It's a new day, and Luna wakes up, still as sluggish as ever. She drags herself out of her room, drawn by the smell of Sunny's cooking. She's already growing attached to the aroma, practically floating toward the kitchen—before promptly hitting the ground as she enters.
Sunny smiles at the sight of Luna. "Howdy! Our friend Sronk helped me install a few security cameras on the premises." Sunny flips a few pancakes onto a plate and hands them to Luna. "Here you go, partner. Like I said, today we're going to be working on your resistance, and then we're heading into town. After all, tomorrow's your test!" She smiles while tossing some bacon onto Luna's plate. "Don't worry, we'll get a hotel room, and Sronk and Billy the cat will watch the house."
Luna glances at Billy and then at Sronk. "The house should be fine. Besides, yesterday, I saw Sronk rip a tree out of the ground!"
Sunny throws up a thumbs up. "That's the spirit!"
After a good meal, Luna and Sunny head out for more training. Sunny looks over at Luna. "All right, so resistance training is better with psycho waves, but it can still be done with mana, so don't worry."
Luna nods in understanding.
"Think of resistance training like a video game. You've got your stat points and whatnot. Yours are naturally balanced across the board, which is great, but when you manipulate your resistance, you can redistribute those points to focus on specific things—like fire, blunt damage, poison, and other stuff like that."
Luna tilts her head. "So, growing up, I never really got sick or anything. Is that why?"
Sunny nods. "Correct! However, keep in mind that while we can increase your resistance across the board over time, it won't make you invincible."
Luna nods her head again. "Okay, so how do you do it then?"
Sunny smiles. "Push your mana out slightly and then pull it back into yourself. Really focus on where you want to put it in your body—like, really really focus!"
Luna closes her eyes. She pushes her mana out, then pulls it back in, directing it toward her stomach. "Like that?"
Sunny nods. "Atta girl! However, keep in mind that gaining resistance to things like poison will take time. Also, if you've already taken damage and then give yourself resistance to whatever hurt you, it'll still come back to bite you in the ass later!"
"So, how would I even give myself resistance to poison?" Luna tilts her head, curious.
"Oh, simple, partner! You can learn a spell that grants you temporary resistance. Now, if you want to use this training to give yourself resistance, you'd need to pinpoint the poison in your body using your mana and then let the mana eat away at the poison. But keep in mind—psycho waves do it better!" Sunny laughs sheepishly while scratching the back of her head.
"Well, I'll practice this for an hour or two!" Luna says, closing her eyes to focus on her training.
Sunny falls backward onto the grass with a relaxed sigh. "Sounds good to me, partner!"
Sunny closes her eyes, feeling oddly content. She has a student and team member who seems to be picking up on everything remarkably well. While Sunny is somewhat aware that Luna might not be able to use psycho waves, that's fine—Luna can focus on mana and willpower instead.
Sunny knows she'll eventually have to teach Luna how to wield a blade or a rifle, but for now, there's no rush. Luna is progressing quickly, though Sunny still finds herself pondering the mysterious spectral entity attached to Luna. She can't quite make it out, as though something is blocking her from seeing it entirely. One thing she's sure of, though, is that the entity has malicious intent—it's clear from her Karma technique.
Even though she's only known Luna for about a week, Sunny already has high hopes for her. She's confident she made the right decision to listen to that fortune teller. Sunny is determined to make a hunter out of Luna, and truthfully, she really likes the girl. But something else keeps nagging at her—who does Luna remind her of?
It's confusing. Sunny feels like she's seen someone who looks like Luna before. But there's no way in hell Luna could be related to them, right? She shakes her head. Impossible, she thinks to herself. The possibility is there, but if it's true... Holy hell, Sunny might've hit the jackpot with this partner. If Luna really is related to him, her, or maybe even both of them... but did they even have a kid?
Sunny pushes the thought aside for now, though her mind circles back to the entity bound to Luna. Whatever it is, Sunny knows it'll need to be dealt with eventually—or at the very least, Luna will need to learn how to manage it. But bringing it up to Luna could be dangerous. That thing might harm her, threaten her, or both. And knowing Luna, she might fall for its tricks. After all, it's her body—it holds all the bargaining chips. Unless... does that thing have something over Luna?
If that's the case, Sunny might have to get someone else involved. But the thing feels powerful as hell, and the thought makes Sunny groan internally.
Damn, this is all a mess, she screams in her head.
Here's the corrected version:
Sunny smiles while relaxing, deciding to focus on the positives—she has an amazing new partner! However, when she checks her watch and realizes an hour has passed, she opens her eyes to see Luna still practicing her will technique.
"Good stuff, partner!" she shouts, and Luna beams at the compliment.
Luna jogs toward Sunny. "Hey, so shouldn't we be heading into town?"
Sunny lets out a sigh. "All right, let's go, partner. But remember, once you get your license, we'll be heading out on a hunt a day or two afterward. Got it?"
Luna nods her head rapidly. "Got it!" She sprints to her room to grab some clothes, knowing they'll be in town for a few days.
As the two women load up into the RV, Sunny turns to Sronk. "All right, watch over the place and make sure nothing bad happens!"
Sronk gives a thumbs up before heading inside, with Billy the cat following close behind.
As the drive begins, Luna lies down on the RV couch. "Jeez, this couch is about as comfy as my bed!" She smiles while relaxing after all that training.
Then Alter appears, giving Luna a smug look. "So, still struggling to use psycho waves, hmm?"
"Yeah, I am," Luna admits, rolling onto her side.
Alter's grin widens. "Well, I'll be nice. If you ever get the chance, and if you're in the kingdom of Egypt, try looking for a place called 'Secret Retreat.' It might help you." With that, Alter vanishes.
Luna lets out a sigh. "I guess I'll keep that in mind."
She tries to close her eyes and rest, but something feels wrong. Luna focuses her mana on her head to block mind-altering effects, and she can sense something trying to pry at her mind—a spell, perhaps, bouncing off the protective barrier she's created.
"W-what the hell? I just want to sleep!" she mutters, getting up and heading to Sunny. "Hey, Sunny, there's something off!"
Sunny looks at Luna, her expression growing serious. "I know. I think the guy with wings is back."
The two women feel a sudden impact on the roof of the RV, shaking it violently. Sunny reacts quickly, flipping a switch that causes the RV to jolt again, the power flickering for a moment. A scream echoes outside as Sunny pulls the RV over.
"Electric field," Sunny mutters, her voice steady. "It's perfect for dealing with pests like that!"
Luna steps out of the vehicle to see the man stumbling to his feet, static bolts still flickering around him.
"Ow!" he shouts.
Luna tilts her head. "I already beat you once, and I'm pretty sure I can do it again. What do you need?"
He limps forward, handing Luna a letter. "Here, hold onto this until you get to the test location!" He then limps away, still visibly shaken by the two women.
"I'm gonna have a talk with Emmerich later," he mutters under his breath. "This is some B.S. I have to deal with!" He pouts before flying off.
Luna steps back into the RV. "Don't worry, he just gave me a letter!"
Sunny gives Luna a thumbs up. "Sounds great, partner!"
Luna walks back to the couch and throws herself onto the ever-comfy cushions. "So warm and nice!" she sighs contentedly.
As Sunny drives off, she lets out a sigh. "I'm gonna have to apologize to that guy later. He's one of Emmerich's men, and I just know he's gonna give me an earful."
While driving, Sunny keeps her eyes on the road. "Well, let's just hope the test goes fine for Luna," she says, smiling hopefully for the future and whatever tomorrow might bring.