Titan Rumble Ch 43: The End Of Training, Going Behind The Door!

The rumble of the dojo floor still echoed faintly through the walls when I finally climbed down from the beam I'd been watching from. The air was thick with sweat and energy — the kind that lingers after titans clash, when the dust hasn't quite settled and even silence feels heavy.

From above, it had looked almost unreal. Yuna stood in the center of the floor, her aura fading away in slow, flickering tendrils of blue fire. Around her, Nao, Kaito, and Emiko were on their knees or flat on their backs, struggling to breathe. She hadn't even broken a sweat. I'd fought her once, but seeing her like this... calm, deliberate, holding back — it made me realize how much she'd really restrained herself that day.

I leaned forward on the beam and looked to the far side of the room. Aurora's group was still meditating, eyes closed, aura faint and flickering like candlelight. Two different teaching styles — two different philosophies. Neither group had grasped what they were reaching for yet.

I sighed and shook my head. "Well, looks like they might need some help," I muttered.

Without another thought, I stepped off the beam.

The wind howled around me as I dropped through the open space, weightless for a moment before I landed with a soft thump on something firm and warm. I looked around and realized exactly where I'd landed — Yuna's shoulder.

Her head turned instantly, blue eyes locking on me. Her expression shifted from focus to surprise, then amusement.

"Cain?" she said, her voice rumbling through my entire body. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, just hanging around," I said, brushing some dust off my sleeve. "You know, trying not to die under someone's foot again."

That earned me a quiet laugh — the kind that made her eyes soften just a little. Then she looked back to her students. Her aura shimmered once more before vanishing completely.

"Fall in," she commanded, her voice steady.

The injured and exhausted students scrambled into line, limping and panting. Even Aurora and her group rose from their meditative poses and joined the line opposite Yuna.

Yuna extended her hand, and I walked forward onto her open palm, standing at the center so everyone could see me. "You all did good," I said, scanning the tired faces. "Really. You've made progress — more than you probably realize."

Most of them didn't look convinced. Their heads were bowed, shoulders slumped, and I could almost hear the disappointment humming between them.

"I also want to thank your instructors," I continued. "They're giving you more than just lessons. They're giving you chances to fail — and that's where growth comes from. Trust me, I've had my share of... creative failures."

That got a couple of nervous chuckles, but the mood didn't lift much. I sighed and crouched slightly, hands on my knees as I looked across the rows of faces. "Look, none of this can be forced. You can't just decide to master aura, or strength, or anything worth having. It's something you find when everything else breaks apart — when you've got nothing left but instinct."

Yuna's eyes softened again, and Aurora, standing to the side, nodded slowly in agreement.

"He's right," Yuna said, her tone calm but commanding. "You've all done well. Today was meant to test you, not break you. You should be proud."

"Dismissed," she added after a pause.

The students bowed, murmured faint thanks, and began to file out one by one — some helping others limp toward the hall. The dojo fell quiet, save for the faint hum of fading energy in the air.

Once the doors shut behind the last student, Yuna let out a slow exhale. "You always have a way with words," she said, glancing down at me. "Encouraging. Kind, even."

I smiled a little. "Don't tell anyone, you'll ruin my image."

Aurora chuckled softly and stepped closer. "He's right, though. That was... actually kind of nice to hear."

Yuna gave a small nod, then turned toward the exit. "I'll leave you two. I need to rest."

"Rest?" I tilted my head, but before I could ask, she started walking away, her long strides carrying her toward the hallway.

I watched her go, the rhythm of her steps fading. Something about the way she moved — slower, heavier — didn't sit right.

Aurora knelt down and lifted her hand beside me. "She seems off, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," I said, stepping onto her palm. "More than usual."

Aurora sighed, her brows furrowing. "She's been distant lately. It's unlike her to walk out mid-lesson."

As she started walking us toward the living area, I sat down in her hand, watching the doors Yuna had disappeared behind. "You think something's wrong?"

Aurora shrugged slightly. "I don't know. But... she's Yuna. If she doesn't want to talk, she won't."

When we reached the living room, Aurora set me down gently on the table. "You should rest too. You've been running around like a—"

Before she could finish, I leapt from the table to the floor, landing with a small thud by her foot. "Yeah, about that..."

She blinked. "Cain, what are you—"

"I'm gonna check on her," I said, already jogging toward the hallway.

"Wait, are you serious?" she called out. "You could get stepped on!"

I waved a hand back without turning. "Hey, I'm a survivor! Remember?"

Her exasperated sigh followed me down the hall. "You're insane," she muttered, but there was a hint of amusement in her tone.

The corridors were quiet now, the kind of quiet that felt like it was waiting for something. My footsteps were nearly silent against the wooden floor, though the occasional tremor from somewhere deeper in the building reminded me I was still surrounded by beings who could crush me without even noticing.

When I finally stopped, I found myself in front of a massive sliding door — Yuna's. I looked up at it, the faint glow of her aura still flickering under the threshold like dim blue light leaking from a storm.

"Okay," I muttered, taking a breath. "Here we go are ."

The wood pulsed faintly under my hand as I pressed against it, heat radiating from the other side. Whatever was going on with her, it wasn't rest — that much was obvious.

I swallowed hard, bracing myself for whatever waited beyond that door. "Just... don't get crushed," I whispered to myself. "Easy enough, right?"