Moonlight filtered softly through the windows of the hall, casting dancing shadows on the polished training floor. In one corner of the hall, Reichi stood quietly, eyes closed, trying to breathe slowly... but his heart was pounding, not from fear, but from anticipation.
A few steps away, Kaiga Shin was strutting around as if preparing for a party rather than a battle. His loud voice broke the silence:
"Ready? Or are you still waiting to write the perfect ending in your sleep?!"
Reiichi opened his eyes and replied with a slight smile:
"I'm here to learn... even if I don't understand what's going to happen."
Kaiga laughed loudly, then said:
"Great! The first lesson in controlling mana? Understand that the body should not obey you... but interact with you. Mana is not energy, it is a melody, and you must play it with your body!"
He approached him, then squatted in front of him and placed his finger on Riichi's chest:
"Here... this center is not just a reservoir. It is the drum that emits the first wave. Feel it."
Ryuichi closed his eyes again, trying to feel something... anything. But his mind was filled with noise, memories, voices, fear, expectations.
Aura whispered inside him, in a calm tone:
"Focus on your rhythm... not on me, not on Kaiga... just your rhythm."
Suddenly, he felt a slight tremor in his chest... then in his limbs. For the first time, Mana was not slipping away from him... but communicating with him.
Kaiga, noticing the first spark, jumped up excitedly:
> "Yes! That's it! Now... let's see if it stays stable when you're forced to respond!"
Then he took a few steps back, raised his arm, and said in a theatrical voice:
"Get ready for the practical lesson, diligent student... Goodbye to rest!"
...The hall was plunged into silence, except for the sound of Kaiga's heavy footsteps as he circled around Riichi like a predator watching its prey.
"Okay, let's begin the lesson!"
"The first step: let your mana flow... Don't try to force it, but imagine it as water leaving your palms... Not as a rocket exploding from your chest!"
Reiichi furrowed his brow, breathed slowly, and then tried to summon his mana as Kaiga had said...
But instead of flowing, his limbs felt tense!
A random spark shot out of his right palm, hitting a pillar behind him and blowing half of it up.
"Huh?! What was that?!"
"It's like trying to pour water from a jug, only to break the jug and stain the wall!" Kaiga shouted, laughing heartily.
Then suddenly, Kaiga rushed toward him at an astonishing speed, raising his fist and shouting:
"Lesson two: movement follows flow!"
He threw a huge punch covered in a blue mana aura, and Riichi raised his hand to block it as Ryoko had taught him earlier, but the impact was enough to push him two meters back!
He crashed into the wall of the hall, then fell to the ground, panting.
"Ah... I think I'm broken..." he muttered wearily.
"No, no, no, it's not broken, just cracked!"
"That's normal, human bones aren't made of mana—yet!" Kaiga said, waving his hand casually.
Then he approached, squatted down in front of him, and continued in a serious tone:
"Look, Reichi... Mana isn't just a force you unleash. It's like a dance. If your steps aren't precise, you'll step on your partner's toes."
"All you need to understand now is one simple thing: where does the wave begin in your body... and where does it end?"
Ryuichi nodded silently and tried again... He slowly extended his hand, this time without trembling. A small spark appeared in the palm of his hand... It didn't explode, but remained stable.
"Aha! That's it! You... Wait, is that a tear?!"
Kaiga laughed as he saw a small tear fall from Reiichi's eye.
"I think... I'm starting to feel something..." said Riichi in a low voice, a mixture of pain and pride.
Kaiga suddenly stood up and shouted:
"Then it's time... for the part called: 'Take the blows from the master!'"
"What?!" shouted Riichi, but it was too late.
Kaiga began to rain down light blows on him... like hammer blows on soft iron, and every time Riichi fell, Kaiga brought him back up, saying:
> "Get up, you hero with a sad ending!"
"Every fall brings you closer to understanding mana... or to the orthopedist, who knows!"
**
In the corner, Ryoko watched silently, her hands on her chest, thinking to herself:
> "This training... is unlike anything I've ever known before."
Meanwhile, Ora, who was watching through Ruiichi's inner glasses, whispered to him:
> "Hang in there... This pain creates a body that knows how to listen... Not just how to receive."
...Sweat dripped from Ruiichi's forehead, his hands trembled slightly, his breathing was ragged...
Kaiga stood near him, circling him again, but this time he wasn't laughing.
