06: How To Make Progress

"It's killing you isn't it, Yuuta?" she said grinning broadly.

"No, of course not!" He lied through his teeth, letting his head slump after another lost match of chess.

"It's nothing you should feel bad about, I am, after all, a Temple War Leader. Strategizing whilst on the battlefield is kind of my job description."

"Still, I thought that, with being able to control my mana and all, I'd be able to beat you at least once."

"You do seem to have a rudimentary sense for strategy, it is underdeveloped however. Something we could always work on, if and when necessary."

"True… So, am I finally ready for the next step?"

"Yuuta, you do realize that most people train for a year before they are able to exert the control you do, right?"

"Yes. But that doesn't mean I have to be that slow right. Come on Nibutani, I want to beat Walter sometime soon."

Nibutani sighs. "You are aware he holds back a great deal, right?"

"Of, of course I did…" Yuuta replied sullenly.

"You still suck at lying." She shuckled. "But yes, I do think you're ready for your next step. I'll give you your training roster tomorrow on our date. But for now, do you want to practice hand-to-hand combat with sleepyhead over there, or actually use some mana with me?"

"Most definitely you, Shinka. Then I can surprise Isshiki during our training by blasting some magic in his face."

"Doubt that'll work, but by all means try." She said with a smile.

He shows a broad smile.

"Well… what to learn you… Could you pull as much mana as you can? Then I can see what you might be able to do."

"Alright." He was still connected with his mana, so he immediately started amassing power.

She studied him intensely, he had grown much in a week, he could fine-tune his mana as good as, if not better than most that get taught some basic spells. The grass swayed lightly under him now. The air crackled lightly around him.

"Ok this is all I can pull, for now."

As always he didn't disappoint, his power rivalled that of a Captain-Commandant, though he most likely would not be able to beat one for… well she'd like to say several years but in his case, probably at most three months.

"Ok, you can let it go now. Do keep it at a level where you can easily hold it, without focussing too much."

His power signature dropped quite a bit, staggering at about 40 percent. Now that's something special. He might just need 1 month to beat a Captain-Commandant.

"Alright. I have a bit of affinity in lightning, so spells at your level I can demonstrate… It would be handy to have Rikka around for demonstrations though eventually. Well first, Walter told me you were able to charge your weapon already?"

"Yes."

"Alright, good. Please do so for me."

"Naturally." He smoothly summoned his weapon, immediately his mana shot through the blade. Stronger sparks than before ran along the cutting edge.

Nibutani also summoned a weapon. A short spear appeared in her hand. A light brown-coloured handle, about 6 feet long, and a 2 feet long blade. Slightly beneath the blade a small lightning bolt had been burned into the wood.

"Is that your spear, Shinka? It looks a bit… well plain." He said.

"It's just a practice spear, my own weapon is not really fine-tuned for lightning based spells."

"Can I have one?"

"Sure, you interested in spears?"

"I want to learn as much as I can."

"You're always so eager. Anyway, how did you use it against Walter?"

"Like this!" He performed the slash once more, letting the crackling lighting whip through the sky.

"You could also do this, for a quick attack." She charged her spear, thrusting is toward a tree. A bolt shot through the tree burning through it easily.

"Hmm… so like this?" He stabs his sword toward the same tree, a crackle filled the air as the bolt drilled into the tree, barely making it through.

"Great, yes, just like that."

She then showed him some basic spells to use with or without his weapon. She sat down and watched him blast at trees, cutting them, and inflicting some damage. After 10 minutes of blasting he sighed.

"What is it, Yuuta?"

"I just thought that, with magic on my side, I'd be stronger now. At least able to defeat these damn trees."

"Yuuta, you're already further than I was at this point, and I was an unprecedented prodigy in our temple."

"It's still just your temple."

"Yes, you're right…" She responded slightly taken aback.

"I'm sorry… I'm just frustrated."

"Yuuta, I know, you want to be stronger. But growth can't be forced. These spells may not be that strong, but as you grow so will their strength, and you'll become able to use more powerful ones as well."

"I know, I know…"

"Want to call it a day for now?"

"I'd like to practice some more, but I think I've used up most of my mana, so it wouldn't be of much use."

"Alright. Next week, your training will start for real."


