POV RYOUMA
"Has Kohaku even dated models?" Hotaru asked.
"And actresses from all over the world," I replied with annoyance, trying to fend off the hydrating face masks Hotaru wanted to put on me.
"Such bad luck! I don't have a chance," Livia said, slumping in a corner.
"Don't worry, Rosse, you're prettier."
"No…" I said flatly.
At that moment, I felt Hotaru's fist on my face. Before I could respond, our superior, Lilith, entered.
"Children, it's time for bed. Why do you fight so much…?" Lilith stopped upon seeing our faces. "Ha, ha, ha, poor Kohaku's 'son,' they're forcing you to play princess."
I nodded, struggling to remove the hydrating masks they'd put on me, but Hotaru and Livia prevented me from taking them off.
"Anyway, sleep early. Tomorrow will be a difficult day."
The three of us nodded and got into our sleeping bags. I quickly removed the ribbons they had tied on me.
"Ryouma, are you sure Kohaku only dates models?"
"Yes, and now go to sleep."
Without giving Livia a chance to hit me, I fell asleep.
---
POV NARRATOR
The next day was a true torment. The young Japanese exorcists were training alongside the first-year Russian students.
"Japanese kids! Pick up the pace or you'll be left behind!"
The three nodded, running faster through the snow, carrying large suitcases with provisions.
"Ugh, this is horrible," Livia mentioned between ragged gasps.
"Come on, guys, you can do it, Rosse, Ryouma," said Hotaru.
The two nodded. Hotaru's physical condition was already good, and now it had only improved further.
After running in the cold, they were submerged in the freezing waters of Lake Baikal. Everyone took turns. Ryouma's body felt a burning sensation from the extreme cold.
"I prefer Prof Kohaku's training."
"I agree with Rosse."
"For the first time, I agree with you."
All of Ryouma's bones felt frozen. When a Russian student finally collapsed, he was taken to an exorcist who could use the "Reverse Healing" ability.
"Do you guys also have a doctor like Dr. Koko?" Hotaru asked while doing sit-ups.
"Yes, his name is Andrei. He's very good," one of the Russian students replied.
The youths continued practicing Sambo. The sound of blows and groans of pain mixed with the thick fog.
"Continue! The exorcist who falls behind will have to do push-ups until they pass out," the black-haired woman's voice was firm.
"Why were there four of us with Takumi, but here there are thirty?" Livia questioned.
"Every superior exorcist of Class Satu and above is obligated to teach thirty to forty students. Kohaku is the exception because he's always too busy."
"In conclusion, he's lazy," Hotaru shouted, still doing push-ups.
"Hotaru, don't say that. Prof Kohaku has many sponsors; we must understand his reasons."
"Okay, okay…"
"You two are very loud. Continue, or we'll all be punished."
Both women nodded. Their bones creaked from the cold, sweat was scarce as it froze instantly, their steps were constant, leaving footprints in the snow.
---
While they continued their training in the snow, more screams echoed in a small forest.
"Keep going, little Takumi, or you'll get burned!"
Kohaku kept stoking the flames, leaving Takumi hanging upside down doing sit-ups. Every scream was a complaint.
"I hate you!"
"I know that already. It's not time for talking."
"AGH!" Takumi sped up the pace of his sit-ups. His skin already smelled singed.
After finishing the repetitions Kohaku had set, Takumi touched his hair; several parts were burnt.
"It's not time to rest. Next exercise: ten laps around the mountain."
"WHAT!?"
"Don't worry, Hero will go with you."
Without giving him time to respond, Takumi was dragged off by the blue-eyed man, running around the entire mountain. The further he went, the slower his speed became.
"Run, Takumi. Only one lap left."
"One lap, one lap and…" His whole body collapsed; the sensation became unbearable.
Hero whistled. At that moment, White arrived with a bucket full of ice-cold water and threw it on Takumi, startling him awake.
"Ah… no, not anymore," Takumi said, waving his hands, and started running again.
When they finally reached the starting point, Takumi fell again, dust rising around him, the smell of damp earth filling his nostrils.
His sense of smell detected the aroma of food. With quick movements, Takumi lunged at Kohaku, but he dodged easily.
"Give me, give me food!"
"Little Takumi, you're so desperate, but this isn't for you."
"WHY?!" Takumi crawled, trying to reach the tray of hamburgers, his saliva pooling in his mouth, his eyes shining.
"Before you eat, you'll have to climb the entire mountain doing frog jumps and planks while carrying this sack full of stones."
Takumi's expression contorted. Looking down, he could only see a great darkness, everything steep, full of tiny stones.
"I'll eat first and then do that, okay?" His eyes shone in supplication.
"Ha, ha, ha, sure, so you can vomit everything you ate," Kohaku's laugh was sharp. He put away the hamburgers and pointed to the mountain's entrance.
"… I'm going."
Takumi went down the mountain, reached the start, put on the sack full of stones, and began to ascend. His hands dug into the earth, the small stones embedding in his palms.
