"Don't stretch your arms too straight, but don't bend them too much either! No tucking your elbows in, and no flaring them out! Keep your stance solid, but don't lock it up too tight!"
On the open ground in front of the wooden cabin, Riku was smacking Tanjiro Kamado's arms with a sword sheath, while Tanjiro looked like he was about to give up on life.
I don't get it! I totally don't get it!
It was now their third day at Urokodaki Sakonji's place.
On the first night, Tanjiro, utterly exhausted, had barely passed the test of descending Sagiri Mountain. The traps set by Urokodaki left him covered in cuts and bruises.
So, the entire first day, he didn't wake up until dinnertime that evening.
During that night and day, Riku swung his blade 25,000 times and got knocked to the ground thousands of times, steadily building his foundation.
That evening, Tanjiro saw how hard Riku-san was working. Aside from occasionally nibbling on his own fingers to satisfy his hunger, Riku-san barely ever put down his sword.
That night, Tanjiro focused on recovering his strength. By the second day, his training was still climbing up and down Sagiri Mountain.
Sagiri Mountain wasn't exactly small, and the air up there was thin—tough for most people to handle. Luckily, Tanjiro, having grown up in the mountains, had the rugged mountainfolk physique to barely keep up.
The point of making Tanjiro climb up and down the mountain was twofold: first, to build his lung capacity and teach him to control his breathing, using the least amount of air for the greatest effect; second, to sharpen his sense of smell, forcing him to sniff out the traps. If he couldn't detect them, he'd have to endure the pain of getting caught.
This training was tailored specifically to Tanjiro's natural talent by Urokodaki Sakonji. For a kid without his heightened sense of smell, this training could literally be deadly, given the traps Urokodaki had set.
The reason Riku wasn't put through this training was mainly because he lacked Tanjiro's olfactory gift. Of course, the fact that the traps didn't pose much of a threat to him was another reason.
On the second day, Tanjiro spent the whole day climbing up and down the mountain. By evening, he was completely wiped out. After dinner, he still had to attend cultural lessons. Once those were done, he crashed almost immediately.
Before lights out, Tanjiro caught sight of Riku-san still swinging his sword in the open area, moonlight glinting off his blade and body.
On the third day, Tanjiro continued his mountain-climbing routine until around three or four in the afternoon. That's when Urokodaki called him back, tossed him a sword, and told him to start the most basic sword-swinging training.
Riku, who'd only been training for three days himself, became Tanjiro's teacher, tasked with guiding him through the fundamentals of sword swinging.
Riku hadn't expected the role reversal to come so quickly. Now he was the one preaching about "finding the right balance."
"Swing it a thousand times first."
After correcting Tanjiro's various mistakes, Riku gave him the assignment, as instructed by Urokodaki.
"Yes, Riku-san!"
Tanjiro's expression was dead serious. The power of a role model is endless, and Riku was his, constantly pushing him to keep going.
"Riku, come here for a sec."
Just as Riku was about to resume his own training after instructing Tanjiro, Urokodaki's voice called out from inside the cabin.
"Got it, coming!"
Riku sheathed his sword and stepped inside. Urokodaki was sitting at the table, holding a mask that looked like a fox.
"This is for you. A Saiyaku Kitsune-men."
Urokodaki handed the fox mask to Riku.
It was a standard fox face, but where there would typically be three whiskers on the cheeks, there were three vivid red slashes instead. The base color was painted silver, symbolizing the night and the moon, like a silver fox.
"You wear a mask during the day to cover your mouth and nose, right? So I made this for you. It'll bring good luck."
Urokodaki explained, his skilled woodworking allowing him to craft the mask in no time.
"Thank you, I really appreciate the effort."
Riku was momentarily stunned as he took the mask. He'd noticed the small fox carvings and masks in Urokodaki's room and figured the old man had a knack for this kind of thing, but he hadn't expected him to make one just for him.
[Acquired Special Item: Saiyaku Kitsune-men]
[Saiyaku Kitsune-men: Luck +0.01]
To Riku's shock, the moment he took the fox mask, the [Limit System] reacted.
Wait, what?! You're serious?!
"Bringing good luck" wasn't just a nice sentiment?!
But… +0.01 luck? Isn't that a bit too small?
And where did this "luck" stat even come from? It's not listed in the six attributes. A hidden stat you can't see?
Riku glanced at the system panel, but there was no "luck" attribute. Instead, there was a new [Items] section.
Well, damn. Now he had to wear it. Even a tiny boost was still a boost!
Sure, 0.01 seemed negligible, but who knows? It might just turn the impossible into the possible, shifting a 0% chance to a 0.01% chance.
"In our culture, foxes symbolize good fortune and luck. They're often used in divination rituals. Wearing a fox mask can help you better seek the protection and guidance of the gods."
Urokodaki hadn't made the Saiyaku Kitsune-men on a whim. He felt it was necessary.
The Saiyaku Kitsune-men was commonly worn in sacred rituals to commune with the gods, and since Riku was favored by the divine, wearing it might help him better receive their guidance.
"Thank you. I'll keep it with me always."
As Riku spoke, he took off his regular mask and put on the Saiyaku Kitsune-men. It fit perfectly and felt surprisingly comfortable.
Urokodaki's craftsmanship was incredible. He hadn't even measured Riku, yet the mask hugged his face flawlessly.
"I'm glad you like it. The favor of the gods is unpredictable, but as long as we steadfastly follow their guidance, that's enough."
The Oyakata-sama had said that the Ubuyashiki clan's curse could only be broken by defeating the Demon King, a path laid out by the gods.
Since then, the Ubuyashiki clan had never wavered, steadfastly pursuing that divine goal.
Urokodaki believed that Riku, being favored by the gods, must also carry some kind of responsibility.
"Uh, I understand."
Riku nodded. He didn't have any divine guidance to follow—he just trusted his own heart, which felt more reliable than any god's direction.
"Good. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you the Kokyuho (Breathing Techniques)."
Seeing Riku wear the Saiyaku Kitsune-men, Urokodaki felt a sense of satisfaction. Riku's maturity meant he didn't need much guidance, so this was one of the few ways Urokodaki could help.
(End of Chapter)