The sun was now fully above the horizon, casting long shadows across the training field. Renji stood before Sunil, sweat dripping from his forehead as he struggled to keep up with the World No. 6's movements.
Sunil crossed his arms, smirking. "Tired already, future rival? We've barely started."
Renji wiped the sweat from his chin. "Tch… You're just playing with me, aren't you?"
Sunil chuckled. "Of course. That's the essence of Celestial Dominion—I make you move how I want. Right now, I want you exhausted."
Renji narrowed his eyes. "Bastard."
Sunil laughed. "You'll thank me later. Now, let's take this up a notch."
__
Sunil placed a ball at his feet and gestured for Renji to come at him again.
"Your biggest weakness, Renji, is that you rely too much on instinct. You react to everything, instead of controlling the flow yourself."
Renji tensed. "That's not a weakness. My instincts have carried me this far."
Sunil smirked. "Yeah, yeah. But what happens when your instincts are being manipulated?"
Renji's eyes widened.
"That's what Celestial Dominion does," Sunil continued. "I use my movement to trick your instincts, make you think you're doing the right thing—only for it to be exactly what I want you to do."
Renji gritted his teeth. "Then how do I break free?"
Sunil smirked. "By seeing beyond instinct. By predicting, not reacting. Let's see if you can do it."
__
Renji lunged forward, determined to take the ball from Sunil.
Sunil shifted slightly—just a minor weight change—and Renji's body instinctively reacted. Before he knew it, he had moved exactly where Sunil wanted.
Sunil spun past him effortlessly.
Renji cursed under his breath. "Damn it—"
Sunil stopped and turned around. "See? You moved before you even thought. That's what I call 'False Instinct.' Your body reacts to what it thinks is right, but I'm always one step ahead."
Renji clenched his fists. "Then how do I stop falling for it?"
Sunil's smirk widened. "By thinking two steps ahead of me."
Renji's eyes gleamed. "Fine. Again."
_
This time, Renji slowed down.
He focused—not just on Sunil's movement, but on the space around him.
Sunil smirked. "Good. You're hesitating less."
Renji exhaled. He wasn't going to let Sunil dictate his movements anymore.
Sunil made his usual weight shift—but this time, Renji didn't bite.
Sunil's eyes flashed with amusement. "Oh?"
Renji grinned. "Not this time."
Sunil chuckled. "Interesting."
He tried another trick—this time using subtle footwork to make Renji lean the wrong way.
But Renji didn't fall for it.
He was seeing it now—the flow of movement. The manipulation of instinct.
Sunil stopped and grinned. "Not bad, self-proclaimed World Number One. You're starting to understand."
Renji smirked, his breath heavy. "I don't just understand—I'm gonna surpass you."
Sunil laughed. "Oh? Then let's keep going."
And so, Renji continued his battle to master Celestial Dominion—step by step, breaking free from the chains of instinct.
But could he truly reach Sunil's level?
Only time would tell.
To Be Continued…