Preparations for the Internship Assessment (1)

"You even used Broken Blade." Life-Taker chuckled as she treated Liu Ziyun. "You could have used Shattered Blade Slash instead, couldn't you? That way, you could have fought a little longer—don't you love fighting Ziyun most of all?"

Tulu rolled his eyes. "There was no point in continuing. Something was off with Ziyun, and fighting any longer wouldn't have improved his strength."

"Oh?" Life-Taker drew out the word. "What a tsundere you are."

She glanced at Tulu, her eyes full of teasing. "Every time Ziyun enters this 'Berserk Mode,' you knock him out right away. You're afraid he'll get hurt if the fight goes on, aren't you?"

Tulu snorted. "If he gets hurt, aren't you here? Besides, sooner or later, he'll be able to enter this state while keeping his senses. That's when... we'll have a real fight."

He paused, his tone disdainful. "The way he is now? All he does is charge around blindly, with neither reason nor art. Where's the fun in fighting that?"

Life-Taker laughed even harder at that. "Then that's the end of today's fight."

She gently laid the now-healed Liu Ziyun on the ground, then stood up and stretched. "I really can't wait... for the day when you and I can fight the real Ziyun together."

She paused, then added, "I hope we don't beat him to death. Otherwise, things would get really boring."

Tulu looked helpless. "Yeah. In his eyes, I'm a battle-crazed lunatic. But in fact... you're the one who loves fighting most, the one who wants to kill at all costs once you get excited."

His words were blunt, but as Life-Taker listened, the smile slowly faded from her face.

She was silent for a few seconds, then said softly, "It can't be helped... That's the nature of our power."

She looked at Tulu. "Just as you hope Ziyun can enter Berserk Mode while keeping his senses... I hope that, while mastering the power of fate, he won't lose himself to it."

She paused, her voice dropping even lower. "But I can't do it myself. The only one who can make it possible for me... is Ziyun. Only when he has perfectly mastered both your power and mine can we do as we please while using our full strength... without overstepping."

Tulu fell silent after hearing that.

He looked up at the false sky of the inner world and said slowly, "Yes... We both hope he can perfectly master our power. Only then can he avoid losing control, no matter the circumstances."

He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "But he seems to have guessed the nature of our power. That's why he's always wary of that power... the one that belongs to the depths of his heart. When he fights us, he always does his best to keep his senses and avoid going berserk. But he doesn't know—the right path is to regain his senses through going berserk again and again."

Life-Taker had finished treating him.

All the wounds on Liu Ziyun's body had healed, and his breathing had steadied, but he was still unconscious.

She looked up at Tulu. "Then why... don't you let him fight a little longer in his berserk state? Maybe... he could regain his senses."

Tulu glanced down at Liu Ziyun and shook his head. "His body hasn't fully developed yet. It can't withstand the power of Berserk Mode."

He paused, then added, "Fighting in that state puts a tremendous strain on his body. Continuing would only damage his foundation and delay his growth."

Life-Taker nodded thoughtfully.

Just then, Liu Ziyun's eyelids twitched.

A few seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Awake?" Life-Taker smiled gently. "How do you feel?"

Liu Ziyun struggled into a sitting position and rubbed his temples. "My head hurts... My whole body hurts..."

He looked at his uninjured body, then at Tulu and Life-Taker, and said with a wry smile, "I lost again?"

Life-Taker nodded. "And badly."

Liu Ziyun sighed. "All right... I'm used to it."

He looked at Life-Taker. "Is today's sparring... over?"

"Mm." Life-Taker nodded. "Your body needs rest. Go back."

Liu Ziyun hesitated. "Then... can I stay a little longer? We could chat, at least. After all... it's been a long time since I came in to see you two."

Before he had finished speaking—

"Scram."

Tulu spat out the word coldly.

Short and merciless.

Liu Ziyun: "..."

Life-Taker covered her mouth and chuckled. "Hehe... Ziyun, don't try any little tricks."

She blinked. "Your sweet talk won't work on us. You know that—we can feel everything about you."

She paused, then added, "Besides... even though you can't see us, you can still talk to us. There's no need to come in here and use all that sweet talk... to try to 'master' our power."

His intentions exposed, Liu Ziyun blushed. "Uh... all right."

He scratched his head. "Then I'll go back. I need to prepare for the Soul Reaper Internship assessment, so I won't be able to come see you for a while again."

Life-Taker nodded gently. "Go on. Prepare well."

Tulu snorted. "Don't get tricked again. Otherwise... I'll hit you even harder the next time you come in."

Liu Ziyun smiled wryly. "I know, I know..."

His consciousness slowly withdrew from the inner world.

Once he had completely left, the inner world fell quiet.

Tulu looked in the direction where Liu Ziyun had disappeared and sighed helplessly. "Why does he... always want to use this kind of shortcut to gain our power?"

He paused. "Even if he gained power that way... he wouldn't be able to truly use it. Sigh..."

The gentle smile slowly disappeared from Life-Taker's face.

In its place was a cold, chilling expression.

"Just as you said... he seems to have sensed the nature of our power."

Her voice turned cold as well. "That's why he's afraid. That's why he wants to gain power in this 'gentle' way..."

She paused and spoke word by word. "What... an annoying fellow."

The moment her voice fell—

Tulu's expression changed!

He instantly entered a fighting stance, his muscles tensing as his Reiatsu erupted!

But... it was no use.

A pale, brocade-colored flash of sword light appeared without warning.

It was so fast that even its afterimage couldn't be seen clearly.

"Swish—!"

Tulu's body was split in two from top to bottom.

The cut was smooth as a mirror.

Life-Taker lowered her blade without expression.

A few seconds later, the two halves of Tulu's body slowly joined back together, restoring him to his original state.

He rolled his neck and said with a wry smile, "It's like this every time... You turn on me in an instant."

Some warmth returned to Life-Taker's expression. "It can't be helped... Every time I see you two fighting so fiercely, I can only watch from the sidelines. It's so stifling."

She paused, then added, "Besides... it's not like you don't know. I'm fine if I fight for a little while, but if it goes on a bit longer..."

She didn't finish, but Tulu understood.

"If it goes on a bit longer, you can't help... wanting to kill him?"

Life-Taker nodded. "Mm."

Tulu sighed helplessly. "So every time you fight him, you call me over to interrupt you and have me fight him... that's why?"

Life-Taker rolled her eyes. "Why else? Did you really think I liked watching you fight?"

The two fell silent for a moment.

Then they raised their heads together and looked at the sky.

Toward the place where... their shared master was.

Their gazes were complicated.

There was anticipation, helplessness, and worry.

And a trace of... indescribable madness.

In the real world, in the underground training ground.

Liu Ziyun opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

"Phew..."

He moved his body, feeling the power surging within him—although he had just been beaten badly, every fight made him a little stronger.

"The Soul Reaper Internship assessment..."

He muttered to himself, then stood up and left the underground space.

By the time he returned to Shin'ō Academy, it was late.

He dragged his weary body back to his dormitory and fell straight asleep.

He slept deeply.