A miniature figure materialized above Kai's sleeping face, its ghostly presence casting no shadow in the pre-dawn darkness. The Joker floated down, his tiny hands pressed against his hips.

"Wake up, wake up! The sun beckons, and knowledge awaits!"

Kai rolled over, one eye cracking open to peer at the floating figure. He scratched his messy purple hair. "Chill, Joker, I'm awake. No need for the dramatic entrance."

"Dramatic? Me? Never!" The Joker spun in circles, his diminutive form trailing sparkles of light.

Kai swung his legs off the bed, stretching his arms above his head. The morning air carried a crisp chill through the academy dormitory window. He pulled on his training gear - loose black pants and a fitted gray top - then splashed cold water on his face.

The Joker perched on his shoulder as Kai made his way through the quiet hallways of the Spades Academy. Their footsteps echoed against the stone floors, early morning light streaming through tall windows.

The training hall doors stood open, revealing Hiro and Juvenis already inside. Hiro balanced his sword on one finger, while Juvenis methodically cleaned his gun.

"Yo, look who finally showed up!" Hiro's voice bounced off the high ceiling.

"Good morning to you too." Kai stepped into the hall, the Joker vanishing in a puff of sparkles.

"You're four minutes and thirty-seven seconds late." Juvenis didn't look up from his work, his small hands moving with practiced precision across the weapon's surface.

* * *

Kai settled onto one of the wooden benches lining the training hall walls. His muscles ached from the previous day's regimen.

"Yo, these body conditioning sessions are no joke." Hiro dropped his sword into its sheath. "I can actually feel my strikes getting stronger."

Juvenis placed his cleaned gun on the bench beside him. "The muscle memory exercises have improved my reload speed by point four seconds."

"The breathing techniques helped me the most." Kai rolled his shoulders. "Used to get winded after twenty minutes of sparring. Now I can go for hours."

"That's because you were doing it wrong before." Juvenis crossed his arms, his small frame straight-backed and proper. "Sitka's method of controlled breathing maximizes oxygen efficiency."

"Speaking of the devil." Hiro nodded toward the entrance.

Sitka's massive frame filled the doorway, his white hair catching the morning light. His eyes swept across the three students as he strode into the training hall. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

"Good morning, students." His deep voice carried across the space. "Circle up."

The three gathered around their instructor, Juvenis standing ramrod straight while Hiro slouched with his hands in his pockets.

"The Four Suit Academy Competition has been confirmed." Sitka's gaze moved between them. "Representatives from Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs will arrive within the month. Tomorrow's assembly will cover the full details, but I wanted my class informed first."

"Yo, finally some real action!" Hiro pumped his fist.

"The competition tests more than combat skills." Sitka's eyes narrowed at Hiro's outburst. "Strategy, academics, and leadership all play crucial roles. This is why you three were selected for my special training program."

Juvenis adjusted his collar. "When do we begin competition-specific preparation?"

"After tomorrow's assembly. For now, maintain focus on your current training." Sitka planted his feet shoulder-width apart. "Now, let's begin today's session."

* * *

Sitka raised his hand, crimson droplets floating from his skin. The blood swirled and coalesced, taking humanoid form until three perfect copies of the instructor stood before them.

"These blood clones possess thirty percent of my abilities." Sitka's deep voice echoed through the hall. "Each of you will face one. Your goal is simple - survive."

The clones moved into position, surrounding the students. Their blood-red eyes glowed with the same intensity as the original.

"Begin."

The clones attacked. Kai blocked a crushing blow that rattled his bones. Across the room, Juvenis rolled away from his opponent's strike while Hiro parried with his sword.

"Stamina is the foundation of all combat." Sitka paced the perimeter, watching each exchange. "Power means nothing if you can't maintain it. Speed is worthless when fatigue sets in."

Sweat poured down Kai's face as he defended against the relentless assault. Even at thirty percent, the clone's strikes felt like hammers.

