Akairo awoke with a groan.

A month had passed since he started training with Master Zabu and his body had become firmer.

His burns had also mostly healed thanks to Zabu’s continuous healing although nothing could be done about the scars, so he kept his face wrapped in bandages.

He got up to find that Zabu wasn’t around.

He had begun to sleep over at the eccentric teacher’s house more often.

Zabu had told him to think of it as a second home.

Akairo preferred this arrangement because Master Zabu fed him way more food than he was getting at the shelter and so he. got up, showered, changed into his uniform and made his way to the coliseum where Master Zabu was seemingly waiting for him.

Nothing was said between the two as Akairo got a ticket to a match although mutterings could be heard in the air and they spoke about Akairo in a unflattering manner.

They called him things like “coward”, “The Red Runaway” and more but Akairo ignored them for the most part.

He entered the changing room where he wasn’t received any better.

People who once pitied him now looked down on his as he walked into the arena where he came face to face with a very rare type of fighter.

A Lightningpath fighter.

He was dressed pretty casually in a grey tracksuit but he didn’t even try to hide his powers as his shadow emanated sparks that dances loudly in the air.

The fight promptly began and Akairo’s opponent wasted no time in rushing towards him.

The long haired man jumped to kick Akairo in the chest but Akairo took a few steps to the side and cleanly avoided the attack.

His opponent sent several punches forth but with careful footing Akairo avoided all of them but this infuriated his opponent, making his face twist.

“Come on! Fight me!” He yelled but Akairo, even behind his mask, didn’t react.

“Aaaahhh!” His opponent yelled before sending forth a punch which was charged with electricity.

This time, Akairo leapt to a safe distance and watched as the electricity left the man’s arm to strike the air in front of it.

This went on for five minutes and the match ended in a draw.

Akairo glanced at his panting opponent and nodded to himself before making his way back to the lobby where Zabu stood.

The two silently left the coliseum and made their way to the parking lot where they both lightly stretched.

Akairo’s hair had grown quite a bit longer and since he was always training, he tied it in a messy bun.

He ran to the second floor and back without prompt a few times before standing in front of Zabu again.

“Ready?” Zabu asked and even though he had done this several times before, those words made Akairo’s heart drop.

“Yes.”

Zabu nodded before dashing towards Akairo while raising his right arm.

Akairo watched as the fist approached his face and tilted his body just in time to narrowly miss it.

He then took a step back as Zabu repositioned himself.

The man’s eyes then glowed blue just as his shadow grew to fill the entire space.

He sent forth several kicks to Akairo who narrowly dodged them.

Akairo watched as each of those kicks sent out waves of force through the air.

Waves that grew stronger and stronger with each kick.

They eventually began knocking him backwards and just as he lost his footing, Master Zabu leapt forward and tried punching Akairo in the face but before his fist could reach the boy’s face, Akairo allowed himself to fall completely before rolling to the side and getting up as Zabu lunched nothing but air.

Zabu grinned and this but just as he readied himself to attack again, he stopped himself and spread his arms, making the air tremble.

Akairo then watched as a ball of water formed in front of his face.

From it came a watery arm which punched him before disappearing.

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Akairo stumbled to the side just as another ball of water formed next to him.

He quickly dashed away just as it struck his previous location.

Akairo then glanced at Zabu who was still grinning.

He had used two Waterpath techniques meaning he only had two Tal based attacks left.

A person could use five level one attacks with Tal coming from four of their limbs and their chest but Master Zabu never used more than four so that he could have some leftover to heal Akairo in case an emergency occurred.

Akairo spotted sighed of a ball of water forming below him and so he dashed to the right only to get punched in the face but another water arm.

The world returned to normal as Master Zabu’s shadow receded.

As for Akairo, he laid listlessly on the ground with a bleeding nose and a ringing head.

Zabu healed him prompting him to get up.

“Alright. I think you are finally ready to go in the offensive.”

Akairo’s eyed widened.

“First, I need to teach you how to channel Tal. Come.” Master Zabu said as he walked towards the rubber mat in the centre of the space.

Akairo joined him in it with crossed legs and the two sat in silence for a moment.

Master Zabu looked into Akairo’s eyes and nodded.

“Usually a person awakens the ability to move their own Tal at around four or five years of age as they become more self aware but they aren’t really able to do much with it or manipulate it to any significant degree until they receive proper training. You, however, are what? Fifteen?”

“Seventeen.”

“Oh- well, you are a late bloomer but I’m sure it’ll be fine. And as for what manipulating Tal feels like? Well, remember Tal Circuits? They may be metaphysical in nature but you can think of them as a combination of your vascular, nervous and muscle systems. It’s a web that stretches all across your body and it’s densest in your organs – your brain and heart being chief among them. Close your eyes and look for the sensation that is your heartbeat.”

Akairo did as instructed.

