Chapter 4

The big guy groaned as his back slammed against the crumbling wall with a loud, cracking noise. Stone and dust flew in all directions as the impact left a deep dent in the stone structure behind him. For someone that large, getting thrown like that shouldn't have been possible—especially not by me. His eyes burned with confusion and disbelief as he stood back up, blood trickling from the side of his lips. He wiped it away with the back of his massive hand, eyes locked onto me like I was some kind of mystery he couldn’t solve.

“What was that...? Did he just gain his power right now? But that’s not normal…”

Even the cloaked man muttered to himself. I could see it in his posture—his guard raised higher than before, eyes narrowed beneath the shadow of his hood. He didn't understand what just happened either. That made two of us.

Touka and Rin were still frozen where they stood, their gazes flickering between me and the enemies. Their expressions were more than just surprise. No… it was a mix of shock, awe, and maybe even something else—hope? The air around me felt hot, but not just because of the fire. There was something else—something deeper—burning inside me. I couldn’t explain it yet. Not even to myself.

“What the—!?”

Touka's voice cracked as she spoke, her eyes wide. She had seen me throw a punch before. She had sparred with me, trained beside me. But this… this wasn’t the same. The power that sent that monster of a man flying? It shouldn’t have been possible. Not from me.

I blinked, looking at my own hand as the smoke and light from the earlier burst faded. My fingertips tingled. I felt the heat dancing in my veins like a living flame—but also something else, something heavier, something grounded.

“Fire…?”

The word left my lips in confusion, barely audible. But even as I whispered it, I knew it wasn’t just fire. I felt it—layers beneath layers, different pulses running through me, like I wasn’t just burning—I was shifting, evolving.

Still, I couldn’t make sense of it. My head was spinning from the conversation with that old man in the other realm, and now this—whatever this power was—it reacted on its own. My hand had moved without thinking, deflecting not one, but two attacks from enemies that Rin and Touka had struggled against. Not because I was in control, but because something inside me refused to die.

“There’s no way weaklings like you have that kind of power.”

The cloaked man finally growled, his irritation leaking through every syllable. He didn’t like how I was still standing. I could see it now—he wasn’t playing anymore.

He lifted his hand, and floating beside him was that orb again—glowing, pulsing with energy that felt like suffocating darkness. It grew in size, easily larger than a volleyball this time, crackling with so much energy it warped the air around it. The orb hovered, charging—about to fire.

And yet… I felt it again.

That presence.

That instinct.

The part of me I didn’t recognize, but somehow trusted.

My hand moved before I could think, not to block, but to create.

A soft, fiery glow burst around my right hand—and in the next second, a weapon formed. A sword—not crafted of steel, but raw, condensed energy. It looked like fire, but it wasn’t flickering. It was shaped, sharp, alive. I could feel it—it was real. Like it had always been there, just waiting for me to call it.

I didn’t hesitate. I swung.

The burning blade met the projectile mid-air—and the result wasn’t just a clash.

It was annihilation.

“What?!”

The cloaked man staggered back, genuine panic laced in his voice now. The projectile didn’t just deflect—it vanished, cut clean through like it was nothing but smoke. Even Rin, who had been poised to strike, froze at the sight. She hadn’t seen that coming.

Neither did I.

Before I could fully process it, I felt the air shift again. A shadow surged toward me.

The big guy—he was back in the fight.

He threw a punch meant to take off my head—but Touka was faster. Her fist caught his, palm-to-palm, her arms glowing faintly from her buff spell. The ground cracked beneath her feet, but she didn’t flinch.

“Not this time,” she growled.

Rin rejoined the fray in an instant, her blade flashing as she lunged for the big guy’s blind side—but he twisted his body, barely avoiding her slash.

“What was that, man?” Rin turned to me, panting. Her tone was sharp, but I could hear the confusion in it. “What happened to you?”

I wanted to answer. I really did.

But how could I explain something I didn’t understand myself?

“Something… happened,” I replied, shaking my head. “Let’s talk about that later.”

That was all I could offer. The truth was, even I didn’t know what was happening. My body felt different, but not just in strength. My senses were sharper. My instincts louder. My breath came easy, even in the middle of chaos. But above all, something inside me kept whispering: More. There’s more.

And that whisper was right.

