Chapter 155: Different Rules

Perhaps Paul's thoughts, if heard by others, would be laughed at as wishful thinking.

But in Paul's eyes, if it was Roa, then even the most impossible things would become natural.

Yet, such a powerful young man would swing such an ordinary strike?

Paul's expression subconsciously darkened, and he said to Roa, "Kid, are you looking down on your old man? Such a soft sword isn't something a Sword King would swing."

After saying that, Paul's wooden sword horizontally blocked, but the moment the swords clashed, a tremendous force hit, and Paul's face flushed. The strength of this strike was outrageously strong.

Paul's muscles bulged, his blood surged, and his left foot left a deep footprint.

Paul roared, "A sword with only strength but no speed can't defeat me."

The wooden sword was ultimately blocked by Paul, of course, this was also related to Roa not using much strength.

Otherwise, with Roa's strength, he could easily suppress the Red Dragon.

Then, after blocking Roa's sword, it was Paul's turn.

Counterattack, Water God Style's counterattack.

Roa's sword was shaken off by Paul, who quickly adjusted his posture, dodging to the right, and the wooden sword in his right hand fiercely slashed down towards Roa's back. The movement was extremely fast, even comparable to Muzan Kibutsuji's whips.

It's a pity—

As Paul's attack was about to land on Roa, and Roa still showed no signs of movement, Paul shook his head inwardly, feeling quite disappointed.

Having become the Sword King, he had become incredibly arrogant. If this continued in future adventures, he would likely pay a great price for his arrogance.

Thinking of this, Paul was ready to knock Roa down and give him a stern lecture.

But the next moment, the sound of wooden swords clashing reached his ears. Paul was slightly taken aback as his wooden sword, which was about to strike the opponent, was blocked by another wooden sword. Then, a tremendous force surged, making it hard to imagine just how strong Roa was. The wooden swords intertwined; even though Paul had chosen an extremely tricky angle, Roa reacted swiftly at the last moment and made a counter.

The powerful force caused Paul to stagger, taking a step back, but that single step had already sealed fate.

The wooden sword silently pressed against Paul's neck. Paul froze for a moment, revealing a helpless smile, and waved his hands, looking dejected.

Paul chuckled, "You've gotten stronger again. How could I possibly be a match for the son of a genius?"

Roa scratched his head and looked at Paul with a somewhat helpless expression. Did he really need to come over to accept this kind of blow?

However, as if he thought of something, Roa suddenly asked curiously, "Father, do you want to learn swordsmanship?"

Paul was slightly taken aback, shook his head, and said helplessly, "My strength is what it is. I'm getting older and have squandered so much energy. How could I have the time to learn swordsmanship now?"

Roa smiled and said, "No, it's just a very simple breathing technique."

Paul asked with interest, "Breathing technique?"

Roa nodded. Breathing techniques are skills that are somewhat better than the average but not quite at the top level.

However, there is no doubt that they can play a significant role in the hands of ordinary people.

Roa didn't rush to directly bring over the breathing techniques from the Demon Slayer world but instead began to try them out himself.

Roa didn't say much and looked at Paul with a serious expression, saying, "Um, Father, watch closely. Let me see if I can perform it."

Paul was full of confusion but still stood by obediently to watch.

Roa began to inhale and exhale, but this world lacked the mysterious powers of Demon Slayer, so he naturally couldn't produce that peculiar feeling.

However—

This world possessed a higher level of natural energy than that power, which was—magic.

He tried to operate the magic according to the breathing technique, circulating the magic throughout his body, imagining the appearance of the Sun Breathing, like a spirit dancing in the sunlight.

Suddenly, flames began to erupt from the wooden sword in Roa's hand.

"Uh? The wooden sword is on fire?" Paul widened his eyes in astonishment.

Roa ignored Paul's surprise and began his sword dance.

"Raging Sun."

"Fake Rainbow."

"Fire Wheel."

"Burning Bones, Summer Sun."

"Sunflower Thrust Form."

"Solar Heat Haze."

"Setting Sun Transformation."

"Beneficent Radiance."

"Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance."

"Flame Dance."

Unlike the sword techniques of the Sword God style, these techniques were performed in this world, and unlike Demon Slayer, the flames burning on the wooden sword were no longer the scorching firelight but rather pitch-black demonic flames.

This was to be expected, as the sword techniques were now powered by Roa's own magic, so such a change was not beyond Roa's expectations.

However, this scene was somewhat eerie. Compared to the original Sun Breathing's scorching and all-consuming feeling, the Sun Breathing that Roa performed felt quite cold.

The flames were indeed burning, but they caused no actual harm.

Originally, Sun Breathing was a very dazzling technique, but it had now become sinister.

Roa swung his sword quickly. After replacing the mysterious power of Demon Slayer with magic, he realized that the Sun Breathing sword techniques he performed could actually be elevated to a higher level of speed and power.

