Chapter 23: Okami
I sat down cross legged on the old wooden floor with my palms up against my knees. I took in deep breath after deep breath, preparing myself for what was to come.
Using total concentration, I absorbed the maximum amount of oxygen my body could take and felt it run from my lungs, through my blood and to every cell in my body.
Then, as though cutting a thread, I blocked out every single external stimulus from my mind. The decrepit room, the smell of rotten wood and the soft breeze blowing gently passed my ears all faded into the background and left a serene sense of clarity behind.
I redirected my consciousness inwards, towards my own bloodstream.
With no external influences, all my senses shifted towards my body. I could see and hear everything as though I had eyes lining every blood vessel and every cell and I could hear as though my heart had been placed right next to my ear.
I could see the alveoli in my lungs expand to let air diffuse into the surrounding capillaries, oxygenating the blood flowing through them
I focused even more, now able to follow the oxygen carrying red blood cells running through my veins, knowing where they were going to end up and exactly what process would take place. Maybe it was this intricate understanding of biology that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of my own body, through a technique developed by people centuries behind in medical knowledge.
Though, after only a few seconds, my focus was broken and I returned to the real world. The sudden and drastic shift in perspective made me feel nausea like I never have before. I held the puke threatening to burst out with pure will, knowing that if it escaped so would the meal I ate.
'Damnit. Well, I know it's possible at least. Good to know I'm not wasting time.'
I sat back down and tried again. Then again. Then again after that. Then, after almost spilling my guts out my mouth for the fourth time in a row, I took a break, and got up to hunt for food.
The winter landscape was completely stripped of any large mammals suitable for cooking, leaving me to scour trees for hibernating squirrels and birds. Though maybe those have long migrated to warmer climates. I had no idea what kind of fauna and wildlife inhabited this corner of the world, so I was left waddling around in proverbial darkness.
Only after securing a humble meal under a sturdy rock did I sit back down and start meditating.
Again, I cut off external stimuli, and let my consciousness drift before focusing it solely on my bloodstream. This time, it took around 10 seconds before I snapped out of it, this being an improvement of 1 second from the first time.
I was surely making progress, the only caveat is that progress came at a remarkably slow pace.
'Patience, Rome wasn't built in a day.' I reasoned, all while gritting my teeth at the work I'd have to do ahead.
"HNGHHH!!" I groaned in frustration while punching the worn out floor, and leaving a gaping hole through it. "Why can't this just be easy? Why do I have to work so hard? Who made me do this? I will personally detach their heads… right it was me."
I slapped myself again and got back to working on a technique that was built on a large smokescreen of ifs and maybes. Though, it seemed like my only path forward.
*****
After the village raid, Slayer Corps.
"Lord Okami, the lower moon has been eliminated." The hashira from the village reported to a man sitting on a raised platform in front of him.
"Is that so? As it turns out, the crows just happened to tell me that you were not the one who took care of it. If so, that begs the question, who did?" The man's words were indifferent as though merely talking about the weather as he looked down on the Hashira and his Tsugoku, who were kneeling in front of him.
"That we do not know. However, we found the corpse of a former slayer, Buntaro Koji at the scene."
"Koji? Koji…Yes I remember, the former lighting hashira was a Koji, perhaps one of the man's grandchildren. Though he is no longer among us." The man said with a flat tone, while both the Hashira and his underling grit their teeth. "So, to summarize, you mean to tell me that an old man, not even a former Hashira, defeated a lower moon all on his own?" The man raised an eyebrow.
"That's not it, Lord Okami. We also found this." The hashira presented the man with a severed arm that he casually unwrapped like opening a gift of Christmas day.
"What is the meaning of this, Ame?" The man scowled.
"This severed arm was found at the scene, we confirmed it did not belong to Buntaro Koji. It looks small, almost like that of a child but too muscular. The most peculiar detail is this." Ame pointed at the burst veins on the forearm.
Lord Okami gave the arm a questioning look before replying.
"Peculiar indeed. Has the body been found?" He asked.
"Our team searched. Yet there is only so much searching the Kakushi can take before succumbing to the cold." The hashira felt a lump swelling at the back of his throat.
"Hmm. So, either your team is incompetent, or, we are dealing with a child who can not only make use of breathing styles at such a young age, but also one who can also defeat a lower moon, lose an arm and keep waking in freezing temperatures despite all those circumstances.
Give me your honest opinion here Ame. Which of these scenarios seems more probable to you, considering all the evidence you have provided?" The man rested his chin in his hand, as though completely unimpressed by whatever stood in front of him.
"Perhaps, we lost him under the snow." The Hashira hung his head and looked towards the ground in shame. "The snowfall was heavy, we'd have no way of knowing for sure until the summer months."
"If only lord Ubayashiki were still here." The Tsugoku muttered while looking away from Lord Okami.
Obviously, his mumbling had been a little too loud as both present parties caught on to what he said.
"Kuroyama!" Ame reprimanded.
"Come on now Ame, let the kid speak his mind. Surely if you have a complaint you wouldn't mind reporting to your leader would you now… Kuroyama was it?" The man hesitated as though hearing that name for the first time. "And putting your petty spite aside, what would you have your almighty Lord Ubayashiki do, he can't correct your mistakes. All he could offer you is forgiveness.
Now tell me, do you really think that you can forge warriors, warriors who are willing to die by their sword and their ideals, by forgiving each and every mistake they make? No Kuroyama, that, is how you create weaklings, the very weaklings that allowed me to take power." Lord Okami gave him a small yet frightening smile.
Both the men on their knees remained quiet. They knew arguing with Okami was as useless as arguing with Ubayashiki, but in a completely different way.
"If that is all, you may leave."
"Yes, Lord Okami." The two men got up and walked away, the conversation having left a bitter taste in their mouth.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone