"Asta's nothing like what you're saying! If he refuses to teach, he must have his reasons!"
Nash was the first to step up in Asta's defense. In the past, even if he was frustrated by something like this, he would've kept it bottled up. He would never have voiced his thoughts out loud.
But ever since he decided to follow Asta down the path of martial arts, he'd felt himself changing.
His sharp edges were returning, he no longer hid inside his thick shell of self-pity.
Now, he dared to stand tall like a real man, fearless and unyielding!
"You people... I really don't know what to say anymore. Have you already forgotten who saved you?"
An old butcher who'd been silent for some time suddenly opened his eyes and roared, "Is this how you treat your savior?!"
"Uhh..."
Many villagers felt ashamed and didn't dare speak again. They took their children by the hand, preparing to leave.
"Can I ask... why?"
Unable to stop his curious son, the butcher finally turned back and asked, embarrassed.
"Because the people I train must carry with them the resolve of a true man!" Asta replied, each word heavy and forceful. "Not just some curious bystanders who see martial arts as a novelty or a side dish to their magic! And who gave you the right to mock it? To look down on martial arts with contempt and ridicule?!"
As his words fell, a sharp intensity surged in Asta's eyes. A chilling aura seeped from his body, the kind of presence that could shake a person to their core.
It was the presence of a true warrior.
The villagers all lowered their heads under his gaze, the arrogance in their eyes quietly replaced by reverence.
In that moment, not only were the villagers silenced, even the people inside the church began to see Asta in a new light.
"This pressure… is this really the Asta we know?"
The nun, the priest, Laika, Nash, even Yuno, who had never once doubted Asta's strength, began to waver. The aura Asta gave off now was more fearsome than any powerful figure they had ever encountered.
"Asta-nii, I wasn't making fun of martial arts. I really do want to learn!"
A chubby little boy stepped forward, stubborn and sincere.
"Me too!" another child chimed in.
"If you're serious about learning, then bring your resolve with you to the demon skull behind the mountain before sunrise tomorrow."
Asta withdrew his aura. That cave had always been a place of nightmares for the village kids. But if they truly had the courage, he wouldn't mind passing on a thing or two.
The next day.
Including Nash, seven kids arrived at the demon skull before dawn.
Asta didn't hold back. He carefully observed each child's physical ability, then tailored a unique training plan for each of them. From that day on, the villagers often saw Asta leading a troop of monkey-like children doing handstands around the village as part of their training.
One day, while they were mid-training, the village chief of Hage suddenly approached them.
"Asta, I've noticed you chopping trees now and then to build houses. I was wondering if you'd be willing to repair the village's fences. That way, wild boars won't be able to charge in again."
"Repair the fences? Hmm, that's doable."
Asta nodded. After all, the priest and the others lived in this village too, so making the place safer was a good thing. But free labor? That wasn't happening.
The village chief, shrewd as ever, caught on quickly. "In exchange, the village has decided that no matter how hard times get, for the next five years we'll make sure the church has enough food and supplies!"
"Deal!"
Asta snapped his fingers. Fixing the fence was no big deal. Hage Village wasn't that large, he could handle it in a week alone. But now that he had seven monkey trainees, why not turn the fence repairs into training?
"Alright, kids. These crooked, ugly trees? Not up to standard. Chop 'em down!"
He pointed toward a cluster of trees over ten meters tall.
"Yes, sir!"
Nash and the others got right to work. With axes in hand, they were more dedicated than professional lumberjacks. It didn't take long to bring down trees that required two people to hug around.
"Great. Our mission today is fence-building, so no need for fancy shaping. Just sharpen one end of each log."
"And how many times have I told you, chopping trees is the same as chopping people!"
"If you want to unleash your full power, start from the legs. Generate force with your calves, transmit it through your waist, then swing through your arms. That way, your strength is greater than someone who only uses their waist and arms. That's how you deliver a real full-power strike!"
While supervising their training, Asta would offer advice now and then. These tips sounded simple, but they were rooted in the wisdom of the ancients. Without someone pointing them out, these kids might've gone a lifetime without grasping them.
Following Asta's method, Nash and the others focused their power from the legs upward. Their bodies moved as though launched by leg strength, their waists naturally unleashing a burst of soft but fierce energy. When that force finally reached their arms, it felt like a beast was bursting from their bodies!
BANG!
The moment the axes struck the trees, their arms went numb. Some even staggered back from the shock, but the effect was undeniable. One chop cut deeper than five swings from before!
"When you unleash your full power, you also need to know how to absorb the backlash, so you don't end up hurting yourself."
"The trick to neutralizing that force lies in relaxation and grounding. As beginners, you can release the axe right before it embeds fully. That'll stop the recoil at the source."
"Once you're better, you can hold onto the handle and redirect that rebound into your next swing. That's how you 'neutralize and borrow force', allowing for continuous bursts of strength!"
As Asta explained, he picked up an axe and demonstrated himself.
He chose a tree thicker than what three grown men could hug around. Feet rooted to the ground, his calves tensed in an instant, and a tremendous force surged upward. His waist twisted like a coiled spring, channeling that strength into his shoulders, and finally, his arms.
CRACK!
The axe cleaved deep into the trunk, nearly a fifth of the way through.
But he wasn't done.
The tree had absorbed some of the force, but the rest rebounded through the axe handle. Sensing this, Asta borrowed that force, lifted the axe with ease, and struck again.
The blade drew a perfect arc in the air. His legs once more exploded with power, propelling the axe down again. Again. Again.
In just six strikes, the tough, thick tree came crashing down!
Hiss…
All the children inhaled sharply.
They had clearly seen that Asta's strikes were getting faster and stronger with each swing!
Normally, they felt their strength decline after each chop. But Asta was the opposite, his power grew!
"This… is the power of harnessed force!" Asta declared.
And in that moment, the eyes of every child lit up with wonder.
They finally understood, martial arts weren't just powerful.
They were beautiful.