"I told you to not do this training of yours. Now look at yourself, you idiot. You should stop this crazy thing."
"Noo!! I will become stronger so I can protect you. Nothing you say will change my mind. Tie me up if you have to!!"
She yelped at his response. What just happened? She had never seen him behave like this.
"It's fine, Mom. I just overestimated my capabilities."
"If you're truly not going to stop… then I suggest you be careful, alright, Hisashi-kun."
"Of course, I can do anything."
The sound of something grumbling echoed through the air—my stomach. My face heated up instantly.
'Man, everything is off-season today.' I seriously need to sleep—this day is the worst.
"Well, you can't cook. That is one thing you can't do." She raised an eyebrow as her gaze landed on my stomach.
"Who told you I needed your opinion?"
"I did." She replied nonchalantly, which caught me off guard.
"Fine, you win this one."
"Of course. Now let me go and prepare lunch. You are always so grumpy when you're hungry."
"Aren't you going to carry me back?"
"If you have the energy to argue, you really aren't tired."
I wanted to disagree again, but my stomach said otherwise.
"But since you would just collapse anyway," she grabbed me and lifted me into her arms, "I might as well just fulfill your request."
"Thanks." I smiled slightly as I held on to her tightly. Who knows—perhaps my parents in this life are worth being called just that. People who deserve respect and familial love in my eyes.
'Maybe if I had spent some time with you, Dad, I would be saying the same thing, huh?'
I struggled in vain, trying to break free from her hold, but it was hopeless.
A few days later, I sat alone in the backyard, my thoughts beginning to turn into gear.
Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Air—these are the five elements I know best. Each element has a corresponding attribute the caster must possess.
Fire is tied to energy and passion, while Water reflects emotions and fluidity. These two naturally oppose each other—everyone knows that.
Earth represents stability and structure—solid, unmoving.
Air, on the other hand, is linked to intellect and communication. It fuels Fire, giving it more power.
Lightning… that one's a bit of a mystery. I always assumed it symbolized instability or unpredictability, so maybe it opposes Earth. That would make sense.
When aligning your internal energies to the five elements through your own efforts, these relationships matter. I think Air and Fire would be interesting…
There's also the possibility of having an elemental affinity, but let's not take any chances. Right now, I need to focus on preparing my body for that.
This… where is all this information coming from? I know I did my research in my past life. I had a weird habit of analyzing every magic system in the anime I watched—dissecting them down to the smallest detail.
If controlling an element was as easy as saying "please," life would be much simpler.
'So that's why… Regardless, I still need to train, so…'
The key to this meditation is simple—sense anything foreign within the body. For those who only possess a sliver of this energy, detecting it would be nearly impossible.
But with enough concentration and an increase in that energy, one could eventually sense it—and, more importantly, manipulate it.
And this foreign energy? In this world, it's known as Qi—or Ki, depending on who you ask.
Without the distractions of modern technology or a rigid education system, both of which, while useful later, only serve to waste time.
He could devote himself fully to refining his meditation now.
'I'll start with thirty minutes. His thoughts were firm. As I adapt to the mindset, I'll increase the duration until I can sense my Qi.'
'If I can't achieve this in this lifetime, then I'll continue in the next. And if I'm never given that chance… at least I tried my best.'
For days, I followed his training routine—but still, nothing. No spark. No sign. But giving up wasn't an option. Rome wasn't built in a day, after all.
Once I had sculpted my body to a satisfactory level, I increased the difficulty.
More reps. Longer hours.
Pushing past my limits. I repeated this grueling regimen every day for an entire year—without fail. Not once did I allow himself to slack off.
What most wouldn't realize was that I wasn't just strengthening his body. I was training my will. No matter how painful, no matter how impossible it seemed, he would keep going.
And then, after six long years of relentless effort, I felt it.
A pulse. Faint, but undeniable. The vital essence within him had finally… awoken.
His eyes widened in disbelief before pure joy erupted from his chest. He jumped to his feet, his voice breaking the quiet.
"I did it!"
My laughter rang out– Raw and triumphantant.
I tried to reel himself back in.
"Calm down… calm down… nothing to get excited about," I muttered, though his toothy grin betrayed my emotions. "I still have a long way to go."
The words were rational but my heart raced with exhilaration. After three breaths of attempted composure, the thrill overtook me again.
"Ahahahahaha… hahaha!"
"I've done it. I took the first step." My voice softened, steady now. "Tomorrow… I'll push even further."
With that, I turned and sprinted toward his house, the open grass field behind him, the training ground, whipping past as I ran.
---
"Mother, where are you!?" he called out as he stepped inside. The interior was simple, modest and matched the theme of a traditional Japanese home. Nothing extravagant, but warm in its own way.
