Chapter 06

After being able to use the breathing technique, I tried a few more times, and found that I could activate whenever I wanted. After that I went to the kitchen, after all I had promised to help Horse-san in the kitchen. When I got there, I didn't see Horse-san anywhere.

I went into the kitchen, but there was no one. It was at that time that I realized that I had no idea what time it was.

(?????): "Ichika-kun."

I heard a voice behind me. When I turned around, I saw Horse-san, in the same outfit as yesterday.

(Ichika): "Horse-san."

(Horse): "Are you a little finished... were you training?"

(Ichika): "Yes."

A worried expression came over her face.

(Horse): "Ichika-kun, be careful not to overdo it."

(Ichika): "I'm not going."

(Horse): "Good... did you come here because you were hungry?"

(Ichika): "Actually, I came to help you in the kitchen... but then I realized that I have no idea what time it is..."

(Horse): "If so, you have good timing, I came here to prepare dinner."

(Ichika): "I help you."

I helped her make dinner. Dinner was the same as yesterday, with some of them looking at me, possibly seeing my condition and then immediately to Dragon-sama, none of them said a word.

After we finished lunch, I talked to Goat-san about school lessons. We went to the library, where he acted like my teacher. I somehow managed to finish all the day's story.

After that, I searched the book on breathing techniques again, to read about the five main types that Dragon-sama had commented on.

The water one, was known to have fluid and versatile movements, which I realized was a kind of special stroke, which should be more powerful after I mastered the gourd training, and the water breathing was the breath that had more shapes, 10 in total.

The flame one, from what I understood, was focused to try to make the most of the capacity of the mucules, it had 9 shapes.

The wind one was similar to the water, but from the description it seemed to give the impression that it is focused more on speed and the ability to hit several enemies at once, it had 8 shapes.

The thunder one, it seemed, needed the user to have a good stamina and a lot of strength in the legs, because it is focused on the movement that and the maximum speed that it could reach, it had 6 shapes.

The stone one was more focused on brute force, it was simple and direct, I did not see much difference with the breathing of the flame, but apparently, it was not compatible with a sword, different from the breathing of the flame, and should be used with a crushing weapon, like a hammer, it had 6 shapes.

When I read about the varied breaths, I realized that it would be kind of useless for me to try to do them, because they were developed, based on a breath where the user could not take the whole stride, or would be ineffective, of the primary breath.

For example, in the book it was commented about a breath of love, which for a fighting technique, which clearly focused on killing, seemed a little strange, but it was developed by a woman who, it seemed, had muscles with a density 8 times higher than the average for a human. There was no way I could even try to practice it because it would be practically useless for me, because I would not be able to take its full potential.

Another information about the practice of breathing technique, which I liked, was that it increased mental capacity and performance. If I could keep my breathing active all the time, as Dragon-sama wanted, does that change me smarter? Or could I at least better absorb the information that would be passed on to me? I was willing to try.

I scratched my eyes, and decided it was time for me to sleep, bathed and went straight to bed. The moment I lay down my whole body screamed in pain, I wondered if it was because I used breathing techniques for the first time, or if it was just training.

That pain reminded me of when I practiced kendo, the day that Chifuyu-nee made me train so much that when I got home and rolled over in bed, my whole body hurt, which she apologized for making me pass.

I missed Chifuyu-nee when that thought came to mind, I almost took out my cell phone to call her, but I didn't, first I didn't know if she was awake, second, if she was awake, I didn't know if she could answer a call at that moment, and third, if I called she would think that something happened to me, what happened, but it was something that I think is good, and I didn't want to worry her about anything.

I managed to sleep, even with my body sore.

The next day, I woke up the same way as the day before, with a pain in my chest that was caused by a blow from Dragon-sama. I did the same things as yesterday, bathed, dressed and went to the arena, the only difference from yesterday to today, is that I could see a basket in the corner of the arena, possibly where our breakfast was.

(Ichika): "Good morning, Dragon-sama."

(Dragon): "Good morning Ichika... I'm glad you decided to come... usually the ones I tried to take as 'apprentices', I didn't even want to do the second day..."

(Ichika): "I got it."

He looked at me with a confused expression.

(Dragon): "Got what?"

(Ichika): "The basics of breaths."

His eyes widened in a way that I hadn't seen until now.

(Dragon): "Show it."

I got an animated tone in Dragon-sama's voice, it was obvious that for him, finding another user of breathing techniques would make him the happiest man in the world.

I stayed in position, with the sword in front of me. I stayed that way, because I still had trouble keeping up with my new speed, but I was sure that Dragon-sama wouldn't have a problem.

I inhaled and felt the same wave of energy, and moved forward as I exhaled. Somehow I was able to keep up, I did a side stroke on the right side, just to find a piece of wood on the way, I stepped back while inhaling and shortly afterwards, while exhaling perform a vertical stroke, just for the Dragon-sama to change the trajectory of my stroke, and hit me in the back, making me go face to face.

That had been the first time he hit me, every time yesterday, he never fought back but defended.

When I stood up with my hand on my back, and faced Dragon-sama, he was not showing any reaction, which confused me, because I thought that the fact that I was able to perform the technique, would at least get a smile, and I wondered if I had done something wrong, or if I was wrong and was doing something else and not the breathing technique.

Then Dragon-sama started laughing, and the laughter grew louder until it became a laugh, Dragon-sama stayed like that for a while, until he stopped with a big smile on his face.

(Dragon): "You really did it, boy, and in less than a day... I remember it took me almost a week to get it."

I smiled and breathed an internal sigh of relief, happy that I hadn't done anything wrong.

(Ichika): "Dragon-sama... why is finding another user of the breathing technique so important to you?"

The smile on Dragon-sama's face slowly disappeared and I realized that I stepped on a land mine. He sat on the floor and I did the same.

(Dragon): "The reason... if it is to put it into words... I think it is so that my Sensei's legacy does not die."

(Ichika): "Your Sensei... the previous 'Dragon'?"

(Dragon): "No... my Sensei was never part of [Zodiac Beasts]... I ended up joining after defeating the previous 'Dragon' in a friendly battle..."

(Ichika): "How did you and your Sensei meet?"

(Dragon): "My Sensei found me when I was little... I was an orphan who was struggling to survive... that day other children were hitting me when he came and helped me... he practically adopted me... "

Dragon-sama's face became a little melancholy with these memories.

(Ichika): "So... why didn't you start a family and train your children?"

Dragon-sama's face got even worse. If I had just stepped on a mine when I asked the importance of finding a successor, this time I had stuck my whole foot in, and I was insulting myself for not realizing it earlier.

(Dragon): "I tried... but, unfortunately, things didn't work out... I had just become 'Dragon'... and I gave more importance to the work than to her..."

I just listened in silence.

(Dragon): "And when I realized... it was too late..."

His voice was charged with sadness, which made me wonder what her fate was, but I kept my mouth shut this time.

(Dragon): "Ichika... if you find yourself in the same situation as me... don't make the same choice that I did... believe me... it's not worth it..."

(Ichika): "Understood."

(Dragon): "Well... I think we talked too much about this old man's life... let's go back to training." - he said getting up and putting a smile on his face.

(Ichika): "Yes... Dragon-Sensei." - I said as I stood up and watched Dragon-Sensei's smile get even bigger.

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