Luka cracked his neck and spun his trident once before resting it on his shoulder. "Guess that means we're up next, huh?"

I smirked, rolling my shoulders. "Looks like it."

Mr. Sigan clapped his hands. "Alright, same drill! Adapt, adjust, and don't just react—predict. Luka, you're on defense first!"

Luka nodded, his stance shifting slightly—light on his feet, eyes sharp. Unlike Kaede, he wouldn't just dodge—he'd counter the moment he saw an opening.

I lunged forward, testing him like I did with Kaede. A quick jab. A probing kick. Luka barely moved, tilting his body just enough to avoid contact.

"He's waiting for something."

I feinted left—then twisted my foot, launching an elbow strike to his side. Luka instantly spun his trident, using the shaft to deflect my attack with minimal effort.

"So he wants me to overextend... smart."

Instead of pulling back, I let his deflection carry me into a low sweep. Luka leapt over it, landing with a small smirk.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, Akarui."

I grinned. "Oh, I intend to."

This time, I pressed forward aggressively, throwing sharp strikes to force him back. Luka expertly redirected each one with his trident, barely shifting his stance.

Then—just for a split second—I let my guard drop on purpose.

Luka's instincts kicked in immediately. He pivoted and swung the blunt end of his trident toward me.

"Got you."

I sidestepped just as the attack came, letting it graze past, then slammed my palm against the trident's shaft, forcing it downward.

Luka's eyes widened—his weapon was momentarily trapped.

I used that opening to tap his shoulder.

My fist shot forward—clean, precise—stopping right before impact.

Luka clicked his tongue, realizing he'd been caught.

Mr. Sigan let out a loud laugh. "Nice one, Akarui! You baited him into taking a risk, then punished it!"

I stepped back, releasing his weapon with a grin. "Not bad, huh?"

Luka smirked, resting the trident back on his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Just wait till it's my turn to attack."

Mr. Sigan clapped again. "Alright, now switch! Luka, your turn to go on the offensive!"

I flexed my fingers and grinned. "Alright then. Let's see what you've got."

Luka's grin widened as he twirled his trident, shifting into a more aggressive stance. "Alright, let's see if you can handle me on the offensive, Hikaru."

I nodded, already adjusting my stance, eyes locked on his movements. Mr. Sigan's voice rang out: "Same rules, just remember to adapt and predict."

Luka's eyes gleamed as he surged forward with surprising speed. His trident was a blur as it sliced through the air, aiming for a quick jab toward my ribs.

I leaned back just in time, feeling the wind rush past as the sharp point grazed my shirt. Luka's attack was a fake—he wasn't going for the hit, just forcing me to react.

He's testing my reflexes...

I twisted, dodging his next strike. The trident spun in a fluid arc, aimed to catch me off guard. But I was ready this time. I brought my arm up to block, using my forearm to deflect it away from my body.

Luka grinned and pressed the attack. This time, he didn't hold back. The next strike came from above, and I barely managed to duck under it in time, the trident grazing my hair.

Okay, he's faster than I thought.

But Luka wasn't stopping. He followed up with a spinning strike aimed at my legs, trying to knock me off balance. I jumped to avoid it, twisting in mid-air to land behind him.

But Luka was already moving. His trident swung back around in a wide arc, catching me off guard. I barely managed to parry it with my hands, feeling the force behind his swing rattle through my arms.

This guy's relentless...

I pushed back, creating some distance between us. "Alright, Luka. No more holding back."

I took a deep breath and focused, eyes never leaving his movements. Luka's trident was already in position, waiting for the next attack. His eyes locked on mine, reading my next move.

Then, just as I made my move to step forward, Luka launched an overhead strike—so fast, I couldn't react in time. But instead of trying to block, I dodged sideways, letting the trident's arc pass just by me.

And there it was. His moment of overcommitment.

I slammed my palm into his trident, using his own momentum against him. Luka stumbled, and I immediately went for his shoulder—tapping him just like before.

Mr. Sigan's voice rang out, "Akarui got him again! Nice job!"

Luka exhaled sharply, laughing. "You really caught me that time. I got too cocky."

I grinned back. "It happens."

Luka nodded, brushing his trident off. "You're fast, Akarui. I'll give you that."

Mr. Sigan stepped forward, clapping his hands again. "Great work, both of you! That's the kind of adaptability I want to see in this class. Not just reacting to your opponent but thinking a step ahead."

After pairing up with more people

He turned to the rest of the class, now visibly more energized. "Alright, everyone. It's been a good session. Dismissed!"

"Alright now we have break." Kaede Wait chimed in.

"Wait a minute. Don't we have a holiday on Saturday?"