Paul, watching from the side, frowned. The sword techniques that Roa performed were too flashy and conflicted with the principles of the Sword God style.

But then his frown relaxed.

There was indeed a conflict; the Sword God style pursued a one-hit kill, but often, swordsmen of the same level found it difficult to kill each other with a single strike. At that time, the Northern God style or the Water God style would come into play.

After all, not everyone could master the ultimate secret of the Sword God style, the Sword of Light.

After performing the Sun Breathing, Roa found the results to be even smoother than he had imagined and smiled at Paul, saying, "So, Father, do you want to learn?"

Paul pondered for a moment and asked curiously, "Is it hard to learn?"

Roa thought for a moment and felt that for a swordsman like Paul, who had a certain foundation, it should be no problem.

So Roa shook his head and said directly, "Not difficult."

Paul fell into contemplation and finally nodded.

Then Roa began to teach Paul how to breathe and how to control the flowing magic in the air.

If that didn't work, he would directly help Paul feel what was called Battle Aura.

When swordsmen used sword techniques, they would unconsciously use a natural energy called Battle Aura. In reality, this was the same thing as magic; although they were the same, there were subtle differences. The most obvious was that the two could not be used simultaneously.

Just like the magic infused by a magician could not perfectly convert into Battle Aura to wrap around oneself, the Battle Aura possessed by a swordsman could not perfectly become magic to cast spells.

They were the same thing but did not communicate.

When used, they could indeed be converted into each other, but they would also influence each other.

Of course, it was different for Roa.

He completely treated magic as Battle Aura. For him, magic could wrap around his entire body and could also purely be used as magic to cast spells, which was related to the special nature of Roa's own magic.

Paul's progress was not fast; after half a day, he had only learned one and a half techniques.

Compared to the breathing techniques of the Demon Slayer world, although the upper limit of the breathing techniques in Mushoku Tensei was raised, the entry threshold had also increased.

By the time Mitsuri Kanroji got up, dressed in a rich European-style outfit, Roa was still patiently teaching Paul how to use the breathing technique.

Paul scratched his head, listening to the conversation between the two.

Roa noticed Mitsuri Kanroji's gaze and turned back to smile at her. Paul said with annoyance, "Roa, I know your wife is cute, but can you teach me first?"

Roa was speechless and turned his head, saying helplessly, "Father, it's been half a day."

Then Roa thought for a moment and called Mitsuri Kanroji over, saying, "Mitsuri, why don't you try your Love Breathing and see how it goes?"

Mitsuri Kanroji nodded, grasped the Nichirin Sword at her waist, and performed the Love Breathing with this Nichirin Sword, which Paul found quite strange.

However, there were several awkward pauses in the middle. The breathing technique, which could be performed even with eyes closed, actually had several interruptions.

Roa nodded and said, "Hmm, there is still a sense of awkwardness. Is it because of magic? No, it should be called Battle Aura?"

Generally speaking, magic and Battle Aura could not be used interchangeably.

This is why many people excel in either close combat or magic.

In the same vein, those who are not talented in magic may excel in swordsmanship, like Eris or Ghislaine.

Conversely, those who are not talented in swordsmanship may excel in magic, like Rudeus, although Rudeus is not particularly lacking in swordsmanship.

But more often, people are mediocre in both, which is the norm for ordinary people.

Very few people are strong in both areas, which is why adventurers who can become magic swordsmen are rare.

Mitsuri Kanroji had not yet mastered the use of magic, which was also the reason she could not perform the breathing technique smoothly.

As long as she could familiarize herself with magic, which is the so-called Battle Aura, even Mitsuri Kanroji could achieve instant growth.

Magic, compared to the mysterious powers of the Demon Slayer world, is much stronger, especially in terms of versatility.

Since the foolish Paul couldn't teach, he might as well teach Mitsuri Kanroji.

Thinking of this, Roa said to Mitsuri Kanroji, "Mitsuri, try to perform it again."

Mitsuri Kanroji nodded, holding the Nichirin Sword, preparing to perform the Love Breathing once more.

Mitsuri Kanroji's breathing technique is a derivative of Flame Breathing, capable of cutting through various techniques of enemies. Combined with a specially made soft sword, it can complete defense while launching an attack. It is a style that integrates offense and defense. Since rhythm and softness are important points, the training for the Hashira includes parts that combine music and dance. As for the softness aspect, the participating team members said it was "hell." It expands the range of motion of the joints through strength.

In short, this breathing technique can largely be considered Mitsuri Kanroji's exclusive breathing method.

Exhaling, inhaling, magic began to be continuously absorbed by Mitsuri Kanroji. The absorbed magic circulated once but could not be fully utilized by Mitsuri Kanroji, merely lingering for a moment before disappearing into the natural world with her exhale.

Roa frowned slightly; not only could she not skillfully feel the flowing magic in the air, but she couldn't even sense her own Battle Aura.

This was not a good sign.

Roa began to try to guide Mitsuri Kanroji, attempting to teach her to feel the magic in the air.