Tiredly he walked into the apartment. While he was looking forward to the training, even just the bit today already tired him out. And then he has that date with Nibutani tomorrow, which will most likely exhaust him even more. Ah well… food and sleep is the goal now. He strolled into the living area greeting his family. His mom as motherly as ever, immediately pushed a heated up plate into his hands for dinner. He smiled and thanked her.

"Oh, don't thank me. You're doing the dishes."

Crap. Ah well, side questing is fun right? He sat down next to his sister, who was lying face down on a math book.

"Brother?" She asked looking toward him, "Could you help me with my math homework?"

And more side questing. "Only if you help me with the dishes."

"Deal."

"Alright what's the problem?"

"I just don't get these equations."

"Let me see."

She shoved the book toward him and he started munching down his food while trying to decipher what his sister had written. The equations were rather simple, so he didn't have any trouble to figure out what the answers were. He did have some trouble finding were his sister went wrong. Eventually, when he was done eating he found what she did wrong.

"See this, that should be a minus instead of a plus. You are making quite a lot of sign mistakes."

"But it's plus on that side!"

"Yes, so when you transfer it to the other side, it becomes a minus."

"That's odd."

"How else would you be able to make the addend disappear here?"

"Uhm…"

"See, when you transfer an addend to the other side, you take it's opposite."

"Ok… wait wait… so… yes ok, that actually makes sense."

"Alright, now dishes."

"Can't I first finish this while you watch over me?"

"Fine." He sighs.


His phone alarm started going off. Early. Too early. He groaned as he twisted in his bed and tried to fall back asleep, without even shutting of the noise. A minute later his mom entered.

"Yuuta, you lazy bum! Get out of bed and shut of that noise. You asked me to wake you up so why did you even put up an alarm?"

"Because you always forget, mom!"

"Well… the only reason I did come in here was because of that hellish noise, but that doesn't have anything to do with is. Now get your lazy bum into gear." She said with a wink.

"Right…" he turned around lazily.

He heard his mother stepping to his bed and suddenly his whole world twisted and turned as the blanket he was wrapped in was brutally ripped away. He landed with a thud on the ground.

"Are you going to get up now?" His mom asked ever so kindly.

"Yeah yeah, I'm getting up."

"Good." His mom left the room as he scrambled onto his feet. Sighing he took his nicest clothes out of his closet and shuffled toward the bathroom to take a shower.


He left the bathroom completely awake half an hour later. Between showering, getting his wily hair under control, fighting his fatigue and getting into the monkey suit he was wearing. He quickly ran out, saying goodbye to his mother while slamming the door shut behind him. He ran down the stairs and stopped at the last step.

"You're late Yuuta." She said, blushing just a bit. She was wearing short hot pants, a blue shirt that only covered one of her shoulders, and what looked like a black bra from the visible strap. He stared for a bit before noticing she was carrying a small basket.

"Stop staring so much, and anyway why are you dressed up that much?"

"I- I- I- I thought we'd go do something fancy?"

"Why? Because I'm rich?"

"Yes…" he ashamedly admitted.

"We're going to the park, and have a picnic that I prepared. Now get back up there and change."

"Want to come along?"

"Yuuta, how easy do you think I am?"

"I'm just suggesting for you to get out the heat, dumbass."

"Don't call me dumbass, you asshole."

"I like you too." He responded, pulling her in for a kiss. She struggled a bit, but then leaned in and answered his kiss.

"Damn it Yuuta I was trying to be mad at you!"

"Sounds like you still are." He smiled.

"Well… a bit. Alright alright, let's just go upstairs, you can pamper me with an ice-cream and change your clothes." She started going up the stairs.

"Ice-cream before food isn't very healthy." He followed.

"I don't care, your my boyfriend, you're supposed to pamper me."

"Very true, but I'm not supposed to make you fat though." He said poking her belly.

"Yuuta! I'm not fat. And if I ever become fat we'll just have to train more and date less, prick."

"You like insulting me today."

"Well you are provoking me."

"Very much true sweetie."

"Don't call me sweetie… yet." She said as they reached the door. He looked behind him to see her blushing furiously.

"Alright, Shinka-san." He entered the house.

"I'm back mom, and this is-"

"I'm Nibutani Shinka, nice to meet you. I'm uhm… Yuuta's girlfriend." She put down the picnic basket next to the front door

"Yuuta!" she gave himself a playful knock on his head. "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend. You shouldn't keep such a pretty girl a secret."

