Part 6 — The First Attempt
The class rose together.
Haruto stood last—quiet, thoughtful—but something inside him was still moving.
Rare didn't mean impossible.
And for the first time since last night, that was enough.
The training ground lay quiet under the open sky.
Morning air drifted across the wide field, carrying the faint scent of earth and stone. The students spread out instinctively, forming uneven rows. Some looked excited. Others nervous. A few already regretted skipping breakfast.
Daigo stood at the front.
"You will not rush," he said. "You will not compete. Tier 1 punishes impatience."
He raised one hand.
"Begin by sitting. Palms open. Breathe."
The students obeyed—some awkwardly, some stiffly. A few copied the diagram from memory, adjusting their posture again and again.
"Sense first," Daigo instructed. "Do not absorb yet."
That alone caused problems.
Arashi squeezed his eyes shut, jaw tight. His shoulders tensed.
"Why can't I feel anything?" he muttered.
Beside him, Souta leaned forward too much, breath uneven. "Is this supposed to feel warm or cold?"
Misaki frowned, clearly annoyed. "Everyone stop fidgeting. You're disrupting the air."
Daigo's voice cut through them. "Tension blocks Ryuki. Calm invites it."
Some students relaxed. Others tried to force relaxation—which only made it worse.
After several minutes, Daigo spoke again.
"Now—slow intake. Fingers only."
Immediately, mistakes happened.
Riku inhaled sharply, shoulders rising. His palms twitched.
"Too fast," Daigo warned.
Riku grimaced as a sharp discomfort ran up his forearms. Not pain—just enough to scare him. He pulled back instantly.
"Lesson learned," Daigo said. "Next."
Hina's palms flushed faintly as she tried to hold the sensation in one spot.
"Don't trap it," Daigo said. "Flow begins immediately."
She released her breath, and the pressure eased.
On the far side, Tetsu clenched his fists unconsciously.
The energy stopped.
He pushed.
A sharp sting shot through his wrist.
Tetsu hissed and dropped his hands.
Daigo was already there. "That is damage beginning. Stop."
Tetsu nodded quickly, shaken.
Ayame's intake was cleaner—but when the energy reached her forearm, it hesitated.
She adjusted her posture instead of forcing it.
The flow resumed.
Daigo watched her closely. "Good correction."
Kaito absorbed steadily, but his flow slowed near the shoulder. He frowned, instinctively wanting to push—
Then stopped himself.
Adjusted his breath.
The energy moved again.
Across the field, some students succeeded briefly, then lost focus. Others felt nothing at all and grew frustrated.
And then there was Haruto.
He sat quietly.
Palms open. Breath slow.