Judai sat on the floor near a low table, a small notebook ready for notes. Endymion occupied the room's only chair, his staff resting against the wall nearby.
"Maryoku (Magical Power) is what I use to conjure Ma (Magic)," Endymion began. "It should be accessible to you, as your body has already grown accustomed to the ambient Maryoku here. You simply haven't learned to perceive the difference."
Judai diligently wrote that down.
"To wield Ma, you must first cultivate Maryoku. You can draw it from the life energy in nature, from magic stones, or from your own reservesthough I don't recommend the latter unless absolutely necessary. Improper handling can make it unstable, leading to… undesirable outcomes. Such as explosions."
Judai nodded, jot down a simplified version to avoid confusion.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"As you learn to control Maryoku, I will begin teaching you Elemental Magic."
"How long do you think it will take me to learn the basics?" Judai asked.
"Months."
"That's not fast enough. Can you make it faster?"
Endymion studied the determined look on Judai's face. "I can. But the training will be significantly more demanding."
"I'm willing."
"Then do not complain later."
The first step was to feel the Maryoku. That part came easily, his body was already saturated with it. The real struggle began with control. Judai had no experience channeling energy, and he couldn't even maintain a small, stable orb of Maryoku.
And because he'd asked for harder training, Endymion made him try again. Every time the orb flickered and died, the command was the same: "Again."
. . . .
April 9th
Judai trudged toward school, moving like a zombie. A full night's sleep hadn't been enough to recover from the grueling mental and physical exertion. He was utterly drained.
'I haven't even had time to read any of the manga I bought,' he thought ruefully. 'But getting stronger is more important.'
When he arrived at Kuoh Academy, the other students glanced his way, but without Rias at his side, they quickly lost interest and ignored him.
He slumped into his seat and immediately put his head down, sleeping until the teacher entered the room. He'd developed a sixth sense for it, the moment the door opened, he'd jerk awake and pretend to focus, though his mind was only counting down the minutes until he could sleep again.
He repeated this cycle through the morning, and when the lunch bell finally rang, he simply stayed at his desk, asleep.
In the cafeteria, Rias scanned the room, looking for him without success. Akeno slid into the seat beside her, a knowing grin on her face.
"Looking for your soulmate?" Akeno teased.
"He is not my soulmate," Rias replied, though her eyes kept searching.
"Ufufu~ Your friend is sleeping in his classroom. I asked some of his classmates," Akeno said lightly.
"Is he still not feeling well?"
"It seems so. One of them said he looks like he hasn't slept in days."
Rias felt a quiet pang of worry for her friend after hearing Akeno's report. The school day continued uneventfully, with Judai repeating his cycle of feigning attention and stealing sleep whenever he could.
When the final bell rang, Judai left the school, bought a quick meal, and headed straight home. He ate while reading through the manga he'd bought, finishing them at a rapid pace.
'I really wish I had a smartphone,' he thought, lamenting the limitations of his flip phone.
After changing into workout clothes, he went for a jog. Once his meal had settled, he began the bodyweight exercises Endymion had prescribed. His muscles burned, and he was tempted to stop and rest for far too long.
But then he remembered, the searing pain, the light-spear, the cold pavement. The memory of dying stopped his procrastination dead. He pushed through, only allowing himself to rest when he was genuinely spent, collapsing on a bench near a fountain as the sky turned a soft orange.
"I have to get back and practice," he muttered, forcing himself up and returning home.
He summoned Endymion the moment he stepped inside. The mage looked him over and gave a slight, approving nod.
"Good. You followed instructions. Now, we resume the basics."
Judai didn't complain. He understood why the repetition was necessary.
During the training, his phone rang with a new message. He glanced toward it, but Endymion's voice cut through his distraction.
"Focus."
Judai obeyed, turning his attention back to the delicate task of forming a stable orb of Maryoku.
Endymion observed his progress, privately impressed. He also noted something else: as Judai's control improved, the ambient power he could channel seemed to be growing incrementally.
"Rest," Endymion commanded.
Judai collapsed onto the floor, utterly drained. 'Physical exercise was never this hard,' he thought.
"Judai," Endymion began, his tone thoughtful. "Where did you acquire that device?" He could sense it was bound to the boy's very soul.
"I made a deal. Traded my knowledge for this power."
"What knowledge?"
At this point, little about Judai's situation could surprise him.
"I don't remember," Judai replied, opting for a half-truth. It was safer to keep some things vague.
Endymion almost winced at his own question. It was, in hindsight, a foolish thing to ask someone who had bargained away memories.
"Get up, Judai."
Judai sat up, bracing himself.
"Continue."
With a sigh, Judai conjured another flickering sphere of energy.
"Control the flow. Don't force it."
"I'm trying," Judai said through gritted teeth. The orb wavered and dissolved again. Frustration simmered beneath his calm.
"Even I took considerable time to master this," Endymion said, a fleeting, bittersweet memory crossing his mind before his expression smoothed over.
Several more grueling hours passed before Endymion called an end to the session.
"Remember to train your body after school tomorrow."
"I know, Sensei."
"Good. Get some proper sleep."
With that, Judai removed the card from his Duel Disk. Endymion dissolved into particles of light and vanished. Judai dismissed the Disk itself and fell onto his bed, asleep almost before his head hit the pillow, too exhausted for any further thought.