The presence of the Special Division did not fade with their departure.
It lingered.
Not physically—no patrols shadowed Karina and Mitsuri, no blades gleamed from rooftops—but perceptually, like a faint pressure behind the eyes. Observation had begun, and observation always altered behavior, even when one refused to acknowledge it.
Karina acknowledged it fully.
She adjusted.
The training ground lay quiet beneath the pale afternoon sky, a wide circular space carved directly into the mountain stone. Normally reserved for swordsmith testing and Hashira drills, it now stood empty—cleared deliberately.
Karina stood at its center.
Mitsuri watched from the edge, seated on a low stone step, her sword resting beside her. Shinobu stood several meters away, arms folded, eyes sharp with clinical interest. A pair of Kakushi waited at a respectful distance.
"This is unnecessary," Shinobu said calmly. "Your Arcane Breathing is already stabilized."
"Baseline stabilization is insufficient," Karina replied. "Elena's interference demonstrates adaptive escalation."
"And you intend to respond by pushing your limits?" Shinobu asked.
"No," Karina said. "By redefining them."
She drew her blade.
The motion was precise, controlled—no flourish, no wasted momentum. The air responded immediately, pressure shifting as Arcane Breathing engaged at a higher internal density.
Mitsuri straightened slightly. She felt it—not as threat, but as gravity. Karina's presence intensified, folding inward rather than radiating outward.
Shinobu's eyes narrowed. "You're compressing again."
"Yes."
"That increases rebound risk."
"Only if unanchored."
Mitsuri's breath caught softly at the word.
Karina closed her eyes.
Arcane Breathing – Second Circuit.
Not a form.
A state.
Her perception narrowed—not tunneling, but sharpening, layers of irrelevant data stripped away until only structure remained. The stone beneath her feet resolved into stress lines. The air into vectors. Even time felt… cleaner.
"Begin," she said.
Mitsuri rose instantly, blade in hand. She did not hesitate, did not question. Love Breathing flowed naturally, her movements fluid and open, the antithesis of Karina's compression.
They circled.
Shinobu watched closely, pulse quickening despite herself. This was not sparring in the traditional sense. There was no hostility, no intent to strike.
This was calibration.
Mitsuri moved first—light, swift, her blade tracing a gentle arc meant not to cut, but to connect. Karina responded without drawing blood, her blade intercepting at precisely calculated angles, redirecting force rather than opposing it.
The air vibrated faintly.
Their breathing patterns began to align—not synchronizing fully, but harmonizing, like overlapping melodies that never quite became one.
Karina adjusted internal pressure.
The ground cracked.
Not violently—just a hairline fracture radiating outward from her stance.
Shinobu inhaled sharply. "Careful."
Karina did not respond. Her focus was absolute.
Mitsuri felt it then—the pull. Not physical, but perceptual. Karina's awareness brushing against hers, not invasive, but… inviting.
She did not resist.
Love Breathing shifted, becoming steadier, deeper. Her movements slowed fractionally, trading speed for intention.
The fracture in the stone stopped spreading.
Karina opened her eyes.
For a brief moment, their gazes locked.
The world held its breath.
Then Karina disengaged, stepping back, blade lowering.
"Confirmed," she said quietly.
Mitsuri exhaled, heart racing. "Confirmed… what?"
"Stability under compression increases in your presence," Karina replied. "Not because of emotional dependency—but because of reciprocal regulation."
Shinobu approached slowly. "You're saying Mitsuri isn't just anchoring you. She's actively modulating your Arcane output."
"Yes."
Shinobu's expression sharpened with interest. "That's… unprecedented."
Karina sheathed her blade. "So is Elena."
The name settled heavily over the training ground.
"She won't stop," Mitsuri said softly. "Will she?"
"No," Karina replied. "She will escalate until one of three outcomes occurs."
Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "Which are?"
"Severance," Karina said. "Subjugation. Or failure."
Mitsuri frowned. "Failure meaning…?"
"Death," Karina said plainly.
Silence followed.
Shinobu sighed. "You say that like it's a weather forecast."
"It is," Karina replied. "Probability-based."
Mitsuri stepped closer, her expression steady. "Then we lower the odds."
Karina looked at her. "By increasing exposure, you increase risk."
"By isolating yourself, you guarantee it," Mitsuri countered.
Shinobu watched the exchange with quiet fascination. "You know," she said lightly, "most people would call this reckless."
Karina met her gaze. "Most people are not being hunted by Muzan."
That ended the discussion.
The message arrived at dusk.
Not carried by crow.
Not delivered by runner.
It came as a presence—a cold ripple through the village perimeter that Karina detected instantly.
She stood at the ridge again, Mitsuri beside her, both alert.
The air folded.
Elena emerged without preamble, stepping into lantern light like a ghost made solid. Her uniform was different now—more refined, more deliberate. The demon augmentation was no longer hidden.
"You're adapting faster than expected," Elena said pleasantly.
"You're revealing yourself too freely," Karina replied.
Elena shrugged. "Muzan wanted data. I provided it."
Mitsuri's grip tightened on her blade. "You're enjoying this."
Elena smiled at her. "You're more perceptive than I gave you credit for."
Her gaze returned to Karina. "He's curious. You should be flattered."
"I am not," Karina said.
"No," Elena agreed. "You're angry."
Karina did not deny it.
"That's new too," Elena added. "You never allowed that before."
"State your purpose," Karina said.
Elena's smile softened, just slightly. "A test."
The pressure surged.
This time, it wasn't subtle.
The air warped violently, spatial gradients twisting as Elena unleashed a controlled distortion—an imitation of Arcane externalization, refined through demon physiology.
Mitsuri reacted instantly, stepping into Karina's space, Love Breathing flaring.
Karina did not push her away.
Instead, she adjusted.
Arcane Breathing compressed further, folding inward until the distortion met resistance—not collision, but absorption.
The ground groaned.
Shinobu shouted from behind them. "Karina—don't—"
Too late.
Karina stepped forward, blade humming with contained force. She did not swing.
She pressed.
The distortion collapsed.
Elena staggered back, surprise flashing across her face before she laughed sharply. "So that's how it feels."
Karina advanced one step. "You are not ready."
Elena wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, eyes gleaming. "Neither are you."
She glanced at Mitsuri. "But she is."
The implication was clear.
"She's your limit," Elena continued. "Your anchor. And anchors can be cut."
Mitsuri met her gaze without fear. "Try."
Elena smiled. "Soon."
She dissolved into shadow once more, her presence retreating rapidly.
The village exhaled as one.
Karina stood motionless, Arcane Breathing slowly decompressing. Her hands trembled—not from exhaustion, but from restraint.
Mitsuri reached for her without thinking, fingers brushing Karina's wrist.
Karina did not pull away.
Instead, she turned slightly, resting her forehead briefly against Mitsuri's temple.
Just for a moment.
"I will not lose you," Karina said quietly.
Mitsuri smiled, eyes closing. "Then don't."
Above them, the moon rose higher, pale and watchful.
And somewhere far away, Muzan Kibutsuji considered the data Elena had provided—and smiled.
The lines had been drawn.
They could not be redrawn.
Only crossed.