Chapter 37: I, Ryuji, will remember this grudge!
Kocho Jiro spoke softly, stretching his body until his bones cracked, then looked at Himejima Gyomei and added:
"Do you... have a place to stay? Ryuji will likely be bedridden for three to five days."
namu amida butsu.
Himejima Gyomei pressed his palms together, tears streaming from his eyes. "How fortunate... Donor, do not worry, I have a place to stay."
He could rest in the courtyard; he couldn't be too far from here. After all, Ryuji was still very fragile. In two more days, Mr. Rengoku Shinjuro would arrive with reinforcements, and then they would discuss how to subjugate that Upper Rank Demon.
Yes, Himejima Gyomei had already figured out the sequence of events through Little Red during this time.
He hadn't expected that Ryuji would run into an Upper Rank right after slaying a Lower Rank... and still manage to escape. It was truly a stroke of luck.
Kocho Jiro nodded. The main issue was that there weren't enough rooms in the house. Ryuji could stay in the study, but his family of four couldn't all squeeze together.
"The fact that you're constantly crying might be an illness. Do you want me to check it for you?"
Kocho Jiro asked the weeping Himejima Gyomei softly. Although he was a bit low on energy himself, checking an eye condition was no problem; he'd treat it as a free consultation.
"Thank you, donor, but there is no need. Please go and rest quickly."
Himejima Gyomei pressed his palms together and declined in a low voice.
Kocho Jiro shrugged. Since he had declined, he wouldn't say anything more; some people were simply reluctant to see a doctor.
He needed to rest quickly and then take over Kanao's shift. Someone had to be by Ryuji's side right now. In case of an emergency, they could still perform life-saving measures.
Also, the toxin extracted from his body was quite fascinating and worth studying.
"Very well then. There's food in the kitchen. If you can't see, you can ask Shinobu for help... yawn, I'm going to rest first..."
As Kocho Jiro spoke, he entered the room with Kochou Wakako.
namu amida butsu. Thank you, donor.
Himejima Gyomei said softly. Beside him, Shinobu Kocho just pouted her lips and said nothing. She didn't want to hang out with a "stone," but for now, she would just endure it.
Inside the medicine-scented study.
Kocho Kanae looked at Ryuji, who was lying on a makeshift operating table made from a desk.
Her brow was clouded with worry. The injury was too severe, and that unknown toxin with physical properties was very difficult to clear.
In the end, they had to rely on Chinese Red Ginseng to keep him alive, using bloodletting and other special methods to barely stop the toxin from reaching his heart.
"Such a terrifying toxin, yet Father actually went to rest? That's not like him..."
Kocho Kanae spoke softly. Looking at Ryuji's profile, she suddenly remembered the scene of being saved by him that night.
That warm chest... "What am I thinking... He's a patient."
A blush rose to her cheeks, and she shook her head, tossing those stray thoughts out of her mind.
She then picked up a piece of white gauze and soaked it in warm water.
She gently wiped the bloodstains off Ryuji's face; leaving it on his body would cause sores.
"Ugh, there's a lot of blood on his body too..."
Kocho Kanae clutched the wet towel, feeling a bit hesitant. She did have some feelings for Ryuji; after all, he was her savior.
But... well, whatever. Right now, she was a doctor, and Ryuji was just a patient.
According to her father, with such a serious injury, he would need at least a week of bed rest before he could even stand up. He wouldn't wake up easily... she also needed to prepare a feeding tube.
Better change the bandages first and wipe him down while she was at it.
With that thought, Kocho Kanae seemed to make up her mind, picking up the nearby scissors and slowly reaching toward Ryuji's chest.
As if sensing something, Ryuji's eyelids flickered, and he opened his eyes.
What met his eyes was an unfamiliar wooden ceiling with elegant patterns.
A faint scent of orchids permeated the air, mixed with the smell of medicinal herbs.
It seemed this was the Kochou family.
He had been saved... Sure enough, no matter where one went, knowing a highly skilled doctor was a very important thing.
