The Shiv Academy cafeteria was packed today. Shiv sat with Aarav and Veeru, savoring rice and curry. But he was wolfing it down like he had somewhere to run off to.
"Hey, slow down! No one's killing you," Veeru teased. "What's the rush?"
Aarav nodded. "Yeah, bro, chew your food."
Right then, food got stuck in Shiv's throat. He started coughing loudly—cough cough—his face turning red. Veeru quickly shoved a glass of water toward him. After gulping it down and catching his breath, Veeru laughed. "I told you, but no, you had to stuff it like an animal!"
"What? Do I look like an animal to you?" Shiv glared.
"Nah, just eat slowly. The cafeteria isn't running away," Aarav mediated.
"No idea why, but I was super hungry today," Shiv shrugged.
That's when Kavya arrived. Worry and tension were clear on her face. She rushed over. "Shiv! Are you okay?"
Shiv blinked in surprise. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"I heard some super powerful guy attacked you yesterday!" Kavya's voice trembled.
Shiv waved it off casually. "Oh, that? I beat him."
Aarav jumped in. "Yeah, and the attack was actually on Piya. If Shiv hadn't been there, we'd all be dead."
Kavya's eyes widened. "What? You beat a warrior of that level?"
Veeru beamed proudly. "Yep, and we helped a little!"
Shiv smiled. "Truth is, if we weren't together, I probably couldn't have saved myself or Piya."
Kavya took a deep breath. "But how did you beat him? He must've been insanely strong."
Veeru joked, "Simple—we don't even know!"
Kavya got annoyed. "Simple? Are you kidding?"
"No, Kavya, the truth is Shiv doesn't remember what he did at the end," Veeru said seriously.
"What? But why?" Kavya looked at Shiv.
Shiv thought for a moment. "Dunno. When he unleashed his 'Field Expansion,' I couldn't even move. He was about to kill Aarav and Veeru. Then suddenly, I felt this weird energy inside me, like dormant chakra waking up."
"So your depleted chakra suddenly surged?" Kavya's eyes bulged.
Aarav urged, "Keep going... Shiv, what happened next?"
Shiv noticed all three staring intently. "As the energy built, everything went black. When I opened my eyes, I was with Piya and you guys. That's all I remember."
Kavya and Veeru were stunned. "So you remember nothing?"
"I told you, he doesn't," Aarav wrapped it up.
Kavya pouted. "Fine, whatever! But next time, tell us before going anywhere."
Veeru quipped, "Us or just you?"
Kavya punched Veeru in the cheek without looking—thwack. His face slammed straight into the table. "Don't talk too much!" she warned.
Then Piya entered. The moment her eyes met Kavya's, tension thickened. They glared at each other with full attitude.
"What's the princess doing in the cafeteria today?" Kavya sniped.
"Just came to talk," Piya replied calmly.
"To me?" Kavya asked.
"Who said I came to talk to you? Get out of my way," Piya ignored her and sat on the bench next to Shiv. "Shiv, you free today?"
"Yeah, why?" Shiv asked.
"Who said I came to talk to you? Get out of my way," Piya ignored her and sat on the bench next to Shiv. "Shiv, you free today?"
"Yeah, why?" Shiv asked.
"Good. Come with me—I'll take you to a special training area to sharpen your skills."
Kavya's temper flared. "One minute! Why are you sitting with Shiv? And where are you taking him?"
Piya glanced back. "Seat was empty, so I sat. Taking Shiv is my call."
Then Ridhika arrived and froze at the scene. Seeing Piya next to Shiv, she suppressed a smirk and teased Kavya. "What's up, Kavya? Someone heading off somewhere?"
"Nothing like that!" Kavya snapped irritably.
Piya told Shiv, "Okay, I'm getting ready. Meet me at Delhi Metro station."
Ridhika gasped. "What? Shiv's going with her? Kavya, how can you lose?"
Kavya composed herself. "He's just going for training. And Shiv... remember I'm in the tournament too. Come back stronger so I can beat you."
Shiv pumped up. "Watch me—I'll get so strong I'll beat everyone!"
Piya pretended to leave, but her foot slipped. Shiv caught her reflexively. Ridhika and Kavya's jaws dropped.
Veeru whispered to Aarav, "Bro, is he the lucky one or are we the unlucky ones?"
As Piya stood, she handed Shiv a handkerchief softly (but loud enough for everyone). "Shiv, your handkerchief... that day under the bridge when we were alone and you did what you did with me, it stayed with me. It was so much fun—we'll do it again."
Silence gripped the cafeteria. Veeru, Aarav, and Kavya's mouths hung open.
"Shiv! You really did something like that?" Veeru yelled.
"Yeah, but what happened?" Shiv said innocently.
Piya walked off smiling. Shiv saw a glint of tears in Kavya's eyes. "Kavya? What's wrong? Are you crying?"
