The training arena on the ninth floor of the Tsugikune Association building. Reinforced walls showed scorch marks from pyrokinetic manifestations that had tested their limits. The floor's specialized composite material—designed to withstand superhuman impacts and extreme temperatures—displayed stress patterns and subtle discoloration from thousands of training sessions. Environmental controls hummed constantly, working to maintain stable atmospheric conditions despite the energy expenditures that regularly occurred within this space.
Rei stood at the arena's center, his posture relaxed but ready, his breathing controlled and even. At fifteen years old, he had transformed dramatically from the small seven-year-old who'd first awakened in the courtyard of the family compound.
He'd grown tall, approximately five feet nine inches, with projections suggesting he'd eventually reach six feet or slightly beyond given his current growth trajectory. The childhood roundness had been entirely stripped away by years of intensive training and careful physical conditioning, replaced by the lean, defined musculature of someone whose body was being developed for combat applications.
His face had matured significantly, losing the last traces of childish softness to reveal sharper angles that suggested the man he would become. High cheekbones created elegant planes, a strong jawline conveyed determination, and his features had settled into an arrangement that was striking without being conventionally handsome—distinctive and memorable rather than merely attractive.
His hair remained black, worn slightly longer than in childhood, falling to just above his shoulders when loose, though for training he typically pulled it back in a simple tie to keep it from interfering with vision or movement.
But it was his eyes that drew the most attention, dark and penetrating, carrying a depth of awareness that seemed incongruous with his age. They were eyes that had seen too much, understood too deeply, assessed too carefully. People who met Rei's gaze often found themselves disconcerted by the intelligence and calculation they encountered there, the sense that this teenager was evaluating them with sophistication that exceeded what fifteen years of life should have provided.
He wore training attire designed specifically for awakened combat practice, form-fitting pants in dark gray that allowed unrestricted movement, a sleeveless shirt in matching color that wouldn't impede arm mobility, reinforced boots with grip-enhanced soles for maintaining footing during high-speed engagements. The clothing was made from synthetic materials engineered to resist both flame and physical stress, expensive but necessary given the intensity of his training regimen.
In his right hand, Rei held a shortsword—compact and lethal, the blade gleaming with the particular sheen of reinforced steel specifically forged to handle awakened power augmentation.
The weapon was beautifully crafted, representing the intersection of traditional Japanese sword-making artistry and modern materials engineering. Twenty-four inches from tip to pommel, double-edged for maximum versatility, the blade had been designed for agility, speed, and close-quarters combat rather than the longer reach of a traditional katana.
The grip felt familiar in his hand with the deeper recognition of someone who'd wielded similar weapons in another world. The balance was perfect, the weight distribution allowing for rapid direction changes and flowing combinations. When augmented with aether circulation, the blade would become devastatingly sharp, capable of cutting through materials that would turn conventional swords.
Rei gave the weapon a brief appraising glance, appreciating its craftsmanship while simultaneously analyzing its tactical characteristics with the automatic precision of someone trained to assess every tool as a potential advantage or limitation.
Across the arena stood his training partner and current opponent: Tsugikane Toshi.
Toshi was an older cousin in his late twenties—perhaps twenty-seven or twenty-eight—who served as an association agent. Not yet a senior agent, as he still needed additional field experience and demonstrated capability to achieve that rank, but competent and experienced enough to handle significant operational responsibilities.
He was perhaps five feet eleven, built with a solid musculature. His face showed the weathering that came from actual combat experience rather than just training—a small scar above his left eyebrow, the slightly crooked set of his nose suggesting it had been broken and healed without perfect medical intervention, eyes that held a particular alertness.
In his hands, Toshi held a katana—traditional in design but forged with the same awakened-grade materials as Rei's shortsword. The longer blade gave him reach advantage, allowing him to control distance and forcing opponents to work harder to close into effective striking range.
Toshi was a Physical-type awakener, one of the Tsugikune family members who hadn't manifested pyrokinesis. His abilities focused entirely on bodily enhancement—strength, speed, durability, and reflexes all elevated to superhuman levels through aether augmentation.
He'd been assigned as one of Rei's primary instructors for close combat training, teaching him proper aether circulation for physical enhancement and how Physical-type awakeners approached combat differently from their Psychic-type counterparts.
Because Rei was pursuing something unusual, something that most advisors had initially cautioned against: becoming a dual-type awakener.
