Rin lifted her hand slowly.

  Light gathered in her palm.

  She felt the familiar warmth of her mana responding, threads of glowing energy weaving together in front of her fingers. The light condensed, stretching outward until a bde formed — smooth, radiant, humming softly with power.

  Her light sword.

  She tightened her grip.

  Across from her, Sayaka didn't wait.

  The moment the sword fully formed, Sayaka moved.

  Rin barely saw it happen.

  One second Sayaka was standing calmly — the next she was already in front of her, her fist cutting through the air toward Rin's face with terrifying speed.

  Too fast.

  Rin's instincts screamed.

  She pushed her body backward, dashing away just in time. Sayaka's strike passed inches from her cheek, the force of it slicing the air where her head had been.

  Rin reacted immediately.

  She swung her hand forward.

  Light condensed behind her and split apart into multiple glowing swords. They unched forward one after another, streaking through the air like golden comets toward Sayaka.

  But Sayaka didn't slow down.

  She moved through them.

  Her body flowed between the bdes, twisting and stepping with impossible control. One sword passed beside her shoulder, another near her waist.

  Then—

  She grabbed two of them mid-air.

  Rin's eyes widened.

  Sayaka spun and threw them right back.

  The glowing bdes shot toward Rin.

  Wait—

  Rin barely shifted her body aside as they passed her.

  The moment they missed, the other swords Sayaka had dodged curved through the air, turning back toward their target.

  Sayaka sensed it instantly.

  She pivoted sharply and deflected the returning bdes with quick movements of her hands and arms, knocking them away as they fshed past her.

  But in that exact moment—

  Rin appeared behind her.

  She raised her hand.

  Several beams of concentrated light fired forward like piercing sers.

  Sayaka's eyes sharpened.

  She had to react.

  Her body blurred.

  Shadow gathered around her feet and she shadow-stepped into the air, disappearing from that position just as the beams tore through the space she had occupied.

  The light sliced through the ground behind her.

  Sayaka nded lightly in mid-air.

  A small smirk formed on her lips.

  But the attack wasn't finished.

  Rin's swords turned again.

  They followed her.

  Sayaka felt them closing in.

  Suddenly—

  Darkness swallowed Rin's vision.

  The world shifted.

  The bright training ground vanished.

  Everything around her turned bck.

  Cold.

  Silent.

  Rin's eyes narrowed.

  Illusion magic.

  Sayaka.

  She didn't panic.

  Instead, she calmly lifted her light sword.

  The bde glowed brighter.

  She gently tapped the center of her forehead with it.

  The light spread outward like a ripple.

  The illusion shattered instantly.

  The world snapped back into pce.

  Her light power naturally disrupted magic.

  Even illusions.

  Rin nded softly on the ground.

  Before she could fully steady herself—

  Sayaka was already moving again.

  A strike came from the side.

  Rin reacted instinctively.

  Light surged from Rin's body.

  But it didn't wrap around her.

  Instead, the light separated.

  It condensed beside her, forming something that almost looked like a body made of pure light — faint, barely visible, like heat in the air. Its shape distorted constantly, impossible to fully see or sense.

  Only its hands became clear.

  Two glowing hands formed from the light.

  Sayaka's fist struck forward—

  —and collided with one of them.

  The impact echoed sharply.

  Sayaka's eyes widened slightly.

  The light hands moved again.

  Punch.

  Block.

  Strike.

  Counter.

  The invisible force fought Sayaka directly, its movements unbelievably fast. The body itself was almost impossible to track — it felt like nothing was there.

  Only the hands revealed its presence.

  Even then, Sayaka could barely sense them.

  They moved almost as fast as she did.

  Sayaka stepped back slightly, her eyes narrowing.

  She couldn't properly read its presence.

  It had no normal mana flow.

  No clear aura.

  Just movement.

  Just light.

  Interesting…

  Then Sayaka realized something.

  Rin wasn't controlling it directly.

  The light force was acting on its own.

  Her smile widened.

  Behind Rin, glowing shapes formed.

  Multiple light clones appeared.

  Each one held a bow.

  They raised them together.

  Arrows of condensed light formed instantly.

  Then—

  They fired.

  Dozens of arrows shot forward toward Sayaka.

  At the same time, the invisible force continued attacking her from close range.

  Sayaka moved.

  But this time she didn't dodge normally.

  Instead, her body split.