"Thanks ma'am. But may I now kick your son's ass cause he hasn't told you about me?"

"Sure. His room is the second one on the right. Also don't call me ma'am. Makes me sound so old."

"Of course." She grabbed his tie and started him dragging toward his room. She slammed the door open and threw him into the room. He stumbled in and fell against the closet.

"Explanation?"

"I just didn't think of it yet? We've only been official for a week."

"So? You didn't tell it to anyone?" She seemed even angrier.

"I did, I bragged about against all the guys that the cutest person in our class was my girlfriend."

"Class?"

"I, of course meant, in our school."

"Good boy!" She patted him on the head and then pulled his chin up for a lingering kiss.

Breaking away, she said, "Alright, now shove over so I can check your closet for appropriate clothing."

He got up and sat on the bed while she pulled open his closet. She started rummaging through it, starting at the top, standing on her toes. Slowly she worked downward, bending more over and over.

"Look, Yuuta, I'm well aware that my butt looks good in these pants, especially now. But I would however appreciate if you at least tried not to stare as much."

"I'm sorry. I'm a healthy teenage boy, okay?"

"I'm well aware." She twirled around and threw him some loos fitting jeans and a green shirt. "Now, get dressed."

"Uhm… aren't you going to leave?"

"I don't mind if you do it in front of me." She said teasingly.

"But I do."

"I seem to remember someone promising me an ice-cream?"

"Right… if I give you your ice-cream are you going to let me get dressed in peace?"

"Not making any promises."

"Great. Alright follow me, I'll whip something up for you."


She was licking the spoon clean. "Alright, we ready to go now?"

"I have been since 20 minutes ago."

"I had an ice-cream because my boyfriend was spoiling me."

"Pretty sure you forced me to spoil you."

"Get used to it." She smiled broadly.

"For you? Sure." He leaned in and lightly kissed her. "You are however going to have to learn to listen to me too." He said grabbing her head and pulled her along, pulling her outside. She quickly grabbed the basket before being pulled down the stairs.

He kept running down, but braked heavily when reaching the ground. She stumbled and he caught her, letting the hug linger for a while.

"See, I'll always catch you when you fall." He smiled.

"Well, even forgoing that what you just said was a huge cliché, it's also your fault that I fell in the first place."

"Ah, tomato, tomahto."

"That doesn't work here."

"Of course it does."

"No, it does not."

"Ok fine, it doesn't." He grabbed the basket. "So where did you want to go?"

"Well we were going to take the limo out to Shinjuku Central Park and eat there. I was however unaware that your backyard looks pretty as well. I want to eat here."

"You're just being lazy because you just ate and ran right?"

"Also true."

He grinned. "Alright then, let's go look for a spot to eat."

"Ok." He started walking, but Shinka jumped forward and grabbed his hand. "I kinda liked this before." She blushed.

"I thought you had experience." He started walking into his 'backyard'.

"Yes, because you didn't lie, mister?"

"Yeah ok… fair enough. But how do you know? I think I acted the boyfriend role quite well 'till now."

"You do and say things other guys would never do with or to their girlfriend, which isn't necessarily bad, but we also ran a background check on you."

"So you know I had chuunibyou?"

"Well yes, but then again, here you are, doing exactly what you thought you could. It was probably because at some level you were aware of your powers maybe?"

"Dear god, I hope so."

She laughed. "Alright, let's go search a spot to eat now."

"Question."

"Yes?"

"Do you have a blanket to sit on with you?"

"I… do… not."

"Want to eat in my room? Or do you want me to run to the limo and send one of your caretakers to go get one?"

"They don't take care of me! And you can choose."

"The girl's choice is probably my safest bet here, so you choose."

"Well, you're right. Again. You're right too much. Make mistakes once in a while ok?"

"Pretty sure you were angry with me just then because I made a mistake?"

"Yuuta, you're doing it again."

"Right. Sorry." He grinned broadly.

"Let's just go." She twisted around, going back to the appartment.

"Oh? Do you trust me all alone in my room while you're wearing that?"

"Yes, I do. Also, at the present, I can still whoop your ass if need be."

"Yeah, about that, what about my training schedule?"

"At the end of the date, if I'm satisfied with this date."

"And so far?"

"So far, you're good." They reached the treeline as she said this.

"Wait." He says peering into the distance.

