Chapter 84: The Wonderful Lap Pillow!
"Master, what exactly is ki? In just one month I completely unlocked my body's potential, but I still haven't felt even a trace of ki."
"Physical strength is essence. Willpower is spirit. Essence transforming into ki and connecting to spirit—that bridge between the two is true ki."
"That's way too profound. I don't get it at all."
"Simply put: when you convert willpower into power and fuse it with the strength of your flesh—that fusion becomes true ki."
"Okay, now I kinda get it. I remember reading in some martial arts magazines before—when training hard Fighting spirit, you have to pour your intent into the part you're strengthening. You have to truly believe your hand can shatter bricks. For slapping training too, you focus intent on the part taking the hits. That's why a lot of iron-body Fighting spirit masters who can supposedly withstand blades end up getting stabbed to death by some random thug—because they didn't have time to concentrate their intent. And other Fighting spirit practices involve focusing on the lower dantian, using intent to cultivate a sensation of ki. Is that right?"
"Exactly. What people call Fighting spirit or hard Fighting spirit is just the shallow surface. Long ago, humans already discovered that willpower can be converted into energy. In desperate situations, potential surges several times over—people achieve things they could never do normally. Saying it's just adrenaline is completely missing the point."
"So true ki is essentially battle intent, right? I'm not wrong?"
"Mm. Not necessarily battle intent—it's an unshakable conviction. As long as that belief doesn't waver, your ki won't dissipate. But if your conviction is weak, no amount of ki can form—even if your body is trained to steel."
"Then how do I truly condense my intent?"
"Simple. Embrace a do-or-die mindset. Bet everything on one throw."
The memory cut off abruptly.
Takumi's abdomen had been pierced clean through by Miu's hand-blade while she was lost in qi deviation. Even with such a grievous wound he still couldn't resist unleashing his 'must-roast-or-die' personality, muttering about how the "blackened trio of blades" had just gained a new member: blackened hand-blade.
The searing agony nearly dragged his consciousness into total blackout. He knew he absolutely could not faint—otherwise it would be straight to meeting Enma Ai.
"Come die once for me~"
Even though Hell Girl's line sounded adorably moe, Takumi really didn't want to go out like this. He weakly embraced Miu and reaffirmed his conviction with his last strength.
"I'll make all of you happy."
Those words drained his final reserves. His body went limp, collapsing into Miu's chest.
To hold a belief so firmly even unto death—ki naturally condenses. That was something a certain philosophically-inclined master once said. Yet even though Takumi felt death closing in and his will hadn't wavered at all… ki still refused to appear.
"Master… if you're tricking me this time, it really will be the last time, okay?"
His will sank deeper, pulled toward boundless darkness.
Is this how I die? The demon god Lilith said she'd reserve a nice spot for me in hell… Wonder if the chicks in hell are hot?
In his fading vision, within that deepest darkness, volcanoes erupted. Strange islands floated in the sky. Hideous creatures prowled everywhere. So this was hell?
"Kouichi-kun~ Where are you? You haven't come to see me for so many days… Did you abandon Nao?"
"Imperial Brother! You dare abandon Us? We sentence you to castration!"
"You filthy jerk! You said you'd take responsibility—were those just lies?!"
"Takumi-kun, I really like your songs…"
"Takumi! You stop right there!"
Just as his consciousness was about to plunge into the abyss, familiar voices exploded in his mind. His groggy brain jolted violently. Reluctance surged—he struggled desperately.
"Damn it! How could I die here?! I still have to build the ultimate happy harem to repay my cheat life!"
"Kouichi… no, no, no! Don't die! I give up! I admit your womanizing! Just come back—waaaah!"
A sobbing voice rang out, transforming into blazing flames that illuminated the darkness. Within the red fire lurked faint traces of purple. Takumi's consciousness shuddered—then plunged straight into the blaze.
Instantly he felt like a phoenix reborn from ashes. His awareness condensed wildly, forming a massive vortex that devoured every flame. With a final whoosh, a spring gushed forth deep in his mind—endless water surging outward.
"Love is like water, the heart like the tide!"
The words spilled from him unconsciously.
The next moment his consciousness broke free of the darkness and slammed back into his body.
He opened his eyes—and was immediately greeted by an enormous pair of breasts blocking his view. Through the mesh of her outfit he glimpsed snow-white skin and a deep, mesmerizing cleavage.
Takumi instantly knew who it was.
Shigure!
He realized he had been gently laid down—his head resting on her thighs. He froze.
Could this be… the legendary lap pillow?!
Shigure's intuition was razor-sharp. She sensed the instant he woke. Lowering her head, a rare trace of joy softened her usually expressionless face.
"Young man… you're awake. Thank goodness."
Hearing her words, Takumi suddenly remembered—he'd been beaten to a pulp, nearly killed by a blackened hand-blade. Yet now, though exhausted to the bone, every wound had vanished completely. Shocked, he blurted,
"Shigure… I'm not dead?"
"The Elder saved you. He used an extremely ki-consuming technique: Instant Recovery—one of the most mysterious among his one hundred and eight secret arts. By expending ki, it restores injuries. As long as it's not decapitation or heart removal, anything can be healed before the ki runs out. Healing others just consumes far more."
For the first time Shigure spoke at such length without pausing. Takumi listened in awe.
The invincible superman really lives up to the name… He can even do something like that. Insane.
Though questions still swirled, Takumi was reluctant to leave the lap pillow. He turned his head, pressing his cheek against the softness of Shigure's thigh like a contented infant, inhaling her faint fragrance in deep, intoxicated breaths.
A very faint blush crept across Shigure's normally blank face.
"Get up quickly. Everyone's here."
Only then did Takumi notice several gazes fixed on him.
Kensei Ma, Shio, Akisame, Hayato, Apachai—all the Ryōzanpaku masters were present.
Even with Takumi's iron-thick skin, his face still flushed crimson. He hurriedly scrambled up from the warm, soft lap pillow, knelt properly, and greeted,
"Good evening, everyone."
"Waaah, I'm not good at all! How come in just one month you've already monopolized both Miu and Shigure?! We're all warriors of love here, but you can't hog them all to yourself!"
No surprise—the old lecher Kensei Ma was the one complaining.
Takumi ignored him completely, sneaking glances at the others' expressions instead.
Hayato remained stoic. Apachai looked purely curious. Shio gave him a big thumbs-up. Akisame wore a cryptic, knowing smile.
Seeing that, Takumi finally relaxed a little.
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