Our enemies weren’t done. The cloaked man and the big guy regrouped, and I could tell—they were finally taking us seriously. Their auras flared like firestorms, and they began charging again. This time, the air itself was shaking. Something was coming. Something big.

We didn’t have time to prepare.

Touka moved first, his hands rising in front of him.

“Barrier!”

The shield of glowing magic shimmered into place—but I could already tell. It wouldn’t hold. Not this time.

My body moved again—on its own. As if it remembered something I didn’t.

I stepped forward, placing my hand on the glowing wall of Touka’s barrier. Fire still danced in my chest, but something else surged beneath it—something heavier. Stronger. My vision shifted.

My red eyes turned orange-brown.

Earth.

The moment I tapped into it, I could feel it—particles around me, drawn to my will. The weight, the stability, the defense—it wasn’t flashy, but it was solid. I poured it into the barrier.

Cracks began to form—then healed instantly. The entire shield rippled and then hardened. The colors shifted—Touka’s light blue spell now lined with deep brown veins glowing like molten stone.

The attack hit.

But it didn’t break through.

The energy dissipated in an instant, as if swallowed whole.

Everyone—Touka, Rin, the cloaked man, the big guy—they all stared, stunned.

So was I.

I just… did that.

“He… used another element?” Touka muttered, almost to himself.

Rin didn’t say anything, but I could see it in her face. She was trying to understand—trying to figure out who I was now.

The truth? I didn’t know yet.

All I knew was this: the power inside me wasn’t just fire. It wasn’t just earth. It was more than that—and I had barely scratched the surface.

They were stronger than me in every way—in experience, in knowledge, in discipline.

But right now?

I was the only one evolving.

And something told me—

This fight was just the beginning.

“Cih, a dual-element user…”

The cloaked man growled under his breath, clearly not expecting a second element to emerge from me. His confidence faltered for a moment—but the big one didn’t wait. With reckless abandon, the brute lunged at us, his fist crashing down like a meteor. Touka's "Barrier" cracked under the force.

“Gahh…!” He stumbled back, sliding across the dirt, his heels digging into the ground as he steadied himself.

But just then, Rin’s eyes sharpened. She understood it was her role now—her opponent to face. Touka glanced at her and gave the subtlest of nods before stepping forward, switching his focus to the cloaked one.

“Let’s do this, guys.” Rin's voice echoed with confidence, and something about it snapped me back into the moment.

I wasn’t ready—at least mentally. But my body knew. I raised my hand again, releasing my earth elemental power, and with it, the previous "Barrier" that was barely holding together shattered completely.

This time, though, we were positioned correctly. Touka with the cloaked one, Rin with the brute. It clicked perfectly, like we had rehearsed this a thousand times—except we hadn’t. It was instinct. Maybe luck. Maybe something more.

In truth, I shouldn’t have been able to do that—release an element like that, flawlessly, on my first attempt. But I had imagined it countless times—during sleepless nights, watching anime, dreaming of what it would feel like to wield magic. That "imagination" somehow translated into reality, even if it was far from easy.

Touka didn’t waste time—he began casting again, evolving his level 1 Spell into something greater: a level 2 version that pushed the limits of his mana. It wasn’t fully stable, but it was stronger, and the sheer presence of someone standing with him—me—was enough to ignite his determination.

Rin, meanwhile, had already shifted into full motion—her speed, her strength—it was beyond anything I’d seen from her. She moved like lightning itself, matching the big man’s brute force step for step.

“This is bad…” The enemy realized it too.

Rin’s strike was about to land—a final blow—but the cloaked man wasn’t done yet. A quick chant, a wave of his hand, and suddenly, a barrier of darkness formed around the brute. It was more than just protection—it was a ritual.

"Something's happening..." I muttered, stepping forward.

The cloaked man’s lips curled into a cruel smile, a dark symbol unfurling across his face—from his lower jaw to above his brow. A seal. A sign. Something ancient.

Touka’s expression darkened.

“No…” His voice was barely audible, dread sinking in his eyes.
“They’re activating Half-Burst Mode.”

It was already too late to interrupt. That black sphere began to fade, and from within, the brute emerged. His body was smaller now, more compact—but that made him more dangerous. Muscles tightened like steel cables, his aura pulsing like a war drum. Every physical stat had surged.

