Ch.356351 – Environmental Destruction

The essence of enlightenment is the repetition of forgetting and internalization.

It’s not a sudden flash of insight that lights up the bulb in your head.

Why can we forget the word ‘procrastination’ tomorrow but never forget the word ‘apple’?

It’s because the pure form that the word embodies is clearly imprinted in our brain.

In Zen Buddhism, they even coined the term “sudden enlightenment, gradual cultivation” to emphasize the importance of momentary awakening and repeated practice.

After heeding the virtues of her ancestors and enduring a month of Spartan training, a warm spring finally arrived for Katsuhata Emika.

“Uh… since when?”

A flower bloomed from the tip of Emika’s sword.

Pink petals that had endured a long winter to blossom.

Afraid it might fly away if she blew on it or disappear if she squeezed it, Emika very carefully brought the sword forward.

Her eyes, observing the rippling aura, sparkled like cherry blossoms.

“It’s okay. It won’t disappear that easily.”

I moved closer to reassure her.

“Is this really my aura?”

When Emika asked with wide eyes, I nodded.

“Actually, there were signs before. You just became aware of it today.”

Just as enlightenment is a continuous process, external manifestation wasn’t clearly defined either.

An aura could be visible only to oneself, only to others, or it might not be visible at all but could still be felt.

But visual information always brings strong conviction to humans.

“You finally did it. Congratulations.”

“Eeek…! Aaaah! Name, I did it!”

Emika hugged me tightly and shook me around wildly.

“I get it, so put me down-“

“Waaaaaah! Aura! It’s an aura! I can manifest my aura! Master, Head of the Clan! I did it!”

“Urrrgh.”

I feel dizzy.

Even the usually stoic Emika couldn’t contain her joy today.

She ran out barefoot to call the people of the Katsuhata school.

“Ouch! Ouch!”

She winced at the pain from the pressure points on the path but still grinned. Is she really that happy?

“Is it true? You achieved external manifestation?”

“Are you sure you’re not confusing it with Name’s?”

Not long after, seniors and others wearing white uniforms gathered in the training hall.

“Yes! It was definitely my aura! I saw pink cherry blossom petals with my own two eyes!”

Emika answered confidently.

The head of the clan was absent due to business, and her master, Koizumi Yoshihiro, slowly walked in leaning on a staff made of mugwort.

“If you’re lying like last time, you’ll be severely punished.”

“It’s true… please believe me, Master…!”

It seemed he had misunderstood that Emika was feigning illness to avoid my lessons.

I climbed onto a suitable rock to carefully observe Emika’s demonstration.

“Then I’ll begin.”

Emika closed her eyes and performed a sword dance.

Human connecting heaven and earth, and the sword.

She raised her sword high, as if to touch the sun.

Thin threads emerged from her aura heart and spread around her.

Emika’s aura, finally blooming after receiving natural energy from the sky and life’s nutrients from the earth.

“Ohhh!”

“Is this cherry blossom?”

Vivid pink aura petals melt as they touch the cold metal.

The silver blade gradually took on the color of spring.

“It’s like you’ve become an immortal!”

All martial arts in the Katsuhata school had their origins in Taoist philosophy.

Emika smiled brightly at hearing the highest praise from her master’s lips.

That’s when it happened.

“Oh? The young lady’s sword…?”

Hundred flowers in full bloom.

The petals, knowing no moderation, fully bloom and flutter.

The sword gradually changed from bright red to the color of a crimson rose.

I observed the scene with interest.

In Emika’s mental world, when petals fall, they don’t become fertilizer.

‘Instead, they seem to transform into thermal energy.’

Woooong-

The flame flower blooms like an explosion, then the fire gradually subsides.

What emerged was a red lightsaber with indistinguishable boundary layers.

As the residual aura sparked like embers, the green grass planted on the ground turned black.

Koizumi Yoshihiro shouted at this terrible act of environmental destruction.

“Emika, what on earth is this!”

“Huh? Why are you- WHOA what is this!”

When Emika opened her eyes and saw the blazing lightsaber, she dropped the sword.

Fortunately, since it was created with aura, it didn’t catch fire, but the lightsaber left ash-colored scorch marks in its shape.

“I thought something was strange. I was wondering why flower petals were coming out when a lightsaber should appear.”

Afterward, Emika tried external manifestation several times, but the results were always the same.

Each time, the cherry blossoms became ignition sources and gloriously oxidized.

I waved my hand to call Emika.

“Emika, try drawing an aura sword from your palm. Just imagine pulling out a long piece of dough that you’re holding in your hand.”

Emika drew out red aura with her other empty hand.

It wasn’t just a thread, but a properly formed sword from the beginning.

“Unless it’s dark magic… how can this be aura!”

“Want to try Adela while we’re at it? Oh, I’ll provide the Demon King’s Horns for you.”

“Now? Here?”

“You should show everyone while they’re gathered. What else did you work so hard for?”

