Daichi had them take care of small issues around Kannazuka Island, like fighting and catching Treasure Hoarders and Nobushi, or clearing the nearby areas of any monsters that could disturb them. Tanaka accompanied them a few times, mostly to keep watch or guide them.

"Seriously, you guys aren't even coordinated! Hinata, you're gripping the claymore the wrong way again! Here, lemme show ya."

By nightfall, Kageyama went to train on the field. Hinata caught him a couple times, and (timidly) offered to be his sparring partner. Kageyama refused, and Hinata was forced to watch from the sidelines.

This continued for about 4 days, until Kageyama suddenly asked Hinata to fight him again.

"Come on. General Gorou won't let us fight unless we find a way to work together." Kageyama reasoned, grabbing Hinata's wrist and dragging him to a spot on the field while he took the opposite side.

Hinata didn't know why his face felt like it was burning.

Kageyama took the same stance he did a few days ago, looking straight into Hinata's eyes. His own eyes narrowed, conjuring Cryo energy in his palm again. Hinata readied himself again for the attack.

This time, Kageyama didn't resort to ranged attacks; he instead sprints forward, arm outstretched with Cryo trailing behind his palm. Hinata lifts his claymore a little, blocking his hand. Kageyama backflips, releasing the ice shards that accumulated on his back. Hinata disappears into a flurry of flames, dodging the ice quickly, and when he appeared again, it was in front of Kageyama. He had jumped a considerable height, while the raven haired boy was in free-fall. This surprised him, so all he could do is shift so his armor took most of the damage. This attack plunged him into the ground harshly, creating a dent in the dirt where Kageyama landed.

He looked up just in time to see Hinata swing his claymore downwards, so he constructs a barrier around and above him, which the claymore comes into contact with. Hinata leaps off the wall just before it shatters on its own.

Kageyama rises from the ground, quiet chuckles filling the air.

"Not bad, not bad. You're not gonna get away with this, though." Kageyama was using a hand to steady his head as he rose, but when he lifted his head his eyes were slightly constricted, with a far wider grin than usual. It actually kinda terrified Hinata. Is this what General Gorou was talking about?

"W-wait, Kageyama," Hinata started, taking a step back. "How about we take a break first—" He gets cut off when a icicle digs into his leg.

"...You want to rest? A moment to catch your breath?" Kageyama whispers, shaking his head slightly. "No, I've still got some tricks up my sleeve."

Hinata realizes that Kageyama can't hear his real voice. Kageyama stalks forward, feet planted firmly on the ground with each step. Thin layers of frost collected at his feet.

Is that his burst? Hinata wondered, but he gets pushed back before he could dwell on it further. The ice had solidified, spreading outwards just like it had in the forest. Hinata gets sent off his feet into a nearby tree. Other than his throbbing back and a few bruises, though, he's fine.

"Ka-agh! Kageyama, can you hear me?!"

No he doesn't. Instead he just says, "You're still alive? Well then..."

"Damn it!" Hinata groaned as he felt the blooming pain in his back from the tree's impact. And so another few icicles are hurled at him, and Hinata was forced to dash forward with his Elemental Skill in order to dodge it. He vanishes into flames again, just as Kageyama sets off the shards from behind him.

They exchange blows like this for some time, with Hinata trying to get Kageyama to snap out of whatever nightmare he got himself into. The attempts seemed to be fruitless until Kageyama prepared another burst.

"C'mon, Jerkface-yama! I'm losing my shit here!" Hinata shouts at him, which seemed to elicit a response, albeit a small one.

"How much do I gotta do to make you understand?!" Kageyama just continued building up energy. "You're not in the Tenryou Commission right now! Not alone anymore!"

Kageyama waves his arm, and Cryo shoots up from every direction. Hinata decides to jump up, although this height was considerably shorter due to the icicle that was in his leg. He lets himself calm down, accumulating Pyro on his weapon.