The cloaked man howled with laughter, his hands gathering a mass of dark energy so dense it looked like a miniature black sun. I could feel it from where I stood—pure destruction. Enough to erase a 200-meter radius.

"That's... insane..."

But even that wasn’t all. The cloaked man’s aura surged as he too activated a similar technique. They were going all-in.

The brute roared, vanishing in an instant—then reappeared mid-air, his punch targeting Rin directly. She barely dodged it, but the sheer force of the strike was enough to displace air like a shockwave, obliterating the buildings nearby.

“Rin!!”

Touka and I both moved—but too late. The cloaked man intercepted us, unleashing a barrage of projectiles, one after another. We couldn’t get close.

Rin staggered, bleeding heavily. Her regeneration was faltering—she had overused her “Blood Veil” and was nearing her limit.

As for me—my inexperience showed. I left too many openings, and I paid for it.

Boom!

The cloaked man’s enhanced projectiles slammed into me, sending me flying like a ragdoll. Pain surged through my body—I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. But somehow, I was still alive.

“Look who turned the table now, kid.” That voice—mocking. Gloating.

I clenched my fists, dragging myself up. My body screamed at me to stop, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Touka was being overwhelmed—he had cast everything he had. Rin was barely standing.

“You’re out of spells, aren’t you?” The cloaked man raised his hand again.

“Hideki, go!!”

Touka’s voice rang out—and then, something inside me responded.

Electricity.

I don’t know how or why, but something surged within me—sharper than fire, more reactive than earth. It cracked through my nerves like a storm. My eyes burned again—this time not red, not brown—but a piercing blue-white, glowing with static.

“No way… That’s a third element?!”

Even the cloaked man stepped back.

I raised my hand instinctively—this time, I didn’t imagine a sword.

I created a spear of lightning. Pure, raw, chaotic energy that sparked and twisted in my grip.

“Damn… He changed a lot.” Touka smiled faintly, before his knees buckled and he collapsed, his mana completely spent.

I didn’t hesitate. My body still hurt. My head still spun. But I gripped the lightning tighter and took a step forward.

This time… I was the one turning the tables.

I remembered what my mentor once told me—“Your element will become your weapon if your will is strong enough.”
Clutching my burned hand, I focused. I imagined a sword—not just any sword, but one worthy of lightning itself. I could feel the crackle of energy building up from my fingertips. In a flash, a lightning-forged longsword formed in my grasp, humming with raw power.

No time to waste.

I surged forward, my body propelled by a speed I hadn't tapped into before. My vision blurred at the edges as I slashed directly toward the cloaked man. But—

CLANG!
My sword was stopped mid-air. A shimmering blue barrier pulsed between us.

“What?!” I gritted my teeth.

The cloaked man smirked under his hood. “You can’t defeat me like this,” he sneered. “My Barrier is far stronger than your friend’s little tricks.”

I narrowed my eyes. He was right. This wasn’t some second-rate defense. It completely stopped a blow that would've shattered Touka’s barrier in a single strike.

But then a weak voice spoke up behind me.

“You forgot... there’s an Arcane user here.”

Touka.

Barely conscious, bruised and battered, he raised his trembling hand. A small orb began to form—unstable, flickering with violet energy. I recognized the spell immediately: Dispel.

The orb floated straight toward the barrier.

The cloaked man’s eyes widened. “No—!”

The orb detonated against the barrier—not with force, but with pure disruption. The shimmering wall fizzled, twisted in on itself, and then vanished. Instantly.

His defense was gone.

“Nice one, Touka!!” I shouted, glancing back.

He gave me a faint smile before collapsing completely, unconscious but satisfied.

I turned back, raised my sword, and unleashed all the power left in me.

My lightning blade roared as it slashed toward him. He tried to cast something—his fingers moved in desperation—but it was too late. I saw his body twist just enough to dodge a direct blow… but not enough.

My sword ripped through his cloak, slicing across his ribs. Sparks scattered as he dropped to his knees, gasping for air. Blood seeped through his side. He looked up at me—furious, shocked, and most of all—exposed.

His hood fell back.

And then I saw his face.

“You…?! You’re the one with that witch, aren’t you?” My voice trembled—not out of fear, but fury.

“Cih,” he spat, annoyed that I recognized him.

Now I knew. This wasn’t just some random ambush. They came for—for a reason. The witch he worked with… she was part of the deeper plan. And this man, whoever he was, had been hunting us from the very beginning.

