Chapter 5: It Now Begins

"WOAH!"

Tai's fist crashed into my stomach with enough force to break a block of concrete. If I hadn't dodge it in time, my rib would have definitely been broken by now

My teacher didn't seem to mind the fact that he'd almost killed me. In fact, he seems to be almost livid that he missed the punch

...I wonder what happened to make him so angry?...

Ignoring my signal to stop the match, Tai strode forward with a look of rage on his face, his fist reared back as he prepared to hit me again

As if I would let him do it

I dashed forward from the floor and kicked him in his stomach. The surprise attack sent him stumbling backward, creating enough time for me to get up and hit him again, this time with a knee to his jaw

Using the momentum, I slammed him down the floor with my knee still pressing in his windpipe. Suffice to say that is enough to knock the Breath out of him

No, I mustn't let my guard down 

Despite hitting him thrice, I know I'm still far from defeating Taiyang with my experience alone...yet

As expected, he kicked me up and righted himself with a single step, before lowering his hand to his side

I skidded back before straightening myself and tensed up, preparing for another punch, but he raised a hand up, signaling today's practice session is over

...Phew, looked like he finally calm down

Tai's been giving me a beating for the last 3 hours now. Intense would be an understatement to describe the look on his face then

It seems like he's satisfied...for the moment

"That's enough for now " The blonde man said, his voice suddenly tired "I must say, you're a genius, (Y/n). Not a month had passed and you can now already fight like that. I'm impressed"

"Thank you, teacher" I relaxed and bowed my head "It's all thanks to you that I can learn so quickly"

"Nonsense. It's thanks to the fact that you're a prodigy that I can teach you this fast" He waved his hand casually

"If you say so, see you teacher"

"See you. And stay away from my daughter!" He raised his voice at the last part

That's weird

Just what's the problem with him? Did I do something to Ruby to warrant this punishment?

I shook my head and turned to leave the dojo

It's been 7 days since I started training in the Dojo, and I still haven't got entirely used to it

I've currently mastered the basis of the Dragon Breath and is now preparing to step into Intermediate-tier of this martial arts, the first substantial progress I've made since I got here

That is saying a lot

There are five basic tiers for a martial artist: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, Master, and Grandmaster, with Tai himself as an Expert. Apparently he didn't invent the fighting style itself, only inheriting it from his family some time ago 

The Xiao Long's hereditary Kekkei-Genkai allows them to absorb a certain amount of power for every blow they received, making them the perfect burst-sustainability fighter hybrid. That's why martial arts is their main focus, their power can only works when they come into contact with the enemy

Tai himself mastered the basis in three months while his daughter, Yang, break into Intermediate rank in just one. I myself reached the same stage after only one week. Yet that is just the beginning

The Intermediate stage took far longer to break through, Tai had said, it could be three to four years before a normal person can grasped it

That alone shows just how hard it can be for someone to become a Grandmaster at this. Countless prodigies have trained all their life, yet only a few of them can achieve the apex of their arts

I still have a long way to go before reaching the top, Aren't I? Just a rank-up in skill doesn't mean I could go around the town flaunting my skill like a complete idiot

It's best to remain cautious. Who knows what kind of opponents I'll meet out there

Sighing, I took out my uniform and wear my casual clothes on, which is just a normal light blue yukata with wave pattern on it, before walking outside

It's almost amazing how I managed to adapt to this world just after days of getting here. I meet Ruby Rose and Blake. I got accepted as Tai's student. I also learn about the culture here and their Asian-like lifestyle

And I've leveled up several times, too

I am now level 7, a lucky number, considering the things that unlocked with reaching this level

At level 5, I unlocked [Item Repair].

Which helps me to fix certain things to their former state when first created

The [Rusty Knife] I received when I first got here is a trash item, when experimented with this skill on it simply turned into [Sharp Knife], a [Common Item] as you would say it

It has an increase in Damage, Critical Damage, and it also decreases cutting time when used on other objects. A useful skill indeed

At level 6, I unlocked [Mechanical Tracing], which enables me to make a perfect duplicate of a chosen item in my hand

Their stats are exactly the same, but the copy's durability are vastly inferior to the original, breaking only after 1-2 hits.