I moved swiftly through the hallway, passing by family paintings that lined the walls, until I spotted her, exactly where I should have expected.
"Hah… the excitement must be messing with my head." I shook my head, glancing at the sun's position overhead. "Of course, she's in the garden around this time." It was definitely afternoon.
Adjusting my route, I slipped outside. The garden was as familiar as ever. Sakura trees in full bloom, their petals dancing in the breeze, while roses and daisies filled the air with a faint, sweet fragrance. Her favorites. Always.
It had been my idea to encourage her to take up gardening again, a distraction. After my father's death, she changed. Stopped going outside. Even caring for herself seemed… difficult.
It took time, but seeing her back on her feet? That was a relief. With her like this, I could finally focus on my training without worrying about her anymore.
"Sashi-kun?" Her voice cut through the quiet, soft but surprised. "Why are you here at this time of day? Shouldn't you be out in the field, training?"
She stood there, watering can in hand, eyes wide with curiosity.
I smiled, stepping closer. "I decided to come and chat with you since I already achieved today's goal. What? Do you not want me here?" I teased, watching for her reaction.
"Fufufu…" A soft laugh escaped her lips. "No, it's a pleasant surprise." Her face brightened for a moment—until her shoulders slumped in mock despair. "I thought I'd never see the day my son would willingly spend time with his mother…"
"Now you're just making me feel guilty," I muttered, frowning slightly as I scratched the back of my head.
And just like that, the mood shifted– from lighthearted to heavy.
Between the relentless training, my obsession with survival, the pursuit of immortality, and distant thoughts of the future… even ideas like how I will interact with troublesome canon characters consumed my focus.
But spending time with her? That… wasn't something I thought about often. Maybe it should be.
"So, are you seeing any girls lately? You've been avoiding me, after all," she said, feigning sadness as she wiped an imaginary tear from her left eye. "You even promised to marry me."
I felt my face heat up instantly. "I was three—and stupid!"
Yeah, when I was a clueless three-year-old, I made the mistake of calling her beautiful. She played along and asked if I would marry her. And me being me, agreed without hesitation, completely oblivious to what that actually meant.
At the time, saying yes felt like the most logical answer.
How idiotic.
I was too busy being flustered to notice the real danger, the gleam in her eyes. Before I could react, she scooped me up effortlessly and squealed, "Kawaii!!"
I nearly passed out from sheer embarrassment.
"My little Hisashi is so adorable!"
'Don't call me adorable!'
She was blabbering on and on, not noticing that I was sufficating between her ridiculously huge boobs.
'You leave me no choice.'
With a bright smile, I bit her breast—not too hard, of course. I wasn't that cruel. Just enough to get a reaction.
She yelped in surprise, her arms loosening around me as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
At least she reacted quickly… but maybe I didn't think this through.
Now it was her turn to be flustered. Natsumi was a bashful, stuttering mess—maybe even more so than I was.
"H-H-Hisashi…" she managed to squeak out.
I gasped for air, still catching my breath. "I… couldn't breathe at all. Why are you the one turning red?"
I tilted my head, wondering how she'd wriggle her way out of this one.
"Nothing," she shot back instantly.
Smooth.
I let out a chuckle, leaning closer with a teasing smile. "Wow… you look even more beautiful when you're flustered. You should turn red more often."
"Hisashi," she warned, her voice soft but firm, "don't do that again."
I arched an eyebrow, deciding to push my luck. "Why not? They were so soft. Can I touch them this time?"
Her blush deepened, but this woman wasn't so easily shaken.
"No, honey. You don't touch a woman's breasts," she said, barely keeping her composure.
"Okay…" I muttered with a pout, finally settling down and resting my head against her cleavage. If I couldn't win, I might as well make myself comfortable.
I did everything I could, but she didn't even bother with an excuse… Hmph. Serves you right. You don't suffocate me and get away with it.
Contrary to my indignant thoughts, my expression was one of mild confusion. I was so lost in my own head that I didn't notice the sinister gleam in her eyes.
Without warning—
Thwack!
"Ouch! Are you trying to rattle my brain or somethin'?!" I groaned, rubbing the sore spot where her knuckles had landed.
"Don't bite the breast that fed you!" she huffed, as if that explained everything.
"I said hand, not breast, goddam—Ouch!" Another smack, harder this time. Tears stung my eyes.
"And don't swear at your mother!"
"You're so irresponsible…" I grumbled under my breath.
"Thank you!" she beamed, as if I'd just given her the highest praise.
…Huh?
---------
Good Reading Everybody
I am in the midst of editing each Chapter for readability and to clear up my mistakes as an inexperienced author. Only Chapters with the (Edited) caption would make more sense, but I will edit them too.
Just a heads up, I am going to completely rewrite Chapter 7 and 8. I would suggest you don't use those two chapters to judge me.