The road stretched out ahead of them, winding through dense trees and misty hills. The sky had darkened, dusk bleeding into the edges of the horizon.
Inside the limo, Soya sat stiffly, hands fidgeting in his lap. The leather seats were absurdly comfortable, but he barely noticed. His eyes flicked to Sora, who lounged across from him, arms spread over the backrest, gaze distant.
Soya shifted uncomfortably.
"So… where is this school?" he asked finally, breaking the heavy silence.
Sora tilted his head lazily, smirking faintly.
"Out in the sticks. Secluded enough that we don't have to worry about… interruptions."
Before Soya could ask what he meant, the car lurched to a hard stop.
The driver slammed on the brakes, tires squealing against the asphalt. Soya's head snapped forward, nearly hitting the seat in front of him.
"What the hell?!"
Sora was already moving. He sat up, his body suddenly tense, the smirk fading into something sharper, more alert.
Outside, through the tinted windows, Soya could just make out a figure blocking the road, a man, tall and imposing, draped in dark combat gear with a blade strapped across his back. His face was partially hidden by a mask, but the intensity in his stance was unmistakable.
The driver cursed under his breath.
"Damn it… looks like one of the dogs didn't get the memo."
Sora sighed, rubbing his temple as if this was an inconvenience more than a threat.
"Great. A tagalong mercenary. Guess he didn't hear that the higher-ups dropped the hit on you."
Soya felt a cold weight drop into his stomach.
"They're… still coming after me?" he whispered.
Sora didn't answer. Instead, he glanced at Soya with a grin that was all teeth and challenge.
"Lucky for you… this is a perfect teaching moment."
Soya blinked, utterly confused.
Sora cracked his knuckles and gestured to the window.
"Welcome to Lesson One, kid."
He opened the door with a smooth click and stepped out, his posture casual but his energy razor-sharp.
Sora stepped out first, stretching his arms lazily over his head, his expression calm, almost bored.
"Come on, kid. Don't keep me waiting," he called without looking back.
Soya hesitated, heart pounding in his chest, but he forced himself to follow, stepping out of the car and into the cold night air.
That's when he saw him.
A tall, masked figure standing in the middle of the road, his eyes sharp, calculating. He wore tactical gear, and in one smooth motion, he dashed forward, faster than any normal human, a dagger gleaming in his grip as he lunged straight for Soya.
Soya froze, he didn't even have time to scream.
But Sora moved in a blur.
He snatched the mercenary by the back of his shirt like a misbehaving dog and tossed him through the air. The man crashed into the dirt with a grunt, rolling before springing back to his feet.
Sora barely glanced over his shoulder, hands stuffed casually in his pockets.
"This will be your first lesson."
Soya blinked, staring in shock.
"Lesson…?!"
Sora smirked, his voice cool and easy, as if he wasn't standing face-to-face with a deadly assassin.
"So by now, you're probably wondering, how can guys like him do all the cool stuff? The speed, the strength, the reflexes... All that jazz?"
The mercenary snarled, clearly annoyed at being treated like a schoolyard prop. His eyes narrowed, and without a word, he sheathed his blade, taking a wide stance. A faint glow began to flicker around him, blue, pulsing like a flame, swirling in the air like heat waves.
Sora chuckled, tilting his head as if he'd been expecting it.
"Ohhh, looks like our test subject's got a bit of Soul Energy to show off."
Soya's eyes widened.
"Soul Energy…?"
Sora pointed lazily at the mercenary.
"Yeah. Soul Energy is the foundation of everything an exorcist does. It's the raw power inside you, the energy of your soul, of your will, of your life force. Some folks are born with it in abundance, others… not so much. But everyone has it."
The mercenary let out a sharp breath, the blue aura intensifying. His foot snapped against the pavement as he launched forward like a missile.
Sora sidestepped him without a care, casually placing a hand on the man's back as he passed and shoving him into the ground like it was nothing. The pavement cracked beneath the impact.
Sora dusted off his hands, looking bored.
"You control Soul Energy by channeling it, into your body, into your weapons, into your surroundings. It makes you stronger, faster, more durable. But…" He turned, looking at Soya with sharp eyes, a small grin tugging at his lips. "...you have to feel it first. Learn to sense it, understand it, own it."
Soya stared, trying to process everything.
The mercenary groaned, pushing himself up on shaky arms, but Sora didn't even glance his way.
Instead, he gestured at Soya with a flick of his wrist.
"Lesson One: Watch. Pay attention to how it flows. His energy," he gestured lazily to the mercenary, "is wild, flaring all over the place. No control. He's angry, and that makes him sloppy. A real exorcist knows how to refine that energy, make it sharp, focused. Got it?"
Soya nodded slowly, eyes wide.
Sora smirked.
"Good. Now, let's see if our test subject has any more tricks up his sleeve."
He turned back to the mercenary, his posture relaxed but dangerous.
"Ready for round two?"
The mercenary gritted his teeth, his aura flaring once again, but this time there was a flicker of hesitation in his stance.
The mercenary stared at Sora, chest heaving, a flicker of fear in his eyes. Then, with a sharp intake of breath, he bolted, disappearing into the mist like a coward who'd finally realized he was out of his league.
Sora just stood there, hands in his pockets, expression completely blank.
"…Oh." He blinked once, utterly unfazed. "Guess he didn't wanna be the subject anymore."
He shrugged, turning away like it was no big deal.
"Eh, who cares. I can teach you back at the academy anyway."
Sora waved a hand dismissively, walking back to the limo like this entire interruption had been a mild inconvenience. Soya stood frozen for a second, before hurrying after him, still reeling.
Once they were seated again, the limo glided forward into the night, leaving the cracked road behind.
Soya, his mind racing, finally found his voice.
"So… that Soul Energy thing. How do you actually use it? Is it like… is it inside me or…?"
Sora leaned his head back against the seat, eyes half-lidded.
"Everyone's got it. Like I said, it's in you, your soul, your emotions. Some folks have a lot, others not so much. But it's not about having it, it's about knowing how to control it. That's where the real power comes from."
Soya frowned, trying to make sense of it.
"So… I just, what? Focus really hard?"
Sora snorted, cracking a grin.
"Yeah, nah. It's not that simple. You'll learn the techniques. The breathing, the stances, the mental focus, all of it's built to help you feel it first. But you can't force it. Soul Energy's gotta flow. Try too hard, and you'll just end up burning yourself out. Or worse, letting it control you."
Soya stared at him, wide-eyed, his head spinning.
Sora cracked an eye open, a lazy smirk on his lips.
"Relax, kid. You'll get it."
The conversation drifted into silence, the hum of the limo lulling Soya into a daze as they drove deeper into the countryside. The trees thickened, the roads narrowing, until the car crested a hill.
And Soya's breath caught in his throat.
The "school" wasn't a school at all.
It was a massive complex of ancient shrines, towering gates, and sweeping rooftops, all built in the style of old Japanese temples. Lanterns flickered along the stone paths. Wood and paper, stone and moss, none of the cold metal or glass of modern cities. It felt alive.
The car pulled up in front of a grand entrance, where a massive torii gate loomed overhead, painted deep crimson and black.
Sora stepped out first, stretching again like he'd just woken up from a nap. Soya stumbled out after him, staring in awe.
Sora grinned, spreading his arms wide.
"Welcome to Tenryu Academy."