I could think of a few uses for this skill, although I'll have to level it up first

And finally, at level 7, I unlocked the skill [Dematerialize]

I can now revert any items back into it's original material. If I use this on a bread it will become wheat and flour. If I used it on a house it will turn into a large block of stone and several wooden logs

If I use it on a human...well, I can only assume they'll turn into a sack of meat, skin and a pile of bones. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, so I don't really know

Now I all I need to do is unlock the skill [Item Creation] at level 10 and I should be able to finally have my own weapon, preferably a weapon that is easy to wield like a sword

All in all, it's pretty good for me

...which means something bad is about to happen, sooner or later

You know the rules to equivalent exchange. If I have been lucky up until now, it also means that same luck is bound to run out of it keeps going like this

It may be superstition on my part, but I've got this paranoid feeling in my stomach ever since yesterday, as if a disaster is about to strike upon me

That or I just have a stomachache is all

Oh well, it wouldn't do me any good to be constantly worried like that. Perhaps I should take a break once in a while to loosen my nerves

I know, let's go pay Summer a visit. It's been several days when I last saw her

<><><><><><><><><>

Summer Rose

I stood in front of the door with a slightly nervous mood. Slowly, I raised my hands up and knocked on the door

You must be wondering why I'm so wary of this woman. Well, I can tell you there's a logical reason for it

Silence greeted me after the knock. From inside, a distant "come in" could be heard

I gently opened the door and walked inside. Closing the door behind me, I stood as still as I could, my back ramrod straight even though I know I can't see her

Gotta show courtesy when entering someone's room after all...

On the other end of the empty space is Summer Rose, sharpening her katana against a grindstone. In the silence of the room, only the sound of it could be heard, over and over again

A faint, but strangely ear-catching tunes could be heard as she quietly hummed to herself when working. Despite the peaceful atmosphere surrounding her, I know better than to suddenly disturb Ruby's mom when she's doing this

When around a blind person, it's best to be careful, especially if it's Summer Rose

For some reason, that woman is paranoid, too paranoid may I add. It's almost like Alastair Moody have a child or something

Well, since I already knocked and got her permission, it should be fine this time right?

I took a step forward

Creaaak

The sharpening sound stopped at once

"Breath of the Moon: Crescent Slash" 

Ah shot

In less than a moment, Summer vanished from her seat

The next thing I know, the tip of her blade is heading my way with a terrifying speed, almost invisible due to how fast it's moving through the air

Woosh

I quickly duck down just as it pass through my head, cutting off some of my hair in the process

"Wait, wait, Mrs. Rose, it's me! (Y/n)!" I raised my hands and yelled frantically, hoping to god that she has enough common sense to listen to me

The katana' tip stopped inches in front of my face. I flinched in response to how I was almost killed for a moment there

Closer than that and my eye is as good as gone

Her face turned from confusion, to realization, and then to shock. All in a span of a single moment

"Dear Amaterasu, I'm sorry (Y/n)" She offered me a hand to which I accept, albeit shakily "Are you hurt anywhere?"

As the woman said so she began squeezing my cheeks and touching my face to see if I'm injured, a worried look on her face

I tried not to look at her eyes. Her silver, glassy eyes, one that is often seen in blind people. Somehow, it just feels unnatural, like I'm staring at a broken mirror

Ever since I saw those things, I have always wondered if it's already there when she was born, or that something made her lost her eyesight at one point in her life

Perhaps she used the Silver eye's power too much. Like the Sharingan, blindness could be caused by overusing the eye or pushing it to the limit repeatedly in a short amount of time, thus causing it to short-circuited 

Given that the Summer before me haven't turned into a homicidal maniac yet (Unlike a certain Uchiha), the former option of her overusing the eye is out, which means somebody is strong enough to make her go all-out in a fight and came out of it heavily injured

I wonder who could that be?

Idly, I realized that Summer is still feeling up my face with that same frantic look on her

That woman. I would have laughed at this situation had I not been almost killed just moments ago

"No, I'm okay" I grasped her hands and put it down "Sorry if I disturbed you"

"No, it's my fault" She grimaced "I just thought it was Ruby knocking on the door there..."

