Chapter 9: Demonstrating Abilities Part 2

Yuzo climbed the steps slowly.

Every step was a reminder of what he had seen from below. Eldren on the ground. Heliya launched backward. Mozir with his face slammed into the platform.

He was nervous. He wasn't going to deny it.

But there was something else. A thought that wouldn't leave him as he climbed.

I hope I can control my stellar ability.

He reached the platform and stopped.

Zianya was in front of him, at a distance that wasn't much but felt sufficient. She observed him with that calm of hers that so resembled her mother's.

Zianya noticed the tension in every part of his body.

-Calm down a little -she said softly-. This is just to see your abilities. Nothing more than that.

A brief pause.

-Take a deep breath. It'll help you relax.

Yuzo obeyed.

He closed his eyes. Breathed deep, slowly, letting the air fill his lungs completely before releasing it.

When he opened his eyes, something had changed in his expression.

-I'm ready.

From below, Joshido watched him in silence.

It wasn't something he said out loud. He never did. But as he watched his younger brother standing on the platform, something warm settled in his chest.

You can do it.

Zianya tilted her head slightly.

-I'm not as patient as my brother.

And she attacked.

Without any more warning than that, the platform floor responded to her will. Several earth balls formed in the air and shot directly toward Yuzo in rapid succession.

Yuzo didn't expect it.

His body reacted on instinct. He managed to dodge some, moving with a speed that surprised even himself. But the others found him.

The impact was direct. Each blow left a sensation of pain and burning in his body that didn't disappear immediately, as if the earth itself had embedded into his skin.

Yuzo shook his hands against his body, removing the remains of earth that had stuck to him.

He was clear on what he had to do.

Attack.

-I was gentle with that attack -said Zianya, with a calm that promised nothing good-. But I won't be anymore.

Yuzo swallowed.

I can't let fear control me.

He ran toward her.

Without using his ability. Just his legs, his natural speed, his determination.

Zianya saw him coming.

Without rushing, she extended a hand toward the ground in front of her. The earth responded immediately, forming a sticky, dense layer right in Yuzo's path.

Yuzo didn't see it in time.

His feet touched that earth and everything changed. The momentum of his run plunged him into the sticky surface and his legs became trapped, unable to move.

Zianya crossed her arms.

-I told you I wouldn't be gentle -she said-. Let's see if you can get out.

Yuzo pulled with all his strength.

Nothing.

The earth wouldn't give. His feet stayed there, as if the ground had claimed them.

From below, Joshido couldn't hold back anymore.

-Use your ability!

But Yuzo shook his head without looking back. He refused to use it. He didn't want to.

-Come on, Yuzo! -Heliya shouted.

-You can do it! -Naiden added.

-Don't give up! -said Eldren.

A little further back, Renir watched everything in silence. Without a gesture. Without a word. Just like Jojiro, who from a corner of the platform kept following the scene with an attention that hadn't let up since the beginning.

Then Yuzo felt something.

His feet weren't just trapped.

They were sinking.

Slowly. Almost imperceptibly. But downward.

-What's happening? -he asked, the alarm filtering into his voice.

Zianya looked at him with the same calm as always.

-If I were you I'd hurry -she said-. Find a way to get out. Otherwise... you'll sink into the earth. And you'll stop breathing.

Yuzo's feet kept sinking.

Centimeter by centimeter, the earth was claiming him downward with a patience that had no intention of stopping.

From below, the voices wouldn't stop.

-Yuzo, use your ability! -Joshido shouted.

-You have no other choice! -Eldren added.

-Do it now! -Heliya said.

-Yuzo, please! -Naiden insisted.

Zianya kept watching him with her arms crossed, without moving, without reacting.

In the corner of the platform, Jojiro watched him with an expression that wasn't indifference.

Why doesn't he want to use it? What does he fear?

Yuzo wasn't listening to anyone.

His mind was somewhere else.

The only way out is with my ability. I know it.

His feet sank a little more.

But if I use it... I don't know if I'll be able to control it.

A brief pause in his thoughts.

Maybe... if I only use a little...

That was where he stopped doubting.

Something ignited in him. An energy that had been contained, waiting.

