“Kill me, Sensei, please!” Genkai shouted out in pain as he lay on the ground. 

Strapped to him were all manner of weights and odd devices exclusively designed by Helena for training. Conciendiatally, a good deal of the “training” equipment she had designed was used for interrogation purposes. That is, once she had concluded that she was no longer getting “gains” from them. Helena looked down at him from atop a set of monkey bars. Her head tilted to the side. She was baffled, 

“Oh, you’re too much of a cutie to kill. Instead, I will make you even cuter with bigger, stronger, more powerful muscles! Come on now, we’ve only been at this for 3 hours! We got 9 more to go!!” Helena giggled as her legs swung. 

Genkei had always prided himself on his physique. He certainly was not one to shy away from hard work, especially if it was training. But this tiny woman was a lunatic. His worldview was already shattered when the thin woman carried these heavy weights like a stack of paper. Still, he was confident that she had gone through this training herself if she was willing to put him through it. He looked at Helena and observed her body through his ragged breathing. She wore a dark purple spandex bodysuit. Everything under her neck was covered. 

Still, he could see her impressively built body beneath. Those cut lean muscles could not be hidden. They also hid immense flexibility. If he could compare it to anything, she was like a world-class gymnast, only several times more impressive… in many aspects. 

“You keep staring at me like that, and you’ll make me blush. When I blush, things tend to break.” Helena smiled at Genkei. 

However, that smile didn’t carry the same playfulness as usual. Genkei felt a cold shiver run down his spine, and he instantly shot up from his lying position. Helena needlessly contorted her body to flip off the monkey bars while landing in complete silence. She walked over towards Genkei and rubbed her hands over his body. 

“Oh, come on, that’s not fair,” Genkei grumbled. 

“Oh shut up, I’m checking your muscles, not feeling you up.” Helena giggled. 

“You have great endurance and power, but there is still room for improvement. However, your flexibility is ass. I’ll need to focus on that.” Helena nodded to herself as she took mental notes. 

“They say we shouldn't get too attached to you guys on day 3 because you might not make the cut. But you won’t disappoint me. Will you? My little cutie?”

“Of course not, Sensei,” Genkei responded with confidence. 

“Good!” Helena's excited shout filled the room as she pressed a button on one of the contraptions attached to Genkei. The sounds of gears shifting filled Genkei with dread as his body started to move on its own. He was forced into a very uncomfortable position, and it kept going.

“This will help work on your flexibility. I’ve never needed to use this before. You’re so lucky! If it feels like you wanna die, it means it’s working.” 

“Kill me!!!!” Genkei shouted out as his large body looked more akin to a pretzel. 

“Oh good! it’s working!” Helena sounded excited as she squatted down and poked the agonizing Genkei in his sides. 

Akiko and a black-haired man sat in the middle of a room that was more akin to a lush garden. They both had their Katanas laid into their laps as they sat in the lotus position. They had been sitting there silently for upwards of 2 hours. Finally, Akiko could take no more, 

“Argh!!! You said you were going to train me! Making me into something that could not be imitated! But all we’ve been doing is sitting here!” 

“Your technique is superb, your physical condition leaves little to be desired, and your determination is satisfactory. What you lack is tranquility. You lack patience, as you have so brilliantly displayed.” Hachiman said as he opened his eyes. 

“We’ve been sitting here for 2 hours; how much longer do I need to wait?” She protested. 

“Until you understand the value of clearing your mind of all thoughts. If you could do as such, you’d hardly notice the time pass at all.” Hachiman shook his head. 

He saw what Akiko was like during her fight with Zac. He wasn’t disappointed; he expected precisely this. In his mind, Akiko had all the pieces she needed to be extraordinary. All that was left was for her to have the patience to let herself grow. 

“You must have a fire in your belly, but be tranquil as a forest. The sharpest weapon you possess is your mind. With it, nothing is impossible.” With a motion too fast for Akiko to follow with her eyes, Hachiman drew his blade and resheathed it. Akiko only saw him placing his blade back into its sheath, she couldn’t follow the draw. She looked out in front of her and saw all the training dummies set up in the distance, cut to shreds. Hachiman placed his blade back in his lap.

