"Listen carefully, Shironeko," Rian said, his voice low and warm. "Try to face your fear."
"If you need some encouragement…" Rian smiled softly. "I'm always ready."
"It's okay to cry," he continued, his thumb brushing away the last tear. "But don't stay in sadness for too long. That's never good."
Rian looked deeply into Koneko's eyes. "Come on, smile… even just a little."
"Remember, Shironeko? We only have ten days to grow stronger before the battle. And I want to see you stand tall—not just for others… but for yourself."
Rian's smile slowly shifted—from gentle to slightly mischievous. His eyes narrowed, and his tone dropped an octave, teasing.
"If you stay like this…" he whispered softly, still cupping her cheek, "…should I kiss you?"
He leaned in, closing the distance until his breath brushed against Koneko's skin. "Given our position right now… wouldn't you say the odds are in my favor?"
Koneko fell silent.
The tears on her face had barely dried when a soft blush began to bloom across her cheeks, spreading all the way to her ears. Her golden eyes widened slightly, though her expression remained as stoic as ever.
"…Perverted senpai," she muttered under her breath, her voice so faint it was almost a whisper.
Her small body trembled—not from fear this time, but from the quickened rhythm of her heartbeat.
Yet, despite her verbal protest, Koneko didn't pull away. She stayed still, allowing Rian's hands to remain gently cupping her cheeks.
"…But… not now," she said softly. "…I'm not ready yet…"
Lowering her gaze, Koneko lifted her tiny hand and gave Rian's chest a light tap—a motion more like a pouty kitten's swat than real anger.
"Don't just play with my feelings…" she murmured.
Rian couldn't help but chuckle quietly, unable to hide the fond amusement in his eyes at Koneko's shy yet composed reaction.
An idea flickered through Rian's mind. He gently lifted Koneko's chin, guiding her to look up until their eyes met.
Slowly, he leaned in—bringing their two small worlds closer, until they seemed to merge within a single shared breath.
Koneko's body stiffened, her breath catching in her throat. A faint tremor ran through her fingertips, as if her senses had lost their bearings.
Without a single word, the distance between them vanished. Something warm met in the silence—an intimate spark that made time itself pause.
"Fwaa... Ngah.. nyaah~"
Koneko flinched softly—not out of shock, but because she was swept away by the gentle current that left no room for thought.
Her breathing became uneven, her chest rising and falling in quick rhythm, while the world around her blurred into the glow of the evening light.
Rian's voice came as a whisper, low and calm, almost like the murmur of the wind. "Hey… relax—and breathe."
The words resonated softly, yet carried a quiet weight, slipping deep into the edges of her consciousness.
"Funya~ haah.. haah."
Koneko couldn't even nod—her cheeks burned, and her vision blurred with something she couldn't quite name.
When the two finally pulled apart, the air between them seemed to tremble—leaving behind an invisible thread that still tied their unsteady breaths together.
Almost immediately, Rian caught her as her body swayed. One arm wrapped around her shoulders, steadying her in his embrace, while his other hand gently brushed over the top of her head—stroking her like a kitten that had just calmed down.
Koneko stayed still in his arms, her body stiff yet making no effort to move away. Her face was completely flushed, as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her cheeks.
"Hehe… how is it, my sweet little cat?" Rian murmured softly, his tone warm but teasing. "Comfortable, isn't it?"
He leaned down slightly, his voice brushing against her ear like a whispering breeze. "Hmm… I feel like I really want to adopt you now."
In that embrace, a quiet warmth surrounded them—peaceful, soothing, yet impossible to fully describe. Like a soft breeze at dusk, it lulled everything into a slower rhythm, as if time itself had decided to rest.
Koneko lowered her head, her eyes trembling slightly. She bit her lip, trying to steady the breath that refused to calm.
"...You're such a narcissist," she muttered softly, her voice muffled against Rian's chest. "…I'm not a kitten, idiot…"
Rian chuckled quietly, brushing her hair once before replying lightly, "But isn't a Nekomata still a kind of cat? So, whether you like it or not… you're still my little cat."
The moment those words left his lips, Koneko's body trembled faintly.
For a second—whether real or just his imagination—Rian thought he heard a faint "purring" sound from the girl in his arms.
