The room remained silent after the response.
Riser did not move immediately. His gaze stayed on Robin, as if weighing the weight of her decision. The soft glow of the runes on the walls kept the atmosphere steady, refusing to let the tension be broken by outside distractions.
With a precise movement, he opened the dimensional inventory. There was no rush, no ostentation. Only the calculated efficiency of someone who knew exactly what he was looking for.
Among the items, he chose a small transparent glass vial, filled with a dark red liquid. The color looked deeper than ordinary blood. Dense. Alive. The surface reflected the light as if it carried an energy of its own.
He closed the inventory with the same calm with which he had opened it. The vial rested in the palm of his hand, steady, without trembling.
He took two steps forward, closing the distance between him and Robin.
"This is the blood that will seal your transformation."
His hand rose, offering the vial.
"Once you drink it, there is no return. You will cease to be human. You will gain strength, speed, endurance... but you will also inherit the marks of eternity."
Robin did not look away.
"I understand."
Silence fell again, but it was not the same as before. There was no hesitation in the air. Only waiting.
Riser kept his hand extended, the vial between them like a fixed point.
"Then take it."
She stepped forward and closed her fingers around the glass. The surface was cold, but the contents seemed to pulse faintly, as if recognizing the presence of a new bearer.
The touch between their hands lasted only long enough to seal the delivery. Then, Riser withdrew, keeping his watchful eyes on her.
"When you are ready... drink it all."
He stepped back, giving her space.
Robin held the vial firmly. No more words were needed. The air in the room seemed denser, as if the environment itself awaited the next moment.
The cold glass in her hands felt heavier than it should. The contents pulsed, as if alive, as if calling to her.
"I will not hesitate."
Her voice came out low, but firm. It was not a vow to Riser. It was to herself.
"I spent my whole life surviving. Now... I will live."
Without looking away, she brought the vial to her lips. The seal broke with a sharp sound.
The liquid touched her tongue like liquid fire, but it did not burn. It spread with intense heat, flowing down her throat like a living current.
The first wave of energy came before she finished drinking. A deep shock, as if something awoke inside her, tearing away the restraints of her human body.
She drank to the last drop.
The vial slipped from her hand, but it never hit the ground—contained by an almost automatic movement from Riser, who never took his eyes off her.
Robin's body arched slightly backward. Her hands clawed at the air, as if trying to hold onto something invisible. The sound of her breathing grew irregular, alternating between short gasps and deep pulls.
Dark veins surfaced under the skin of her neck and temples, racing fast like trails of living ink. Her pupils dilated and her eyes glowed with a deep, predatory red.
The heat inside her exploded.
Red runes emerged on her arms, climbing to her shoulders, spinning like living marks. Her muscles tensed, not from pain, but from the overwhelming energy building inside.
A sharp crack echoed as her canines extended, sharp and perfectly aligned with the new structure of her mouth.
Her skin paled—not from weakness, but from supernatural purity. Her breathing slowed, steady, controlled, like that of a predator learning to move in silence.
When the last trace of the transformation settled, Robin lifted her chin. Her eyes met Riser's, and for the first time in a long while, she looked more alive than ever.
Riser stepped forward, observing her from head to toe like a man evaluating a finished masterpiece.
"Very good, Robin."
She drew a deep breath, feeling the weight of the new energy coursing through her body.
"Thank you, Master."
The Mangekyō Sharingan shone in his eyes. The edges of space warped and the black spiral of Kamui formed between them, silent, deep, swallowing the light around it.
"Come."
Without hesitation, she stepped forward. The distortion enveloped her, and in an instant, the room was gone.
The next world had no horizon. A dark-gray void stretched endlessly, solid beneath their feet but with no visible origin or end. Huge platforms floated in the distance, connected by narrow bridges of polished black stone. The air was unmoving, and sound died quickly, as if swallowed by the space itself.
Dark crystals jutted from the ground in isolated spots, pulsing with faint inner light. The environment was neither cold nor hot—only constant, immutable, made to exist without external interference.
Robin slowly turned, absorbing every detail of that absolute isolation. Nothing but the two of them seemed to inhabit this place.
"This is my domain. Here, nothing enters or leaves without my permission."
Riser's tone was neutral, but carried the certainty of one who controlled every inch of the space.
He looked at her again.
"It is time to train your new body."
Robin kept her gaze steady, the tension shifting into expectation.
"Yes, Master."
Riser stepped forward, his eyes locked on her. His voice cut through the silence, clean and sharp.
"It will hurt."
"I know."
The warning carried no threat, only the certainty of what was to come. He adjusted his stance, feet planted firmly on the solid Kamui floor. The air grew heavier, as if the space itself prepared for the clash.
The first strike was sharp.
WHACK!
The impact hit Robin's abdomen, forcing the air from her lungs. Her body staggered half a step back, but she kept her eyes on him.
Another strike.
THUMP!
This time to the shoulder, spinning her sideways. No magic, no trick. Just raw strength and precise technique.
The sound of her feet scraping the ground echoed faintly, until a third impact came diagonally.
WHAM!
Robin dropped to her knees. Her breathing faltered, heat gathering in her limbs. Riser did not advance immediately. He circled instead, gauging her recovery time.
A new attack came down like a hammer.
BAM!
She raised her forearms to defend, but the crushing pressure broke through her guard. The weight of the strike made the floor beneath her tremble. Her skin began to show bruises and fine lines where the force had pressed hardest.
Riser moved swiftly.
SWISH!
A side kick struck her ribs. The muffled impact cut through the air, pushing her body sideways across the floor.
Robin forced herself back upright. Her fists clenched tightly. Her quickened breath was not a sign of surrender, but of building pressure.
Another strike.
WHACK!
The shock made her teeth grind. Her entire body reacted, muscles tightening, tendons stretching, bones bearing heavier loads.
Riser pressed faster now.
THUD! THUD! BAM!
A short sequence. No space to retreat. Each blow demanded more than endurance—it demanded she keep her consciousness on the edge.
And then came the heaviest.
CRACK!
His fist struck her arm with precision. It didn't break it, but forced the muscles into a state of extreme resistance. The sound echoed through Kamui like a contained thunderclap.
That was the moment it began.
A different pressure built beneath her skin. Not magic. Not new blood. Pure willpower.
The heat inside her concentrated in her hands. Her veins pulsed hard, and for a moment, her skin looked denser.
Riser did not stop.
WHACK! WHAM! THUMP!
Each impact shaped the flow of that new energy. Robin's body no longer reacted only by reflex—it began to harden in anticipation.
The next strike came straight.
BANG!
The sound changed. It was no longer flesh against flesh. It was fist against metal. Robin's forearm was now covered in a dark, opaque layer that absorbed the impact and returned part of the force.
She held the block firm. The floor beneath her cracked, but she did not fall.
Riser stepped back. His steady gaze confirmed he recognized the result.
The black surface of Busoshoku Haki receded slowly, but her body remained steady, controlling the new sensation.
He raised his chin, satisfied.
"You have awakened."
Robin drew a deep breath. Sweat ran down her face, but her gaze stayed firm.
"Continue, Master."
Riser allowed a faint smile before advancing again.
The training had only just begun.
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