Training, It Just Had To Be The Damn Training

Shindo blinked back into consciousness, laying on the cold ground of the mountain top. "Took you long enough," Raitaro commented. He was sitting by a hand made fire while swinging his signature rusted katana back and forth. "How long was I out?" Shindo asked as he walked over to the fire. "Roughly two hours," Raitaro answered, still practicing his swings.

Shindo tugged at the band holding his hair up, letting it fall down with a little of it falling over his eyes. "So now that I have my powers back, what happens?" he asked. "We train for the next 4 months nonstop," Raitaro answered excitedly. Shindo nodded slowly, wondering why he was still there. "So what time do we start?" he asked. "Now, obviously," Raitaro answered before sheathing his katana and getting on his feet. "I think I just had enough training for today thanks to Deva," Shindo stated. "Who?" Raitaro asked. "Don't bother. My point is, I'm drained mentally," Shindo explain.

Raitaro pulled Shindo by the hair and said, "Key word, mentally. Now it's time for physical training. For the rest of this month, I'll have you master a form of combat that suits you well." Shindo slapped his hand away and ran in the other direction. Out of nowhere, pocket Raiju appeared and stood in front of Shindo. Shindo made the mistake of staring into his eyes before hearing a deep hoarse voice inside his head. "Shindo train or Raiju kill Shindo," the voice said. Shindo looked around for the source of the voice before realising that it was Raiju's voice. "He talked to me. He talked to me in my mind," Shindo said fearfully.

"Yeah. And he will actually eat you if you don't get back over here," Raitaro responded calmly. Shindo shuffled his feet back to Raitaro, clearly negligent to train. "Come on, you'll like the style, I promise," Raitaro said, trying to lighten Shindo's mood. "Alright then. What do I do first?" Shindo asked. "Okay so first, summon both kusarigama, they're essential for this to work," Raitaro instructed. Shindo summoned his chain scythes and waited for further instructions. "Now you see that tree? Throw one at it to hook it. And make sure it's firm," Raitaro said. Shindo did as he was told and impaled the tree with his scythe.

"Now pull it back and when in melee range, cut it in half," Raitaro explained. Shindo knew that normally, the odds of this working were pretty low but understood that he was different from before. He pulled the chain, causing the scythe, still attached to the tree, to fly towards him. When it was in reaching distance, he let out a deep breath before cutting the tree into two perfect halves. "Did I do it?" He asked with his eyes closed. "You nailed it Shindo. You used the 'Fisher style' perfectly," Raitaro commented happily.

"Fisher style?" Shindo asked in a confused tone. "Yeah, the Fisher style. I made it based on a technique that Edo period fishermen used to catch fish. They'd hook the fish to a rope before reeling it in and slicing it's belly open. It was very effective," Raitaro explained. "So are we done for the month?" Shindo asked. "Not even close. We still have twenty nine more days and I want you to fully grasp the style. We're going to spar all day, everyday until you can use at least five combos against me," Raitaro said before unsheathing his katana. "Did you know that my sword is amongst the most feared katana on earth. Hakaisurumono, the one that destroys," Raitaro explained as he brandished his blade.

"So what's the limit?" Shindo asked as he got into the Fisher style stance. "Let's make it thirty percent for today," Raitaro replied as he got into his own stance. Both fighters quickly charged up to thirty percent before Raitaro attacked first. He rushed to Shindo before swinging his katana downwards. Shindo rolled backwards before countering by hooking one of his scythes in Raitaro's leg and pulling the chain, dragging him along with it.

Raitaro aimed his hand and the space between them before firing a ball of lightning at the spot. They both flew back away from the area, both taking damage from the blast. Just then, Shindo reappeared over Raitaro before putting all of his energy into a punch that sent Raitaro deep into the ground. "Are we done yet?" he yelled down at the deep crater he had made. "Just getting started kid!" Raitaro yelled back before jumping out. There were glowing yellow crack-like marks all of his body.

Shindo smiled and closed his eyes, reopening them to reveal his glowing green irises. Raitaro ran as fast as he could towards Shindo and just before slicing his chest, Shindo ducked just as fast before delivering an uppercut to his opponent. Raitaro fell back landing on his feet, shocked by how Shindo was able to react and counter his attack.