The conventional wisdom held that awakeners should focus exclusively on their manifested ability type. Psychic-types focused on developing their awakened power. Physical-types refined their bodily enhancement, learning to push strength, speed, and durability to increasingly superhuman levels.
Attempting to master both approaches simultaneously was considered inefficient at best, counterproductive at worst. The force control techniques, training methodologies, and tactical approaches were different enough that splitting focus typically meant achieving mediocrity in both areas rather than excellence in either.
But Rei had demonstrated both the aptitude and the determination to pursue the dual path.
His modified force control technique had made it possible. The integration of chakra pathway system principles from his previous life into the Tsugikune family's force control had created something unprecedented—a circulation method that could accommodate both Psychic and Physical-type aether applications with equal efficiency.
The benefits of the modification had proven substantial over eight years of development.
Enhanced Circulation Efficiency. The chakra pathway network provided dedicated energy channels throughout his entire body rather than the limited routes of standard force control. Aether moved through his system with approximately thirty percent less waste compared to conventional techniques.
Simultaneous Multi-type Application. He could circulate aether for both pyrokinetic manifestation and physical enhancement at the same time without the techniques interfering with each other. Standard force control required switching between different circulation patterns unless you're talented enough to pull it off; his modified version allowed parallel operation.
Faster Technique Activation.The permanent pathways meant aether didn't need to be consciously directed along improvised routes each time. Techniques activated nearly instantaneously from intention to effect.
Superior Fine Control. The network's complexity allowed for incredibly precise aether distribution. He could strengthen specific muscle groups while simultaneously generating flames from his hands, or enhance his reflexes while maintaining defensive fire barriers—combinations that would overload conventional force control.
Increased Capacity Utilization. Standard force control left portions of aether capacity effectively inaccessible due to circulation limitations. His modified version could tap nearly his entire core reserve, giving him effective capacity perhaps twenty percent beyond what measurements suggested.
Accelerated Recovery. The efficient circulation meant less strain on his core and body during technique use, allowing for faster natural aether replenishment and reduced exhaustion from sustained combat.
These advantages had allowed Rei to pursue dual-type development with success that would have been impossible using standard force control methods. Over the past eight years, he'd systematically trained both his pyrokinetic abilities and his physical enhancement capabilities, developing competence in both areas that exceeded what single-focus awakeners typically achieved in the same timeframe.
But even with superior force control and systematic training, physical enhancement remained his weaker specialization. Not because he lacked skill or understanding, but because his body was still developing.
Physical-type awakeners operated in a realm defined by their body's physiological capabilities. Aether could enhance existing attributes, but it couldn't create strength or speed from nothing—it amplified what was already present. A fully mature adult male possessed greater base strength, more developed muscle fiber, more complete skeletal structure than a fifteen-year-old whose body was still growing.
Toshi's fully matured physique meant his Physical-type enhancements operated from a superior baseline. Even with Rei's exceptional force control, even with his modified circulation providing maximum efficiency, he couldn't entirely overcome the fundamental disadvantage of a still-developing teenage body competing against a man in his physical prime.
Which meant that in pure physical combat, Toshi held an edge despite Rei's superior technical skill.
"Ready?" Toshi asked, settling into a ready stance with his katana held in traditional middle guard position.
Rei mirrored the preparation, his shortsword coming up in a modified guard that allowed for quick transitions between defensive and offensive positions.
"Ready," he confirmed, his voice calm.
Both awakeners drew upon their cores simultaneously, channeling aether not for external manifestation but for internal enhancement.
Rei felt the familiar rush as power flooded through his modified pathways, the energy surging along the chakra network he'd painstakingly constructed and reinforced over years of practice. It distributed throughout his body with perfect efficiency—strengthening muscles, accelerating nerve conduction, reinforcing bone density, sharpening sensory processing.
An aura appeared around him, visible manifestation of the aether saturating his body and bleeding slightly into the surrounding atmosphere. Azure flames—not actual fire but energy expressing itself in the form most natural to his abilities—wreathed his form in flickering blue light.
Toshi's own aura manifested simultaneously—crimson flames in the traditional orange-red of standard pyrokinetic expression, though he wasn't actually using fire manipulation. The color simply reflected his Tsugikane lineage even though his abilities were purely Physical-type.
For a heartbeat, they stood motionless, two awakeners radiating power, aether auras creating a spectacular visual display of supernatural energy made visible.
Then Rei moved.
