.
I had waited for Kazuhiro and snacked on a few things because I couldn’t hold out any longer, but I hadn’t eaten a proper meal yet, so I was able to enjoy everything thoroughly.
“You okay, Kaz?”
“I’m fine. So many people died. The living can’t afford to whine.”
Kazuhiro had always been mentally tough, so it seemed this incident hadn’t shaken him too badly. If anything, from what I could see, it was Kiyohira—who hadn’t properly witnessed the event and had run away first—who had taken a mental hit.
He had learned martial arts out of admiration for strength, but in the face of a transcendent calamity like that, realizing there was nothing he could do must have wounded his pride.
“Thanks, big bro.”
“Huh? For what?”
“That person in the armor was you, right? Kiyohira told me over the phone earlier. You could have run away with him, but you jumped in because of me…”
“It was only natural. You or Kiyohira would have done the same.”
The three of us—me, Kazuhiro, and Kiyohira—were having a touching moment, but Fujigasaki Rinka’s words shattered the atmosphere completely.
“Don’t create weird vibes while we’re eating.”
“Yessir~!”
“Sorry!”
Fujigasaki Rinka muttered under her breath, unable to stand the cringe, then turned to Aris as if to change the subject.
“Aris, you came to LA for work in Hollywood too, right?”
“Yes. There’s a scene in the movie with a ton of models. But after this incident, I’m not sure if we’ll be able to film on schedule.”
“You can stay at my house as long as you need until filming starts. You’re my disciple’s cousin. Practically my niece.”
This wasn’t some old wuxia novel, yet Fujigasaki Rinka seemed to think parents and masters were on equal footing. Calling her a niece when they were only two or three years apart in age…
“What about that actress over there? No schedule?”
“Ah, um… I do! While I’m in LA, I’m supposed to do a photoshoot with a related theme. And… I was hoping to get an autograph from Lady Rinka…”
Hanazaki Sayaka seemed so moved that Fujigasaki Rinka had spoken to her directly that she answered while stuttering. Both of them were in the entertainment industry, so of course they had schedules. Though getting an autograph from Fujigasaki Rinka probably wasn’t on any official itinerary.
“Both of you can stay at my house as much as you like. However, Ryuta must return to Japan tomorrow.”
“What?”
I still had quite a few days left on my American schedule. Surprised, I asked Fujigasaki Rinka again. She spoke in a heavy voice.
“The American government is currently obsessed with hunting down that thing called Famine, but eventually they’ll come looking for you. If you’re in Japan, you can at least respond. But if you stay in America, you’ll be caught up with no way out. Returning home as soon as possible is the best move.”
Even Fujigasaki Rinka had recognized me the moment she saw the Shinkaiyatsude forms I used. There was no guarantee others wouldn’t do the same. I hadn’t even considered it, but just as she said, I needed to leave America tomorrow.
She automatically puts me in fantasy outfits if I don't add clothing tags lololol
