Watsu continued to tail them, keeping his distance as they walked along until they reached the point where their paths would diverge. Using the cover of a nearby house with a small alleyway, he carefully peeked out with his right eye, silently observing them. The conversation between Arkens and Target seemed to have died down during their small trek, and soon, they waved each other goodbye. Arkens, noticing the sun dipping below the horizon and the darkness creeping in, suddenly picked up the pace and dashed toward home, moving as though he were in a hurry. Knowing it would be too risky to follow further, Watsu decided against chasing him. It would be too obvious, and his time was running short. He pulled out his phone, the screen's glow reflecting on his face as he checked the time.

"Tch- At least this time, it was productive. I learned new information.. But this isn't what I expected it to be. There is more behind the scenes with these two, including Mr. Damatsu. ARGH! I'm doing this all alone, too, fuck me".

Watsu returned home soon after. As time progressed, the night settled into the same hour that Arkens had left to train with Mr. Damatsu the first time. And that's precisely what he did. It was Day 2 of training, and Arkens found himself in the far reaches of the mountain, continuing his session with Mr. Damatsu. The training had already begun, with the two clashing head-to-head. Arkens was glowing faintly with hints of Sera Energy, his clothes dirtied, and his face roughed up with tiny scratches. He stood in place, breathing steadily, waiting for the perfect moment to act. Mr. Damatsu, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Haa..haa..haa.. We barely started, and I'm exhausted- He wasn't joking when he said the difficulty level would increase based on my progress..".

He closed his eyes, recalling Mr. Damatsu's lessons about the basics of Sera Energy and the essential tools he had to master even to come close to true strength. If an opponent was too fast to be noticed, Arkens had to rely on his heightened senses. And if that wasn't enough, he had to detect Sera Energy signatures. Focusing intently, Arkens tuned out the noise of the world around him, attempting to use Sera Energy Detection to pinpoint where his teacher would appear next. Within moments, he felt a solid yet small Sera Energy signature moving around him at high speeds. His mind raced as he honed in on the energy's rapid movements, and with his target in mind, Arkens made his move. He dashed forward, his body reacting almost like a track star at the sound of a starting gun. Sera Energy pulsed faintly through his veins as he raced toward where the signature would fall next, his eyes sharpening with focus. Timing it perfectly, he swung a strong right punch, aiming to intercept his teacher.

"I found ya! HaaaAH!".

A shockwave of air pressure echoed throughout the training grounds, kicking up quite the force. The moment Arkens threw his punch, it seemed Mr. Damatsu had already caught it with his only good hand, his palm gripping the boy's fist tightly. They appeared locked in a struggle, with Arkens pushing as hard as he could, trying to force his fist forward, but he couldn't budge through Mr. Damatsu's overwhelming strength. Arkens's face was filled with intensity and frustration, his brow furrowed in determination. In contrast, Mr. Damatsu's face remained as stoic and unmoving as ever, his calm gaze locked firmly on his student.

"Damn it!- I thought I had you this time! For someone with practically zero Sera Energy, you sure can move!".

"Hmph. Of course, I can. Sera Energy can make you strong, but physical training and body maintenance are just as necessary. But don't mistake it, Arkens. Without Sera Energy, you can't compete with those who are strong. I can easily match you right now because you're a beginner".

Mr. Damatsu let go of Arkens's fist and immediately followed up with a swift backward kick aimed at his stomach. However, Arkens saw it coming from a mile away and, with quick reflexes, performed a backflip to dodge the attack, using the momentum to create distance between them in the same fluid motion. Mr. Damatsu nodded in quiet acknowledgment, impressed by the seamless execution of the dodge.

"Good. You're getting used to fighting against me. And your strength and mastery are improving. You still aren't there, nowhere close to decently acceptable, but progress is being made".

"T-Thanks.. for the encouragement".

He smiled awkwardly, his body slumping forward in exhaustion. Arkens wasn't thrilled with Mr. Damatsu's silent acknowledgment of his progress or lack thereof. But at this point, he'd take anything. His teacher was always the same: stoic, serious, unnerving, unfazed, a literal machine. Arkens wouldn't even be surprised if it turned out to be true.

"Let's get back to it. We must maximize our time now; no more talking unless it's a question or from me".

Mr. Damatsu rushed Arkens without a second thought, not giving him a moment to respond. Arkens quickly raised his guard, bracing himself for the incoming flurry of attacks. The training continued from there, relentless and unyielding, lasting for hours until midnight. The moon shone brightly above the night sky, with stars flickering far away. Arkens lay sprawled on the ground, arms and legs spread out, his chest heaving as he desperately tried to catch his breath. His body was sore, aching, and beyond exhausted. Mr. Damatsu, calm and composed, walked over with a cold water bottle, tiny droplets of condensation dripping down its surface. He handed it to Arkens and sat on a small rock he had carried over, his usual stoic expression unchanged.

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"T-Thanks!..".

Arkens opened the bottle and downed the water in multiple gulps, finishing it in seconds. Mr. Damatsu, without a word, kicked a small cooler containing fresh, cold water bottles to Arkens's side. Without hesitation, Arkens reacted with the instincts of a feral animal, grabbing bottle after bottle and drinking them down as if his life depended on it.

"Hmm. Keep this up, and we'll make do with what you've got. But nothing can be decided until we finally fully grasp your ability. That is an important factor in a Sera Energy user's future".

