Arc 2 Chapter 4- My Training Starts Now!

Kyosuke’s eyes open and he begins to freak out.

“WHAT, WHERE AM I?! AI, ADAL?! ANYONE!?”

The room was dark and quiet, Kyosuke wasn’t in his home anymore, but instead in a log cabin-type house. The walls were logs and the floors were wooden, the air smelled fresh, and a breeze came in through a window.

“Quiet down kid, it’s me, Ken. I took you here for a reason.”

Ken’s voice came out of a dark corner of the room that Kyosuke’s eyes hadn’t yet gotten used to.

“Ken? Where is Adal? Where is my-I mean, where is Ai!? Where is it here?!”

Kyosuke had many questions on his mind, he faintly remembers last night when he fought Suke, he’s learned from the last time he’s used this power since he could remember this time. Kyosuke also remembered his parents, and how he had been sent to the world that he had thought was normal.

“We’re in my log cabin about two hundred miles west from your home, don’t worry we’ll be going back there a lot in the time we’ll be away, but, we’ll need to conceal you for obvious reasons.”

Ken was rubbing the slight stubble he had on his chin, he wasn’t staring at Kyosuke while talking, he was staring at the moon that had appeared above them.

“Why exactly do you need to conceal me? Did I do something wrong!?”

Ken looked at Kyosuke and laughed at his stupidity.

“NO, YOU IDIOT! It’s because of that Suke guy you fought, you think he’s just gonna sit back and let you become stronger? Hell no! He’s going to keep coming back to you until you’re too weak to fight back.”

The mood changed back to the quietness it had once been, no longer was Ken laughing but now, he looked Kyosuke straight in the eyes.

“Kyosuke, who’s more important to you? Ai or Adal?”

This question hit Kyosuke hard in the heart, he didn’t know who he cared more about, because in his mind he always thought of them as equals, but in reality, there was something deeper there. Kyosuke had never had these feelings before and the fact he was having them now shows that he’s changed.

“I-I don’t know, I care about my friends equally, I mean of course Adal and I have been through a lot more than Ai and I, but still. I-.”

Kyosuke couldn’t finish his sentence, the stare of Ken was strong and he could feel him burning himself deep into Kyosuke’s soul and mind. Kyosuke was always prone to smile under pressure, it went with his crazy laughing that happens when he’s stressed out.

“Fine, I’ll admit that Ai is kinda cute and maybe I have a crush on her, BUT STILL! IT’S NOT LIKE I COULD CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM!”

Ken again started to laugh at Kyosuke’s comment, this time he turned on a small lamp to show the change in mood in the room. It wasn’t at all a big room, enough for maybe three people, but that was the house they lived in for the next six months.

Kyosuke still wondered about his life. The events that led up to the night of the fight were intense, something seen from a manga or anime, not something you’d ever think would happen in real life.

“Kyosuke, let me tell you this, Ai is WAYYYY out of your league.” Ken began to laugh “LIKE SO FAR! But, you got spirit, and girls dig that, trust me.”

Kyosuke started to laugh along with Ken, but this time decided to throw a jab back at him.

“Oh yea, I see all the laddies you’re bringing here, they must be very proud of you.”

Now both of them started to laugh, it felt good to laugh after a strong battle. Kyosuke wasn’t feeling sad or angry anymore but instead, he was feeling a little stoked to start training.

Ken quieted down and began to start talking business.

“Alright Kyosuke, take these clothes, you’ll only have to wear them while you’re out and only until you’re strong enough to take out Suke.”

Kyosuke picked up the clothes, a purple scarf that had a hood attached to it, the pants were the same white color, but the shirt was almost identical to the tracksuit shirt Kyosuke originally had. Ken must have seen the tracksuit that Ai had put outside to dry after washing it, he made an almost direct copy of it, except, he used a more medieval cloth for it.

-Holy shiz, these clothes look badass!

Putting on the clothes the sun slowly began to rise it was around seven A.M. and the winter breeze that hit against the cabin made Kyosuke feel safe.

“It’s time we start getting ready, you’ve spent too long resting, three days to be exact.”

“THREE DAYS?! MAN THIS POWER SUCKS!”

Ken laughed at Kyosuke’s confusion, Kyosuke’s power didn’t suck, he just didn’t know how to use it. The power was given to him by his parents, who he still doesn’t know, the most he knows about them is their faces and names.

“Also, what are we getting ready for?”

Kyosuke wasn’t sure how they would get stronger since even Kyosuke didn’t know the amount of power he has, usually, you’ll find out when you’re young if you’ll be powerful or not by how fast you progress in magic training.

“You think I took you in for six months just to let Suke get strong enough to kill you next time? HELL NO! I’m gonna teach you the basics in magic and sword techniques, that power you possess inside of you should be enough to get those greedy school bastards to accept you in, you’ll just need to lower the amount you put into it, that way you won’t go on a rampage and go into a coma for three days.”

