Raiden Ei came and went like a storm.
Her quinquennial patrol of Inazuma hunted hidden monsters and sniffed out corrupt officials.
As the Shogun's shadow warrior, she handled the dirty work—slaying dangerous beasts, repelling Dark Sea Demon Gods infiltrating Inazuma, quietly executing egregious corrupt officials.
She upheld the Shogun's majesty and safety, toiling in obscurity. Her name, Ei—shadow—fit her role as one who moved unseen.
After her departure, Ritou Shrine's routine resumed.
Summer blazed on, but the new stream cooled the shrine. Junior mikos, per Reisen Riou's orders, planted waterweeds, Dodo Lilies, Snapdragon, and Sea Ganoderma in the pond.
All were useful ingredients or herbs.
These aquatic crops were easy to grow, except Sea Ganoderma, but farmers in the valley's Mushroom Town had cracked its cultivation over a century ago.
Reisen Riou made one trip to note the elemental ratios, and that was that.
Life wasn't as fragile as imagined, nor as tough.
By autumn, he harvested a batch of ingredients and herbs.
His focus, though, was elsewhere—his heart cultivation was nearing its breakthrough.
Eyes closed, he steadied his breath. His Vision glowed, channeling elements. He drew his bow, aimed, and released. Bullseye.
Opening his eyes, he saw the arrow dead-center on a target over a hundred meters away.
This was his triumph after most of summer and early autumn.
He could now sense targets with heart's power, guiding arrows true.
But it was just a start. His heart's use was raw, lasting mere moments—useless in battle. It demanded an hour of prep: breathing, meditation, guiding, even Sumeru incense.
Entry-level, sure, but he could reliably enter that state with enough time.
Riou-ryu Archery Theory LV7 (99.9/100)
Unknown Archery Theory LV8 (0.1/100)
Inazuma Philosophy Theory LV4 (2.0/100)
Archery LV7 (11.3/100)
Ability: Bow Heart LV1 (1.2/100)
Next, he'd reduce reliance on external aids, shorten prep, and aim for Ei's level—entering heart flow at will, maybe even sustaining it.
With his modest talent, that'd take years. He might stall out. His heart flow was limited to archery, useless elsewhere, hence the system's label: Bow Heart, not raw heart power.
"Tch, you actually did it," Anko Kanno, watching nearby, said with a hint of envy.
Reisen Riou kept surprising her.
Anko was traditional, her training steeped in instinct and experience. She scoffed at Reisen Riou's fancy breathing and incense.
To her, heart power bloomed through daily combat and blade meditation, heavily tied to talent.
Many trained under Ei with her, but most capped at LV6. Post-LV6 realms were unreachable for most. Only a few, including Anko, touched LV6.
They'd been raised traditionally, forging foundations, awakening heart power in battle and meditation.
Most never awakened it, talent barring them.
Reisen Riou was different. Anko saw his archery genius but assumed his unorthodox upbringing would make heart power a slog—one or two years to start, four or five not unusual.
Yet, he shocked her. Studying odd books (Tenko's Teachings, Tenko's Guidance, Tenko's Philosophy—Inazuma's folk and daily philosophy texts), using external aids, he broke through in a season.
A shaky entry, but an entry. She wouldn't misjudge that.
Reisen Riou didn't mention their entries differed. Traditionalists like Anko started at LV1 (10+/100). His was LV1 (1.2/100)—no comparison.
Their heart power worked in combat, if inconsistently. His? Battle-useless.
"Success was inevitable," Reisen Riou said. "But Sumeru's focus incense is pricey, though worth it."
"Wanna spar? No elemental powers," Anko suggested suddenly.
She'd long wanted to test her lord guardian's strength. She knew he was strong—stronger than her—but by how much?
"Sure."
"Stop!" Reisen Riou sweated, Anko's blade hovering at his throat.
A hair's breadth from a Ley Line trip.
"Your close combat's awful," Anko said, exasperated.
Reisen Riou grinned sheepishly. "Can't help it."
Anko's heart power, sans Vision or elemental guidance, enhanced her physically—like self-hypnosis from his old world, but leagues better.
Her speed and strength just now broke human limits, with minimal side effects.
--------------------
Want to read ahead? Early chapters on: patreon.com/ShadowKage