It almost made him laugh, but he restrained himself.
He didn't say another word. He simply let time flow in silence, with the wind gently brushing across the surface of the river. He let the girl rest quietly in his embrace.
And then, like a dry leaf finally falling from a tree—softly, without force—Rian released the hug.
Koneko stood upright, her face still flushed—not just from embarrassment this time, but from a new spark of determination slowly blooming within her.
With a small nod, she prepared to begin her Senjutsu training under Rian's direct supervision.
She took a few steps back from him, and in the next instant, a pair of soft white cat ears appeared atop her head, twitching slightly in sync with her subtle movements.
At the same time, a fluffy white tail swayed gently behind her skirt. Her golden eyes sharpened, the pupils narrowing—reflecting the awakening instincts of a true Nekomata.
Gracefully, she curled her fingers into small claws and lifted her right hand near her face, striking an adorably feline pose.
"Nyan~," Koneko murmured, her voice soft and sweet—so different from her usual flat tone.
The tail behind her swayed happily, perfectly mirroring the good mood of its owner.
In Rian's eyes, Koneko now looked no different from a spoiled kitten trying to invite him to play.
"All right, Shironeko," Rian said warmly, folding his arms across his chest. "Show me what you can do with your Senjutsu. Let's see where the flaws are."
He added reassuringly, "Don't worry, Shironeko. If anything goes wrong, I'll stop it immediately."
"Understood," Koneko replied briefly with a small nod. She then raised her right hand in front of her face, palm open toward the sky.
With a focused gaze, Koneko began to draw in Chi from her surroundings—the air, the earth, the calm flow of the river—each source slowly intertwining and being absorbed into her.
Within seconds, her palm began to glow softly. A small orb of blue energy formed, pulsing gently like a living heartbeat.
Rian nodded once. Through his Six Eyes, he observed the flow of Chi from nature into Koneko's body, carefully analyzing how she gathered, circulated, and shaped the energy.
Essentially, Senjutsu is the art of controlling the flow of life energy—also known as Ki—that circulates within every living being.
Through this technique, a practitioner can strengthen their body, both internally and externally, and even restore their life force.
They can stimulate the natural life around them, causing plants to bloom—or wither and die—depending on the direction in which the energy flows.
Senjutsu users are able to sense the Ki and aura of other beings, allowing them to track targets from afar, or even pierce through illusions and camouflage by reading the rhythm of an opponent's soul.
However, Senjutsu is not merely an art of perception and growth. In its most lethal form, it can directly target an enemy's vital points—such as blood vessels and internal organs.
By disrupting or severing the opponent's Ki flow, the results can be devastating: internal injuries, spiritual collapse… even death without physical contact.
That is why Senjutsu is more than a supportive technique—it is an art of life and death, demanding that its user truly attune themselves to the rhythm of the living world around them.
"Hmm… at the very least, I understand now," Rian murmured as he stepped closer.
Koneko's golden eyes followed him with a hint of confusion as the young man slowly approached.
When he reached her, Rian gently touched the back of her right hand—right where the soft blue flame of Senjutsu energy glowed steadily in her palm.
"Your control is quite refined for a beginner," Rian said in a calm, friendly tone, his smile never wavering.
"Even though I'm not a Senjutsu user and this is my first time interacting with it directly, my instincts tell me… Shironeko has extraordinary potential."
Then, Rian began to move, circling slowly until he stood behind Koneko.
"For now," he continued, "let this handsome man teach you a little trick. I just came up with it—so think of it as an experiment."
Koneko's eyes followed his movements, a hint of suspicion flickering in her golden gaze, though she stayed silent.
Before she could say anything, Rian added reassuringly, "Relax, Shironeko. It's safe, really. Trust me."
From behind, Rian gently wrapped his arms around her, holding her without pressure. His hands rested lightly over the back of her own, where the soft blue flame of Chi still flickered.
Koneko flinched slightly, her Nekomata ears twitching sharply while her white tail curled and swayed nervously. Her face began to grow warm, a soft blush spreading across her pale cheeks.
Without a word, Rian channeled a faint flow of his own energy through the contact, slowly dimming the blue Chi flame until it gently faded away.