"To control my power…"
The thought lingered in my mind as I walked down the hallway, struggling with the weight of the strength I carried inside me. If I lost control again… I couldn't even imagine the damage I might cause. I didn't want to hurt anyone ever again.
"Aki?"
A soft yet familiar voice called out to me. I looked up and saw Siana standing in front of me.
"Hehe, this feels familiar..."
She smiled warmly, her expression gentle. It was just like yesterday when we met again, as it was just like the moment after my training with Miyaki.
Suddenly, an idea struck me.
That's right, Miyaki sensei! Maybe she has some way to help me control this power.
"Siana, do you know where Miyaki-sensei is?"
"Hmm...? Oh! You mean Ms. Miyaki Hanae? I just saw her earlier. She said she was heading back to the training field."
I feel a spark of motivation, as this might be the first step to learning how to control my power.
"I'd like to talk to her. Do you want to come with me?"
"Cool! I'd love to! It's been a while since I last talked to her."
Siana said, her face lighting up with excitement.
When we arrived at the training field, we saw Miyaki sitting on the grass, with a small table beside her. She took a sip of hot green tea, enjoying the peaceful scenery as the gentle wind swayed the field of lush green grass.
As we approached, Miyaki turned to face us, her eyes lighting up with a warm smile.
"Oh~? What curious winds have brought you two here today?"
She greeted us with a playful smirk.
"Hi again, Miss Miyaki!"
Siana waved cheerfully, her voice full of excitement at seeing her again.
"Aki? Haha, looks like you're doing better now, huh?"
Miyaki suddenly reached out and gave my shoulder a friendly pat, her smile bright and full of energy. I smiled back, but at that moment, I noticed something different in her expression.
Behind her cheerful grin, there was a hint of concern, like she had been worried about me. And now, seeing me okay, she finally looked relieved.
"So, what brings you two here today?"
Miyaki asked, tilting her head slightly with a curious smile.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure how to ask for help with my training, especially after how intense the fight got between us yesterday at this same field.
"Oh~? What's this? Don't tell me… You already missed me after yesterday's training?"
Miyaki grinned, teasing me as she burst into laughter. It was almost like she could read my mind.
After her laugh, I already knew where this was going.
I scratched my cheek, a bit embarrassed, and admitted that she got me. I came to ask if she knew anything about emotional control.
"Ehh… I'm not a therapist, you know?"
She said with a teasing grin.
"H-huh? N-no, I mean—"
Before I could finish, Miyaki burst out laughing again.
"HAHAHA, I'm just messing with you, kiddo."
She said with a wink.
"I know exactly why you're here. You wanna learn how to control that power of yours, right?"
She gave me another teasing smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Miss Miyaki, you like teasing him, huh…"
Siana said with a small smile.
"What? It's been a while since someone your age came to me asking for training."
Miyaki chuckled, her smile warm.
As she spoke, it felt like she was remembering something, maybe from long ago. Like when Leroy and Skyler were still her students, and the many others she'd taught over the past ten years.
But then, I noticed her smile slowly begin to fade.
Her eyes drifted off for a moment, as if recalling a memory she didn't want to return to.
"Miyaki sensei?"
Worried, I gently asked,
She blinked and smiled again, and just like that, as her energy returned.
Without answering directly, she turned around and walked toward a nearby rack.
"You came here to train, right?"
She asked.
"Y-yes…?"
I nodded, confused about what she was doing.
She pulled out two wooden swords, with one for herself and the other she tossed toward me.
"Then let's not waste time. If you manage to parry through my sword, then I'll teach you more about it."
With a smirk, she took her stance.
Siana quietly stepped back, giving us some space. From the corner, she held up both thumbs and gave me a big smile, her way of wishing me luck.
I took a deep breath, knowing full well this was the infamous Miyaki style of training.
Intense, fast, and unforgiving.
But unlike yesterday, I felt more prepared. I could do this.
"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. For now…"
Miyaki said with a teasing smirk.
But the moment I blinked—
She was already right in front of me.
"Wait, this is easy!?"
I screamed in my head, my heart pounding.
Relying on instinct, I raised my wooden sword just in time to block her first strike.
But I already knew what was coming next.