"We do. It's just the teachers thought we deserve a day for class since it's been about 4 days since we got here." Sakura responded.

"Ok. Where do we go?" I asked.

"We could go to the cafeteria."

"Alright."

We headed to a large hall with a huge glass kitchen. We sat down.

"Wait Kaede can I see the schedule?"

"Sure?"

I read the schedule and it said, "

Monday

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

08:00 AM - 08:50 AM: Theory - Ms. Sakura

08:50 AM - 09:40 AM: Combat - Mr. Sigan

09:40 AM - 10:20 AM: Break

10:20 AM - 11:10 AM: Chi Control - Mr. Takashi

11:10 AM - 12:00 PM: Technique Control - Ms. Kazumi

Tuesday

08:00 AM - 08:50 AM: Physical Training: Endurance & Agility - Mr. Haruto

08:50 AM - 09:40 AM: Combat Conditioning - Mr. Haruto

09:40 AM - 10:20 AM: Break

10:20 AM - 11:10 AM: Theory - Ms. Sakura

11:10 AM - 12:00 PM: Combat - Professor Emi

Wednesday

08:00 AM - 08:50 AM: Physical Combat Training - Mr. Haruto

08:50 AM - 09:40 AM: Combat - Mr. Sigan09:40 AM - 10:20 AM: Break

10:20 AM - 11:10 AM: Chi Control - Mr. Takashi

11:10 AM - 12:00 PM: Combat Tactics - Professor Keiko

Thursday

08:00 AM - 08:50 AM: Combat - Mr. Sigan

08:50 AM - 09:40 AM: Combat Fitness and Conditioning - Mr. Haruto

09:40 AM - 10:20 AM: Break

10:20 AM - 11:10 AM: Technique Control - Ms. Kazumi

11:10 AM - 12:00 PM: Chi Control - Mr. Takashi

Friday

08:00 AM - 08:50 AM: Physical Combat and Reflex Training - Mr. Haruto

08:50 AM - 09:40 AM: Combat - Mr. Sigan

09:40 AM - 10:20 AM: Break

10:20 AM - 11:10 AM: Chi Control - Mr. Takashi

11:10 AM - 12:00 PM: Theory - Ms. Sakura."

"So, we have Technique Control?" Akira asked.

"Yes."

(At Technique control class."

Ms. Kazumi stood at the front of the room, her arms crossed, surveying the class with a piercing gaze.

"Welcome to Technique Control," she began, her voice even but firm. "This is not about how powerful your technique is. It's about how well you can wield it. Power without control is like an unsheathed blade—dangerous, but reckless. And recklessness..." Her gaze swept over the class, lingering on each student. "...is the fastest way to lose a fight."

She let that sink in before continuing.

"Many of you rely on brute force. That ends here. I don't care how strong your technique is if you can't use it with finesse. Every wasted movement, every ounce of unnecessary energy, every uncontrolled burst of chi—those are weaknesses. And weaknesses in battle..." Her expression darkened. "...mean death."

Silence filled the training hall. The weight of her words settled over the class like a heavy fog.

"For today, you'll be demonstrating your techniques individually. No pairing up. No distractions. I need to see how well you execute your ability, how efficiently you use your chi, and most importantly—how much control you have over it."

She gestured toward the open training space. "Step forward when I call your name."

The first few students demonstrated their techniques. Some were raw but promising, while others struggled with restraint. Luka's trident moved with fluid grace, his water-infused strikes slicing through the air with precision. Sayaka manifested an extra pair of eyes and unleashed a controlled burst of energy from her glaive. Each student displayed their strengths—and their flaws.

Then, Ms. Kazumi's gaze landed on me.

"Akarui Hikaru. Step forward."

Wait what? I exhaled slowly and moved to the center.

"Show me your technique. But remember—no excess. I want precision, not destruction."

Nodding, I focused, raising my hand. Darkness coiled around my fingertips like living ink, swirling and shifting.

"White Hole."

A pulse of energy erupted from my palm, radiating outward in a controlled burst. The air trembled, but I kept the expansion tight, refining the output. No wild flares. No unnecessary force. Just pure, concentrated energy, expelled in a steady stream.

Ms. Kazumi observed intently. "And now, restraint."

I clenched my fingers, redirecting the energy before it could fully expand. The white-hot glow retracted, dissolving into nothingness at my command. Not a trace of uncontrolled force remained.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, appraising my control.

"Now the opposite," she instructed. "Black Hole."

I took another breath, shifting my stance. The darkness around me thickened, twisting inward as I activated my second ability. A void-like pull emerged in my palm, drawing in the lingering energy around me, consuming it completely. The air grew heavier as chi was sucked into the vortex—but I kept it contained. No sudden surges, no loss of control. I adjusted the pull, stabilizing the technique to prevent it from affecting my surroundings too much.

