"Stop."
Amamiya Rin relaxed in time, allowing Tomie's body to resume normal breathing.
In just a moment, Kawakami Tomie's body returned to normal, leaving absolutely no trace of injury.
Amamiya Rin, meanwhile, recorded the sensations brought about by each breath.
The spasmodic areas, the degree of dizziness, the patterns of visual distortion, the frequency of palpitations—all discomforts were incomparably clear under his observation.
After a moment, Amamiya Rin began a new round of testing.
Time and time again, through the state of observation, he captured the subtle changes in the body and brain. Relying on Kawakami Tomie's undying body, he conducted the most radical attempts, gradually modifying and trying to fuse the two breathing methods.
This was something only Amamiya Rin and Kawakami Tomie could accomplish.
Amamiya Rin's Dhyana state ensured he could remember the minutest changes and remain lucid, while Kawakami Tomie's undying body guaranteed the self-healing of injuries and the sustainability of the attempts.
From 8:00 to 12:00, a total of four hours, Amamiya Rin conducted dozens of attempts. He tried every variation of breathing method and rhythm, memorizing every sensation with the body, before gradually exiting the Dhyana state.
At the same time, Tomie bolted upright from the bed.
Her hands clutched her chest tightly, and she gasped for air in great, rough heaves, as if she had just startled awake from a nightmare of drowning. A tearing, burning pain still lingered in her lungs; her throat was dry and hoarse, and spots that had not yet dissipated remained before her eyes.
(It hurts to death! You bastard, Amamiya Rin!)
Her resentment pierced sharply into the [Tomie Network].
However, this time, the response she received was no longer gloating concurrence.
(I... I feel a bit out of breath over here too...)
(My chest is so tight...)
(I've forgotten how to breathe...)
...
Chaotic thoughts permeated the [Tomie Network].
Disordered breathing, insufficient oxygen supply, and the lingering effects of pressure on the brain and internal organs were transmitted outward from Tomie No. 25.
Although not as intense as what Kawakami Tomie herself felt, that discomfort threw the breathing rhythm of every Tomie into disarray.
Amamiya Rin's expression was composed as he received the feedback from Kawakami Tomie.
(I agree!)
Tomie No. 25's shrill voice rang out in the [Tomie Network].
(The haunted house in Nerima Ward—I'll move in! Go use someone else for cultivation!)
Amamiya Rin was truly using her to the point of death. Having experienced this radical cultivation process once, she absolutely did not want to experience it a second time.
(Aren't you lacking a bit of ambition? I wanted to forge you into a unique Yagyu Tomie, you know?)
Amamiya Rin feigned disappointment.
In reality, though...
Why did he torment Kawakami Tomie? Why didn't he force Kawakami Tomie to move into the haunted house?
Wasn't it precisely for this!
Kawakami Tomie possessed the aptitude of a D-class member, so naturally, she had to be used to her full potential.
(Wait a minute! One must finish what one starts in life; leave Kayako to me to deal with!)
(Hey, hey, what a coincidence. I was just thinking of changing residences to relax. A dilapidated house actually has a unique flavor.)
(Oh my, are you sure you all can handle it? Isn't it very dangerous there? Better let me go.)
...
Having felt Kawakami Tomie's plight once, the Tomies immediately began fighting over the residency rights for the Ju-on house.
Amamiya Rin did not conceal his thoughts. Everyone realized just how fierce Amamiya Rin's next training session would be in order to make them voluntarily go to their deaths.
(Don't rush. Take your time. Everyone, find a place to rest first. In another half hour, I'm going to sleep. In the long Dream World, you all have plenty of time to negotiate.)
Amamiya Rin closed his eyes to rest his mind, speaking without haste or impatience.
Upon hearing this, the Tomies sprang into action, each returning to their bedrooms.
Half an hour later, in a ward at Toto General Hospital, Amamiya Rin's consciousness gradually became blurry, sinking into the incomparably long Dream World.
—
Consciousness shifted from blurry to clear.
The first thing he felt was the slightly damp earth beneath his feet. The air was filled with the specific crispness of a mountain morning, mixed with the fragrance of soil and grass. Beside his ears were the crisp chirping of birds and the sound of a sword slicing through the air coming from the distance.
Amamiya Rin opened his eyes.
He was already situated in a primitive mountain dojo.
Verdant green embraced the surroundings; in the distance, mountain ranges layered upon one another, with thin mist coiling through the forest.
The dojo was built from raw timber. Old copper bells hung from the eaves, emitting crisp, pleasing sounds as they swayed in the wind.
In the open space of the dojo, a figure was practicing swordsmanship.
That person wore a brown kimono. The lines of the Yagyu-gasa crest on his chest were concise and powerful. His white hair was combed meticulously, not a strand out of place. His face was resolute, his forehead broad, and between his brows settled a steadiness polished by the years. His eyes were like sharp blades hidden in a sheath, flickering with a stern, divine light.
He held a wooden sword. His movements did not seem fast, yet every chop, thrust, slash, and parry carried the momentum of a thousand jun. They were precise and efficient, without the slightest excess.
His breathing was long and profound, perfectly synchronized with his movements, as if he had merged into one with the aura of the surrounding mountain forest.
Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Munenori. A Shihan generated by Amamiya Rin's subconscious and his memories regarding the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu. His prototype was the Swordsman Heroic Spirit from Type-Moon.
Yagyu Munenori withdrew his stance and stood, the wooden sword hanging naturally at his side. He turned around, looking at Amamiya Rin with an indifferent gaze. Without any pleasantries, he spoke directly: "No need for words. Take a sword. Use actual combat to memorize the sword of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu."
Amamiya Rin also wasted no words. He took a wooden sword from the rack nearby; in weight, length, and feel, it was exactly the same as the wooden sword in reality.
He adjusted his breathing and naturally assumed the Middle Stance (Chudan-no-kamae), his gaze locking onto Yagyu Munenori through the wooden sword.
The sounds of the mountain forest gradually faded away. Amamiya Rin's perception was highly concentrated; time seemed to slow down, leaving only Yagyu Munenori, himself, and the distance between them.
Yagyu Munenori did not attack immediately.
He likewise assumed the Middle Stance. His figure was as steady as a mountain, containing an immeasurable pressure.
"Attack."
Yagyu Munenori's voice had not yet settled when Amamiya Rin had already charged forward. He stepped out with his left foot, sank his center of gravity, and gripping the sword with both hands, he traced a fierce arc, slashing diagonally from the upper right to the lower left—one stroke, two halves!
The blade edge went straight for Yagyu Munenori's left shoulder, carrying a momentum of indomitable will.
Yagyu Munenori's eyes shifted slightly. At the instant the wooden sword reached his body, he rotated his body to the rear right, his left foot following the momentum to step forward half a pace. He let that fierce blade skim past his kimono, slashing into empty air.
Amamiya Rin's strike hit nothing, and his body leaned forward slightly due to inertia, leaving his left rib cage wide open. Yagyu Munenori's technique was not yet spent; while dodging sideways, the wooden sword in his hand had already swung upward from below, the tip slashing toward Amamiya Rin's left ribs.
Amamiya Rin pressed his wooden sword down, attempting to block. As the two swords collided, his arm shook violently, and his blocking motion was scattered.
However, this brief obstruction was enough.
The moment Amamiya Rin succeeded in blocking, Yagyu Munenori stepped forward as if he were a shadow following a form. With a turn of his wrist, the wooden sword traced a bizarre semi-arc in the air. Bypassing the defense Amamiya Rin had hastily formed, it changed direction with the agility of a swift, pointing the sword tip straight at his Adam's apple!
____
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