> "Hmm..."
"I expected you to be faster than this... I expected you to suddenly shout, 'I understand!'... but nothing."
Reichi tried to respond, but all that came out was a tired gasp.
Suddenly, Kaiga stopped and turned toward him seriously for the first time since the lesson began:
> "Well, there's no escape... We'll resort to the last resort!"
Reiichi raised his head wearily:
> "Last resort?"
Kaiga smiled his wide, crazy smile, then said:
> "Yes... A direct battle between us!"
> "But I'm still learning, it won't be a fair fight!"
Ryuichi said as he took a step back.
Kaiga laughed loudly, then said:
> "Exactly! Fairness is boring! Randomness creates warriors!"
"Come on, fight me. Not as a student... but as someone who wants to breathe mana as naturally as breathing air!"
The hall suddenly fell silent.
Even Ryoko, who had been watching, slowly approached, but did not intervene.
"Ora... what should I do?"
Ryochi whispered to himself.
Ora replied calmly:
"Don't expect to win... just learn to hold your ground."
"That is the real lesson."
Kaiga raised his hands and said in a voice like a wrestling coach:
"Round one... starts now!"
Then he lunged like lightning!
An air strike preceded his fist, causing the air around Ryuichi to tremble, who barely dodged it by jumping aside.
But he didn't get away with it for long, as Kaiga quickly turned around and launched a low blow that almost knocked him off balance.
> "Focus, boy! Your mana isn't just a liquid inside you... It's your voice when you shout, your gaze when you challenge, and your feet when you step confidently!"
**
Reichi tried to remember his words... He closed his eyes for a moment and reached out his hand toward Kaiga...
The mana glowed slowly, but it was unstable.
Kaiga noticed this and moved closer, but he didn't strike.
Instead, he said:
> "Well done... You're now on the edge."
> "If you fall, you will break. If you hold on... you will be reborn."
**
Then Kaiga delivered a powerful final punch... It was deliberately slow, as if he were testing him.
This time, Riichi did not dodge it... He faced it. He raised his hands, focused his mana... and blocked it.
Although his body shook, he did not fall.
Everyone fell silent.
Even Kaiga smiled:
> "Ha... now you're starting to breathe. Good, Reiichi... good."
**
In the end, Reiichi fell to his knees, exhausted, but in his eyes was something new:
a faint glimmer... but real.
A heavy silence preceded the storm.
Kaiga stood firmly, leaning forward slightly, his eyes sparkling with excitement...
While Riichi tried to control his breathing, sensing that this round would be completely different.
Kaiga (laughing):
"Now I'm going to test you... at real speed."
Suddenly, he disappeared.
All that remained was a strange whistling sound.
In a split second, he appeared behind Riichi, throwing a swift punch!
But Riichi barely dodged it.
> "This is impossible... He's too fast!"
He said as he quickly backed away, trying to follow his opponent's movements with his eyes.
**
Here, Aura suddenly activated, and the frame of his smart glasses glowed.
> Aura:
"Activating advanced analysis system – ANALYSIS MODE"
**
Everything around him has changed.
The world has become nothing more than a network of data:
Kaiga's movements are displayed as glowing lines.
The probability of an attack is shown as a percentage.
Even the position of Kaiga's feet is translated into the expected probability of upcoming strikes.
**
> "Right angle range – 62%
Arm movement – rebound pattern: high
Foot deviation – 8 degrees... Low strike expected!"
**
Reichi took a step back, then dodged precisely according to Ora's instructions.
The strike passed right by him!
> "You really predicted it..."
he muttered in surprise.
**
Kaiga, noticing this, smiled broadly:
> "Wow! Have you become a fortune teller? Or do you have an angel in your glasses?"
Then he lunged again, this time with a combination of kicks and slides, his body spinning like a martial arts dance.
But every attack was met with a calculated move from Reichi.
The battle intensified:
A punch from the right: he dodged it
A spin in the air: he blocked it with his elbow
Double lunge: he focused his mana on his arm and absorbed the shock.
**
> Ora (calmly):
"I'm starting to understand... You don't have Kaiga's speed, but you have something rarer... predictability."
**
At one point, Kaiga raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise:
> "Oh?! Am I... enjoying myself? That's great!!"
Then he shouted sharply:
> "Then it's time to change the rhythm!"