"Idiot!" Aarav shouted.
Veeru elbowed Shiv. "Dude, you hit the jackpot!"
Shiv was confused. "Why are you all acting weird? I just fixed her sprain."
Kavya and Ridhika yelled together, "What? Sprain?"
"Yeah, she got hurt under the bridge, so I fixed her sprain," Shiv explained.
Anger flashed in Kavya's eyes. "So Piya said that on purpose! I won't let her get away with it!"
Veeru clutched his head. "Shiv, you should've taken advantage—you fixed her sprain?"
Ridhika and Kavya started kicking Veeru together. "He deserves it!"
A while later, Shiv reached Delhi Metro station. He searched everywhere for Piya but couldn't find her. Thirsty, he headed to a shop when he spotted a 5-year-old Japanese girl crying in the crowd.
Shiv approached. "Are you lost?"
The girl sobbed in her language, saying she'd separated from her parents. Shiv took her to the customer care center. There, he found Piya.
A couple rushed up from behind and hugged the girl—they were her parents. Her father said in English, "Thank you so much, boy! You helped my daughter—I want to reward you."
"No need," Shiv said politely.
The girl's mother, Yuna Nobi, said in Hindi, "You saved my child—you'll get a reward. Here's our card. Contact us anytime you come to Japan. I'm Yuna, this is my husband Yuto Nobi, and our daughter Hana."
Yuto Nobi smiled and gave Shiv a bracelet. "My daughter is safe because of you—this is a small gift from us." After they left, Piya's eyes widened.
"Shiv! Do you know whose card that is?" Piya exclaimed.
"No, whose?"
"That was Yuto Nobi! One of Japan's greatest martial masters in history! He's currently the coach at Japan's No. 2 ranked 'Kibo International Academy.'"
Shiv was floored. "What? I shook hands with a martial master?" He jumped in excitement. "That was awesome! Now I know what a master's hand feels like!"
Piya laughed. "That's it? Anyway, wear this 'Semi-Bracelet' they gave you."
"Semi-Bracelet? What's that?" Shiv examined it closely.
"This isn't just jewelry, Shiv," Piya explained, sitting on the metro seat. "It's an advanced device. It'll show your chakra energy level, health status, GPS, and current rank."
"Rank?" Shiv asked eagerly.
"Yeah," Piya showed a similar one on her wrist. "Actually, these are given to martial masters who join the 'Martial Masters War' league."
Shiv's eyes lit up. "Martial Masters War? Wow! What's that?"
"It's like a tournament, but only for those who've already reached martial master level," Piya clarified.
Shiv looked at his bracelet. "So it's not much use for me yet?"
"Yeah, you got it," Piya nodded. "But don't worry, I'll join that league soon."
Shiv chuckled. "That's far off. And I need to improve my skills for tomorrow's match."
They got off the train soon. Shiv looked around. "Where are we?"
"New Delhi," Piya said.
"Now where to?"
As she spoke, a sleek golden Ferrari pulled up. A female secretary stepped out.
"Ma'am, I've prepared the training ground for you," she said professionally.
Shiv eyed the car. "Cool! It's a Ferrari!"
"Is this your favorite car?" Piya asked.
"Nah, but it's awesome," Shiv said.
"Come on, sir, hop in," the secretary opened the door.
Shiv started getting in but saw her standing. "You not coming?"
"Another car's coming for me," she replied.
The car sped off. Inside, Piya asked Shiv, "What's your favorite car?"
"Tata SUV," Shiv said instantly.
Piya was surprised. "But why?"
"Because I saw it years ago—it was the first car I liked in my life, and it has some memories attached," Shiv said, lost in old thoughts.
They arrived at a luxurious bungalow. Shiv got out and gawked at the grand building. "You're really rich, Piya! Is this your house?"
"It's my personal house," Piya said.
"But why not live with family?"
"Everyone has their own bungalow. Dad travels to other countries a lot—he's the foreign minister."
"And mom?"
"She's mother top model, so she's rarely home and travels often."
Shiv nodded. "Got it."
A red Ferrari pulled up, and the secretary got out. "Everything's ready. Let's go."
They entered a large hall room with a lavish lunch spread on a table.
Shiv asked, "But I came for training?"
"Don't worry, I have another gift for training. Eat lunch first. We have 9 hours anyway," Piya said.
Watching Shiv eat, Piya smiled inwardly. This feels just like a TV serial boyfriend-girlfriend scene.
After lunch, Piya led him to a large door. "Training ground's here."
The door opened to an empty white room with just some weight tools.
"Nice, but what do we do here? Just muscle-building tools, and not even heavy ones," Shiv said disappointedly.
"Wait," Piya stepped inside and stood on a blue square-shaped safe point. "Don't stand on these—they're for resting."
"Okay, now what?"
Watch!" Piya pressed a button.
Suddenly, the room heated up intensely, and gravity doubled.
