Chapter 8: Hikigaya Hachiman's Martial Arts Awakening
As for how a master should impart teachings, Hikigaya didn't have a good reference.
At the very least, the teaching style of the Demon God Fist was definitely not something he could copy entirely at school, let alone use on Komachi.
Therefore, he had to explore and figure things out.
Komachi's classmates thus became his test subjects—not that he was sure whether this was good luck or bad.
They were about to face a rare and precious treasure, a gateway to another world, but the person responsible for guiding them through that gateway, deep down, didn't actually see them as disciples—only as test samples.
A few of the boys hadn't realized this at all.
At the moment, they were more concerned about benefits.
They didn't even notice that as soon as they moved, the fatigue from earlier had vanished. Their bodies surged with warmth, feeling incredibly comfortable, as if they had boundless energy.
Four boys charged forward.
The first one grabbed his own shoulder.
The second boy watched, wide-eyed, as he was about to dive headfirst into the pool—only to be hooked back by Hikigaya's foot and land on his butt.
The third spun in place once, then somehow ended up hugging the fourth.
When all four came to their senses, they found themselves inexplicably sprawled out, unable to recall how it had even happened.
"Any sensations?" Hikigaya asked them, wanting to test their comprehension.
At least these four weren't cowards.
If they proved suitable, he wouldn't mind taking one in as a disciple.
Passing on a martial art that bore his mark—this was the dream of every martial artist.
The higher the martial level, the stronger this obsession.
"Tai Chi?" the first boy asked, rubbing his shoulder.
"Tai Chi isn't that gentle," Hikigaya replied. "This is a kind of jujutsu. You use other people's strength to hit the person you want to hit. Alright, next."
He didn't know exactly what Tai Chi was like in his past life, but he'd seen and learned this world's version—it was an extremely ferocious martial art.
If he had used Tai Chi earlier, these students wouldn't have been able to withstand it at all.
"Teacher, was that the move you taught us just now?" the second boy asked.
"Close enough," Hikigaya nodded, repeating the move for everyone. "But this move is still beyond your capability. What I've been teaching you is just the very basics—meant to train the body and develop a sense of power. If you can find that sense in half a year, it means you have talent. If not, then just treat it as another kind of calisthenics."
"But teacher, even if this martial art is powerful, we probably can't use it in competitions, right?" the third boy asked, scratching his head.
The school culture at Sakura Academy was actually quite good.
While there were school bullies, they were just the kind who didn't like to study and acted a bit domineering—serious campus violence was non-existent. Especially things like extorting protection money—scumbags with any criminal record weren't even allowed through the school gates.
Martial arts clubs were flourishing, but most members weren't muscle-headed thugs.
The prevailing atmosphere leaned more toward showing off or earning certificates of merit.
All in all, it was a place filled with positive energy.
Which is why this student's first thought wasn't about how to use it to fight outside school, but whether it could be applied in competitions.
"What you said makes so much sense, I could cry," Hikigaya said, picking his ear with a serious expression. "Let me give you a scenario. One day, you're walking down the street, and a car comes at you. You can't dodge in time. What do you do?"
Before the well-behaved student could answer, he added, "And if it doesn't kill you, you'll have to pay him compensation."
The good student was dumbfounded.
"I… I call the police?"
"But you've either been turned into a mosaic or are about to be. If you're calling anyone, it's the hospital. And if the driver's from the yakuza, calling the police might be useless.
Don't you know today's gangsters understand the law better than you?"
"This… this…"
"Your reaction is just too frustrating," Hikigaya sighed. "Isn't the answer obvious? If you knew martial arts, you could've just flown over the car."
"Huh?"
"Huh what? The martial arts I'm teaching you use small force to redirect large force. You could even redirect a car."
As soon as he finished, every face showed the same expression: "You're full of crap."
Hikigaya was helpless.
Why did everyone keep forcing him to show off?
"Fine then. Let me broaden your horizons. Martial arts are about breaking through the limits of the human body and creating miracles of the human form. Don't think learning martial arts is just about fighting and competing."
He reached out his hand, sensing the flow of air, and began performing the Kushinada-style jujutsu he had learned from Kushinada Mikumo, gathering the power hidden within the air bit by bit.
Even Kushinada Mikumo herself had never reached this level. But because Hikigaya wielded the power of storms, he was exceptionally sensitive to air flow and the energy within it.
This marked the biggest difference between a God-Slayer and a human martial artist—their martial arts, enhanced by authorities, reached a transcendent level.
To the dozens—possibly over a hundred—students watching, Hikigaya's movements at first seemed utterly chaotic, just aimless hand waving.
But as time went on, even the ones who had been muttering under their breath fell silent, because they began to notice: it looked like there was air swirling around Hikigaya's hands!
Was this a movie special effect!?
Everyone was stunned. Even those who knew nothing about martial arts could tell—something real was moving along his arm! It was even making a sound!
But from childhood to now, no one had ever seen anything like this in real life!
Some doubted their eyes, thinking maybe the sun was too bright. One person even tried to step forward to touch it—only to be glared back into place by Hikigaya.
"If you want to die, just say so," he said. "Otherwise, just watch."
But that person's action reminded Hikigaya that the energy he had gathered from the air was probably enough by now. He decided to release it—to give these students a proper display.
Come to think of it, this was exactly what the Demon God Fist had done when teaching him.
First, blow their minds. That way, the disciple understands the meaning of hard training.
Once they've got the dream in their heart, it's easier for the master to shape them however he wants. At least mentally, they'll believe that any hardship is worth it.
Hikigaya made one final sweeping motion with his arm. Just as the students were still guessing about the visible airflow, he suddenly spun around. With his fingers clenched into a fist like an iron hammer, he struck down at the surface of the pool, releasing all the accumulated power at once!
In the next instant, a deafening explosion shook everyone's ears.
The roar of surging steam mixed with air made their legs go weak. Their eyes widened in disbelief.
Those standing closest to the pool saw everything clearly.
The flat surface of the water first dented inward massively—then, like a spring, shot upward into the sky!
Half the pool's water was blasted sky-high by Hikigaya's punch, then crashed down like a torrential downpour, soaking everyone nearby.
Except Hikigaya himself remained completely dry. The water vapor either evaporated or was twisted away by some unseen force—but no one had the presence of mind to notice.
Even Komachi Hikigaya and Kuroneko in the crowd were dumbstruck, their minds going completely blank.
Just now… what the hell happened!?
Was that… real martial arts!?