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Although Yuuki was fairly confident, he didn't overpromise—what if something went wrong?
"The ability to restore youth? You aren't talking about Knocking, are you, kid? If so, then forget it. While Knocking can restore the body to its peak for a time, it's not permanent. Any external force will cause it to revert."
Setsuno shook her head. People used that method for two reasons—one, to reclaim a youthful state, and two, to maintain peak condition during a fight.
For someone like Setsuno, a fleeting moment of youth held no appeal. As for her combat power, she was always at her peak, even in old age. The gap between her and someone like her friend Granny Ayame was astronomical.
Though they were friends, Granny Ayame's power level was less than a hundred. Setsuno's, while never explicitly stated, was at least in the thousands based on her feats.
The difference was just too vast.
"Of course not. This isn't about Knocking. I'm talking about permanently returning to a youthful state. So, care to give it a try?"
Yuuki shook his head. The method he was proposing was incredibly special, something only he could do in this world.
"Permanently return to a youthful state? Are you CERTAIN you can do that, kid? And what do you want in exchange?"
Setsuno's face grew serious as she asked. If Yuuki could really do it, it would be wonderful news, but she also needed to know what he wanted in return.
"This time, I want to trade for friendship!"
Yuuki stated his terms plainly. That's right—he wanted the friendship of Setsuno and Jiro.
That bond was more valuable than anything else.
He could have just offered it for free, but the meaning was the same, so he might as well be direct about it.
The moment he spoke, Setsuno understood what he was after. In short, Yuuki wanted to align himself with them. With them as his backers, navigating the Human World would be a breeze.
He would even benefit after entering the Gourmet World, since both Setsuno and Jiro could come and go as they pleased.
Furthermore, Jiro was the son of the Wolf King, Guinness, which meant he could practically walk sideways on the Second Continent.
Of course, even without that background, Jiro's own strength was more than enough to let him do whatever he wanted.
In any case, building a good relationship with these two was equivalent to building one with the IGO. The benefits were endless.
And all Yuuki had to do was transfer a portion of his Life Energy to Setsuno. For him, Life Energy was something he could obtain with a wave of his hand; it was nothing to be stingy about.
Trading Life Energy for their friendship was like buying a bustling city mall for a dollar—it was the deal of a lifetime.
"I see. You're quite direct, kid. Anyone else would have probably beaten around the bush."
Setsuno said, feeling a bit speechless.
Yuuki had managed to fluster her—it was the first time she'd met someone so blunt. Nono, standing at the side, was also stunned, clearly not expecting Yuuki to be so forward.
"Is there anything wrong with being direct? I want to have a good relationship with you, Ms. Setsuno. You would have figured it out even if I didn't say it, so why not just be straightforward?"
Yuuki knew that sincerity was the ultimate trump card. He wouldn't dare play mind games with a veteran like Setsuno. She had lived for centuries and had seen every kind of person imaginable. Honesty was more important than anything else.
"You're right. Beating around the bush is pointless. In that case, I accept this deal. As long as you can restore me to my youthful state, then provided you don't cause any chaos, Jiro and I can be your backing."
Setsuno declared.
Her decision wasn't based solely on Yuuki's ability to restore youth. More importantly, after their earlier interactions, she had come to admire him.
His culinary skill was beyond question. As for his talent—she could easily tell his age, and to have reached such a level so young was something she had never seen before.
Furthermore, his performance just now showed that he had a good character. And most critically—he possessed the ability to be acknowledged by ingredients.
In Setsuno's eyes, anyone acknowledged by ingredients was a good person. Even if Yuuki used some kind of trick—the ingredients themselves weren't foolish.
A young man with such immense potential, powerful abilities, and a solid character—of course Setsuno was ready to support him.
It was just like with Komatsu in the original story.
After learning of Komatsu's situation, Setsuno took great care of him, often sending him on tasks.
By completing those tasks, Komatsu gained a clearer understanding of his own growth.
Right now, Komatsu had yet to show his full, incredible talent.
Yuuki's talent, however, was undeniably the strongest. So Setsuno certainly wouldn't pass up the chance to help such a youth.
It just so happened that Yuuki wanted to build a good relationship with her, so she readily agreed.
In truth, even if Yuuki couldn't restore her to her youth, Setsuno would have chosen to help him anyway. Forming a bond with a young man of such potential was an absolutely sound investment.
....
"Then let's begin now!"
Yuuki didn't waste any time. Since Setsuno had agreed, he got right to it.
"Don't you need to make any preparations?" Setsuno couldn't help but ask. Was the method to restore youth really this simple?
"No need. This power originates from within me!" As Yuuki spoke, he channeled the Ki within his body.
As his Ki grew stronger, it also granted him many new abilities, such as storing and stripping Life Energy, which he could now do with ease.