“However, if it is miss-handled, it is a danger to yourself and everyone around you.” 

“I don’t understand.” Akiko said with a despondent expression. 

“Of course, you don’t. You’ve never taken the time to just slow down, have you? Just to be alone with yourself in silence? To let everything go, your worries, your insecurities? Just clear your mind, forget everything you have learned, leaving only the barest of basics.” Hachiman said as he took a deep breath and smiled with his eyes closed. 

“Is this the beginning of your sword style?” Akiko asked. 

“Nothingness is the beginning of all things. You will not be learning my fighting style. It’s not something that can be taught. It is an expression of me. So too, will your fighting style be. It will be an expression of you. Something that can not be taught. Others can attempt to imitate, but they’ll just be fooling themselves. For you can not imitate that, which has no form.” 

“Yes, Sensei,” Akiko said with a nod. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Akiko tried to clear herself of all her thoughts and forget her worries. There was no way she could remove bad habits she had formed, but if she could forget them and start fresh, then maybe. However, the idea of doing that through will alone seems ridiculous. 

“Ergh, this is impossible!” Akiko said. She felt like she could only do this for a minute or two before going insane. 

“Impossible? Really? We only have 2 hours left in our session.” Hachiman smiled at her. 

Akiko’s eyes widened. She was in deep meditation for 8 hours, and it felt like just a few moments had passed. She giggled and then began her mediation again. 

In a separate room, Zac and Ume sat at a table with a chessboard. Ume had a distraught look on her face. Zac told her she would need to give up her position as team leader. Before she could protest, Zac challenged her to a game of chess, telling her if she could beat him, he’d reverse his decision.

“Is this really all we’re going to do today?” Ume asked, a little annoyed. 

“Well, I said we could play Shogi, too. Look, I even let you be white.. What are you complaining about?” Zac shrugged helplessly. 

“You know exactly what I’m complaining about.” 

“Never shit on the classics! Two smart people having a conversation over a game of Chess. It’s so cliche, I love it.” Zac jokes.

“Sensei!” Ume was not amused.

“What, are you too good to work for a reward?” Zac chuckled. 

“I shouldn’t have to work for something that was already given to me!” Ume shouted. 

“Heh, the team leader position wasn’t theirs to give.”

Zac and Ume went back and forth like this, all the while they continued their game. 

“Did my uncle do this? Did he say to make Ken team leader?” Ume sounded very upset. 

This was why she wanted to avoid teaming up with Watabe Ken. She expected this outcome. Zac held back laughter, 

“You’re uncle is so low on the totem pole as to be almost non-existent. He’s a historian more than anything, reminding us of the pitfalls of others so that we don't repeat them.” 

“Then why him and not me?” Ume said as she slammed a piece onto the board.

“You’re not leadership material. Check.” Zac smiled as he moved his knight. 

A look of disgust layered onto Ume’s face. She never has been more insulted in her life. Before she could say anything, Zac interrupted. 

“Oh, don’t give me that look. You’re just like me. You want to be a leader and be at the center of attention. But deep down, we both know that’s not what you want; that’s not what WE want. Well, maybe that is what we want, but that’s not what we enjoy.” Zac smiled at her. Ume moved a chess piece as she calmed down. 

“Go on.” She said, her curiosity instantly peeking. She wanted to know exactly what this man thought he knew about her. 

“We enjoy playing the game. We love watching the pawns move as if they have free will; while enjoying the sight of them dancing to the steps we have dictated for them. We enjoy the look on the other party's faces when they understand it’s too late. Checkmate.” 

Ume looked down at her pieces and sighed. She gently knocked over her king and leaned back in her chair. 

“What’s so great about having all those eyes filled with expectations looking at you? Isn’t it more fun to run the show from the back?” Zac smiled. 

“I’ll be in your care, Sensei.” A dark smile stretched across Ume’s face. Zac looked at her with satisfaction.

“Good girl.”