Two weeks had passed since Nagisa visited the market with her mother.
She still remembered Mira.
Whenever Nagisa thought about the market, she found herself wondering what her new friend was doing.
She had even asked Celeste twice when they would visit again.
Her mother had simply laughed and told her that they would go when they needed more supplies.
For now, however, Nagisa had something else to think about.
Training.
It started one morning when all five cubs were called into the courtyard.
Nagisa arrived first.
Sato came running shortly afterward, followed by Hirata, Ren, and Airi.
They all looked toward their father.
Asano stood in the middle of the courtyard with his arms folded.
Nagisa immediately became suspicious.
“Why did you call us here?”
Asano looked at all five children.
“Your mother and I have decided that you’re old enough to begin basic physical training.”
Sato’s ears perked up.
“Training?”
Hirata looked excited.
“Are we learning cultivation?”
“No.”
The excitement immediately disappeared from their faces.
Nagisa tilted her head.
“Then what are we training?”
“Your bodies.”
Nagisa’s ears twitched.
Asano continued.
“You won’t begin proper cultivation until after your Awakening. Until then, there is no reason for you to sit around waiting for the day to arrive.”
Nagisa liked the sound of that.
“So we’re actually going to train?”
“Yes.”
Sato jumped.
“I’m going to become strong!”
Hirata looked at him.
“You already say that every day.”
“Because it’s true.”
Asano cleared his throat.
All five cubs became quiet.
“The purpose of today’s training isn’t to make you powerful. You’re still children. Your bodies are developing, and pushing yourselves beyond what they can handle will only cause problems.”
Nagisa listened carefully.
“So what are we doing?”
“Running, balance exercises, climbing, basic coordination, and controlled sparring.”
Sato’s eyes widened.
“Fighting?”
“Basic sparring.”
“Can I fight Nagisa?”
Nagisa looked at him.
“You’ll lose.”
“You don’t know that!”
“I do.”
Sato puffed out his chest.
“I’ve gotten stronger.”
Nagisa smiled.
“Then prove it later.”
Asano sighed.
“You two can compete after you learn the rules.”
The cubs nodded.
Their first exercise was simple.
Running.
Asano marked a path around the courtyard and instructed them to run several laps.
Nagisa took her position beside her siblings.
“Ready?”
Everyone nodded.
“Go.”
The five cubs immediately took off.
Hirata sprinted ahead.
Sato followed closely.
Nagisa maintained a steady pace behind them.
Ren wasn’t far behind, while Airi remained at the back.
After the first lap, Hirata was still leading.
After the second, Sato caught up.
By the third, both were breathing heavily.
Nagisa passed them.
“You’re slowing down.”
Hirata looked offended.
“I’m not!”
He tried to speed up.
Nagisa smiled and continued running.
Her body felt lighter than it had when she was younger.
She had spent years playing around the estate, climbing trees, running with her siblings, and exploring the gardens.
All of that had helped.
Still, she wasn’t prepared for how tiring the exercise would become.
By the fifth lap, her legs were beginning to ache.
She slowed down.
Asano noticed.
“Don’t force yourself.”
Nagisa glanced toward him.
“But I can continue.”
“I know.”
“There’s a difference between challenging yourself and ignoring your body’s limits.”
Nagisa slowed to a comfortable pace.
She understood.
Training wasn’t about proving that she could suffer more than everyone else.
It was about becoming better without destroying herself in the process.
When they finally finished, all five cubs collapsed onto the grass.
Sato was breathing heavily.
“How many laps was that?”
“Five.”
“That felt like fifty.”
Hirata laughed weakly.
“You were the one who ran ahead.”
“I regret it.”
Nagisa laughed.
Airi simply rolled onto her back and stared at the sky.
Ren looked toward their father.
“Is that all?”
Asano smiled.
“No.”
Ren immediately sat up.
“What?”
The next exercise involved balance.
Asano placed several wooden beams across the training area.
The cubs stared at them.
“Walk across without falling.”
Sato looked at the beam.
“That’s easy.”
He jumped onto it.
Two seconds later, he fell.
Nagisa covered her mouth.
Sato stood up.
“I meant to do that.”
Hirata laughed.
“No, you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to test the ground.”
Nagisa couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Asano shook his head.