Shiv felt it. "This is just like that guy's 'Field Expansion'! His had mental pressure plus gravity, but this is only temperature and gravity pressure."
Then Piya presented her 'gift.' "Here's my secretary."
"Secretary?" Shiv looked at Radha Kalyani in shock.
Radha smiled. "Yes, I'll train you. You won't believe it, but I'm India's No. 5556 ranked martial artist."
"Whoa, that's cool!"
Radha started training. "First, focus on your chakra. One minute... let me check... you're at second chakra?"
"What? Second chakra?" Shiv and Piya both froze.
Maybe something happened during that fight—that's why I was so hungry today, Shiv thought.
"Alright, meditate," Radha said. "I'll do mine too."
"I need to focus on second chakra," Shiv closed his eyes. "Radha, now what?"
"Bring your chakra to your body's center point, then distribute equal energy to every part as needed," Radha instructed.
"That's tough!"
"Your call—do it or not?"
"I'll do it!" Shiv was determined.
Shiv sat on the floor. "What are you doing?" Radha asked.
"Watch!" Shiv closed his eyes and focused on his chakra.
4 minutes later, Radha was amazed he'd held the pressure that long—it was miraculous.
Then blue energy emerged from Shiv's body. It wasn't sharp or explosive but flowed calmly over him like water.
Radha gasped. "What? His chakra control is insanely strong! Did he master the training room already? Impossible!"
Shiv opened his eyes and stood. "Miss Radha, thanks to you, I did it."
"But how? You bypassed second chakra second level and jumped straight to advanced! How'd you get this power boost?"
"It's always been like this—my chakra is higher quality than others'," Shiv said confidently.
Radha admitted, "Yeah, I can see that. Now let's work on skills and power control—your control's still a bit raw. Gravity to 3X!"
"Yeah, I feel the pressure now!"
"Now I'll attack—you just dodge," Radha said.
Her first attack aimed at Shiv's face—he dodged back. Then a slide kick—he evaded that too. But Radha's speed ramped up.
When her next punch came, Shiv leaned right to dodge, but she switched mid-move and slammed a powerful kick into his right abdomen. Shiv flew toward Piya. Before he hit the ground, Radha followed with another kick to his back—thud—sending him crashing far away, groaning in pain.
"That hurt bad!" Shiv rubbed his back.
Radha was inwardly shocked—after a 30% power kick, his back was fine. His chakra control was really making him tough.
Shiv stood. "I lost."
"You're not at my level yet—you're still a student," Radha smiled.
Shiv said firmly, "I'll beat you soon!"
"Yeah, why not!"
Nearby, Piya opened her eyes. "What happened? Training done?"
"You woke up? Let's go!" Shiv said
Piya said, "Come on, let's spar—you and me, see who's gotten stronger."
"Yeah, why not! I'm ready," Shiv was pumped.
But Radha interrupted. "You two can't fight yet."
Piya frowned. "Why not?"
"You're both in the semi-final tournament," Radha explained. "And Shiv might face you. If you get hurt, you could lose. Ma'am, you need top 10 to train under Ravi Bacchan sir."
Piya agreed. "Fine. Shiv, we'll fight after the tournament ends."
"Yeah, I'll be ready," Shiv said.
They headed out of the training room. As they passed the main hall, the training room's large door suddenly started falling toward Shiv. Piya saw and leaped at lightning speed, pushing him aside.
They crashed to the ground—Shiv on top of Piya.
Radha panicked. "Ma'am, you okay?"
Shiv jumped off. "Piya, you alright? Not hurt bad?"
Radha said quickly, "To the medical room!"
Scene shifted to the medical room. The doctor said, "Nothing major—just a small cut on her hand. Balm will fix it."
Shiv sighed in relief. "Good thing. I thought it was my fault you got hurt worse."
Piya, who'd been staring at Shiv's face, thought about the moment she jumped to save him. In the chaos, unknowingly, Shiv's lips had brushed hers.
That means I had my first lip-kiss with Shiv!
Her face flushed red at the thought.
Shiv asked surprised, "What? Why's your face red? Fever?"
Radhika was shocked too.
Piya stammered, "Nothing! Just... I beat Kavya to a big achievement today!"
"What?" Shiv and Radha didn't get it.
Piya changed the subject. "You should head back to the academy—it's getting dark."
"Yeah, I should," Shiv said.
Radha arranged a car for Shiv. He thanked her and left.
In front of the academy dorms
It was night. Shiv ran to his room and knocked. Veeru opened. "You're back now? It's 9 PM!"
"Sorry, I messed up your sleep," Shiv apologized.
Aarav called from inside, "Close the door—match tomorrow, let's rest."
They all went to their bedrooms.
Lying on his bed before sleep, Shiv thought, I pushed my power hard today. I'm excited for tomorrow's match.
With that, he fell into deep sleep.