"Oh yeah? That doesn't concern me though!".

"Really? And why is that? I hope you realize there are monsters out there with powers no human should be able to control".

Arkens stopped drinking the water bottle in his hand, and the atmosphere grew still. His face softened, the intensity draining from his expression as his gaze remained fixed on the bottle.

"No matter what I have, I have no choice but to accept it.. I can pray and hope for something useful, but I can't complain about what I've got. I don't have the luxury to cry and weep".

"Whatever power is destined for me, I just have to take it and grow strong with it to the point where even the most powerful of abilities fail compared to my own".

Arkens looked at Mr. Damatsu with a newfound seriousness, but a faint smile was etched on his face.

"Good answer. Keep that drive and optimism in your mind and heart".

"Hehe. Yeah!".

"That marks the end of today's training session; we'll pick this up again tomorrow around the same time".

Arkens got up, and a sharp wave of pain coursed through his body. He immediately reacted by adopting comically strange poses and facial expressions, each more exaggerated than the last, clearly showing the pain he was enduring. Mr. Damatsu stood by, watching silently, not uttering a word. With a sigh, he turned and left Arkens to his own devices. Realizing he was alone, Arkens eventually gave up on his antics and returned to rest, preparing himself for the next day.

The following day began with a typical buzz of conversation filling the classroom as students chatted with their friends. However, two individuals stood out. Arkens was fast asleep, his chin firmly planted on the desk, arms dangling loosely to the sides, mouth slightly open with a small line of drool slowly dripping down. His snoring was quiet but more goofy than disruptive. Meanwhile, Watsu sat nearby, noticing the opportunity to play a small game. At the same time, he collected his thoughts on what he would do to gather more information on the curious connection between Mr. Damatsu, Arkens, and Target. Resting his head on the palm of his hand, Watsu stared at the dozing Arkens and began flicking small balls of paper toward his open mouth, trying to land a perfect shot.

He had many attempts, with a few balls of paper rolled over his desk. When Mr. Damatsu slid the door open to begin homeroom class, he could finally score a ball in his best friend's mouth, causing Arkens to wake up and freak out, who tried to spit out whatever fell in.

"Ebihara! Behave yourself!- And what's with that littered desk?!".

The students erupted in laughter as the situation unfolded. Watsu froze, his entire body turning into a comical stone statue, knowing he was the cause of the scene. His face remained stuck in a goofy smile, desperately trying to play innocent as Arkens stirred awake, looking groggily around the room. Target, making sure her laughter was louder than everyone else's, caught Arkens's attention immediately. He turned to face her, his eyes narrowing in frustration as anger marks comically appeared on the sides of his head, his expression boiling with irritation.

"I know that water-down dwarf isn't laughing her ass off!- I swear I'm gonna send her to the mines with her fellow brethren!!!".

The laughter slowly faded into an echo as the school day passed, and it was time for students to head home or stay for club activities. From the second-story window of the school, Nya stood watching Arkens and Target meet up in the courtyard below, her expression tinged with sadness. She hadn't heard from Watsu in a while, and an uneasy feeling twisted in her gut. Dressed in her volleyball attire, Nya couldn't shake the sense that something was off. Next to her, Qiyo, wearing the same outfit, nudged her best friend's arm, trying to snap her out of her thoughts.

"Nya? Practice is going to start soon, let's go before we're late".

Nya shook her head and turned around with a smile on her face.

"Right! Sorry, we should go then".

Nya quickly walked away from the window and headed toward the gymnasium. Qiyo followed behind, knowing something was up but not fully understanding the depth of the situation like Watsu, who was directly involved. Nya wanted to figure out what was happening with Arkens's strange behavior, but she was still in the dark. Meanwhile, Watsu was back in the fray, following Arkens and Target on their way home again. This time, he was more determined than ever, having created an excuse for his family by claiming he needed more time for academic work. He kept a close distance, using the same method of listening in on their conversations, but ready to follow them much farther than he had the previous day.

"Your little ass was so gut happy back there laughing super loud, knowing it wasn't even that funny!".

He pinched Target's cheeks with his fingers, stretching her face in irritation. Target squealed in pain, her hands frantically trying to pull his away as they fumbled in a ridiculously harmless struggle.

"Take that! Take this! Eat this, ya dwarf!".

"AHHHH, LET GO, YOU UGLY TROLL; MY FACE IS GOING TO COME OFF".

The constant bickering and playful yelling continued until they reached the same old diverging paths, parting ways with a final glance and flipping each other off with a smirk. Afterward, Arkens returned home, but this time, Watsu followed him, determined to uncover the truth. He patiently waited, watching as Arkens eventually left again, dressed in new clothes. It was late, and Watsu knew he was getting close and had to understand what his best friend was going through.

'He changed into new clothes and out of his school uniform.. What for exactly and at this time?'.

Arkens and the stalking Watsu reached the forest, a sight that surprised Watsu, but he knew he had to keep going. They were heading far up the mountain, where being out at night was strictly forbidden. As Arkens followed the path higher, Watsu realized the trail led to an open space, leaving him no cover to move forward unnoticed. Forced to retreat to a lower patch of ground, Watsu stayed close to the clearing but could not see anything. Now, he would have to rely solely on his sense of hearing to gather information about what was happening.

'Alright Arkens! Let's see what's going on! I bet you're meeting someone here, either Mr. Damatsu or Target!'.