A Useless Skill?

Yet no matter how Senju Kyogawa called out this time, the system didn't respond at all.

Senju Kyogawa gritted his teeth inwardly.

Never mind. At least I got a skill out of that damn system and learned the monsters' weakness.

But the instant the skill was granted, Senju Kyogawa had felt a scorching sensation spread through every limb. Now, even the air he breathed out felt searing hot.

Without knowing how, Senju Kyogawa took a deep breath. He felt the air travel from his nostrils down his windpipe and finally reach his lungs. It filled his lungs, lingered there for a long while, then passed back through his windpipe and nostrils before he breathed it out.

The breath Senju Kyogawa exhaled was scorching, as if it carried all the exhaustion and numbness he'd felt throughout the day.

After breathing out, Senju Kyogawa felt a wave of comfort wash over his whole body. He couldn't help letting out a sigh.

Could this be the Breathing Technique? If I can maintain this kind of breathing during a fight, it'll be easy to channel my whole body's strength.

So the so-called Breathing Technique is just a physical attack?

But what's a Nichirin Sword?

Just then, Senju Chenghe suddenly took several steps back, looking alarmed. He asked uneasily,

"M-Mr. Kyogawa, your skin is so red... You look like you have a fever..."

Senju Kyogawa had spent years locked in a small room and rarely seen the sun, so his skin had been deathly pale. Even after he was released and his diet became a little more balanced, his complexion hadn't changed much; it had merely gone from pallid to a healthy fair.

That was why the redness showing through his skin looked all the more noticeable.

Senju Chenghe was frightened. He hadn't seen how those monsters changed, so Kyogawa's unusual appearance made him nervous and uneasy.

During these strange times, even the slightest disturbance could make Senju Chenghe, whose nerves were already taut, see danger everywhere.

Hearing this, Senju Kyogawa paused. It seemed that trying the Breathing Technique had caused some kind of physical change.

Senju Kyogawa touched his forehead but didn't feel anything unusual.

Perhaps it was because Senju Kyogawa had been born with the ability to wield "fire." His body temperature had always been much higher than an ordinary person's. In the past, Senju Haruko had often hugged him like a heater when she slept during the winter.

Senju Chenghe still kept his distance, afraid to approach Kyogawa. His legs were slightly apart, his knees bent, and his upper body leaned forward—a defensive stance from head to toe.

Seeing how tense he was, Senju Kyogawa couldn't help laughing.

"Brother Chenghe, don't worry. I'm fine. My body temperature has always been on the high side. Maybe I'm just nervous, which is why my skin looks so red."

Senju Kyogawa raised both hands and faced Senju Chenghe, then said openly,

"Brother Chenghe, don't I look less red now than I did just a moment ago?"

Seeing that Kyogawa spoke clearly and coherently, Senju Chenghe felt his heart, which had been lodged in his throat, settle a little. Reassured, he edged closer and carefully examined Senju Kyogawa.

The moon was partly hidden behind the clouds, and the light was dim.

But Senju Chenghe had good eyesight. He could see Senju Kyogawa's complexion gradually returning to normal. Before long, his skin was fair again.

Besides, Senju Chenghe couldn't sense any danger at that moment.

At last reassured, Senju Chenghe let out a sigh of relief and said, "Phew... Kyogawa, you scared me to death. I thought you'd turned into one of them too..."

Senju Kyogawa understood why Senju Chenghe was scared. No one had ever faced a sudden situation like this before. It was only natural to fear that a companion you could have faced the unknown with might turn into a monster.

Senju Chengeng wasn't the only one who was afraid. Whenever Kyogawa remembered the pastry that noblewoman had handed him, he couldn't stop feeling a lingering sense of dread. He was glad he'd been cautious and hadn't eaten it. Otherwise, he'd be one of the monsters now.

Senju Kyogawa glanced at the sky. The weather was bad tonight, with few stars. The moon was now completely obscured, making it impossible to tell how long it would be until dawn.

The monsters in the courtyard had been clutching the wall and struggling to climb over it. But once they could no longer see the two of them, they gradually quieted down. Now, there was no sound from them.

Senju Kyogawa went to the earthen wall, carefully peered over it, and glanced into the courtyard. He saw only a few monsters wandering aimlessly.

Kyogawa said to Senju Chenghe, "Brother Chenghe, it looks like we're safe for now. Get some rest. I'll keep watch. I'm wide awake and not tired at all."

Senju Chenghe didn't refuse just because Kyogawa was a child. He'd been on edge for so long that he was already exhausted. If he didn't get some rest now, he might struggle even more when they had to deal with the monsters again.

So Senju Chenghe accepted Kyogawa's offer and lay down right there.

After learning a new Breathing Technique, Senju Kyogawa felt full of energy. Every breath seemed to draw power from the air around him.

He opened the System Shop and searched for "Nichirin Sword."

The results appeared, and Senju Kyogawa was stunned.

There were many kinds of Nichirin Swords, each corresponding to a different Breathing Technique, such as Flame Breathing, Water Breathing, and Mist Breathing...

But the prices were just as staggering. The long strings of zeros after them were clearly far beyond what Senju Kyogawa could afford.

Senju Kyogawa couldn't help sighing. What was he supposed to do now? Could he still use the Breathing Technique without a Nichirin Sword?

Senju Kyogawa took out a kunai, intending to test whether he could use Sun Breathing: First Form: Waltz.

He gripped the kunai as if it were a sword, closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, then gathered all his strength and swung it.

With a sharp crack, the kunai shattered.

It crumbled into powder.