He staggered, trying to rise. I pointed my blade at him, crackling with renewed electricity.

“Move, and I’ll finish it.”

But he didn’t. He fell backward, unconscious from the damage. Whatever strength he had left, it wasn’t enough.

The battle was over.

The silence that followed was deafening. I could barely hear anything over my own heartbeat. Debris lay scattered, smoke rose from the ruins, and the others were either down or recovering slowly.

I dropped to one knee, my sword dissolving into light. My mana was almost gone.

But we won.

Barely.

One enemy down—but it cost us.
Touka was completely out of mana and had passed out. His chest barely rose and fell as he lay on the ground, drained from casting Dispel in that state.

The other one—the massive guy—looked stunned. He hadn’t expected his partner to fall so easily. That hesitation cost him.

He made a break for his fallen comrade, likely intending to get them both out of here. But before he could even make a step—

SHIIING!

Rin appeared right in front of him, her blade slicing clean through the air. Blood sprayed like mist.

“Where are you looking?” she said coldly. “I’m your opponent.”

His right hand hit the ground a second later.

“Damn it…” he growled, staggering back.

But his regeneration kicked in fast. Faster than before. Flesh bubbled and grew over the stump, halting the bleeding—though his blood had already painted the ground.

Still, he didn’t attack again. Not after seeing his partner down. Not with us watching his every move.

He dropped to one knee, gritting his teeth. “...I surrender,” he muttered.

Good. That meant we could finally get some answers.

I stepped forward. “I’ll ask once—who do you serve?”

He kept his head low. “I have nothing to do with that,” he replied flatly.

Liar.

Even without Touka’s insight magic, his body language gave him away. The twitch of his eye. The clench of his jaw. He was hiding something.

“Don’t try to lie,” I warned, tightening my grip on my sword. “Or I’ll—”

But he cut me off, scoffing.

“You already know who I am, don’t you? So why ask again?” He glanced at me through his damp hair, his voice low. “She’s no witch… If she knew I failed, she’d kill you just to make a point. Lucky your power awakened when it did.”

Pathetic. Still trying to scare us while bleeding out on the ground.

I stepped closer, my blade humming with lightning. “So what are you saying? Who is she?”

“You may not know now…” he whispered, “…but you’ll know when you see her.”

Cryptic. Useless. But even he knew better than to drop a name. That alone told me she was someone dangerous enough that even her own agents feared her wrath.

“Cih…”

I was getting annoyed. I could end him in a second.

That’s when I noticed—he moved one hand toward his ribs, not just to cover the wound.
He was doing something.

But he was subtle. His lips didn’t move. No chant. No magic circle.

Still, something felt... off.

Rin narrowed her eyes. She felt it too. As someone attuned to mana, she could sense fluctuations even when spells weren’t visible.

She hesitated, watching him carefully. Maybe she assumed it was just remnants of his “Half Burst” form still leaking out.

“Is that… Half Burst mode?” she muttered. “How is he mixing it with a spell?”

He glanced at her and gave a short, mocking laugh. “It’s just a normal spell. A third-level one.”

He didn’t elaborate, but I saw the glint in his eyes. He was stalling us.

I realized something. He’s setting up a teleportation spell.

Unlike the usual flashy kinds, this one was different—quiet. Efficient. Designed to slip out unnoticed.

Rin didn't move yet. She still thought it was part of his power fading off.

I gritted my teeth. “We shouldn’t wait anymore. He’s buying time.”

And just like that—a shimmer formed around him.

Too late. He vanished.

Only a small pulse of mana was left where he had been kneeling.

“Damn it!” I muttered. “That was a teleport.”

Rin sheathed her blade, her brow furrowed. “Third-level spell, huh…? Didn’t expect that.”

“We were too focused on the conversation,” I said. “But at least we know they were after us specifically.”

“And that there’s someone above them,” Rin added quietly. “Someone he’s terrified of.”

I glanced at the unconscious cloaked man still lying there. At least one of them was still with us.

“We should bring him back to the Academy,” I said. “We might get more from him once Touka wakes up.”

Rin nodded. “Agreed. Let’s move before more of them show up.”

“Oh shit, we’re late?!”

Panic hit me like a wave as I realized how much time had passed. That whole fight took longer than I thought. Just then, Touka stirred.

