CHAPTER 10
It was morning, and the sun was slowly rising, casting over looming shadows as the wake of day broke. A boy stood under the graceful gaze of the horizon, his curly white hair ruffled, and his face filled with bruises.
He was standing with his hands held out and his feet apart in a stance while breathing heavily. Standing before him was a young girl with short black hair and colorful crimson eyes.
Her hair was straightened, with her bangs neatly swept to the side of her face, slightly covering her right eye. She possessed flawless ivory skin and a gaze that looked as if it could pierce through the heavens.
She looked mature, with a considerable increase in height. It was the same for him as well. Five years had passed after all, and it hadn't been easy for either of them…
They were both dressed in gis with orange belts neatly tied around their waists. While he looked rough and beaten, she looked completely unscathed. There wasn't a single scratch, not even on her training outfit.
Of course, the boy with white hair was none other than Megumi, and standing opposite him was his older sister, Rikiyo. They were both engaged in a spar, and while he had sustained considerable hits, she had yet to receive a single blow from him.
Just like he had promised himself, he had taken a quick break from chasing after mysteries and history to focus on honing his strength and, if possible, break the hold that was keeping him from being able to utilize external energy.
Sadly, his struggles had yielded very few results, and right now, he felt more stagnant than ever. But… that couldn't possibly be a justifiable excuse in this fight—she hadn't used a single ability, so it was just about fair.
But even with the leveled ground, he was still falling behind, and far more than he could have ever imagined. His sister was overpowering him, ever so effortlessly, and to think that she hadn't moved from the spot where she was standing since their fight began.
******
He breathed heavily, staggering back as he tried to regain his composure. His muscles were slowly beginning to give up on him, but he wasn't ready to admit defeat, not in such a manner.
Quickly wiping his face with the back of his palm, he took a stance once more, lunging forward toward his sister, who was standing just a slight distance away.
Her gaze remained indifferent to his approach, watching closely as he quickly closed the gap between them.
He strained his shoulders, his muscles bulging as he drew his arm back, preparing to strike. Just as he got close, his hand lunged forward, aiming for her face. Megumi bit down on his lip, anticipating a block from her.
And a block did come from her, but it wasn't what he had been expecting. Simply opening her palm wide, she grabbed hold of his rampaging fist and let her fingers close down on it.
One hand, she had used just one hand to stop his attack. He intended to continue with a kick, knowing that she would stop his attack, but before he could even come to terms with what had just happened, he was lifted high off the ground.
In an instant, he was flipped over, slammed heavily against the ground's surface on his back. He groaned in pain, trying to break free of her hold. After wriggling vigorously, he was able to break free and reel back.
Catching his breath, he took a stance once more, looking over at his sister, who still seemed indifferent to everything that was happening around her at the moment.
Those fiery eyes felt like they were piercing into the very depths of his soul. He was starting to feel overwhelmed, as much mentally as he was physically.
He was exhausted; his body could barely keep up. This fight was pointless at this point, but still, he wanted to keep fighting to prove a point to himself. He detested the feeling of weakness, and it was that feeling that drowned him at that moment.
Taking a deep, hoarse breath, he lunged forward once again, fueling his entire body with what little innate energy remained within him. However, just as he took a few steps forward, his sister finally decided to take action.
For the first time since this spar began a few minutes ago, she was the one bringing the fight to him. He hadn't even seen her move, and she was instantly right in front of him.
He tried to control his momentum, aiming to evade whatever attacks she was about to throw at him, but once again he hadn't even caught sight of her moving.
Harrowing pain shot through his entire right leg, and he quickly buckled, falling to his knees. But it didn't stop there; the same pain shot through both his arms as well, like something had carefully cut into his muscles, severing the tissues.
This pain, though, was much more intense; it was the same one a person would feel if they began lifting something that was too heavy for too long. His muscles felt like they were endlessly tearing apart.
Before he could even wrap his mind around everything that had happened, he fell face down to the ground, his limbs looking slightly disjointed, and his entire body covered in bruises.
He couldn't even scream at the excruciating pain; rather, tears were slowly falling to the ground while he lay there helpless.
'So this is what it feels like to be weak.'
*******
Their spar had barely lasted for more than three minutes, and with some time to rest, he was able to recover from most of the injuries he had incurred.
He was back at their training ground, sitting on the floor with his back against a tree. His back was intently fixed on the very spot where his sister stood until the last moments of their fight.
The defeat left him infuriated with himself. That defeat was much more painful than he could imagine. Completely overwhelmed, powerless, and at the mercy of another…
He was weak.
'Damnit! Damn it all! Just… Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, I'm suddenly back to square one. What's even the point?' He wrapped both of his hands around his head, tapping his feet repeatedly on the ground. He was raging, trying to keep himself in check as his mind wandered aimlessly.
'You're ten, for god's sake! Come on, Megumi! What the hell are you going to do when the whole world leaves you behind, huh? Who are you gonna blame now? The system? You had five years to do nothing but train; the fight was on your playing field. How the hell could you lose?'
He strained, forcing himself off the ground. His legs almost buckled, trying to give in to the weight of his injuries. He staggered forward, gritting his teeth in pain until he was standing right where his sister had been earlier.
Slowly, he raised his right hand, pulling back on his elbows in an attempt to throw a punch. However, a piercing pain shot through him, forcing him to his knees while he groaned in pain.
He tried to get up, but his body wouldn't listen. No matter how hard he tried, he remained as he was on the ground.
He hung his head helplessly, letting his arms dangle to the side. Suddenly, he felt a soothing feeling wash over his entire existence as a gentle, warm touch was placed on his shoulder.
Soon, a familiar feminine voice came from behind him.
"There's no point in you punishing yourself, brother."
In that instant, the pain he was feeling throughout his body was completely gone, almost like he had never felt that pain in the first place.
His sister's palms were gently placed on both sides of his face, lifting his face until their eyes met. Her expression was still just as stoic as it had always been… Perhaps he was simply hallucinating, but it looked like she was smiling…
"Come with me. There's still so much you need to learn."