Uesugi Tetsu pressed down on the cloth doll that had already begun staggering toward the door and shook his head at it.
"I'll do it."
He shaped the words with his lips, drew a deep breath, then placed the cloth doll in a corner of the wooden table beside the pile of homework that had sat untouched for ages.
"Dad? You're not going to make me prepare a late-night snack just because I answer the door, are you?"
Muttering his complaint, Uesugi Tetsu casually opened the door himself.
Standing outside was none other than a faceless middle-aged man.
It simply faced Uesugi Tetsu in silence.
Silent pressure crawled over Uesugi Tetsu's entire body. His face was just about to start twitching instinctively when he immediately entered the Heart Like Still Water state.
"What, you're allowed to watch ball games, but I'm not allowed to stay up late watching matches?" Uesugi Tetsu took out his phone and flaunted the game flashing on its screen. "Esports are sports too!"
With that, Uesugi Tetsu calmly walked past the man and turned on the tap in the bathroom.
"If you want a late-night snack, just say so. I'll heat up the bento in the fridge. If you don't, I'm eating it all myself."
After shuddering and washing his hands under the man's gaze, Uesugi Tetsu took the bento from the fridge, heated it, and ate while scrolling through his phone, occasionally chuckling.
From beginning to end, he showed not the slightest hint of anything unusual.
Finally, just as Uesugi Tetsu was about to lick the last traces of food from the plastic bowl of his extra-large beef curry bento, the faceless man, who had been pressing its face against his cheek and observing him, finally walked away.
It returned to the sofa in front of the television that endlessly replayed the same ball game and sat down.
Uesugi Tetsu appeared completely unaware and continued focusing on his bento.
Only after he had polished off every last bite did Uesugi Tetsu throw the bento into the trash bag as if he had achieved victory.
Before returning to his room, Uesugi Tetsu even spoke to the faceless man on the sofa.
"Dad, I'm going to bed. You should sleep early too."
Thunk.
The instant he closed the door, Uesugi Tetsu collapsed.
Like a drowning man who had just been hauled ashore, he silently gasped for breath in great gulps. His back, which had been dry a moment ago, was drenched with sweat in an instant.
Thank goodness for Ririko!
Uesugi Tetsu braced himself against the corner of the table and panted heavily. He had never felt so grateful to anyone before.
If he hadn't maintained the Heart Like Still Water Ririko had taught him, he would definitely have sweated, trembled, or revealed flaws he himself hadn't noticed.
Then the three-star Dad known as the "evil spirit" would have swallowed him whole!
Uesugi Tetsu glanced at the cloth doll that had scampered over to his hand. He figured he might not be killed instantly, but he would definitely have to face that three-star faceless Dad head-on.
If that happened, he would not only lose the cloth doll Sister Nanjō had given him—something powerful enough to intimidate Dad—but also a three-star safe house!
That was right. The reason Uesugi Tetsu had boldly opened the door himself earlier was to make the "Dad" who had sensed something wrong relax again after observing him.
He rubbed the cloth doll's little head, then hugged it as he lay on the bed and let out a sigh of relief.
—Plan successful!
Uesugi Tetsu's idea was simple.
For some unknown reason, Dad wanted to attack him, but was wary of the cloth doll. That was why he had blurred Uesugi Tetsu's memories and waited for an opportunity.
And since Dad was "raising" him, he naturally wouldn't allow other monsters to cause trouble.
In that case, didn't that mean Uesugi Tetsu had effectively gotten a bodyguard with three-star combat strength for free?
"Thanks to you, too."
Uesugi Tetsu poked the cloth doll's drooping little face and placed it at the head of the bed, pulling the covers back over it.
"Three stars..."
He sighed and glanced at Laughing Brahma's progress bar, which had not yet reached halfway.
The road ahead was indeed long and arduous.
With that thought in mind, Uesugi Tetsu unconsciously fell asleep while maintaining the breathing rhythm of the Ki-ai Technique.
[Through practicing in your dreams, your skill, Incomplete Ki-ai Technique, gained 7 proficiency!]
The next day.
Uesugi Tetsu walked to school with a look of amazement on his face.
He hadn't expected the Ki-ai Technique's proficiency to actually increase while he slept.
Even if it wasn't as much as normal practice, this was still a major discovery!
And...
Uesugi Tetsu stared at the [Incomplete Ki-ai Technique (Beginner 87/100)] displayed before him and decided to fill the remaining proficiency during morning classes, breaking through before lunch if possible!
With the help of Heart Like Still Water, the teacher's lectures and the students' noisy conversations drifted past his ears like a gentle breeze.
When Uesugi Tetsu once again reconnected with the world, he discovered that the classroom was already empty.
"Did they go to physical education?"
He smiled knowingly and didn't care.
Because after nearly an entire morning of wholehearted effort, the Ki-ai Technique had successfully broken through.
[Your skill, Incomplete Ki-ai Technique, gained 13 proficiency!] [Your skill, Incomplete Ki-ai Technique, has advanced to Proficient Level!] [Incomplete Ki-ai Technique (Proficient 0/300)] [Effect: Gathers the body's energy and brings it together in one place, producing a significant effect.] [Your physique +2!]
The moment the breakthrough was complete, Uesugi Tetsu felt his entire body become so comfortable that it seemed to be soaking in warm water.
After that sensation faded, Uesugi Tetsu felt that his body was far stronger than before, while the "energy" within him had grown to more than twice its previous thickness.
"I'm evolving. I'm becoming stronger."
Uesugi Tetsu murmured softly. He could clearly experience the transformation from his former weak and feeble state into this powerful body.
The sensation was simply wonderful.
When he opened the status panel again, the data had become—
[Uesugi Tetsu] [Physique: 6] [Willpower: 8] [Charm: 9] [Spiritual Arts: 1]
Aside from Spiritual Arts remaining a pitiful "1," both his physique and Willpower had improved significantly.
As for Charm...
Uesugi Tetsu didn't think this thing was useful at all. Could it make demons willingly drop soul ash?
Uesugi Tetsu took a deep breath and circulated the energy within his body. He immediately saw his physique increase by another 1.
"Not bad."
Uesugi Tetsu revealed the satisfied smile of an old farmer.
A single upgrade to the Ki-ai Technique had actually increased his normal physique by a full 3 points.
Although that included the 0.5 points of physique he had accumulated earlier, it was still an extremely rich harvest.
There was still half an hour before class ended. Uesugi Tetsu didn't try to be unconventional. Instead, he walked onto the sports field and quietly blended into the crowd watching the student athletes play basketball.
With his low presence, naturally no one noticed that another person had suddenly appeared among the spectators.
The sunlight shone brightly over the basketball court.
"Andō-kun and the others are playing so cool!"
Hearing the girls beside him cheer, Uesugi Tetsu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they're playing really well."
Then he found a dark, deserted corner and continued calmly practicing the Ki-ai Technique.
Basketball? Cool?
What was that? Could he eat it to increase his physique? Or could he say, "Hey, buddy, hold on—I want to have a shooting contest with you" when a demon came to kill him?
Uesugi Tetsu didn't think so.
Thus, even after blending into the cheer squad, Uesugi Tetsu continued cultivating in silence.
"This afternoon, I'll take Ririko and skip class to practice."
That was what he thought.
Before you continue