The academy dorms were pretty fantastic. The beds were super comfy, and both the rooms and the building had a really high-end, stylish vibe. They definitely didn't skimp on quality.
I got myself ready to train with Daichi-sensei. As I opened my door I saw a tall guy outside my room.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, catching me off guard.
"What the hell?!" I yelled in shock.
"O-Oh it's just you Daichi-sensei."
"It's time for you to learn about broken ki," he said.
"Y-Yes," I said with a drop of sweat running down my face.
Daichi-sensei and I walked down the hall and out of the building.
"So uh-where are we heading to?" Daichi-sensei smirked.
"You'll see."
A while later, we arrived at a big alleyway with a bunch of trash and dead rats lying on the ground.
"S-so, Daichi-sensei, why are we training over here?" I said, nervously.
Daichi-sensei looked around for a bit and answered me, "You'll be fighting an Onryo."
"What? An Onryo?!" I thought. "He's making me fight an Onryo even though I've never used broken ki before?!"
Daichi-sensei looked at me and smiled, "Don't worry it's a subpar Onryo!"
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL BETTER AND WHAT THE HELL IS A SUBPAR ONRYO!!" I yelled.
Daichi-sensei explained, "Onryo Exterminators made specific rankings for Onryos."
"Ranking for Onryos?" I wondered.
"We use these rankings to determine their threat level," Daichi-sensei explained.
"The rankings are divided into Subpar Onryos, Usual Onryos, Intermediate Onryos, and Abnormal Onryos."
"Subpar Onryos are the weakest among them. They tend to lurk in alleyways and feed on animals rather than humans. Though if they ever get the chance to feast on humans they will gladly do so."
I looked towards the ground.
"So I'm gonna fight the weakest ranked Onryo? That does make me feel a bit better, but I don't even think I can take it on," I said.
Daichi-sensei pointed at me, "That's exactly why I'll teach you how to control your broken ki."
Daichi-sensei then pointed to an opened dumpster at the end of the alleyway, "There is currently a Subpar Onryo searching for its prey in that dumpster."
I looked towards the dumpster.
"Huh? There is? But I can't see it, " I replied.
"Yes, you can't see it since you have no control over your broken ki ," Daichi-sensei responded.
Daichi-sensei raised his finger.
"To control your broken ki, you need to be mentally focused."
"Mentally focused?" I questioned.
"Yes, Mental focus is key to controlling broken ki, as it requires utmost concentration and determination," Daichi-sensei elaborated. "A clear mind and a firm understanding of your body and its workings are necessary to reach a satisfactory level of mental focus."
"Close your eyes and focus," Daichi-sensei said.
I closed my eyes and tried clearing my mind. I could hear the distant sounds of the city around me—the cars in traffic, the faint chatter of people passing by. But I focused on Daichi-sensei's words, repeating them in my head.
"Mental focus… mental focus…"
I felt a tingling sensation. It was as if I were becoming more aware of my surroundings, not only through my eyes, but through some other senses. I continued to concentrate, blocking out the distractions.
Suddenly, the world around me seemed to fade away, and I felt a strange connection to everything. I could sense the energy within me waiting to be unleashed.
"That's it," Daichi-sensei said smiling. "You're controlling your broken ki. Now, open your eyes slowly."
I followed his order, and as I opened my eyes, the world looked different. Colors were sharper, details clearer, and there, at the end of the alleyway, I saw it. The Subpar Onryo lurking in the dumpster. It was a pretty thin spirit with white eyes, sharp teeth, and big lips.
"Th-There it is," I said, smiling while sweating.
My heart raced, but I focused on the task at hand. Daichi-sensei had taught me to control my broken ki, and now it was time to put it to use. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.
Daichi-sensei whispered, "Remember, the key to using broken ki is to stay calm and focused. Don't let fear take over."
He then gave me a thumbs up.
I extended my hands and looked at them. I could feel the energy surging within me. A blackish purple glow enveloped my body.
I dashed towards the Onryo.
The Onryo let out a piercing screech as it finally felt my presence. It started to shoot sharp needles out of its mouth. My enhanced reactions and agility made it easier to dodge the needles.
"I-I can see it all," I said, with a smirk on my face.
As I approached the Onryo, it took a deep breath and released three giant needles.
"Shit! Those are pretty big," I said. "But now I think I can handle them."
The first needle pierced the ground in front of me. I jumped on top of it, then jumped from that needle to the second one and from that needle to the third one, then leaped towards the Onryo.
"His reaction timing is way higher than the average beginner," Daichi-sensei thought, observing the fight at a distance.
I clenched my fists.
"With this power…"
The Onryo screeched and let out one final giant needle. It went straight towards me.
I swung my right fist, enveloped in broken ki, and punched the needle, shattering it into pieces. Some fragments flew everywhere, and one scraped my cheek.
"…I can definitely exterminate Onryos!!"
I swung towards the Onryo and pierced a hole through its head. The pressure from my attack created a dent in the wall behind the Onryo. It started twitching and started to withered away.
I breathed deeply.
Daichi-sensei walked towards me, clapping, "Well done Kaitou. You defeated your first Onryo!"
I responded, out of breath, "Y-yea I defeated it—"
I started leaning towards the ground but Daichi-sensei caught me.
Daichi-sensei walked out the alleyway with me on his back.
"He probably didn't notice, but he was able to channel a huge amount of his broken ki mainly to his fists to create a powerful energy-infused punch to defeat the Onryo."
"The average beginner usually takes weeks to master their broken ki, but Kaitou did it within a day."
"On top of that, I didn't even have to reveal my presence to the Onryo," Daichi-sensei said, smirking. "His control is not perfect but it's still pretty impressive."
"Now I see why you put him in my unit, Jiro."