With superhuman speed that would have been invisible to mundane observers, Rei closed the distance between them. His body blurred with acceleration, feet barely touching the arena floor as he covered the fifteen-foot gap in perhaps a third of a second.
His shortsword came in low, angled for Toshi's left side in a thrust that targeted the ribs—testing defense, establishing the engagement's pace, demonstrating he wouldn't hold back despite the age difference.
Toshi's katana swept down in a deflecting parry, the longer blade intercepting Rei's thrust with precise timing. Steel rang against steel with a sound that echoed through the arena, the impact strong enough that it would have shattered mundane weapons.
But these blades were reinforced with aether, their molecular structure enhanced to withstand far more punishment than conventional metal could endure.
Rei didn't commit fully to the initial attack. Instead, he used the deflection as an opportunity to pivot, his body flowing around Toshi's guard as his shortsword came back in a horizontal slash aimed at the older awakener's exposed right side.
Toshi stepped back with enhanced speed, creating distance while his katana came up in a rising block that caught Rei's blade before it could connect. Then he immediately riposted, the longer sword extending toward Rei's centerline with a thrust that would have been devastating if it landed.
Rei twisted his torso, letting the katana slide past his left side by inches, simultaneously bringing his shortsword up in a tight arc that forced Toshi to abort the extension and pull back into guard position.
They separated briefly, circling each other as both awakeners reassessed and prepared for the next exchange.
The initial clash had lasted perhaps three seconds of real-time but had involved a dozen distinct actions and reactions, each one executed with precision and supernatural speed.
Rei attacked again, this time committing more fully. His shortsword became a blur of motion—high slash toward the head, immediately transitioning to low cut at the legs when Toshi raised his guard, flowing into a thrust toward the midsection when the low attack was deflected, each action linking seamlessly into the next without pause or wasted movement.
Toshi defended with equal skill, his katana moving in efficient arcs that intercepted each strike with minimal motion. His footwork carried him backward and laterally, managing distance to prevent Rei from fully entering the optimal range for the shorter weapon.
He's using reach advantage well, Rei noted even as he pressed the offensive. Keeping me at the edge of my effective distance while remaining in his optimal striking zone.
Rei gathered aether more densely in his legs, channeling it specifically through the muscle groups and tendons involved in explosive movement. Then he launched himself forward with acceleration that exceeded what he'd shown previously, closing the distance Toshi had been maintaining.
The shortsword came in from an unexpected angle, not the direct approaches he'd been using but a curved trajectory that came around Toshi's guard from the side. The attack required extreme body control to execute while maintaining balance during high-speed movement, but Rei's modified force control provided the precise muscle enhancement needed.
Toshi barely managed to twist his body and bring his katana across in time, the deflection imperfect enough that Rei's blade actually made light contact with his training attire before the parry fully succeeded.
"Good," Toshi acknowledged, his voice carrying approval despite the combat intensity. "You're thinking three moves ahead."
Then he counterattacked with renewed aggression.
The katana came alive in his hands, the longer blade sweeping through arcs that utilized its full reach. Overhead slash, immediate reversal into upward cut, transitioning to horizontal sweep, each attack flowing from optimal body mechanics and force application.
Rei defended, his shortsword moving in tight, efficient blocks. The shorter blade meant he had to move more—stepping in and out, angling his body to reduce the area Toshi could target, using footwork to compensate for what his weapon lacked in reach.
Their blades met in rapid succession—clash, parry, deflection, each impact producing that distinctive ring of awakened-grade steel meeting with superhuman force. Sparks occasionally flew where edge met edge at extreme angles, the aether saturation in both weapons creating friction effects that mundane metal couldn't produce.
He's faster than me, Rei analyzed even as his hands and body moved on trained instinct. Not by technique but by pure physical capability. His fully developed muscles produce more raw force in each movement. I can match his skill, no, I exceed it, but the physics of our bodies creates an advantage I can't fully overcome yet.
Rei decided to shift tactics. If pure physical exchange favored Toshi's mature body, he'd introduce elements that relied more on technique and timing than raw capability.
He feinted high with an obvious overhead cut, then immediately dropped low when Toshi's guard rose to intercept. The shortsword swept toward Toshi's legs in a cut that would have been crippling if it connected with full force.
Toshi jumped, his enhanced leg strength launching him several feet into the air to clear the low attack. It was a valid defensive response—get above the strike rather than trying to block or dodge laterally.
But Rei had anticipated exactly that response.