[Simple Casting: Demon King’s Horns]

I gave her a pair of stubby navy blue horns between her neat hair.

“Hey Name, this is a bit…”

Emika mumbled hesitantly.

White uniform, red lightsabers in both hands, and oni horns on her head.

She looked like she had just stepped out of a Japanese animation.

Emika immediately drew a magic circle.

Perhaps due to embarrassment, her hand movements drawing the circuit formula were very hasty.

[Casting: Adela]

She shot a gear toward the scarecrow to fix the target.

Woong-!

The red lightsaber pierces through the rotating magic circle.

The deadly blade is imprinted on the magic circle one by one.

The mana particles resonated with each other, and the magic circle also turned red.

[Innate Magic – アデラ]

[10 Chain]

[Break]

BOOM!

The innate magic Adela transfers accumulated physical impacts.

But what if the physical impact originates from mana particles?

According to Clemens’ theorem, the wavelength of mana particles can be expressed as the convolution of mana and aura, and the initial characteristics of aura are maintained.

If the aura explodes, the innate magic will also explode, and if the aura has extremely cold properties, the innate magic will also freeze the opponent.

“Whoa! Unbelievable power.”

Explosions with an equivalent temperature of 5000 degrees occur in succession.

The anti-magic treated scarecrow was shattered beyond recognition.

“Huff… huff…”

Emika panted.

Not because she was tired.

“You seem quite shocked by the power.”

The lightsaber disappeared immediately after casting the innate magic.

It must still be difficult to maintain external manifestation for long.

Emika wiped away her cold sweat and shared her thoughts.

“With the sword, it’s swordsmanship, and with swordsmanship, it’s the sword. I think I understand what Name meant by that now.”

“Really? What do you think it means?”

“If this isn’t a sword, it would be too wasteful, and if this isn’t swordsmanship, it would be too regrettable. Right?”

I smiled at Emika’s question.

“That’s correct, Katsuhata Emika.”

* * *

[Katsuhata School Returns After Training in Korea | Katsuhata Emika Joins National Exchange Competition Team]

[Has the Greatest Swordsman of All Time, Kamiizumi Nobutsunaga, Been Reborn? Katsuhata Emika Succeeds in External Manifestation of Aura During Training]

[Photo News) Oni Girl Who Stole Fans’ Hearts (+21)]

The Japanese public focused on Emika.

The girl who was considered Japan’s greatest prodigy had experienced a major setback on the world stage.

Except for some trolls, most people hoped that Emika would rise above her pain like a shonen manga cliché and pay back double afterward.

‘Even so, why Korea? Has the Katsuhata school decided to abandon its pride?’

However, the level Emika had reached was enough to end numerous controversies.

‘So next month at Tokyo Stadium, we can see a pretty girl with oni horns, waving a white uniform, wielding a lightsaber like in Star Wars?’

That’s enough to make any criticism disappear.

With one month left until the National Exchange Competition, the Katsuhata school completed all training and appeared in public for interviews.

“My goal is obviously to win. I’ve never thought of anything but winning. I will show without reservation why Japan is the best in the world at the National Exchange Competition.”

Emika’s statement boosted the self-esteem of Japanese people who had been ridiculed by the world.

When asked who she most wanted to compete against, Emika smiled slightly.

“I’m not sure about this year, but I hope I can meet and compete with NoName at next year’s Paris Exchange in France. I think anyone who has seen her dazzling talent even once would agree with me.”

Thousands of articles were written worldwide about Emika’s unexpected shoutout.

The most excited were Korean netizens.

* * *

[Let’s Meet When You’re 10! Japanese Genius Swordswoman’s Buzzworthy Interview!]

“Look at her. She still thinks she can dominate me because of our age difference.”

I nonchalantly watched the news while brushing Adela’s hair, who had just finished bathing.

She put a whole boiled egg in her mouth without even cutting it in half.

“Mmmm. That’s because she hasn’t had her head cracked open by you yet. After saying that, what if she doesn’t show up next year?”

“Move your tail, please. Are you going to keep bothering me by using your aura?”

“This is comfortable for me! I’ve lived my whole life with a tail, so it feels weird without it!”

“Your ‘whole life’ is just a few months of memories.”

“That’s a lifetime to me! And what’s the big deal about external manifestation? It’s so easy.”

Adela suddenly showed off by juggling with her tail.

Well, the world is unfair, what can I do?

“Let’s go now.”

“By the way, is that rich manager actually normal?”

“He said to wait in front of the underground parking lot. He’ll send a car.”

“You’re absolutely sure he doesn’t have some weird fetish like getting excited when he sees cat ears or wanting to taste tails?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m worried. That guy’s username is a bit, no, very strange!”

I hadn’t forgotten my promise with manager Lee Bo-reum to introduce him to Adela.

While we’re at it, I hope he’ll reduce my debt by about 50 million won.