Mai Zenin stood in front of Kaede, who occupied Naoya's body. Both stared at each other intently, the tension in the air palpable. Mai knew she had to give it her all in this confrontation, just as Kaede had ordered. She quickly drew her weapon, a revolver she always used for practice, and aimed directly at Kaede.
Mai didn't hesitate. She fired quickly, trying to take advantage of the element of surprise. The bullet, charged with her cursed energy, sped towards Kaede with impressive speed. However, Kaede barely moved, tilting his head just in time for the bullet to graze his cheek. The impact shattered the tree behind him, showing that the shot had enough power to cause serious harm.
Without stopping to think, Mai fired again, this time in rapid succession, trying to press Kaede so he couldn't dodge. However, he moved with a grace and speed that frustrated her, avoiding each shot with minimal effort. "It's useless; it's impossible to surpass his reflexes," Mai thought, but she didn't stop, reloading her weapon and firing again.
Kaede, instead of attacking, continued to dodge with ease. His agility far surpassed Mai's, and though she was giving it her all, each attempt to hit him seemed futile. Each missed shot left Mai more frustrated but also more determined. Finally, her gun ran out of bullets, and Mai knew it was time to change tactics.
With a cry of determination, Mai charged at Kaede with the pistol still in hand, using the weapon as an improvised club. She tried to strike him, using her speed to deliver a series of quick and precise blows. Kaede, however, moved as if he anticipated every one of her movements. He dodged each strike with astonishing ease, letting Mai exhaust her energy.
As the fight continued, Kaede noticed Mai's ability to manage her cursed energy, even under pressure. Though her physical abilities were limited, there was a latent control in how the cursed energy flowed through her body. It was evident that Mai had potential, but it was clear her training had been insufficient until now.
Finally, Kaede decided it was time to test Mai's resilience. He waited for her to attempt another strike, and when she did, he smoothly deflected her weapon, causing her to lose balance. That's when Kaede saw the opportunity. Instead of hitting her with the force he could have used, he simply moved a knee with precision and struck her in the stomach.
The impact was unexpected for Mai. She felt the air leave her lungs, and her legs buckled for a moment, causing her to fall to her knees. The pain was intense, but what hurt the most was the feeling of defeat. She had given everything, yet she hadn't managed to hurt him at all.
Mai remained on the ground, her breathing heavy and her body trembling, not just from the pain of the blow but also from the overwhelming frustration. She tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't respond. She felt as though every part of her being was being dragged into an abyss of uselessness, an abyss her family had dug for her.
"I'm useless…" she whispered to herself, recalling the countless times everyone in the clan had told her exactly that. The cruelty of those words had left deep scars, and now, after all her effort, she felt she had only confirmed what they had always believed about her. Despite giving her all, it seemed nothing had changed. In her mind, she was still the same weak and insignificant Mai she had always been.
A solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't want to cry, didn't want to show weakness in front of Naoya, but the feeling of failure was crushing. As she tried to gather the strength to stand, her mind kept repeating those cruel words as if they were engraved in her soul. "You're useless, Mai," echoed in her head, sinking her further into despair.
Kaede, watching silently, could see the storm of emotions raging inside Mai. Although he had avoided physically hurting her during the training, he hadn't been able to protect her from the emotional pain she was causing herself. Mai was fighting, not only against her perception of uselessness but also against the shadows of the past that haunted her.
Mai remained silent, her mind trapped in a vortex of doubt and despair. Suddenly, she heard Kaede's voice, calm but firm.
"Mai, you're not useless," Kaede said, his tone softer than Mai had ever expected to hear from Naoya. "There's always a way to improve, even when it seems like you've reached your limit. True failure isn't falling; it's not getting back up to try again. What matters isn't what others think of you, but what you do to change it."
Surprised, Mai looked up. What she saw confused her even more: Naoya was standing in front of her with an outstretched hand. It wasn't the usual expression of disdain she had learned to endure, but something much warmer. Something she hadn't felt from anyone except her sister before she too had distanced herself.
For a moment, Mai didn't know how to react. That gesture, that look… they were completely foreign to the image she had of Naoya. Could she trust this? Her heart pounded, a mix of confusion, hope, and vulnerability.
Kaede, for his part, felt a twinge of complication within himself. This wasn't part of his plan. He had promised himself not to grow attached to anyone in the clan, to maintain the necessary distance so that his mission wouldn't be compromised. But at that moment, seeing Mai's fragility and the pain she was trying to hide, he realized how difficult it would be to keep that promise.
Even so, Kaede didn't withdraw his hand. Although this gesture might complicate his plan in the future, at that moment, he felt it was the right thing to do. Not just for Mai, but also for something within him that he hadn't anticipated. Something that made him feel more human and, at the same time, forced him to remember that his mission was much more than just revenge and power.
Mai, hesitant but finally determined, accepted the hand offered to her. As Kaede helped her stand, she could feel something different, a connection she never imagined she'd have with Naoya. The sadness and frustration didn't completely disappear, but they eased a little, leaving room for a new feeling, a spark of hope that she hadn't felt in a long time.
As Kaede helped Mai to her feet, he was surprised by himself. He didn't expect to feel that slight tug in his heart, that pang of compassion and empathy he thought he had buried long ago.
"Do I still have human feelings?" he thought, bewildered. He had spent so much time immersed in his plans, in his revenge, that he had forgotten what it was like to genuinely care for someone. These kinds of feelings could only complicate his mission, weaken his resolve.
But there he was, unable to ignore Mai's pain, a pain that resonated with something inside him that he didn't know still existed. "Maybe I'm not as inhuman as I thought…" he reflected, unsure if that was a strength or a new weakness.