That makes sense. Summer hadn't been notified about me staying here until the past few days. For someone as paranoid as her, the presence of a newcomer living here is unsettling indeed

"But how do you know it's not Ruby?"

She blinked, her glassy eyes looking at me curiously

"By the sound of your footstep of course"

My eyes shined

"My footstep?"

"The sound of it hitting the floor, the time between each steps, and the speed at which it approaches me gives me a rough estimate of your identity and their purpose"

She pointed at the door

"When you entered, there was a moment of silence, which makes me conclude whoever stepped in is hesitating in their visit. Thus, it could not be Tai as he always do everything with a single-mindedness of a Xiao Long" she giggled, before continuing

"When you began walking toward me, you stepped on the rotting plank in front of you. Thus, it could not be Ruby as someone as quick and light as her wouldn't have caused it" She explained

"Your steps are slow and cautious, as if you're afraid of being detected by me. That's why I thought you were an assassin at first" She finished "Albeit a bad one if I might add"

….

That's some Lee Sin shit right there. If Summer is this sharp when she's blind, just how perceptive was she when her Silver Eyes are still active?

My mouth gaped openly at the woman, who's scratching her head sheepishly

"...Would it be possible for you to teach me this?"

"It's possible, but the results will depend on you"

"Is that a yes, Mrs. Rose?"

"...Maybe" She smiled "Consider this as repayment for nearly killing you right there"

I bounced to my feet in excitement

"But that's for a later time!" She raised her hands, chuckling as (Y/n) immediately deflated like a balloon in response "Sorry (Y/n), I just don't feel very well these days"

She turned her head sideway, a nostalgic smile on her face "You reminded me of Tai when he was a kid, actually. Always so eager to learn..."

"What was that?"

"No. Nothing" She turned back to me

"Anyway. Aside from what you ask, I could teach you something else instead" She gestured to the katana beside her, making my eyes widened

"S-seriously, you're going to teach me how to use a sword" I stated

"No" Summer laughed, amused at my reaction "Not just use, you're going to learn how to wield one as well"

"Tell me (Y/n), what do you know about the Concentration Breathing technique?"

I straightened my back

"Total Concentration Breathing is an advanced technique used by Martial Masters to boost their physical abilities beyond that of a normal human. By using this advanced breathing form, one can increase their lung capacity, therefore allowing oxygen to reach every cells in their bodies. At least that's what your husband told me about it"

"He certainly did his job as a teacher" She smiled, before continuing asking

"And what are it's effects?"

"By applying this breathing form, one's oxygen intake is vastly increased, exciting the blood which heats up all the muscles so they can grow stronger. This enhances the user's human bodies healing factor while both stabilizing and energizing the user's inner energy, causing them to break through their limit as a human"

Yep, you just heard that right

In this world, there is no Aura, only the Breath system and another energy type called Chakra, Both of them have the same effect, only one is more spiritual in origin than the other. Tai have told me about that during our first lesson

To which I said, this world is more like Naruto and Kimetsu Yaiba all over again....

I mean....what's next?

Will there be a Nine Apocalyptic Grimm and their host?

Will Salem be the Demon Daimyo with the 12 demon Shoguns as her subordinate?

Surely not...

"What are you trying to say here, Mrs. Rose?" I tilted my head

"I'm just testing your basic knowledge. You passed with flying colors" She crossed her arms and huffed "Seriously, I know Tai said you're a prodigy, but who would have thought..."

"That would be an overstatement. I'm not as good as what he makes me out to be"

"Yeah, sure" She doesn't seems convinced, so I decided to change the subject before it got annoying

"Anyway, what does the Breathing technique's got to do with this?"

"Sure it does. Did you really thought the name of your art "Breath of Dragon" is just for show?"

I'd once thought it was just a name. But remembering about it now, Summer also use a technique called [Breath of the Moon] with her sword

I suddenly found myself speechless

"You don't mean..."

"Correct" Summer closed her eyes "There are multiple form of Breath, each of them strengthening their user in different ways. But to know how to do that you have to know the previous Concentration Breathing. This is a technique only experts can use, so your chance of doing it is pretty low"

"Yet, somehow...I have a feeling you will be able to do it"

A grin threatened to split my face in half

Oh boy, this is gonna be exciting