As Toshi reached the apex of his jump, Rei extended his left hand and released a concentrated pulse of aether from his palm. Not flames—this was pure kinetic force, an application of his Psychic-type capabilities. The pulse hit Toshi's airborne form, disrupting his trajectory slightly and more importantly preventing him from controlling his descent path.
Rei moved into position, his shortsword coming up in a thrust aimed to intercept Toshi's landing point. If this were real combat, Toshi would land directly onto the blade.
But Toshi wasn't a senior agent candidate for nothing.
Even in mid-air, even with his trajectory disrupted, he managed to twist his body and bring his katana down in a defensive position. When he landed, the blade intercepted Rei's thrust perfectly, the impact driving both awakeners backward from the force involved.
They separated again, both breathing more heavily now, both having expended significant aether in the intense exchange.
"Using Psychic techniques in a Physical spar," Toshi said with a slight grin. "Creative. But that's technically cheating."
"All's fair in actual combat," Rei responded, also grinning. "You told me yourself that real fights don't have rules about type restrictions."
"Fair point."
They engaged again, both now incorporating more of their full capabilities rather than limiting themselves to pure bladework.
Rei began generating aether slashes—concentrated waves of energy expelled from his blade with each swing. They appeared as arcing crescents of azure flame that flew toward Toshi at speeds difficult to track even for enhanced reflexes. Not his pyrokinetic fire but shaped aether that carried his energy signature's characteristic blue color.
Toshi responded with his own aether slashes, crimson crescents that met Rei's attacks in mid-air. The colliding energy waves produced spectacular bursts of light and force, some canceling each other out, others deflecting at angles that required both fighters to dodge or intercept with their physical blades.
The arena became a chaotic dance of steel and energy, azure and crimson auras clashing and intertwining as both awakeners pushed their capabilities to higher levels.
Rei found openings through superior technical skill, his attacks coming from angles that Toshi's more conventional training hadn't fully prepared him to defend against. But each time he created an advantage, Toshi's superior physical capabilities allowed him to compensate—moving just fast enough to avoid the full force of strikes, hitting just hard enough to overwhelm Rei's blocks despite perfect technique.
They were genuinely evenly matched, Rei's skill balanced against Toshi's physical superiority, creating a spar that could have continued for an extended period without clear advantage emerging for either side.
Then Toshi shifted strategy.
Instead of defending and countering reactively, he committed to a full offensive sequence. His katana became a blur of motion, attacks coming in combinations that forced Rei purely defensive. Each strike carried maximum force, the blade moving so fast it created visible distortion in the air from displaced atmosphere.
Rei defended skillfully, his shortsword intercepting each attack with precise angles that redirected force rather than meeting it head-on. But the sheer volume and intensity of the assault began pushing him backward, forcing him to yield ground as he struggled to maintain perfect defense against overwhelming aggression.
Then Toshi executed a particular technique, a modified iaijutsu draw-cut that released a massive aether slash while simultaneously closing distance for follow-up bladework.
The crimson energy wave came in with devastating force, too large and too fast to completely dodge. Rei had to commit his shortsword to deflecting it, which left him momentarily unable to defend with his blade.
Toshi closed in that exact instant, his katana extending in a thrust that would end the spar if it connected.
Rei made a desperate decision.
He released his shortsword, letting it fall as he twisted his body to avoid the thrust by the narrowest margin. Simultaneously, he grabbed Toshi's extended wrist with his left hand while his right hand came up in a palm strike toward Toshi's face.
For a fraction of a second, it looked like Rei might actually turn his disadvantaged position into a victory through pure technical brilliance and unorthodox tactics.
But Toshi's greater physical strength came into play.
He simply powered through Rei's grip on his wrist, forcing his katana forward despite the attempted control. Simultaneously, his free hand came up to block Rei's palm strike, the impact of hand meeting hand producing a sharp crack of flesh on flesh.
They froze in that position—Toshi's katana blade stopped perhaps two inches from Rei's throat, Rei's attempted strike blocked, both awakeners pressed close in what would have been a mutual destruction scenario in real combat.
"Hold," Toshi called, the command immediately breaking the combat intensity.
Both awakeners stepped back, releasing their grips on each other and their aether enhancements diminishing as they stood down from full combat readiness.
The spar was over.
Toshi had won—by the narrowest margin, by mere inches, but victory nonetheless.