His eyes fluttered open, dazed. Still sitting on the ground, he looked around like he had just woken up from a strange dream.

“Guys…? What’s going on?”

“The battle’s over,” Rin said, stepping beside him. She’d just knocked out the big one again—he’d tried to move despite being down. “We need to bring them to the Pillars for questioning.”

“Before that…” I said, glancing at Rin, “…uh, you might wanna wipe your face.”

Blood—her own—was smeared across her cheek and hands. She had that eerie calm about her, as if none of it mattered. Rin was a good person… but during battle? That was a different story.

“Right,” she said, casually wiping the blood with the back of her glove.

Touka had managed to stand now, still a bit unsteady, but good enough to run. We were about to move out—until the air behind the two enemy bodies shimmered.

A dark portal erupted behind each of them.

“What the hell—?!” I turned, just in time to see the unconscious one getting dragged toward the vortex.

But it wasn’t just sucking them in. It was repelling us, like the air itself was pushing us back.

A shadowy figure smirked through the spiraling darkness.

“Haha… stupid kids. You really thought you could take me there?”

“Shit, so this is what he was setting up…” Rin growled, eyes narrowing.

He’d been casting this the whole time—slow, hidden, and undetected until it was too late.

“What should we do?! Touka, use your Dispel! Hurry!” I shouted, panic rising.

Touka gritted his teeth. “I… I don’t have enough mana. Sorry.”

I clenched my fists. Damn it. Were we really going to let them escape again?

Then, a sound of wind comes.

A purple streak sliced through the air.

The man's head hit the ground before any of us even realized what had happened.

The portal flickered—and vanished.

“Alright. He’s done,” said a cheerful voice.

We turned.

“Aoba?!”

There she stood, casually lowering her sword, a small, satisfied smile on her face. She looked so calm, almost like this was a morning stroll.

It was strange seeing her like this. I hadn’t seen Aoba fight in years. Two years locked away in my own home, and now… there she was. Stronger. Faster. Maybe even stronger than Rin.

Her sword wasn’t flashy—thin, light, made for agility. But it pulsed with a subtle purple aura. I didn’t know what her power was exactly… but it felt powerful.

“Why did you kill him?!” I snapped. “We could’ve interrogated him—he might’ve known more than the other!”

Aoba tilted her head, still smiling.

“It’s fine. We already know who their leader is, right? Bringing him back would've been pointless.”

Her tone was casual. Too casual.

I clenched my jaw. That wasn’t the point.

Still… something in her eyes told me she wasn’t as carefree as she looked. She made that decision fast. Too fast. Maybe she knew something we didn’t.

Touka and Rin stayed silent. Their expressions made it obvious—they already knew. They had recognized the cloaked figure’s face the moment it was revealed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, feeling a knot in my chest.

“Nii-san,” Rin said softly, “that was the same woman you saw a year ago. Back when you were forced to go to school.”

That day… yeah, I remembered. I wasn’t there for classes or anything. I only went to grab something Aoba had left behind. But what I found wasn’t normal.

The school was too quiet. Like time itself had stopped. No people. No sound. Not even a breeze. Just silence and stillness so heavy it almost crushed me.

And yeah, I did leave the house that day—rare for me, honestly. I’d only gone because I had no choice.

“Well… yeah,” I admitted. “I saw a woman go in through the front entrance. Thought she was a teacher.”

“No,” Rin replied. “She’s the witch. But it’s strange. The other Pillars supposedly killed her after that. So how is she alive now?”

Touka nodded. “It really might be her…”

Back then, both Touka and Rin were way weaker than they are now. Like the others in that building, they had been asleep under her spell, knocked out cold. They didn’t remember a thing after she was killed—at least, that’s what we were told.

“I don’t know what’s going on either,” Aoba said, her tone serious for once. “We do know there’s a Great Commander hiding in the city. But… could it really be her?”

It made sense. A Great Commander wouldn’t die so easily—not even against the Pillars. If she really had returned, it meant something far more dangerous was at play.

“I think there’s something wrong with the intel,” Touka added. Then he looked at Aoba. “As an Outer, you should check it out.”

Wait. Outer?

“Hold on—you're an Outer now?!” I turned to Aoba, shocked. And maybe… a little proud.

She blinked. “Well… yeah. I thought you knew.”