This all made sense to Kyosuke, he doesn’t know the first thing about magic, he just said the word and it worked, he didn’t know if that used mana, and he didn’t even know if this world had mana.

Kyosuke, fully clothed, stepped outside with Ken, the air was cold but the cloth of Kyosuke’s clothes made it significantly warmer, he had to get ready for the next year of training and wasn’t sure if he was ready, but he wanted to protect his friends.

“Alright Ken, what’s first?”

* * *

Ken slashes at Kyosuke causing him to fall backward. It was currently five P.M. and after a long day of training with a sword using the Fire technique (Ken found it suiting for Kyosuke), they decided to call it a day, the sun was slowly starting to sink onto the horizon and Kyosuke needed some food to eat.

“Hey Kyosuke, there’s a bar down the road, let’s eat there tonight, I’ll grab some groceries tomorrow and we’ll have a feast on the first day you can land a hit on me!”

Excited, Kyosuke got up and wiped the sweat off his face, his eyes gleamed with excitement, all he needed to do was land a hit on Ken and he’d be able to finally eat like a king.

“HELL YEA, FINALLY SOME MOTIVATION!”

The two decided to bathe at the hot springs in town, they put their swords on their hips and set off towards the town.

Ken told stories to Kyosuke about all of the crazy journeys he’s been on and how in one journey, he got shot at by a poisonous ant colony and he had to use a spell called Ruak to fully wipe them out, he didn’t know that a spell could even summon Demons in the first place.

On their way into town, Kyosuke started to notice how many people seemed to like Ken.“Hey, Ken, who’s the new kid!”

“What’s up Ken, new friend?”

Random people on the streets walked past Kyosuke and Ken and asked him questions as if they knew everything about him and the fact Kyosuke was there was something unexpected of him.

“I’ve been a big help to this town for the past few years so they treat me with a lot of respect, what can I say.”

Kyosuke starts to laugh at Ken and the fact that he’s got an entire town that almost worships him, yet, he lives in a cabin out in the middle of the woods.

Ken smacked Kyosuke on the head as they entered the bathhouse, there was a young-looking lady at the desk, around eighteen.

“Well hello there little lady, my young apprentice here is looking for a friend himself, wanna take a chance on him?”

Embarrassed Kyosuke yelled.

“HEY, SCREW OFF MAN!”

He punched Ken in the side making him let out a loud laugh. The girl looked at Kyosuke and smiled at him.

“So Mr. Ken why are you training him?”

She also knew Ken, Kysouke thought he had to have been the most famous person in the village for everyone to be this infatuated with why he’s training someone.

“Well you see, he’s a very powerful Angel Demon hybrid and we’re kind of on a deadline to training him enough to get him into a school that will teach him a ton of advanced magic so he can take revenge on one of his fallen friends.”

Kyosuke’s face grew beat red as Ken spoke those words, he didn’t think Ken would be so blunt about it, but the fact he caught him off guard.

“Can we just bathe now, I’m feeling tired already?”

Kyosuke muttered. Ken patted him on the back and paid for the two of them to bathe, while in the bath Kyosuke started to interrogate Ken.

“Why did you reveal so much to her, what if she tells someone?”

The question lingered in Ken’s mind.

“If you can’t trust anyone, you don't trust anyone, then you’ll never learn to trust anyone.”

Kyosuke understood what he meant, if he couldn’t trust the people who looked up to him for so long, then who could he trust at all? Kyosuke was someone who knew Ken and has only really spoken to him for a day and a half, there are still many mysteries to be solved.

“Tell me about who you are Kyosuke because I can tell from when you were fighting that you’re not just some run-of-the-mill human boy.”

Kyosuke looked up into the stars, trying to figure out how to answer that question.

“You see, it’s hard to explain without the gods trying to censor me, but I’ll say as much as I can. You know me as Kyosuke Matsuda, Matsuda isn’t my real last name but the one given to me by separate parents. I came from this world but was sent through a portal to another world, I got sent back here by means I can’t say, and now I’m trying to fight for the life of myself and the people I care about.”

Ken looked at Kyosuke while splashing some water on his head, it was coming together more and more who Kyosuke was, he wasn’t just special, he was THE one.

“Well damn, I’m surprised, THE STUPID GODS, didn’t censor you on that. But it looks like it’s time to fully explain who I am as a person. I am Ken Mato, I’m an adventurer who found something out that went a little too far, I’ve saved a few thousand people and now I hide in the dark so I can live a peaceful life. I considered myself the strongest person I knew up until I met you and that Suki guy, even your friend Adal seemed to keep up.”

Kyosuke blushed at the compliments, he never really thought of himself as strong, he just wanted to stop dying since it hurt like hell and he was tired of restarting the world.

