The warehouse smelled faintly of sweat, metal, and… fried instant noodles. Kaito knew early that the Stray Dogs didn't bother with "luxury." They just trained hard, ate when it was convenient, and every now and then, debated who possessed the most ridiculous nicknames.
"Alright, everyone!" Jin clapped, eyes scanning the assembled gang. "Today's lesson is team combat drills. You fight in pairs or trios against multiple opponents. Coordination is key. Chaos is inevitable. Survival… preferred."
Riku practically bounced out of his shoes. "YES! Team drills! Finally, real action with friends!"
Kaito muttered under his breath, "Friends are optional."
Yuna smirked. "Don't be boring, wind demon. Try teamwork. Maybe you'll enjoy it."
Kaito rolled his eyes. "I enjoy results. If teamwork gives me results, maybe I'll enjoy it."
Jin pointed at him. "Good. You'll be team leader for your group. Riku, Yuna, and… pick one more random member. Go."
Riku immediately waved at someone across the room. "Hey! You! Come over! You're in our team!"
A tall, lanky guy with neon-green hair and an ever-present smirk ambled over. "Name's Hoshin. You picked me?"
Riku nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Welcome to chaos central!
Kaito had sighed. "Great… just great."
---
The central area of the warehouse had been set up as the "combat arena". There were wooden crates, ropes, hanging chains, and stacked barrels, all forming a rather improvised battleground.
Across the area stood holographic opponents-highly humanlike but flickering slightly. They were not real people, but their movements simulated several fighting styles and unpredictable attacks.
Jin raised one eyebrow. "Remember: treat them like they're real. Don't underestimate. And yes… no actual destruction of the warehouse."
Riku looked around nervously. "Wait… we're fighting holograms? That's… still terrifying!"
"Better than live bullets, I suppose," Kaito muttered.
Yuna smirked, "Speak for yourself, wind demon. I intend to have fun."
-
The drill began with a loud beep.
The holograms sprang into motion on cue, encircling Kaito's group. Riku yelped and swung wildly. One hologram dodged effortlessly and flicked him back with a soft push.
"Bro! That's cheating!" Riku shouted, bouncing across the floor.
Kaito moved serenely, eyes darting from one hologram to the next; his Tempest Aura shimmered faintly as he shifted his stance.
"Watch closely," he muttered. With a flick of his wrist, a controlled gust of wind threw a hologram off its feet. Another he sidestepped, allowing it to slam into a barrel.
Hoshin raised an eyebrow. "Impressive control. You don't just rely on raw power, huh?"
Kaito shrugged. "Efficiency isn't flashy. But it works."
Yuna rolled her eyes. "Maybe boring efficiency will work… but it's missing panache. Here, let me show you."
She sprang forward, kicking and flipping around the holograms in her path. Sparks flew as she tagged three all at once, her movements fluid and almost teasing in style.
Riku's jaw dropped. "Whoa, that is amazing! Look at her go, bro!"
Kaito didn't reply. He was already scheming, moving his team with efficiency and placing them in a manner where coverage would be maximized without risk. The holograms were fast, but predictable once their rhythm was read.
Hoshin grinned. "Okay, I like this team. Smart, fast, and with attitude. This is going to be fun."
---
Suddenly, one of those holograms "glitched" and split into two. Then four. Then eight. In a heartbeat, numbers doubled.
Riku screamed. "BRO! THIS IS CHEATING!"
Kaito's aura flared stronger; the wind whipped around him in controlled bursts. "Focus. Stay in formation. Don't panic."
Yuna smirked. "Finally, a real challenge. Let's make this interesting."
She sprang forward, flipped through the air, and smashed through a cluster of holograms with a series of precise kicks. Holograms exploded in flashes of light, arcs of semi-fantasy energy crackling.
Riku panicked, swinging wildly. "BRO! COVER ME!"
Kaito exhaled slowly. "Stay behind me. Move when I move. Watch my cues."
He directed them like a general: a push of wind here, a slight kick of debris there, guiding Hoshin to block, Yuna to flank, and Riku to… well, not die. The group was starting to become a single cohesive unit, their combined skills overwhelming the holographic swarm.
It all came to a head when, at the center, a gigantic hologram appeared-twice as large as the others, faintly purple in tint.
"Uh… that's not in the instructions," Riku muttered, backing up.
"Relax," Kaito said calmly, fists glowing slightly. "Big targets are easy targets if you stay calm."
The group formed a circle around the giant hologram. Kaito focused, unleashing a concentrated Tempest Aura gust. It pushed the hologram backward, destabilizing it.
Yuna darted in, kicking cleanly and precisely at its weak points. Hoshin followed with rapid strikes, perfectly in sync with Kaito's gusts of air. Riku… tripped over a barrel but somehow landed behind the hologram with great timing, to deliver an accidental punch that sent it crashing down.
Cheers erupted in the warehouse as the hologram flickered and disappeared.
Jin stepped forward, applauding slowly. "Impressive: you not only survived but adapted. And amazingly enough, you worked together."
Yuna smirked at Kaito. "See, teamwork can be fun."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Fun is relative. I'd call it… efficient."
Riku groaned. "Efficient, fun… can we just agree we survived and go eat?"
"Survival is… satisfying enough," Kaito muttered.
Jin's gaze softened slightly. "Good work today. Tomorrow, we start live sparring matches. Holograms are one thing… real people? That's another."
Kaito's lips curved into a faint smile. "I expected nothing less." The city lights flickered outside, the wind picking up. Far away, a streak of lightning illuminated the horizon.
Raiden Koga was still out there. And Kaito knew… the next challenge wouldn't just be a training drill. It would be a fight he couldn't ignore.