Shinobu Kocho's face flushed slightly as she looked at Raiden, who seemed mildly surprised.
She had already heard how long it took the other Hashira to grasp the Transparent World. Aside from Sanemi Shinazugawa, who took three days, most of them managed it in about two.
As the second to last to train, she should have had more than enough time to prepare.
And yet, even after all that, it still took her a full three days just to barely step into it.
No matter how she looked at it, she felt a little embarrassed.
"I really might be a bit slow," Shinobu said quietly, setting down her Nichirin Blade, her cheeks still tinted red.
"A little bit," Raiden replied without hesitation.
Shinobu lowered her head at once, her mood dipping. Was she really that lacking?
"Only when it comes to this," Raiden added. "Your strength has never been in raw combat. It's in your mastery of poison. That's where you're unmatched, so there's no reason to dwell on this."
Shinobu's rise to the rank of Hashira had always depended on her poison techniques.
In the final battle within the Infinity Castle, her abilities would even play a decisive role against Doma, Upper Rank Two.
To bring down someone like Doma, despite having the weakest physical strength among the Hashira, was proof enough of her brilliance.
Without her, that battle would have turned out very differently.
Even Gyomei Himejima would have struggled against Doma's wide ranging Blood Demon Art.
Hearing Raiden's words, Shinobu slowly lifted her head. The disappointment on her face eased.
His reassurance was not polished, but it felt genuine. She preferred this over empty politeness.
"So in the end, I am still a bit slow," she said with a faint smile.
"If you were truly hopeless, I would have sighed a long time ago. Did you see me lose patience even once?"
Raiden spoke calmly.
It was true her progress had been slow, but he had not found it frustrating in the slightest.
After all, watching her graceful movements during training was far from unpleasant.
"…Now that you mention it, you didn't," Shinobu said, tapping her chin as she thought back.
Even when she struggled, Raiden patiently guided her, explaining things again without irritation.
"You see?"
"In that case, thank you, Raiden. It's almost evening. Let me treat you to a bowl of noodles as thanks for these past few days."
She emphasized his name slightly this time.
"Sounds good," Raiden replied with a small smile.
Her bond with him had not progressed much, but he had not expected much either. There was nothing to be disappointed about.
The next morning, Raiden stood alone in the courtyard, facing the rising sun as his breathing steadied.
Today's final training partner was Tengen Uzui.
The one he found the most troublesome.
Building rapport with Tengen was not difficult, but doing it without compromising his own pride was another matter entirely.
Did he really have to praise Tengen's so called flamboyance?
He could not bring himself to do it.
Perhaps in the past, when he was weaker, he might have forced those words out for the sake of growth.
But now, with his current strength, he could defeat Tengen with one hand.
Even if Tengen completed his Musical Score Technique, Raiden would never give him the time to use it in a real fight.
In the end, he decided to handle this the same way he had with Shinobu.
Still, just thinking about Tengen's loud personality gave him a headache.
Raiden frowned, trying to steady himself, but the moment Tengen arrived, all that effort vanished.
"The God of Festivals has arrived in style! Raiden, where is my grand welcome?"
Tengen strode into the courtyard with arms spread wide, completely at ease.
Raiden's expression barely changed, but when he noticed the three figures behind Tengen, his patience snapped.
"Explain," Raiden said flatly, his tone turning cold. "Why are they here?"
Training was training. This was not a sightseeing trip.
Tengen blinked. "You mean my wives? They were worried, so I brought them along."
"Worried?" Raiden repeated, then smiled faintly. "Good. Then they came to the right place."
Tengen paused, confused by the response.
He had already asked the others. They all said Raiden rarely made a move during training, and there was little danger.
That was why he agreed to bring them.
If Raiden actually got serious, Tengen knew he stood no chance. Bringing them along would only make him look foolish.
That would not be very flashy.
"I thought you said it was safe?"
"It was," Raiden replied calmly. "But I've decided safe training isn't very effective. Time to change things up."
Tengen coughed lightly and leaned closer, lowering his voice. "The others turned out fine, so there's no need to change anything, right?"
He shot Raiden a subtle look, clearly asking him to go easy.
Raiden ignored it completely.
"You won't know until you try."
Before Tengen could argue, Raiden stepped forward.
"Show me your progress."
In the next instant, Raiden vanished from sight and reappeared beside him.
His sheathed Nichirin Blade swung without hesitation.
At that moment, whether it was pressure, talent, or simply his pride refusing to falter in front of his wives, Tengen entered the Transparent World.
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Patreon = _Zeph