Both awakeners were breathing heavily, their bodies gleaming with sweat from the intense exertion. The arena's environmental controls worked overtime to clear the residual heat and energy that the spar had generated.
Toshi extended his hand for the traditional post-spar handshake, his expression carrying genuine respect and admiration.
"At only fifteen years old, you're already matching me in pure skill," he said as Rei accepted the handshake. "You're only held back by your body's current development. Give it another two or three years for your physique to mature, and you'll surpass me easily."
Rei accepted the compliment with a slight nod, appreciating the honest assessment even as he internally cataloged what he'd learned from the engagement. "You used your experience advantage well. The feint with the iaijutsu technique was excellent, I didn't anticipate the commitment timing."
"That's the value of field experience," Toshi acknowledged. "Real combat teaches you things training alone can't replicate. You'll develop those instincts as you get more operational exposure."
A voice called from the observation area—Sasaki Teiji, who'd been monitoring the spar from the elevated platform that allowed instructors to safely watch high-intensity training.
"Rei, report to the medical facility for post-spar evaluation."
Rei grimaced slightly but nodded acknowledgment. He understood the protocol—any training session involving significant aether expenditure and physical stress required medical assessment to ensure no cumulative damage was occurring. It was tedious but necessary, particularly for someone as young as he was who still had developmental concerns to monitor.
"I'll see you at next session," Rei told Toshi, retrieving his fallen shortsword and sheathing it in the scabbard he'd left at the arena's edge.
"Looking forward to it," Toshi replied with a grin. "Maybe next time I won't go easy on you."
Rei snorted. "You weren't going easy. You just don't want to admit a teenager almost beat you."
Toshi's laugh followed him as Rei exited the arena.
The association's medical facility was located on the seventh floor, positioned strategically between the training floors and the administrative levels. Rei made his way there via the internal stairwell rather than the elevator, a habit he'd developed over years of training. The brief physical activity helped his body transition from combat intensity to rest state more smoothly than simply standing idle in an elevator.
The medical facility's waiting area was quiet when he arrived, only a few other awakeners present for various assessments or treatments. A nurse recognized him immediately—he was a regular visitor given his intensive training schedule—and directed him to an examination room.
The post-spar evaluation was routine and relatively quick. Vital signs assessment, aether depletion measurement, physical examination for any stress injuries or concerning symptoms. The medical staff had years of his baseline data to compare against, making it easy to identify anything abnormal.
"Everything looks normal," the examining doctor concluded after perhaps fifteen minutes of checks. "Aether reserves at about sixty percent capacity, which is appropriate for the intensity Teiji reported. No signs of core strain or circulation issues. You can resume normal activities."
"Thank you, Doctor," Rei said, already starting to rise from the examination table.
As he exited the medical facility back into the corridor, he noticed two familiar figures approaching from the direction of the elevators.
Kazemori Mitsu walked on the left, seventeen years old now, having grown from the shy seven-year-old he'd first met at that social gathering years ago into a young woman of notable presence.
She stood perhaps five feet six, her build athletic from years of awakened training. Her most distinctive feature was her hair, a deep forest green that marked Kazemori family bloodline as clearly as black hair indicated Tsugikune heritage. She wore it long, falling past her shoulders in waves that she typically tied back during training but let loose in casual settings. Her eyes were dark brown, almost black, set in a face that had retained some youthful roundness while developing sharper features that suggested she'd be striking once she fully matured.
She wore the standard association training attire, though she'd added a lightweight jacket over the basic shirt, a small personalization that many awakeners adopted to distinguish themselves from the completely uniform appearance pure regulation clothing created.
Beside her walked Tsugikane Terou, sixteen years old, one of Rei's cousins from the Shiga branch of the family.
Terou was perhaps five feet eight, still growing but likely approaching his final height. He'd inherited the pure Tsugikane features—black hair worn in a somewhat shaggy style that suggested he didn't care much about appearance, dark eyes that held more humor than intensity, a face that was pleasant without being particularly memorable. His build was lean and developing toward the wiry strength common among Physical-type awakeners, though Terou had actually manifested standard pyrokinesis rather than physical enhancement.
His expression was almost always animated, currently lit with enthusiasm as he'd apparently witnessed or heard about the spar that had just concluded.
Both of them had become regular fixtures in Rei's daily life over the past several years, though for different reasons and under different circumstances.
Mitsu had been sent to the Tsugikune Association three years ago, officially for "fostering", a practice where promising young awakeners from allied families spent extended periods training with another organization to broaden their experience and strengthen inter-family relationships.
