The Ground Is Cold
Morning hasn't fully arrived.
No warmth.
No comfort.
Hiroto Stands Alone
No one else nearby.
Tamagichi Faces Him
Silent.
Watching.
No Warm-Up
No warning.
Tamagichi Speaks
"…Move."
Hiroto Reacts Instantly
He steps in—
Strike—
Tamagichi vanishes
Impact from the side
Hiroto is sent flying
He crashes into the ground
Hard.
Before he can recover—
Another hit
No time to think
Akari watches from a distance
"…This is insane…"
Kenzaku stands beside her
"…This is what he meant."
Yui grips her sleeve tightly
"…He's not even fighting back…"
Goro speaks calmly
"…He is."
A pause.
"…He just can't keep up."
Back to Hiroto
Breathing rough now.
He stands again
Slowly.
Tamagichi doesn't wait
Another strike
Hiroto blocks—barely
The force shakes him
His arms tremble
Tamagichi's voice cuts in
"…Too slow."
Another strike
Hiroto gets hit again
Blood hits the ground
But he doesn't fall
He steps forward again
Akari clenches her fists
"…Why isn't he stopping…?"
Kenzaku answers quietly
"…Because he knows…"
A pause.
"…Next time won't be training."
Hiroto moves again
The blade pulses—
Stronger.
But this time—
It's unstable
His movement falters
Tamagichi notices instantly
"…Don't chase it."
Hiroto grits his teeth
"…Then what do I do?!"
Tamagichi answers mid-attack
"…Control yourself first."
CLASH
Hiroto holds for a moment
Then—breaks
He's thrown back again
He crashes—harder this time
Silence
He doesn't move immediately
Yui steps forward instinctively
"…Hiroto—!"
Goro stops her again
"…Wait."
A long pause
Then—
Hiroto moves
Slowly… but he rises
Breathing unstable
But his eyes—
Still focused.
Tamagichi watches carefully
Then—
He speaks.
"…Good."
Hiroto exhales sharply
"…This… isn't enough…"
Tamagichi nods slightly
"…No."
A pause.
"…It isn't."
Then he steps forward again
Final Phase Begins
Faster than before
Hiroto reacts—
But barely—
Strike after strike
He blocks some—
Gets hit by others—
But something changes
He stops overthinking
Moves… cleaner
The blade stabilizes slightly
Tamagichi's eyes narrow
"…There it is…"
One final clash
Hiroto pushes forward—
CLASH
Then—
Everything stops
Hiroto collapses to one knee
Breathing heavy
Body shaking
But conscious
Tamagichi stands above him
A long silence
Then—
"…Remember this feeling."
Hiroto looks up slightly
Tamagichi continues—
"…Because next time…"
His voice lowers—
cold.
"…you won't get back up."
To be continued…