The fight progressed for six more hours with both fighters countering each vicious attack with an even more vicious attack. Raitaro kept his stamina controlled while Shindo's had already gone past his limits. With the energy he had left, he prepared to try the move he'd practiced earlier. He created a reasonable distance between himself and Raitaro before letting one of his kusarigama hit the ground. He threw it with all his might, letting it cut threw the air as if seeking a target to impale. Raitaro caught the weapon with his free hand before pulling it, along with Shindo towards him. He lifted his katana up before swinging it downwards attempting to cut Shindo in half. Shindo anticipated the move and blocked with one hand. The force of the swing however, forced Shindo to his knees as he continued holding back the katana. He let out a yell and pushed the blade away letting it hit the ground inches away from his body.

His kusarigama disappeared as he fell backwards, panting like he had ran a marathon. "We're done now, right?" he asked breathlessly. "Yep. You hungry?" Raitaro responded. "Is that even a question at this point?" Shindo answered as he pushed himself back up to a sitting position. "Fair point," Raitaro said as he limped to the fire site he had prepared prior to the match. He pulled a log to use as a seat before whistling to summon mini-Raiju and whispering something in the wolf's ear. Raiju ran towards the cliff before jumping off the edge, disappearing into the depths. He reappeared shortly thereafter with three large fish that appeared to be Salmon. He dropped two at the feet of Raitaro before dragging the third one back inside the cabin to eat privately.

Raitaro quickly chopped the fish into cubes and put them in a pot full of water, letting it boil on the fire he had just made. Shindo walked over to the fire and pulled a log to sit on as well. He took off his beaded bracelet and used it to tie his hair back into a neat bun.

"So what's the story behind the bracelet?" Raitaro asked as he looked into the fire intently.

"It's the last thing I got from my mom. She gave one to both of my brothers too," Shindo replied.

"Is she dead?" Raitaro asked.

"Yeah. My dad too," Shindo answered.

"What do you have in remembrance of him?" Raitaro asked.

"My big old tactical brain," Shindo replied while pointing at his head.

They laughed together, not as sensei and student but as two friends enjoying each other's company. "Alright, it's ready," Raitaro said as he scooped out the fish chunks, putting them on two separate plates. After dinner, Shindo got up and walked towards the cliff and stood there, motionless. "Hope they're alright," he muttered to himself while staring in the direction of his school's location. "Relax, they're fine. If you can sense their energy then you know that they're good. Now, let's head back inside," Raitaro said as he walked back. Shindo took  a deep breath before walking back behind Raitaro, whistling as he shifted his feet.

The next twenty eight days began the hellish time period Shindo used to master the 'Fisher style' with each sparring match against Raitaro until he had finally perfected his technique. After their last match, Raitaro jumped off the cliff abruptly leaving Shindo in shock of what had just happened. He jumped back up with two sheathed swords, one in either hands. He looked at Shindo, giving him a smile threatening enough to put Shindo on guard.

"Easy kid. These are rewards for your mastery," Raitaro explained, holding the scabbards of both swords while pointing the hilts towards Shindo. Shindo unsheathed both swords at the same time revealing two blades that he had both seen only once before. "Ash and Snow? You're giving them to me?" he asked in shock as he stared at his new weapons. "Yeah. I've been their guardian for a couple thousand years. I think it's time to give them to a new guardian," Raitaro responded before allowing Shindo to sheath them and letting go of their scabbards. "Starting next month, I'll teach you how to use your abilities," he says excitedly. Shindo sighed and said, "Yeah sure. Let me go rest for now," before walking back to the cabin. "Huh...maybe he's not a fan," Raitaro said before following suit.

The next day, Shindo got dressed into his new signature outfit and headed downstairs with both Ash and Snow equipped. "Think fast!" Raitaro shouted as he threw a log at him. In a split second, Shindo unsheathed Snow, sliced the log in half and resheathed it, continuing as if nothing happened. Raitaro stared in disbelief at the killer he had created as Shindo got an apple and ate it as he walked towards the front door. "Come on boy," Shindo said to mini-Raiju as they both exited, leaving Raitaro all alone. "Hold it kid!" he shouted as he chased after them.