Unofficially, everyone understood Niou Kazemori's actual motivation: exposing his daughter to Rei in hopes that proximity might develop into romantic interest. The Kazemori family would benefit enormously from a marriage alliance with the Tsugikune heir, and arranging such things while both parties were young increased the chances of genuine affection developing rather than forcing a purely political union.
Hidetoshi had been aware of this subtext from the beginning. When Rei had assured his father it wouldn't be a problem—that he could maintain appropriate boundaries while still benefiting from having a skilled training partner—Hidetoshi had approved the fostering arrangement.
Over three years, Mitsu had proven herself a capable awakener and pleasant companion. She'd developed her geokinesis abilities substantially under Tsugikune instruction, and she integrated well into the social dynamics of the association's younger awakeners. Whether she harbored any romantic interest in Rei remained unclear—she'd never expressed anything beyond friendship, though occasional glances and subtle reactions suggested possibility.
Rei maintained friendly but carefully bounded interaction. He liked Mitsu, respected her capabilities, enjoyed her company. But he was intensely aware of the political implications any deeper relationship would carry, and he had no intention of making decisions about such matters at fifteen years old regardless of what family interests might prefer.
Terou had arrived two years ago under simpler circumstances—his parents had sent him to Tokyo for advanced training that the Shiga branch couldn't provide. As family, he'd naturally been integrated into Rei's social circle, and his easygoing personality had made him popular among the association's younger members.
"Dude, that was awesome!" Terou's voice carried his characteristic enthusiasm as they approached. "I can't believe you already go toe-to-toe with big bro Toshi when he's older than you!"
"Yeah, and you weren't even using your pyrokinesis," Mitsu added, her tone carrying impressed acknowledgment. "Just physical augmentation. That's seriously impressive skill."
Rei fell into step with them as they began walking together down the corridor, apparently heading somewhere for lunch given the time.
"Toshi was going easy on me," Rei said, the assessment honest despite how it might sound like false modesty. "If he'd committed fully from the beginning instead of treating it as a teaching spar, the outcome would have been more decisive."
Terou processed this for a moment, then nodded with the air of someone accepting expert analysis. "Oh, so that's why it looked so evenly matched! Still, regardless of the context, you were awesome out there."
Mitsu glanced at Rei with knowing expression. "You know, most people would just accept the compliment rather than immediately qualifying it with tactical analysis."
"Most people aren't Rei," Terou said cheerfully. "Our esteemed cousin doesn't do anything without analyzing it from six different angles."
Rei didn't dispute the characterization. It was accurate enough.
Mitsu's expression shifted slightly, becoming more practical. "So where are we eating lunch? It's nearly noon, and I'm starving after morning training."
Rei considered the options briefly. There were several choices—restaurants within walking distance of the association, delivery services that could bring food to the building, the private family dining area on the top floor.
But he had a preference that would probably generate complaints.
"Association cafeteria," he said. "The food there is good and nutritious."
Both Mitsu and Terou groaned simultaneously, their expressions matching perfectly in exaggerated dismay.
"The cafeteria?" Terou protested. "Come on, man. We could go literally anywhere. Your family basically owns Minato Ward. And you want to eat in the cafeteria?"
"We have growing bodies," Rei said with the particular tone of someone making a health-conscious argument they knew would be unpopular. "Proper nutrition matters for developmental and training purposes. The cafeteria's meals are specifically designed by nutritionists to provide optimal macro and micronutrient balance for awakeners in intensive training. Restaurant food is fine occasionally, but daily consumption tends toward excessive salt, fat, and empty calories."
Mitsu looked at him with an expression mixing amusement and resignation. "You sound like a health textbook."
"Doesn't make it wrong," Rei pointed out.
Terou sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. You're right, of course. You're always right. It's very annoying." But his tone carried affection beneath the complaint. "I guess cafeteria food isn't actually that bad. They've got decent variety at least."
Mitsu glanced between them, apparently having been outvoted. "You too, Terou? I thought we had solidarity on avoiding institutional food."
"Rei makes a compelling nutritional argument," Terou said with mock solemnity. "And besides, the cafeteria does make pretty good curry rice. I'm kind of craving that anyway."
Mitsu threw up her hands in surrender. "Fine. Let's eat at the cafeteria. But I'm getting dessert afterward, and neither of you gets to lecture me about sugar content."
"Deal," Rei agreed easily.