Three days had passed since Naoki officially became a member of the Anti-Demon Corps. Even so, he had yet to carry out a single duty—not one patrol, not one Shuuki elimination, not one gate guarding shift.
That didn't mean he was idle. On the contrary, he was extremely busy. On the orders of the Sixth Unit's Chief, Izumo Tenka, Naoki made the trip between the Sixth Unit and the First Unit every single day. His schedule was packed and exhausting.
Each morning, at around 6:30 AM, he would leave the Sixth Unit's headquarters for the First Unit via a portal he opened himself using «Ame-no-Mitori» accessed through «Pandemonium».
There, he trained under Riu's strict guidance until afternoon. And every afternoon, he returned utterly drained, heading straight for the bathroom before collapsing onto his bed—sometimes with Tenka beside him, sometimes alone.
Together with Bell, Naoki endured grueling physical training.
Push-ups—one hundred repetitions, three sets. Sit-ups—one hundred repetitions, three sets. A one-kilometer run around the First Unit's headquarters—three laps. All of this made up their regular training menu.
Naturally, Riu strictly forbade Naoki from using his Peach Blossom Blessing during training. He was only permitted to rely on his physical capabilities.
As a result, Naoki was thoroughly exhausted after every session. His muscles felt as though they had been stretched and hammered repeatedly. Sweat poured freely, his breathing came in ragged gasps, and sometimes he had to sit for several minutes before he could stand again.
On Bell's side, her situation was worse.
From the beginning, the girl's fitness level was roughly on par with the average high school girl—possibly slightly below, as she had long depended on «Canopus» rather than her physical strength in combat. But Riu showed her no leniency. The old woman treated Bell exactly the same as Naoki: push-ups, sit-ups, running, without compromise.
Bell pushed herself to the brink of tears every day. Her face flushed not from embarrassment, but from extreme exhaustion. Her breathing came in such labored gasps that she occasionally coughed. Her legs trembled during the run, and her arms could barely lift her own body during push-ups.
But every time Bell grew frustrated with her own weakness—every time her eyes started glistening and her lips began to tremble—Naoki was there beside her.
"You can do it, Bell. Just five more." His voice reached her when she was on the verge of giving up at the final push-up.
"Steady your breathing. Don't panic." When Bell was gasping halfway through the run, Naoki slowed his pace to stay with her.
"You're doing great. Yesterday you could only do twenty—now it's twenty-five." Simple praise that made Bell flush even through her exhaustion.
Through it all, their bond grew closer.
Over those three days of interaction, Naoki began to understand Bell's character at a deeper level. She was like an open book—her emotions easy to read, her reactions easy to predict.
First, Bell had a very strong submissive streak. She was enormously obedient toward authority figures—such as Yamashiro Ren—and frequently unable to refuse requests pressed upon her. When Riu ordered her to run one more lap despite Bell being on the verge of collapsing, Bell simply nodded in resignation and did it. In the context of a relationship, she would clearly be the type to "follow" her partner without much resistance.
Second, even though she possessed «Canopus»—the most lethal Peach Blossom Blessing among the Chiefs—she was emotionally very fragile. Bell sought a figure she could lean on mentally, a place to rest when the world felt too heavy. When Naoki treated her with gentleness—handing her water, encouraging her, or simply smiling at her—she showed intensely reactive responses. Her eyes would light up, her cheeks would flush, and she would train with noticeably more enthusiasm.
Third, Bell frequently couldn't conceal her shyness. Her explosive physical reactions—face going deep red, hands trembling, voice wavering—when interacting with Naoki indicated that she had little experience or emotional armor when it came to matters of the heart. Every small physical contact, every slightly prolonged glance, every simple compliment left her looking like a teenager experiencing her first crush.
In short, Bell was the type most easily won over by genuine kindness or a gently protective kind of pressure from a man.
A man who offered constant attention and a sense of security would very likely find her heart extraordinarily easy to capture. And Naoki was the prime example in this case.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
The fourth day of training began as usual. After a light warm-up and a one-kilometer run, Riu ordered them to do sit-ups.
