The days bled into one another.
Training. Meditation. Pain.
That was all Jiro knew.
Each morning began the same — Rein's harsh voice, the metallic taste of Ash Lane's air, and the endless repetition of drills that broke his body and reforged it. The district's rusted skyline loomed over him like a reminder of decay. He ran until his lungs burned, lifted until his arms went numb, and punched until his knuckles split open again.
"Don't stop," Rein barked from the rooftop. "You'll only stop when your body refuses to move. That's when you'll know what weakness really is."
Jiro's breath came in gasps, but the thought of quitting never crossed his mind. Every drop of sweat felt like proof that he was still alive — still fighting to become something more.
At night, he returned to meditation.
The mark on his abdomen throbbed faintly, pulling energy from the air around him. Threads of blue light swirled into his body, flowing through his veins like rivers of fire. When he guided that energy toward his heart and brain, the sensation became unbearable — burning, freezing, tearing. Yet, beneath it all, something was forming. The faint flicker of the Essentia and Aetherion cores.
But the more he meditated, the hungrier he became.
No amount of food could fill him. The hunger wasn't normal — it was deep, primal, clawing from within, like the mark itself demanded more energy.
By the fifth night, his stomach twisted painfully.
Rein noticed.
"You're consuming too much energy," Rein said, watching him with narrowed eyes. "The mark on your abdomen — it's not just feeding you. It's awakening something inside you."
"I can't stop it," Jiro muttered, clutching his chest. "It's like I'm starving from the inside out."
Rein stood, adjusting his coat. "Then we feed it the right way. Come."
They left the ruined workshop behind and crossed the outskirts of Ash Lane. Beyond the rusted buildings, the city gave way to a forest warped by energy storms — trees glowing faintly, air thick with the residue of fallen cores. The soil shimmered with fragments of dormant Aetherion, like ash from another world.
"This place…" Jiro whispered. "It feels alive."
Rein nodded. "This is where the beasts roam. Ether-born creatures — twisted things that lost their minds long ago. They no longer reason, they only consume. Like your hunger."
A rustle broke through the silence.
Jiro turned. His eyes widened.
From between the blackened trees, a shape emerged — hunched, massive, and cloaked in shifting mist. Its body resembled a wolf, but its fur flickered like shadows. The claws were long, metallic, dripping faint blue liquid that hissed as it touched the ground.
Rein's voice was calm. "That's a Voidfang. Tier-1 Ether Beast. Fast, ruthless, and drawn to energy. You'll fight it."
"What?" Jiro's pulse spiked. "You want me to—?"
"Fight. Or be eaten. Either way, your body will learn."
The beast lunged before Jiro could respond. Its claws slashed the air, tearing a line of blue fire through the dust. Jiro rolled aside, feeling the heat slice past his cheek. The memory fragments from the Ryushin Ken chip flickered in his mind — slash, stab, pivot. He drew his blade in one motion.
The Voidfang howled, lunging again.
Jiro's arm moved instinctively — the blade met claw with a burst of sparks. He twisted, stabbing upward. The steel pierced flesh, but the wound closed instantly, leaking streams of glowing essence.
"Damn it!" Jiro hissed, backing away.
The beast circled, its eyes glowing with hunger.
Each breath it took rippled the air with Aetherion energy. Then it leapt again — faster this time, a blur of blue and black. Jiro felt the mark on his stomach ignite. Instinct took over. He exhaled and slashed forward, energy flaring from his blade.
The arc of light cut through the beast's chest — and this time, it fell.
The forest fell silent except for Jiro's ragged breathing. The creature's body dissolved into pale mist, leaving behind a pulsing orb of energy — a raw essence core.
Jiro stared at it, sweat dripping down his chin. "What… is that?"
"Beast essence," Rein said, stepping closer. "You can absorb it. It'll feed your mark and strengthen your cores."
Jiro reached out — but Rein's hand shot out, stopping him.
"Not yet," he said sharply. "Raw essence is poison if taken wrong. The energy of a beast isn't like ours — it's wild, instinctive, filled with hunger and rage. Absorb too much, and you'll lose your mind before your body breaks."
Jiro looked at the glowing orb, its pulse almost matching his heartbeat. "So… how do I control it?"
"You don't control it," Rein said coldly. "You survive it."
He tossed the orb into Jiro's hands. "If you can digest it, you'll grow. If not… the forest will claim your bones."
Jiro stared at the essence — its glow reflected in his eyes like fire.
His stomach burned with hunger again, his mark throbbing painfully. He knew it was dangerous. He knew Rein was testing him. But deep down, something primal whispered for him to take it.
The night wind howled through the trees as he lifted the core close, feeling its heat lick his skin.
The mark pulsed once — then again, stronger, as if calling to it.
Rein turned away, his voice low.
"Let's see if you're human enough to resist… or beast enough to survive."
The light swallowed Jiro's hand — and the forest trembled.
******