Kei woke up next to the cabin with his heart racing, as if something had been watching him while he slept. He couldn't remember any dreams, but the discomfort lingered. Still, he stood up, remembering his mission.
"Let's see… I still have apples…" Kei opened his bag, disappointed to see only one left. "Well, it's something."
As he reached the capital, a tethered dog saw Kei and began to growl and bark for no apparent reason, its fur standing on end and its eyes fixed on something Kei couldn't see. Startled, Kei kept walking with a strange sense of unease.
『Right, I remember now… I need to train with the sword…』
When Kei finally arrived in the capital, he began looking for work—vendor, messenger, waiter. Though he only managed to secure three jobs, he worked all day without rest.
『It seems… this is worth more than I thought.』 Kei carefully analyzed the three Units in his hand. "Well, let's see what I can buy."
Kei went to the same shop and bought the usual—bread and apples. Then he kept walking, looking for a place to sleep. He found a spot, spent one Unit, and went to bed.
He woke up and quickly took a shower to get ready, ate, and left the apartment.
"Perfect. Just one more day and I can begin my training," he muttered with pride as he walked through the capital.
Kei followed his usual routine, but this time he had five Units. He quickly headed to a training ground and paid the two required Units.
"Well, it seems someone is interested in the blade," said a man approaching with a confident smile. "I am Arata Tanaka, your instructor. And your name is...?" The instructor extended his hand, waiting for Kei.
"My name is Kei Moriyama." Kei shook his hand and released it after a moment.
"Perfect, Kei. Come, I'll introduce you to your training partner." The instructor turned around and began walking, expecting Kei to follow.
Kei hesitated for an instant but decided to follow, though certain doubts still swirled in his mind.
『Hm… Why did that dog react like that?…』 he thought. Still, Kei walked alongside his instructor, intrigued to meet his first partner… and perhaps, his first friend.
"Look, Kei, this is Yuto Takeuchi," the instructor said, pointing to Yuto with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Yuto. My name is Kei Moriyama." Kei extended his hand toward Yuto, waiting for him to shake it.
Yuto observed him for a moment, somewhat distrustful of the strange aura he perceived, but finally shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Kei," he said, maintaining cordiality despite his doubts.
"Very well, today we start with the basics," Arata said. "Movement, posture, and balance. No magic yet—just you and your sword."
Kei nodded with determination, while Yuto did the same, though a slight tremble in his hands betrayed his nervousness. Both were beginners, and the line between enthusiasm and clumsiness was barely visible.
"Let's begin," Arata said, pointing to a cleared area. "Kei, step forward and take the stance. Yuto, do the same."
Kei raised the sword, imitating the posture he vaguely remembered from basic lessons. His movements were clumsy but controlled, every breath measured. Yuto did the same, though his sword wobbled slightly before stabilizing.
A brief silence filled the air, broken only by the faint clashing of metal blades as they practiced blocks and basic movements. It was a silent duel of learning; neither could surpass the other, and every mistake was an opportunity to correct and learn.
[0.06%]
In an instant, Kei felt a shiver run down his back—a slight shift in the air that made him frown. His eyes instinctively turned toward the entrance of the training area, where no one seemed to be.
"Eh…?" Kei whispered to himself, not daring to stop. But his heart beat a little faster, as if something invisible were watching him.
Yuto seemed to sense the change as well; his sword vibrated slightly and his eyes narrowed, though he didn't know why. Neither of them understood yet, but something was about to wake up.
Arata watched from the side, silent, with a barely perceptible smile. "It's only the beginning," he seemed to think.
Kei trained with Yuto for the rest of the day. Every minute felt like an eternity, but he wanted to learn the sword and made use of every second.
"Good grief… what a brutal training session… but well, I guess I'll have to adapt," he muttered while walking through the capital, his shoulders slumped as if he carried the weight of the entire world on his back.
Kei went about his routine—buying bread and apples—and then paid for the apartment again.
"It feels like I'm always broke…" Kei looked at his last Unit with a worried face. "Oh well, we'll see how tomorrow goes."
[0.07%]
Kei felt that shiver again. He looked all around the apartment but found no one. With clear fear, he walked quickly to his bed and tried to sleep. Finally, after a few minutes, he drifted off.
The next day, he did his daily routine, then spent the afternoon training with Yuto. Every repetition seemed to weigh a ton. His arms shook, his back burned, and his feet seemed to cling to the ground with every move.
"Ugh…" he gasped while attempting a diagonal strike, "I can't fail again!"
Yuto looked at him, also breathing heavily, and nodded. "Don't worry, Kei. I'm learning too."
Their swords clashed, the metal resonating in the air as they corrected their stances and movements. Every strike was clumsy, but they felt their coordination slowly improving. However, a shiver ran down Kei's spine. Something invisible seemed to be pressing against him—a sensation he couldn't explain.
[0.08%]
『What... the hell was that?』 he thought, though he didn't really know what it meant. He only felt his body responding differently: faster, more tuned, yet more tense. His heart hammered with force, and a strange heat spread through his hands as he gripped the sword.
Yuto frowned. "Did you feel that?" he asked, pointing at Kei's sword, which was vibrating slightly.
"...Yes," Kei replied, a knot in his throat. "It's... strange."
Arata Tanaka watched them from the side, barely smiling. "Good progress," he thought, though he couldn't help but notice the faint aura beginning to emanate from Kei—a subtle but undeniable vibration filling the air.
At the end of the day, both youths were exhausted, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Kei looked at his hands, still trembling, and then at Yuto. "Today... I learned more than I thought possible."
[0.09%]
A slight shiver ran down his back once more, accompanied by the feeling of a nearby presence, as if something were watching him invisibly.