The moment the words left his lips, Lock's figure vanished.
Just as before, his body dissolved into a blur of motion, impossible to follow.
But this time, Shinobu was ready. Her eyes sharpened, her blade already moving.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Butterfly – Tease."
She leapt high into the air, her haori fluttering like the wings of a delicate moth in the wind. Her eyes darted rapidly, scanning every corner of the courtyard.
"He's gone…?" she murmured under her breath.
Lock's presence had completely disappeared from her senses.
A sudden boom echoed as the ground cracked where she had been standing — Lock had reappeared, sword drawn and stance firm.
Shinobu's heart skipped. If that had been a demon instead of me… they'd already be dead.
Then, as she studied him more closely, she realized how he'd done it. The faint tremor in his muscles, the shimmer in the air around him—he was using high-frequency vibrations to slice through the air itself.
He was mimicking the rapid wing beats of a bee.
It was incredible… and dangerous.
That level of vibration would skyrocket his body temperature, she thought. His lungs must be working overtime just to keep up with the oxygen demand.
Her sharp eyes caught it then — a faint, heat-like mark flickering along his neck, almost like an ember beneath the skin.
A Mark…? she thought, astonished. Could it be that same mysterious power that manifests in the strongest swordsmen?
But before she could dwell on it further, Lock's voice cut through the air again.
"Heat Breathing: Land Form – Vortex Flow!"
He spun midair, his blade tracing perfect spirals through the space around him. Three distinct cyclones formed in a blink, swirling upward and scattering the falling petals.
If the technique had been laced with poison, the spread would have blanketed an entire battlefield — inescapable, deadly.
Even without poison, the sheer wind pressure was enough to stagger Shinobu as she fell from her jump, her hair whipping around her face.
And before she could land—
"Heat Breathing: First Form – Poison Sting!"
Lock burst forward like a flash of white heat, cutting through the courtyard air with a blinding thrust.
The force of his strike split the air itself.
Shinobu hit the ground lightly, twisting to counter—only to find the cold edge of Lock's Nichirin blade already at her throat.
Silence fell.
Aoi, who had just walked in with a tray of sweets, dropped the plate with a startled clatter.
The three young attendants screamed in disbelief.
"Lady Shinobu lost!"
"Lock's too strong!"
"He's gonna be a Hashira for sure!"
Even Kanao stood frozen, her eyes wide. Her master—defeated? By someone who'd only just joined the Corps?
It felt unreal.
But Shinobu, instead of looking upset, simply exhaled softly and sheathed her sword. Her expression was calm… even a little proud.
"It seems I've lost."
Lock lowered his blade and handed it back to Kanao, smiling modestly. "Just luck, that's all."
Shinobu shook her head lightly. "No. Your strike was faster than last night's. You've improved in a single day — that's not luck."
Her tone carried genuine admiration.
Among the Hashira, Shinobu was known for her intellect and agility rather than raw strength — and yet, Lock had surpassed her speed completely.
In some respects, he'd already reached the level of a Hashira.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Shinobu spoke again, her tone softer.
"Lock, the Corps leader has requested that I bring you to the training grounds tomorrow."
"Training grounds?" Lock asked, curious.
"Yes," Shinobu said with a knowing smile. "Each Hashira has a designated training field — places where we refine our unique strengths. The Lord believes you could learn a great deal from observing them."
Lock's gaze drifted downward in thought.
He'd heard rumors of those training fields — Rengoku's endurance trials, Uzui's body conditioning, Mitsuri's flexibility training, Iguro's serpentine motion drills…
Each Hashira has their own form of mastery, he mused. If I can observe all of them, learn from each… what kind of Breathing could I create then?
The idea alone set his heart alight.
"Lock?" Shinobu's gentle voice pulled him back. "You're drifting again."
He smiled faintly. "Just thinking."
She sighed in mock exasperation, crossing her arms. "Honestly, I thought you were about to turn me down."
Lock's grin widened. "All right then — I refuse."
Shinobu blinked, then puffed her cheeks in frustration. "You—!"
She swung her fist playfully, but Lock dodged with ease, laughing quietly as her expression twitched with a vein of annoyance.
She glared up at him, a small crease forming on her forehead.
"Hmph. Don't get cocky, Lock. You might be fast, but you still have a long way to go."
He gave a slight nod, his tone light but resolute. "Then I'll make sure tomorrow shortens that distance."