Didn't he just learn Insect Breathing yesterday? How could he already be having another breakthrough today?
That was the first thought flashing through Shinobu's mind as she watched Lock sitting silently beneath the wisteria tree.
Then, slowly, his eyes opened.
"Lock's awake!" the three attendants cried, their voices bright with excitement.
Kanao turned toward him as well, her fingers tightening slightly around her wooden sword.
Shinobu tilted her head, curiosity glinting in her violet eyes.
"Lock, what were you thinking about just now?"
Lock smiled faintly but didn't answer. Instead, he reached for Kanao's wooden sword.
"Shinobu," he said, still smiling, "care to have a little match?"
Her expression softened. She could never resist that calm confidence of his.
"All right," she said, drawing her blade with a quiet shing.
The air shifted instantly.
Before anyone could blink, Shinobu's sword flashed — her attack came like a butterfly's sting, swift and precise.
The three little girls gasped, and even Kanao froze for a heartbeat.
The battle had begun.
Shinobu's style was built around speed and surprise — a single slip could mean a poisoned strike. Yet, mindful of Lock's safety, she deliberately held back her strength. Even if her blade connected, she could pull back in time.
But in the next instant, her eyes widened.
Instead of retreating, Lock stepped forward — directly into her attack.
Is he trying to trade blows? she thought in shock. The blade was already inches from his chest; he couldn't possibly dodge in time.
Then, he vanished.
Shinobu felt the faintest brush beneath her chin — a gentle, startling touch — before she instinctively leapt back, her heart skipping a beat.
A soft blush colored her face. For a moment, her composure faltered. What was that just now?
When she steadied her breathing again, she realized the truth. Lock had not only evaded her strike… he'd countered perfectly, touching her vitals before she could react.
She lowered her sword slightly, disbelief flickering in her gaze.
Lock chuckled lightly. "So, Shinobu… what did you think of that move?"
Her lips curved as she replied honestly, "It was fast. If I hadn't attacked first, your blade would've reached my chest before mine touched you."
"Exactly," Lock said. "That's the idea."
He straightened, wooden sword in hand, a faint heat rippling in the air around him.
"This is a technique I just developed — the first form of my own Breathing Style: Heat Breathing, First Form — Poison Sting."
"Poison…?" one of the attendants blurted out. "That sounds like Lady Shinobu's attack!"
Shinobu's brows lifted slightly. So that was it — he was merging her poison techniques with something entirely new.
Lock continued, calm but passionate.
"I realized that while your Insect Breathing is elegant and deadly, there are too many complex movements for me. My endurance isn't yet at your level. So I simplified it — kept the speed and precision, but condensed the motion."
Shinobu's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Then what about that… disappearance just now? That speed wasn't just footwork."
Lock smiled. "You noticed."
He glanced toward the flower beds where bees hovered lazily among the blossoms.
"I've been watching the bees here lately. They move faster than most creatures their size — not because they're light, but because of how they move. Their wings vibrate at high frequencies, generating bursts of thrust and cutting through the air's resistance."
He raised his sword, as if tracing their motion.
"So I tried replicating that — creating a technique that uses intense, rhythmic breathing to vibrate the muscles at high speed. It builds momentum in the body before releasing it all at once."
His gaze lifted toward her, eyes burning with quiet excitement.
"That's how Heat Breathing was born — inspired by the movement of bees."
The courtyard went completely silent.
Even Kanao, usually expressionless, stood there with wide eyes.
Shinobu blinked, her composure breaking for the briefest moment. She opened her mouth to speak — but no words came.
"Lock," she finally whispered, voice trembling slightly, "you mean… You created an entirely new Breathing Style?"
Lock nodded. "Yes."
For a second, Shinobu swore she heard the sound of steam hissing inside her head.
He'd joined the Corps only days ago. He'd learned swordsmanship, mastered two derivative Styles, and now — created his own?
Was this what divine talent looked like?
Even Tokito Muichiro had taken months to reach the level of a Hashira. Lock… might do it in weeks.
Shinobu stood frozen until Lock waved a hand in front of her.
"Shinobu? You okay?"
"Ah— yes." She smiled, though her mind still reeled. "I was just… surprised. Would you demonstrate that Heat Breathing again?"
"Of course," he said, taking Kanao's sword once more.
He stepped into the courtyard, sunlight flashing across the blade.
Though he'd visualized it countless times in his head, this would be the first real test — the first proof of his new Breathing Style.
He turned toward Shinobu, who had drawn her Sun Blade and stood ready.
Lock inhaled deeply. The air trembled as his muscles began to hum, a faint vibration running through his arms and shoulders.
"Heat Breathing…" he whispered, voice steady as steel.
The air shimmered around him, a pulse of warmth rippling outward.
"First Form — Rapid Thrust!"
The next moment, his figure blurred — and a streak of white heat shot forward like lightning through the wisteria-scented air.