Immediately, her battle instincts jumped up and she starts scanning the horizon.

"Do you know where the attack is going to come from?"

"I don't feel or see anything so no."

"I do."

She turned toward him and saw him grinning.

"This was a tra-." He stopped her speech by pressing his lips on hers. His hands slid around her hips, and he pulled her in close. She responded by letting her arms slip around him and answering the kiss. They stood there, frozen in time, kissing each other softly. Eventually, out of breath, they both broke away. They leaned against each other with their foreheads, just enjoying their closeness.

"Ok, I don't think you can ruin this anymore." She said smiling shyly.

"Well then, I don't think I ever wanted to either." He responded.

"I hope so!" she lightly punched him.

"Well, I feel like eating this delicious dinner my beautiful girlfriend made outside, so I'll go grab a blanket to sit on. Don't run away."

"Of course not you suck up!" She yelled at his back as he took off.

He waved and sprinted up the stairs. It's been a long time since she's been this happy. That was practically the only thought in her mind. Well, beside him of course. She never really thought she'd ever really fall in love. But then again, she never thought she'd meet someone like him. He acts aloof, is calm, and likes to joke around, but at the same time he is a natural leader, and he carries much she can't see yet. Although she doesn't think he'd keep anything from her, he also would rather carry his own problems and hers as well is she let him. She never wanted to be protected, wanted to be strong enough to protect herself but… if it's him she just might let him. Why does he make her feel so anxious at times. She sometimes fear he'll just disappear into thin air. He just seems to not be… 'there', like he's listening to the wind, a voice in the distance. Sometimes, just sometimes, during their week of training she had been scared of him. At moments, fractions of seconds, his powers would shoot up incredibly, and although it disappeared immediately, the amount of mana he could channel would have grown.

There was this theory, that every ability user is limitless, but growth is harder and harder after a while, to the point where the growth is invisible. She didn't know yet, but he might be the first real limitless one.

"You look worried." He pulled her out of her inner monologue. He was carrying a dark blue blanket.

"A bit maybe. Just where we'll end up eventually."

"Isn't it a bit early for that?" He smiled.

"No, I meant with your powers and stuff." She said blushing again, she turned and walked toward a cherry tree and pointed to the ground. He threw the blanket down.

"Is there something to worry about then?"

"No, at the very least not yet. I'm just kind of worried someone will steal you from me."

"No one could steal me from you."

"I know." She rested her head on his chest as they sat down against the tree.

"So food?"

"Who's going to get fat now?"

"More training, less dating was the rule I remember."

"That rule only counts for me."

"That's cheating."

"I never cheat."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really."

"I have the feeling that I'm just going to have to nod and say that you're right."

"Trust that feeling." She handed him a sandwich from the basket and started munching on her own.

"Alright alright." He took the sandwich and they happily ate, sharing the silence without awkwardness. After finishing his sandwich he just held her and started to the sky through the branches and flowers of the old tree above them.

"What are you looking at?"

"I think I see the past, present and future all at once."

"How so?"

"The branches are my past, dark and well not fun. The present are the flowers, you and me together, the rose coloured life you've given me. And the sky is the future. Limitless and open, there may be clouds every once in a while, but we'll get through them I believe."

"Didn't know you were a poet."

"I'm not a poet. I just say things."

"At times you say exactly the right things. At other moments though…"

"I like teasing you, you're just going to have to forgive me for that."

"Fine, I forgive you."

"That was easy."

"Well, I can't always make it hard on you."

"I very much hope you'll keep up that policy."

She laughed softly.

"I don't like making promises, but I will say I'll try."

"Thank you… I think."

"No problem."

"Say, Shinka-sama…"

"Sama? I mean yes?"

"I think I'm going to join your temple."

"Our temple?"

"Our temple."


Author's Notes

Well... two chapters in one month(ish), I didn't think that would ever happen again. This is a bit of an experimental chapter, consisting mostly of a date and a whole lot of conversation. I'm trying to practice making conversations flow, and I wanted to give you a better view of Nibutani and Yuuta's relationship. Now I can honestly say that I haven't dated a lot, simply because me and my girlfriend are stay at home people so the depiction of this date might not be very accurate. I'd like to hear your opinions so leave a review or send a pm, it helps a lot. Oh, I'm also looking for a beta reader so if you wish to apply, send me a PM. And, naturally, as Always

Thanks for reading.