Mist

Igarashi Usen's first impression was that of an exceptionally gentle man.

His brown hair was soft and fluffy, his frame slender, and he wore a rather scholarly pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

According to his makeshift master, Igarashi had studied abroad in the West during his student days.

He was a genuine scholar.

As such, many of his views differed from those of others in his generation.

Still, Kazami had repeatedly emphasized that Igarashi was someone worth trusting with his back.

After meeting Xia Xi.

He neither questioned him as Urokodaki had at their first meeting nor rushed frivolously into sparring with him like Nikaido.

Instead, he took him to a quiet, upscale café in Yokohama.

And chatted with him about everyday life.

Their conversation mostly revolved around Master Kazami's recent circumstances or the little things in Xia Xi's daily life.

Sometimes, the corners of his mouth lifted when he heard how his master had gotten stubborn over some trivial matter.

Other times, he asked curious follow-up questions about Xia Xi's encounters with demons.

His tone was modest, his gaze warm.

Nothing about him suggested he was a swordsman who fought demons to the death.

Much less one who stood at the very pinnacle of swordsmen.

They sipped hot coffee and chatted while looking out at the scenery.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass windows, casting warm yellow patches onto the dark wooden tables, while the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans mingled with the faint sound of a piano.

For a moment, Xia Xi almost felt as though he were back in the modern world, merely vacationing abroad.

But the panel constantly floating above the other man's head reminded him.

This was not reality.

And the man before him was no frail ordinary person.

[Igarashi Usen]

[Energy level: 354 (Body 161, Technique 122, Mind 71)]

[Mist Breathing Lv. 6] [Wind Breathing Lv. 5]

His [Physical fitness (Body)] stat alone was nearly equal to Xia Xi's own three powers combined.

Although NPCs did not gain stats by leveling up their Breathing Styles the way Xia Xi did.

From another perspective, they could raise the level and mastery of their Breathing Styles through rigorous practice and training.

All the sweat and effort along the way.

Were enough in themselves to hone their skills and bodies to a terrifying degree.

This was also Xia Xi's first truly close encounter with the Demon Slayer Corps' top-tier fighting strength.

"Kurumaji, you've drifted off again."

"That habit could get you killed in battle."

Igarashi adjusted his metal glasses frame, his voice gentle and clear.

Xia Xi nodded. "Understood, Senior Aizen."

The young man pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly. He had no idea whether this junior of his was doing it deliberately or on purpose, but he always got his name wrong.

Igarashi gently set his white porcelain cup back on its saucer with a pleasant clink.

Then he spoke.

"Kurumaji, what do you think true strength is?"

Some ridiculously broken mechanic?

A top-tier skill set?

Or just plain, absurdly high stats?

Xia Xi ventured an answer. "A strong body, extensive experience, and superb technique?"

But Igarashi shook his head gently.

"Right, but not entirely."

"Even with all three, many people still struggle to defeat those who stand at the pinnacle of the world."

"So people often attribute that gap to 'combat talent' or 'a monster's talent.'"

The gaze behind his lenses rested gently on Xia Xi across the table.

"I believe those are merely 'phenomena,' vague labels ordinary people assign to things beyond their understanding."

Xia Xi asked curiously, "Then what do you think it is, senior brother?"

The young man replied, "I believe... it is consciousness and logic."

"Logic?" Xia Xi asked in confusion.

"Exactly."

Igarashi dipped a fingertip in some water and traced a flowing line across the tabletop.

"Exquisite swordsmanship, powerful strikes, perfect force dissipation, even a body and reflexes tempered through countless trials... all these can be considered the wind flowing through the mountains."

"But what drives them, what determines where they flow."

"Is the shape of the valleys, the differences in air temperature, and the highs and lows of air pressure."

"That is the underlying logic of wielding power."

He looked at Xia Xi as though he could see straight through the boy's thoughts. "Others do not understand why you study several Breathing Styles at once. They think you are simply an impetuous youth reaching beyond his grasp."

"Spreading your talent and time across different Breathing Styles."

"Is nowhere near as effective as concentrating on one, mastering it thoroughly, and ultimately reaching its pinnacle."

That way of thinking was very common.

Igarashi Usen could certainly understand it.

After all, a person's time was limited, and there was nothing wrong with training as efficiently as possible.

Besides, practicing multiple Breathing Styles did not necessarily change a swordsman's strength.

A swordsman who practiced two Breathing Styles was not necessarily stronger than one who practiced only one. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, the more styles someone practiced, the less proficient he became.

