You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

As he spoke, Minoru Kageno suddenly became excited: "Alright, in that case, let's do it, Master!"

"Master, apprentice, story...tsk!"

Iori clicked her tongue and said, "I never took you as my apprentice."

The next instant, Iori appeared leisurely beside Minoru Kageno as if he had just taken a step.

The boy turned his head in shock, his body instinctively shifting, but compared to Iori's movements, it was as sluggish as if it had been slowed down.

"Your death will be meaningless; it's just what a fool deserves!"

Stab it!

As Iori raised her hand, a sharp pain struck, leaving Kageno Minoru stunned.

Completely unable to keep up with Iori's movements, he almost thought he was going to die for a moment, until the pain made all his muscles tense up, and he realized that he was still alive.

Pfft!

Her legs buckled and she fell to her knees. Kageno Minoru looked up at Iori.

"Any last words?"

Iori drew the Kusanagi sword and held it against his neck. A faint magical power lingered on the blade, piercing his skin and drawing out fresh blood.

"What are you really thinking? Is it really worth it for such an elusive power?"

“I don’t know, but Master…”

Minoru pursed her lips, looking at Iori with eyes full of intense longing and resentment: "Is it really impossible to use magic?"

Iori's eyes twitched slightly, but her expression remained unchanged: "Is that all?"

Having said that, he raised the Kusanagi sword without hesitation, then swung it down—

laugh!

The sword sliced ​​through flesh, and Kageno Minoru closed his eyes...

"Ok?"

A moment later, Kageno Minoru opened his eyes in surprise and doubt, staring blankly at Iori, while a thin wound appeared on his face, slowly bleeding.

"This is?"

"If you want to become my disciple, then you must walk with death. You must be prepared to step into the hell of Asura. You cannot do it without the awareness that you must die."

Iori looked down at Kageno Minoru: "You passed!"

"—!"

So that's the trick?!

Kageno Minoru was overjoyed. With his extensive knowledge of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), he instantly understood the situation and shouted from the bottom of his heart:

"Master! I want to learn magic!"

[CG included]

Master of Demonic Potion

Category: Art Style

Art style value +3...

As always, she was "prolific"—Iori's lips curled up slightly.

"Send your name."

"……oh oh!"

Then Minoru Kageno realized that he hadn't even said his name: "My name is Minoru Kageno!"

"This name is too troublesome. Let's drop two characters. From now on, you'll be called 'Shadow' to me."

"film!"

The boy was jolted. The name was like a bullet piercing his heart, making his soul tremble, as if it were his destined true name.

Written as '影', pronounced as 'Shadow'! Sparsh!

Ding!

[CG included]

【Shadows and Shadows】

Category: Bonds & Art Style

Quality: Legend

Grade: A

Rewards Overview:

Spirit - Slightly increased;

Far East - Slight increase

Art style rating +5!

Chapter 216: As expected, taking on apprentices increases experience!

Iori wasn't just all talk. Once he decided to take on a disciple, he started teaching her seriously. And because of Minoru's special qualities, he could adopt some training methods that ordinary people simply couldn't accept.

Over the course of several days, Minoru Kageno was covered in wounds almost every day, and his strength was increasing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Interestingly, although the experience was undoubtedly painful, he seemed to be enjoying it immensely...

"Oh, oh, it's working! It's working! It actually cured it!"

Inside the hunter's cabin, Minoru Kageno watched as the wounds on his body slowly healed, until only a white mark remained, and he couldn't help but exclaim with excitement.

He couldn't resist scratching the itch, and looked at Iori with admiration: "Master, how did you do that?"

"Want to learn? I'll teach you~ Magic is almost omnipotent."

Iori laid Kageno Minoru flat, placed his hand on her forehead, and squinted as he carefully examined the boy's body from head to toe.

"Feel it deeply, learn it well..."

His mental strength far surpassed that of Minoru Kageno. With the help of the insightful ability of [Mirror Still Water], he could clearly see the magical power flowing within the other's body and clearly reflect the complex and chaotic so-called "meridians" in his mind.

At a glance, Iori could tell that this was not some "orthodox sect of metaphysics." Its operation was haphazard, consisting of multiple intertwined systems, much like a computer case.

Let alone coordination and planning, such a complex system consumed almost half of the magic power, and the remaining power did not short-circuit and can still be used normally, which is a small miracle!

Iori tried to find a way out, but touching one problem would trigger a chain reaction, making him quite hesitant.

What exactly is the working principle behind this thing...?

However, this was no obstacle for Iori. He condensed a wisp of pure magic and quietly channeled it into the physical body of Kageno, firmly controlling its movements and causing it to probe into a certain magic node and then flow throughout its body in accordance with the flow.

After repeating this process four times, Iori finally grasped the main operating principle and then ruthlessly increased her magic output, crushing all the unnecessary branches!

This process naturally affects the physical body. Minoru's blood vessels, muscles, and nerves are damaged to varying degrees, but are then slowly and rapidly healed in the gentle magic surrounding him.