"Your enemies won't tire. They won't slow down because you're exhausted." Blood splattered across the floor as Hiro's sword caught his clone's shoulder, the wound sealing instantly. "Only those with the endurance to outlast their opponents survive."

Hours passed. Muscles burned. Lungs heaved. The clones showed no signs of slowing.

"This is what separates warriors from soldiers." Sitka's voice cut through their labored breathing. "Anyone can throw a punch. Anyone can swing a sword. But true power comes from being able to fight at your peak when others would have long since collapsed."

Juvenis's usually perfect posture had grown ragged, his shots coming slower but still precise. Hiro's wild strikes had transformed into measured movements, conserving energy. Kai felt his arms growing heavier with each block, but kept his guard up.

"Your body will tell you to stop. Your mind will beg for rest." Sitka watched as his students pushed through their limits. "But those who endure, who push past these barriers, they're the ones who achieve true strength."

The blood clones dissolved into crimson mist, splattering across the training hall floor before seeping back into Sitka's skin. Kai dropped to his knees, chest heaving. Beside him, Juvenis leaned against the wall, his usual perfect posture abandoned. Hiro sprawled flat on his back, sword clattering beside him.

"Yo... that was... brutal." Hiro's words came between gasps.

Sitka's heavy boots echoed as he approached. "You've exceeded my expectations. Each of you lasted three hours against opponents that would break most knights in minutes."

"Three... hours?" Juvenis wiped sweat from his brow. His hands trembled from the effort.

"Indeed." A rare smile crossed Sitka's face. "Your bodies will ache. Your muscles will scream. But remember this moment. Remember pushing past what you thought possible."

Kai's arms felt like lead weights. Every movement sent fresh waves of exhaustion through his frame. Yet beneath the fatigue, he felt... different. Stronger, somehow.

"Training is the one thing that will never betray you," Sitka's voice carried the weight of experience. "Weapons break. Allies fall. Even your own power can fail. But the strength you build through dedication and discipline - that remains yours forever."

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"What about... natural talent?" Juvenis managed to straighten himself.

"Talent is a head start in a marathon. It means nothing if you don't have the endurance to finish the race." Sitka crossed his arms. "I've seen prodigies fall to warriors who simply refused to quit. Remember that."

* * *

As Sitka turned to leave, Hiro pushed himself up from the floor, a grin spreading across his exhausted face.

"Yo, Kai - how about a quick spar before we call it a day?"

Kai's muscles still burned from the endurance training, but something in Hiro's challenge sparked his competitive spirit. "You're on."

"Sitka-sensei, would you referee?" Hiro's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Sitka paused, considering the request. His eyes studied both students before he gave a curt nod. "Very well. You may fight without restraint. I will intervene if necessary."

The two fighters took their positions across the training hall. Kai drew his short knife, the blade catching the afternoon light streaming through the high windows. The weight felt familiar in his hand, an extension of his arm.

"Yo, ready to see why they call me the Star Slasher?" Hiro's hand moved in a fluid arc through the air. Light bent and twisted, coalescing into a sword wrapped in an ornate sheath. With a flourish, he slashed horizontally. The sheath shattered into glittering fragments that dissolved before touching the ground, revealing the deadly edge beneath.

Kai shifted his stance lower, knife held in a reverse grip. His exhaustion from earlier faded into sharp focus as he watched Hiro's movements.

* * *

"Begin!" Sitka's command echoed through the training hall.

Hiro burst forward, his blade singing through the air. The strike came faster than Kai anticipated, forcing him to dive left. The sword's edge passed within inches of his chest, leaving a faint trail of light in its wake.

"Yo, that was close." Hiro pivoted, bringing his weapon around in a graceful arc. "Better stay sharp."

Kai rolled to his feet, heart pounding. Another slash forced him to backpedal. The sword's edge carved through a wooden training dummy like it was made of paper. The severed pieces clattered to the floor.