She's going for another hit right after—
I shifted my stance and blocked again, meeting her second blow with my own.
Miyaki's eyes widened slightly, a smile tugging at her lips as she noticed I could keep up with her moves. Strike after strike came at me, but I held my ground, blocking each one with everything I had.
Still… I couldn't find a single opening to counterattack. All I could do was defend.
"Oh~?, seems like you've gotten stronger."
She said with a grin, her wooden sword still swinging with sharp precision.
Suddenly, a heavy strike crashed against my blade, and I stumbled back as my defense was broken.
Before I could recover, she was already closing in, her sword aimed right at my head.
But then, something inside my chest stirred.
A warmth, faint but steady, like a pulse of light.
In the blink of an eye, I moved.
My body reacted on its own, dodging to the side as her attack whooshed past me, then as another one, just barely grazing my cheek.
"What was that just now…?"
The thought echoed in my mind, my heart still pounding from the sudden movement.
Even Miyaki had stopped mid-swing, her eyes narrowing with interest.
Miyaki stared at me closely, her eyes narrowing as she focused on my aura.
"It's growing..."
She whispered to herself, a grin slowly forming on her face.
My aura, something once faint, was now becoming clearer, stronger, almost like it was finally waking up.
"Aki, focus on my hand."
She said with a playful smirk, raising it in front of me.
I blinked, confused. Her hand? What was she hinting at?
Was there something hidden I wasn't seeing yet?
Miyaki suddenly dashed in front of me, her strikes coming fast and relentless. I blocked each one, barely keeping up.
Focus on her hand… I recalled what she said earlier. Was she telling me to watch her movements? Or was there something deeper?
As I continued defending, I began to notice a pattern of two quick strikes… then one heavy blow.
That's it.
She always followed up with a powerful swing after two light ones. My eyes sharpened, locking onto her grip. I saw it. The way she tightened her hold on the wooden sword, just like before.
This was my chance.
As she raised her blade for the heavy attack, I sidestepped with all my strength, dodging just in time. Then, gripping my wooden sword, I swung upward to land a clean strike.
But Miyaki twisted her head with ease, dodging my counterattack, and with one swift move, she pushed me back again.
"Heh… looks like you figured it out."
A wide grin spread across her face, full of energy and excitement.
And at that moment, I knew—
This was just the beginning.
One strike after another, I kept up to block each blow the best I could. Every time I saw an opening, I tried to land a hit, but she always dodged, effortlessly slipping past my attacks.
"Come on, Aki."
Miyaki teased with a smirk.
"You can't keep using the same move over and over."
She kept the pressure on, her strikes sharp and unrelenting.
Then, without warning, she read my next move. I went in for an opening, but this time, as she dodged with precision and struck back, landing a clean hit on my side.
"Ugh—!"
It was the first time she'd hit me during the match. My body was starting to feel heavy, my breath growing short, but I couldn't give up. Not yet.
I had to find a way.
Even if it was just once.
I had to parry it.
I have to prove it.
That I can control this power inside me…
So I'll never hurt anyone again by accident.
But no matter how hard I try, every opening slips away. All I've been doing is blocking. Blocking and waiting. I'm sick of it. I have to find a way to a real chance to strike back, to grow, to unlock something within me.
With each blow she lands, frustration builds inside me. I grit my teeth. The anger burns hotter.
And then—
My expression changed.
My eyes flashed a sharp, glowing red.
Miyaki noticed it, too. Something inside me was awakening again.
She moved in with two quick strikes, followed by her heavy blow. I knew it was coming.
And at this time, I didn't block it.
This time… I parry through it.
My eyes glowed fiercely, and a red aura flared up around me. Miyaki's eyes widened.
The impact of her attack clashed with my rising power, and her wooden sword was pushed aside.
At that moment, my right arm transformed.
It became a dark red, armored arm, pulsing with the same crimson energy as the aura around me.
Miyaki stepped back, sensing what was coming next. She raised her sword to block, bracing herself.
But—
"AHHHHHH!!!"
I roared and swung with everything I had.
The sheer force shattered her defense, sending her wooden sword flying across the field.