**
Suddenly, a sense of awe filled the room.
A faint sound like "drumming" emanated from Kaiga's body...
It was a strange rhythm, pulsing from his muscles, and with each movement he made, the sound grew louder.
> Ora (worried):
"Be careful... he's entered Drumbeat Form."
"This form causes his opponent to tremble unconsciously due to the vibrations."
**
Reichi's hands were already beginning to shake.
> "No... I can't concentrate."
"My eyes are following, but my hands aren't responding."
**
Kaiga pounced on him like lightning, and behind the violent rhythm, he unleashed a series of blows:
A punch to the chest.
An elbow strike to the shoulder.
A low kick followed by an uppercut.
**
Reichi was in severe pain, falling to his knees, blood on his mouth, but his eyes...
were full of defiance.
> "I can still... keep going...!"
**
Kaiga stood in front of him, then slowly raised his fist and said:
> "Well done so far... but you won't get any further...
unless you let your Mante speak for you!"
Then he launched a final attack... And now the question:
Will Reiichi gather his strength to repel it? Or will he fall?
Reiichi, despite the pain and exhaustion, muttered:
"There's no time to hesitate..."
"Ora... Do it."
**
Suddenly — an ominous silence fell,
then... a faint purple flash emanated from his glasses, and a transparent reflection appeared on his body...
as if a spectral version of himself surrounded him!
> Aura System:
"Phantom Sync: Mirror Combat Mode – Activated"
**
Kaiga was already lunging toward him, his fist aimed at Riichi's shoulder.
But...
Before it could reach him,
Riichi raised his hand at the same speed,
at the same angle,
at the same time...
And struck!
The sound of two identical fists colliding echoed through the hall.
A slight explosion of mana scattered around them, the air tore in the middle, and the forces of echo and reflection rebounded.
**
Kaiga Shin—always boastful—froze in place.
He took a step back... then whispered:
> "Huh... ? You hit me... ?"
**
Then he burst out laughing:
> "Ooohahaha! What the hell is this?!
Am I fighting my own reflection?! This... is amazing!!"
**
In the corner, Ryoko watched the scene, his eyes gradually widening.
He muttered in astonishment:
> "That... that move again...?
Impossible..."
Reichi, now, was no longer just dodging.
He was mirroring the attacks.
Every move Kaiga made was met with an identical move from Reichi.
Kaiga's enthusiastic tone began to fade... replaced by caution tinged with admiration.
> "This boy... is improving as I watch him?"
**
Then, at a decisive moment...
Kaiga stopped and extended his hand, as if to salute his opponent.
> "I think... this fight has taken on a different character."
In the center of the hall, under the glare of the lights dancing on the sweat-covered bodies of the combatants,
the intensity of the fight between Kaiga Shin and Reiichi rose to an unbelievable level.
**
The air was shaking.
Not figuratively... but literally.
For every move Reiichi made, there was a mirror image that emerged in the void,
as if his body had become a visual engine for an algorithmic program, mimicking every detail of his opponent.
> Aura (in a rapid inner voice):
"Trajectory analysis: complete."
"Fist angle: 43.2 degrees..."
"Foot analysis: 6% inward rotation..."
"Reflection activation in 0.2 seconds..."
**
💥 The clash began to resemble a fighting symphony.
Each punch from Kaiga was met with a matching punch from Reiichi,
each step was responded to with an opposite step at the same moment.
But Kaiga's eyes were glowing...
> "Hahahaha!!
This is the best thing I've ever seen in my life!!"
**
Ryoko, who remained frozen in place, watched with wide eyes and a tremor in his voice:
> "Where does he get all this energy...?
This boy's mana focus is fragile... very fragile...
But he fights like someone with pure mana!"
**
With every passing second, Ryuichi was exhausting himself...
The Phantom Sync was straining his nerves,
and the Analysis was straining his brain,
but his eyes... were shining with determination!
> "I won't back down... even if I'm torn apart from the inside."
**
But Kaiga, with a fiery smile, decided to stop playing.
He raised his arms behind him, his muscles trembling, and mana swirled around him like a torrent of waves:
> "Well, Mirror Boy...
It's time to bounce!"
**
💥 Suddenly, he punched the air with his fist...
But the air screamed!
A transparent wave, invisible except for the distortion of mana, reverberated,
and shot straight toward Riichi — it was heavier than any punch he had ever received before!
