The next day had arrived as training was completed, Yuki sparred with Lucian and Amelia throughout the night and morning.
Lucian: It seems like you're getting better at using a blade, although don't focus too much on your fear. Doing so can lead you to be on the disadvantage.
Yuki nodded quietly as he was covered in soot and bruises. Amelia watched everything as she was leaning against the tree.
He felt her gaze as he sighed then held his wooden katana.
Amelia: My turn.
Lucian: Sure.
Amelia walked up to Yuki as her voice was still as gentle as the ocean. It hadn't changed whatsoever, although as Lucian stepped out, her stance changed.
She was on the offense, resulting to Yuki being on the defensive stance. They stood in silence before starting the training match.
Lucian had then summoned out a gun loaded up with spiritual bullets and pointed upwards, then shot the gun, signaling the match had started.
Amelia and Yuki both vanished from each others sight.
Amelia: He's gotten faster through the few hours of training... he's a quick learner. I'm impressed...
Amelia had tried to process how quickly he grew from those hours as Yuki swung his katana towards Amelia, but Amelia had used her gun handle to block the attack, then pulled out another gun and pulled the trigger. He shifted his head to the right, and was able to avoid it barely, but the bullet had grazed his cheek.
Yuki pulled back his wooden katana, then had swung towards her ribs, but Amelia had put away her guns then grabbed the tip of his weapon and pulled him towards her.
His eyes widened a bit, then she punched him with a minimal amount of force, but enough to send him back. Yuki had been sent flying and landed on his back, panting a bit. Lucian glanced at them both, surprised of Yuki's growth as he sighed.
Lucian: Right... my turn Amelia.
Amelia nodded and walked to a tree and leaned against it. Yuki stood up and wiped off the dirt off of his clothes.
Lucian: You've gotten faster, and much smarter. What surprised me more is the fact you're only fifteen and yet you're able to dodge bullets within a few hours of training..
Lucian chuckled as Yuki looked at him in the eyes. Yuki had never been praised once due to his curse being in the way. He was in shock and smiled slightly for the first time in years.
Yuki: Thanks.. Lucian, and thank you Amelia for training me.. I'm glad.
Lucian nodded as he summons out another katana and tossed it to Yuki. This caused him to drop the wooden katana, and unsheathed the weapon.
Lucian: You seem more of a sword person, so there's your reward. Let's get back to training alright? Remember, don't let death distract you, and focus on what's in front of you.
Yuki had took a deep breath and looked at Lucian in the eyes before responding.
Yuki: Yeah.. sure.
There was a bit of a pause between his words as he went into an offense stance. Lucian went into a defense stance, then when Amelia pulled out her gun and had pointed it upwards, she pulled the trigger.
Yuki had charged towards Lucian at superhuman speeds, then he swung. He had blocked Yuki's attack, but he had put a bit of power behind his slash, sending Lucian backwards. As he landed, Yuki had vanished and reappeared behind him, getting ready to swing, but he had ducked and spun around, then attacked his abdomen.
It caused Yuki to slumped over in pain as he held his stomach. Lucian sighed then stood up straight while Amelia watched it all unfold.
Lucian: We'll continue with this training again later.. let's work on your mental skills. This can allow you to determine what's real and fake, and help you get over your nightmarish loops you've been experiencing.
Yuki was still slumped over and coughed up a bit, then stood up straight.
Yuki: Got it... Lucian..
Later that day, he sat against a rock and had closed his eyes. He was starting to clear his mind as Lucian sat in front of him. His gaze was heavy, but wasn't so distracting to Yuki.
In Yuki's mind, the same nightmarish events and loops had started replaying like it had happened already or something he's already experienced. Yet, it was much different. A lot more death happened, but more events played in his mind.
Beads of sweat drips from Yuki's face as he tries to mainly focusing on what's real or not. Part of him thinks it's real, but the other part truly believes it's fake.
Lucian and Amelia watched as he concentrated, until Yuki opened up his eyes slowly, sweating like he had seen a ghost.
Yuki: I can't do it guys..
