Morning sunlight stretched across Reikōsha Academy, soft and calm, like nothing had ever happened. The wind carried the scent of trees and fresh grass, students walked around like usual, laughing, talking, living normal lives… but for one group, things were different now.
Inside the training yard, the sound of impact echoed again and again.
Kairo's fists slammed into a reinforced training dummy, his breathing heavy but controlled. Sweat ran down his face as faint white energy flickered around his arms, unstable, like it was still learning how to exist with him.
"Again…" he muttered under his breath, pulling his arm back before striking once more.
This time, the moment his fist connected, a pulse of Reikou energy burst outward, cracking the surface of the dummy slightly.
Kairo froze for a second, staring at his hand.
"…I did it."
"Barely," a voice cut in coldly.
Yura stood a few steps behind him, arms crossed, her expression as sharp as ever. "That wasn't control. That was luck mixed with desperation."
Kairo sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Can you just say 'good job' one time?"
"No."
"…You're actually the worst."
But despite his complaint, he smirked a little. He knew she was right. What he just did wasn't mastery it was instinct.
And instinct wouldn't be enough in the next fights.
Not after what they went through.
Not after Yoshiro.
A loud explosion suddenly shook the other side of the training yard.
"HAHAHA! DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
Kairo and Yura both turned their heads at the same time.
Tyouro stood in the middle of a scorched training zone, smoke rising around him, his body surrounded by faint orange energy that pulsed like heat waves. His fists were clenched, and his eyes were wide with excitement like a kid who just discovered something insane.
"I DID IT AGAIN!" he shouted proudly.
Behind him, a training dummy was completely destroyed half melted, half blown apart.
Kairo blinked. "…Bro just turned into a walking bomb."
Yura sighed. "Control."
"I AM controlling it!" Tyouro replied instantly, raising his hand again.
A spark of explosive energy formed in his palm… then suddenly-
BOOM!
It detonated early, blasting him backward.
"AH!"
He rolled across the ground before stopping flat on his back, smoke rising from his body.
There was a moment of silence.
"…Still working on it," he muttered.
Kairo burst out laughing. "You're gonna kill yourself before the enemy does."
"Shut up!" Tyouro shot back, sitting up. "At least I got new power. You're still punching air."
"I cracked the dummy!"
"Barely!"
"Say that again-"
"Both of you, quiet."
Yura's voice instantly shut them down.
She stepped forward, her gaze serious now. "You think this is a joke? What we fought wasn't normal. That wasn't just a villain. That was someone who could erase you before you even move."
The atmosphere shifted.
Even Tyouro stopped smiling.
"…Yeah," he said more quietly.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Then
CLANG.
A heavy metallic sound echoed nearby.
Kimimaru stood alone at the far side of the yard, gripping his massive zweihander. The blade dragged slightly against the ground as he adjusted his stance, his eyes focused forward.
Without a word, he swung.
The sword cut through the air with terrifying force, releasing a faint distortion like space itself resisted the motion.
He stopped.
"…Not enough," he muttered.
He raised the blade again, this time slower, more controlled.
Somewhere deep inside the weapon… something felt like it was responding.
Watching him, Kairo scratched his head. "He's been doing that for like an hour."
"He's searching," Yura replied.
"For what?"
"…Something he doesn't understand yet."
Kimimaru's grip tightened.
He could feel it.
Something inside the sword.
Something that hadn't awakened yet.
And it was waiting.
A voice suddenly echoed from the entrance of the training yard.
"Well, well… looks like everyone's alive."
They all turned.
Hero walked in casually, hands behind his head, a few cards floating lazily around him.
Kairo smirked. "Look who showed up. The guy who almost disappeared because of his own card."
Hero rolled his eyes. "You're still talking? I saved your life."
"Debatable."
Tyouro grinned. "Nah he's right though, if your card got erased you'd be gone too."
Hero stopped walking.
"…Okay, let's not talk about that part."
They all laughed.
Even Kimimaru glanced over slightly.
Hero stretched his arms before looking around. "So what's the plan? Training until we pass out again?"
"Correct," Yura said.
"Great. I regret coming."
Kairo pointed at him. "Too late. You're part of this now."
Hero sighed dramatically. "I should've stayed mysterious."
Yura ignored the nonsense and stepped forward. "Listen carefully. We don't have time to waste. Warrior PvP is coming soon."
Tyouro's eyes lit up. "PvP? Already?!"
"Not yet," she replied. "But soon. And if you go in like this…"
She looked at each of them.
"You'll lose."
Silence.
Kairo clenched his fist slightly.
"…Then we won't lose," he said.
Yura stared at him for a moment.
Then, for the first time that morning
She smiled.
"Good answer."
The training intensified after that.
Kairo focused on stabilizing his Reikou energy, learning not just how to release it, but how to control its flow. Each punch became sharper, more precise, until the energy no longer exploded randomly but followed his movement.
Tyouro worked on suppressing his blast output, forcing himself to build pressure before releasing it. It was harder than attacking wildly, but slowly, his explosions became more controlled… more deadly.
Kimimaru continued his silent training, his connection with the zweihander growing deeper with every swing. The air around his blade felt heavier now, like it carried something unseen.
Hero, despite his complaints, trained too. His cards moved faster, sharper, each one reacting to his thoughts more precisely. Occasionally, he tested new combinations though sometimes it backfired.
At one point, a card suddenly reversed his own movement and sent him crashing into a wall.
"…Okay that one's not ready," he said from the ground.
Kairo laughed so hard he almost fell over.
Hours passed.
The sun climbed higher.
Sweat, exhaustion, bruises… but also growth.
Real growth.
From a distance, inside the faculty building, several figures watched through the window.
Griffin Larbhoar stood with his arms crossed, his eyes sharp beneath his hat.
Beside him, Judas Iscariot leaned slightly against the wall, calm as always.
Shougo Takahano watched quietly, his expression unreadable.
"They've changed," Judas said softly.
Griffin nodded once. "They've seen death. That's enough to change anyone."
Shougo's gaze stayed on Kairo.
"…Not just that," he said. "They've chosen to keep moving forward."
There was a pause.
Then Griffin smirked slightly. "Good. Because the next stage won't forgive hesitation."
Judas crossed her arms. "Warrior PvP."
Shougo finally looked away from the window.
"…Let them grow a little more," he said quietly.
"Because once it starts…"
His eyes hardened slightly.
"They won't be fighting just to win."
Back in the training yard, Kairo wiped the sweat from his face, breathing heavily as he looked at his teammates.
For the first time…
They didn't feel like just students anymore.
They felt like something else.
Something stronger.
Something that was just beginning.
And soon
They would prove it.