Location: The Main Dojo

  Time of Day: Morning

  The party stood in the center of the dojo's main room. Lumina faced them with arms crossed and a faint smile.

  "Good work last week, Hikari. You too, Captain. I heard from Slayer that your training went really well," Lumina said proudly.

  Hikari offered a brief bow of thanks at the praise and Captain gave a nod.

  "You guys are making great progress," Slayer added with a grin. "At this rate, we might not even need the full month of training, haha!"

  "Maybe," Lumina replied, her tone more grounded. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. We'll see how you handle what comes next first."

  "Well, we're not Echohold's-09 top Hollows for no reason so come at us with everything you've got!" Hikari said with a playful wink.

  "Yeah, with you on that one too Hikari." Captain added with a nod.

  Lumina smirked. "Okay, In that case let's keep it going then. Now, for this week's focus, we'll be shifting to stamina training."

  Captain stepped forward, his confidence showing. "That should be easy for me. I've gone through plenty of endurance training before."

  "Ugh, lucky..." Hikari muttered with a playful pout as she looked away.

  Lumina chuckled. "Don't get too comfortable, Captain. This won't be like the training you're used to since we're using Emanation now. You might have a slight edge in a few areas, but I'll be testing you both across different conditions."

  "Guess we're still in the same boat, then," Hikari said, nudging Captain with a smirk.

  "Sigh, guess so," Captain muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

  "Mhm." Lumina gave a firm nod, her eyes narrowing with focus. "Since you've both learned to activate and maintain your Emanation with consistency, the next crucial step is stamina. That means staying in your Emanation state throughout your whole training."

  She began pacing across the dojo floor, her arms folded behind her back, tone sharpening into full instructor mode. "While Emanation boosts your body, relying on it too long without proper conditioning will drain your stamina fast. That's why we'll focus on three core areas." She raised a finger. "First, stamina. Your Emanation lives and dies on how long you can sustain it. If it fades mid-battle, you're exposed."

  A second finger. "Second, strength and resilience. These go hand in hand. You'll need the power to strike hard, lift heavy, and the toughness to take hits head-on. This matters most when you're alone... or surrounded."

  Finally, she lifted a third. "Lastly, mental strength. Staying calm under pressure. Thinking clearly when everything is against you. That's just as vital as any punch you throw." She came to a stop, her gaze sweeping across them with quiet authority. "That's our focus for the next week. Any questions about this plan?"

  Hikari raised her hand hesitantly.

  "Yes, Hikari," Lumina said, her tone calm but attentive.

  "Yeah, um... what happens if we fail one of the exercises?"

  Lumina smiled faintly. "Originally, we planned to give you two weeks for this phase. But given how far you've both come..." she paused mid-step, then gave a firm nod. "We've shortened it to one. I believe you can handle it. If you fail however, it will delay your return to your world. Of course, no pressure there."

  "Jeez, how cruel..." Hikari muttered, her shoulders slumping as she turned her gaze aside. "All of that in just one week, huh?" She sighed under her breath, then glanced back up, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You guys believe in us that much?"

  "Yeah, we do," Slayer chimed in with a thumbs-up. "The sooner you're ready, the sooner we can head to your world. But hey, if either of you still isn't confident, we'll use that last week to polish things up."

  "That's fine with me," Captain said, crossing his arms with a faint smirk. "One less week just makes it more of a challenge."

  Hikari glanced at him, then nodded. "I agree. If we can even get there an hour earlier, our chances of containing more Echos will go up."

  "Good. I'm glad we all agree," Lumina said with a satisfied smile. She straightened, her tone sharpening. "Now, let's not waste time. For this part of the training, Hikari, you'll be with Slayer on the left side of the dojo. Captain, you're with me on the right."

  "Wait, what? Why the switch?" Hikari asked, tilting her head with a puzzled look.

  "Yeah..." Captain cracked his knuckles with a sharp pop. "I wanted to show Slayer I could easily outclass him."

  "Keep dreaming, cupcake," Slayer shot back, his tone playful as he wagged a finger.

  "Tch. Whatever you say, piece of scrap," Captain muttered, folding his arms with a glare.

  "Both of you!" Lumina snapped, her hand gripping the hilt of her katana with a clink. "Calm down before I assign you an exercise you won't forget!"

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Y-Yes, ma'am...!" Captain and Slayer answered in unison, their voices suddenly sheepish.

  Hikari sighed, rubbing her temple with a weary groan. "Oh boy... and here I thought they were finally getting along."

  Lumina chuckled softly at her remark before turning back to Hikari. "Anyway, to answer your question. I split you up this way because I've seen your strengths. I want training to challenge you, not spoon-feed results. You'll learn more that way."

  Hikari paused, then nodded slowly. "Mmm, fair enough..."

  As she glanced between Slayer and Lumina, her mind began connecting the dots.

  ("Judging by what Lumina said... I think she paired us based on strengths and weaknesses. Captain's clearly got the physical toughness, while I lean more on intelligence. Lumina's sharp and strategic so he'll definitely benefit from her precision. He might not be the most academically inclined, but he knows how to lead and survive. As for me... I'm lacking in raw toughness, so it makes sense I got paired with Slayer, who specializes in that. That just leaves stamina. My guess? Both Lumina and Slayer excel at it. Which means Captain and I will probably struggle the most with maintaining Emanation for long periods since we're new to it. If that's her reasoning... then it's a smart one. Yeah... that all adds up pretty neatly.")

  A proud little smile crept across her lips. "Good job, Hikari," she whispered to herself, pumping small fists of encouragement. "If I do say so myself, that is."

  "Hm?" Lumina tilted her head slightly, catching Hikari's little moment.

  ("How cute.") Lumina smirked to herself.