When he rested, his knees sank into the mud, drops of sweat falling from his forehead.
Dammit, this hurts. It hurts too much, he thought with each new jump, his bones cracking and trembling.
While Takumi climbed, White, Hero, and Kohaku ate all the hamburgers.
"It's already nine at night. What time will he arrive?"
"If he continues at that pace, taking breaks, in about three more hours," said Kohaku, taking another bite of his hamburger.
"Can I go check on him?"
"No, White," Hero responded, taking a sip of his mango milkshake.
"Since we're at it, Hero, let's play cards," Kohaku proposed.
Time passed. Takumi was finally arriving. He had already vomited the little he had eaten in the morning and was now just crawling up the mountain, his face pale.
In front of him stood Kohaku and Hero, watching him crawl in the darkness.
"Is that all you have, little Takumi? If you keep this up, your comrades will surpass you. Do you want to remain a coward?"
"…"
Takumi's silence was profound. His completely dry throat wouldn't allow him to respond to Kohaku's insults.
"If you want to enter the pantheon, you must become a God."
Takumi felt Hero's gaze shift away and White looking at him with pity. Kohaku's presence was heavy, like an unleashed monster.
"You're a son of a bitch…" Takumi murmured, his lips trembling.
"Did you say something? Because I only hear a mediocre little mouse squeaking."
"I SAID YOU'RE A SON OF A BITCH!"
Kohaku's smile widened, watching Takumi climb the remaining stretch.
"I will be a God! And when I am, I'm going to kill you! It doesn't matter if my bones break or if I have to fight; my will to win will be stronger!"
In a single movement, Takumi stood up, running towards Kohaku, still remembering every word of contempt, the words of his fallen friends—everything converged into a single point.
Kohaku dodged the attacks and took Takumi down with a single move.
"Good. Then I'll be waiting."
The moment Kohaku walked away, Hero ran to help Takumi up, and White arrived with a glass of water.
"You did well, Takumi."
"Thanks… but I'm so tired."
Hero nodded along with White. Both of them carried him inside Kohaku's house. White completely enveloped Takumi; a warm sensation ran through his body, and when he separated, the young man had no wounds left.
"Bogers can heal too."
"I-I see."
"Ha, ha, yes, Bogers are incredible. No wonder they're Class S." Kohaku leaned against the doorframe, a tray full of food in his hands. "You earned it. Eat quickly; we need to do the final exercise."
Takumi nodded. Every bite of food felt like paradise; he cried with each piece of meat.
"He has quite an appetite," Hero mentioned, approaching Kohaku.
"It's not that. Half of his stomach is from a Ghost."
"It's logical that a Ghost…" Unable to finish his sentence, Hero grabbed Kohaku by the collar of his poncho. "What the hell did you do, Kohaku?"
"The usual. A little experiment." Kohaku's smile didn't fade; he just raised his hands in a peace gesture.
While Takumi ate at great speed, Kohaku explained all the events to Hero.
"You're an idiot. If the AOE finds out, they'll have you and your students killed."
"Don't be like that. It was either that or let him die."
"That doesn't justify creating a hybrid. You already know the side effects, don't you?"
"Regarding that, I know he acquired abilities like superhuman strength and speed, and the Reverse Healing ability."
"Hmm, let's hope he doesn't have anything else."
Kohaku chuckled, being released by Hero.
---
After the meal, Takumi prepared himself, leaving the house and stretching.
"What's the next exercise?"
"The next exercise is a bit more difficult than the previous ones, but it will help you advance faster," said Kohaku, pulling out a metal bar from behind him.
"Don't worry, Takumi. This hurts us more than it hurts you," Hero mentioned, pulling out a metal baseball bat from behind him.
Without understanding anything, Takumi was immobilized by White. Unable to respond, he heard the crack of his ribs fracturing.
"AGH!!"
Birds flew away uncontrollably.
"NO, NO! LET ME GO, YOU CRAZY PEOPLE!"
Hero began by breaking his tibias, fibulas, radii, and ulnas.
Kohaku took care of the large bones: femurs, pelvis, with dry, calculated impacts.
Blood splattered everything around them. White closed his eyes with each blow; he didn't want to see anything, but he held Takumi's arms and legs tightly.
Why are they doing this to me? Takumi thought, no longer feeling anything.
The air became saturated with a strong smell of rust. Takumi's vision was blurry, his vocal cords tearing with every scream. When they finally finished, the boy's body lay inert on the ground, covered in blood.
"This… I can't," said Hero, dropping his bat, which dripped a reddish liquid with shreds of skin.
"It's time to take him."
Kohaku wrapped Takumi's body in a white sheet, carried him to his room, and then went to rest.
---
POV TAKUMI
The last sensation was a burning in all my limbs. When I opened my eyes, I was in a completely white place.
"Is anyone here?" I asked, looking around. Everything was pure white.
Did I die again? was the only thought that came to my head.
