Training

Inside the temple, Akane knelt with his hands clenched on his knees.

In front of him stood Nana Sensei and Hakuto Sensei, her husband. Two martial artists with enough skill to brag and back it up.

Akane's father was a good combatant and a friend of Hakuto's so he usually came here to train. This was where he brought Akane to watch his formidable power in combat, hoping that someday the latter would be able to learn it.

But it has been five years and Akane hadn't, at least, come to visit. Not even once. Well, it wasn't really his fault since that was when he got a job and life started being a hassle.

"Forgive me, Nana Sensei. Forgive me, Hakuto Sensei," Akane muttered.

"You decide to come here after how long? A decade?" Hakuto huffed.

Akane raised his head to defend himself. "No no no, it's been just fiv—"

"Silence!" Nana Sensei said, smacking his head with her stick.

Akane held his head, groaning in pain. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"These people," Raijin's voice was leveled.

'Huh? What with them?' Akane asked in his mind.

"They have an aura that is… not completely mortal. Like they posses fragments of a divine god's power," Raijin explained.

Nana and Hakuto's eyes scanned Akane intently, as if trying to grasp onto something that wasn't really there.

They could feel it. Raijin's presence, but they couldn't quite define what it was. "What do you want now?" Nana Sensei asked.

Akane cleared his throat and looked up. "I want to train, like learn how to fight. With a sword too."

Nana and Hakuto exchanged a glance. "Why all of a sudden?" Hakuto asked.

"I just… feel I need those skills, yes," Akane muttered.

"You can't 'just' feel the need to train," Hakuto narrowed his eyes. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

Akane hesitated for a moment longer before shaking his head. "No. Really, I just want to learn it. Self-defense and all those kinda stuff." He smiled nervously.

"Hmm," Hakuto hummed.

"It's…" Akane gulped. "It's okay if you teach me those hard moves you used to do back then."

"Boy, do you think you can catch up with me?" Hakuto questioned with a challenging smile as he went round the latter.

Nana stepped back, knowing they were about to start something.

Akane slowly got to his feet, following Hakuto's movements. "I haven't forgotten the ones you taught me. That's why I want something new."

That was a lie. All his early trainings were a blur in his mind and he could hardly make them out. But Hakuto caught onto the challenge and decided to check for himself.

Hakuto threw his fist towards Akane's chest and the he quickly grasped it with both hands, stopping it just a few inches away from his chest.

"You have forgotten, idiot," Hakuto said, opening his fist. The extended hand hit Akane's chest, sending a sharp sting as he released Hakuto's hand and bent, wheezing.

"Are you letting your guard down now?" Hakuto added as his knee went for Akane's face.

In that split second, Akane's eyes glowed a faint blue and everything seemed to slow down by a fraction. Enough for him to push down the old man's leg.

Hakuto, surprised, wondered if Akane had really caught on already. He threw his fist at Akane as he stood up.

Akane used the delay to duck just in time and charged in with his elbow. The move connected with Hakuto's chest, sending the old man stumbling back. One of the moves from long ago he hadn't yet forgotten.

Hakuto turned to Akane wide-eyed, utterly surprised, but beneath the shock laid something else. Joy? A grin stretched on the man's face.

These days, the temple was usually empty and there wasn't much of a challenge set by those who came from time to time. They were too weak and would suddenly stop showing up when the intensity was getting too much for them.

Not that Akane was any stronger, but his reaction speed hadn't gone unnoticed, and deep down, Hakuto could tell that wasn't all.

"My my, is it old age?" The old man chuckled lightly, cracking his knuckles and snapping his neck.

"Huh?" Akane smiled nervously, but with a blink, the man wasn't in place. Thanks to his eyes, he could track man down easily.

He spun around and saw a kick coming in. He stepped back, missing it by an inch.

Without giving him space to breathe, Hakuto charged in again throwing a series of palm strikes that Akane deflected, though hardly as some still made contact.

Nana's eyes widened. "Was the kid always this fast? Hmm… what is this in him."

Despite being half blind in one eye and being shortsighted on the other. Her hearing was so sensitive, she could tell when a pin drops in a noisy classroom.

And right now, she could hear hums as Akane moved. Like when electricity is over surging. But it was faint and didn't make sense at all, so she just believed it was something else or maybe something Akane had in his pockets reacting to the motion.

Hakuto palmed Akane, sending him skidding back. His breathing was ragged, but he wasn't out of stamina. Nowhere near it to be precise.

But his muscles did ache badly and he wondered how much he could keep on taking.

"Ah, it seems you have become faster. You indeed have forgotten the moves I thought you, but your response time is giving you a big boost and you've made your own style. Your timing's good as well, I have to give you that." Hakuto admitted as he hoped and swatted his wrists. "But let's be honest, eh? That's still slow."

"Huh?" Akane muttered before Hakuto lunged at him, at a speed he could follow but couldn't respond in time to.

The old man grabbed Akane's left arm and put his leg behind the latter to get him off balance, then he lifted Akane off the ground before slamming his back on it.

Akane groaned in pain as he held his back.

"You aren't that bad," Hakuto chuckled with his hands on his waist. "I noticed your eyes catching up, but your body wasn't."

"Thank you?" Akane muttered, still on the ground.

"Your request has been approved. We'll train you." Hakuto walked over to get a towel.

Akane sighed.

As Hakuto passed Nana she muttered something. "You noticed it as well, right?"

"Mm, yes," replied Hakuto. "He's not normal too."