  "Alright, team!" she called, lifting her hand toward the ceiling. "Let's commence the second week of training!"

  Everyone moved to their new spots, determination in their eyes. The second week had now begun.

  The Following Day...

  Captain and Slayer returned to the dojo. Lumina kept working with Hikari, guiding her until she could hold her aura steady and finally gain full control over her Emanation. Captain threw himself back into training as well, his determination burning stronger than ever. He was set on awakening his own Emanation, no matter what it took.

  “I see you didn’t bring your gun this time,” Slayer remarked, tilting his head with a grin.

  “Didn’t feel the need,” Captain replied, cracking his neck. “It’s like you said, I need to unlock my Emanation first before we can do anything else.”

  “Exactly.” Slayer snapped his fingers with a sharp snap! “It’s crucial you awaken it before we start enhancing that gun of yours.”

  “Now then,” Slayer said, clapping his hands together with a sharp clap! “Let’s try this again. Keep your mind clear and emotions steady. You already know what happens when you lose control.”

  “Don’t worry,” Captain assured, adjusting his stance. “I’ll be careful. Because this time... I will awaken to my true Emanation.”

  “Haha! That’s what I like to hear.” Slayer smirked, gesturing toward the center of the dojo. “The stage is all yours.”

  "Don't mind if I do."

  Captain walked calmly to the center, the wooden floor creaking creak… creak… beneath his boots. Slayer watched in silence, arms folded, visor glowing faintly. Captain stopped, closed his eyes, and drew in a long breath. Fwoooosh…

  The dojo fell still. He pushed away doubts, the weight of past failures, and reached deeper. In that stillness, he felt it... an ember. Slowly, warmth spread from within. A faint red shimmer wrapped around his body, flickering like heatwaves. His hands trembled. Not enough... not yet.

  Then flashes of his family cut through his mind, faces, laughter, everything he’d lost. The ember flared into fire. Whoooom! A burst of wind surged out, rustling the dojo walls. His aura ignited, glowing vividly. Slayer smirked knowingly. Captain’s eyes opened, now a deep, glowing red. A crimson heat-like aura surged around his body.

  "Hmph... this feels incredible." Captain exhaled, looking at his hands trembling with aura. “I’ve done it… haven’t I?” He turned toward Slayer.

  “Yes, you have,” Slayer said softly, a proud glint in his visor. “Now the real training can begin.” He stepped closer, inspecting the aura still flickering.

  Captain frowned. “Hm? What is it?”

  "Hmm... nothing major." Slayer replied. "It's just that your aura is flowing inconsistently and isn't concentrated yet, which is normal for a first awakening," He gave a shrug. "We'll get there with time though."

  “So that’s my next focus?” Captain asked, raising an eyebrow as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

  “Not quite.” Slayer wagged a finger and shook his head. “Manifesting it is one thing. Now… you have to learn how to release it.”

  “Release it?” Captain tilted his head.

  “Yep.” Slayer snapped his fingers with a sharp snap! “Think of it like a fire. Stop feeding it, and it dies. It's the same thing with Emanation. If you don’t keep generating energy, your aura shuts off. Simple as that, no fuel equals no flame.”

  “Makes sense.” Captain cracked his knuckles, smirking faintly. “In that case, I’ll give it a shot.”

  Captain closed his eyes again. He focused this time on cutting the flow. The red aura wavered, dimmed, and finally fshhh faded into nothing. His eyes returned to normal, the warmth gone.

  “Not bad at all, soldier boy,” Slayer nodded with approval. “You snuffed it out quick.”

  “That was easy enou-” Captain suddenly dropped to one knee, clutching his forehead. Thud! “Tch… dammit. Headache…?”

  Slayer burst out laughing. “Ah! Right. Forgot to mention that part.”

  “Seriously?” Captain shot him a glare, rubbing the side of his temple with one hand.

  “Relax, it’s normal,” Slayer said between chuckles. “First awakenings burn through stamina quicker since you're just getting used to it. Also your aura’s unstable, so the side effects hit harder. The longer you hold it, the worse the backlash. That’s why control is everything. Which is exactly what I’ll drill into you this week.”

  Captain groaned, rubbing his temple. “I barely caught half of that… urgh.” He steadied himself, then rose to his feet. “Alright. I think I'm good now. Jeez, what a pain.”

  "Great! Just remember, you’ll be repeating that process a lot until you can switch it on and off instantly at will.”

  “Shouldn’t be too bad,” Captain muttered, cracking his knuckles with a sharp pop. “I’ve got a week to nail it.” He glanced over. “By the way… I remember you said everyone’s Emanation is different right?”

  “Yeah? What about it?” Slayer tilted his head curiously.

  “Well, what do you think my specialty is?” Captain asked, crossing his arms as he leaned slightly forward.

  Slayer crossed his arms, thoughtful. "It's hard to say at this moment, but that's something only you can discover. Don’t worry though, you’ll know when the time comes." He raised a fist toward Captain. “Just trust the process.”

  Captain smirked, bumping fists with him. “If you say so.”

  Slayer gave a playful thumbs-up.

  “Now that I think about it… what’s your specialty?” Captain asked.

  Slayer chuckled under his breath. “That’s for you to find out later. Mystery makes the story more fun, doesn’t it?”

  Captain smirked. “Fine… then let’s keep rolling shall we.”

  "Hmph, as you wish. Let us continue!"

  On the other side of the dojo, Hikari pressed forward with her own relentless training, guided by Lumina’s sharp eye. The days passed in a blur. Every evening, Captain and Hikari compared notes, trading lessons learned and sharing their progress.

  By the week’s end, they were no longer beginners. They had taken their first steps into the world of Emanation. But this was only the beginning because the true test was yet to come.