He didn't even need the other person's consent—provided they were weaker than him. He couldn't drain the lifespan of someone stronger.
And he would never randomly take a human's lifespan. Life Energy existed in humans, but also in plants and animals.
Yuuki could draw Life Energy from them.
....
Injecting the Life Energy from his Ki directly into Setsuno's body, Yuuki quickly discovered that while it worked, the amount required for someone with immense strength and a higher level of existence was far greater.
The amount of Life Energy that could grant a normal person an extra year of life could only extend Setsuno's by a single day.
Luckily, Yuuki had more than enough Life Energy on hand, and he could always find more plants and animals to draw from, so he wasn't worried about running out.
He also found that because Setsuno's body was so powerful, he could inject a massive amount of Life Energy at once without her suffering any side effects.
It made sense, though. Setsuno's cell level was in the thousands. It would be stranger if a body that strong 'couldn't' handle this much Life Energy.
....
As a torrent of Life Energy poured into her, Setsuno herself could feel the changes.
She felt her back slowly straightening. Her hair began to grow rapidly, the sensation just like eating the Soap Bubble Fruit from the Food Honor Temple.
Her pink hair quickly grew until it touched the ground.
The wrinkles on her face vanished, and her figure became more toned and defined. Nono watched with wide eyes as her master transformed from an old woman into a young woman.
"Alright, this should be the optimal state. Your strength is frightening. The Life Energy that could give a normal person an extra year of life can only extend yours by a day."
Yuuki couldn't help but comment.
"Wait, did you just say… extend my life?!"
Hearing Yuuki's words, Setsuno's expression changed.
"That's right, it does increase your lifespan. The so-called restoration of youth is just injecting Life Energy to increase your lifespan. Your body then naturally reverts to its youthful state."
Yuuki nodded, confirming it.
"It can actually increase lifespan… Your ability is truly unbelievable. But are there no side effects for you?"
Setsuno couldn't help but ask. Any technique with immense power, no matter its purpose, was bound to have significant drawbacks.
Jiro's Guinness Punch was a prime example.
Its power and range were colossal, but it had one major flaw: once unleashed, the attack was uncontrollable.
Who knew where it would end up?
Other powerful techniques also placed a heavy burden on Jiro's body. Setsuno's Pressure Dome was the same; it could defend against incredibly strong attacks, but her life force would be rapidly consumed.
"Rest assured, my ability has no side effects."
Yuuki smiled.
The ability just had a bit of a cost. Injecting all that Life Energy had consumed some of his Ki, but for his current level of Ki, it was nothing.
If there was a side effect, it was that a life was exchanged for a life. Except, Yuuki didn't have to pay with his own. The price was borne by other life forms, so he had nothing to worry about.
"No side effects… your ability is frighteningly powerful!"
Hearing this, Setsuno's lip twitched. She reached up, and with a quick swipe of her hand, her long pink hair was cut short. She then styled the remaining hair into twintails.
"Hmm, this look takes me back. Though my strength hasn't changed, my whole mindset has been affected."
Setsuno remarked.
The change in her mental state was brought on by the change in her physical condition. It wasn't a negative thing; on the contrary, it was a perfectly normal reaction.
"Master, if you appeared in public like this, you'd probably shock everyone!"
Nono said with a smile. Seeing his master restored to her youth, and with her lifespan extended, was undoubtedly a joyous occasion.
"You've reminded me of something. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it seems I'll need a disguise when I go out from now on."
Setsuno nodded. She wasn't worried about what would happen if she appeared in the outside world because she could disguise herself.
She was youthful now, but she could use Knocking to revert to her old woman appearance—a trick Jiro was famous for.
Jiro's lifespan was practically infinite. When he was young, the Wolf King Guinness constantly brought him Red Nitro to eat.
Jiro grew up eating Nitro, so under the influence of that pure appetite, his own cells transformed into appetite.
Jiro was essentially a living Appetite Demon.
His lifespan was naturally endless. The Jiro in his peak form was a young man, not an old man at all.
The only reason he usually appeared as an old man was because of Setsuno. After all, she was his partner. If his partner became an old woman while he remained young, Setsuno would surely feel terrible.
So, Jiro used Knocking to make his body appear old. When he wanted to revert, he would simply use Knocking again to return to his youthful state.
Having been with Jiro for so long, Setsuno naturally knew this trick as well.
She decided to use it whenever she went out. As for when she was alone or with familiar people like Ichiryu, she would return to her current form.
....
"I never thought your technique could even extend life. I owe you a huge debt."
Setsuno said. Restoring youth was one thing, but extending one's lifespan was an entirely different concept.
Setsuno didn't want to die. She wanted to stay with Jiro, and she worried about what would happen to him if she passed away.
Thanks to Yuuki, that problem was now solved.
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