Chapter 22:- Before leaving

For Aoki, the combat training was a minor distraction. If it weren't for Keisuke Akiyama, he wouldn't have participated at all.

As he stepped outside the dojo, he heard that someone was looking for him. When he reached the entrance, he saw a girl with cherry-colored pigtails peeking inside.

"Miss Kanroji, what brings you here?" Aoki asked, curious.

Kanroji Mitsuri's face lit up when she saw him. She hurried over, holding up a small box. "Mr. Aomura, I brought some sakura mochi. Let's enjoy them together!"

Aoki considered her offer. "Let's go to my room then," he suggested, knowing he could find an excuse to avoid eating the cakes.

In Aoki's room, Kanroji Mitsuri eagerly picked up a piece of sakura mochi. She took a small bite, savoring the delicate blend of cherry blossom, glutinous rice, and sweet bean paste. With a contented sigh, she finished the mochi and sipped some tea, watching Aoki.

Aoki, meanwhile, practiced the basic movements of Aoki Style, his focus intense. Practicing indoors required precise control of his strength, which helped him refine his technique and understand the nuances of Aoki Style from different perspectives.

When he paused, Mitsuri asked, "Mr. Aomura, is this kind of martial arts how you get stronger?"

Aoki shook his head. "Martial arts can make you stronger, but they can't surpass your physical limits," he explained.

"Then how do you go beyond those limits?" Mitsuri's cheeks puffed as she took another bite of mochi.

"The breathing technique," Aoki replied, sitting down and pouring himself a glass of sake. "Only through the breathing technique can one truly become powerful."

"Where can I learn this breathing technique?" Mitsuri asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's taught by the Demon Slayer Corps," Aoki said.

"Demon Slayer Corps? Are they as strong as you, Mr. Aomura?" Mitsuri's eyes widened in awe.

Aoki considered the question thoughtfully. "Most aren't as strong as me, but a few might be stronger," he admitted, thinking that his current strength was comparable to the lower ranks of the Twelve Kizuki. Anyone below the rank of Hashira would struggle against him.

After Kanroji Mitsuri left, Keisuke Akiyama approached Aoki with a mix of admiration and concern. "Junior Brother, your performance in today's training was incredible!"

Aoki nodded. "Thank you, Senior Brother. But I need to tell you something. I won't be attending any more classes."

"Why not?" Keisuke was taken aback.

"I'm ready to move on," Aoki said simply. He had stopped at the dojo to refine his combat system, and now that he had achieved his goal, it was time to leave.

Keisuke looked shocked. "Is there something wrong with the dojo?"

"No, nothing like that," Aoki reassured him. "I was just passing through, and it's time for me to go."

Keisuke still seemed reluctant to let him go. "But you haven't learned our advanced techniques yet!"

"For me, the basics are enough," Aoki said. The advanced techniques were designed for humans and held no real value for him.

Hearing the firmness in Aoki's voice, Keisuke finally conceded. "Alright, Junior Brother. I won't stop you."

Keisuke Akiyama went to see his master, Kengo Mizuno, and before he could speak, Mizuno said, "He refused, didn't he?"

"How did you know, Master?" Keisuke asked, surprised. "I didn't even get the chance to ask him."

Keisuke explained their conversation, and Mizuno's expression grew thoughtful. "From his moves today, it's clear that Aomura has mastered the Aoki Style and developed his own path. He doesn't need to learn more from us."

Keisuke was stunned. "You mean he's already a master?"

Mizuno nodded. "Yes. For a genius like Aomura, learning fixed techniques could limit his growth. Even though he has found his own way, he will always be a part of the Aoki Style."

Seeing that his master's spirit wasn't broken by Aoki's departure, Keisuke felt reassured. However, with Aoki leaving, he needed to find other ways to invigorate the dojo and his master's waning energy.

As night fell, Aoki quietly left the dojo, moving across the rooftops like a shadow. He had a few days left to make a final effort to find the demon. If he failed, he would have to give up and perhaps inform the Demon Slayer Corps about the situation here.

After a fruitless night of searching, Aoki sat cross-legged on the eaves of a building, deep in thought. Finding the demon was proving more difficult than he had anticipated.

With dawn approaching, he decided on another task: finding someone to "borrow" money from. These days, he had been doing just that, but without much success. The wealthy he targeted appeared squeaky clean on the surface, making it hard to justify taking their money.

Reflecting on the day's events, he remembered his sparring match with Shigeyoshi Fujita and the Fujita family's wealth. "I recall there's a Fujita family in the city, running a steel company with considerable financial clout and a good reputation," Aoki mused. "Today's lucky draw!"

His previous targets were mostly those with bad reputations. But the Fujita family's seemingly pristine image didn't fool him. A large, influential family often hid many secrets.

Disappearing into the night, Aoki headed towards the Fujita estate.

Fujita Manor was a fortress of opulence, with bright lights, numerous buildings, and guards posted at every corner. It was as secure as a fortress, impervious to intruders.

But tonight, an uninvited guest had arrived.

Standing on the roof of a three-story building, Aoki surveyed the estate. "Impressive," he murmured. The scale of the manor confirmed the Fujita family's wealth.

However, the sprawling estate presented a challenge: where to start searching? Important rooms were either guarded or tightly locked, but Aoki knew that even a small gap was enough for him to slip through.

On his third search, he finally found something promising.

Aoki leaned against the wall, holding a letter in his hand, his eyes on the enormous bed in front of him.

The bed's occupant was a rotund man surrounded by three young women, each from a different ethnicity—a Japanese girl, a blonde white girl, and a dark-skinned girl with curly hair.

"Learning foreign languages, huh? Quite the connoisseur," Aoki remarked silently.

He read the letter again. It was a simple invitation for tea from someone named "Muto," suggesting a meeting at an art museum called Yejisha.

"An art museum for tea?" Aoki mused. It seemed unusual, but perhaps it was a coded message.

Placing the letter back, he glanced at the sleeping man before vanishing into the night.

The dojo's courtyard was quiet as Aoki reflected on his next steps. His time at the dojo had come to an end, and now he faced the uncertainty of his mission against the demons.

But for now, his mind was clear. He would find the Fujita family's secrets, take what he needed, and continue his journey.

As the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, Aoki's silhouette melded into the shadows, ready for whatever lay ahead.

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T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 15 chapters.

Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite

And also give me some power stones!!

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