The massive Electro spear was Reisen Riou's advanced Electro application—solidified elements, split differentiation, and gigantification. It was his elemental skill, the same one that pinned the Mitachurl Thunderhelm.
The spear had versatile uses.
His skill wasn't just a single spear. As it pierced through arrows, it split into seven—one real, six phantom spears fanning out, boxing in the purple-haired beauty's options.
Raiden Ei, unfazed, didn't dodge. She nocked and fired swiftly. A faint purple glow marked her shot—a basic charged elemental arrow, barely charged, yet unnervingly potent.
Reisen Riou was blasted back.
Not pierced or shredded—blasted. The arrow's immense force, upon hitting, shifted from piercing to blunt impact, hurling him away.
He felt Ei's archery clearly—a thunderous, majestic art.
"Cough…" Reisen Riou scrambled up, disheveled but barely hurt.
Back at the meeting space, he couldn't resist asking about her technique.
"What was that?" he blurted.
"The power of the heart," Ei said.
"The heart? What's that?" Reisen Riou, a rationalist and materialist, balked at such idealism. Yet, his transmigration and revival defied known science, so he wasn't entirely dismissive.
Ei seemed stumped, unsure how to explain.
"The power of the heart is the strength of will," she said dryly after a pause.
Reisen Riou mulled it over. "So, my archery lacks heart, and I need it to progress?"
"Yes," Ei said. "Your technique, experience, and elemental mastery are top-tier, but your heart is absent. Only by addressing this can you advance."
"Archery cultivation unites heart, bow, and arrow—three as one. Its practice has three truths: true heart, true form, true bow."
Ei elaborated on archery's cultivation.
She summed up Reisen Riou's style.
"Your technique is excellent, clearly honed for combat, favoring rapid-fire."
"You cleverly use gigantified Electro spears to cover your long-range damage gaps. Your accuracy ranks among Inazuma's best."
"But your archery's stalled, hasn't it?" Ei asked.
"Yeah," Reisen Riou nodded firmly. "Since reaching mastery at LV7, progress crawls—0.1 proficiency every half-year, and only if I practice constantly. Last year's slacking got me just 0.1 in the second half."
He foresaw even slower gains.
"You need systematic, comprehensive basic archery training, especially in heart," Ei said.
She described heart's essence—a state of will.
Moves infused with heart's will could achieve wonders.
Though unclear on heart's nature, she detailed its feats for reference.
Her duel shot, shifting piercing force to blunt push, was heart's mark.
Heart's reach went further: remotely guiding arrows for micro-adjustments, creating tracking shots; boosting elemental strength and skill potency.
In short, heart could achieve any intent, Ei concluded.
Her teaching, while traditional and instinct-driven, was rich from experience. Every word was pure gold.
Reisen Riou nodded eagerly.
His archery theory surged, gaining a new research path. He sensed a clear road ahead—time would push him to Theory LV8's brink (99/100), no dream.
Riou-ryu Archery Theory LV7 (19.6/100)
New Research Path: Heart Flow / Orthodox Inazuma Archery
Philosophy Theory LV3 (45.2/100)
New Study Path: Inazuma Heart Flow
Ei, Inazuma's martial ancestor, spotted and corrected practical flaws in his form, boosting his proficiency sharply.
Riou-ryu Archery LV7 (10/100)
No new traits, but his rapid-fire felt smoother—a huge leap, even without fully fixing his errors. Correcting them could yield more gains.
Teachers made all the difference in proficiency speed.
After guiding Reisen Riou, Ei coached Anko's naginatajutsu, then left swiftly.
Chatting with Anko, Reisen Riou learned Ei was a martial fanatic.
Her unmatched prowess left few sparring partners. Among Inazuma's elite, only General Chiyo of the Oni clan could match her. The other two high-tier fighters weren't combat-focused.
Ei likely saw Reisen Riou's novel archery, got excited, and poured out her knowledge.
He hadn't let her down. Next meeting, he'd surprise her.
With photographic memory, he'd stored Ei's words in his memory palace. Even if unclear now, future insights would spark instant recall.
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