Koni glanced at him with a half-grin. "You excited? "
Kenmochi straightened his back, trying to steady his breathing. "I am… but isn't it still just a theory that I can actually grow stronger?"
"It's a theory," Koni admitted, nodding. "We know you're pure-blooded, but we can't say for sure whether you've surpassed your previous rank. What we do know is that the power you used the other day wasn't normal."
Kenmochi exhaled slowly. "Okay… Are you going to teleport us there, Koni?"
"Not exactly," Koni replied. "The whole place is wrapped in a barrier, so I can't teleport inside. But I can drop us near the entrance."
"Right."
Koni placed his hand on Kenmochi's shoulder. A pulse of energy ran through them, silent and cold, and in an instant, they vanished. Behind them, a faint smear of blood sizzled against the floor before evaporating like mist.
When they reappeared, a massive building loomed before them. Kenmochi stumbled, catching himself on the edge of the pavement. "I… I really need to get used to that."
Koni chuckled softly. "You will. Don't sweat it."
As they approached the entrance, Kenmochi's curiosity broke the silence. "By the way… I have a question. How does this teleportation work? And how do you bring someone with you? "
Koni's brow lifted. "Good question. Teleportation isn't what most people think."
Kenmochi frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Whenever I teleport, I technically… die."
Kenmochi froze. "Die?!"
Koni clicked his tongue. "Technically. Let me finish."
He exhaled slowly, voice calm despite the weight of his words. "My body shuts down. Heart, mind, cells, all of it stops. For a fraction of a second, I'm dead. Then I reassemble instantly at the destination. So fast, I don't even notice it. And anyone I touch goes through the same process."
Kenmochi shuddered. "That's… terrifying."
Koni nodded. "It is."
Kenmochi hesitated, then asked quietly, "What about the kid?"
"The kid? "
"The one you asked us to protect."
"Oh… Kakaro." Koni's eyes softened for a brief moment. "He can't control his healing. If I tried to teleport him, his body might fight the process, and, well, something… unpleasant could happen."
Kenmochi imagined it, shivering. "Yeah… understood."
They arrived at the facility's door. It was off. Koni placed his fingerprint on the scanner, glanced at the eye detection panel, then punched in the ten-digit code. The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a brightly lit control room.
Kimchi rose from his chair. "Come, quick! Look at this."
Kenmochi and Koni hurried forward. Koni's eyes flicked to the monitor displaying Kenmochi's blood analysis. "Well, I'll be damned."
Kimchi's eyes sparkled. "It's… marvelous."
Kenmochi stepped closer, confused. "What is it? "
Koni's voice carried quiet awe. "This is no longer a theory."
Kenmochi's heart thumped. "Can someone tell me what's going on? "
Kimchi pointed to the screen. "Your previous crimson blood rank… it's upgraded. From first rank to second."
Koni continued, eyes serious. "And not just that. Even among second-rankers, your crimson blood percentage is 25%, compared to the usual 20%. That's why you awakened the blood arts. This… this surpasses what we imagined."
Kenmochi said. "So… I'm stronger?"
"That's right," Koni said with a small grin. "And this is just the beginning."
Kenmochi clenched his fists. "What now? "
"Training," Koni replied. "You start now."
Kenmochi straightened, determination flashing in his eyes. "Right."
Koni placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll teleport you to our hidden training grounds. Not inside the building, this place is shielded. I'll drop you nearby, and you'll have to find it yourself."
Kenmochi's eyes widened. "Wait, slow down! You can't just say that without explaining! "
"What do you want to know? " Koni asked patiently.
"First… I'm blind. Second… the place is hidden, even from people stronger than me. How do you expect me to find it?"
"You make a fair point," Koni admitted.
Kenmochi nodded. "Exactly. So before you teleport me, you should explain better."
Before Koni could respond, Kenmochi felt the world shift violently. The scenery blurred and snapped into focus again, and he was in Kyoto.
Kenmochi stumbled, teeth gritted. "KONI!!! "
Kimchi raised an eyebrow. "Was that wise? "
Koni's lips twitched in amusement. "It's part of the training."
Hours passed. Kenmochi's legs ached, his hands trembled from exhaustion, and his frustration boiled over. He had walked the same route at least forty-five times, hitting dead ends, nothing but cold air, and the distant hum of the city around him.
"Fuck this… what the hell do I do? " he muttered, voice raw.