  Illusions multiplied.

  Ten.

  Twenty.

  Fifty.

  More than a hundred copies of her filled the area instantly.

  The arrows smmed into the illusions, bursting through them in fshes of light.

  Meanwhile the invisible force struck the fake bodies repeatedly, unable to identify the real one.

  The real Sayaka had already moved.

  She shot upward.

  Rin floated above the battlefield.

  Sayaka approached from her blind side.

  Rin never saw her.

  Sayaka's fist came down.

  Rin reacted at the st possible moment.

  Light fshed in her hand.

  A sword formed instantly.

  She raised it to block.

  But Sayaka's strength was overwhelming.

  The impact exploded against the bde.

  Rin was unched backward.

  Her body shot through the forest behind the training grounds.

  The force of Sayaka's punch unched Rin backward.

  Her body shot through the forest behind the training grounds.

  Wind roared in her ears as the world blurred past her.

  Trees rushed toward her at terrifying speed.

  Rin gritted her teeth.

  Move.

  She twisted her body mid-air.

  A massive tree trunk rushed toward her face—

  She barely shifted her shoulder and slipped past it.

  Another tree came immediately after.

  She spun again, narrowly avoiding it.

  Branches whipped past her, some grazing her arms as she continued flying uncontrolbly through the forest.

  Her body still hadn't recovered from the impact.

  She was moving too fast.

  Above the treetops—

  She noticed it.

  Sayaka's shadow moving rapidly across the leaves.

  She was chasing her.

  Sayaka descended from above.

  Rin raised a trembling finger.

  A beam of light fired from her fingertip while she was still trying to stabilize herself.

  Sayaka vanished.

  Shadow dash.

  Almost faster than light.

  In the next instant—

  She was already there.

  Her arms wrapped around Rin mid-air.

  The movement was so fast Rin didn't even realize what had happened until her body suddenly stopped moving.

  Rin blinked in shock.

  Sayaka held her firmly, stabilizing them both in the air above the forest.

  Below them, the trees stretched endlessly.

  Sayaka looked down at her.

  A proud smile formed on her face.

  "You did very well."

  Her voice was calm and warm.

  Her smirk returned slightly.

  A small tear formed in the corner of her eye.

  "With powers like yours…"

  She paused.

  "You could do anything."

  Sayaka carried Rin back toward the training grounds, Rin resting across her back while they moved through the trees.

  The wind brushed past them as they stepped out of the forest and onto the open field again.

  Yurei was still near the metal bench, but the moment she saw them returning she pushed herself up and stretched.

  "Wow…" she said, walking over slowly. "I'm actually impressed."

  Her eyes stayed on Rin.

  "And proud."

  Rin blinked, still catching her breath.

  "It's honestly an honor seeing someone control their power unlimitedly," Yurei continued. "Since the Mortal Gods' time… it's been thousands of years."

  Rin slid off Sayaka's back and nded on the ground, steadying herself.

  Sayaka crossed her arms, still thinking about the fight.

  "You're very strong," she said calmly. "But we need to figure out a few things first."

  Rin looked up.

  "Like what?"

  Sayaka nodded slightly toward her.

  "That invisible force you created."

  She paused, recalling the fight.

  "It overwhelmed my illusions at first… but once I flooded the field with bodies it lost track of the real one."

  Her eyes narrowed slightly.

  "But the strange part is how fast it was."

  Sayaka looked directly at Rin.

  "It was just as fast and strong as me. Perfectly matching my physical level."

  Rin's eyes widened a little.

  Sayaka continued.

  "It's almost like that invisible force is a spirit guarding you… something that can mimic your opponent's physical strength."

  Rin thought about it.

  Sayaka then added another thought.

  "And your light power is also anti-magic."

  Rin tilted her head slightly.

  Sayaka continued.

  "You might even be able to cancel a Closed Dominion."

  Rin blinked.

  "…What's a Closed Dominion?"

  Yurei answered immediately.

  Her voice wasn't zy this time — she sounded oddly excited.

  "It's when someone creates a barrier around an area and traps their opponent inside," she expined. "Inside that space, the user's power becomes much stronger and their abilities work almost perfectly."

  She pointed toward Rin.

  "It basically lets them use their maximum power without restrictions."

  She paused.

  "Think of it like you."

  Rin raised an eyebrow.

  "Most people can't control their power endlessly like that," Yurei continued. "Only rare people could. The Mortal Gods were like that."

