"What kind of task?" Haruki asked.
"Ever since I arrived at the Dragon Gate, I've been taking in disciples. I divide them into two branches: the Wood Style and the Water Style," Fan Xinglou explained. "The Wood Style focuses on physical mastery; I teach them to channel Prana into their bodies and weapons to face powerful armaments with raw flesh. The Water Style is more mystical; it focuses on the internal flow of energy, releasing techniques similar to ancient magecraft."
She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I give them everything I know, yet most of them are simply overstuffed amateurs. Especially the twins of this generation, Li Shenyun and Li Shenhua. They have talent, certainly, but they are arrogant fools who lack any sense of self-awareness. They will likely be your next opponents in the tournament."
"You want me to let them win?"
"Hehe, as if I'd ever suggest something so pathetic," Xinglou shot back instantly. "Don't mistake me for someone who would compromise the sanctity of a duel for a cheap trophy. I don't want you to go easy on them. I want you to crush them. I want you to dismantle them so thoroughly that they finally realize how small they truly are. They need to learn that a little achievement is no excuse for such pride."
"I see..." Haruki noted. He hadn't expected her to be such a ruthless master.
Xinglou continued, "The twins are practitioners of the Water Style. They believe they've reached the summit of energy manipulation. In truth, there are few at Dragon Gate who can challenge them. I want you to study my Water Style, Haruki-kun. I want you to master it and then destroy them using the very techniques they pride themselves on."
"The Water Style is about controlling Prana to manifest spell-like abilities, right?"
"Exactly. Your current problem is that you cannot harmonize with the energy of the Ser-Veresta. You're physically strong, but the resonance of an Ogre Lux is different from any other power. Even I spent a lifetime mastering the nuances of Prana. Once you learn my methods of internal circulation, you'll be able to tame that unruly blade effortlessly."
"Then I'm in your hands," Haruki said.
He didn't think she was lying. More importantly, he didn't care if she was. He wasn't a novice; if there was a flaw in her teaching, he'd sense it immediately. But his instincts—the intuition of a master swordsman—told him she had no malice. He felt the same resonance with her that he had with Ikki Kurogane or Kirin Toudou. She was a kindred spirit.
Haruki began his special training under the master of the Dragon Gate. Fan Xinglou's strength was staggering, but what impressed Haruki most was her absolute control. She was a "Perfected Warrior."
By comparison, while Haruki's ceiling was higher, many of his powers—like the dark essence of his Ghost Arts or the heat of the Ser-Veresta—were things he still had to "fight" to control. Xinglou's Water Style provided the missing piece of the puzzle. It taught him to treat his body as a conduit rather than a container.
The training served as the final piece for his Fire Wave technique. By understanding the "flow" of energy, he finally grasped the fundamental essence of fire's resonance.
While Haruki studied, word of his training reached the Li twins. They weren't worried. As Xinglou had predicted, they were frogs in a well, convinced that their mastery of the Water Style made them invincible. They believed the Phoenix Festa trophy was already theirs by right.
Haruki stayed at the Dragon Gate for only a single day. With the Phoenix Festa schedule tightening, the matches were coming faster, leaving little room for downtime.
However, even a single day was enough for a genius of Haruki's caliber. He mastered the core principles of the Water Style with frightening speed. The style taught that energy should be like a river—constantly in motion, never stagnant. By keeping the Prana in a state of high-velocity circulation within his veins, he could release it with far more efficiency and power.
The Water Style also included complex "Barrier Arts" to focus energy into specific zones, but Haruki didn't have time to master the geometry of it. He had to head back.
"Leaving so soon, Haruki-kun?" Xinglou asked, looking genuinely disappointed.
To her, Haruki was more than a student. He was a peer—someone who had already reached the summit of his own domain. Their interaction wasn't a one-way lecture; it was an exchange of high-level concepts. It was a rare experience for someone who had lived as long as she had.
"Why not just transfer to Dragon Gate?" she suggested playfully. "I could process the paperwork in an hour and make you my official successor."
"No thanks," Haruki replied.
He liked Xinglou, and he'd enjoyed the training, but he had a mission to finish for Seidokan. More importantly, he had made a promise to Kirin Toudou.
"What a shame," Xinglou sighed, though she didn't push. She could see his resolve. "Well, do your best. I'll be waiting for the day you take the crown. I'll ask you again then."
