Chapter 6: Not in Education, Employment, or Training

<Timeskip: 21 Months>

-Iris POV-

...

It's such a rainy day today, good thing I was inside before the rain started...

This new kotatsu is also helping keep me warm.

I just turned six years old not long ago, meaning that I am one of the oldest in my class. Vulcan is still a couple of months older, always joking with me to call him 'Onii-chan' which is frustrating since I hate being considered younger. At least he is like a reliable older brother in some ways.

First grade is tough, but Vulcan helps me study adding and subtractions since he is super smart.

We started school at the beginning of April, and it's already almost May! Time really has been flying by and I made a few new friends. The others at the orphanage are in their own friend groups and ignore us. It doesn't matter because I met a couple of new people that are way better than them.

It's too bad Vulcan doesn't like them, or else we could all be friends. They don't like Vulcan because he's a loner and always says something like, 'I'm not lonely, just independent...' or 'My friends always call me a loner, but I don't listen.'

That was just a joke he said which took me quite some time to understand. I seriously, don't get how Vulcan is so smart and not friends with others. I guess that's just who he is, I'm lucky I know the real him is not a loser or loner.

It's still raining outside... I wonder where Vulcan is right now, but I am too lazy to move... What should I do...

"Hmmm, also my shoulders have been very stiff lately. I thought only old people had bad shoulders. I'll ask Vulcan about it I guess..."

...

-General POV-

After going back and forth between standing up and laying back down, Iris finally managed to leave the kotatsu with a bit of regret.

...

Walking to the small room next door, Iris saw a giant 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign hanging from the door.

It has been six days since Vulcan came outside the room with the sign on the door. She remember that before entering the room, he said to only enter if he did not come out in one week...

Since then, Iris almost forgot that Vulcan was holed up in the room. No one was allowed to bring food, or if they did leave it outside the door, it would stay there the entire day. Everyone gave up and left Vulcan to his things, assuming he stockpiled food.

The problem was that the matron, madam Chikaori, has been getting increasingly furious that Vulcan has not left the room. Since he is considered a bit of a genius child, they let it slide for one day, but missing a whole week without an excuse was unacceptable for her.

'What if he became a delinquent?' She thinks every day. Each day getting pushed more to open the door, but since she also respects his privacy, she told everyone to refrain from bothering Vulcan during this time. Everyone assumed he was feeling depressed recently because his 'mother' had not visited him once ever since she dropped him at the orphanage.

Looking back at the lonely door with the sign, Iris sighed and started to knock on the door.

*Knock* *Knock*

*Knock* *Knock*

"Vulcan, madam Chikaori asked if you are eating well since you like to steal meat from me. I hope the rain isn't too annoying if you are crying since no one else will hear it! If you are coming out tomorrow, can you check my shoulders, they have been aching lately. Maybe the 'Onii-chan' that doesn't go to school anymore can help give me a massage. Perhaps! Yes! Maybe you are just practicing your skills to become a masseuse since you will never graduate at this rate! Yes! That must be it!"

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After ranting, Iris started to lightly chuckle. Since he wasn't going to leave, she was going to be annoying. She always acted like an annoying sister sometimes since they have grown to be less of friends and more of siblings.

Iris while smiling, said her final remarks, "Okay! I am leaving! With this hard-working attitude, someday you'll go far. And I really hope you stay there! You bring everyone so much joy! You know, when you leave the room. But, still!... Okay, I'm done now, see ya NEET!"

...

...

Inside, the closed-off room, Vulcan was in a seiza position with his eyes closed, breathing very heavily. Breathing in a specific pattern, "haa... hooo... haaaa..."

These last few days have been spent trying to perfect his third breathing style, Ho.

Hatsurei-ho has already long passed its limit of what is physically possible. What Vulcan is unaware of is that the rest of Hatsurei-ho's practice has just been to forcefully advance his progress of Spirit Forge.

...

Slowly opening his barely shut eyes, he spoke to himself, "First stage, Hatsu. Opening of the Spirit Energy. Produces the power which is impure..."

After a small pause, he closes his eyes once more, "Then, Rei. Without the use of Spirit Energy, I would be able to use Spirit Forge's infusion technique. Rei, the second stage of breathing, allows the Spirit Energy to be guided safely into an object from my innate world without the loss of any Spirit Energy. When using my Spirit Energy combined with Rei, however, the results multiply..."

Breathing in during this pause, Vulcan holds in the oxygen in his lungs for a few seconds, trying to create hotter air in his lungs...

Finally.

...

"hooooooo~..."

A long breath of exhaling warm air into the cold room, the pattering rain masking any sounds with its own.

"The last stage is to suppress my feeling of breath, rage, and pain into one small point, the respiratory system, specifically my lungs' alveoli. By generating Spirit Energy where my own point of negativity is located, I will stop breathing and enter a state of berserk... Turning myself into a cold weapon which won't break as long as my rage is suppressed from going berserk with my body."

Ho is a method of breathing that infuses the concepts of the regular Hatsurei-ho and Spirit Forge to turn Vulcan's own self into a weapon, making his body 2.5x stronger. When Vulcan is able to achieve a hit in this form, his cursed energy flashes black, and the destructive power would make each attack at least 2.5x stronger.

The only drawback is that his Spirit Energy would deplete completely in ten minutes without even using any attacks, just standing still...

For the final time, Vulcan prepares himself to open his eyes.

His eyes twitch, then he yells:

"OPEN!"

{Spirit Forge Technique: Rusting Hysteria}

...

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