Ito placed his hand gently on the small plant. In an instant, it surged upward, stretching into a tree that nearly brushed the ceiling. With a single fist, Ito struck the trunk. The tree collapsed—and in the blink of an eye shrank back into its tiny form.
"Alright," Ito said, brushing his hand off. "Lift your shirt."
"…What?"
Ito smacked Akira lightly on the head. "Relax. You can't feel the Tao in your own body, so I'm going to kick-start it."
His palm glowed gold as he pressed it against the crown-shaped mark on Akira's chest. The mark flared—golden energy burst outward, blasting Ito back a few steps.
He stared at his hand, then pointed toward Akira's chest. "Why didn't you tell me you had a contract?"
Akira blinked, pointing at himself in confusion. "Huh?"
"You're bonded with a Yokai," Ito said sharply. "Don't tell me you didn't know."
Akira shook his head.
Ito sighed, running a hand through his red ponytail. "A Yokai can form a contract even if you don't fully agree—especially if you were a child. They use your Tao as a source of life. Normally, that would drain you dry. But your ridiculous Tao reserves… it seems to balance out."
Akira smirked and tapped his chest. "So what? If my body can handle it, that just makes me stronger."
Ito jabbed a finger toward him, voice rising. "You're missing the point! You don't have access to any of the Yokai's powers, and it's actively limiting you. Right now, you're at maybe eighty percent of the Tao you should have."
Akira tapped the mark twice, thoughtful. "So how do I wake it up?"
"It's already awake," Ito replied. His eye glinted as he lowered into a stance. "All I have to do is break its defenses."
He lunged. His palm slammed into Akira's chest. The golden energy burst out again, clawing at his hand, but Ito shattered it like glass and drove his Tao straight into Akira's body.
Akira gasped. For a heartbeat, his senses expanded. Above Ito, he saw a massive aura—like a towering Shinto Gate radiating power. Then, just as quickly, it slipped away.
"I lost it," Akira muttered, clutching his chest.
Ito straightened, shaking his head. "That wasn't yours. That was mine. Your body rejects my Tao naturally. But… you should be able to feel your own now."
Akira extended his hand toward the small plant. His palm glowed faintly, energy spilling out. The plant grew taller in response—only to shoot his Tao back at him a moment later.
Ito's eye widened. "He can already use Tao? Most people can't even sense it at first, let alone manifest it without collapsing…"
A slow grin tugged at his lips.
"You're a natural Taoist, Akira. Good job.