"I know, it's a little soon since you aren't at the peak yet. I wanted to talk to everyone at once, but that would leave you with nothing to do while they learn to manipulate their mindscapes. So what do you say?" Muku continued.

"...Um, is it possible to continue learning hand-to-hand combat when they are occupied?" Freya asked after thinking about it for a bit.

"Yes... But don't you want to rest your body as well?" Muku replied.

"Well, actually, I've noticed that I'm dead last in hand-to-hand combat. Sure, Emily isn't much better than me but she has an element which can make her a lot better in battle by assisting her movements. So we aren't the same. For that reason, I feel I need to practice for longer just to keep up. I was trying to figure out how to tell you about it actually..." Freya explained herself.

"Oh, okay. If that's what you want, I have no issues with it" Muku replied understandingly.

"Yeah... I am grateful that you allowed me to learn something ahead of time just to keep me involved though" Freya expressed her gratitude to Muku for his thoughtfulness.

It made her feel valued and seen in the team even if she never had a reason to question her position. It was just one of those things girls did... Overthinking about nonexistent problems.

"Well, you are a valuable member of the team. Just as important as the others. So of course I wouldn't want to mistreat you" Muku replied smilingly.

"Even then, thank you... So, if you please. Can you create that clone for me?" Freya requested.

"Clone? Why?" Muku asked confusedly.

"Well... To teach me martial arts..." Freya replied hesitantly, not sure why Muku seemed confused.

She thought about what she said multiple times in her head and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. This made her more nervous...

"I know what you mean but why would I create a clone to attend to you when I'm free and can perfectly do it myself?" Muku explained.

"Oh... No no! I couldn't bother you so much! A clone is fine!" Freya finally understood his confusion and she immediately tried to back off.

"Girl you do know that I'm still the one deciding everything and interacting with you when it's a clone right?" Muku asked with a raised eyebrow.

Freya's reaction was just way too exaggerated after all.

"Yeah, but it's still different from your physical body" Freya tried to defend her point.

"Oh is that what you think? Well, whatever, I don't care, I'm going to be teaching you with my real body. In fact, from now on, whenever you and I train, it will be like this. We can use it as our bonding time too since there seems to be some lingering hesitance and reverence in the way you address me. And I will not have that in my team. Here we're all equal..." Muku put his foot down as he walked toward Freya.

The girl lowered her head and tried to step back. However, she bumped into an invisible wall right away.

She immediately closed her eyes and started shaking. From her reaction, one would think that she was a defenceless girl who was about to fall prey to a predator.

Seeing this made Muku freeze for a bit but he ultimately continued advancing. It was something that had to be done.

While Freya will eventually get used to him completely. Which he had already seen many snippets of... He didn't feel like waiting. Besides, he was doing it for training.

Bullying her was just an unexpected treat. Like he said many times before, Freya really was the best target for bullying.

Her natural disposition literally invited bullying. She didn't want it, but that's what it was...

And it's not like it was negative bullying. He was just playing around with his shy and cute teammate that's all... That can't be something bad right?

"Girl am I that scary to you?" Muku asked softly after reaching Freya.

He deliberately came so close to Freya that their faces were touching.

The shy girl felt it and goosebumps covered her whole body.

Her face turned crimson from light pink.

Muku even stepped back as he was afraid that she would faint or something.

"Hey, if you're so unwilling we can do it your way..." Muku spoke from a few metres away from Freya.

"Really?" Freya asked as her eyes snapped open.

"Yes... But you will have to provide the mana I'll use to create the clone along with the mental energy. After all, it's your request right? And it's quite costly." Muku mentioned something Freya didn't expect to hear.

Like who lied in such obvious ways? If the clones were so hard to make and costly, how did he make eight with little effort before?!

"I know you're thinking about how I made some before. But that was part of the planned training. So there was a budget. However, this is your personal request. And I haven't recovered, so you can only pay or we're not doing it..." Muku reasoned with Freya in a way that made her suspect that something was wrong but she couldn't prove it...

"Okay... How do I pay for it then?" Freya replied even though she felt like she'd regret it.

"A decisive lady huh?... I like it! Well, fortunately for you ma'am it's not too expensive. You just have to give me fifty percent of your mana.... And it can only be done through a long kiss.... Don't look at me like that. I don't make the rules. It's really how it goes I promise!" Muku shamelessly laid down his conditions.

"I... I think I'll accept your first proposal please" Freya replied after calming down her racing heart and glancing and Muku's inviting lips a few times.

Honestly, she considered it. But then she remembered that they were in a public space with all their teammates who could wake up at anytime present.

It was just too risky. What if someone woke up just as they began kissing? What if that someone is Jade? And even worse, Emily?... At that point, everyone knew that Emily had a dark side which only woke up when Muku was involved. And they didn't want to wake it up.

After all, they were all aware of that time Jade lost her hair after stealing a kiss from Muku.

And unlike Jade, they didn't have a mysterious bloodline which would restore their hair... That is if Emily only targets the hair...

Anyway, the point was that Freya wasn't that daring.

"Well, that's kind of disappointing, but okay. We'll do that then. Now get ready, we've wasted enough time" Muku replied while all the goofiness from before was replaced by seriousness.

It was then that Freta realised that she had been tricked and it had all been an act.

And she felt slightly betrayed, but it was too late. Now she could only commit to what was.

With that, the two started sparring with Muku guiding Freya on the correct way of doing things.

Tracy who had been looking from the sidelines since the beginning was thoroughly entertained.

She didn't completely understand what was happening or the reactions. But she felt like she was watching something scandalous and it felt great!

She was planning on telling Layla everything later on in hopes of getting an explanation on what was happening.

If Muku knew what she was planning he would probably beg her with everything he had not to do that. After all, who knew how Layla would react? In fact, no matter how she reacted, it would probably not be good for him.

.....

A few hours later...

Muku woke the girls up from their meditative states. It was time to do something else.

Gaining control of their inner sense wasn't something which could be done in one day so there was no need to give them more time.

At that time Freya was breathing heavily while lying on the ground with torn clothes. This startled the others, but they calmed down after the explanation.

It turned out that she asked Muku to go a bit harder in the training since she operated better under pressure. Which he agreed to and that left her in her current state.

The others didn't pursue the matter anymore after that. As for whether they'd have done the same if they knew that Muku got a bit too excited at some point and began targeting Freya's butt with slaps when she showed openings... We'll never know.

In fact, even some of the cuts on her dress were intentional. He said that it was so that she could physically see where her openings were. But she knew that he was just bullying her.

She felt extremely wronged but was too embarrassed to say anything. And so, she kept quiet about her bruised ego and aching butt until Hope healed her.

Fortunately, she was wearing a dress from Mrs C which could not only turn into a training outfit, but could also regenerate the torn parts until it was as good as new.

And even though he was shamelessly bullying her, he taught her so well that she made at least twice the progress in the session compared to the last one.

What she didn't know was that Muku wasn't spanking her just for the fun of it... Well, it was mostly for the fun of it. But it was also to get closer. He even reminded her how it was technically the second time he did.

Which made Iris curse loudly in her mindscape.

Anyway, it was time to move on to the next thing.... FORCE!