  She crossed her arms.

  "But inside a Closed Dominion, anyone who creates it can temporarily use their abilities like that. No limits."

  She then lifted a finger.

  "But there's also something called an Open Dominion."

  "That one's harder."

  "It lets the user reach that same unlimited state without creating a barrier — meaning they can use it in the real world."

  She gnced at Rin again.

  "But since you already control your power endlessly… your Dominion might be different."

  She smirked slightly.

  "It could make your power two times stronger… maybe even ten times stronger."

  Rin stared at her suspiciously.

  "…Why are you expining all this so seriously?"

  She narrowed her eyes.

  "You're never this energetic."

  Yurei shrugged.

  "I'm just excited to see what you can do."

  Sayaka nodded in agreement.

  "Well," she said calmly, "let's train a little more while we wait for Izan."

  Rin looked at her.

  Sayaka continued.

  "You'll do the same training Izan did."

  Rin's eyes immediately lit up.

  She nodded eagerly.

  Rin's training continued across the field.

  Light arrows fshed through the air one after another, striking the wooden targets. Some shattered instantly, others split apart as the light pierced straight through them.

  Sayaka watched quietly for a moment before speaking to Yurei.

  "…I really need your help with Izan."

  Yurei leaned back against the metal bench, arms resting behind her head.

  "With what?"

  Sayaka's eyes stayed on Rin.

  "He hasn't used his wind powers even once."

  Her voice carried worry.

  "It's like they're still sealed inside him."

  Yurei shrugged lightly.

  "Rex."

  Sayaka frowned slightly.

  Yurei continued.

  "He'll use them when he's ready."

  Sayaka crossed her arms.

  "But we don't have the luxury of waiting forever."

  Her gaze drifted toward the distant horizon.

  "The war is already moving."

  Her voice softened.

  "And if things get worse… Rin and Izan will eventually be pulled into it."

  Yurei studied her.

  Sayaka rarely showed concern like this.

  Sayaka spoke again, quieter this time.

  "I just want them to become stronger faster."

  Her fingers tightened slightly.

  "So I know they'll survive."

  Yurei understood immediately.

  Sayaka wasn't speaking like a teacher.

  She sounded like a mother.

  Someone responsible for protecting them.

  Yurei slowly sat up from the bench.

  "You're rushing the wrong thing," she said calmly.

  Sayaka looked at her.

  Yurei tapped the side of her head.

  "Awakening power isn't just about training harder. The mind has to catch up with the power first."

  Sayaka remained silent.

  "If Izan awakens his wind power before he's mentally ready," Yurei continued, "it could overwhelm him."

  Her voice stayed steady.

  "Power like his doesn't just strengthen the body. It amplifies emotions… instincts… fear."

  She gestured lightly.

  "If he isn't prepared for that, the power won't guide him."

  "It'll break him."

  Sayaka's expression softened slightly.

  Yurei leaned back again.

  "That's why it's better to give him time."

  She gnced toward Rin.

  "Once he understands himself more… once his mind stabilizes…"

  "He'll awaken it."

  "And when he does," she added with a faint smirk, "he'll fly through it."

  Sayaka exhaled slowly.

  "You worry too much," Yurei said.

  Sayaka didn't respond.

  Yurei's tone softened.

  "They're strong."

  Her eyes followed Rin as another target exploded into splinters of wood.

  "Stronger than most people we've seen in centuries."

  She nudged Sayaka lightly.

  "You're here. I'm here. Aurelia's here."

  "They won't face the world alone."

  Sayaka watched Rin continue training.

  Her shoulders finally rexed.

  A small smile formed on her lips.

  "…You're right."

  She let out a quiet breath, trying to lighten her mood.

  Yurei noticed the change and leaned back again, watching Rin train.

  But her eyes slowly shifted toward the academy building.

  Toward where Izan was still in Aurelia's css.

  Her expression grew slightly more serious.

  Inside her mind, a quiet thought formed.

  There's something inside that boy…

  Yurei narrowed her eyes slightly.

  It's not just power.

  Or maybe it is…

  But whatever it is…

  It's strong.

  She remembered the strange feeling she had sensed from him before.

  Something heavy.

  Something overwhelming.

  Almost like Rin's light power…

  But deeper.

  More ancient.

  Yurei exhaled slowly.

  …Even stronger.