Inside the plain white room, a fair-skinned, pink-haired girl struggled to keep her stance. She was wearing violet dolphin shorts that highlighted her slender legs, and her black tank top puffed as she caught her breath.
Standing in front of her was someone with identical facial features: a black-haired, fair-skinned boy with sharp, light-blue eyes.
"It's been several days since we started sparring nonstop, and you still couldn't land a single hit," he said, shrugging his shoulders in calm manner.
Hearing this, her eyebrows narrowed.
'You've let your guard down! Now is my chance.'
Using her remaining strength, she lifted her bare foot and executed a roundhouse kick aimed at his face, but he simply leaned his head back, dodging it with ease.
"Pretending to be tired while exerting your remaining strength. Not bad." He said.
"Urgh..."
She flopped onto the floor, showing her backside, and grumbled.
"Damn... I was close to landing a hit!"
'No... Not even close. I could easily see your intent, he inwardly retorted.
"Listen, Machi... I know you want me to teach you Nen, but you should understand the importance of building a foundation."
He explained with a sigh.
"It's not that I'm being selfish. Strengthening the foundation is necessary; otherwise, your development would be restricted. There's a right time for everything."
"I know..." She meekly said.
His eyes drifted to her bare back as he pinched his chin and inspected her body.
'Speaking of time, her fundamentals have solidified, so it's probably time to teach her the major principles.'
He was being reasonable, but Machi didn't think that way.
"Fundamentals... fundamentals... You've been saying that for a long time. I'm already at that age; it's about time you teach me! You are stinky, Ron!"
The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
"This girl... You are only... Never mind..." he sighed.
"Anyway, rest for now. Tomorrow, I'm going to start teaching you about Nen."
"Really!?" Her body lifted up as she looked at him with excitement, as if she hadn't gone through intense practice and forgotten the fatigue.
"Yes. When did I ever lie to you?" Ron asked rhetorically, affectionately ruffling her hair.
"By the way, Machi, I think it's time to leave Meteor City."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, her excitement died down, and she stared blankly at the air, remaining silent for a while.
"It's alright... wherever you go, I should always be there," she said while looking at him. "Besides, you are my only blood relative here. We don't have deep attachments here."
Ron simply nodded.
It had been twelve years since they became residents of Meteor City. At that time, it was only a few months after Machi was born. Their parents were both dead. Their mother died after giving birth, while their father was killed while they were on the run.
Before that, their life was ordinary and peaceful until they were dragged into a territorial war. Mistaken as spies, their father was shot. They didn't even have a proper burial because their mother was in labor. They spent days hiding and moving between different places until Machi was born. Due to fatigue and constant stress, her body gave in after giving birth, muttering her last words—the name of his sister, Machi.
Ron shouldered a huge responsibility at a young age. He was already an orphan before and had experienced hardships in life, so bearing two lives was manageable. He was determined to survive along with his sister. Perhaps that determination was heard by the gods, and he received a blessing.
That was when he realized which world he had reincarnated into. It gave him hope—Meteor City.
These things were not kept secret from Machi. Other than the existence of the system and the fact that he was reincarnated, he told her everything once she reached a certain age.
Their bond tightened, and they became inseparable, relying on each other.
'Time goes fast...'
Recalling the hardships they went through, where they put their lives on the line for a single expired can of food, Ron felt nostalgic. 'Things like that won't ever happen again. I swear! ' he inwardly declared.
Seeing his tense expression, Machi knew what was going on in his mind. She pulled him into her embrace, trying to divert his attention.
"Brother... where are we going next?"
Ron pondered for a moment. "I already have a plan in mind. Once I teach you the major principles of Nen, we're going to earn money while strengthening you. Our next destination is Heaven's Arena."
"Umm. Hmm!"
Machi didn't know what Heaven's Arena was, but she trusted her brother unconditionally, so she never questioned his judgment.
While being intimate, Ron noticed something. "By the way, Machi..."
"What is it?" She looked up at him in a daze.
"You haven't taken a bath for almost a week. You stink."
"..."
The next day...
Ron woke up with heavy eye bags. It wasn't caused by lack of sleep, but for reasons only known to them.
"Machi, we will start training now. Sit down in front of me and relax your body."
"Uh huh..."
Machi followed as he said. She wore the same outfit as yesterday.
"I've already demonstrated Nen before. Do you still remember?" he asked.
Machi recalled the time they had a fight in Meteor City, where Ron killed several people by throwing a single nail.
"Yes..." Machi replied.
"Just a short review. Nen refers to the ability to manipulate your aura, also known as life energy."
"Yes, you said the aura thing you were talking about is that strange thing flowing in your body..." she said, staring intently at him.
'Her eyes are truly special... No wonder that lady recruited her before they officially established the troupe,' Ron inwardly murmured. 'Well, now things have changed. She won't be joining them, because we are bound to reach greater heights.'
"Yes... anyway, I discussed the major principles with you before—Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu—but we haven't officially started yet." He paused and stood behind her.
"For now, I'm going to aim my aura directly at you in order to forcefully awaken the micropyles in your body. Normally, we would do proper meditation, but we don't have much time, and your body is already at that age, so this step is unnecessary."
Ron stretched his open hands toward her nape. Machi relaxed her body and calmed her mind despite feeling the pressure behind her.
"I'm going to release my Hatsu now..."
"I'm ready!" she declared.
A mixture of crimson and black aura forcefully emerged from his body and made its way through her. Machi felt pain all over, but it wasn't unbearable. She gritted her teeth and endured it.