The mountain air was colder than yesterday.
Not the kind of cold that made teeth chatter, but the sharp, biting chill that crept under the skin and stayed there. The sun was only a pale line rising behind the distant ridges, washing the sky in weak orange.
Tenshi stepped out of the van first, rubbing both arms for warmth. His breath fogged instantly.
"…I swear it gets colder every time."
Kaito hopped out behind him, shirtless as usual, stretching dramatically as steam rose from his skin.
"NO WAY! This is perfect weather for a beatdown!"
Tenshi groaned.
"Only you think that."
Haruka exited last, closing the door with a bored tap. Their posture calm as always, expression unreadable.
"You two talk too much in the morning," Haruka muttered.
"You talk too little," Tenshi replied.
"That's because I'm not an idiot."
Tenshi stuck out his tongue.
Haruka glared.
The three hybrids walked toward the wide, familiar field. A vast stretch of tall grass and scattered stones, surrounded by mountains that made them feel small. Wind blew hard enough to push their hair sideways.
Tenshi looked around.
"…Daigo's not here."
Kaito cupped his hands around his mouth.
"DAIGOOOOOOO!! WAKE UP!!"
Haruka grabbed him by the back of the neck.
"Don't call him. Don't ever do that."
"Why not?"
"He hears you even when he's not here."
Tenshi blinked.
"Huh?"
Haruka frowned slightly.
"He's always watching."
Tenshi felt the grass shift behind him.
He didn't even get the chance to turn.
CRACK—!!
His head snapped clean off and rolled across the grass.
Kaito screamed.
"HOLY— BROOOO!!"
Haruka leaped back, eyes narrowing.
Steam burst from Tenshi's neck as a new head reformed, popping out like a cork.
Tenshi gasped.
"W-WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THAT—?!"
Daigo calmly stood behind them, hands in his pockets, like he had appeared out of thin air.
"You failed to react," he said simply.
Kaito pointed at him dramatically.
"HOW DID YOU GET BEHIND US—?!"
"I walked."
"No you didn't!!"
"Yes," Daigo said. "You simply didn't notice."
He stepped past them into the center of the field.
"Ambush test. You failed. Again."
Tenshi rubbed his new head.
"You didn't even give us a chance—"
Daigo kicked him in the stomach so hard he blacked out for a second.
"React," Daigo said.
Tenshi wheezed on the ground.
"I think I swallowed a rock…"
Kaito jumped up with boundless energy.
"DAIGO!! AMBUSH US AGAIN!! I'M READY!!"
Daigo vanished.
Tenshi froze.
"Where—?"
Haruka's voice sharpened.
"MOVE—!"
Too late.
A fist struck Haruka's ribs, sending them sliding backward across the grass.
Kaito charged in—
Daigo grabbed Kaito by the face, spun him like a bowling ball, and threw him DIRECTLY into Tenshi.
They rolled together.
"GET OFF ME—!!" Tenshi screamed.
"IT'S NOT MY FAULT—!!" Kaito screamed back.
Haruka lunged again—
Daigo caught their cleaver with two fingers and flipped them into a perfect crater.
Daigo sighed.
"Reaction time: unchanged."
Tenshi sat up, hair messy.
"Unchanged? I died twice already—!"
Daigo looked at him.
Tenshi fell silent.
Daigo pointed at Tenshi and Haruka.
"Fight. Human form."
Tenshi grabbed his katana.
Haruka lifted their cleaver.
Daigo snapped.
"Begin."
Haruka rushed in fast. Tenshi blocked, sparks flying. They clashed hard, blades ringing through the field.
Haruka swung left—
Tenshi ducked.
Haruka tried to sweep—
Tenshi rolled backward.
Haruka slashed upward—
Tenshi countered perfectly.
Haruka narrowed their eye.
"You've improved."
"Thanks," Tenshi said. "You're still annoying."
Haruka aimed a kick—
Tenshi blocked and delivered a clean slash across Haruka's ribs.
Haruka staggered.
Kaito cheered loudly.
"BROOO THAT'S MY BOY—!!"
Haruka regained stance immediately.
"Don't get cocky."
Daigo raised his hand.
"Stop."
They both lowered their weapons.
Daigo nodded slightly.
"Even match."
Tenshi blinked.
"…You mean I didn't lose?"
"You didn't win either."
Tenshi still smiled proudly.
Daigo pointed again.
"All three."
Tenshi barely had time to breathe before Kaito tackled him.
"BROOOOO LET'S GOOOOO—!!"
Haruka tried to slice Kaito—
Kaito dodged but punched Tenshi by mistake—
Tenshi rolled away screaming—
Haruka chased Tenshi instead—
Kaito joined in shouting loudly—
Tenshi threw grass in Haruka's face—
Haruka kicked Tenshi's knee—
Kaito jumped on both of them—
They became a ball of violence rolling across the grass.
Daigo watched the carnage with an unreadable face.
"You're fighting like idiots."
"WE KNOW—!!" all three shouted at once.
