"The stuff you made me drink, what was it?" Sora replied, struggling to stay on his feet while keeping his balance.

Jarek tossed his vial into the air and held it out in front of Sora as he caught it, and let a smirk appear on his face. "This is one of my new potions. I needed a guinea pig to test whether they work properly... And apparently they do."

Sora, his arms trembling slightly, looked at the vial Jarek had just handed him. The potion he'd just drunk seemed to have reduced his pain and fatigue in just a few seconds. His arm and stomach still hurt like hell, but it was now much more bearable. "In the future, I'd appreciate not being your guinea pig."

Jarek burst out laughing, a pleasant, casual sound that contrasted with the gravity of the situation. "You got off easy, didn't you? So stop grumbling, you're still alive, and even better than before."

Sora clenched his right fist to avoid letting an unpleasant comment come out of your mouth. "And what the hell are you doing here? Did you have a mission in the mountains or were you following me?"

Jarek shrugged, an amused smile still playing on his lips. "Why choose? I had a little business to take care of in the mountains, but let's just say I also thought it would be interesting to see how you managed without your Ushi. You're... unique, and that intrigues me."

Sora grunted, unsettled by Jarek's admission. "So you asked around to find out where I'd be going on my next mission."

Amused, Jarek let a mocking laugh escape him. "Oops, I gave myself away."

Bewildered, Sora didn't really know how to react to this announcement. He didn't know whether to be grateful that the only Gold rank in the Mercenary Order was interested in him, or whether, on the contrary, he should be worried that the only Gold rank in the Mercenary Order was interested in him. "So I guess you've seen my whole fight."

Resuming a slightly more serious air, Jarek quickly scanned his surroundings. "No, I didn't. When I arrived, there were only the last two Mouthpieces left. But from the state you were already in, I'm guessing there were 4 or maybe 5."

Amazed that he'd managed to work out the number based on his physical state alone, Sora couldn't help but compliment him inwardly. "Indeed, there were 4."

"However," added Jarek, continuing to play with the vial in his hand. "What surprised me most about this fight was your last attack. I didn't think you'd be able to use it when your rank is still so low."

"My last attack?" Sora asked, not really understanding what he was getting at.

"Yes, your black flash. Normally, you need a rather large amount of Ushi to be able to use it. More importantly, it's not supposed to happen if your original flash is any other color." He added with a serious expression.

Sora was surprised to see him like this; it was the first time he'd seen Jarek lose his smirk in front of him. "My black flash?"

Raising his eyebrows in despair, Jarek sighed before answering him. "Yes, your sacred weapon skill triggers a white flash normally, but on your last attack, your skill was black. Which is either not normal, or not good news."

Feeling a slight surge of stress rise up inside him, Sora wanted to know more about this famous black flash. "What do you mean 'not good news'?"

Thinking it over, Jarek waited a few moments. "As I told you, a Ushi user can create a black flash, if he uses a large quantity of Ushi. To illustrate, I think there must be two of us in the Mercenary Order who can use it, me and the boss of the Order. And there's a second way, which is much less... how shall I say... normal."

"Explain yourself a little." Sora retorted, as he began to get fed up with these half-answers.

"Unfortunately, I don't know enough about this second method to be able to explain it clearly to you, but what I do know is that if you use it too often, your life could be in danger. Hence the burn on your arm." Jarek replied calmly.

Sora froze, the adrenalin from his fight and recent discussion seeming to dissipate in an instant. He glanced at the burn on his arm, which now seemed even more obvious, like a mark of the madness of this attack he had launched without really understanding what he was doing. He'd felt the power of the black wave that had passed through him, but he hadn't understood the extent of what he'd just unleashed.

"My life could be in danger?" repeated Sora, in a lower tone, as if he was having trouble accepting what he'd just heard. "You mean... it could finish me off, this thing?"

Jarek stared at him, his eyes becoming a little colder, more calculated. "Exactly. A power like that, which doesn't depend on the Ushi, it's not without consequences. Each use increases the risk. That's why I'm telling you to be careful."

Sora stared at Jarek, the words echoing in his head. His gaze returned to the burning on his arm, as if looking for a sign, an explanation. But there was nothing to see, only a throbbing pain, a sign that something was wrong. A power too strong for its own good. It wasn't what he'd imagined when he'd decided to use his skill.

"On the other hand," added Jarek, "that doesn't mean you should put your skill aside. I just think that your body sets you a limit on the use of your skill so as not to put yourself in danger. And given the state of your arm, I'm sure you'd already exceeded that limit before you even launched your last attack."