**
> Kaiga, in his usual loud voice:
"This is my power, my comrade in arms...
Echo Crush!
Everything I hit, and everything I was hit with...
I return to you doubled, as a deadly echo!"
**
🌪️ The blows began to accumulate in Kaiga's body — then suddenly, he began to unleash them:
One blow... then another... then a third wave, as if the earth itself was shaking with it.
**
Reichi tried to keep up...
Once again, he did Phantom Sync...
His blows were reflected, but he was fighting... a stronger version of himself!
> Analyze — Respond — Dodge — Strike — Retreat — Jump — Collide...
The entire hall became an irregular storm,
even shaking the ground beneath the feet of the other trainees.
**
In slow motion,
Kaiga and Riichi's fists collided,
each throwing their soul into the blow.
The void compressed... then exploded.
**
✨ Silver mana collided with dark blue mana... and the result?
A moment of silence.
Then dust scattered, and Ruiichi emerged, standing with difficulty, his body trembling, but his eyes still shining.
**
> Kaiga, panting, but smiling as usual:
"I swear I haven't laughed like this since I kicked a mana monster in the face when I was sixteen."
> Then he pointed his thumb at him:
"You... are officially on my list!"
"Whose list?"
"The list of people I want by my side when I go to hell!"
**
And here...
The tour ended.
In the aftermath of the final explosion,
a moment of silence prevailed inside the hall...
Dust slowly scattered, and dim light passed through its particles,
as if time had frozen in respect for what had happened.
**
Reiichi stood, his body trembling, breathing heavily,
but his eyes carried an indescribable glow...
The glow of someone who was no longer the same as before the fight.
**
From the side, Ryoko stood silently,
her eyebrows raised, her expression somewhere between shock and admiration:
> Ryoko (inner voice):
"He wasn't just defending himself...
He was challenging...
With passion, with determination, without complaint...
This boy... There is something in him that transcends mana itself."
**
On the other side, Seguro stood,
the one who had been a terrifying opponent just hours ago,
looking at Riuichi with wide eyes—
no anger, no pride... only pure respect.
**
He took slow steps...
then knelt on his left knee in front of Riuichi,
amidst the shock of everyone, especially the trainees who had witnessed the violence of their previous fight.
**
Then...
he extended his right hand, holding the official training uniform of the warriors' hall in this hall.
It was black with silver stripes and bore the hall's mana seal,
which was only given to those considered "elite."
> Seguro, in his deep and humble voice:
"Reichi...
I wronged you before, and I misjudged you...
I thought you were just a weak beginner, unworthy of staying among us."
> (He bowed his head in respect.)
"But today...
You showed what many could not show.
An unbreakable will... is the greatest mana."
> "If you accept...
This suit is yours.
Let's start over... Not as enemies, but as colleagues."
**
The hall fell silent.
Reiichi did not expect anything like this...
Even Ora, behind his glasses, remained silent for a few seconds.
**
> Ora (inner monologue):
"... This is the first time I've seen this hall acknowledge someone... not because of their mana rank, but because of their determination."
**
Final shot:
Reichi slowly takes the suit...
and a slight smile appears on his tired face,
while Kaiga raises his arms loudly:
> "Ah, guys, this is better than any anime ending I've ever seen in my life!!
We need a party after this, or at least... some cake!!"
— The scene ends with a shot of the suit in Ruiichi's hands,
his eyes shining, as he whispers:
> "I'll get there... no matter what it takes."
The camera slowly rises above the roof of one of the tall buildings adjacent to the training hall...
A cold breeze stirs the edges of a long black coat...
There... a shadow stands motionless, not moving an inch.
His face is covered with a black metal mask, marked with red lines like scars.
Only his eyes are visible...
They shine crimson, like embers without flame.
**
He was watching the training hall from afar,
specifically where Ruiichi had come out, carrying the suit on his shoulder, accompanied by Kaiga and Ryoko.
**
> The masked man, in a faint inner voice, as if it did not come from a human throat:
"...He has begun to make his way...amidst the chaos and resistance."
> (Then he paused for a moment, before continuing in the same cold tone)
"...The meeting is near, heir."
[Close-up of his eyes — Reichi's reflection in his pupils]
**
Then the masked man turns his back...
and walks silently along the edge of the roof, disappearing into the darkness...