I never imagined I’d reunite with that agent who used to visit the orphanage regularly—and certainly not like this.
And I definitely never expected to discover his other side as a Kung Fu master.
“You’ve gotten pretty big, Ikaku.”
“Kids grow up fast in two years. But I’m surprised you rembered .”
“You’re a morable one. Hard to forget.”
The agent wipes the sweat pouring down his face with a towel, tips his water bottle, and gulps it down with loud, thirsty gulps.
He drinks like it’s the most delicious thing in the world.
“My na is Aleksandr Bogdanov. Given our relationship, call Master.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Good… By the way, Kobe. Did you ever figure out why Ikaku can’t control mana? You investigated it, didn’t you?”
“Well now. Still unclear. Since he can see mana, there’s no doubt he’s compatible with Ichor, but strangely enough, he barely has any mana himself. He can’t even perform the unconscious mana control that typically manifests as enhanced physical abilities or reaction speed.”
“Hmm. That is troubleso.”
Dr. Kobe leaves, and it’s just Master and .
Master rummages through the warehouse. I call out to his back.
“Master, may I ask you sothing?”
“Go ahead. What is it?”
“Why are you practicing Kung Fu on Akai family grounds?”
“Does it seem strange? I’m an Exorcist. For the Akai family. Kung Fu is a technique for fighting Demons. That’s why I train.”
“It actually works against Demons?”
“Martial arts are techniques the weak use to overco the strong. Whether you’re at a disadvantage in bone structure, height, reach, weight, muscle mass, youth, or gender—they offer ways to turn it all around.
Demons far surpass humans in power and speed. Don’t you think it makes sense for weak humans to rely on this to fight monsters?”
“Even when you put it that way, I still don’t really get it.”
“Then how about this—the fact that this 65-year-old geezer is still alive is proof enough.”
Master turns around and points his thumb at himself.
“By the way, I’m completely ordinary. So? Feel more confident now?”
An ordinary Exorcist who’s survived to this age… that really is proof that he’s a “survivor.”
“Hold this.”
Master hands a mitt.
“You want to throw a One-Inch Strike, don’t you? I’ll teach you.”
“Can I really learn it that easily?”
“No.”
“Right.”
“But the path is clear. Kung Fu isn’t magic. It’s a rational technique. Anyone can master it, regardless of talent.”
“Perfect for soone like .”
“I don’t think you lack talent. You’re far too intelligent for an eight-year-old. Sotis, I even feel as if I’m talking to an adult with a mature mind.”
Well, I am an adult with a mature mind… though my body doesn’t always agree.
“Hold that mitt steady. Brace your core. Put everything into it.”
“Am I gonna get blown away?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t hit you seriously.”
Master positions himself about five ters away, standing upright.
I nervously hold the mitt out in front of .
“I’ll throw a Flowing strike from this distance.”
The mont he says this, Master kicks off the ground and smoothly appears right in front of .
Fast… but more than that, it’s a smooth, controlled movent.
Imdiately after, I feel weight against the mitt.
My shoe soles scrape against the ground, leaving marks as I slide back about two ters.
“Hah, hah. That was close.”
“I hate to say it, but I was planning to blow you away. Wanted to impress you. You really are well-trained though. Excellent core strength and leg stability.”
Master grins happily.
“That was serious, wasn’t it?”
“No. About 25 percent, I’d say.”
“That’s pretty high for an eight-year-old opponent.”
“Twenty-five percent while neutral.”
“Neutral... aning without using mana to enhance your physical abilities, right?”
“Correct.”
So that wasn’t serious at all.
“Mastering the large includes mastering the small. The One-Inch Strike is known as a technique for delivering trendous striking power from just one inch of distance.
To master it, you first learn from large-scale movents like Flowing strikes. As your skill improves, you’ll be able to deliver the sa power from closer range. Eventually, you’ll be able to deliver a Surge strike from just one inch away.”
So that’s how it works.
“May I ask sothing?”
“Go ahead. What is it?”
“What exactly is Force?”
“Hmm. Force refers to montum. The human body generates it in a number of ways.
The most familiar is muscle power. Then there's body weight, which always presses downward thanks to gravity—and the rebound force that cos from that.
All of these are considered Force, and the refined technique of channeling them smoothly and efficiently is called ‘the release of power’—Force Release.”
“I see. I understand.”
“To master Force Release, you must fully understand alignnt—the coordination of every part of your body. This lets Force flow smoothly through your core. Training with Flowing strikes is a solid first step to build that mind-muscle connection and learn proper alignnt.”
I practiced Flowing strikes until sunset, but I couldn’t grasp the “Force” that Master was talking about.
“I might not have any talent.”
“Don’t worry. No problem. That’s normal.”
“Normal?”
“Can you imagine why modern martial arts don’t utilize such cool Force techniques?”
“...Because they’re difficult?”
“Exactly. They take ages to master. And even when you finally do, you’ll get crushed by the military combat skills taught in Boot Camp. It’s the gap between theory and practice.”
“That’s not very inspiring.”
“I’d call it tragic. But you’re lucky. You’re getting to see a real master.”
Master points to himself.
“In my experience, once you cross a certain threshold and approach theoretical limits, modern sports-based movents just can’t match true martial principles. Viewed that way, my Eightfold Soulfist is an attractive long-term investnt.”
“Then please teach training I can do on my own.”
“Good motivation. Alright, I’ll teach you Seismic Kick.”
“Seismic Kick?”
“You’d recognize it as the hard stomp common in Chinese martial arts. Its purpose is to train alignnt. A beginner’s Seismic Kick feels light and weak. A master’s lands heavy and powerful.
The difference lies in the precision of weight transfer. Joints, muscles, every part of the body—when they all coordinate and snap into place, the montum from body weight and muscle strength channels through a single foot.
The result is an impact strong enough to shake the ground beneath you.”
Seismic Kick is apparently both a fundantal and an advanced technique.
Based on how well you perform it, you can tell how accurate a practitioner’s alignnt coordination is and how smoothly their ForceRelease flows.
This also follows the principle of “Mastering the large includes mastering the small”—you start with exaggerated movents. Then as you beco proficient, your Seismic Kick becos so compact that it no longer even resembles a kick.
“Force Release is a more delicate realm than mana control. As you continue training, the magical power dormant within you might awaken.”
“That would be great. Gives hope.”
And so, I kept practicing Seismic Kick as the day faded into deep night.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
But even when dawn broke, the impact of my kicks remained unchanged.
“Hah, hah, hah.”
“...Ikaku.”
Soone calls out, and I turn around.
“Lad... have you been keeping at it since yesterday?”
Master, sporting a bedhead, stares back and forth between my feet and my face in amazent.
A pool of sweat has ford where I’m standing.
“I haven’t reached muscle failure yet.”
“...I see. Let’s get you sothing to eat. Co on.”
Master places a towel on my head and takes my hand.
But as I try to take a step, I collapse.
My vision drifts upward. There I am, flat on my back, eyes showing whites, Master yelling at .
Just another out-of-body experience—proof I’ve pushed myself to the edge.
Another beastly session in the books.
I could die knowing I gave it everything.
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