The two boys finished bathing and headed into the local bar. Entering the bar they found themselves amid a brawl, people were screaming and fighting amongst themselves.

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

Kyosuke screamed to get Ken’s hearing on him.

“DON’T WORRY KID, IT’S LIKE THIS EVERY NIGHT!!!

They made their way to a booth where they got ready to order their food. A busty waitress came out to take their orders.

“Well hello lady, what brings you to our table?”

Ken instantly went flirting. Kyosuke looked over at Ken with a disgusted look on his face.

Ken grabbed a few beers on his way into the bar without Kyosuke noticing, he’d been drinking them since they sat down.

“YOU IDIIIOOTT!”

Kyosuke got up and punched Ken in the back of the head, a drunk old man was the last thing Kyosuke wanted to deal with that night.

The nice lady asked for their orders and they gave them to her, she made her way back to the kitchen giving the two enough time to talk about tomorrow's training.

“It’s time to start training again tomorrow, I’m thinking magic, how does that sound Kyosuke?”

Kyosuke’s eyes lit up hearing that, no longer was he going to be left in the dust, but he would learn something others had mastered before him.

“MAGIC? HELL YEA, I’M REALLY GONNA LEARN MAGIC?”

Ken laughed at Kyosuke’s face since his screaming made his nostrils flare up and his face good red.

“Well, I was thinking fire magic, since it suits your style, eventually you’ll be able to make your own style that’ll be more powerful than any style before it.”

Kyosuke never thought about making his own magic before, or style for that matter.

“WAIT SO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN STYLE, WHAT IS IT LIKE?”

Ken laughed again at Kyosuke, he hadn't had this much laughter in a conversation in a long time from the looks of it.

“Hell yeah I have my own style, and I’ll teach it to you tomorrow IF you can hit me, as for what it is. Well, it’s called Rengato and it’s a hypnotize style, it turns the enemies against their friends in order for me to gain the upper hand, it took me my whole life to master that style and I bet I can teach it to you in a week, that’s only if you hit me of course.”

Kyosuke shot up from his seat as the waitress arrived with their food.

“I’LL HIT YOU OLD MAN, JUST YOU WAIT!”

The waitress put down Kyosuke’s food causing him to stop talking and start eating. It’s the first time he’s eaten anything other than Ai’s cooking in almost three weeks.

“The food here is so good! I can’t wait to have that homemade feast though, it’ll fill me up for days.”

The two enjoyed their time in the bar, dancing to the music and having a fun time. Ken knew that the day Kyosuke would stop smiling would be soon, without anyone but himself to take care of, Kyosuke needed to understand how far he needed to come.

“Kyosuke, after that feast, I’m going to take you to a mountain. I will leave you for one month and if you’re still alive by then, we will continue training. I’ll wait until you’re good enough to hit me before I make you do anything too harsh, but just know that it is coming.”

Kyosuke stopped dancing and stared at the ceiling, he remembered the faces of his two friends and wondered what they must be doing in a time like this, have they forgotten Kyosuke? It has only been a few days yet it felt like weeks.

Ken and Kyosuke slowly started to exit the bar, they were extremely tired and wanted to go back home for some much-needed sleep, tomorrow was going to be a hard day for Kyosuke, if he tried hard enough, he’d not only be able to have that feast, but also learn a new power that could save his life in the future.

As Kyosuke exits the bar he looks up into the night sky, hoping that his friends would wait for his return.

* * *

“GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!”

Adal grabs a knife from the drawer and draws it on an unexpecting man in Adal’s kitchen.

“Hey little buddy, are you Ai’s little brother? Are you trying to protect your big sis? Don’t worry I’m not here to hurt her.”

Adal musters up all the strength in his body to pick up the giant man and throw him outside.“If I ever see you here again-”

Adal’s face darkens and he snaps the knife in half causing his hand to start bleeding.

“You’re dead.”

Ai runs downstairs just as she witnessed the man run away from the home.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ADAL?!”

Adal looked angrily at Ai, in his mind he wanted to scream at her and turn her into mush, but he knew Kyosuke would kill him for it.

“What would Kyosuke think if-”

Before Adal could finish his sentence Ai looked to the ground, Adal struck a cord that not even Suke would dare mess with. Ai’s face started to secret water as her crying started.

Ai wanted attention from another man like Kyosuke so badly that she went out looking for men to try and suit her, not a single one got past the talking phase before she kicked them out herself, the reason Adal never saw them enter was that most of the time she kicked them out before he even realized she was home.

“Dammit Ai, it’s time we started to train, Ken told you that we needed to train for Mutien Academy, so stop mopping and let’s start training, we have six months.”

Adal grabbed Ai’s hand and put a wooden sword in it, they had built an indoor training room for when they were ready to train and it seemed that now was the time to use it, with a smirk they both go into position.

“3.”

Adal spoke.

“2.”

Replied Ai.

“1.”

Said both.