The Starting Line. [ 29 Chapters Completed! ]

Chapter 10, Reaching New Speeds {.: James :.}

James groaned in frustration as the sound of his alarm filled the room. He had been up late talking to Jeo and the excitement of their plans for the day had made it hard for him to fall asleep. Despite his fatigue, he felt a sense of anticipation building within him. Today was going to be a big day.

As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and started to stretch, he was startled to see Moriai leaning against his door with her arms crossed. "Wakey-wakey, sleepyhead," she said, with a smirk on her face. "I was about to dump a bucket of ice water on you, but I didn't want to ruin that precious bedhead of yours."

James couldn't help but roll his eyes at Moriai's hotheadedness, but he was secretly glad that she had woken him up. "Thanks, Moriai," he said, yawning as he got out of bed. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Moriai shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, my dad decided that today would be a good day to start your little speedster training sessions," she said, her tone hinting at the fact that she didn't agree with the decision. "I don't think I've seen him this awake since... well, ever."

James chuckled at her remark, knowing all too well how much Moriai disliked being woken up early. "Okay, ten minutes it is. I'll make sure I'm dressed appropriately," he said, heading towards his closet.

As he quickly threw on his workout clothes and grabbed his water bottle, James couldn't help but feel nervous about the upcoming training session. He knew he had to improve his speedster abilities if he wanted to be an effective member of their team. He briefly thought back to a conversation he had with Ken about training his speedster abilities, and he hoped that he would be able to put those tips into practice today.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Moriai grumbled as James emerged from his room. "We don't have all day."

James took a deep breath and followed Moriai out the door, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him in the training session ahead.

As they arrived at the open field, Ken greeted them with a smile, already setting up some training equipment. "Good morning, you two," he said cheerfully. "Today's training is going to be focused on improving your individual abilities as speedsters."

James and Moriai exchanged a quick glance, both feeling a bit relieved that they wouldn't have to do the same exact training. "What's the plan?" James asked.

Ken began to explain, "Well, James, I thought we could work on your quick changes in direction and short bursts of speed. You have the potential to be very agile and unpredictable in a fight, and I think this will be a big asset to our team."

James nodded, feeling excited and eager to start working on this specific skill set. Meanwhile, Moriai crossed her arms and gave a playful smirk towards her father. "And what about me, sensei?" she asked, using the title mockingly. "Don't you think I already have enough endurance to outrun you in a race?"

Ken chuckled, not letting his daughter's teasing get to him. "Endurance is always important, Moriai," he said. "And with your speed, you have the potential to be unstoppable if you can maintain it for longer periods of time."

Moriai nodded, her playful expression turning more serious. She respected her father's experience and expertise as a trainer, and she was determined to take his advice seriously and make improvements to her abilities.

James couldn't help but chuckle at the playful back and forth between Ken and Moriai. "You two never cease to entertain," he said with a grin.

Moriai shot him a smirk. "Hey, it's all part of the training," she said, playfully nudging him with her elbow.

Ken chuckled at their banter. "Okay, let's focus now," he said, clapping his hands together. "James, we'll start with you. We need to work on your agility and ability to change direction quickly in a fight. I'll set up some cones, and we'll practice weaving through them."