Nobaru-sensei's new training was about to begin.
"NOW THE REAL HELL BEGINS! Give it your MAXIMUM, Fukuoka! MAXIMUM!" Nobaru's voice thundered, charged with frustration that sounded more like a challenge.
"Sensei! When are we going to go out and fight real monsters?!" Fukuoka asked, his eyes burning with impatience, but his voice trembling slightly.
Nobaru crossed her arms, her aura of power almost palpable.
"You can barely complete a simple mission, and you already want to throw yourself against abominations?! Pathetic! But..."
The corner of her mouth curled into a sharp smile. "...there is still a spark of hope in you. Do your best. We START NOW!"
On the ground, six long, thin pieces of wood were laid out.
"Take that wood and STAND UP on top of it!" Nobaru ordered.
"BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! It's too thin!" exclaimed Fukuoka, feeling adrenaline mixed with dread.
"Shut up and LOOK!" Without warning, Nobaru's OSMO energy exploded, enveloping the wood in a faint aura.
She took a single jump, landing perfectly balanced, upside-down, on top of the piece of wood.
"You must stay like this for ONE FULL HOUR!"
The days followed in a torture. Falls. Failure. The sound of the wood cracking against the ground constantly echoed in the courtyard.
Two days passed. Everyone fell, exhausted.
Three days passed. Failure was still the only constant.
"VERY GOOD, ZAREN!" Nobaru shouted. Zaren managed to stay up, concentration sculpted on his face.
Four, five days.
On the eighth day, ZULIAN reached the one-hour mark.
Fifteen days later, Nanai and Yoshi finally mastered the balance.
25 DAYS WENT BY.
"25 DAYS, FUKUOKA! And you haven't managed it even once! IS IT THAT HARD?!" Nobaru's voice was at the limit of fury.
"But it's impossible, Sensei! It's too difficult!" Fukuoka muttered.
"Come here, now! Can you... can you feel the OSMO energy inside you?!" Nobaru asked, her brow furrowed.
"I... I don't know..." Fukuoka replied.
"HOW DON'T YOU KNOW?! You are the worst student I've ever had!
USELESS!" The word was a blow.
"I'm sorry... I'm just too weak..." Fukuoka lowered his head, shame squeezing his chest.
"DON'T SAY THAT!" Nobaru grabbed his shoulders. "Fukuoka! When the Osmo merged with you, it was because he trusts and believes in you!"
"How do I know he's inside me?"
Fukuoka asked, his eyes wide.
"Put your hand on your chest. Feel it?" Nobaru's voice softened, strangely.
"Yes..." Fukuoka replied.
"Now, on the other side. Do you feel it?"
"Yes, I'm feeling it!"
"You have TWO LIVES inside you! He entrusted his energy to you!"
"What do I do, Sensei? How can I access it?!" Hope ignited a spark in his eyes.
"Close your eyes. NOW! Imagine that your heart and your Osmo's heart are ONE! They joined to form a SINGLE, INVINCIBLE HEART! Did you imagine
it?!"
"YES!"
"Now, imagine that energy FLOWING, exploding out of you! RELEASE IT!"
"I'M GOING TO TRY!" Fukuoka tried, with a burst of will... and fell once more.
"That's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow," Nobaru said, frustrated, but no longer angry.
But Fukuoka didn't move. He stayed. He tried AGAIN and AGAIN!
The early hours arrived. A cold rain began to fall, but the boy was still there. Trying. Falling. Getting up. Falling.
Yoshi appeared, holding an umbrella and a package of food.
"You're going to catch a cold, idiot," Yoshi said, concern in his voice.
Fukuoka looked at Yoshi. His face was covered in sweat and suppressed tears.
"I can't... I just CAN'T, Yoshi!" The confession came out as a sob.
Yoshi dropped the umbrella and gave him the food.
"Eat."
"It's delicious..." Fukuoka muttered between bites.
"What are you thinking about?" Yoshi asked.
"I don't know... only thoughts of the old school come back... In physical education, I had to climb that rope... and I couldn't... And they... they used to laugh at me..." Fukuoka clenched his fist.
"Don't think about them. You're safe now. It's just you and me here," Yoshi placed his hand on Fukuoka's shoulder.
"To release that energy, you have to feel ANGER! What makes you angry?!"
"The girls today... who no longer care about anyone's feelings... To tell the truth... I'm TIRED of having no one... of feeling ALONE!" The words came with a sharp pain.
"ENOUGH! You have a new family here! Nanai, Nobaru, Zaren, Zulian, Yagato, and me!" Yoshi said. "I know nothing can replace your bloo family,
but WE ARE HERE!"
"Thank you..."
"So let's go! Feel angry at the girls who only want money! Feel angry at all this Bullshit!"
Suddenly, Fukuoka's Osmo energy exploded! It spread across the ground, slightly cracking the wet earth! He took a LEAP! His body trembled, his mind focused, and he managed to hold himself on the wood!
"YOSHI! LOOK! I DID IT!" Fukuoka's cry echoed, full of triumph!
"THAT'S IT! BUT DON'T STOP!" Yoshi encouraged him!
The effort was extreme. Minutes later, the energy faded. He was falling.
Yoshi threw himself forward. Fukuoka fell on top of him.
CRASH!
"Sorry, Yoshi!"
"No problem! Oh, God... I'm all broken!" Yoshi groaned, but his face was lit up by a proud smile.
Yagato, the Expelled
Later, in the room...
"Fukuoka, I'm visiting my mother these days. Do you want to come along?" Yoshi asked.
"Of course!"
"What about me, aren't you going to invite me?" The door opened, revealing Yagato with an expression of comical defeat.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Fukuoka asked.
"Nobaru-sensei kicked me out again..." Yagato sighed dramatically.
"Man... Your relationship has serious problems, huh?" Yoshi commented, shaking his head.