What You Are

In the desolate expanse of the wasteland, Toruri's brow glistened with sweat as he stood, his claws poised for combat.

Shuno's voice, laced with admonition, cut through the tense air, "Toruri, you're not good at this."

Toruri sighed heavily, his frustration evident, exhale I don't particularly enjoy fighting with my claws!"

Unmoved by Toruri's reluctance, Shuno's tone remained firm, "I don't care. Mastering the art of the claw is your first step to becoming the strongest warrior in the world."

Toruri's curiosity piqued, his gaze narrowing in contemplation, "Strongest warrior in the world...?"

With an air of authority, Shuno proceeded to enlighten his companion, "You're a hybrid Soriteoi. Each kind of Hachto holds some sort of special ability. I'm a full-blooded Saraoko, known for our natural ability to create deadly acids, our tail capabilities, invisibility, and agility. Deranten possess aquatic prowess and a unique fighting style, while Soriteoi, like you, wield fiery breath, immunity to fire, and strength enhancement through magic consumption. However, being half-human, your potential for growth exceeds that of typical Hachto. We'll unlock that potential together."

Eager to learn, Toruri pressed, "What things?"

Shuno's response was cryptic, "We'll get to that later. But for now, we'll start with the basics—claw combat. If you can't land a successful attack on me in the next five minutes, I'll finally start fighting back."

Toruri's doubt lingered, "If I couldn't touch you in two days of sparring, I don't think I could touch you in five minutes."

Shuno's resolve remained unshaken, "And that's exactly why I'm about to kick your ass in a few minutes."

With determination burning in his eyes, Toruri lunged forward, slashing at Shuno with relentless fervor. For five intense minutes, Toruri's claws flashed through the air, each strike aimed with precision, but Shuno, arms crossed behind his back, effortlessly evaded every attack with graceful ease.

"Time's up!" Shuno's declaration rang out, prompting him to retreat from Toruri's vicinity.

"You put a little too much force into your attacks," Shuno critiqued, his tone firm yet constructive. "You don't trust your own claws. They're strong enough to penetrate something like a crocodile just by dragging them across its skin."

Toruri's discomfort was evident as he confessed, "It feels weird though. I feel like a cat!"

Shuno's frustration simmered beneath his response, "You feel like a cat because you're doing everything wrong! Quick attacks are effective enough, and when your opponent is stationary, that's when you hit them with a decisive slash."

"But how am I supposed to be fast?" Toruri questioned earnestly.

Shuno's reply was terse, a hint of impatience seeping into his voice, "You had five minutes."

With that, Shuno vanished, reappearing before Toruri in a blur of motion. In a swift and merciless onslaught, he delivered thirty consecutive slashes across Toruri's chest, the sound of tearing flesh accompanied by Toruri's pained gasps.

As Toruri staggered, bloodied and weakened, Shuno seized him by the hair, crimson droplets splattering across his own body.

"If I were to strike you once more, you'd be dead," Shuno asserted, his voice tinged with an unsettling calmness. "At least tell me you know how to heal."

Toruri's response was swift, his voice tinged with urgency, "Yeah, Fuyu taught me a little something... Healing Magic: Restore."

As the magic took effect, Toruri's wounds miraculously vanished, leaving him seemingly unscathed.

"Alright! Feeling better!!!" Toruri exclaimed, relief evident in his voice.

But Shuno's next move shattered his sense of security. "No. Anti Vaccine," he murmured, his claw glowing with a dark purple aura.

With precision, Shuno dug his claw into Toruri's flesh, and in an instant, all of Toruri's wounds returned, a painful reminder of his vulnerability in the face of his mentor's relentless training.

Toruri's confusion lingered as he struggled to comprehend, "Wha..."

"Anti Vaccine. Undoes any healing," Shuno explained bluntly, his expression unreadable. "Toruri, do you even know what I mean by healing?"

"Magic?" Toruri hazarded a guess.

With a disappointed shake of his head, Shuno dropped Toruri to the ground. "You really don't embrace your Hachto side, do you?"

Defeated, Toruri seated himself on the ground, prompting Shuno to continue his lecture.