A sudden whoosh cut through the silence. A blood dagger zipped past his head, embedding itself in the concrete behind him with a wet thunk.
Kenmochi's heart jumped. He dropped to one knee, his own blood daggers forming instinctively in his palms, each one gleaming red as though alive.
Across the empty street, a figure appeared, visible only through the faint outlines of their moving blood.
"Who the fuck are you?!" Kenmochi shouted.
"Name's Vizi. And who the hell are you?" The figure called back.
Before Kenmochi could answer, three more blood daggers hurtled at him. He reacted on instinct, deflecting each one with a hiss of metal-on-metal as his own daggers formed a crimson shield.
Then, as suddenly as she appeared, the figure vanished.
Above him, a shadow slammed down. Pain shot through his side as a leg pinned him to the ground, and the figure twisted him over roughly.
"I said who the fuck are you, not your name, dumbass! " she barked, blood dagger raised.
Coughing up blood, Kenmochi's voice came out strained. "Are… you an oni? "
"Oni? Are you serious? " she scoffed, eyes narrowing.
"Then why the fuck else would you attack me like this?" He shot back.
She crouched closer, dagger trembling in her grip. "You're going to tell me who you are… or I'm going to fucking kill you?"
"I'm… a Veymar," he gasped. "I was sent by Koni to train… but I can't find the damn place."
"Koni sent you, huh?" Her tone softened slightly, curiosity creeping in.
"That's right." Kenmochi slowly lifted himself, not fully standing, just sitting upright.
Vizi squatted to his level, her eyes scanning him. "What's with the headband? Some kind of fashion statement? " She grabbed it, peeling it from his face. His eyes glowed red in the dim light.
Kenmochi snatched it back immediately.
Vizi blinked, incredulous. "Are you fucking blind? "
"Yes. I'm fucking blind. Thank you."
She shook her head. "I can't believe Koni sent a blind kid to find the training grounds."
"Who the hell are you calling a kid? " he shot back.
Vizi's expression softened. "Well… how old are you? "
"Eighteen."
"Same age as me, huh? My bad."
"So you can't see me at all? " she asked.
"I can see the blood moving in your body… but that's about it."
"You're focusing your blood in your eyes," she said, impressed. "I've heard about it."
"Sounds about right," Kenmochi said, trying to keep his voice steady.
Vizi's expression softened slightly. "It must be weird, talking to someone and not knowing what they look like," she murmured. Then, almost gently, she placed Kenmochi's hand on her face.
Kenmochi's pulse quickened. "W-what are you doing?! "
"I heard blind people can actually see a person's face by touch," she explained, her voice softer now. "Does it… help?"
His hands moved cautiously, brushing along the planes of her face, cheeks, nose, lips, and forehead, sensing warmth, the curve of her jaw, and the smoothness of her skin.
"I… I don't think it's working…" His voice trailed, but his fingers lingered longer than necessary, tracing subtle features.
"What is it? " she asked, her tone almost curious, almost tender.
Kenmochi's breath hitched. "I… I feel it. I can… see your face."
"Really?"
"Yes…" he said, voice low. "You're… beautiful."
Vizi's cheeks colored faintly, and for a heartbeat, she didn't move. Then she gently pushed his hand away, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Careful… don't get used to it."
He exhaled sharply, a mixture of embarrassment and awe. "Sorry," he said.
"I'll help you find the place. I was heading there myself," she said.
"I would appreciate that, you kind of owe me one for slamming me on the ground."
"The place is empty anyway," Vizi continued, "so I don't know why Koni sent you. We should talk to the headmaster, he'll know."
"Koni didn't give me details. Said I just had to train and dropped me here. I'm fine with talking to the headmaster," Kenmochi replied.
"That's Koni for you," she said with a faint smirk.
"So… where is this place? " Kenmochi asked.
Vizi pointed to nothing. "Right there."
"Vizi… I see your hand pointing at something, but I don't know what the fuck you're pointing at," he said, waving his hand. "I'm blind, remember?"
"Right. Right," she said, sighing. "This place can't be seen or found. You can only enter if someone shows you the way."
She held out her hand. Blood dripped, pooling on the ground. The liquid coalesced into a dark, pulsating door.
Kenmochi's voice trembled. "The… the door… It's blood."
Vizi opened the door with a swift motion. "Come on."
Kenmochi and Vizi stepped inside. The air was thick, metallic, and alive. Somewhere in the distance, a low hum echoed, and Kenmochi's blood instinct tingled. This was it. The training ground.