They all stopped at a pre-made training area in front of the cabin. "Not so bad for a makeshift boot camp," Shindo told Raitaro. "Yeah. The first thing we do this month is teach you how to use your telekinesis ability," Raitaro explained with a smile on his face. "Telekinesis? As in 'moving thing with my mind' telekinesis?" Shindo asked, clearly excited about the new power. "Yes my young student, that's exactly what I mean," Raitaro responded just as excitedly.

After getting ready, Raitaro stuck Hakaisurumono so far into the ground that only the hilt was visible. "Okay, now pull it out of the ground," Raitaro instructed. "Just how exactly is this supposed to work?" Shindo asked sounding confused. "You're smart. You'll figure it out soon enough," Raitaro responded, now trying to balance the scabbard of his katana on his index finger as he walked back towards the cabin. "We're gonna sit here until you pull it out, no matter what," as he sat on the roof of the cabin. Shindo went for the most reliable option at this point: increase his power. He began by steadily increasing his power to about ten percent before focusing on removing the katana. Upwards, he kept thinking to himself as he stared at the hilt but the sword didn't follow the command.

"This is hopeless!" he complained. "Well you better make it hopeful by the end of the week or," Raitaro said before passing his thumb across his neck. Shindo remained silent, staring at the hilt of Raitaro's katana, analysing it until he finally came up with a plot of what to do. He closed his eyes and reduced his power to three percent. He put his hand out and clasped it on air as if the hilt were right in front of him. At the same time, the actual hilt became covered in a green aura. Shindo moved his hand upwards and the hilt moved upwards revealing the blade stuck in the ground. He smiled with contentment from the shifting sound as the katana moved up further and further.

"Stop!" Raitaro yelled. At this point, the sword was inches from being fully removed so Shindo wondered why he was told to stop. He flicked his hand upwards to fully remove it despite Raitaro's command. "Shindo, your nose," Raitaro said while pointing at his own nose with one hand and handing Shindo a handkerchief with the other. Shindo took the handkerchief and patted it by his nostrils still unclear about what the fuss had been for. When he pulled it away however, he saw the bloodstain on it and realised that at some point during the process, he had started bleeding.

"It was just a little trickle of blood. Nothing serious kid," Raitaro reassured him before collecting his sword, sheathing it and walking away. "Wait, that's it?!" Shindo asked, clearly unsatisfied with his training. "Yep. Unless you plan on killing yourself, I suggest you shut up and rest," Raitaro casually said as he walked through the kitchen door. Shindo didn't bother arguing and just grabbed his swords before following Raitaro inside.

The next day, Shindo woke up to 90s jazz playing throughout the cabin. "Always a new trick up his sleeve," he muttered to himself before walking downstairs, fully prepped for his training. He found a small note on the table next to a bowl of cereal. The note read as follows:

Be back in four hours most likely. Raiju's bacon ball is in the kitchen. Just throw it at him as soon as you read this. Also, feel free to train by yourself today. But don't and I repeat, DO NOT leave the barrier.

Regards and many thanks,

Raitaro.

"Like hell if you think I'm gonna waste a day off," he said before grabbing his cereal bowl and walking over to the sofa facing the large flat screen TV in the living room. Up until just now, he never once thought about where the electricity in the cabin came from. "Probably uses himself as a battery or something," he thought out loud before turning on the TV.

Raiju jumped onto the sofa as well and began nudging Shindo. "Oh right, the bacon ball," Shindo remembered before rushing into the kitchen to grab the wolf's meal. He threw the ball at Raiju before making a detour, heading into his room. He came back out in a white vest, boxer shorts and socks and went back down to eat his breakfast. "Now this feels like home," he muttered as he ate while watching TV. "Shindo not train?" he heard Raiju's voice ask in his head. "No my little bacon eating friend. You want to know why? Because it's a lazy day!" he replied directly to the wolf with all the pleasure in the world.

Fifteen hours later, Raitaro burst through the door, looking like he had danced in a nuclear explosion. "Rough day?" Shindo asked blankly. "I dont want to talk about it," Raitaro responded sounding frustrated. "You want some cereal?" Shindo asked while lifting a box towards Raitaro. He grabbed the box and sat next to Shindo but nodded off the moment he sat on the sofa. "Guess I'll sleep too," Shindo whispered to Raiju before turning off the lights and heading to bed.

