Reichitsu

"Okay everyone, that's all for today.. remember to submit that work next week. And be careful on your way home" instructs the young teacher as she moves her bang covering her eyes behind her ear. After a long day at work, she's almost done with the last session for the day, but one thing still lingers on her mind "Kitahara san, do you have a moment?" She calls for Mizuki to stay after. Curious, Daisuke also packs his thing a little slower but still without throwing away his act of being nothing more than a distant classmate of Mizuki.

"See you tomorrow, Hirase Sensei!" As the students either left for home or their extracurricular activities, most of them did not forget to greet her on their way out. A testament to her popularity, at least in her homeroom class. Daisuke joins those queue but upon exiting the class, he keeps his ear open and eavesdrop on their conversation from the other side of the wall near the stairs. Inconspicuously, of course.

"Kitahara s- ah can I just call you Mizuki chan when it's just us?"

"Sure, I don't mind" although a bit abashed, Mizuki agrees.

"After all, Mizuki chan is like my cute little sister right?" She teases, which makes Mizuki shy even more

"Sorry sorry *chuckles* by the way, are you sure you're okay? Fuu-.. I heard what happened from your Mom, you went home late again last night-"

Mizuki jerks a bit, a telltale reaction.

"Mizuki chan" Hirase a bit stern but still within friendly tone, like a pinch on the cheek "*sigh* don't worry your mother too much, you're very precious to her" she pats her head "and you're a precious student of mine. Don't forget that"

"Umm yes, Hirase Sensei.. I.. simply.. forgot my things at school.." her eyes darts anywhere except into the teacher's eye.

"Mizuki chan, are you having trouble at school? Are you feeling well? This will be only between us, so you can tell me anything"

Mizuki understands that Hirase Sensei is just trying to help her and understand her problem. She's sincerely a caring teacher. But it's not like she can just come up to her and tell her all about the paranormal shenanigans she got involved with this past week. Not even Mizuki herself is able to completely wrap her head around it yet, much less tries to explain it.

"It's... nothing really... I'm fine..." Mizuki said while directing her eyes down.

"Huh... okay... that's good to hear."

Mizuki just flashes a reluctant smile to prove her status.

"I'm sorry Mizuki chan, talking about this may be a bit uncomfortable for you, especially with an outsider like me" to which Mizuki quickly responds "ehh? Umm no no.. I don't mind it that much.. if it's Sensei.."

Hirase flashes a warm smile "you're thoughtful for your age, but I can understand at least that this is not something you want to talk about too much... I guess, all I'm trying to say is... take things at your own pace, nobody will judge you if you're taking your time, you can still catch up with the rest even if you take a break every now and then, your mother and I at least, will be with you all the way" seeing that Mizuki is still keeping a wall between them, she lowered her body and see Mizuki on the same eye level, even lower maybe. Keeping eye contact with her, not as a sign of intimidation but as an equal

"you might not realize it, but you've helped me a lot Mizuki chan, so let me know if there's anything I can in turn help you with, be it school or something outside school. I owe you at least that much so feel free to ask me anything.." letting Mizuki know that at least, with her, she can open up or even consult her for advice not just as a homeroom teacher, but as a family, as an older sister, as a friend. A replacement.

Mizuki thought hard about Hirase's word after that, juggling between how unbelievable her situation is and how good it'll be to have someone to share her troubles with. As she's lost in her thought, her hand spontaneously tries to rub her head to sweep away her highschool worries. But before her hand could reach the back of her head, she notices something it's grabbing onto, a piece of paper, a note.

Mizuki head to the small lawn behind the school building. It's one of the most secluded place that people rarely pass by, an awkward space in the schools amateur planning. But still a comfy one, the shade of the school building protects it from the heat of the sun but positioned in a way that still allows for the cool breeze from the beach to pass through. A suitable hangout spot for students skipping classes. The note from earlier that tells her to come here dissipates soon after she reads it so she knows who it's from.

"I see your the teacher's favorite type huh" Daisuke's sudden conversation starter surprises her.

"Wwaaahh! Where did you came out from?!" She jumps back a couple steps

"And It-it's not like that geez... She just knew my mom, that's all..." She explains, with a bit of a pout. Not wanting to give him a point to make fun of her close relationship with the teacher.

"Also what's with you being stealthy and all, are you still keeping up that act of nothing more than a classmate?"

He just smiles "so is there anything else you need my explanation of from last night?"

'he ignored me...'

A bit unsatisfied, Mizuki just let it go and take the chance to ask him a more puzzling question she'd been pondering by herself

"Your arm, I could touch it, it felt weird but I can grab it, it's the same with the ghost girl. but not the knife, I can't touch it...I can feel it... but not grab into it..."

"I suppose the topic of today is SP form then, or to make it easier for you 'Rei Tai', but before that a demonstration should explain things better" he hold out his hand palm up and his other hand supporting it from below.