They kept fighting anyway.
Daigo finally gave the order:
"Tenshi. Transform."
Tenshi hesitated… then snapped his fingers.
His head erupted smoothly into the monstrous devil skull—
teeth long, chains rattling faintly—
arms twisting into massive sickles.
Haruka and Kaito transformed too.
Haruka's cleaver arms shimmered with deadly sharp edges.
Kaito's spine-crest rose along his back, claws extending.
Daigo pointed.
"Again."
The hybrids erupted into motion.
Tenshi swung both sickles—
Haruka parried—
Sparks flew—
Kaito rammed into Tenshi's side—
Haruka slashed Kaito—
Kaito headbutted Haruka harder—
Tenshi slashed at both—
Haruka dodged—
Kaito tripped Tenshi—
Tenshi kicked Kaito—
Haruka kicked Tenshi—
Daigo watched, arms crossed, utterly unimpressed.
"They're hopeless," he murmured.
But even he had to acknowledge—
They WERE better than yesterday.
Their movements sharper.
Their coordination slightly improved.
Their instincts growing.
Tenshi's power felt like it was waking up for the first time.
Daigo stepped in.
"Kaito."
Kaito roared and charged—
Daigo kicked him in the chest so fast Kaito flew backward.
"Haruka."
Haruka slashed—
Daigo caught both cleavers—
Twisted their arms—
Haruka hit the dirt.
"Tenshi."
Tenshi raised both sickles.
His devil eyes locked onto Daigo.
Daigo stepped forward.
Tenshi swung—
Daigo sidestepped.
Tenshi pivoted—
Daigo blocked with a finger.
Tenshi lunged again—
Daigo flipped him over.
Tenshi rolled and pounced—
Daigo stopped him with one precise palm strike to the chest.
Tenshi skidded 3 meters.
Daigo exhaled.
"Better."
The sun climbed higher, bright and unforgiving.
Daigo walked to the center of the field.
"You three. Come together."
Kaito charged first.
Haruka followed.
Tenshi sprinted with both sickles raised.
Daigo was a blur.
He:
• parried Kaito
• shoved Haruka aside
• kicked Tenshi in the ribs
• dodged cleavers
• blocked claws
• swept legs
• slammed Tenshi
• crushed Kaito's guard
• redirected Haruka's attacks
• avoided Tenshi's every move
They fought for what felt like hours.
Even Daigo had to adjust his stance more than once.
Tenshi lasted longer in transformed form.
Haruka's cuts were sharper.
Kaito's hits were heavier.
The rising sun burned overhead.
They kept going.
And going.
Until…
Daigo finally stepped back.
"Noon."
All three hybrids collapsed instantly.
Tenshi lay on the ground panting, still transformed. His sickles trembled. His monstrous chest rose and fell like a dying engine.
Daigo looked at him.
"One last exchange," Daigo said.
"Full power."
Tenshi slowly pushed himself up.
He didn't want to.
But he wasn't going to quit first.
He lowered into a stance.
Not sloppy like before.
Controlled. Sharp.
The chains around him rattled faintly.
Daigo raised one hand.
"Come."
Tenshi sprinted.
Not wild.
Not messy.
Focused.
Daigo moved to counter—
Tenshi twisted sideways—
Daigo angled his arm—
Tenshi ducked low—
Daigo stepped to intercept—
Tenshi spun, letting the chain guide the motion—
And Tenshi's sickle sliced just close enough to leave a thin, perfect cut across Daigo's cheek.
Sni-k.
Silence.
Kaito sat up instantly.
"BROOOOOOOOO—YOU DID IT—!! YOU HIT HIM—!!"
Haruka's eyes widened.
"…Impossible. No one has ever touched him."
Tenshi blinked, breathing hard, monstrous face frozen in disbelief.
"I… I hit him?"
Daigo touched the scratch with two fingers.
A faint smear of blood.
He stared at it for a moment, then spoke:
"…Training is finished."
Tenshi stumbled backward.
"W-wait—just because I scratched—?!"
"You didn't scratch me," Daigo said.
"You reached me."
Kaito jumped up.
"HE GOT ACKNOWLEDGED—!! OUR BOY—!!"
Haruka smirked.
"You should be proud."
Tenshi's monstrous head slowly melted back to human form.
He looked at his trembling hands.
"…I'm stronger."
Daigo walked toward the van.
Before entering, he stopped.
"More missions are coming," he said without turning.
"Be ready."
The door shut.
Tenshi stared after him, heart pounding.
He'd done it.
For the first time—
he touched Daigo.
Even if it was just a scratch.
⸻
Kaito slung his arm around Tenshi's shoulders.
"BROOOO YOU'RE A LEGEND NOW—!!"
"STOP CHOKING ME—!!" Tenshi screamed.
Haruka sighed.
"You two are exhausting."
The three hybrids limped across the field together, bruised, battered, but more united—and far stronger—than the day before.
Behind them, a single drop of Daigo's blood dried on the grass.
Proof that Tenshi's strength was finally waking up.