The training yard didn't get any quieter the next day in fact, it somehow got louder.
"AGAIN!"
A blast shook the ground as Tyouro slammed his palm forward, releasing a compressed explosion that hit the reinforced wall and spread outward like a shockwave. This time, the energy didn't explode randomly. It held its shape for a split second before bursting, leaving a deep mark instead of total destruction.
Tyouro stood there, breathing hard… then slowly grinned.
"…Okay, that one was clean."
"Not bad," Kairo said from the side, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. "You didn't blow yourself up this time."
"Shut up," Tyouro replied instantly. "I'm evolving."
"You've been 'evolving' since yesterday."
"At least I don't punch the same dummy like it owes me money."
Kairo straightened up, offended. "It DOES owe me money."
Yura, standing nearby, didn't even look at them. "Both of you talk too much for people who still haven't mastered basic control."
"…You woke up angry again?" Kairo muttered.
"I'm always like this."
"Yeah, that's the problem."
Tyouro snorted, trying not to laugh.
Across the yard, Kimimaru sat on a wooden bench, his zweihander resting beside him as he quietly cleaned the blade. The cloth moved slowly across the metal, precise and careful, like he was handling something alive.
He hadn't spoken much since training started.
He rarely did.
Hero, who had just arrived and was watching everything with mild amusement, leaned closer to Kairo and whispered, "Does he always look like he's about to judge your entire existence?"
Kairo nodded. "Yeah. He probably already judged you."
Hero paused. "…I feel attacked."
Tyouro walked over, biting into something wrapped in paper.
"Speaking of attack… you guys want some?"
Kairo glanced at it. "Is that…?"
Tyouro raised it proudly.
"Onigiri."
Yura sighed immediately. "You're eating again?"
"I need energy."
"You ate five already."
"I'm bulking."
"You're exploding, not bulking."
Hero grabbed one from the pack without asking. "Don't mind if I do."
Tyouro froze. "…You just took my last one."
Hero took a bite. "Finders keepers."
"That wasn't on the ground!"
Kairo laughed. "You only care if it's on the ground."
Tyouro looked genuinely hurt. "That's different."
Before the argument could escalate further, a familiar voice echoed from behind them.
"You guys are loud enough to scare away enemies."
They all turned.
Shougo stood there, hands in his pockets, looking relaxed as ever but there was something softer in his expression today.
"Sensei," Yura said, straightening slightly.
"Yo, sensei," Kairo added casually.
Tyouro raised his hand while still chewing. "You want onig- oh wait, Hero ate it."
"…Of course he did," Shougo muttered.
Hero smiled proudly. "Survival of the fastest."
Shougo shook his head before stepping closer, his gaze scanning all of them carefully. He noticed the bruises, the sweat, the exhaustion… and the improvement.
"…You've all gotten better," he said.
No jokes this time.
No sarcasm.
Just truth.
Kairo scratched his cheek. "We're trying."
"I can see that."
Shougo paused for a moment, then sighed lightly.
"…Which is exactly why we're stopping for today."
Everyone froze.
"…Huh?" Tyouro blinked.
"Wait, what?" Kairo added. "No training?"
Yura narrowed her eyes slightly. "There's a reason, right?"
Shougo smirked faintly. "Yeah. You're all starting to look like zombies."
Hero pointed at Kimimaru. "He already looks like one."
Kimimaru slowly looked up.
Hero immediately looked away. "I regret everything."
Tyouro burst out laughing.
Shougo crossed his arms. "We're going out."
Silence.
"…Out?" Kairo repeated.
"Yeah. Food. Shops. Walk around. Normal things."
Tyouro's eyes lit up instantly. "FOOD?!"
"I knew that would get your attention."
Yura raised an eyebrow. "You're serious?"
Shougo nodded. "You can't just train non-stop. If your mind breaks, your body follows."
He glanced at Kimimaru for a second longer than the others.
"…And some of you need to breathe."
Kimimaru didn't respond, but his grip on the cloth tightened slightly.
Kairo suddenly grinned. "Alright, I'm in."
Hero stretched. "Same. I deserve this."
Tyouro pumped his fist. "ONIGIRI RUN!"
Yura sighed, but she didn't refuse. "…Fine."
A little later, the group walked through the town near the academy, the atmosphere completely different from the battlefield they had just survived days ago. People moved around peacefully, shops were open, the smell of food filled the air.
Tyouro had already disappeared into a food stall.
"I FOUND IT!" he shouted from a distance.
Kairo followed him. "You just left us-"
He stopped.
Tyouro stood there, holding multiple sticks of food, rice balls, and drinks like he was preparing for war.
"…Bro," Kairo said slowly. "Are you feeding yourself or a whole village?"
Tyouro didn't even look ashamed. "Both."
Hero grabbed something again. "This one looks expensive."
"DON'T TOUCH THAT-"
Too late.
Yura stood near a clothing stall, quietly observing everything. She didn't say much, but her eyes were sharp, taking in every detail like always.
Kairo walked up beside her. "You're not buying anything?"
"I don't need anything."
"Boring."
"I'm practical."
"Same thing."
She glanced at him. "…You talk too much."
He smirked. "You like it."
"…No."
But she didn't walk away.
Nearby, Kimimaru stood alone for a moment, looking at different weapons displayed in a shop window. His eyes lingered on the blades not because he wanted them, but because he understood them.
Shougo walked up behind him quietly.
"You like swords?" he asked.
Kimimaru didn't turn. "I understand them."
Shougo smiled slightly. "That's enough."
There was a pause.
"…You don't have to carry everything alone, you know."
Kimimaru's hand tightened slightly at his side.
"I'm fine."
Shougo didn't push further. Instead, he reached out and lightly patted his shoulder.
"Yeah," he said softly. "You're strong."
Kimimaru froze for a second.
Not because of the words.
But because of how they were said.
For a moment, it didn't feel like a teacher talking.
It felt like something else.
Something warmer.
"…Let's go," Shougo added casually, already walking away. "Before Tyouro eats everything."
Kimimaru looked down slightly… then followed.
Back with the group, chaos was already happening.
"YOU ATE MY LAST ONE AGAIN?!"
"Skill issue."
"Tyouro's gonna cry," Kairo laughed.
"I AM NOT CRYING!"
Yura pinched the bridge of her nose. "…This is exhausting."
Hero grinned. "You love us."
"No."
Shougo watched them from the side, arms crossed, a faint smile on his face.
For a moment, they weren't warriors.
They weren't fighters.
They weren't people who had faced death.
They were just kids.
Laughing.
Arguing.
Living.
And maybe…
That's exactly what they needed before everything changed again.
Because soon...
The Warrior PvP would begin.
And things would never be this simple again.