"This time, you assist each other." Riu said in a flat tone. "Naoki, hold Bell's feet. Bell, you'll take your turn after."
Naoki nodded and took position immediately. He sat on the dojo floor, knees bent, and his hands clasped around Bell's ankles.
Bell's legs were smooth and fair—a stark contrast against the dark wood of the dojo floor. Her skin felt soft under Naoki's palms, slightly damp from the sweat of the run. Her calves were slender yet shapely, her ankles small and delicate.
"Bell is ready, Naoki-kun..." Bell's voice wavered, whether from nerves or exhaustion.
She began her sit-ups. Her body rose, drawing closer toward Naoki, then sank back. Up. Down. Up. Down.
And from his position, Naoki was treated to quite a generous view.
Each time Bell lifted her body, her loose training top stretched slightly. And each time it did, her full chest shifted with a soft, gentle sway—rising and falling in steady rhythm, like pudding being lightly joggled. Even beneath fairly loose athletic wear, the shape was plainly visible. The size was considerable—perhaps not quite as large as Sahara's, but still impressive for her slender frame.
*SWAY... SWAY... SWAY...*
Naoki enjoyed the view without a trace of guilt. He had lived long enough in this world to understand that appreciating a woman's beauty was perfectly natural. Besides, Bell was entirely unaware that her position was offering him such a favorable angle.
"Thirty-one... thirty-two..." Bell counted between breaths as she moved, oblivious to the fact that she had become quite the spectacle.
After the fiftieth count, Bell's movements began to slow. Her breathing grew labored, her face flushing with exhaustion. Her arms trembled as they supported her.
"I... I can't do this..." She complained weakly, her body on the verge of giving out.
"You can, Bell." Naoki encouraged her, his voice steady yet firm. "Fifty more. Come on."
Bell groaned in despair, but kept going. Her movements grew slower and heavier. Her eyes glistened as she fought through the fatigue.
"Three..." Her body rose with effort. "Fifty..."
"Good. Ten more."
"Three... fifty-one..."
"Five more."
"Three... fifty-two... three... fifty-three..."
Naoki saw tears beginning to trail down Bell's cheeks. Not from sadness—from extreme exhaustion and frustration.
"Three... fifty-four..." Bell's voice was close to breaking.
"Almost done. One more." Naoki tightened his grip on Bell's feet, offering a sense of steadiness.
Bell lifted her body for the very last time. It was the slowest, the heaviest. Her abdominal muscles felt like they were on fire. She reached the upright position, looking at Naoki through wet eyes, then slowly lowered herself back down.
"F-Finished..." She whispered weakly, then crumpled onto the floor.
Naoki released her feet. He reached for the small towel beside him and tossed it onto Bell's face.
"You were great, Bell."
Bell pulled the towel from her face. Her eyes were still damp, but a small smile had found its way to her lips.
"Thank you, Naoki-kun..."
At the edge of the dojo, Riu stood with her arms folded. The old woman had been watching every bit of the interaction with her experienced, sharp eyes.
She was no fool. Sixty years of living in this world—years of watching the dynamics between men and women—had made her acutely perceptive to "signs."
The way Naoki held Bell's feet a moment longer than necessary. The way he encouraged her in that gentle tone. The way his eyes occasionally drifted to areas they... perhaps shouldn't. And the way Bell responded—with compliance, with vulnerability, with that bashful smile.
Riu smiled faintly.
She understood exactly what was happening. The young man had his eye on a girl as guileless as Bell. And Bell, with all her weakness and vulnerability, was slowly being drawn into that gaze.
But Riu had no intention of stopping it.
She thought: it was good for Bell to have a man supporting her. Better that than ending up alone for life like some of the other Chiefs—too consumed by career and power to remember they were also human beings with a need for affection.
Bell was a good girl. She deserved to be happy. And if that happiness came in the form of a man who could give her a sense of security and genuine care... then so be it.
Riu cleared her throat loudly.
"REST IS OVER!" Her voice thundered through the dojo. "Naoki, get up. It's your turn to spar with me."