Sweat beaded on Kai's forehead as he weaved between Hiro's relentless attacks. Each movement had to be precise - a single mistake would mean defeat. His knife remained unused, held close to his body as he focused on reading Hiro's patterns.

"Your footwork's improved." Hiro pressed forward with a series of quick thrusts. "But defense won't win this fight."

The blade whirled in complex patterns, forcing Kai to duck and spin. His muscles screamed from the constant evasion. Where most swordsmen telegraphed their strikes, Hiro's movements flowed like water. Each attack blended seamlessly into the next, leaving no opening to counter.

Kai's back touched the wall. He'd run out of room to retreat. Hiro's eyes lit up at the advantage, his sword already moving in a horizontal slash that would end the match.

"Your opponent is skilled," Sitka observed from the sidelines, his arms crossed. "The Three of Spades grants him perfect control over his blade's cutting edge. A single touch will end this match."

Kai's eyes darted between Hiro's blade and the wall behind him. The golden light emanating from the sword cast dancing shadows across the training hall floor.

"Yo, since you're cornered, let me explain something cool about my power." Hiro twirled his sword in a figure-eight pattern. "The Three of Spades isn't just about having a sharp blade. Sheathe Breaker lets me create any weapon I want."

The sword in his hand dissolved into particles of light. In its place, a massive war hammer materialized. "See? Whatever I need for the situation." The hammer shifted into twin daggers, then a spear, each weapon trailing wisps of golden energy.

"Yo, and the best part?" Hiro's weapon settled back into its sword form. "Everything it touches gets cut. No exceptions." He demonstrated with a casual swing at a metal training rack. The steel bars split cleanly, the severed pieces smoking at the edges.

Kai shifted his weight, searching for an opening as Hiro continued his impromptu lecture.

"The boost to strength and speed helps too." Hiro advanced with measured steps. "Makes it easier to handle different weapon types. Though I prefer swords - they're just cooler, you know?"

The blade whistled through the air in a diagonal strike. Kai dropped into a crouch, feeling the wind of its passage ruffle his hair.

"Yo, most people think the cutting power is the scary part." Hiro chained together a series of lightning-fast thrusts. "But it's the versatility that makes Three of Spades dangerous. Never know what weapon's coming next."

To demonstrate, his sword morphed mid-swing into a chain whip that wrapped around Kai's ankle. Hiro yanked, threatening to pull Kai's feet from under him.

* * *

The chain whip morphed back into a spear, its golden shaft extending toward Kai's chest. He twisted sideways, the spearhead grazing his training uniform. Hiro spun the weapon in a fluid motion, each rotation creating a barrier of light between them.

"Yo, the weapon switching took forever to master." Hiro's spear transformed into a war hammer. The heavy head crashed down where Kai stood a moment before, leaving a crater in the training floor. "Had to learn the basics of everything."

The hammer dissolved, reforming into a curved sword that sang through the air. Kai parried with his knife, the clash of metal sending vibrations up his arm. Before he could counter, the sword had already become a whip again, coiling around his blade.

"Yo, it was exhausting." Hiro yanked the whip back, nearly disarming Kai. "Training with different weapons every day, learning their quirks." The whip shifted into a massive axe that cleaved through the space between them. "Until I realized something."

The axe separated into twin short swords, their edges trailing golden light. Hiro's movements became sharper, more focused. The dual blades moved in perfect sync, creating patterns of light that forced Kai to retreat.

"Yo, why master twenty weapons when you can perfect one?" Hiro advanced, his twin swords dancing. "Or in my case, two." The blades wove complex patterns through the air, each strike flowing naturally into the next. "Double the cutting power, double the fun."

Kai barely managed to deflect one sword only to find the second already arcing toward his shoulder. The attacks came from multiple angles, leaving no room for error.

