⸻
That power we felt?
It was real.
It was raw.
It was terrifying.
I didn't know what it was. Neither did Kaito. But it pulsed inside our bodies like fire in our veins. Like our blood had finally remembered something ancient.
The scarred guy stood across the field—chest rising, arms coated in scratches and dust. He looked pissed.
Kaito and I stood together, both breathing hard.
His hand began to glow again. Energy built in his palm.
This time, I wasn't scared.
I raised mine too.
Focused.
Felt that same rhythm in my chest again—like a second heartbeat, like something waiting to be called.
I pointed at him and said softly,
"Let's see if I can do it again…"
BOOM—!!
A glowing bolt erupted from my hand—my first true DU Blast.
He twisted just in time—grit in his teeth, fury in his eyes.
But Kaito was already moving.
"Try dodging this, jackass!"
He darted in and fired a massive DU Blast of his own—pure instinct, no training, just raw energy. The shot slammed into the guy's chest and launched him across the street.
The fence behind him shattered on impact.
⸻
But I wasn't done.
I sprinted forward. Fast.
My legs moved before my mind caught up.
The world felt slower — or maybe I just wasn't scared anymore.
I leapt off a broken railing, closed the distance midair, and caught him as he flew.
"Where do you think you're going!?"
CRACK!!
My foot smashed into his jaw—then I twisted, flipped, and came down right on top of him while we were both still airborne.
This time, I didn't hesitate.
I raised my palm—
Power gathering like a storm.
"For Kaito…"
A glowing sphere formed in my hand—bigger than before, brighter than before.
I slammed it into his chest.
DU BLAST!!
BOOM!!
Point-blank.
He hit the ground first—crashing hard, rolling, twitching.
Smoke rising.
Barely breathing.
Unconscious.
Done.
⸻
I dropped beside him, knees buckling. My breath ragged. Chest humming with that same strange energy.
I looked at my hands—still glowing faintly.
"What the hell is this stuff…?"
⸻
Kaito limped over, bruised but grinning.
"Okay… I'll admit it," he said. "That was kinda awesome."
I smirked. "Not bad yourself."
⸻
⸻
[Later – Our Apartment Porch]
We sat outside as the sun came up.
Backs sore. Faces bloody. Hands shaking.
Neither of us said much at first. Just silence… and that new weight hanging in the air.
The kind of silence that only shows up after you realize the world's bigger—and meaner—than you thought.
Finally, Kaito spoke.
"That was way too close…"
I nodded. "We got lucky."
"…Too lucky."
We looked out at the cracked sidewalk, the scorched fence, the unconscious body still lying in the street.
"We didn't beat him because we were stronger," I muttered. "We just… got mad faster."
Kaito laughed weakly. "That's not a strategy."
⸻
And that's when the decision was made.
"If we're really going to survive out here—"
"If I'm going to become the king of the world—"
"And Kaito's gonna become the strongest hunter alive—"
"Then we need more than heart."
We needed training.
Real training.
We started asking around—every contact, every back alley, every bar, every shady informant.
And eventually…
We found someone.
⸻
"Name's Genzō Arisaka," he said. "But I'm not taking students."
He was sitting in a lawn chair. Shirt half-buttoned. Drinking a soda like it was his day off forever.
"Come on," I said. "You're the guy, right? They say you were a beast back in the day."
Kaito leaned in. "Look, we don't need a full lecture. Just teach us how to punch better."
He raised an eyebrow.
"I'm trying to be the best teacher in the world," he said, sipping again. "Problem is… I don't really know how to teach."
He grinned.
"But I know how to make you boys strong."
And just like that… our real journey began.