Lucian heard those words that had came out of Yuki's mouth then proceeded to kick him in the face. While his kick landed, Yuki had blocked the attack, then skidded through the ground and hit the tree against his back.
Amelia: What the hell was that for Lucian?!
Her eyes widened as she was in shock from what she saw in front of her eyes. Lucian looked at Amelia, then back at Yuki.
Lucian: Just because I was gentle earlier, doesn't exactly mean I won't be somewhat strict with Yuki's training. It's concerning, but being strict is what keeps one moving on.
Yuki: Ow... what the hell Luci?!
He shouted in pain as he rubbed the back of his head and stretched out his limbs.
Lucian: I don't accept those who gives up. Those who gives up will end up as failures, and failures will soon to wither away through death and unpredictability. So continue training your mind, and when you get over your nightmarish reality, then maybe we can go back to sword training.
The words that came out of Lucian's mouth was so shocking that it sent a shiver down Amelia's spine, but it also motivated Yuki a bit to train harder despite his self-loathing and self-hatred.
He had then closed his eyes again as Lucian and Amelia stood there, watching everything. His mind was getting filled up with pure negativity and more loops of insanity which repeatedly plays more deaths and destruction, but it gets worse more and more each second.
Hours had went by, he still sat there, back against the tree. It was unusual, but also probably progress.
Amelia: Do you... wonder what's going on in Yuki's mind? I can sense some negativity still, but he's making good process.
Amelia looks up at Lucian in the eyes as she curiously asked her question.
Lucian: I believe that... I don't want to assume, but he probably had been dealing with these types of situations from birth. If that's true, then who would be malicious enough to induce an existence-ending curse onto a baby let alone a child like Yuki...
His response was what shocked Amelia heavily. The answer Lucian gave her was something that had induced fear into her. Her eyes widened in shock and fear as she looks back at Yuki.
Yuki continued sitting there in silence with his eyes closed with no movement. Lucian then walked over to his body and splashed water on him, but yet, no movement.
That was when Lucian realized it. Yuki had fallen asleep while the negativity were there, but he progressed much faster than anyone had expected.
The night went by, Lucian and Amelia had fallen asleep on each other while Yuki slept against the tree.
Through the night, something so sudden had happened. The world had suddenly glitched like a device being hacked, skies turned red while the moon was as dark as a black hole. Flames were built up around the woods, burning down trees and other living organisms.
The night continued and the world had reverted back to normal. Dark and night skies, the moon shining down on them and over the woods.
Yuki had jolted awake, sweating and is breathing heavily. His hands had trembled a bit. Crickets were heard as his hair was disheveled from his slumber. Amelia and Lucian stayed asleep, while he sat there, questioning everything.
After that, he couldn't sleep at all.
Day two of training arrived. They both glanced at each other tiredly and noticed Yuki had stayed there. Lucian had moved over to his spot and sighed. He lazily yawned and stretched out his limbs.
Lucian: Get up, it's time for training..
Yuki opened his eyes as he had been awake through the night. He couldn't sleep whatsoever, which Lucian had immediately noticed by his eyes.
Lucian: You couldn't sleep. So you trained your mind to try to forget everything, didn't you?
Yuki: ...Yeah. I think I got it now.
There was a pause before Yuki spoken to Lucian.
Lucian: What's your progress on mental training?
Yuki: I've had this weird.. and terrifying vision of a nightmare. The world had glitched like something you'd see a bug in a game. Everything was red and in flames, the moon was so dark like a black hole. That's what woke me up.
Lucian looked at Yuki dead in the eyes, seeing his tired expression. It was worrying him, while Amelia was making up breakfast.
Yuki: After that, I closed my eyes. Put myself into these nightmarish visions I keep having, and tried forcing my brain to tell me it's just illusions, and I'm starting to think I'm right about it.
Lucian's eyes widens a bit through surprise. He was surprised that he was growing this quickly, even at the age of fifteen.
Lucian: His growth... he was able to fight within a few hours after the start of training, now it took him the whole night..? This kid...
He was in a state of shock and surprise, and Amelia noticed both Lucian and Yuki were chatting to each other. She sighed as his training continues from here.