Benkei, as usual, was polishing his blade, paying no attention to the screams shaking the forest.
He seemed detached from the suffering of his two disciples, as if it were nothing more than part of the scenery.
---
Hastur's Side
Hastur fell from his perch, hitting the ground like a puppet drained of its strings.
Every muscle in his body tightened violently, stopping him from moving even a single finger.
— Make it stop… my head… !!!!
His eyes had turned pure white, as if refusing to confront reality.
---
Ban's Agony
Ban couldn't even remain seated anymore.
His body trembled with repeated spasms, his breath sharp and broken.
Benkei sighed, almost lazily:
— Sorry, there's nothing I can do. Anima is a parasitic energy. It realized you were trying to tame it… so it acted first. It's simply trying to dominate you before you dominate it.
— Please…! Help us…! Hastur cried.
— The only advice I can give you, Benkei replied coldly, is to never let your guard down. Even while sleeping. Don't let the pain swallow you.
Thus began the second stage of their training:
the struggle for inner domination.
---
Hastur — The Silent Fight
Panting, unable to stand, Hastur felt each heartbeat like a wave of fire.
He tried to rise… but his body collapsed instantly.
— It hurts… I have to fight… I must fight…
His voice was barely a lost whisper.
---
Ban — The Fight Through Force
Ban, on the other hand, could hear the unsettling cracks of his own bones.
And yet… he smiled.
A feral, almost savage smile.
— This anima… it won't control me. Not today, not ever!
He gathered his gray aura into his fists and began striking his own head.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
And faster still—until his arms blurred into indistinguishable motions.
With each impact, his aura shifted, gradually turning… purple.
Benkei, surprised, finally allowed himself a smile.
---
Hastur — The Path of Calm
— Ban is fighting… so I should too—
Benkei cut through his thoughts using the transmitter dragonfly:
— Do not imitate him. Violence is not the only path.
Those words hit Hastur harder than the pain.
He suddenly stopped resisting.
He released all tension.
Closed his eyes.
And breathed.
The anima tore through his mind… yet Hastur no longer fought it.
He welcomed it.
— If I cannot defeat you… then I will assimilate you.
With each breath, thin gray wisps escaped his lips.
The more he breathed, the more violently the anima raged within him.
Yet Hastur remained calm.
Slowly, the color of his aura shifted.
The gray became gold, then tinged with jade.
A silent harmony, the opposite of Ban's purple fury.
---
End of the Sixth Day
Night fell.
And at that same moment, for both children…
the pain stopped.
They collapsed, exhausted, but alive.
Benkei sheathed his sword.
— Rest.
Tomorrow begins the third and final part of your training.