“What? Of course I didn’t. You never told me.”

“I did tell you,” she pouted, “you just didn’t notice.”

She sounded a little disappointed, but honestly, I was just glad to know she was one now.

Outers were elite. Skilled in both combat and intelligence, they were handpicked by the Pillars. Some were their apprentices, others earned their position through the annual tournaments. They handled smaller missions directly from the Pillars—and there were a lot more of them than Inners, who were the Pillars themselves.

In fact, our organization—was run by both Inners and Outers. Most division heads were Inners, or they can be no ordinary person.

“Well,” Aoba said with a grin, “let’s get going. I’ll make sure none of you get punished for today. You earned that much.”

We were lucky to have her on our side.

We headed back to school. It wasn’t far from the battleground, and Aoba had already confirmed that the people from the train attack were safe.

As for the guy we captured… we honestly didn’t know what to do with him. But Aoba had that covered too. She’d make sure he was delivered to our organization. That freed us up to return to school.

Nothing special happened there. Just the usual whispers and surprised looks—people couldn’t believe I actually showed up today. I wandered the campus for a bit, half-distracted, looking for someone.

But I didn’t find Koji.

Maybe he had business elsewhere.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t just a normal student anymore. He had to be something more—if not a Pillar yet, then at least an Outer. In the worst case, he was already caught up in all this.

After that day, everything goes normal. One thing not normal is I kept getting forget what lesson do I have to learn at school. Because if you forgot the lesson, then you don’t know what book do you have to bring. Good thing I have Aoba here. I can see her disappointed eyes. But it is what it is.

People keep seeing me weird because I didn’t usually go to school this often and I started to do a normal life again. Well, after 2 years at home, I find it hard because I have to adapt to the many changes outside.

At this point, I knew I had to start training again. If I didn’t, I’d never be able to catch up—especially not to Koji. My goal right now was to awaken my “Half Burst.” It wouldn’t be easy. Not many people could awaken that power, but if I wanted to become an Outer, it was a necessary step.

“Aoba, train me!”

“Umm… I just got home. Are you sure about this?”

“What do you mean? Of course I am! But if you’re tired, we can do it tomorrow.”

I realized I was being impulsive. She had just gotten back from school. But something in me wanted to push forward—test out these new powers of mine.

“Well… but where are we supposed to train? We can’t exactly go to Tomoe-san’s temple this late.”

Now it felt like our roles had reversed—she was the big sister, and I was just the younger brother.

We were at my apartment. I lived on the 8th floor, so obviously, I didn’t have space to train here. Then Aoba noticed something—a small field next to the building. Not huge, but enough.

“What about that field?”

“Wait… You mean that guy’s field? We can’t just use it without permission!”

“Whatever. I don’t think the owner will even notice. Hehe.”

She didn’t even care. But since she was fine with it, I guess I couldn’t complain either. Still… I felt a little bad.

Then, without warning, Aoba leapt off the balcony.

“Wait, what the hell?!”

But of course, I was the one who forgot. Her power is Gravitation. Jumping from the 8th floor? That’s nothing to her. She floated down effortlessly, waving at me.

“Come on, Nii-san!”

“Are you insane?! You want me to die?!”

“Just jump.”

I hesitated… a lot. But eventually, I jumped—and immediately regretted it. I had no control, no technique, and nothing to help me land safely. Panic surged through me.

“WOAAAH—!!!”

“Gravitational Ball: Control.”

My body stopped midair, gently caught by a glowing orb in her hand. My heart nearly exploded. She’d saved me at the last second. I’d completely forgotten she could do that.

That orb was her signature move: Gravitational Ball. It controls gravity in a fixed area around it, but can’t stray too far from its user or else it vanishes.

“I forgot you could do that…”

“I told you about it already, didn’t I?” she said with a tiny, knowing smile.

“Eghm… Yeah. I guess I forgot.”

“I see.”

And then, without warning—she cut the power. I dropped like a stone.

“WH—Why’d you do that?!”

“Nothing.”

“Then what now?!”

“For the first part of training… I want to see how strong you are, Nii-san.”

“…Wait. You mean we’re dueling?!”

She only smiled.

There was no escaping it.

After two years of doing nothing, this would be my first real step forward. Well, technically, it started earlier—with that alleyway battle.