"I promise you! When you're with me, you've got nothing to worry about!" Hinata shoots forward, flames dancing over his entire body. "I'll force you back to reality if I have to, again and again!" Kageyama, now in a startled state, conjures an ice wall in an attempt to stop him. Hinata considered this according to plan.

He places his greatsword behind him, getting ready to swing. When the blade hits the ice, the ice begins cracking. Hinata uses this moment to leap from the barrier using the claymore just as Kageyama sends more ice shards at him. Using all his strength and without looking, Hinata swings his foot forward, returning the now faster (and flaming, somehow) icicle back to Kageyama.

In the meantime, Kageyama was rather stunned that he almost didn't dodge the icicle coming back at him. When the shard landed in the dirt behind him, it burst into a million pieces instead of just shattering, blowing Kageyama back and causing Hinata to have another harsh meeting between the hard dirt and his back.

What apparently resulted was a smoldering crater that was unusually large for a medium sized icicle on fire. Kageyama, now completely back to his senses, looks at Hinata, who is now definitely groaning in pain.

"Wha...what was that...?"

Hinata, who had been blown backwards from the force, staggered to his feet. "Huh...?"

Kageyama retires his catalyst, looking back at the field before facing Hinata. "That really shouldn't be possible. A flaming icicle is really impractical. And yet..."

"Hey! I know just as much as you do, Jerkface-yama!" Hinata snaps back.

They look at the remains of the field before Kageyama steps over and grabs him by the shoulder. Hinata yelps, startled by the sudden action.

"W-what are you doing-"

"What did you say earlier?" Kageyama's voice shut him up. The orange-haired boy had locked eyes with the raven-haired, and he feels absolutely fucking terrified under his glare.

"Huh?"

"I asked, what did you say earlier? When you set that icicle on fire." Kageyama was trying to keep a level voice through all this. Hinata himself had been on adrenaline, so he had to rack his brain to remember what he said.

Oh wait.

"...That you have nothing to worry about when you're with me?" To be honest, Hinata kind of feels embarrassed saying something like this. It was the spur of the moment after all, he felt like he was on the verge of death and he spouted whatever came to his head to stop Kageyama.

He may be exaggerating.

Kageyama stays silent. Hinata stays perfectly still, feeling like one misstep can set him off.

"...Okay, fine." He releases Hinata from his hold, preparing to walk back to the lodging given to them.

"Wha?"

"Let me tell you. We need to perfect that thing. Having an icicle on fire as a combo isn't gonna work in the long run." Kageyama replied, not stopping for even a second.

"H-hey, wait a minute!"

The next morning, they both woke up sore and exhausted. Daichi had come in their tent to ask how they were doing, and entered upon them looking like zombies in the dead of night. The scratches and bruises they had just completed the look.

Gorou waited outside for them to tell them that they only have about three days left to prove themselves, and asked them how it was going. Kageyama stays silent, so Hinata explains that Kageyama has an idea and wants to execute it soon.

"I see. Shall I wait for the demonstration then?" Gorou inquires, looking at Kageyama.

"Hm...yeah. I think so." Gorou nods and begins to walk back to his position.

"Hey hey! Thought you guys might need some help. Well, how about it?" Tanaka appears out of nowhere, slinging his arms around Hinata's and Kageyama's shoulders, leaning forward in between the both of them. "Show me that skill of yours you're working on."

So they led Tanaka to the (still very destroyed) battlefield and grabbed a nearby target. Tanaka watched from the sidelines as Hinata and Kageyama whispered their game plan to each other. Then Hinata walked to the very edge of the field while Kageyama summoned his catalyst. What exactly they were doing is alien to Tanaka.

Then everything happens in a flash. Literally.

Tanaka sees something of a..."germination" that day. He tells the duo that they're getting better at this and to keep at it. He also notes that when he's working with Hinata both as a partner and a sparring buddy, he seems to be less hostile. Maybe Hinata's actions had brought about this change.