Walking around, all there was was pure white. Turning, I felt a presence behind me, as terrifying and destructive as Kohaku's.
"You finally arrive."
In front of me stood a powerful and colossal beast, bones of bronze, a tail like a cedar tree, and immense strength.
Its voice was raspy, and its fur was like tangled vines.
"AHHH!!!"
Before my body could react, my legs started running, being chased by that being. All that pure white turned pitch black.
I tried to run faster, but my feet sank among the multitude of skulls lying at my feet.
"Mirio… Haruka… Grandparents?" I muttered. Everything around me was covered in a black substance, and the corpses of my loved ones floated in it.
"Do you like all this?" The beast's laughter echoed in my ears, and my eyes widened upon seeing its own, even darker ones. "That bastard Kohaku killed me to save trash like you, so I'll make you regret it!"
I felt that being charge into me, my whole body covering with it. My legs gave way, and my body began to burn, as if acid ran through my insides.
"AGH!" I thrashed on the floor, trying to rip off that sensation. "HELP, IT BURNS, IT BURNS SO MUCH!!"
And then, opening my eyes, I saw it—the wooden ceiling. I was still there. My body was emitting steam and wouldn't stop trembling.
All I could do at that moment was sob, my nails digging into the skin of my arms.
"Good morning, little Takumi! Did you sleep well?"
Inside, I felt a great fire run through my veins. I really wanted to kill him. My arms moved to hug him.
"Ahh, I'm scared!" Tears soaked Kohaku's shirt; my heart wouldn't stop pounding.
"There, there, don't cry. It's all going to pass now."
I tried to nod, though all I could do was scratch Kohaku's back.
---
POV NARRATOR
The tears subsided until there were none left. White stroked Takumi's head, trying to calm him down, with Hero offering him some water and Kohaku letting himself be hugged.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"A little… Why… why did you make me a monster?"
"You're too young to die from a Ghost."
Takumi nodded, his body still in shock.
"Can't I just die?"
"No, that wouldn't be fun. Besides, I have something that will cheer you up."
"What is it?"
"If you train here for the next three years, by the time you turn eighteen, you can be free."
"Free?" Kohaku nodded and let Hero continue.
"Thanks to the exorcists being linked to the government, once you finish your training, you can attend any university and pursue any career you want."
"What?"
"But you will become a passive exorcist."
Kohaku nodded. He stood up and helped Takumi to his feet.
"That means you'll have to help when requested."
Takumi's gaze was lost, thinking about everything he had been through. Suddenly, he started laughing, gripping Kohaku's shirt tightly.
"Are you joking? I've been here for four months, and you're only explaining this to me now… You're fucking idiots!"
Kohaku laughed as Takumi shoved him. Hero tried to leave but was grabbed by Takumi and thrown next to Kohaku.
"I'm sick of both of you! Now you will train, and I'll rest!"
White watched everything fearfully, staying seated in a corner.
Minutes later, Kohaku and Hero were being watched by White, both walking on their hands all around the residence.
"White, make sure neither of them escapes."
"Yes, boss."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, it's been a while since I've exercised this much."
"Shut up. It's your fault I got punished too."
Hero tried to convince White, but the Boger wouldn't be swayed.
While Kohaku laughed with each new exercise, his other three students were facing other Ghosts in Russia.
---
POV LIVIA
"Miss Lilith, stop playing with Kohaku's students and continue with the training," said a young Russian disciple, taking the bottle of liquor from his teacher's hands.
"Don't be like that, Mikhail," said the beautiful Lilith.
"Yes, leave her with us. She's telling us about missions she had with Kohaku," I said, pulling the teacher's arm.
"And Kohaku is the son of such a famous clan?" Hotaru asked. "From what I know, that clan disappeared."
"No one knows. Kohaku is a complete mystery. The only thing we know about him is that he's not Japanese."
"HE'S NOT JAPANESE?!" I slammed the table.
Our gaze turned to Ryouma, who was calmly drinking coffee.
"Explain," I demanded.
"Kohaku is from England. He moved to Japan when he was young."
"Ah, that explains everything…" I started shaking Ryouma. "And you're Japanese?"
"Yes, and let me go, you crazy woman."
"Ha, ha, how fun you are. No wonder you're Kohaku's students. That man is good at everything, though he's very strange and doesn't share any private details."
"Does no one know him?"
"He showed up one day; he was like a magnet. The one who must know him is named Kobayashi, if I'm not mistaken; they were classmates."
"Dr. Koko?"
"Yes, but let's stop talking about the past and have a drink," said Teacher Lilith, pouring a little liquor for the three of us. Before we could drink it, Ryouma took our glasses.
"We're underage."
We all sighed at Ryouma's look, speaking in unison.
"So serious."
"And, girl, I recommend you don't date Kohaku," Lilith told me, continuing to drink liquor. "I went out with him; he's a complete gentleman, but he's more used than a mobster's gun, ha, ha, ha."
"Umm… that's too bad," I said, lowering my head, Hotaru stroking my arm in consolation.