He activated his stellar ability.

Speed.

And in an instant, he disappeared.

Zianya blinked.

-Where did he go? What happened?

From below, the group erupted.

-Yes!

-Finally!

-Yuzo!

Renir didn't celebrate. But his eyes couldn't look away from the spot where Yuzo had been a second before.

That fast? The youngest of all?

In the corner, Jojiro had an expression he rarely showed.

Impressed.

The ability is speed.

A brief smile.

He really is fast.

A few seconds passed.

Zianya frowned. Something told her she wasn't alone on the platform.

She turned slowly.

And there was Yuzo.

Right behind her.

Zianya's eyes opened wide.

-When did you...?

Yuzo looked at her with a smile he didn't try to hide.

-My stellar ability is speed -he said-. And I think I'm the fastest of all.

Zianya looked at him with an expression that wasn't surprise but acceptance of the challenge.

-So the fastest, huh? -she murmured-. That remains to be seen.

The wood element responded to her call immediately. A capsule began forming around Yuzo, closing rapidly.

But Yuzo was no longer there.

He had moved before it finished forming. Now he was at a distance, watching her with caution.

-You managed to escape -said Zianya, without that changing her expression-. This time it'll be harder for you.

Around her, sharp wooden roots began to appear, floating in the air as if waiting for an order. One. Two. Several. All pointing toward Yuzo with a precision that left little room for error.

Zianya launched them one by one.

Yuzo dodged them.

Using only a little of his ability, just enough to move without losing control. But his mind wasn't only on dodging. He was searching. Calculating. Waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

From below, the group couldn't take their eyes off the platform.

Watching him move like that, dodging each root with that speed, had them completely hooked.

Joshido watched his brother without saying a word.

Don't lose your concentration. Keep it up.

Zianya created the sharp roots again.

She launched them all at once.

Yuzo dodged them one after another, moving between them with an agility that used every available centimeter. When the last one grazed him, he made his decision.

It was the moment.

He launched himself straight at Zianya.

But that was exactly what she wanted.

Without losing an instant, Zianya scattered earth into the air with a precise movement. The cloud expanded between them, completely clouding Yuzo's vision.

Yuzo stopped.

Exactly at the point Zianya needed.

The wood capsule began closing around him with a speed that gave him no margin to think. Yuzo perceived it at the last instant and activated his ability.

But desperation worked against him.

He didn't calculate well the amount of power he used. Too much. He shot forward with a force he couldn't control, managing to escape the capsule but losing his direction completely. His body hit the platform floor and slid several meters before stopping.

Zianya didn't waste that moment.

The capsule closed over him before he could recover.

From inside, sharp thorns sprouted from the wooden walls, pointing directly at Yuzo, not touching him but leaving him no space to move.

Zianya watched the capsule.

-It's over -she said-. You were defeated.

When the wood capsule disappeared, Yuzo was sitting on the ground.

His face said everything.

Disappointment. Pure and unfiltered.

Zianya saw it.

And something in her chest moved, though she didn't let it out. She stayed silent.

Then a voice was heard from below.

-Yuzo, you did well! -Heliya shouted.

-You're strong! -Naiden added.

-There's no one faster than you! -said Eldren.

A smile escaped Joshido before he could stop it. He watched his younger brother receive everyone's support, and something warm settled in his chest.

Yuzo's face changed.

Slowly. The disappointment gave way little by little.

He stood up, shaking the dirt from his clothes, and when he began stepping off the platform, Zianya spoke.

-Yuzo.

He stopped and looked at her.

-I thought you were going to be easy -said Zianya-. But you were more complicated than I expected. Keep it up.

Yuzo didn't respond. He just nodded and went down the steps.

They were waiting for him below.

-It was incredible watching you use your ability -said Eldren.

-I couldn't see your movements -Heliya added, still surprised.

Naiden looked at him with a serious but warm expression.

-For a moment... you reminded me of your mother.

Those words hit him in a way no attack had managed. A warmth that spread through his chest and that, for an instant, made him forget he still didn't control his ability.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Joshido.

-Mom would have been excited to see you use the ability.

Yuzo looked at him.