The day after, Shindo was informed of the hardest training he was yet to receive. "We spar but you're getting a handicap: you can't use your weapons," Raitaro said as he drew his katana. Shindo didn't respond and just charged up thirty percent before entering 'corruption'. The fight went on for ten hours nonstop with Shindo parrying around the mountain top before it came to its climax. After blocking another punch, Shindo closed his eyes and focused his energy into his legs before charging at Raitaro. He ran past Raitaro before turning to kick him from behind. Raitaro caught the kick before cutting Shindo's chest horizontally. Shindo jumped back, clearly fazed by the attack. "Brings back memories doesn't it?" Raitaro asked. Shindo smiled before starting another charge at Raitaro. Raitaro lifted his katana, planning to cut down Shindo as soon as he got within range. As Shindo got within melee distance, Raitaro attempted the swing but couldn't get his sword to move. Shindo smiled at him before delivering a 540° kick to the side of his face, sending him flying to the left landing inches away from the cliff's edge.

"Time out!" Raitaro yelled as he staggered to a stance. "What the hell was that?" he asked Shindo while trying to maintain his composure. "I suspended your sword swing with my telekinesis then used the rest of my power to deliver that kick just now," Shindo explained while stretching his legs. "Hmph, you never seize to surprise me kid. By the way-," Raitaro said before pointing at his nose. Shindo wiped the blood off with his arm before charging up again. "Round two?" he asked with all the excitement he had left. "No thanks. Starting tomorrow, you're going to learn about shockwaves," Raitaro announced as he staggered back to the cabin.

Shindo woke up the next day feeling refreshed and ready for another day of painful yet enjoyable training. He finished his morning preparations before heading downstairs. He skipped breakfast and waited for Raitaro outside in the cold. Raitaro finally joined him after what seemed like thirty minutes, fully recovered from Shindo's attack the day before. "You're not tying your hair today?" he asked Shindo when he finally came to a halt. "Nope. I'm just going to keep the bracelet on my wrist from now on," Shindo replied. "Alright. Anyway, shockwaves, you know how to do those right?" Raitaro asked, awaiting a quick response. "Not at all actually," Shindo responded nervously.

"Thought as much. They're basically released forms of pure chaos energy, which you have plenty of," Raitaro explained. Shindo caught on to the concept and put his hands together. He steadily charged up his energy while also focusing it inwards until his whole body was enveloped in green aura. "Now keep the energy focused and dont let it disappear," Raitaro instructed. Shindo stopped charging up but kept all the energy he had already accumulated from dissipating. At the last moment, he let it out, creating a shockwave that left a ten metre crater around him. "Woah, how much energy did you release just now?" Raitaro asked in shock. "Seven...perce-," Shindo said before fainting from exhaustion. Raitaro ran and arrived just in time to stop his fall before carrying him back inside. "Seven percent, huh? You're something else kid," Raitaro commented as he carried him back inside.

Shindo woke up three hours later in his bedroom, wondering what had happened. He sat up and saw Raiju sitting at the foot of his bed. Shindo patted his lap to allow Raiju to jump onto his bed. Raiju quickly bolted to Shindo before licking his face repeatedly. "Good boy. Dont worry, I'm fine," Shindo assured the wolf before getting out of bed and going back downstairs. Raitaro had already changed out of his training gear and was now watching TV while sitting cross body on the couch in a blue vest and red boxer shorts. "Oh, you're up. I honestly expected you to be asleep longer than this. Cereal?" Raitaro said as he held a box of cereal to Shindo.

Shindo stared in confusion at the man he called his teacher. "I know you want some, you breakfast skipping brat," Raitaro said as he continued his advertisement for laziness. That sentence was enough to make Shindo go back up to change before joining Raitaro on the couch in another day off. "What about the crater I left outside?" Shindo asked with a mouth full of cereal. "Let's just say that we now own a pool," Raitaro responded. They looked at eachother and chuckled before going back to watching TV for the rest of the day.

Just before going off to bed, Shindo asked, "What training do you have planned for the remainder of the three months?" Raitaro used sign language to speak due to him already being half asleep. He signed, Endurance training of hundred percent power. Mastery of Ash and Snow. And extra combos after that. Shindo, who was a master of sign language understood everything he had just seen perfectly and went off to sleep. "I'm going to die," he wailed before falling fast asleep knowing well that his time as a somewhat regular teenager had come to an end.