> "Not all doors are meant to be opened just because you have the key." — Sakata Buddha
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The gusts that stirred around them faded, and for a brief second, time itself felt still.
Juichi stood tall, eyes filled with resolve, ready to break the first seal within him.
But Sakata's hand didn't move.
He remained still—expression unreadable, golden eyes narrowed as if peering past Juichi's flesh and into something deeper. Something buried.
Something wrong.
Juichi blinked. "Well? Aren't you going to start the whole mystical chant or dragon-unlocking ritual or something?"
Sakata didn't respond right away. The wind settled. The fire around them died.
"No," Sakata finally said.
Juichi flinched. "Wait—what?"
"I said no. We're not unlocking your seal yet." Sakata's tone was firm and calm… but tinged with unease.
Juichi's fists trembled. "Why?! You just said I was ready. You literally said it was time!"
"I did," Sakata muttered. "Until I felt… that."
He stepped back, his brow furrowed. His gaze swept over Juichi again—this time not like a teacher examining progress, but like a monk staring into a cursed scroll.
"There's something… off. Something inside the seal. Something watching."
Juichi's breath caught. "Watching? What do you mean watching?"
"I don't know yet." Sakata crossed his arms, his usual sarcasm replaced by cold calculation. "But it's not dragon energy. And it's not anything I've felt since... the old war."
Juichi stepped back, suddenly uneasy in his own skin.
"You mean like… a parasite?"
"No. Worse." Sakata's eyes darkened. "It's sentient. And dormant—for now. But if we break that seal recklessly, we could wake something neither of us understands."
Juichi's shoulders slumped, frustration sinking in.
"So what now? Am I just a bomb waiting to go off?"
"You're more like a sword still being forged. If we rush it, it'll shatter… or cut the wrong thing."
Juichi let out a long sigh and flopped down on a nearby stone. "Great. More waiting. More secrets. More damn metaphors."
The clone version of Sakata appeared behind him, tossing him a bottle of water. "Cheer up, kid. You're not dying—yet."
Sakata cracked a rare, soft grin. "You're still going to train. We just need to redirect for now. Master your substitute form. Refine your elemental balance. And…"
He glanced toward the distant mountain ridge.
"…you still have a score to settle."
Juichi looked up. "Renji."
Sakata nodded. "He's back from his solo mission. And he wants to test you again. Your real strength."
Juichi stood, the fire reigniting in his chest. "Then I'll beat him this time."
"Don't just aim to beat him," Sakata said. "Listen to him. That boy has fought his own demons longer than you know."
Juichi raised an eyebrow. "What, he got some sealed ancient horror in his body too?"
The clone snorted. "Nah. Renji's monster isn't sealed—it's part of him."
Sakata's eyes narrowed in thought. "You'll see soon enough."
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Scene Transition Tease – End of Chapter:
> Somewhere deep inside Juichi's soul, within the sealed chamber—something shifted.
Not a roar. Not a whisper.
A smile.
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To be Continued...