Initial Steps Into the Void

"Emiko," Kaito whispered, the forgotten shrine falling silent, the night falling thick around them. Unlike before, she noticed the tension from the earlier battle still lingered on Emiko's skin, but something else had taken root in the girl—a foreign energy, raw and untamed.

Kaito stood a few feet back, arms crossed as he looked her over. His silver eyes shimmered in the moonlight, unreadable as always.

"You have potential," he said finally, "but power without control is solely destruction waiting to happen."

Emiko exhaled sharply. "I figured as much. That's why I need you to teach me.

Kaito felt a grin tugging at the edges of his mouth. "Oh, you're eager. That's good. Just remember — this is going to be hard."

"I don't expect it to be."

Kaito nodded approvingly. "Okay, lesson number one, how to control your spirit energy.

He stepped forward, unsheathing his sword in one smooth motion. The moonlight glinted off the blade, itching with unseen power.

"There is not a single being that is not alive with spiritual energy," Kaito said. "For a human, it's dormant. But for a Shinigami or someone like you, it is a weapon. It increases your physical strength, heightens your senses, and can, if you learn to control it, be molded into devastating attacks."

Emiko picked up, hands unconsciously forming fists.

"Shut your eyes," Kaito said. "Feel the energy inside you. It's there — you just have to grab it."

Emiko complied, taking a long breath.

She focused — attempting to reach that odd warmth she had experienced previously. It was hard at first — like clawing at smoke — but after a while, she sensed it stirring once more.

A pulse of energy. Faint, but undeniable.

"There it is," she murmured.

Kaito slightly tilted his head. "Good. Now, keep hold of it. Guide it — don't force it."

Emiko furrowed her brow. She could feel it swirling in her, but it was tumultuous, frenzied. Like a storm, wild and slipping out of her control."

"I don't… I don't know how to shape it," she said.

"That's normal," Kaito said. "Right now, it's like a wild flame. You need to tame it."

He raised his other hand, palm toward her.

"Watch," he said simply.

His fingers were aglow with a soft light. Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, the glow blossomed into a spinning current of spiritual energy like liquid light.

Emiko's eyes widened. "How did you—"

"Control," Kaito interrupted. "I've been doing this for hundreds of years. You are only at its beginning. So let's keep things simple."

Stepping back, he gestured toward a nearby tree.

"Your first job is to gather your energy in your palm and release. It doesn't need any fancy apps — just point it at the target."

Emiko swallowed. It was simple enough to say, but she knew nothing was easy.

She faced the tree, inhaled deeply and raised her hand.

"Alright," she whispered. "Here goes."

She concentrated again, tugging on her internal Dimensional energy. The heat flickered and then sprang bright—but the instant she attempted to push it outward, it skidded from her fingers.

The energy crackled in the air for a moment before dissipating.

Emiko scowled. "Damn it."

Kaito chuckled. "Like I said—control."

Emiko huffed up, re-centering herself. She tried again. And again. Again and again, the energy slipped away, refusing to listen to her.

Minutes passed. Something heavy and sharp crystallized into frustration in her chest.

"Why isn't it working?" she muttered.

"You're making it more complicated than it seems," Kaito said. "You force it, and that's when you guide it. Stop focusing on the result. Just let it flow."

This made Emiko take another deep breath.

This time, though, she shut her eyes. Eruptions of frustration faded, and in their place the energy diffused. Rather than pushing against it, she envisioned it like a stream, flowing in its own time.

And gradually, she sensed it responding.

Warmth pooled in her palm. It wasn't unstable this time. It was steady, awaiting her command.

Her eyes shot open, and she reached out her arm.

A pulse of energy reached out—not exactly small but weaker than Kaito's, and real. Golden leaf hit the tree with a parched thud, but didn't even leave a mark.

But it was progress.

Emiko let out a gasp and looked at her hand. "I… I did it."

Kaito nodded, the smirk of his widening. "Not bad. Not great either, but it's a start."

Emiko rolled her eyes. "How about just say, 'Good job,' like a normal person?"

Kaito shrugged. "Not my style."

She breathed out, shaking her head. But despite his teasing, she sensed he was impressed.

She had taken her first step.

And now, it was all or nothing.