Fortunately, Mitsuri Kanroji's talent was decent. After a little guidance, she was able to successfully feel that power.

Following Roa's instructions, Mitsuri Kanroji began to draw magic into her body. Although it was just a little bit of magic, in Roa's eyes, it was a significant improvement.

Older individuals generally cannot increase their own magic. Aside from the demon race, there are very few high-level human mages.

Mitsuri Kanroji did not need to refine the magic in the air like an ordinary person. As long as Roa periodically discussed the origin of life with her, Mitsuri Kanroji's magic could grow at a remarkable speed.

Currently, the magic belonging to Roa within Mitsuri Kanroji was certainly not small, and compared to the magic remaining in the natural world, the quality of Roa's magic was evidently superior.

Thinking of this, Roa felt that as long as he taught Mitsuri Kanroji how to use the magic within her body, it would be enough. When the time came to give her the magic seed, wouldn't her strength soar?

Thus, for the next few days, Roa focused on teaching the foolish Paul the Sun Breathing and the techniques for using Battle Aura to Mitsuri Kanroji.

In his spare time, he would tease Aisha and Norn, chatting with Zenith or Lilia on the sofa.

Time passed quickly, and three days flew by in the blink of an eye. Time waits for no one; it was not yet time to lie at home and enjoy the warmth of family. On this night, as per usual, after completing the magic replenishment task, Roa embraced Mitsuri Kanroji and whispered in her ear, "Um, Mitsuri, you stay home and accompany my sister for a while. I need to go out for a bit."

Mitsuri Kanroji, lost in happiness, was slightly taken aback. She looked up at Roa, her light green eyes revealing a reluctant expression. She gently bit her lip and said to Roa, "Can I go with you?"

Roa smiled wryly and said to Mitsuri Kanroji, "I'm sorry, but this is unavoidable. I can't agree to your request this time. I need to go to a very far place to find an old friend, and I need to become stronger. This world is more dangerous than you think, Mitsuri. I don't want to lie; you've seen it. This world has dragons, monsters, magic, and those god-speed sword techniques. There are many strong people in this world, and at the same time, there are many dangers. To protect you and our family, I must gain more power. Only then can I protect you when danger arises."

Mitsuri Kanroji fell into deep thought, but her gaze remained fixed on Roa's eyes. She rolled over and kissed Roa, whispering in his ear, "In that case, I want to go."

Roa was slightly stunned; the desire that had originally subsided reignited. He smiled and engaged in a passionate encounter with Mitsuri Kanroji once more.

In the end, after Mitsuri Kanroji was exhausted, Roa and Mitsuri Kanroji lay on the bed, both silent, quietly enjoying the remaining tranquility.

Roa smiled at Mitsuri Kanroji and said, "I've made a figurine, um, this is you."

Mitsuri Kanroji tilted her head, unable to understand what the boy meant by "figurine."

Then she saw Roa, as if performing a magic trick, pull out a statue from beside the bed.

The statue was polished to a smooth finish, radiating a sheen under the light of the oil lamp.

Roa held the figurine in his hand, showing it to Mitsuri Kanroji. The girl's hair, her sweet smile, and her clothing were all carved vividly, with every detail meticulously crafted. If this were placed in the otaku world of his previous life, it would surely be a treasured item.

Roa beamed with pride and said, "So, what do you think, Mitsuri? Not bad, right? By the way, Mitsuri, why are you crying?" Before he could finish his sentence, Mitsuri Kanroji hugged Roa and burst into tears.

Through her sobs, Mitsuri Kanroji choked out, "Roa, I didn't expect you to remember what I looked like when we first met."

Roa scratched his head; the figurine depicted Mitsuri Kanroji's attire from their first meeting.

It wasn't that other outfits looked better, but rather that Roa felt there was a reason for all those firsts in his past life.

For example, the first meeting, the first kiss, the first marriage, and so on.

Roa thought that girls are emotional beings, so he chose a time node that was relatively precious and meaningful, which was their first meeting in the restaurant.

And it turned out that Roa's choice was not wrong; Mitsuri Kanroji was crying uncontrollably, her eyes filled with tears.

Roa helplessly comforted Mitsuri Kanroji.

Girls are emotional beings, especially someone like Mitsuri Kanroji. As long as you can prove that you have her in your heart, she will wholeheartedly follow you.

The principle of having a harem is to treat everyone equally; a harem can be established, but it must be balanced, without making anyone feel neglected.

Even if there are feelings of neglect, they must not be shown.

Otherwise, it would be a great torment for the other party.

After soothing Mitsuri Kanroji, Roa began to discuss future matters with her.

Roa's plan was to help Mitsuri Kanroji advance her strength further, then become an important high-end combat force for a certain country. When Roa needed help, he could request Mitsuri Kanroji to assist him.

The world of Mushoku Tensei is vast, with many countries. Roa alone certainly cannot manage everything, so he needs helpers.