Bell startled. Naoki let out a sigh, but rose immediately.
He walked to the center of the dojo, facing Riu. The old woman had already taken her fighting stance—low guard, hands raised in a defensive position.
Naoki didn't hesitate. He shot forward, his fist swinging toward Riu's face.
*BAM!*
Riu deflected it with ease. Her weathered hands moved faster than they appeared to. In an instant, she had twisted Naoki's body and slammed him onto the floor.
*THUD!*
Naoki's body struck the wooden floor hard. Pain radiated through his back.
"Get up." Riu said flatly. "Don't rely on speed alone. You need technique."
Naoki stood, rubbing his back. He attacked again—a low kick, followed by a blow to the stomach.
Riu sidestepped the kick nimbly, then caught Naoki's fist. With a rotating motion, she threw him down again.
*THUD!*
Harder this time. Naoki winced.
"Your foot placement is wrong." Riu critiqued. "Too wide. You're losing your balance. Again."
Naoki rose for the third time. He tried a different combination—jab, jab, spinning kick.
Riu deflected the first jab, ducked under the second, and caught Naoki's kicking leg in mid-air. With a jerk, Naoki went down for the third time.
*THUD!*
"You're opening your guard too wide when you kick." Riu explained. "That's a fatal weakness. A skilled opponent will exploit it."
At the edge of the dojo, Bell watched with a mixture of feelings. She sat cross-legged, towel still around her neck, eyes fixed on the match.
Every time Naoki was thrown down, Bell felt a pang of sympathy. She winced watching the young man fall. Her hands lifted slightly, as though she wanted to help, but she knew it wasn't her place.
"Naoki-kun..." She whispered quietly, her eyes glistening again—this time not from exhaustion, but from concern.
Naoki rose once more. This time he was more careful. He studied Riu's movements, searching for an opening.
Riu smiled. "Starting to think now, are you? Good. Watch this."
She attacked first. Her movements were fast—surprisingly fast for her age. Naoki tried to dodge, but Riu had already read him. Her hand seized the collar of his top, her leg swept his feet out from under him, and once again—
*THUD!*
Naoki fell for the fourth time. This time he didn't immediately get up. He lay on the floor, breathing hard, staring up at the ceiling of the dojo.
"Do you know where you went wrong?" Riu asked, not with mockery—only pure instruction.
Naoki thought for a moment. "I was too focused on attacking. I forgot to defend."
"Correct." Riu nodded. "You have good reflexes, good speed, decent strength. But you fight like someone from the streets—all offense, no thought for defense. In an evenly matched one-on-one fight, that won't be enough."
Naoki pushed himself up and sat on the floor. His whole body ached, but his eyes showed respect.
"Understood, Sensei."
Riu smiled. "You're a good student, Naoki. A quick learner—not stubborn." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "We continue tomorrow. Rest for now."
Bell immediately came hurrying over, bringing a towel and a water bottle. She knelt beside Naoki, offering the water with both hands.
"Naoki-kun, have some water..." Her voice was gentle, her eyes full of concern.
Naoki accepted the bottle and drank from it. Bell watched him with an anxious expression, as though Naoki were something precious that had nearly broken.
"Are you alright?" She asked quietly.
"Still alive." Naoki replied flatly, though a faint smile crossed his lips.
Bell exhaled with relief. She sat beside him—not too close, but not too far. Her hands rested folded in her lap, eyes cast downward.
"Bell was worried..." She whispered, barely audible.
Naoki turned to look at her. Under the dojo lights, Bell's blue hair caught a faint shimmer. Her soft profile—rosy cheeks and long lashes—created a quietly calming image.
"Thank you."
Bell flushed, turning her face away.
Riu, still standing nearby, watched the exchange with a knowing smile. She shook her head slowly, then turned and walked out of the dojo.
(Young people... How quickly they grow.) She thought to herself.
On the dojo floor, Naoki and Bell sat side by side in a comfortable silence. Outside, the violet sky of Mato was slowly fading, signaling that night would soon arrive.
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