--pain!

It was indescribable, as if every part of my body, inside and out, was being bitten by insects!

Minoru's skin turned bright red, his veins bulged and twisted, and his body trembled rapidly involuntarily... But he didn't scream or try to stop it, which made Iori nod in approval.

Destruction, repair, reconstruction, connection—a continuous cycle.

Beatrice was right. Although the magic in this world has great flaws in stability, it is indeed almost "omnipotent" in nature.

In terms of "healing", Iori simply guides magic to repair her body without using any special techniques, but her recovery speed far exceeds that of the Reincarnation in Bleach or the magic in Type-Moon!

He also tried to physically modify Minoru Kageno, such as increasing the density of his muscles and bones. The result was much easier than he expected. As long as he constructed a complete image in his mind and channeled magic into the target tissue, the area would naturally change in the direction he wanted—of course, this was limited and not an unlimited enhancement.

It was certainly not easy for Minoru Kageno to go through such a transformation, especially since Iori had made many adjustments and attempts to collect data... By the time it was over, the sky was already turning pale, and the bed beneath the boy was soaked with sweat and a faint blood.

In return, his physical body is now completely different from what it was before:

His exaggerated muscles have "shrunk," transforming him from someone resembling a bodybuilding coach to someone of average high school level, showing that he has undergone training but within a reasonable range.

Even his skin and appearance have changed; he's much more refined than before, giving off a traditionally gentle and kind male lead vibe.

The boy, wearing only boxer shorts, stood in front of the mirror, observing his current appearance. The muscles he had worked so hard to build over the years had vanished overnight, leaving him with an undisguised sense of desolation.

She was his only confidante. No matter how many childish ideas she heard, she would never laugh at or refute him. She would only silently support him and accompany him to become stronger.

Through countless lonely nights, he has relied on his muscles to comfort and encourage each other, which has allowed him to persevere in his dream of becoming a "Shadow Warrior" until now!

Now that his old friend has suddenly turned out like this, Minoru Kageno feels the same pity that longtime fans feel when they see Jotaro the Sixth Step.

I clenched my fist, and a strong pulling force traveled through my muscles. A sense of tension made my whole body feel like a finely tuned machine, and the magic that flowed through me like a lubricant was incredibly clear!

Although he looks much thinner, his strength is more than twice as strong as before!

Even so, Minoru Kageno still couldn't let it go...

"What's wrong? You look so lost."

"It's nothing, it's just that these muscles have been with me for many years..."

"It's a pity, but this way no one will recognize you, right?"

"Ugh!"

"My dear disciple, didn't you want to become one of those behind-the-scenes big shots?"

Iori thought for a moment: "If you go out like this, even your classmates and relatives won't know who you are, right? It saves you the trouble of hiding your identity."

Uh, not satisfied? Then I'll adjust your body type back—"

"no need!"

Kageno Minoru's eyes lit up: "That's it! This is perfect! Fantastic!"

Sorry, Muscle Guy, let's break up!

For the sake of his "greater good," the boy abandoned his close companions without any hesitation.

This guy is so easy to understand—Iori smiled subtly.

"By the way, when will we start learning magic, Master?"

"Don't call me master. My name is Aizen Iori. Just call me Aizen-sensei."

My demonic arts aren't strictly speaking magic, and it's not appropriate to teach you at this time... You've already learned the basic magic techniques on your own. I'll prepare targeted intensive training for you later, so get ready first.

But before that, I'll leave this city and spend some time traveling the world.

Iori turned and walked out of the hut, and half-naked Kageno Minoru followed her out.

"Around the world? Take me with you!"

"That won't do. The place I'm going to is completely beyond your physical capabilities."

"What does it mean……"

"Shadow, remember what I'm about to say."

With the sun rising gradually over the forest behind them, at the moment when light and darkness meet, Iori solemnly gave the boy some instructions.

"In the not-too-distant future, the world will be swept up by a huge wave, and everyone will be caught in it, and I suppose you will be no exception... The weak will drift with the tide and have no one to rely on, while the strong will be arrogant and domineering and run rampant without restraint."

But even heroes in the shadows can find their value in such chaotic times, if all you seek is that shining moment, and nothing else in life.

Then I can be certain that the stage prepared for you is about to arrive as promised—

Rejoice, young man, your wish is finally about to come true!

"Well!"

Minoru Kageno should have been incredibly excited, but looking at Iori's eyes, he couldn't utter a word.

The teacher is serious... Something big is definitely going to happen!

Was it war? Was it a natural disaster? Was it a man-made catastrophe?

I can't think of anything, or rather, there are too many possibilities to be certain. From a Japanese perspective, there are just too many dangers in the world. If it were World War III, it would undoubtedly become a battlefield. If it were a global natural disaster, Japan would be a prime target for various earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

...Faced with a disaster of that magnitude, even with magic, can an individual's power truly stop it?