Ms. Kazumi finally nodded; her expression unreadable.

"Your execution is clean. The balance between release and absorption is evident. However..." Her gaze sharpened. "I can still see hesitation. You're holding back too much, afraid of overdoing it. Control does not mean suppression. It means knowing exactly how much is needed. Find that balance, and you won't just wield your technique—you'll master it. You also have too many unnecessary movements. I mean. Instead of a straight line. You are going in a zig zag"

Ms. Kazumi turned to the rest of the class. "Take note of that. Many of you are either reckless or overly cautious. Neither will do. True control is knowing when to unleash and when to restrain."

She crossed her arms again. "Next."

Just like that she took the entire class slowly examining everyone's technique. After that she dismissed us.

"Okay. That took way too long." Akira said.

"Race you down to the Dorm guys?" Noah asked.

"Last one there will be eaten by shadows." Atsushi exclaimed.

"Shadow Portal."

I opened a Shadow Portal and Entered the Dorm, "Finally peace and quiet."

"I got to think."I opened the door and went outside to the buildings' training ground.

"Hmmm... Reduce unnecessary movement for a faster result with saving energy."

I emptied my mind... Summoned my katana. "Ikari."

I swung my katana in a straight line. Reducing unnecessary movements.

Boom

"She was right. Reducing movement meant a faster result with less energy being used."

Just like that I trained for an hour. Then Kaede dragged me to the common room for dinner.

(3.9.2026 - Day of the Field Trip)

"Akarui, wake up!!!"

I groggily opened my eyes. "Huh?"

"It's field trip day!" Kaede's voice was loud, full of excitement.

"Oh..." I mumbled, still half-dazed.

"And you know what else is today?" she pressed.

"What?" I muttered, dragging myself to a sitting position.

"Dude, it's your 15th birthday!" Her voice was practically vibrating with enthusiasm.

"Oh..." I stared blankly at the ceiling, still not fully processing the words.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I reached for it, a little slower than I should have, and answered.

"Hello?"

"Happy birthday, Akarui!" My mum's voice was warm and full of love. "I can't chat long, but I sent you a care package! Enjoy it!"

"Thanks, Mum," I smiled, though I still felt a bit dazed.

Kaede, clearly impatient, grabbed my arm. "Come on, get ready. We're going to be late!"

"Alright," I sighed, getting up and trying to shake off the fog in my brain.

I got dressed and made my way down to the common room, where the smell of breakfast filled the air.

"Yo, who's the chef today?" I asked, stretching as I entered.

"It's me," Reina said, flipping something in a pan. "Well, Atsushi helped out too."

We sat down, eating a surprisingly delicious breakfast, before heading to the air docks. The captain was already there, rallying the class.

"Alright, everyone, you know the drill. When I give the signal, jump out," the captain barked, a serious glint in his eye.

The class responded in unison, "Yes, Sir!"

Suddenly, Mr. Musashi's voice rang out, his heavy footsteps echoing as he ran toward us.

"Huh?" I turned to see him holding a small box.

"Happy birthday, Akarui." He handed it to me, a knowing look in his eyes. "This was your sister's. I figured you might want it."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "Thank you... but what is it?"

"Open it when you get back. I'll put it in your room."

"Okay. Thanks, Mr. Musashi," I replied, feeling a mix of curiosity and confusion.

"Alright! Get on!"

We got on the ship and then the captain spoke out, "Ahm. I will be now briefing you about the location. The location is.... The Great Rift Valley."

"Wait a minute. The Great Rift Valley is the biggest valley on earth. In Africa!" Akira exclaimed.

"Didn't Ms. Sakura say it was supposed to be nearby?" Ren added.

"Well. Since it's Akarui's birthday they wanted to give you guys a challenge. Mr. Musashi insisted to give you a fun trip. Well, here are the details. You guys need to survive for 1 week without taking anything. You cannot take anything with you except weapons."

"How long will it take to get there?" Yui asked.

"1 hour and 13 minutes."

"How?"

"The ships are powered by chi which helps them go 10 times faster than the speed of sound."

(1 hour later - right on top of the Valley)

The captain's voice rang out, steady and commanding. "Alright, you guys can jump off now."

"Got it," I responded, nodding as I stepped forward.

"Shadow Portal."

With a deep breath, I summoned a swirling shadow portal beneath me. Without hesitation, I stepped through, the dark energy pulling me swiftly down towards the ground.

Akira looked at me falling, "How does he get to teleport?"

Sakura pushed him off.

Everyone else used their abilities to slow their fall, each of them drifting down in their own unique way.