Still… she was on a whole different level than me. There was no way I could touch her. She wouldn’t even have to get serious.

But that’s okay. That’s what training is for.

“Alright then. Shall we begin?”

“Shall we?”

The moment I lunged toward her with my fist, the world shifted. In an instant, the scenery around us warped—colors twisted, buildings blurred into nothing, and suddenly, we stood in a vast, empty dimension of silver mist and violet skies.

“Wha—?!”

She already activated a duel field. Classic Aoba—always one step ahead.

Before I could even process it, three orbs appeared, floating behind her like silent sentries. Her “Gravitational Balls.” She gestured sharply— A sudden invisible force hurled me backward like a ragdoll.

“Cih… that power is seriously annoying.”

She stood tall, relaxed. Confident. “Come.”

That tone. Calm, unwavering—like she already knew how this would end. I clenched my fists.

“Alright then. Let’s heat this up.”

I surged forward, igniting flames from my legs—zigzagging in quick, erratic motions. Heat distorted the air around me. She tracked my movement with sharp eyes, but I was already above her, launching a searing Flame Burst downward.

She sidestepped smoothly using Flow, like water moving around rocks. With a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed her Teleportation Dagger behind me.

Shlink!

Then— She vanished and reappeared behind me, her blade gleaming mid-swing.

“Crap—!”

I barely raised an Earth Shield, but her blade cracked it clean through and sent me crashing back.

“That was close…”

Debris floated around me in slow motion as her gravitational field twisted the battlefield’s physics. Then—she was in front of me again.

Too fast. Way too fast.

Her blade flashed. The ground erupted as her slash shattered my barrier completely. I was knocked back again—gritting my teeth, overwhelmed by just how wide the gap between us had grown.

“That’s it? Don’t tell me you’re done already.”

“Tch… that was way too fast.”

“Rule number one,” she said, stepping forward with that familiar stern look, “never hold back. Even against family.”

She relaxed for a split second. That was all I needed.

Electricity surged through my body—I focused on the dagger she left earlier, sending a jolt of Lightning Current to connect with it. My body blinked across space—teleporting.

“What—?!”

Her eyes widened in surprise. I appeared behind her mid-air, forming a Lightning Blade in my hand. She twisted instinctively, barely parrying the strike. Sparks exploded on contact, lighting up the gray void.

“You copied my dagger trick?”

“Let’s call it inspiration.”

We clashed again—flame, lightning, and steel dancing between us. I pushed forward, our weapons grinding with intense pressure.

She shoved me back with gravity again, but I anchored myself mid-air with wind pressure, riding on a gust I barely knew how to control.

“Wait—wind now too?!”

“Guess I’m full of surprises.”

She smirked, but I could see her calculating. This time, she raised her hand and compressed gravity around me, locking me in place—and with a flick—flung me skyward like a toy.

I spiraled up uncontrollably. Too high. I was going to be crushed if I didn’t act fast. I reached deep. Focused.

Something clicked. A hum filled my ears. Wind gathered around my body—and then I stopped falling. I floated.

“You really awakened Wind mid-fight?!”

I flew toward her like a dart. She barely blocked the first strike, but I wasn’t done. I raised my hand—Water Swirl coiled from nowhere and trapped her in a floating sphere.

“W-Wait—WATER?!”

She tried to break free, but I combined it with Flame Sword—superheated steam exploded, then I unleashed a final Lightning Thrust, piercing through her weakening barrier.

ZAAAP!!

“Aghhh!”

She collapsed to one knee, paralyzed by the shock. The dimension cracked around us and began to fade—returning us to the rooftop of our world.

“You okay, Aoba?”

She looked up at me, breathing heavily, then smiled. “Yeah… You’ve changed so much in just two days, Nii-san. I can’t predict you anymore.”

“I didn’t expect Wind to awaken mid-fall, but… yeah. I guess I’m lucky today.”

“When did you get Water?”

“Yesterday.”

She blinked, then chuckled softly. “You awakened five elements in two days… That’s beyond rare. You really are something else.”

As we walked back toward the apartment, side by side, her tone turned lighter.

“But next time, I won’t lose. I’ll fight seriously.”

“Wait, you weren’t serious?!”

“Hehe.”

Even though I won, I knew deep down she was still holding back. But I also knew—this was just the beginning. And with five elements awakened... Things were about to get much harder from here.