The training

They both reached the house, but as they approached the front entrance, Shinuha paused and turned to Zenkai.
Knowing how humans feared devils, he cautioned softly, “Wait outside here. I will bring food out to you. If my parents see you right now, they will be terrified.”
Zenkai nodded obediently, bowing his head slightly.
“All right, Master. I will do whatever you say.”
Shinuha quietly slipped inside his home. The warm aroma of freshly cooked food filled the room, where his parents were waiting for him around the dining table.
Seeing him enter, his mother, Shisumi, looked up with concern.
“You came back very late today, Shinuha,” she said gently.
Shinuha offered an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was busy training in the woods.”
Shisumi gestured toward a seat.
“Come, sit down and eat your dinner.”
Shinuha hesitated, shifting his feet before speaking.
“Actually, Mom... I have a friend waiting outside for food. His parents are away for work, so he hasn’t eaten.”
Hearing this, Shisumi immediately insisted, “Then tell him to come inside! No guest should stay outside in the dark.”
“He can’t come inside, Mom,” Shinuha replied quickly, trying to sound natural. “Please understand.”
Shisumi frowned, puzzled.
“Why? Why can’t he come in?”
Seeing Shinuha’s awkwardness, his father, Morris, calmly interrupted.
“Leave it, Shisumi. Just give him his dinner and some extra food for his friend.”
Shisumi sighed softly and packed food for both of them.
Shinuha thanked his parents, took the warm plates, and hurried outside to join Zenkai.
They sat together beneath the night sky and began to eat.
As Zenkai took his very first bite, he froze.
Tears welled up in his eyes and began to silently roll down his cheeks as he slowly chewed. He had never tasted hot, home-cooked food like this before. During his flight, he had gone without proper food for many days.
Noticing his silent tears, Shinuha asked softly, “What happened, Zenkai?”
Zenkai quickly wiped his eyes and swallowed, smiling through his tears.
“Nothing, Master...”
After finishing their meal, Zenkai quietly climbed onto the rooftop and slept beneath the clear night sky, feeling safe for the first time in ages.
◆ ◆ ◆
The next morning, Shinuha received an official letter.
Opening the envelope, he read that the academy had announced a mandatory closure.
“The school will remain closed for three days due to the extensive damage caused by Shinuha.”
During his previous outbreak, Shinuha had destroyed not only the training arena but also several nearby school buildings.
Realizing that he had three free days ahead, Shinuha resolved to use the time productively—to rest, hone his magic, and train Zenkai.
He announced to his parents, “I’m going outside for training.”
Without revealing Zenkai’s secret identity to his family, Shinuha brought him along. Together, they journeyed deep into the secluded forest.
Once they were surrounded by ancient trees, they began practicing their respective abilities.
Through focused repetition, Shinuha made great progress, successfully maintaining control over his tree magic for extended periods with high efficiency.
After testing his own abilities, Shinuha turned his attention toward his new student, eager to guide Zenkai’s training.
Unsure how Zenkai could safely harness his dark magic, Shinuha consulted the Chat connection in his mind.
“How can Zenkai control his powers?”
The Chat voice advised, “While using his power, he should concentrate on gathering and consuming his magic inside a single hand.”
Shinuha walked over to Zenkai, who was struggling to control his fluctuating aura.
“Focus, Zenkai!” Shinuha instructed firmly yet encouragingly. “Concentrate on gathering your energy in your consuming hand. Channel all your power into that single hand.”
“Yes, Master!” Zenkai replied with determination.
Taking a deep breath, Zenkai focused his mind. Slowly, his flaring aura began to stabilize within his right hand, giving him partial control.
Shinuha guided him further.
“Focus even harder. Gather every bit of energy into only one hand.”
“Understood, Master!” Zenkai exclaimed.
He repeated the grueling exercise over and over. With each attempt, his focus sharpened, and his control visibly improved.
◆ ◆ ◆
Watching Zenkai’s rapid progress, Shinuha was utterly shocked by the raw potential radiating from the young devil.
Eager to understand the true depth of his student’s abilities, Shinuha asked the mental Chat, “What are the full details of his powers?”
The Chat connection detailed Zenkai’s rare heritage.
“He possesses abilities far beyond standard human reach. He can command dark magic, execute shape-shifting, move with lightning speed, and wield extraordinary strength, durability, and agility.”
Shinuha then asked, “How can he unlock these abilities to their fullest?”
The Chat voice replied, “Very rare devils possess a unique trait called Imagination Realization. Whatever they visualize intensely can manifest into reality.”
Shinuha found the concept mind-boggling.
“Please explain more clearly,” he requested.
The mental voice clarified, “If Zenkai’s imagination reaches its peak—for instance, if he visualizes his speed as being completely untouchable—he can manifest super-lightning speed in reality.”
Shinuha asked in awe, “Does Zenkai truly possess this imagination power?”
“Yes. Zenkai possesses this supreme imagination power,” the Chat confirmed.
Shinuha could hardly believe that such a legendary ability existed.
Intrigued to see it in action, he turned to Zenkai and explained the unique devil trait.
Zenkai listened with wide, glowing eyes.
Bowing deeply, he declared, “Yes, Master! I will try it right now!”
Determined to test the limits of his mind, Zenkai stood tall, closed his eyes, and began gathering his focus to summon his imagination power.