I yawned, the early morning air crisp against my skin as I twirled the polearm in my hands.
The training ground stretched out before me, bathed in the soft light of dawn. Maki stood a few paces away, her own weapon held with practiced ease. On the stairs, Panda, Nobara, Megumi, and Toge sat huddled together, their whispered debate drifting over on the breeze.
"This reminds me of when Yuta and Maki sparred for the first time," Panda mused, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia. "Wonder if Akuma will fare better."
Yuta? Who the hell is Yuta?
"You sure you want to do this?" I asked Maki, unable to keep the smirk from my voice. "I'd hate to mess up that pretty face of yours."
Maki's eyes narrowed, her grip tightening on her polearm. "Worry about your own face, Kantaro. I won't go easy on you."
"Don't need you to," I shot back, falling into a ready stance.
As I sized up my opponent, I made a quick mental calculation. Going at half the speed I used against Gojo should be more than enough to make this interesting. No need to show all my cards just yet.
"Begin!" Panda called out.
I surged forward, my polearm a blur as I aimed for Maki's side. But something was wrong. She had barely moved.
I pulled up short, the tip of my weapon stopping mere centimeters from her ribs. "How..." Maki breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your speed... I couldn't even register it."
I frowned. Even at my full speed, Gojo had dodged easily. Had I miscalculated that badly?
"Let's try that again," I said, adjusting my stance. This time, I'd dial it back to about 10% of my usual speed. "Ready?"
Maki nodded, her expression hardening into fierce determination. This time when I moved, she was ready. Our weapons clashed with a resounding clang that echoed across the training ground.
"That's more like it," I grinned, genuinely enjoying myself now. "Thought you were going to make this too easy for me."
"Don't get cocky," Maki grunted, pushing back against my attack. "I'm just getting warmed up."
We fell into a rhythm, trading blows and testing each other's defenses. Maki was good, really good. Her technique was flawless, each movement efficient and purposeful. But there was something else, a raw determination that seemed to fuel her every action.
"Go, Maki!" Nobara cheered from the sidelines. "Show that pretty boy what you're made of!"
"Pretty boy, huh? I'll take that as a compliment."
"Less talking, more fighting," Maki growled, launching into a series of quick jabs that had me on the defensive.
As we continued to spar, I found myself growing more and more impressed. Maki's skills were undeniable, and her adaptability was remarkable. Every time I thought I had her pattern figured out, she'd switch things up, keeping me on my toes.
"You're not half bad," I admitted during a brief lull in the action. "Where'd you learn to fight like this?"
Something flashed in Maki's eyes, a mix of pride and pain. "I've had to work for everything I have," she said, her voice low and intense. "Nothing's been handed to me."
"Respect," I said simply, before launching into my next attack.
It had been a while since I'd faced someone besides Gojo who could keep up with me, even at this reduced speed. Maki was a formidable opponent, and I found myself wondering what she'd be capable of with proper training.
"Hey, Maki," I called out, ducking under a swipe of her polearm. "Ever thought about branching out? Learning some new techniques?"
She frowned, momentarily thrown off by the question. "What are you getting at, Kantaro?"
I shrugged, parrying her next attack with ease. "Just thinking out loud. You've got potential. Hate to see it go to waste."
"I don't need your pity," Maki spat, her attacks becoming more aggressive.
"Pity?" I laughed, genuinely amused. "Trust me, that's the last thing on my mind. I'm talking about opportunity."
Our weapons locked, bringing us face to face. I could see the fire in Maki's eyes, the burning desire to prove herself. It was a feeling I knew all too well.
"Think about it," I said, my voice low enough that only she could hear. "You and me, training together. We could push each other to new heights. What do you say?"
For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of interest in her eyes. "I say," Maki growled, "that you should focus on the fight at hand!"
With a sudden burst of strength, she broke our deadlock, sending me stumbling back a step. I recovered quickly, but not before she managed to land a glancing blow on my shoulder.
"First blood to you," I grinned, rolling my shoulder. "Not bad at all."
From the sidelines, I could hear the others arguing about the outcome of our match.
"Maki's got this in the bag," Nobara insisted. "Did you see that last hit?"
"I don't know," Megumi countered, his voice thoughtful. "Akuma seems to be holding back. I think there's more to him than we've seen."
"Salmon," Toge added, which I assumed was his way of agreeing.
Their debate faded into the background as Maki and I circled each other, looking for an opening. I had to admit, I was impressed by her stamina. We'd been at this for a while now, and she showed no signs of slowing down.
"You know," I said conversationally, deflecting another of her attacks, "I'm curious about this Yuta person Panda mentioned earlier. Friend of yours?"
Maki's eyes narrowed, but she didn't let up on her assault. "Why the sudden interest?"
