Si- "when you arrived here one of your questions was what a fandon is right?"
T- "yeah"
Si- "So, fandons are innate abilities that we can use."
T- "Ehm… what's innate?"
Si- "Personal. Something rooted deep inside you."
T- "Like what Elly did with that stick when she saved me?"
Si- "Yeah! Well… kinda."
T- "Do I also have one?"
Si- "Probably. Almost everyone has at least one."
T- "Oh, so it's like… magic! I'll be able to throw fireballs and energy blasts! And do cool name drops like RASENGAN?! …but I'm not from here. Won't that be a problem?"
Si- "We'll learn now. He pulls a piece of paper from his pocket. These are called Aurasheets. Fandons reveal themselves through color, and these papers are sensitive enough to detect that color. Then this machine tells us which one is yours."
T- "Ok?" He takes one. "Ts— It does nothing!"
Si- "Don't be impatient. It needs some time."
After a minute or two, the paper gains a faint, almost invisible light-blue hue. After three minutes, it turns the color of the sky. Sinbad places the paper into the machine. The result both shocks and disappoints him.
Si- "So, Taiga… you have an Energy fandon."
T- "You don't sound very happy about it."
Si- "It's because this is my first time encountering this fandon, and its lite version is a huge pain."
T- "Lite version?"
Si- "Let's not overwhelm your brain on day one. Your training begins now."
They head to the front yard under the shade of a tree.
Si- "Your goal is simple. Hit my palms. Before anything else, you gotta learn how to draw out your fandon."
T- "Uh… okay? And… how do I know if I did it?"
Si- "Trust me, you'll know. Just don't overthink it."
Taiga punches Sinbad's palms again and again. Days pass. Sinbad teaches him stances, dodging, footwork, combos. Between Elly's brutal morning workouts and the daily sparring, Taiga gets stronger—but Sinbad still isn't sensing even a spark of his fandon.
Si- "take a breath!" Taiga is fatigued, the sweat run down from his forehead, go to his nose and drop by drop fall on the grass.
T- "It's useless. We've done this for TWO WEEKS. Nothing. Maybe I just don't have it."
Si- "Nonsense. You're thinking too much. And you are getting closer."
T- "How long did Elly take?"
Si- "Four, five days."
T- "So she's super fast, huh?"
Si- "Mmm… average to fast. Slowest I ever saw—except you—was seven."
T- "Wow. Thanks. Motivating."
Si- "Hey, you asked. Unless you'd rather sit and watch cartoons all day?"
T- "No way. I'm not giving up. I need this. For Misaka."
Sinbad smirks. "Good. Then get up and come at me again."
Taiga clenches his teeth and stands.
Si- "Actually—nah. Go find Elly. Tell her to draw some energy out of you. She'll know what to do."
T- "Ehm… okay."
He heads around the house to the back garden. Elly is also taking a break—lucky timing.
E- "Hey, Aiga! How's trainin' goin'?"
T- "Not great. Still nothing. Uh, Sinbad said you should… 'draw some energy out of me'? Whatever that means."
E- "Eh? Sure. Gimme your hands."
They touch hands.
Faint particles drift from Taiga into Elly like tiny floating sparks.
T- "Are my eyes playing tricks on me? What's that?"
E- "Energy. I borrowed a bit from you so I can use it. You can do it too — just feel the flow."
Taiga tried to concentrate on whatever she meant, but Elly waved her hand.
E- "Okay, that's enough. I don't want to drain you."
T- ok?! Then I'm going back.
E- good luck there
Taiga headed back to Sinbad.
Si- "Done already? One last round, then I go make food."
Taiga nodded, took a deep breath, and rushed in. He struck Sinbad's open palm, followed by a kick toward his shoulder. Sinbad countered, but Taiga dodged and tapped the other palm.
"Don't think too much," he reminded himself. He kicked toward Sinbad's ribs—blocked—but used the momentum to jump and swing for the head. Sinbad moved aside and Taiga crashed into the grass.
Sinbad- "Doing better! Go on!"
Taiga rushed in again, leaving a small divot where he'd stood.
"Just feel the flow," he told himself.
He moved faster this time, aiming a punch at Sinbad's stomach. Sinbad blocked—
and a flash of blue aura flickered around Taiga's arm.
T- "Ah— Sinbad, sorry! I hit the wrong spot, I was aiming for your palms! Sorry— really sorry!"
Si- "Don't apologize! You did it! Just for a fraction of a second— but you did it. Good job."
T- "Really?! I actually did it? Finally!"
He dropped straight onto the grass.
Si- "I'm gonna go cook. Go tell Elly— maybe watch her train or something."
T(thinking)- "But I just sat down…"
He stood up, dragging his feet, but smiling. "I finally did it… I thought I never would. I wonder what Elly's doing."
When he arrived, Elly was sweating and exhausted.
T- "Whoa— you okay?"
E- "Yeah, of course. It's already food time?"
T- "Yep."
E- "Alright—last one."
T- "Mind if I watch?"
E: "Of course not—just don't talk for a moment."
She closed her eyes, breathing slowly. Light particles drifted toward her hand, gathering, shaping, forming a yellow spear. Elly stepped into stance.
E- "Light fandon: Light Spear!"
She hurled it at a boulder—
it pierced straight through and smashed into the fence behind it.
T- "That was amazing! How can you even do that?! I can't wait until I'm even half as good as you…"
Elly suddenly dropped to one knee, one hand digging into the grass, the other clutching her head. Her fingernails sharpened like claws, and two wolf-like ears burst from the top of her head.
T- "Uh… Sinbad? SINBAD! SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT WITH ELLY!"
Elly turned toward Taiga, growling. She dropped to all fours and stalked toward him. He stumbled backward.
T- "SINBAD! ANTE RE!"
The moment Taiga shouted, Elly lunged at him— but Sinbad burst out the window, landed beside them, and chopped her neck in one clean strike.
Elly collapsed instantly.
Taiga was shaking, breath quick and shallow, tears running down his face.
Sinbad lifted Elly in his arms and headed inside.
Taiga forced himself up and followed silently.