And the less proficient he was, the weaker he became.

A swordsman's maximum output still came from the style he knew best.

It was like choosing transportation for a journey: you could not use two modes of transport simultaneously.

At most, you could use them one after another.

For example, taking a carriage to the station before switching to a train.

But rather than doing that, why not simply train a magnificent thoroughbred and gallop straight from home to the destination?

Yet Igarashi did not think like those ordinary people.

And he knew Kurumazuka Natsumi, sitting across from him, did not either.

"I understand that this is not what you are doing."

"You are trying to reconstruct that 'map of the valleys' in reverse."

"You want to understand the essence of the five basic breathing styles and use them to climb to a higher level."

Xia Xi's breath caught.

This makeshift senior brother of mine actually guessed what I was thinking?

Igarashi's next words delved even deeper.

"The abandon of Wind Breathing, the fluidity of Water Breathing, the solidity of Stone Breathing, the extreme speed of Thunder Breathing... they seem entirely different."

"But at their core, they merely apply different forms of [logic] to the generation, transmission, and release of force."

"When you have enough knowledge, you can reverse-engineer a universal formula for how the human body generates force

."

His finger continued moving across the tabletop.

He sketched a simple human figure.

And wrote down several mathematical formulas that looked very familiar to Xia Xi.

"When your knowledge is sufficiently extensive, you can reverse-engineer a universal formula for how the human body generates force."

"The breathing you create then will no longer be a mere [inferior imitation] of nature, but something closer to the origin of Breathing Styles."

"Your own path, in its purest form."

"I have not taken the route of studying every school." He paused, a trace of yearning in his voice. "But I am still researching the underlying logic of Breathing Styles in my own way."

"For the sake of... bringing my consciousness and strength into perfect balance."

With that, he gave Xia Xi a warm smile.

"Though our approaches differ somewhat."

"Kurumaji, I understand you. Your path is not wrong."

Xia Xi: ...

There was a tiny bit of that reasoning involved, sure.

But honestly, he had initially just thought that collecting all five Breathing Styles might unlock some hidden reward.

"Look at the people in this café."

Igarashi suddenly changed the subject, his gaze sweeping across the room.

"Kurumaji, what do you see?"

Xia Xi followed his gaze and saw an employee grinding beans, an old man reading a newspaper, and a lady enjoying some cake.

Along with the virtual labels floating over their heads.

Their energy levels and skills.

"Probably a bunch of ordinary people and the various things they're good at. That middle-aged man, for example, was probably in a gang once. He should be a decent shot."

After all, his energy level was 15, so he must have had some decent training.

He also had a Lv. 1 Firearms skill and a Lv. 1 Intimidation skill.

The young Hashira nodded, approving of Xia Xi's judgment. "Being able to see that means you've already crossed the threshold, Kurumaji."

Xia Xi: Naturally. Without me, the system wouldn't have made it this far.

Igarashi then turned toward the barista behind the counter.

"What I see, however, is this."

"This gentleman's right shoulder droops slightly, he has thin calluses between his thumb and forefinger, his breathing is steady, and he usually exerts force with his right hand."

"He has probably been in this line of work for three years. Hmm... his center of gravity is also slightly toward the back, and his gaze is sensitive to changes around him. He is probably a cautious person."

"If danger appeared right now, his first reaction would be to recoil."

"His right hand would instinctively reach for the heaviest coffee pot, rather than the small knife beside it."

Xia Xi was amused.

So this senior brother of mine was the Sherlock Holmes of the Far East?

But Igarashi had not finished.

He continued as though delivering a prophecy. "Now, he is about to finish making this pour-over coffee."

"The water temperature is right. He will start grinding the beans."

"He will stop after about twenty-three turns. Hmm, now he will take the dripper. Oh, that stack of cups beside him is a little crooked. When he takes the top one, he might..."

"It will be his right hand again."

Before he had finished speaking, a soft clink came from the counter.

As the barista picked up the top cup, he knocked the cup below it, making it wobble slightly. He hurriedly reached out with his right hand to steady it.

His movements matched Igarashi's description from two or three seconds earlier exactly!

Xia Xi's eyes widened.

What the hell?

This senior brother of mine could see the future, too?!

Igarashi took a sip of coffee.

Then calmly explained to Xia Xi, "Merely a small result of my work on [logic]."

"I call it..."

"[Pre-Initiative]."

(Igarashi)