Reborn as Baby

~ Rei's Pov ~

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"Alright, do you have what you need, Saya?" I asked, glancing at the supplies we'd managed to gather. I had already packed most of the necessities—water, basic survival tools, and a few extras. I'd intentionally skipped packing combat rations. With our strength, hunting for food wouldn't be an issue, and packing extra clothing seemed like the smarter choice for a trip like this.

Saya nodded, zipping up her pack. "Ah, yeah. I'm just about done packing my things," she said, then paused, her gaze flicking toward me. "Do you have your scouter on you?"

I froze for a moment, my mind immediately going to the empty space on my hip where the device usually rested. My heart sank.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. I'd forgotten it—a rookie mistake, and one I had no excuse for making.

Saya smirked, tossing her bag over her shoulder. "Thought so. You've got to be kidding me, Rei. We're heading out, and you don't even have your scouter?"

"I was focused on packing everything else," I shot back defensively, crossing my arms. "It slipped my mind."

"That's not exactly reassuring, you know," Saya teased, walking past me toward the door. "What are you going to do if we get separated or need to track something? Guess where everything is by instinct?"

I rolled my eyes, grabbing my gear and following her. "Relax. I'll grab it before we head out. It's not like I'm completely useless without it, Saya."

She glanced over her shoulder, a grin on her face. "Maybe not completely useless, but you're definitely cutting it close. Seriously, you've got to be more careful."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, brushing off her comment.

As much as I hated to admit it, she had a point. Forgetting my scouter was sloppy, and I couldn't afford to make mistakes like that—not with everything going on.

"Fine," I said, heading toward my quarters. "I'll grab it now. You go ahead and double-check our route while I'm at it."

"Got it," Saya replied, giving me a mock salute before heading toward the control room.

As I walked back to my quarters, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Forgetting my scouter was bad enough, but it felt like a symptom of something bigger—a distraction I couldn't afford to have.

"Focus, Rei," I reminded myself while I entering my room and grabbing the scouter from its stand. Sliding it onto my ear, I took a deep breath, calming down...

That damned marriage was definitely getting to me.

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~ Baby's Pov, A few hours later ~

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"To think this technique would be so difficult to control," I muttered, flexing my hands as a faint glow flickered around my claws.

I'd been at it for hours now, each attempt pushing me closer to the limit of my endurance. My body ached, and my ki reserves were running low, but I could feel it—progress. The energy was starting to respond more naturally, the feedback through my arms less chaotic.

I focused, drawing in a steady breath and channeling ki into my claws once again. The energy swirled, bright and sharp, but this time, I approached it differently. Instead of forcing raw power into the technique, I let the energy flow more evenly, spreading the strain across my arm rather than concentrating it all at once.

The glow stabilized, arcs of energy crackling softly as I raised my hand.

Fwish!

I slashed at the air experimentally, and the energy held firm. The usual jolt of searing pain I'd grown used to wasn't gone, but it was noticeably dulled.

"Hmph," I muttered, a small grin tugging at my lips. "That's an improvement."

I turned toward a larger target—a jagged outcropping of rock nearby. This one was thicker, denser than the boulder I'd shattered earlier. Perfect for testing the limits.

I steadied my stance, ki flaring around my body as I prepared the strike. My claws began to glow brighter, the energy intensifying but remaining stable.

"Let's see what this feels like now," I said, my grin widening.

I lunged forward, claws slashing through the air with precision.

CRACK! BOOM!

The strike tore through the rock like paper, splitting it clean in two and sending shards of stone flying. The force of the attack rippled outward, instantly cracking the ground beneath my feet.

I stumbled slightly as the recoil hit me, the sharp pang in my arms reminding me I wasn't finished yet. But the pain… it was different this time. Less, overwhelming.

I flexed my fingers a bit, rolling my shoulders as I assessed the damage. "Half." I gave a relatively crude assessment, shaking my head. "I'm feeling maybe half the pain I did before."

The technique wasn't perfect yet, but this was sure progress—a big one, if I were to add. Reducing the pain meant I could probably push the technique further, channeling more power without the risk of it completely wearing me down my body in the process.

"This could work, for now at least..." I said to myself. "Yep, it could definitely work."

I glanced at the shattered remains of the rock, the faint humming of energy still clinging to my claws... The technique was far from its full potential, but it felt like it was more so mine now.

"Alright," I said, stepping back and steadying my breathing. "Again. Let's make try to make it even better."

Pang~

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"A power level... No, two massive power levels are heading this direction?" Just when I thought I had finally gotten some form of peace. I'll Just have to take my chances in the cavern again, I don't want to be known yet...

Maybe I can train there instead, but I would have to see how close they are to that location...

Either way, the grind to the top never stops.

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END