Miyaki's eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time her sword had ever been knocked clean out of her hands, even after years of training countless students in the past.
She turned slowly to glance at the wooden sword now stuck firmly in the grassy field, the blade trembling from the impact.
Then, with a smirk, she turned back to face me, resting her right hand on her hip.
"Heh… you are something else, huh?"
Hearing that made my heart race. I could feel the excitement surging in my chest, the same power I once unleashed when I saved Siana… it was happening again. My armored arm pulsed with energy.
Suddenly, Miyaki turned to Siana, her eyes still gleaming with curiosity.
"Siana… is that what you saw yesterday?"
Her voice was playful, but I could tell she was serious. Curious. She wanted to know more.
Siana, still wide-eyed from watching the intense spar, jumped a little at being addressed.
"H-huh? Oh! Umm… yes. That's definitely what I saw. But also…"
Her voice trailed off as her mind drifted back, back to the fight between me and Dorven.
Whatever she saw then… it wasn't just this power.
It was something deeper. Something darker.
After Siana finished retelling what had happened yesterday, Miyaki burst into laughter and gave me a cheerful grin.
"HAHAHA! You really are something else!"
She kept patting my back hard with excitement.
"Anyway, looks like you're a RageCrysta user, huh? Heh, now it all makes sense."
Miyaki nodded quietly, but there was something in her eyes, a flicker of hesitation with a shadow of emotion she tried to hide. It felt like she was holding back... as if there was more to the story she wasn't ready to reveal.
"But you still can't control it completely, right? Then this part should be easy."
"What do you mean?"
She pointed at my chest, right over my heart.
"Your power is RageCrysta. That means your aura is fueled by anger. Unlike other aura users who need to find their matching emotion to unlock their power, yours is already there. You just have to learn how to control that."
As her finger tapped my chest, I felt the red aura and the armored arm begin to fade. A calm wave washed over me.
"If you want to control that power."
Miyaki said with passion in her voice,
"Then you'll need to summon that emotion again—feel it, not just remember it."
I closed my eyes once more, trying to summon the emotion that sparked my power.
Think... what would make me angry again?
I tried to recall the memory of Siana being captured, the fear in her eyes, the helplessness I felt. My fists clenched slightly.
A flicker of anger stirred in my chest, but it wasn't enough.
"Tch…"
I clicked my tongue, irritation bubbling up inside me.
"Focus..."
Miyaki said calmly, her voice guiding me.
"Once you feel that fire burning inside, you'll be able to control it. Don't chase it—feel it."
Her words echoed in my mind. I took a deep breath and dove deeper into that memory, as Siana cried out for help, me powerless to protect her.
That fire began to rise again, with its hot and wild, but this time… I didn't push it away. I embraced it.
Suddenly, the energy surged from within. That same red aura wrapped around me, and with it, the armored arm burst forth, forming perfectly, without pain or chaos.
"I... I did it!"
I gasped, staring at my arm in disbelief and joy.
"Heh..."
Miyaki smirked, arms crossed.
"You learn fast, kid."
Siana beamed with a bright smile as she saw that I had finally learned it.
For the first time in a while, I felt proud not just for awakening my power but for finally taking control of it.
"Well then…"
Miyaki raised her hand into the air, a dark red aura swirling around her arm like a living flame. For a moment, I had no idea what she was doing until something cut through the air with a sharp whoosh.
A black and red katana flew toward her hand like it had a mind of its own, drawn to her by sheer force of will.
"It's time for a rematch."
Her voice was calm, but the pressure that followed wasn't. Her aura flared intensely, wild, and far stronger than before. A sharp smirk tugged at her lips.
"I'll… get going now!"
Siana chimed in awkwardly, clearly sensing the storm that was about to begin.
"I-I'll see you later, Aki! Good luck!"
And just like that, she vanished from the scene with a small wave.
My nerves kicked in as I raised my dagger. Only now, it had changed, as pulsing with black and crimson energy, echoing the same aura that surged within me.
"S-Sensei! Can't I get, like, a five-minute break!?"
"Who's the teacher here?"
Miyaki grinned, her katana humming with power as the red energy wrapped around it like dancing fire.
I swallowed hard, adjusting my stance.
"…I'm so dead."