"SP or Reichitsu is a very reactionary thing, it reacts the most with your thoughts, allowing you to change it to whatever you imagine and it is also what makes your... I suppose.. soul.." he chuckles a bit. A ball of glowing fog on his hand emanates some kind of visible electromagnetic waves around it.

"My body that night was something in between spiritual and physical, a Reitai and my knife was fully spiritual, only perceivable and influenced by spiritual beings. So it's no surprise you can't interact with it. You can shape your Reichitsu into anything your mind can conjure as long as you understand them"

As he's explaining, the bizarre ball of fog above his palm took on various shapes and types of matter, turning into a toy car made of plastic, a ball of fire and a blue energy sphere rotating atop his palm, which alerts Mizuki.

"I call this, raseng-"

"No! No! You can't do that!!" She panics.

Puzzled, Daisuke brushes it off and continues "anyway as I was saying, in your Reitai, you can do this with your whole body"

"WOW... Th-then I can be whatever I want in that form? with just my imagin-"

"But" Daisuke cut her off "In your physical body, it is safe and contained in you but once you switch to Reitai, it is exposed and vulnerable. They're very flexible and reactionary, even the wind could blow them off and you won't return to your physical form until you gather them all back"

That scares Mizuki a bit "but I managed it before right?"

He gives a disagreeing look "barely"

Mizuki looks down, then mad

"So why are you even telling me all this?!"

"Hahah calm down calm down... That was just the early warning, I can help you maintain them in one place during your Reitai"

"Say that earlier then!" A bit annoyed

"But you have to listen to my words after you do. This is a risky state to be in"

Mizuki gulps.

"When you change, I want you to shout "TRANSFORM!" as you do"

"Now you're just messing with me!" Mizuki retorts.

"Hahaha half of it yeah, but there's also a reason for it. Like I said, Reichitsu are very reactionary and flexible, but they're also influenced by your brain. So naming the process helps your brain to remember them better. There's power in names" he exclaims proudly.

Mizuki surrenders "I see... You better not be just messing with me okay?"

Daisuke smiles, confirming.

"Okay here we go!" Swiftly without warning he flicks her forehead gently.

Right after he does that, Mizuki's sent backwards despite how soft the blow was. Something was in that flick, his finger was glowing, it's coated in SP. Now Mizuki's falling losing her balance and apparently over her own body, her skin begins to phase. However, for a flash, it is as if her already pale complexion starts to glow, contrasting to her dark shadowy blue hair. But no, beyond the swaying curtains of bluish jet black, it is not actually her skin that shines but rather her eye. A sky blue glow emanates from her pupil for an instant before she loses her form.

She scrambles what little control she have in that interval and forces a word out of her mouth before she momentarily lose consciousness.

"T-T-TRANSFOOOOORRMMM!!!"

After that instance passed Mizuki's form breaks down, her facial features sunken, her limbs joined together, her bipedal stance falls and condenses. She'd lost consciousness for a brief moment earlier but now her shape is collapsing.

"It is.. as I suspected..." Daisuke mutters.

"Waaaahhh?! Not this again?!!" Mizuki shouts in disappointment, her body returned to the ball shaped, condensed SP reminiscent of her experience in the Soul Cavity after she'd regained a form for the first time then.

"Can't I have a cooler body?!"

He sighs patiently "well that's of course, because this is the only shape your Reichitsu ever knows."

"Whaa- then, that means I'll be stuck in this form every time I transform???"

"Well you can still change it, it'll take some time and work but you can recall the sensation of moving your arm like they're actually there, your legs and your neck, those memories are from your physical form but it's still a very familiar experience for you, with some extra effort, you can even bring them into your Reitai"

"So your real body experience can still be useful in this form..." Mizuki relieved to learn that.

"With a bit of extra effort, yes. Like trying to run in water, it's optimum on land but less efficient in water, but still doable with additional strain" Daisuke explains his point.

"Then! Let's get you stretching those limbs out!" He wastes no time putting her to work.

"Ooouuhhh!!!" And she's fired up too.

However, somewhere else at school, amidst the lively atmosphere of highschoolers engaging in their club activities, a dark shadow looms. A vague creature morphing and crawling up the wall, attaching itself to the crevices of an inward wall between two classrooms, it just scans the surrounding for a vulnerable target. On the other end, approaching the spot is a girl that already seems weak hearted. She looks lethargic and unfocused.

"Ughh... I thought what you think is what they are...? I had no problem the first time" Mizuki grumbles. She's having a hard time controlling her SP that just fails to follow through with what she's imagining.

"It's easier to control your Reichitsu in your own Soul Cavity because it's already inside you, but outside is a different story. Also, I'd recommend you growing your limb from the center and not just build them right away from the other end. This way-" just as Daisuke is explaining the SP form

"HYYYAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

A maiden's cry shocks the entire school ground. Alarming both of them and other students still at school. It echoes throughout the Hokubu beach in front of the school and scared the seagulls nearby, sending them into a fluttered disperse.