"How about you tell me what I'm doing wrong, Jerkface-yama?"

"How about you STOP CALLING ME THAT FIRST!"

...Or maybe just in battle. He seems less likely to want to actually kill his sparring partner now, managing to control that menacing side of his for when real enemies show up.

Perhaps that was how he earned his nickname, actually.

See, Tanaka, Daichi, and Sugawara had dug up whatever they could about Kageyama, since the name sounded familiar, and found that he was dubbed the Tenryou King back then. According to rumors, anyone who stood in his way in his time in the Shogunate would taste defeat, no matter who it was. He had a solid track record, but was always prone to working alone and succumbing to bearing the sight of the actions of many criminals himself. It really led to him tapping into that side of him whenever he was fighting, skirmish or real fight. This was probably what General Gorou talked about five days ago.

However, the Tenryou King had left the Shogunate for an unknown reason, and had now allied with the Sanganomiya troops. Was it an interior struggle? A sudden tip in power? None of them could really discern.

Although, they probably shouldn't have pried that deep.

The three days pass by quickly, with Hinata, Kageyama, and Tanaka heading to the field every day to improve their techniques. Tanaka helped them sharpen weak spots wherever he could, and even offered to spar against them both. Kageyama seemed weary of Hinata working with him instead of against him, but he remained calm and calculated this time, firing ice shards wherever needed.

The day Gorou would check up on them again, he saw they improved quite a bit. When he saw their technique in action, he was greatly intrigued.

When he asked what this skill was exactly, Kageyama was about to answer when Hinata shouted, "Basically, it's where Kageyama summons a bunch of icicles, and I jump up, like whoosh! Really fast, and then I attack the enemy first and then bam! The icicles go fwoosh and the enemy is gone!"

"Huh?" Gorou is really confused. "I didn't get most of that."

Kageyama sighs. "What the dumbass is trying to say is I summon a couple of big shards for him to swing at, to set them on fire, then he attacks the enemy first with Pyro, then the icicles come raining down on them."

"It's a work in progress!" Hinata chirps from behind.

"Hm. I see." Gorou nods, turning to Hinata. "Although, Hinata, I have a suggestion for you."

Hinata listens with apt attention.

"I believe this technique will improve significantly if you use a Polearm instead of a Claymore. From the looks of it, the claymore is still too heavy for someone your stature. I'd suggest you make the weapon switch." Gorou offers. Hinata looks back at Kageyama for an answer. Kageyama raises an eyebrow unhelpfully.

"But...won't I have to relearn some things?" Hinata questions Gorou, fiddling with his haori. "I think using something I'm familiar with would be better."

"Yes. I understand that." Gorou nods. "However, I would rather you take it one step at a time. Claymores are not a weapon many can master instantly. Many people first work with lighter weapons before switching to claymores. You'd need more muscle strength, endurance, and stamina to be able to use it fluidly.

"The reason I suggested a polearm is because it delivers a similar strength to your attacks as a claymore, but the only real difference is it's lighter and, while still melee, can be used as a long-range weapon, whereas a claymore is mostly useful for melee only." Gorou explains to Hinata, but the latter feels that the explanation got lost on him halfway.

"He's trying to say your build is better suited for a polearm than a claymore right now, dumbass," Kageyama summarized from the background.

"Can you go one sentence without calling me that, Bakageyama?!"

"What did you just call me?!"

Gorou watched as two of his subordinates devolved into mindless squabbling for the third time that day. He sighs heavily.

"Looks like those two have a long way to go..."

In the end, Hinata accepted using a polearm and Kageyama taught (read: drilled) the basics of it to Hinata. It's progress, albeit a little bit.

——

"Tsukki, have you heard of the two recruits that came in last week?"

"Hm."

"...Ah. Well, just thought to let you know that the other two beds in our room are gonna be occupied by them."

"...Fuck."