He was still quite alert after the fight with Master Zabu and so his heart was beating quite quickly.

“Found it?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, now follow that pulse into your strongest hand. Feel it in your finger tips.”

“Do you feel it?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Now, I’ve seen you subconsciously releasing fire from your mouth like some kind of dragon but I want to imagine fire leaving the palm of your hand. Imagine each of your pores as the outlets of gas in a stove and imagine your mind, your very will as the spark required to set the gas aflame. Also, open your eyes.”

Akairo opened his eyes and imagine gas pouring out from his hand but just as he imagined it catching fire, a basketball sized fire appeared between him and Zabu, it’s mere presence, sent both of them scrambling away.

They both stared at the blazing ball as it hung mid air but Akairo quickly found himself growing dizzy, something Zabu noticed.

“Imagine that something’s cutting off the blood supply to your arms!” He yelled and just as Akairo pictured that, the ball disappeared.

The two then stared at each other before simultaneously looking at the scorch marks on the ceiling.

“Why did you use the Tal of two arms?” Zabu asked but Akairo shook his head.

“I didn’t.” He breathed as Zabu’s eyes flashed green.

“Both your arms are deprived of Tal though.”

Silence followed.

Zabu looked at what was left of the rubber mat and clicked his tongue

“Looks like I’ll have to buy another one.” He muttered and while Akairo wanted to wonder how Zabu was able to afford all the food and stuff he couldn’t stop thinking about just what he had done.

“There’s... There’s something I think I need to tell you.” He said.

A faint frown formed on Zabu’s head as he stood up.

Akairo stood up as well and explained his condition. A condition that he himself didn’t fully understand.

He remembered that the doctors told Engel that his Tal Circuits constantly leaked due to something that happened early in his childhood and this leaking varied depending on how he felt.

At its best, when he was happy, nothing about Akairo’s body would change but at its worst, during situations of intense stress, he would erupt in a ball of flames.

Zabu nodded all while tapping his chin.

“Does it usually hurt?” He asked with s concerned expression but Akairo let out a groan in response.

“Not when I’m ok. The problem starts when the embers come.”

Zabu nodded again before crossing his arms and sighing.

“Well, if you already consulted doctors that means they tried to heal you and if even they failed then there’s not much I can do. I also wonder how actively expending Tal will affect your body but to keep things as safe as possible, I’ll only allow you to use one Tal Technique a day. We’ll then see how long it takes for you to recover. A normal person can recover a fully drained body’s worth of Tal after a good meal and a night’s sleep. I wonder if you’ll be different.” Zabu said making Akairo hum in concurrence.

Another moment passed and Zabu took a few steps back.

He looked around and backed away even further.

“Let’s try something that doesn’t expend Tal but will also increase your familiarity with it. So, feel your heartbeat again.”

Akairo nodded.

“Now look at your shadow.”

He did as instructed.

“I believe it was the great scholar Enourasi who said that the shadow is a reflection of the soul. I personally don’t believe he meant that literally but it’s a good metaphor. Look deep into it and with each heart beat imagine your Tal flowing in and out of it.”

Akairo did as instructed and gasped as his shadow suddenly darkened.

The concrete it covered was quickly scorched and waves of heat could be seen rising from it.

Akairo tried hopping away but, naturally, his shadow followed him, burning the ground whenever he went.

“Calm down and stop sending Tal into it, ya big dummy!” Zabu yelled as Akairo ran around.

The boy stopped and did as he was told.

He then sighed as his shadow returned to normal.

He was taken aback by the fact that his shoes hadn’t been burnt at all but his surprise turned into curiosity as he wondered how Zabu was able to make his shadow grow and so he asked.

“Ah-ah. We’ll get to Shadow Expansion when we get there. For now, let’s focus on making sure you don’t burn any more of our training ground.” Zabu snapped while crossing his arms behind his back.

“Anyway, I said you’d be going on the offensive. So come on. Try and hit me.” He grinned but this made Akairo tilt his head.

“But aren’t you out of Tal? What if I accidentally hurt you and-“

“BFTSHAHAHAHAHA!”

A slight frown formed on Akairo’s forehead as Zabu burst out onto laughter.

It got so bad that he fell onto his knees and clutched his belly as laughter consumed him.

“No, don’t worry.” Zabu wheezed while slowly getting back up.

“I... I initially wanted thank you for your concern but then, hehe, I genuinely couldn’t comprehend the idea of you ever hurting me.” Zabu laughed and all Akairo could do was groan.

“Ahem! Anyway, come at me!” He joyfully yelled.

Akairo scoffed before charging towards Zabu.

He sent forth a punch towards Zabu’s face but the man, with a single step backwards, dodged the attack.

Akairo sent forth another one but just as he did, Zabu’s expression changed.

“This session won’t end until you manage to land a hit on me.” He said with eyes that were freezing cold.