Shalan's whispered words left a mark on Isis's mind.
So that's how it is! Next time Francesca isn't around, I'll have to give Serl a firm push in the right direction!
But for now, I'd better stop pressing the subject. Francesca is embarrassed enough already.
Isis decided to focus on the meal.
The others had also shifted the conversation away from awkward romantic matters and toward hunting experiences and training. The atmosphere around the table gradually returned to normal.
Having composed herself, Francesca looked up.
Her expression had returned to normal, and she was once again smiling, chatting, and joining the conversation as though nothing had happened. As for what she truly thought, only she knew.
"Ms. Hayata, I have another question..."
At first, Altaïr had merely been trying to change the subject by asking a couple of casual questions about training. But the more he asked, the more engrossed he became. By now, he had even forgotten to eat.
The problems that troubled a High Rank Hunter were far from ordinary, and finding someone qualified to advise him was not easy. Even writing to Master Amos might not yield answers to many of his questions.
Isis's parents were different. They had spent decades fighting on the front lines and were still at the peak of their strength. They might not have a definitive answer to every question he raised, but they could always offer guidance and point him in the right direction.
An opportunity like this was exceedingly rare.
"What's your question? Go ahead," Hayata said with a gentle smile.
She had no true disciples of her own, nor the time to train a novice from the ground up. But Altaïr, her junior under the same master, gave her a taste of the joy of passing on her knowledge. Coupled with his relationship with Isis, she was more than happy to guide him.
"In an earlier battle, I entered the red Spirit Gauge state and activated Demon Mode and Beast Soul Possession at the same time. I also took a Might Pill, pushing my Spirit energy to its absolute limit.
"During that process, I felt a kind of... I'm not sure how to describe it. A stabbing pain? A burning sensation? Wherever my Spirit energy and fighting spirit flowed, my body seemed to suffer slight damage.
"Was that caused by insufficient control over Spirit?"
"Stabbing pain? Damage?" Hayata frowned. "It is true that when the intensity of one's fighting spirit and one's control over it become severely unbalanced, self-inflicted injuries can occur.
"But that shouldn't be your problem. The fact that you can execute a move like the Unsurpassed Slash means your control over fighting spirit is already excellent. Your Spirit energy is completely under your command.
"Besides, poor control is more likely to manifest as an emotional outburst, an inability to maintain the red Spirit Gauge state, or the Spirit energy dispersing before an attack can be unleashed. Physical harm would be a secondary symptom.
"You haven't shown any of those earlier signs, so this isn't a control issue."
"Put simply, his body just isn't tough enough," Gordon remarked casually.
"Don't interrupt. Altaïr is in excellent physical condition for a Long Sword user at his level. How can you compare him to yourself?" Hayata shot her husband an annoyed glare.
"If we rule out a control problem, could the techniques themselves be conflicting? I can't say what kind of abnormal reaction might result from combining Beast Soul Possession and Demon Mode with the red Spirit Gauge state."
"But you've used that combination before, haven't you? Did you have similar problems then?" Hayata asked Altaïr.
"Yes, I've used it before, but this is the first time anything like this has happened."
"Then it shouldn't be a conflict between the techniques either. It seems your fighting spirit has reached a new level. The techniques amplified one another, producing an instantaneous surge of Spirit energy that exceeded your body's tolerance threshold."
"What does that mean?" Isis was starting to feel dizzy from the explanation.
"Think of it this way. Suppose the intensity of Altaïr's Spirit energy in a stable state is one. By stacking the enhancements from several techniques, he can momentarily raise that intensity to three times its normal level. His body's tolerance also happened to be three, so he could just barely withstand it.
"Now that his fighting spirit has grown stronger, tripling it pushes the result beyond what his body can endure. That's why he's being injured."
"I said from the start that his body wasn't tough enough." Gordon swallowed a steamed bun the size of an average person's palm in one bite and mumbled, "If only he had my... never mind. If he had Isis's level of physical conditioning, he wouldn't need to worry about this at all."
