And mind

“A hund…red…”

I was lifting the dumbbells and I threw myself to the floor while Yuki handed me water and Tatsu was breathing heavily in the other part of the room.

“You really are taking her challenge seriously” —Yuki said.

“She is a good trainer, I feel that”

“She is amazing, I tell you that, but it is the first time seeing her going this reckless” —Tatsu said.

“Well, she said she was going to break me”

I lifted my arms and saw them shaking, I tried to stretch it but I kept shaking and it made me angry.

“Easy, Ren. Is normal that you're shaking, this stuff is pretty heavy, you should take a rest”

“Arima is right, Kazeki, cool your head off”

“Fine…”

I went to a chair and sat down drinking little sips into the water.

“She never said anything about doing it in one round, maybe you will get better after doing this after a few days?”

“I’ll take a few weeks before doing it better then…”

“The process is never fast, it takes time”

“Maybe… but she saw what I was capable of… and her combat had a meaning, what’s the meaning of this then?”

“You think this has a secret message, Kazeki?”

“I believe it, otherwise I would take a few months before going into a fight again…”

“Has your body even healed completely to be thinking about that?”

“I’m fine…”

“He is not, he can walk and do stuff normally but his bones and muscles are still damaged”

“Then you shouldn’t be working this hard either, I’ll go get that witch”

“DON’T!”

I shouted and sighed.

“Don’t please, I’m… I’m trying to figure this out… she knew it anyway… I noticed in the way she handled me, she didn’t use all her strength, she even left me before I could hit my legs well…”

Tatsu sighed and sat down on a chair cleaning his sweat, I kept looking at the dumbbells and trying to recall something that Miss Aoi said.

You are just a regular human… The power you have doesn’t make you superhuman, but it does give you more resistance than the average person, with strength and stamina you will get stronger… What does she mean by this, exactly the moment she made me lift this… wait…

I stood up and went to the dumbbells, this time I used my wind powers on my hands and let it go to my arms.

“What are you doing, Ren?”

“Be quiet… I’m trying something…”

The wind in my arms was loud, I closed my eyes and I let it flow. I could feel it, my hands, my arms, they were getting a bit numb, but this feeling…

I started to lift them again, and I felt it, the numbs, the weight… it was less than before, my arms weren’t getting tired, and after half an hour.

“A thousand…”

I let the dumbbells hit the floor and I let the wind let go of my arms but then I felt how all of my muscles were getting cramped, I kneel and grab the floor with cut screams, I was hyperventilating and then I saw a pair of shoes getting soaked by my sweet dropping from my face.

“Excellent work, boy, you got it”

“You planned this the whole time?” —Tatsu asked.

“Of course, it was a second exam, if he was going to kill himself trying to get a thousand reps that is going to be his fault, while I appreciate the sentiment, I don’t like a martyr boy, never grow up to be one, but you are intelligent, you prove yourself two times, sorry if it was annoying for you.

“Gh…”

“He is in pain…”

“I figure… the wind that he used I believe is the first time he used it like that if he is getting this amount of pain, he still lifted with his muscles, but he used the wind as a type of lever, he cannot be strong just using his strength alone but his power as well”

“What do you mean?”

“I think the easiest way to explain it will be with another power… the earth type, let’s say that you use your powers to move the ring or create boulders, throw and even jump, but if you use your power with your strength, you can punch someone with a powerful punch using the rocks surround hour hand, or use them as a shield when someone comes, that’s the difference between a newbie and a person who knows how to control his power”

I get up shaking my arms and looking at Miss Aoi.

“I get it, if I didn’t experience this first hand, I think it would cost me a bit to understand, but is trying both my body and my mind”

“Jackpot, kid”

I smiled and closed my eyes, she took me and made me sit on a chair.

“For now, is all, make sure your muscles rest well, we are going to have a lighter training tomorrow, I’ll bring something to help you out, you will do it then at your home”

I nodded and sighed as I looked at the ceiling.

“Guess I’m taking the shorter path, Yuki, haha…”

“Is not a shorter path, is your path, man”

Miss Aoi came back with two buckets, one of them with ice and the other with hot water.

“You put your arms inside this one and then in the other for about five minutes, repeat around half an hour and then head home”

“Understood”

I look at the bucket with ice cubes and I swallow saliva, the three of them were looking at me and Aoi smiled at me.

“Come on, boy, put it in”

“Yes…”

I extended my hands and Aoi grabbed and put my hands deep inside the bucket, my whole body had chills and my breath got inconsistent, my arms while in pain they could still feel the cold of the ice and the water, after a few minutes I took of my hands and put them inside the hot water as I melt for the comfort but after a minute, I wanted to put them out.

The water was boiling, I looked up and saw Miss Aoi smiling as I kept my hands inside and I nervously laughed. She was enjoying seeing me and the others took their distance, those were thirty minutes in hell, and then I went out of the gym.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I need to sleep…”

“Figures haha…”

“But I do feel less pain, Miss Aoi is incredible…”

“And scary…”

I laughed and we went and took the bus. The sun was just about to set and Yuki left to go to his house. I entered mine and threw myself on the couch.

“It’s been a while since I was all alone here… oh…”

I saw the phone light going on and off, I approached and heard the voice of the phone.

“You have 50 calls loss, 30 voicemails and-“

I hung up and called back, then my ears got blasted by the scream of a lady.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THAT YOU DON’T PICK THE GODDAMN PHONE?!”

It was my mom.

“I was out…”

“THEN RESPOND YOUR CELLPHONE, YOU KNOW HOW WORRY YOU GOT US?!”

“My phone…”

I touch across my body and then I remembered, I left my phone on my bed, I didn’t pick it up and just pick up the one Yoru gave me.

“I forgot it in my room…”

“Seriously… what am I going to do with you?”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, our travel is going to extend a little more, that’s why I am calling, and to check up on you. Are you doing, okay?”

“Yes mom, I am fine”

“Have you been eating, okay? I hope you don’t let Yuki come and let him do all the food”

“N-No…”

“Hum… you need to learn a couple of tricks on your own too, sweetie, hope you are cleaning the house properly too”

“Yeah, I clean from time to time, the only room I don’t enter is yours”

“Perfect, are you okay with the money? I can send you more”

“No, I am fine right, I still have something”

“I’ll send more to Yuki’s mom and she will give it to you anyway, hey- Darling! I am not finished!”

“Hey champ”

“Dad”

“You, okay? School? Girls?”

“I am fine dad, don’t worry about it”

“Anything you need, you know you can call us back, okay?”

“I know, dad”

“Ren”

“Yes, dad?”

“Don’t get yourself into trouble okay, we love you a ton”

“…”

I stayed quiet for a bit and smiled.

“I love you too, both of you”

“Take care, champ, I’m going to hang up, okay?”

“Yeah, be careful you two. Bye”

And with that the call ended, I couldn’t help but to feel a bit guilty, but my path was already chosen and I was not going to walk back now.