Fire Within

Morning came too soon.

The golden light of dawn hadn't even had a chance to touch the sky before Emiko was pulled out of bed. Saya, not surprisingly, had no time for slow starts.

"Up," Saya said, pulling the blanket from Emiko.

Emiko groaned and curled into a ball. "Five more minutes…"

Saya kicked the mattress in response. Emiko cried out as she fell to the floor.

"You don't have five minutes," Saya said dryly. "Get up. Training starts now."

Emiko rubbed her head before sitting up. "You enjoy this, don't you?"

Saya smirked. "Maybe a little."

Kaito, lingering in the doorway, snorted. "She's being nice. If it were me, you'd be running laps around the city already."

Emiko shot him a glare. "And that's why I don't like you."

Despite grumbling, she removed herself from the bed and slipped into the training outfit that Saya had given her. A plain black uniform, light but durable, made for motion. She felt more awake when she stepped out into the courtyard — but also on edge.

Yesterday had been brutal.

And worse yet was coming today.

Emiko was ready for another sword lesson, but Saya had other ideas.

"Combat is not just about swinging a weapon," she said. "It's about being able to keep going, reaction time and learning to keep going even when your body is telling you to stop.

Emiko groaned. "That sounds like code for 'this is going to suck.' "

Saya grinned. "Correct."

That was when the real suffering began.

Saya plunged Emiko right into a grueling sequence of physical exercise—push-ups, squats, sprint drills, dodging practice. Whenever Emiko slowed, Saya made it harder. Kaito viewed with mild amusement, stepping in only to nip at Emiko's stances or movements as needed.

After an hour of this, sweat streamed from Emiko's brow, and her limbs trembled from exhaustion.

"Again," Saya said.

Emiko groaned. "Saya, I'm dying."

Saya rested against the wall of the dojo. "No, you're tired. There's a difference. Again."

Emiko clenched her fists. I have to keep going.

She willed herself to keep going, lungs on fire, legs in pain. The pain harkened back to all the times she had been powerless, back to the night she'd nearly died, back to Tsubaki's blade on her throat.

I can't be weak anymore.

After what seemed like forever, Saya finally instructed us to take a break. Emiko flopped onto the floor, panting.

"Not bad," Saya admitted. "You lasted a lot longer than I thought.

Emiko, too exhausted to protest, muttered, "Thanks … I guess."

Kaito squatted next to her, holding out a water bottle. "You're improving," he said. "Barely."

Emiko glared at him tiredly but as she took the bottle. "Oh, how nice to be encouraged."

Kaito smirked. "Anytime."

Now they watched them, and then something was suddenly thrown toward Emiko. Emiko instinctively caught it — a small wooden bead, smooth and cool to the touch.

"What's this?" she asked.

"A focus bead," Saya said. "It helps channel energy. And if you really want to be a fighter, you'll have to learn how to use your spirit energy."

Emiko frowned. "Spirit energy?"

Saya nodded. "Every human has it. Shinigami use it naturally but it can be taught to humans. It's what helps us make quick movement, deal sharp blows, detect danger before it exists."

Kaito pressed against the wall. "Shinigami have an innate strength born of the connection to the spirit realm we were born with. But you? You're going to have to make that connection yourself."

Emiko turned the bead over in her palm. "How do I do that?"

Saya smirked. "Figure it out."

Emiko groaned. "I hate it when you two do that."

Kaito chuckled. "Get used to it."

Little did they know, someone was watching.

In the shadows on a rooftop near by, a figure crouched, golden eyes flicking with amusement. Tsubaki.

He had been following them from their moment of arrival in the city, waiting, watching.

He had to admit — he was curious.

The new human there to take care of Kaito was not impressive. Feeble, slow, apiary meager to survive Saya's training. But it was something about her… something that made Kaito defend her.

Tsubaki smirked. Interesting.

He waited a little longer.

But the real fun hadn't even begun, after all.