"Has anyone ever lied to you and told you that you only regenerate when you're sleeping?" Shuno questioned pointedly.

Toruri's eyes widened in realization, "That's a lie?"

"So someone HAS told you that," Shuno noted with a hint of exasperation. "Yes, it's a lie. You only regenerate when you sleep because it's your body naturally trying to heal itself. To get your body to heal on its own, you always need that primal instinct that you are always in pain. Right now is a good time to heal, show me what you got."

Toruri winced in discomfort, prompting Shuno's sigh of resignation. "sigh Vaccine."

As Shuno's claws pierced Toruri's skin, the wounds vanished without a trace, leaving Toruri bewildered.

"What the..." Toruri's voice trailed off in disbelief.

"Vaccine activates anything healing you," Shuno clarified. "Toruri, I think we're done with this part of our training. I don't think you're bad at fighting with your claws; I think I'm trying a little bit too hard against you. Now for the second part of your training, I'll just test your general knowledge on your body."

Toruri's brow furrowed in confusion, "Is it about my healing factor?"

Shuno shook his head, "No. You know how to perform any of your zilla attacks?"

"Zilla attacks?..." Toruri echoed, his uncertainty palpable.

"You don't? Spit a fireball at me," Shuno commanded.

Without hesitation, Toruri obeyed, spitting a small fireball at Shuno, who effortlessly leaped over it. In response, Shuno swiftly retaliated, slashing Toruri across the chest before delivering a powerful kick that sent Toruri sliding across the ground.

With a grimace of pain, Toruri quickly regained his footing, his determination unwavering as he prepared for the next phase of his training.

Toruri's shock reverberated through his voice, "What was that for!? Wait, are my zilla abilities defense-related?"

"No, I was just showing you how easy it would be to kill you," Shuno retorted casually before redirecting the conversation to Toruri's zilla abilities.

Without warning, Shuno walked behind Toruri and flicked his spine, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from Toruri as multiple green dragon-like spikes erupted from his spine, running from the top to the bottom.

"What the hell!" Toruri exclaimed in bewilderment, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Shuno's explanation was matter-of-fact, "Has nobody ever hit you in your spine?"

"Not specifically that hard on my spine," Toruri muttered through gritted teeth, still reeling from the unexpected assault.

Shuno proceeded to enlighten Toruri about the nature of Soriteoi's destruction magic, emphasizing its potency and destructiveness. He elucidated how Soriteoi could passively harness this power, while Toruri, as a hybrid, had the ability to activate it through his dragon spine.

"Don't use any of your zilla techniques here though," Shuno cautioned, his tone serious. "Even at your level of power, a fully charged attack can and will destroy the entirety of the Negative Point continent."

Toruri's concern was evident as he questioned, "When CAN I use it?"

"Honestly, in a bit. I don't know how to retract those spikes, by the way," Shuno admitted candidly.

"After you hit me, I kind of figured it out..." Toruri remarked dryly as he concentrated, retracting the spikes back into his spine with a grimace of discomfort.

Toruri's description of the sensation elicited a grimace from Shuno, "Yeah, it does sound uncomfortable. And yes, 'in a bit'. Now, go get ready to leave. We're gonna see your cousin."

The prospect of reuniting with his cousin filled Toruri with excitement, "REALLY? I haven't seen him in ages!"

"He wants to talk to you about something in private, and asked me to escort you there using a specially made boat," Shuno explained.

Toruri's enthusiasm bubbled over, "Bro, that is so cool! When are we going?"

Shuno's response was succinct, "When you're ready. Meet me at the Negative Point dock."

"GOT IT!" Toruri exclaimed before dashing off, eager to prepare for the journey ahead.

Twenty minutes later, Toruri strolled through a Negative Point town situated by the water, a bag slung over his shoulder.

As he walked, lost in his thoughts, an empty gallon-sized orange juice container unexpectedly rolled in front of him, prompting Toruri's curiosity, The hell...

Before he could fully register what was happening, Toruri turned around and was swiftly struck unconscious by a wooden pole, his world plunging into darkness.