"Dad's right!" Isis agreed between bites.
Hayata regarded the father and daughter with a headache. "Altaïr is a technique-focused fighter. Overemphasizing strength training won't do him any good.
"Besides, fighting spirit and physical strength reinforce each other. As his body grows stronger, the resulting surge in stamina and vitality will also increase the intensity of his fighting spirit.
"The amplification produced by stacking so many different techniques is simply too extreme. No matter how much he strengthens his body, it can never keep pace with the growth of his fighting spirit."
Hayata paused. "What's more, Altaïr's Spirit energy is different from mine. Mine is relatively condensed, while his is exceptionally violent and berserk. That further increases the strain his Spirit energy places on his body when it erupts."
"Got it." Francesca looked at Altaïr and summarized Hayata's explanation for him. "In short, tone it the hell down. Stop piling every damn technique you can think of on top of the others."
"Francesca is right!" Isis nodded emphatically.
Altaïr: "..."
Glancing at the now-silent Altaïr, Gordon let out a cackle. "Enough with all the 'she's right' and 'he's right.' Even if this kid knows his body can't withstand it, he won't give up that fighting style."
Hayata let out a long sigh. How could she not understand the so-called attacker's mindset?
For people like them, if a move possessed terrifying power but demanded a cost that was almost impossible to bear, would they simply abandon it, or would they find a way to become capable of paying that cost?
Was there even any need to ask?
Sure enough, Altaïr spoke. "Mr. Gordon, Ms. Hayata, aside from conventional Potions, is there any other way to accelerate recovery from injuries?"
His reasoning was straightforward. If his body was not tough enough and using the techniques would injure him, then so be it. Rather than dwell on how to avoid injury, he would find a way to heal faster.
"There's no method like that!" Isis stopped eating and glared at Altaïr in displeasure.
She was clearly furious with his willingness to throw caution aside for the sake of offense.
"Actually, there is." Ignoring the angry glares from his wife and daughter, Gordon let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "If you can use a Monster's flesh and blood to heal yourself, then offense becomes the best medicine."
Altaïr's eyes immediately lit up. "Healing yourself with a Monster's flesh and blood... What method would allow that?"
"You can play around with reckless nonsense on your own, but don't teach it to the kids!" Hayata's eyebrows shot up. She was genuinely angry now.
Gordon shrugged. "Whether I teach him isn't the point. Once the idea is in his head, he'll find a similar solution on his own. He's a High Rank Hunter now. Learning about methods like that won't be difficult."
Hayata gritted her teeth, momentarily unable to find a rebuttal.
Gordon turned his gaze to Altaïr. "Hunting is a profession where lives are always at stake. Having a few more last-ditch measures isn't a bad thing. You just need to keep a clear head and know when to hold back and when a situation is worth risking your life. You're not rookies anymore. You should understand what I mean."
"Of course. A special trump card is meant for a critical situation. Having one is far better than being helpless when the need arises." Altaïr nodded earnestly, fully agreeing with the legendary Hunter's words.
"Always remember one thing: your life may not belong to you alone." Gordon extended a rough finger covered in calluses and scars and jabbed Altaïr firmly in the chest, then drew his hand back. "The more common method involves equipment crafted from the materials of certain powerful Monsters. For example... no, those names are probably better left unsaid. This method is extremely dangerous. Some equipment can drive an ordinary person mad with a single touch. Not just anyone is qualified to use it. In any case, you won't encounter equipment of that level anytime soon."
So it's a method we can't access anyway? Never mind, then.
Isis was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Gordon continued. "But there is another method exclusive to Long Sword users. It's an obscure Hunter Art from Shiki that only a handful of people have mastered. Most have probably never even heard of it. I certainly can't teach it to you. You can ask Hayata."
Hayata's face darkened. "I don't know that suicidal technique."