It really can save your life.
"Hiss..."
He tried to Move, but his entire body felt like it was falling apart, sending waves of sharp pain through him. His left shoulder, in particular, was not only painful but also numb.
It felt like ten thousand ants were gnawing at his flesh.
He wanted to reach out and scratch it, but he found himself fixed to the desk with bandages, and he could barely Move anything but his neck.
Turning slightly, he saw Kocho Kanae standing nearby, holding a pair of scissors aimed right at his chest.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward.
"Uh, I'm not dead yet. So, if you're going to perform a dissection, could you wait until after I'm dead? Or maybe use some anesthesia... I'm afraid of pain."
Ryuji curled his lips, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ah, sorry! You... you're awake?!"
Kocho Kanae was like a startled kitten, hiding the scissors behind her back, her face flushing red. Then, as if realizing something...
She placed the scissors on the nearby table and explained softly, "I wasn't going to dissect you. I wanted to help you change your bandages..."
Ryuji: "..."
I know that, of course. It was just a joke. How did the usually clever and calm Kanao become a bit of a ditz?
Director, this isn't right. Is this the wrong script?
Seeing Ryuji's half-smiling expression, Kocho Kanae's blush deepened. She blurted out, "I—I'll go get Father..."
And then she hurriedly ran out.
Watching Kanao run out, Ryuji shook his head and gave a bitter laugh. You could have at least helped me up; I wanted to drink some water... Oh well, forget it.
Lying on the desk like a salted fish, Ryuji stared at the ceiling, replaying the moment he clashed with Doma over and over in his mind.
That irresistible power, that coldness that treated life like grass, that sense of despair where even breathing became a luxury.
He had been too arrogant.
He always thought that because he knew the plot and the Blood Demon Arts of these demons, he could calmly change those tragic outcomes.
But now it seemed he was a bit too naive... This world was far larger than what was shown in the manga, and the demons of this world were far more cunning and powerful than depicted!
This clash with Doma could be said to be a complete defeat, a defeat with no power to fight back... If it weren't for the fact that Armament Haki had a first-encounter kill effect on demons.
Perhaps he would have been digested by now... Wait, Doma doesn't eat men.
Ryuji shook his head with a bitter smile. Regardless, he wasn't strong enough.
His Armament Haki wasn't strong enough, his Observation Haki wasn't strong enough, his physical fitness wasn't strong enough, and the Moves he created with his Breathing Technique weren't strong enough!
He needed to become stronger!
"Just you wait, Doma. Sooner or later, I'm going to smash that fake smiling face of yours! I, Ryuji, will remember this grudge!"
He exhaled a long breath of turbid air, using his Breathing Technique to accelerate his recovery.
"System, open the panel."
Ryuji muttered in his mind.
[Host: Ryuji]
[Age: 14]
[Position: East Sea Branch Marine Soldier (Promotable)]
[Abilities: Breathing Technique (Fist), Armament Haki (mastered), Navy Six Styles: Paper Arts (Prototype), Observation Haki (Prototype)]
[cultivation points: 30]
[military merit points: 1500]
[Items: marine recruit training manual (written by Zephyr)]
[Evaluation: A Marine who has mastered Armament Hardening can hold their own even against failures returning from the Grand Line!]
Seeing Little Purple missing from his inventory, Ryuji fell into silence and then let out a long sigh.
After this battle with Doma, he also realized one thing.
He had no talent for becoming a top-tier swordsman.
Kyojuro didn't have Armament Haki, yet he could go back and forth with Akaza, and even though he sacrificed himself in the end, his nichirin blade didn't break.
Yet he had only clashed with Doma once, and Little Purple had shattered... even with the protection of Armament Haki.
Sigh, attribute disadvantage was one thing, but more importantly, his talent didn't lie with the blade.
Just as Uzui Tengen said, his talent was in Taijutsu.
It was time to completely give up on blades.
Specializing in Taijutsu and developing Fist Breathing and his two types of Haki to their limits—that was the path he should take.
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