บท 30: The Advantage of Being Privileged

"What if I fully embraced that advantage?"

With that thought, Ryosuke leapt forward, his muscles taut, eyes locked onto Yuki. He moved with surprising speed, his clenched fist flying straight toward her. Yuki, always vigilant, tracked his every movement with precision. She braced herself to intercept, her arms ready to catch his strike and turn his own strength against him—but at the last second, she changed her mind.

She noticed it.

Instead of blocking as she normally would, she sidestepped with a fluid, agile move. And then she felt it—a strange ripple in the air. Where Ryosuke's fist should have landed, a shockwave erupted, as if the very air had bent under his force. Nearby leaves rustled from the impact, and a sudden breeze swept around them.

But Ryosuke wasn't one to waste a moment. As she dodged his first blow, he vanished almost instantly from her view. A split second later, Yuki sensed him behind her. Instinctively, she turned to block, but he was already there, his foot slicing through the air, aiming at her side with deadly accuracy.

Yuki raised her arms to block, but the force sent her flying backward, lifting her off the ground. She felt the wind rush around her as she hung in the air for a brief moment.

But Ryosuke wasn't finished. Seizing the momentum, he dashed after her in mid-air. Just as she began to descend, he was there, his body twisting gracefully to launch another kick, this time from the side.

Still airborne, Yuki lifted her arms again, blocking just in time. Yet even with her guard up, the impact sent her crashing back to the ground, her feet skidding across the dirt as she struggled to regain balance. She winced in pain.

With a slight, visible effort, she straightened, glancing down at her left arm. Her shoulder was dislocated, her arm hanging at an odd angle. Despite the pain, Yuki managed a faint smile. She looked up at Ryosuke, who was still locked in his fighting stance, eyes intense, ready to strike again.

"I see you get it," she said. "With your amount of cursed energy, you don't have to worry about holding back or pacing yourself."

In one swift, controlled move, she snapped her arm back into place, the unsettling sound of the joint realigning echoing in the air.

"You're truly impressive," she added with a smirk. "You learn fast."

Ryosuke was already charging at her, his fist aimed this time for her stomach. Anticipating his move, Yuki dodged smoothly to the side, pivoting with an almost feline grace. She countered instantly with a quick punch, landing it right in his side.

The blow caught him off guard. He stumbled back, pain radiating from the hit. He hadn't expected his aunt to still strike with such force, especially with all the cursed energy he'd released. He frowned, trying to figure out her approach.

Yuki, meanwhile, kept smiling, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"But there's a catch," she continued, straightening up. "Even though you've managed to unleash a huge amount of cursed energy around yourself, you're still lacking in experience."

She took a step toward him, her gaze sharp. "You're leaving gaps in your defense. If you go up against a more seasoned sorcerer, they could easily exploit those openings."

Ryosuke narrowed his eyes, glancing down at himself. He could feel the cursed energy pulsing around him, forming a protective barrier, but he now realized it wasn't seamless. It didn't entirely cover his body, leaving subtle, exposed areas.

He clenched his fists, a new wave of excitement surging through him.

"Then I'll just have to get better," he murmured to himself.

Watching her nephew, Yuki smiled. "And also," she added, "if you manage to coat your entire body with cursed energy, leaving no weaknesses, you'd be truly untouchable in close combat."

She paused, letting her words linger, every syllable carrying weight. Ryosuke, still in a defensive stance, narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering what she'd say next.

"But remember, close combat is just one part of the whole picture," she continued, stepping closer. "It's essential, it'll save you in countless situations. But… it's far from everything."

TO BE CONTINUED!

A/N:

Already three members on the Discord! Honestly, I didn't expect people to actually join, but it's a great feeling. For anyone else who wants to join us, the link is in the synopsis. I'm looking forward to connecting with you all and learning about your tastes as dear readers to make my upcoming novel even better. I really appreciate the feedback—it's so generous of you to take the time to write it out.

I know this fanfiction might look like it's going overboard with the "Overpowered" tag, but that's not quite the case. I understand the current opinions since you don't yet know where the story is heading, but I believe as the story unfolds, you'll see that our MC is powerful but not unbeatable. Also, the MC's somewhat "human" personality might irritate fans who love more psycho or villainous characters, but I think that's part of what makes him unique.

Thanks again for the excitement, and we're all in this together!

Next Chapter: An Armed Child VS a Martial Master