"We'll see..." Haruki muttered, escaping before she could drag him into another sparring match.
On his way out of the campus, he crossed paths with the Li twins. They were waiting for him.
"Heh. To think a Seidokan student has to come to our Dragon Gate to learn how to fight," Shenyun sneered. "It seems your school's curriculum is as pathetic as we thought."
"You aren't wrong about that," Haruki admitted flatly.
Compared to Xinglou, the instructors at Seidokan were like children. The gap in quality was embarrassing.
His blunt honesty caught the twins off guard. Shenhua's arrogant smirk faltered for a second.
"Is that all you wanted to say?" Haruki asked, his eyes turning cold.
He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't even shift his stance. But for a split second, he allowed a fraction of his Murderous Resonance to leak out.
The twins felt their hearts stop. For one terrifying heartbeat, the world went gray. But then Haruki retracted the pressure as quickly as he had released it. To the twins, it felt like a brief, dizzy spell—a trick of the mind.
"Hmph. Act tough while you can," Shenyun blustered, trying to find his voice. "When we meet in the ring, we'll show you how a real master fights. You're just a bug to be crushed."
The twins marched away, convinced they had the upper hand. Haruki didn't even look back. He made a fist, feeling the Prana coursing through him with perfect fluidity. Thanks to Xinglou, he had finally tamed the Ser-Veresta. The backlash was gone, replaced by a reservoir of energy that was now part of his own strength.
He was ready to show the Li twins the true meaning of "mastery."
Haruki arrived back at Seidokan just as the next round of matches was about to begin. He headed to the waiting room to meet Julis, but stopped when he saw a new face.
Standing next to Julis was a young girl with silver-blue hair tied in ribbons. She looked no older than ten and wore a neat maid's uniform.
"Who's this?" Haruki asked. "Your daughter?"
"I am way too young to have a daughter that age!!" Julis barked, her face flushing. "This is Flora Klemm. She's a friend from the orphanage back home, and she currently works as a maid at the palace in Lieseltania."
Chapter 176 – A Request from Flora
"Hello! My name is Flo-wa! You must be Hawuki-san!"
The young girl spoke with a slight lisp and gave a deep, ninety-degree bow. She was clearly nervous but excited.
Haruki softened his expression. He couldn't be cold to a child that polite. "That's me. Hello, Flora."
"It really is him!" Flora chirped, running up to him. "Thank you so much for helping Pwincess Julis in the Festa! I want to grow up to be an amazing knight like you one day!"
"Flora, please don't try to learn anything from this man," Julis warned, looking exasperated. "Haruki is a terrible influence. If you start acting like him, I don't know what I'll do."
"You make me sound like a villain, Julis," Haruki noted dryly.
The two engaged in their usual bickering, much to Flora's amusement. Julis eventually explained that her brother—the King—had sent Flora to Asterisk to watch the matches in his stead, as he was too busy with state affairs.
Since there was time before the match, Julis let Flora stay in the waiting room. The girl was fascinated by Haruki and kept asking him for stories about Julis at the academy. Haruki obliged, telling her a few sanitized versions of their adventures.
"I see... so the Princess is the same as always," Flora giggled.
"The same?"
"Yes! When she's with us, she's so kind and warm. But when she's acting as royalty, she's so brave and sharp! Just like she is now!"
"Are you sure we're talking about the same Julis?" Haruki teased.
"It's just your biased perspective!" Julis snapped, crossing her arms.
"Anyway! Hawuki-kun, do you want to see photos of the Pwincess when she was little?" Flora asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Photos?"
"Yes! I have lots on my phone from the orphanage."
Flora pulled out her device and began swiping through holographic windows. "This was from the winter festival two years ago... this was when everyone did the big spring cleaning... and this was Hanna's birthday party..."
Haruki watched the images. They were filled with smiles—Julis surrounded by children and nuns, looking genuinely happy. He was seeing a side of the "Ice Flame Princess" he had only caught glimpses of before.
Suddenly, his eyes landed on a specific photo.
"Flora," Haruki said, pointing to the screen. "What's this one?"
"Ah! That's when I took a bath with the Pwincess!" Flora said proudly.
Haruki stared at the photo for a moment too long before a flaming fist entered his peripheral vision.
"DELETE THAT IMMEDIATELY!!" Julis roared.
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