“Try again.”
This time, Sato moved more carefully.
He stretched his paws outward and slowly crossed the beam.
Hirata followed.
Then Ren.
Airi crossed almost effortlessly.
Nagisa watched them before stepping onto the beam herself.
She moved carefully.
One paw.
Then another.
The beam was narrow enough that she had to concentrate.
She could feel every tiny movement of her body.
Her tail shifted behind her, helping her maintain balance.
Nagisa smiled.
She hadn’t realized how useful her tail was.
She reached the end.
Asano nodded.
“Good.”
Nagisa’s ears perked up.
“Was that praise?”
“Yes.”
Nagisa smiled proudly.
Sato immediately shouted.
“I did good too!”
“You fell.”
“After I finished.”
“You didn’t finish.”
“I almost finished.”
Everyone laughed.
After the balance exercises came climbing.
This one was much more enjoyable.
The cubs were naturally suited for it.
They climbed trees, wooden structures, and low walls while Asano watched carefully.
Nagisa climbed higher than the others.
She reached a thick branch and looked down.
Sato was several branches below.
“You’re slow.”
“Stop showing off!”
Nagisa laughed.
She moved to another branch.
Then she heard Asano’s voice.
“Nagisa.”
She stopped.
“Yes?”
“Come down.”
“Why?”
“You’re too high.”
Nagisa looked around.
She hadn’t realized how far she had climbed.
She carefully descended.
Once she reached the ground, Asano crouched in front of her.
“You have good natural coordination.”
Nagisa smiled.
“Really?”
“Yes. Your body responds quickly.”
She felt proud.
“Does that mean I’m talented?”
“It means you have good instincts.”
Nagisa’s tail wagged.
That was good enough for her.
The final part of training was sparring.
Asano made it clear that they weren’t allowed to use Elyra.
Their bodies weren’t ready for serious techniques, and the purpose of the exercise was learning movement rather than hurting one another.
Nagisa stood opposite Sato.
Sato looked determined.
“I told you I’d beat you.”
Nagisa smiled.
“We’ll see.”
Asano raised one hand.
“Remember the rules. No biting, no claws, no attacking the eyes, and stop when I tell you.”
Both nodded.
“Begin.”
Sato rushed forward.
Nagisa sidestepped him.
He stumbled.
She gently pushed his shoulder.
Sato fell onto the grass.
There was a moment of silence.
Then Hirata burst out laughing.
Sato immediately got up.
“Again!”
Nagisa smiled.
“Sure.”
The second round lasted longer.
Sato had learned from his mistake.
Instead of charging straight at her, he moved carefully and waited.
Nagisa recognized the change.
She was impressed.
He was learning.
Sato suddenly lunged.
Nagisa moved aside.
This time, however, he turned and caught her leg.
Nagisa stumbled.
She fell onto the grass.
Sato’s face lit up.
“I got you!”
Nagisa stared at him.
Then she laughed.
“You did.”
Sato looked extremely proud.
Asano nodded.
“Good. Both of you.”
Nagisa stood.
“What did we do right?”
“You adapted.”
He looked at Sato.
“You stopped rushing.”
Then he looked at Nagisa.
“And you underestimated him.”
Nagisa nodded.
She understood.
Even a simple sparring match could teach them something.
By the time training ended, the five cubs were exhausted.
They lay beneath the shade of a tree while Asano brought them water.
Sato drank his entire cup immediately.
“I thought training would be easier.”
Nagisa smiled.
“So did I.”
Hirata looked toward their father.
“Are we doing this every day?”
“Not every day.”
Hirata relaxed.
“We’ll train several times each week. The rest of your time should be spent playing, studying, resting, and being children.”
Nagisa liked that answer.
She looked at her siblings.
They were tired, dirty, and smiling.
For the first time, she realized that training didn’t have to mean becoming obsessed with strength.
It could simply be something they did together.
A way for them to grow.
A way for them to understand their bodies before they eventually learned how to use Elyra properly.
Nagisa looked toward the sky.
Three years remained until the Awakening Ceremony.
She wondered what kind of power she would discover when that day finally arrived.
But for now, she was content with something much simpler.
She wanted to become stronger with her family.
And if Sato kept challenging her every five minutes, she suspected she would have plenty of practice.