M light seeped through the cracks of the sliding door, softly illuminating the room as I slowly regained sciousness. My whole body ached, protesting as I tried to sit up. I looked around and realized I was lying on a futon—Reimu's spare, by the looks of it. She must have put it out for me after knog me out during st night's brutal training session. I winced, feeling the soreness all over. That girl really didn't hold back.

  I shuffled over to wash my face, but before I could eve half, the door burst open with a loud crash.

  "Hey, Reimu! I challenge you to a battle! I've got a new skill that's definitely gon you today!"

  Marisa's voice echoed through the room, brimming with excitement. She marched in fidently, broom in hand, but froze mid-step when she saw me instead of Reimu. Her eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

  "Why are you here!?"

  Marisa looked at me like she saw something's dirty.

  "Did you... did you sleep here st night? Are you two already...Buff!"

  Before she could finish whatever bizarre idea was f in her head, a pillow flew out of nowhere, smag her squarely in the face.

  "Shut up, Marisa. Why are you making so muoise?" Reimu's groggy voice came from her room, the sliding door open to reveal her disheveled hair and an unmistakably annoyed expression. She looked like she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

  Marisa pulled the pillow off her face, pouting. "The sun's already out Reimu! and I came here to challenge you again!"

  Reimu looked sleepy, rubbing her eye. "What time is it?"

  I pulled out my pocket watch, the metal cool against my fingers as I flipped it open. "It's a quarter past six."

  Reimu's eye twitched. Without another word, she smmed the door shut with surprising force, making the whole room shake. Her muffled voice came from the other side, "I'm tired today. Go py with him!"

  Silence hung in the air as Marisa and I stared at the closed door. Then she slowly turned her head toward me, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Hey... what did you do to Reimu?"

  I was too tired to deal with her wild imagination. I yawned and turned my back to her, letting my body sink bato the futon. My eyelids grew heavy. I was about to fall asleep again when Marisa grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me violently.

  "Hey! Wake up! Why are you going back to sleep? Tell me! What did you do to her?!"

  My head inning from the shaking, but I could only think of ohing. I needed more sleep... and Marisa was way too eic for this hour.

  ...........................

  I made my way outside, feeling the crisp m air brush against my face. It was refreshing, helping me shake off the remaining drowsiness. I found a small pond not far from the house, the water so clear that I could see the pebbles beh. I k down and cupped my hands, spshing the cold water on my face. The shock of it sent a shiver down my spine, waking me up pletely.

  As I tinued washing up and brushing my teeth, something caught my eye. There was a shadowy figure resting at the bottom of the pond. It looked massive, unmoving. For a sed, I could've sworn it was a giant turtle. But the more I stared, the more it looked like an oddly shaped rock. I shook my head, chug at my own imagination. Maybe Reimu's training hit me harder than I thought.

  Just then, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Marisa walking over, holding a bundle ed in a giant leaf. She grinned, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oi! Here's your breakfast."

  I took the leaf-ed bundle, feeling the warm rice ball ihanks," I said, uning it and taking a bite. It was surprisingly good, seasoned just right with a hint of salt. Marisa plopped down beside me, watg me eat with an expet look.

  Once I finished, she leaned forward, curiosity written all over her face. "So... why are you here?"

  I hesitated for a moment. "I came here to train. That's all." I kept my expnation brief. I didn't want t more people into my situation, and I wasn't sure how much I should reveal about my uping battle with Remilia. Besides, the fewer people who knew about my ability, the better.

  Marisa looked at me skeptically, her brows knitting together as if she could sehere was more to the story. But then she shrugged, her expression rexing. "So, you're training with Reimu?"

  I nodded and showed her my coat, pointing at the small hole that marred the fabric. "This is what Reimu did. She shot a needle right through it. I got beaten so badly by her."

  Marisa burst into ughter, clutg her stomach. "You too, huh? Reimu be terrifying whes serious. I guess she really didn't hold back."

  I rubbed my sore shoulder, feeling the dull ache from yesterday's punishment. "Yeah... she really didn't."

  Marisa's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Since you're training with her, how about you train with me too?"

  I thought about it for a moment. After all, Marisa was known for her powerful magic. Training with her could be useful, but my body still ached from Reimu's merciless assault. I sighed. "Alright... but do you have any way to relieve pain first? Reimu's training was brutal."

  Marisa's face lit up. "Ah, for that, there's a hot spring up on Youkai Mountain. It's good for aches and pains."

  I perked up at the idea, already imagining soaking in hot water to soothe my sore muscles. But then I noticed Marisa's expression turn serious. "But I wouldn't go there if I were you. It's dangerous, and the tengu up there aren't friendly to outsiders."

  The way she said it sent a chill down my spine. I didn't need any more trouble, especially not from tengu. I quickly scratched the idea of visiting the hot spring. "Never mind... I'll figure something out."

  Marisa looked at me, puzzled. "You sure? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

  I gri her, trying to look unfazed. "Yeah... actually, I feel fine. No pain at all." I was lying, of course, but I felt the familiar sensation of my power activating. The aches and sorehat pgued my body gradually melted away, leaving me feeling refreshed and energized.

  Marisa blinked in fusion. "Eh? You looked like you were dying just now. Did you really recover that fast?"

  I shrugged nontly. "Yeah, just good genes, I guess."

  Marisa squi me, clearly not buying my excuse but too zy to question it further. She stood up and stretched, her joints popping audibly. "Alright then! If you're ready, let's start the training!"

  I got to my feet, feeling surprisingly light. I gnore time at the pond, half-expeg the giant turtle to move. It didn't. Just a rock after all, huh?

  I followed Marisa, preparing myself mentally. If her training was anything like Reimu's, I was in for another brutal day.