Chapter 14 – Methods and Paths
That one phrase Aoi Kanzaki had thrown at him—
"You distance yourself from this world..."
It struck Hikaru like a bolt of lightning hitting dry earth.
Something inside him cracked open.
For so long, he'd believed he understood himself. Thanks to the effects of [Focused Serenity], his mind had always been calm—his emotions controlled, his thoughts clear.
But that peace…
It had also blurred something deeper.
Something he hadn't realized until now.
This world—
A place he once knew only as fiction… still felt like a dream he hadn't woken from.
Even after everything he'd experienced, there was a part of him that still couldn't accept it as real.
Like he was just a guest.
Just passing through.
The tranquility of his soul kept the surface calm, but deep beneath—
There were cracks.
Loneliness.
Alienation.
A sense that everything around him… wasn't truly his.
"…I see now."
A whisper slipped from Hikaru's lips.
Behind him, the faint glow of lanterns lit the path home. The mountains in the distance were cloaked in shadows, and the sky above shimmered with silver light—stars scattered across a vast black canvas, the moon hanging quietly among them.
Everything was so quiet.
Only the rustling of leaves and the soft breath of wind filled the silence.
Under that dim and flickering light, Hikaru turned toward the girl before him—Aoi Kanzaki.
She barely reached his chest, much smaller and younger.
But her eyes… they were serious. Steady.
"A-Are you okay…?"
Even though she usually barked and scolded, this time, she looked taken aback. A little flustered, even.
Hikaru was silent for a moment.
Then…
He smiled.
"…Thanks for the advice."
He bowed his head, deeply.
Aoi blinked in surprise. She didn't really understand what was going on.
But Hikaru said nothing more.
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away.
That bow had been genuine.
From the bottom of his heart.
Sometimes, the things we can't see ourselves… are the things most obvious to others.
Maybe that was what people meant when they said:
"Spectators see more clearly than the players."
"…You're such a weirdo."
Aoi muttered under her breath, watching Hikaru's silhouette disappear into the night.
And then, without realizing it…
She looked up at the sky—
And smiled.
The past few days, even if she hadn't always been there, she'd seen his determination.
And within him… she saw a reflection of herself.
A girl who once had no talent, but still refused to give up.
"I gave up back then… but maybe you can go farther than I ever could."
Her quiet words drifted into the wind.
Inside the Butterfly Mansion, Shinobu Kocho gently raised her head, as if she'd sensed something.
A glimmer of knowing passed through her violet eyes.
— — —
After leaving the training grounds, Hikaru returned to his room.
But his mind was still restless.
Standing in silence, he stared at the sword resting near his bed. For nearly a month now… he hadn't drawn it once.
Slowly, he reached out.
His fingers closed around the hilt.
Tightly.
Then—
He drew it.
The moonlight pouring through the window caught the blade, scattering silver glimmers across the wooden floor.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Mist Breathing began to rise from his body, thin wisps of fog flowing like ghosts through the still air.
And in that moment—
He understood.
He had never truly mastered Breathing Technique.
It wasn't just about rhythm. Not just the flow of breath.
Breathing…
Was resonance.
A harmony between the body and the world itself.
But if he had never truly felt like he belonged in this world…
How could he ever hope to resonate with it?
The air in his lungs.
The mist in his vision.
It was all just borrowed memory. Fragments of the one who came before him.
Not his own.
"…The system is just a tool."
He had always known that.
Even if it was fused with his very being—like a part of his soul—it was still just that: a support mechanism.
What made a person human was their thoughts.
What moved a person forward was their feelings.
Without either… power was hollow.
Meaningless.
His grip on the sword tightened.
He raised it slowly.
Focused.
His breath grew deeper.
Slower.
The boundaries of his awareness stretched outward.
He moved.
One swing.
Then another.
Again. And again.
Without stopping.
The hours slipped by without notice.
Outside, the chorus of insects and frogs signaled how deep into the night it had become.
Finally, he lowered the blade.
Returned it to its sheath.
Exhaled.
And smiled.
Just faintly.
His eyes now glowed with clarity.
Something inside had begun to shift.
Something that had once been locked away… was stirring.
Without thinking, he stepped outside into the garden, guided only by instinct.
His sword at his hip.
Leaves rustled gently in the night breeze.
Everything was still—
But not dead.
The sounds of life flowed through the silence. The hum of cicadas, the croak of frogs, the breath of trees.
Hikaru stood in the courtyard, gazing into the mountains.
The stars above seemed endless.
The moon—unchanging.
And for the first time in a long while…
He let go of the world.
He drifted.
Between thought and dream.
Between what was real and what was not.
And then—
He understood.
He understood why he could never feel that advanced breathing technique before.
It wasn't just skill or talent.
It was connection.
The feeling of being here.
Being part of this world.
He had always watched it through glass.
Always felt like a ghost in someone else's story.
But maybe—
Just maybe—
There was still a way forward.
A method.
A path.
"…Am I a man dreaming of being a butterfly… or a butterfly dreaming I am a man?"
His whisper melted into the wind.
His long black hair flowed with the breeze, swaying like ink in water.
He stood there, unmoving.
Taking it all in.
Mist gathered again in his vision.
Only now, it was clearer.
Sharper.
It didn't fight him anymore.
It resonated with every breath he took.
Maybe tonight—
Or maybe just a moment from now—
He would grasp it.
Hikaru closed his eyes.
His hand reached for the sword at his hip.
Breathing techniques were not mechanical formulas.
You could strengthen the body with breath alone—but without feeling…
You would never touch the kind of power that shook the very fabric of reality.
True strength came from emotion.
From purpose.
And even if this world felt like an illusion—
That emotion… was real.
On the rooftop, Shinobu Kocho stood silently. Her butterfly-patterned haori fluttered softly in the wind. Her eyes fixed on the boy standing in the courtyard below.
Time moved forward.
The darkness of night began to pale.
Beyond the mountains—
A faint light bloomed.
The sun was rising.
Its rays pierced the shadows like a blade of clarity.
They bathed Hikaru in golden warmth.
And in that instant—
He opened his eyes.
Light danced across his face.
Craaang—
A sharp sound rang out.
The blade was drawn.
The night wind was swept away by the surge of power released.
The mist scattered like petals in the storm.
Far off, the surface of a pond rippled softly.
There was no breeze—
And yet, the water moved.
What he saw…
What he felt…
It was as clear as a reflection in the mirror.
Then—
That reflection shifted.
Wavered.
As if the world itself had blinked.
This was—
"Void Breathing."
And it flowed through him—
Calm.
Absolute.
Alive.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
📚 Want to read more chapters or get early access?
Join my Patreon here:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ Enjoy 15+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ Get 1-2 new chapters every day exclusively on Patreon
Join now and dive deeper into the story—weeks ahead of public release!
Thank you for your amazing support 💖
— — —