I shrugged, using the movement to disguise a quick counterattack. "Just making conversation. Panda seemed to think I might not measure up."
"Yuta's... special," Maki said after a moment, her voice carrying a hint of respect. "One of the strongest sorcerers I've ever met."
"Stronger than me?" I asked, genuinely curious.
Maki's lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. "You'd have to ask him yourself."
"Maybe I will," I mused.
The sun had risen higher in the sky by the time Panda called an end to our match. Maki and I were both breathing heavily, sweat glistening on our skin. Neither of us had managed to gain a clear advantage, and I had to admit, I was impressed.
"Not bad," I said, offering Maki a genuine smile. "You've got some serious skills."
Maki nodded. "You're not so bad yourself, Kantaro. Though I still think you were holding back."
I shrugged. "A good magician never reveals all his tricks. But hey, maybe next time I'll show you a few more."
As we made our way over to the others, I could see them huddled in deep discussion. Nobara was the first to speak up as we approached.
"That was amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. "I've never seen anyone keep up with Maki like that before in endurance."
"It was certainly... impressive," Megumi added, his tone more reserved but no less sincere.
"Tuna mayo," Toge chimed in, which I took to be a compliment.
Panda, however, was looking at me with a curious expression. "You're full of surprises, aren't you, Akuma? I have to say, I underestimated you."
I grinned, running a hand through my sweat-dampened hair. "Always happy to exceed expectations. Now, who's up for some food? I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."
As we made our way off the training ground, I fell into step beside Maki. "So," I said, keeping my voice low, "about that offer to train together sometime..."
Maki glanced at me, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I'll think about it, Kantaro. But don't push your luck."
I laughed. "Just so you know, I'm not the type to give up easily."
"Neither am I," Maki shot back.
"Guess we'll just have to see who's more stubborn."
As we entered the dorms, I peeled off from the group. "I'm gonna hit the showers. Catch you guys later."
The hot water felt amazing on my aching muscles. As I stood under the spray, I found my mind drifting to the sparring match. Maki had pushed me harder than I'd expected. It was... refreshing, in a way.
Is this what Gojo meant about enjoying life outside of just getting stronger? The thought nagged at me as I toweled off. If I could only relate to those as strong or stronger than me, Gojo would really be the only one I could talk to. That seemed... lonely.
I pulled on a black tank top and basketball shorts, aiming for comfort. As soon as I stepped out of my room, the smell of curry hit me like a wall. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me how hungry I was after that workout.
In the common room, I found the others already digging into steaming plates of curry. Panda waved me over. "Akuma! Perfect timing. Grab a plate and join us."
I hesitated for a moment before shrugging and filling a plate. Might as well. As I sat down, Toge looked up from his food. "Bonito flakes," he said, nodding at me.
I blinked, then found myself smiling slightly. "Thanks. It does smell good."
As we ate, the conversation flowed surprisingly easily. Panda was telling a story about some ridiculous prank he'd pulled on Gojo, and I found myself laughing along with the others.
"Salmon roe," Toge chimed in at one point, and I realized with a start that I was beginning to understand his odd way of speaking.
"You're right," I agreed. "Gojo probably did deserve it."
Toge's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and I saw Panda and Maki exchange a glance.
"What?" I asked, feeling defensive.
Panda shook his head. "Nothing, nothing. It's just not many people pick up on Toge's speech patterns so quickly."
I shrugged. "It's not that hard once you pay attention."
As we finished eating, Panda pulled out a deck of cards. "Anyone up for a game of Uno?"
"Sure," I said. "Why not?"
As Panda dealt the cards, I caught Maki watching me with an unreadable expression. When our eyes met, she quickly looked away. I frowned, wondering what that was about.
The game started, and I found myself getting caught up in the competitive spirit. Toge kept laying down Draw 4 cards at the worst possible moments, cackling (well, saying "mackerel" in a very smug tone) each time.
"Oh, it is ON," I declared after the third time, narrowing my eyes at him.
Panda burst out laughing. "I think you've awakened the beast, Toge."
As the afternoon wore on, I realized I was actually... having fun. It was a strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one. Maybe there was something to this whole "teamwork" thing after all.
When the game finally ended (with Nobara emerging victorious, much to everyone's chagrin), I stood up and stretched. "That was... not terrible," I admitted grudgingly.
Panda clapped me on the shoulder. "High praise indeed! We'll make a social butterfly out of you yet, Akuma."
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't quite hide my smirk. "Don't push your luck, fuzzy."
As I headed back to my room, I caught sight of Maki lingering in the hallway. She looked like she wanted to say something, but then just nodded and disappeared into her own room.
I frowned, wondering what that was about. But as I closed my door behind me, I realized I was still smiling slightly. Maybe this whole "friendship" thing wasn't so bad after all.
Of course, I'd never admit that out loud. I had a reputation to maintain, after all.