Draw Your Sword

Early the next morning, Kurashi woke up to the soft rays of the sun filtering through the sliding paper doors of his new room. Sliding the bedroom door open, Kurashi took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of grilled fish and miso soup. As he walked over and sat down at the kitchen table, he noticed a handwritten note beside his breakfast.

"Mornin' Kurashi, training will start at 8:30 a.m. near the cliff edge where we originally met. There's some breakfast I made, so eat up. You're gonna need it for today."

After finishing his meal in silence, Kurashi returned to his room to get ready, changing from sleepwear to more suitable clothes for training. Putting the strap over his shoulder, so the sheath could lay on his back. He slid the katana in before leaving the house.

Upon reaching the cliff edge, Kurashi found Hikari shadowboxing, his movements fluid and precise. With his sharp perception, Hikari noticed Kurashi's presence and turned around to greet him.

"What's up, you ready to start?"

"Yeah, I think so..."

"Good to hear, I want you to start by stretching. Don't want you catching a cramp mid-session."

Kurashi began to pull his arms back, stretching his shoulders out.

"What are we doing?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked. Your regiment will consist of a 4-mile run, 600 push-ups, and a 45-minute sparring session...Pretty simple if you ask me?"

After he was done stretching, the training began and despite being in good physical shape, Kurashi still found the training physically demanding. The 4-mile run pushed Kurashi to his limits, every breathless step becoming blurred by the lack of oxygen. The push-ups also proved challenging, with each burning repetition pushing his muscles further to their limits. After finishing his workout, drained from the exertion, he kneeled on the ground to catch his breath.

"Now that the warm-up is over, it's time to get to the real training."

"Warm-up?"

"Stand up Kurashi, the session starts now."

Kurashi slowly stood up, his legs still weak from the 4-mile run.

"Draw your sword.", Hikari ordered as he pulled his kunai out of his leg holster.

Kurashi hesitantly slid his katana out of the sheath, letting it hang off by his right side. Flipping his kunai to a reverse grip, Hikari held it right in front of his face.

A sudden spark of blue electricity appeared from under Hikari, and before Kurashi could blink, Hikari was already behind him.

It was only when he felt a warmth dripping from his chest that Kurashi realized that he had been cut. Slowly touching his chest with his left hand, Kurashi looked down to see that his fingertips became stained with blood. Glancing over his shoulder, Hikari stood there, the blue electricity crackling around his body.

"Don't let your guard down, vigilance will be the difference between life and death."

In a flash, Hikari continued to strike with blinding speed, his attacks coming from all angles. Unable to withstand the perpetual attacks, Kurashi eventually fell to the ground, his eyes slowly closing.

"Is this truly where you fall?"

After concealing his kunai in his holster, Hikari turned around to walk away, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. However, as he began to walk away, he glanced back to find Kurashi, bloodied and battered, attempting to stand once more. There was a flicker of surprise in Hikari's gaze, an acknowledgment of Kurashi's resilience.

"That's more like it.", Hikari stated while flipping his kunai back out.

Kurashi gripped his katana tightly with both hands, struggling to keep himself up. Hikari dashed back at him with one last strike to deal the final blow. And in a split second, Kurashi deflected the oncoming strike, his senses momentarily sharpened. With a swift motion, Kurashi countered with an ascending slash, the blade of his katana slicing through the air with deadly precision. In a burst of speed, Hikari evaded the lingering attack. Despite the valid effort, Kurashi succumbed to his wounds, collapsing to the ground.

"He deflected my attack...without any prior training?"

Slowly regaining his consciousness, the sterile scent of a hospital filled Kurashi's senses. He was unable to move, his bandaged body heavy from the intense training. The room was dimly lit, with a single window casting a soft glow onto the pale walls. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor provided a backdrop to the silence that enveloped the room.

"You awake Kurashi?"

Kurashi turned his gaze to the right, noticing Hikari sitting in a nearby chair, his expression a mix of worry and relief. Kurashi's eyes slowly drifted back toward the ceiling shortly after. A nurse then entered the room, fitted with a long white medical coat.

"Sir Hikari, will you please be more careful with your future training? We don't need unnecessary injuries within the base."

"I know, I know...Sorry for causing an inconvenience."

"The wounds were fatal...excessive for just mere training.", the nurse stated while looking at her notepad, "Though thankfully, he is recovering rather quickly. The wounds should be healed within a few days."

Hikari nodded, an acknowledgment of the nurse's words.

"I'll be going now. Please call if you need anything."

A silence then enveloped the room, broken only by the distant hum of medical equipment.

"Kurashi, what you're going through...it's essential."

"Essential?"

"I've already told you...the potential you have is only obtainable by putting in the proper training.", Hikari stated as got up and walked to the door, "It won't be easy...but nothing of value ever is."

As Hikari left the room, Kurashi was left alone once again.

Three days passed since Kurashi had been hospitalized, and Hikari was on his way to the main temple. As he entered the main office, he found the leader occupied with paperwork. As he approached, he cleared his throat to announce his presence, prompting the leader to look up from his documents.

"You asked to see me?", Hikari questioned with his hands behind his back.

"I did...", Lord Fujita replied while putting his pen down, "I wanted to know how the training was coming along."

"Just as expected, sir. He is already showing a lot of promise."

"You must be pushing him very hard. I heard he's in the hospital."

"Yes sir..."

"What's his status?"

"Full recovery...dismissed earlier this morning."

"Ahh, that's good to hear."

A few seconds passed before a thought came to Hikari.

"Lord...am I the best person for this?"

"Hikari...you need to have more confidence in yourself. With the potential that Kurashi has, only the strongest as yourself would be fit to guide him...You were Yasushi's sole student after all."

"Yeah...thank you for your considerate words, Lord Fujita.", Hikari responded in an unsure tone before leaving the office.

Back at the house, Kurashi walked into the bathroom, the sound of the water breaking the silence. With practiced ease, Kurashi unfastened the bandages wrapped around his torso and wrists, the fabric unwinding to reveal the skin beneath. Stepping into the shower, the hot water gently rained from above. Kurashi closed his eyes, letting the sensation of the falling water envelop him. After getting out of the shower, Kurashi changed into nightwear: a white t-shirt and plaid pajamas.

"Kurashi, come here for a minute.", Hikari's voice rang out from the kitchen.

Sliding the door open, Kurashi walked in to see Hikari cooking at the stove.

"Sit down, the food is almost done."

Sitting at the table, Kurashi silently waited for his meal to be prepared.

"How are your wounds?" Are they fully healed?"

"Yeah...I think so."

"That's good to hear...That means you can start your training back up tomorrow morning."

Hikari turns to the kitchen table with a plate in his right hand, gradually setting the meal down in front of Kurashi.

"4:30 a.m., be at the cliff edge.", Hikari stated as he walked back to his room.

Kurashi had just gotten out of the hospital, but it seemed he may be going right back.