-I hope someday I can show her how strong we are.

Joshido didn't respond.

He just smiled.

Jojiro, from his corner, wasn't looking at the group.

He was looking at Zianya.

His sister was breathing with more weight than usual. The encounter with Yuzo had cost her more than anyone would have expected.

You made the same mistake as me. Underestimating them.

Zianya took a deep breath.

Then she turned toward the group.

-Naiden. Get on the platform.

Naiden's eyes opened wide.

-My turn already -he murmured, looking at the others-. Wish me luck.

Naiden stepped onto the platform.

Zianya observed him from the moment he set foot on the floor. There was something about him. She didn't know exactly what, but she noticed it immediately.

She decided not to give it importance for now.

-I want to see what your father taught you -she said calmly-. I want to see how good you are with the fire element.

Naiden didn't respond immediately.

He lowered his gaze toward his hands.

He waited.

The fire didn't come.

He closed his eyes to concentrate. He searched for that place where it had always been, that connection he had built alongside his father since he was small.

And what he found wasn't fire.

It was his father's face.

Burned. Unrecognizable. His body lying in the rain, breathing with a difficulty that hurt just to remember.

He opened his eyes suddenly.

He was afraid.

He lowered his head slowly and, without looking at Zianya, said quietly:

-I can't use the fire element.

Zianya frowned.

-What do you mean?

Naiden didn't want to give details. He couldn't.

-It's impossible for me to use it -he said simply-. The fire doesn't respond to my call.

The silence that followed was different from all the others.

Zianya observed him. The anguish on Naiden's face that he was trying to hide with his head down wasn't something she could ignore. She approached slowly.

-Don't worry -she said with a softness she hadn't used throughout the entire training-. We'll find a way to help you.

From below, no one spoke for a moment.

Naiden. The one who had always carried fire with pride. The one who had grown up learning to master it alongside his father. Unable to use it.

No one knew how to process that.

Naiden stepped off the platform in silence.

Yuzo was the first to approach.

-Don't worry -he said-. We're all going to help you.

-Don't pressure yourself so much -Heliya added.

Joshido looked at him with a quiet firmness.

-We all believe in you.

Eldren waited a second and then said with a smile:

-And don't be afraid of getting burned.

Heliya shot him a look that needed no words.

Eldren received it, got slightly nervous and took a small step back.

Naiden didn't respond to any of them.

He just kept looking at the ground in silence, carrying the weight of something that no encouraging word could fully ease.

A little further back, Renir watched the scene with some irritation.

Seriously? They need others to support them?

That's weakness.

Zianya watched them for a moment from the platform.

Then she spoke.

-Joshido.

Joshido didn't hesitate.

In the instant he stepped onto the platform, he activated his substantial weapon.

From his wrists, metallic blades emerged from his own skin with a cold, precise flash, extending as natural extensions of his body.

Zianya's eyes opened slightly.

From his corner of the platform, Jojiro was left impressed.

Both observed the same thing with the same expression. Sharp metallic blades sprouting directly from the skin of a living being, as if they had always been there waiting to be called.

Renir, from his position, couldn't look away either.

What is that?

He found no answer. Only the astonishment he didn't want to admit.

The atmosphere between Joshido and Zianya tensed.

The fight was about to begin.

Then Jojiro spoke.

-Zianya.

She looked at him.

-Rest. The ideal opponent for him... is Renir.

The only one who can stand up to him and his substantial weapon is Renir with his sword. It'll be something interesting to see.

A brief pause.

-Renir.

Renir lifted his gaze toward his father.

-Get up there.

Renir stepped onto the platform without rushing. He stopped in front of Joshido and looked at his father with a single question in his eyes.

-Do I have to hold back?

Jojiro looked at him.

-No. But no fatal injuries.

A faint smile crossed Renir's face.

And the same smile appeared on Joshido's.

Both positioned themselves at the same time. Joshido with the metallic blades extended from his wrists. Renir with his wide dark gray sword, held with a firmness that needed nothing to prove.

Their eyes met.

And neither looked away.

From below, no one spoke.

The atmosphere tensed so much that the magnetic field covering the platform began to show signs of weakening.