Placing his hands on Haruto's back once again, Kaito began to guide him through the process of gathering Chi. With each breath, Haruto focused on drawing in energy from the world around him, feeling it flow through him like a river of light.
The room seemed to pulse with energy, the air thick with the scent of incense and the soft sound of their breathing filling the silence. Haruto closed his eyes, shutting out the outside world as he concentrated on the task at hand.
With Kaito's guidance, he felt the energy begin to gather within him, coalescing into a concentrated force that pulsed with life. It was as if he could feel the very essence of the elements swirling within him, waiting to be unleashed.
"Focus, Haruto," Kaito's voice broke through the haze of concentration, his words urging him onward. "You're almost there. Just a little more."
Haruto gritted his teeth, pushing himself to the limit as he channeled the energy within him. With a final surge of effort, he felt the energy surge through his veins, spreading to every part of his body like a raging torrent.
Haruto sat cross-legged on the floor of Kaito's room, his mind buzzing with thoughts as he delved deeper into the study of Chi manipulation. As he concentrated on the flow of energy within him, he couldn't help but draw parallels between Chi and Mana, the mystical energy he had once wielded as Arthur in his previous world.
Mana, like Chi, flowed through everything in that world, albeit with different properties and applications. But there were similarities in their fundamental nature—a life force that could be harnessed and directed with skill and intention.
Drawing upon his experiences as Arthur, Haruto began to experiment with manipulating the flow of Chi within his body. Instead of allowing it to move freely as Kaito had instructed, he sought to create checkpoints, small nodes where he could gather and supply Chi at will.
Focusing his mind and channeling his intent, Haruto visualized these checkpoints forming along the pathways of Chi within him, like glowing orbs of light scattered throughout his body. With each breath, he felt the energy responding to his commands, pooling and gathering at the designated points.
To his surprise and delight, it worked. The checkpoints served as anchors, allowing him to regulate the flow of Chi with greater precision and efficiency. It was a technique born of intuition and experimentation, but it yielded promising results.
"Hey? What's this?" Kaito asked, discomfort in his face as he saw what Haruto was doing, he had created a systematically arranged path and along the way, cups.
He had placed cups on key positions, Creating a path was difficult enough as it is, but Haruto had not only created veins but checkpoints in the form of cups. Suddenly Kaito could sense Haru's Chi, circulating his body, and when it reached these checkpoints. it struggled to fill them.
Like forcing liquid up a mountain, a reverse waterfall. Haruto collapsed on the ground, taking in big puffs of the incense that filled the air, his chest matching the rhythm of his heart, covered by sweat.
"What was that?"Kaito asked, pulling the bamboo scroll from the table and looking at the instructions, his eyes covered half the page in an instant as he tried to locate the instructions of what Haruto just did. But to no avail.
"Hey, what did you do!"
Haruto gasped for air, his body still reeling from the exertion of manipulating the flow of Chi. He struggled to find his voice, his chest heaving with each breath as he tried to explain.
"I... I don't know," Haruto managed to gasp out between breaths, his voice strained. "I was just... experimenting. Trying to control the flow... like you said."
Kaito's expression softened as he realized the extent of Haruto's efforts. Despite the reckless nature of his actions, there was a glimmer of admiration in Kaito's eyes—a recognition of the determination and courage it took to push beyond the boundaries of conventional training.
"Well, whatever it was, it seemed to work," Kaito said, offering Haruto a hand to help him up from the ground. "But let's not try anything like that again without understanding the risks first, okay?"
Haruto nodded, grateful for Kaito's concern. He knew he had pushed himself too far, but there was a sense of accomplishment that accompanied the realization that he was capable of more than he had ever imagined.
As they gathered themselves and prepared to continue their training, Kaito couldn't shake the feeling of excitement that coursed through him. Instead of accepting defeat, he felt a surge of determination to match his friend's feat. Taking a deep breath, he settled himself on the floor, the sweet scent of incense filling his nostrils as he prepared to manipulate his Chi.
He didn't need to ask Haruto what he did. As Kaito had guided his friend through the process, he had observed every movement, every flicker of energy. Now, it was his turn to put that knowledge to the test.
Closing his eyes, Kaito focused his mind, reaching out to the Chi within him with practiced ease. He could feel it responding to his call, a gentle current flowing through his veins like a river seeking its course.
With steady concentration, Kaito visualized the checkpoints Haruto had created, his mind forming a blueprint of energy pathways that crisscrossed his body. It was a delicate balance, requiring precise control and unwavering focus.
But as Kaito reached out to manipulate the flow of Chi, he felt a sudden surge of resistance, as if the energy itself was rebelling against his commands. He gritted his teeth, pushing past the barrier with sheer force of will, determined to prove himself worthy of his friend's respect.
And then, in a sudden rush of sensation, it happened. The Chi responded to his commands, flowing obediently along the pathways he had created, gathering at the designated checkpoints with surprising ease.
A sense of triumph surged through Kaito as he opened his eyes, his chest swelling with pride at his accomplishment. He had done it. He had matched Haruto's feat, and in doing so, he had proven his worth as a true master of Chi manipulation.
Looking over at Haruto, Kaito couldn't help but grin. "See, Haruto? I told you I could do it," he said, his voice filled with excitement. "We make a pretty good team, don't we?"
Haruto returned Kaito's grin, a spark of admiration shining in his eyes. "Yeah, we do," he replied, a sense of camaraderie flowing between them like a current of energy. "
As the night wore on, Haruto and Kaito found themselves locked in a silent battle of wills, each determined to outdo the other in their mastery of Chi manipulation. The incense-laden air grew thick with anticipation as they focused their minds and bodies on the task at hand.
Haruto, with his keen intellect and innovative approach, had managed to create a network of Chi checkpoints throughout his body. However, his struggle lay in moving and gathering the energy to fill them. Despite his best efforts, he found himself unable to produce the glowing orbs of light that he had manifested earlier.
On the other hand, Kaito, with his natural affinity for Chi, had little trouble moving the energy through his body. But when it came to forming the checkpoints, he faltered, his movements hesitant and uncertain.
As they continued to push themselves, the strain of their efforts began to take its toll. Beads of sweat gathered on their brows, and their muscles trembled with exertion. But still, they persisted, driven by a fierce determination to succeed.
Hours passed in a blur of concentration and effort, the room enveloped in a hushed silence broken only by the soft rustle of fabric and the occasional intake of breath. Outside, the world slept, unaware of the intense struggle unfolding within the confines of Kaito's room.
The morning light crept through Kaito's window, as the noise of the city waking up filled the outside world, The duo found themselves in a great deal of pain, they had spent the entire night, forming checkpoints and gathering Chi, each refusing to lose to the other.
'It seems Kaito's competitive side rubbed off on me' Haruto thought to himself, his body captive to the pain, like a doll with a will but unable to move without a master.
Kaito was in the same boat, a puddle of sweat forming under them.
"He...Hey.. you smell like sweat and defeat" Kaito said, fighting the urge to laugh in fear it might get him punished by his body. In the end, Kaito had won their unofficial challenge, his native mastery of Chi had allowed him to limit the pain, while Haruto could barely move after filling most of the points.
As the morning light bathed the room in a soft golden glow, Haruto and Kaito found themselves in a state of exhaustion and pain, their bodies protesting every movement. The relentless hours they had spent pushing themselves to the limit had taken a toll, leaving them drained and sore.