"This style suits me better." Hiro's swords traced golden afterimages as they moved. "Simple, effective, and way more my speed."

Cuts appeared across Kai's arms and legs, each slash from Hiro's twin blades drawing thin lines of red. The training floor became slick with sweat and blood droplets as Kai struggled to keep pace with the relentless assault.

His breaths came in ragged gasps. His muscles screamed for relief. The knife in his hand felt heavier with each passing second.

"Quite the predicament you're in." The Joker materialized beside Kai, his diminutive form floating cross-legged in mid-air.

"Get back - they'll see you!" Kai's eyes darted toward Sitka and Hiro.

The Joker's laugh tinkled like wind chimes. "Only you can see me, dear boy. A perk of our... special connection."

Another of Hiro's strikes found its mark, opening a fresh cut along Kai's forearm.

"My my, he's really not holding back." The Joker drifted closer, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "What if I let you have a little taste of your real power?"

Before Kai could protest, the Joker's small hand touched his shoulder. Energy surged through his body, and his vision shifted dramatically. The world around him slowed to a crawl. Hiro's blades, once blur-fast, now moved through the air like they were cutting through honey.

Golden threads appeared everywhere, crisscrossing through space. They connected everything - the weapons, the floor, the air itself. Kai could see them all, shimmering like strands of sunlight. The strings wrapped around Hiro's swords, traced his movements before they happened, mapped out every possible path of attack and defense.

Among the countless golden threads, one strand blazed brighter than the rest, pulsing with an inner light that drew Kai's attention.

"Follow it," the Joker whispered. "Let your knife dance along that path. Trust what lies within you."

Kai's blade moved as if guided by an invisible hand, slicing through the brilliant strand. Time seemed to crystallize around him as he glided forward, his body flowing with a grace he'd never known before.

Hiro's twin swords descended, one blade finding its mark and cleaving through Kai's left arm. But in that same heartbeat, Kai's knife traced the golden thread's arc perfectly, opening a clean slash across Hiro's midsection.

"Yo!" Hiro stumbled backward, pressing a hand against the wound. Blood seeped between his fingers.

"How was it?" The Joker's voice held a note of satisfaction. "A glimpse of your true potential." His form dissolved into motes of light that streamed back into Kai's pendant.

"Enough!" Sitka's voice boomed across the training ground. He strode toward them, his crimson eyes assessing their injuries. "The match is a draw."

Blood pooled beneath Kai's severed arm. The pain hit him then, sharp and burning, but Sitka was already moving. The instructor's hands glowed with a deep red light as he lifted Kai's arm, aligning it perfectly with the wound. Tendrils of blood wove between the separated flesh, knitting muscle and bone back together.

Sitka turned to Hiro next, pressing his palm against the stomach wound. The same red energy flowed, sealing the gash until only unmarked skin remained.

"Both of you showed excellent form," Sitka said, his voice stern but not unkind. "Though perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm."

Kai and Hiro locked eyes for a moment before breaking into laughter, their earlier intensity melting away. Hiro clutched his healed stomach, doubling over as his shoulders shook.

"Yo, that was wild! One second I had you cornered, the next - bam!" Hiro mimed a slashing motion. "Where'd you learn that move?"

Kai touched his reattached arm, flexing his fingers. "Just... instinct, I guess."

Juvenis stood at the edge of the training ground, his mouth hanging open. His bright green eyes darted between the two older students, trying to process what he'd witnessed. The young boy's usual composure cracked, replaced by naked amazement.

"But... but that's impossible!" Juvenis pointed at Kai. "Your form was completely different from the La La Roca style. It wasn't any technique I've ever seen!"

Sitka gathered his teaching materials. "Remember, tomorrow's school assembly starts at dawn." He fixed each student with his blood-red gaze. "Don't be late."

The instructor's towering frame moved toward the exit, his footsteps echoing across the training ground. Before disappearing through the doorway, he paused. "And no more severed limbs during practice."