Chapter 59

Kiba's Mansion Basement,

[ 100% ]

[ "Lumina" completed ]

Kiba jolted awake, his mind buzzing with a notification. He rubbed his eyes and stared at his palm, summoning the sword with a determined thought.

[ Image Here ]

"Lumina, you there?" Kiba called out.

"(I AM HERE!)" Lumina chimed in with a lively, feminine voice.

A faint grin appeared on Kiba's face. "Good, any idea why my Sword Birth takes forever to conjure a blade?"

"(Insufficient data, boss. Can't exactly pinpoint the reason, but my calculations hint at a possible nerf.)" Lumina replied. "(But with my magic touch, Sword Birth's gonna level up a whopping 1000%!)"

Kiba couldn't help but chuckle. "How many references are you gonna drop?"

"(Yes, My Lord)" Lumina mimicked Sebastian's tone from Black Butler.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, let's get you inside me so you can improve Sword Birth."

"(Kyaa~ master, be gentle with me!)" Lumina teased playfully, releasing a soft chuckle.

'Why did I give her such a quirky personality, again? Oh, right, to avoid the dull human voice.' Kiba inwardly groaned at his own choice.

He merged Lumina into his body, allowing the symbiote to carefully consume the sword and tuck it away in a safe space.

"(Hey, boss, mind telling me about that crack in the Sacred Gear?)" Lumina inquired.

"(Ophis' blessing almost wrecked it, and I nearly bit the dust too.)" Kiba admitted, relief tinged in his voice that the Sacred Gear managed to survive.

"(Alright, starting now, no more sword-forging till I patch up and boost this baby. Clear?)" Lumina's tone was resolute.

"Got it," Kiba affirmed.

"(Good stuff. Catch you on the flip side in a couple of days.)" Lumina signed off.

And just like that, the connection was lost.

"Well, that's that. Now to speed-run learning Ki so I can level up my game." Kiba mumbled to himself.

While that played out, at the back of the yard, Viser and Kalawarna engaged in a heated sparring session.

However, the battle was anything but balanced. Kalawarna dominated every move Viser attempted, leaving no room for Viser's efforts to make an impact.

"Seriously, how are you so awful at this?" Kalawarna quipped, her light staff a formidable extension of her prowess.

"Fuck you! I've only been a Devil for three years, unlike you with centuries of combat experience," Viser retorted, pushing herself up from the ground. "Plus, Kiba's somehow put a lock on my Demonic form, and I cannot use all of my power properly."

"Excuses won't get you far. You're the one who suggested this, so don't even think about giving up," Kalawarna insisted.

"Yeah, I get it," Viser muttered, her palms conjuring a crimson, demonic lance.

"Good. You pick a weapon and stop relying on your... boobs as a cannon. Frankly, I find that tactic rather stupid," Kalawarna remarked with a chuckle.

Viser attempted to retort, but the truth stung – she had indeed attempted that maneuver a few rounds ago, leading to an embarrassing failure.

But then, a cunning idea brewed within Viser's mind – catching Kalawarna off guard seemed like the best strategy. Swiftly, she lunged at Kalawarna, catching her by surprise with the sudden assault.

Alas, her efforts proved futile once more, as Kalawarna deftly parried the strike, swiftly countering with a forceful blow to Viser's midsection. The impact knocked the wind out of Viser, sending her tumbling to the ground.

In an unexpected twist, both combatants' attention was drawn to Asia, who stood there in pajamas, an air of innocence about her.

"Hey, have either of you seen Kiba?" Asia inquired.

"No idea," Kalawarna shrugged.

"I... I think he's off somewhere training," Viser managed to get back on her feet, wincing. "You might want to give up the search for now, and maybe just look for him tomorrow."

"Alright then. Viser, do you need some healing?" Asia offered.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Viser replied, reclining on the ground in discomfort.

....

-The Next Day-

In Classroom 2-A, Kiba was slumped over his desk in a doze. The grueling efforts of his Ki control training had taken their toll on him.

Just yesterday, he had embarked on a daring experiment – attempting to meld the power of Ki into a Rasengan, and conversely, infusing his Demonic Power into it. Progress was made, and after a few attempts, he managed a semblance of success. But his enthusiasm led him to push further, attempting to merge the two energies within the Rasengan. The result was an explosive misfire, leaving his face singed.

Determined not to be defeated, Kiba resolved to master this fusion today. His determination paid off, albeit in a different form. He achieved the fusion of Ki and Demonic Power, but it condensed into a compact sphere, falling short of becoming a full-fledged Rasengan.

"*Yawn*, man, I'm beat," Kiba mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he roused from his slumber. "So much left to tackle..."

A gentle tap on Kiba's desk pulled his attention upward, revealing Ririko-sensei's presence.

"Lost in thought, Kiba-san?" she inquired.

"Perhaps," Kiba replied.

"Freshen up and get back to class," Ririko-sensei instructed.

"Sure thing," Kiba nodded, rising from his seat and making his way out of the classroom.