The sky-rise apartment bathed in the warm morning light as Akari Shikimori stood barefoot on the balcony, dressed in a black sports bra and loose gray sweats. Her short pink hair was still slightly messy from sleep, and her toned figure glistened faintly with sweat from stretching. She rolled her shoulders, a faint current of anticipation humming beneath her skin.
Inside, Riku stood with his arms crossed, watching her through the open sliding door.
"You ready?" he asked.
Akari exhaled. "Always."
They stepped onto the balcony, a light breeze weaving between the buildings of Tokyo. The city buzzed far below, but up here, it felt like another world. A quieter one. One where something incredible was beginning.
Riku raised a hand. "Start by focusing your cursed energy. Keep it tight, don't let it flare too hard."
Akari nodded and closed her eyes.
It came easier today.
The cursed energy bloomed from her chest—faint and unrefined, but steady. It flowed through her limbs like warm electricity. She wasn't forcing it anymore; she was guiding it. Listening to it.
Riku observed carefully. "Already better than yesterday."
"It's weird," Akari said without opening her eyes. "All this cursed energy stuff—it feels… familiar. Like my body already knows what to do. I'm just trying to keep up."
Riku chuckled. "You're catching up faster than anyone I've ever seen."
She opened her eyes. Her cursed energy flickered softly around her skin, almost translucent in the light. She moved into a stance, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet.
"Alright," she said. "What's next?"
"Reinforcement training. We'll start with movement—tight cursed energy control through motion."
She began with slow, deliberate strikes as Riku demonstrated. A jab. A pivot. A low sweep. Her cursed energy followed each movement, just a half-beat behind her body.
"Not bad," Riku said, stepping closer. "Here—keep your hips looser. Let the energy rotate through your step."
She adjusted. The change was instant.
"Better?"
"Much."
After an hour of strikes and correction, Akari's breathing became heavy, but her movements never lost their rhythm.
Riku stepped forward, his expression shifting slightly. Less teacher. More challenge.
"Alright," he said, rolling his neck. "Time for the next phase."
Akari blinked, catching her breath. "There's a next phase?"
"Yeah. This time, I'm coming at you."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Wait—what?"
"I'll keep it slow for now. Your job is to dodge, deflect, or redirect without letting your cursed energy spike too much. Control is everything."
He raised his hands, coating his forearms with a thin layer of Haki, the black gloss forming smoothly across his skin like lacquer.
Akari slowly stood straighter, wiping the sweat from her temple. "You're sure this is safe?"
"You live with me," he smirked. "Danger's part of the rent."
Before she could protest, he stepped in.
His movements were measured—sharp, but restrained. A jab came first, aimed at her shoulder. She leaned back instinctively, the fabric of her tank brushing past his knuckles. A follow-up low kick came sweeping in, but she hopped back just enough, cursed energy keeping her light on her feet.
"Nice," he said, voice even. "But don't get used to the pacing."
He darted forward again. This time, a series of rapid palm strikes. She blocked the first with her forearm, cursed energy buffering the impact. The second she barely parried with the side of her hand. The third grazed her side before she twisted and rolled out of reach.
Akari's breath hitched. "You're not going easy anymore."
"I'm not trying to," Riku replied, eyes focused. "You're adapting too fast for that."
He disappeared in a flicker—a flash step so fast it cracked the floorboard under his heel. She sensed him at her back and spun, arms up just in time to deflect a palm that hummed with cursed energy. It sent her stumbling, but she kept her balance, sliding back with grit in her eyes.
Riku paused. "Still on your feet."
Akari's chest heaved. Her arms trembled. But she smirked. "You're not the only one with fast reflexes, remember?"
He nodded once. "Then let's push it."
They moved in a blur. It wasn't a full-speed spar, not yet—but it was real. Her hands responded before her brain did. A knee came at her ribs—she dropped low and rolled. A chop at her collarbone—she caught his wrist mid-air, cursed energy flaring along her fingers before she released.
Every movement was like a dance: her rhythm against his pressure. His strength testing her resolve. He never went for the kill—but every strike could've flattened a lesser fighter.
When he finally stopped, it was only because her legs buckled and she fell onto the padded mat, gasping with exhaustion.
"Damn," she panted, staring at the ceiling. "You… hit like a train."
"I didn't hit you," he said calmly, crouching beside her. "You dodged. Parried. Adapted."
She turned her head slowly, still catching her breath. "…Did I pass?"
"You didn't just pass," he said. "You impressed me."
Akari cracked a grin, even if her body felt like jelly. "I should've made you do the dishes for this."
Riku chuckled, tossing her a cold towel. "We can argue domestic duties later."
She closed her eyes and let the quiet take her for a moment. Her body hurt, her cursed energy buzzed like a second heartbeat, and her mind was racing. But there was something else there too.
Pride.
Determination.
She wasn't just reacting anymore. She was becoming something new.
And Riku could see it.
"Rest up," he said. "Tomorrow, we start testing your limits."