Sora looked down at his arm, his fingers brushing the burnt skin. Every movement reminded him of the violence of that black flash, like a fire in his own body. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm the agitation rising inside him. The idea that he could be putting himself in danger without even knowing it disturbed him. The mere thought of a power he couldn't control put him on his guard. "And so, what would you advise me to do to stop exceeding this limit?"

Jarek shrugged, his wry smile reappearing as if amused by the gravity of the situation. "I see you've understood what I'm getting at. If you no longer wish your body to consume itself, let me train you."

Sora had hoped deep down that Jarek would tell him this, but to hear him say it so frankly surprised him so much that he let a small sound of surprise escape from his mouth. "So this is what you wanted all along. But I still have a question."

"Why are you so interested in a guy like me? There are plenty of guys stronger than me in the Order." resumed Sora, his eyebrows furrowed, arms crossed despite the pain that still threw him. "I doubt you're the kind of person to make this kind of proposal without having an idea in the back of your head."

Jarek burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the mountains. "Ah, always suspicious. I like that. It shows you're not naive. But you're right, I never do anything without a reason." He paused, watching Sora with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "To be honest, you've aroused my curiosity. Your lack of Ushi, that black flash... You're like a riddle, and I love solving riddles."

Keeping his arms crossed, Sora tried to decipher the casual, calculating attitude of the young man standing opposite him. He may not have been comfortable with this kind of person, but he also knew that there were probably few people better suited than Jarek to teach him to master this power he knew almost nothing about. "And so, what will this training consist of?"

Glad to hear the answer, Jarek kept his smile intact. "Firstly, improve your swordsmanship, although I have to admit that Emma has already done a good job, I'd know her swordsmanship anywhere. Secondly, build up your muscles a bit, because no matter how agile you are, strength clearly isn't your strong suit. Secondly, we're going to improve your stamina, because even though you've got your ring with you, it didn't stop you from burning your arm, even though it's probably thanks to it that you can still move it. And finally, we're going to improve your resistance to your own skill so that it can't hurt you so quickly. Because if I had to make up my mind, I'd assume you could have used it a maximum of 3 times before it burned you from the inside out."

Increasingly surprised by the man's insight, Sora didn't know how to react: he managed to deduce the number of times he'd used his skill before injuring himself. "Anyway, I don't really have any choice but to accept. If it makes me stronger, I'm willing to accept. However, if I notice that you're trying to manipulate me or turn me upside down, I'll have no choice but to give you a taste of that famous black flash you're so intrigued by."

Laughing harder again, Jarek gently caught his breath as he inspected the determination in Sora's words. "I like that attitude, kid. Don't worry, I don't intend to do that, I already told you when we first met, you're a unique being, which is why I'd like to be able to discover what you're hiding deep down inside."

Still baffled by Jarek's words, Sora can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. "As long as I don't regret training with you, I'm fine with it."

"Then," Jarek reneged, "Believe me, you'll regret it... But believe me too, you'll thank me once you've grown stronger."

Sora could feel a wave of mistrust mixed with excitement rising inside him. Jarek, with his wry smile and laid-back attitude, seemed both an opportunity and a risk. But the urge to master this unpredictable power was too strong.

"Okay," Sora finally said as he crossed his arms, ignoring the stabbing pain spreading throughout his arm. "When do we start this training?"

Jarek raised his eyes to the sky as if thinking. "Um... Tomorrow morning, at dawn. How's that sound? Oh, and be prepared, because I'm not going to spare you. This ain't no stroll in the park, kid."

Sora raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "You think I'm going to follow you like this, without knowing exactly what you're planning?"

Jarek laughed softly, shaking his head. "You don't really have a choice, do you? But don't worry, every step will be made to help you survive, not destroy you. Besides, I promise you, in the end, you'll be begging me to go on. By the way, I almost forgot, but don't worry about your training with Emma, I've already warned her that I'm taking over training you."

Realizing that he had already planned everything, Sora understood that Jarek had managed to anticipate his reactions perfectly and that he knew in advance that Sora would accept his training. This irritated him all the more, but also forced him to admit that Jarek really was a person out of the ordinary... On floor -5 at least. "You had it all planned before you even came here."

Amused by Sora's reaction, Jarek turned and began to walk away, little by little. "Of course, I told you. I never do anything without a reason. Anyway, we'd better get back to the Order. You need your rest so you can start our training tomorrow."

Sora added nothing more and followed him in silence, the two of them descending this mountain, which had led Sora to exceed his limits far more than he'd imagined.

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