Chapter 8 – Fusion Skills
The Heroic Spirit Accomplishment System offered Hikaru limitless potential.
But in the end—
Growth was his own responsibility.
He had to move, to learn, to act.
To turn achievements into something real.
After all, a "feat" didn't always mean something earth-shattering.
You didn't have to slay dragons or defeat gods to accomplish something worthy.
Even small victories—when stacked, refined, and shaped—could become something powerful. Something formidable.
Of course, as of now, Hikaru couldn't slay dragons… much less gods.
But he understood one thing:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
So far, through his hunting and self-training, he had accumulated a variety of special attack traits—each effective against a certain enemy type.
But when viewed on his status screen, it was… a mess.
Too many F-ranked techniques. Too scattered.
That's when a thought occurred to him—
Could he combine them?
Could he fuse all these special attack traits into a single unified style?
Not something as legendary as an "Infinite Martial Discipline"—
But at least, a personal martial art of his own.
That was when he realized—
He lacked one key thing:
A central core to bind them together.
He came to that conclusion after studying the traits and their patterns. He understood their purpose—but not yet how to unify them.
But now that he was here…
At the Butterfly Mansion…
A new idea sparked.
What if…
What if he used medicine as the foundation?
Since ancient times, the healing arts and the martial arts had often shared the same roots.
— — —
His request had caught Aoi Kanzaki by surprise.
But the young medic hadn't outright refused.
She was used to seeing Demon Slayer members who, traumatized from the front lines, had chosen to transfer to support roles—joining the Mansion staff as healers.
She probably thought Hikaru was the same.
And Hikaru didn't feel the need to correct her.
This misunderstanding?
Worked in his favor.
He could study.
He could focus.
Since his arrival, Shinobu Kocho hadn't brought up the events that brought him here.
And so, Hikaru said nothing either.
He immersed himself in learning.
Even though the system provided him with assistance, he knew the truth—
Everything had to be earned by his own hands.
Only through actual accomplishment could a feat be registered and turned into power.
The system recorded.
But the work?
Had to be real.
— — —
In one of the Mansion's quiet rooms, Hikaru closed his final book and exhaled slowly.
A notification echoed gently in his mind:
[Skill Acquired: Medical Theory (F−)]
"…F-minus, huh?" he muttered. "I guess theory alone won't cut it. I need practical experience to make this the core of anything."
He wasn't disappointed.
It was logical.
"Well then… time to put it into practice."
He glanced out the window. In the garden, a familiar figure stood—her butterfly hairpin catching the sunlight.
Still smiling, as always.
Without a word, Hikaru set the book aside and stepped outside.
— — —
"You want to treat a patient!?"
Aoi Kanzaki stared at him, wide-eyed.
"I believe I'm ready to try," Hikaru replied calmly.
He wasn't bluffing.
Half a month had passed since his arrival.
And during that time, he had spent nearly every waking hour reading, studying, annotating every page he could find in the Butterfly Mansion's collection.
He even surprised himself with how intensely he'd been able to focus.
If his former self had worked like this…
Maybe he'd never have failed an exam in the first place.
Of course, he owed much of that clarity to the passive effect of his Calm Mind skill.
A calm mind made it easier to absorb knowledge.
Now, when it came to theory, he might rival anyone here—save for Shinobu Kocho, naturally.
All that remained—
Was hands-on experience.
If he could succeed just once, then a foundation would be laid.
— — —
"You're kidding, right!? Even for practice, you're supposed to start with light wounds!" Aoi snapped, flustered.
Hikaru didn't argue.
He knew her well enough by now. She acted tough—but her heart was gentle.
He was about to explain himself, to promise he wouldn't overstep—
But then…
"Let him try."
A soft voice drifted across the room.
Aoi turned.
There, standing in the doorway, was Shinobu Kocho—her haori fluttering slightly as she stepped in.
"Kocho-sama…"
"It's fine," Shinobu said with her usual smile.
"As long as I'm here, nothing will go wrong."
"…If you say so," Aoi muttered, reluctantly relenting.
Most patients here suffered severe wounds, inside and out.
Naturally, Aoi was protective.
And truthfully…
Hikaru was nervous, too.
But—
The first step still had to be taken.
His hands trembled slightly with cold sweat as he began treatment.
And when it was over—
He had done it.
Not flawlessly.
But thoroughly.
Using all the knowledge he had built up, and drawing on the focus provided by Calm Mind, he completed the procedure successfully.
[Skill Acquired: Medical Technique (F)]
— — —
Night fell.
The dark sky stretched above the Butterfly Mansion, the stars quiet and distant.
A cool breeze whispered through the air.
Hikaru sat beneath the eaves at the rear garden, gazing up at the sky.
He wasn't sleeping.
The season of wisteria had ended. The flowers had faded.
But the tranquility of the night was deeper than ever.
He inhaled.
Exhaled.
He reflected.
Today's accomplishment…
And the path ahead.
Then, he turned his thoughts toward the list of techniques he had earned through the system—special attacks, each keyed to a different type of opponent.
The system was a tool.
There was no "fusion" button on his status screen.
No automated commands.
Everything had to be done by himself.
But if he could see the patterns—
Then he could shape them.
"Anti-Speed… Anti-Slow… Anti-Large… Anti-Lightweight…"
He called each trait to mind.
He began sorting them, searching for connections, points of synergy.
He began sketching patterns in his mind.
The moon rose higher, reaching its peak.
And within the stillness—
His heartbeat grew louder.
His mind clearer.
Time passed unnoticed.
Until finally—
Hikaru opened his eyes.
His vision was sharp.
His gaze focused.
He raised his hand…
And extended his fingers toward a butterfly fluttering through the night air.
Its flight was wild, erratic, impossible to track.
But between his five outstretched fingers—
Hikaru caught it.
"Got you…"
He opened his hand and looked at the small creature resting peacefully in his palm.
[Skill Acquired: Nameless Martial Art (F+)]
He looked up again.
In the distance—
Light footsteps approached the garden.
Shinobu Kocho.
Hikaru gave a faint smile.
And for the first time in over two weeks…
He saw a different look in her eyes.
Surprise.
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