The morning sun rose slowly over the mountains, spilling gold across the jagged peaks. Light slipped through cracks in the stone, stretching long shadows across the high ridge where Team Ozaki stood.
They were close to the edge.
Too close.
Far below, the ground disappeared into a steep, unforgiving drop.
Ichiha stretched his arms, letting out a tired breath as he stepped forward and looked down.
Chella crept up behind him.
A mischievous smile spread across her face.
She grabbed both his arms—
And shook.
"AAAAAAAHHH!!"
Ichiha's scream ripped through the air as his body jerked backward in panic.
Chella burst into laughter immediately, bending over as she pointed at him.
Sora and Lumei followed, their laughter echoing across the mountain.
"Ichiha… scared of heights," Lumei muttered.
Sora wiped a tear from her eye. "Look at his face!"
Ichiha forced himself upright, trying to regain composure, though his voice trembled.
"Who wouldn't be?! That's over two hundred feet down!"
He swallowed.
"…That's enough to kill someone."
Behind them, Ozaki stood quietly, watching.
For a moment, he allowed it—the laughter, the ease.
Then his eyes shifted.
Yamato.
He stood apart.
Calm.
Still.
Not smiling.
Not angry.
Just… thinking.
What are you thinking…?
A deep sigh escaped Yamato—loud enough to silence the group.
"What's wrong?" Ichiha asked.
Yamato looked at him, then smiled—soft, almost kind.
"If this scares you," he said, nodding toward the cliff, "then you're the weakest Vessel I've ever met."
Silence dropped instantly.
Ichiha frowned. "What do you mean?"
Yamato turned his gaze downward.
"If something like this shakes you… what happens when you fight someone who controls distance?"
Ozaki's attention sharpened.
Something clicked.
Lumei stepped forward. "Distance magic?"
Yamato chuckled lightly.
"Three years ago, I fought someone."
He paused, thinking.
"A woman… or maybe a girl. Hard to tell."
"We get it. Female. Continue," Sora cut in.
Yamato smirked faintly.
"She controlled space. Around herself… and around me."
He stepped forward.
"Watch."
He lifted his leg and took a single step.
"Imagine that step and stomp… feeling like a thousand feet deep."
The group went still.
"Like falling," he continued. "Even though you're standing still."
Lumei frowned. "How does that even work?"
Ozaki's mind raced.
She increases the distance between your feet and the ground…
Yamato nodded slightly.
"She stretches the space beneath you, above you. Everywhere. Then, just before you hit—she snaps it back."
His lips curled.
"You feel like you fell from the sky… and slammed straight into the ground."
A chill passed through them.
Ozaki stepped forward.
"That wasn't just anyone."
His voice carried weight.
"That was the God of Distance."
"A GOD?!" Chella and Lumei exclaimed.
Ozaki nodded. "She vanished three years ago without a trace."
Yamato scratched his head casually.
"Oh. I killed her."
Sora stepped forward and smacked him.
"Not the time for jokes!"
"Ow!" Yamato winced. "But I did."
Ozaki's gaze hardened.
"She escaped me while weakened. Even two S-Ranks couldn't finish her."
A step closer.
"And you're saying you killed her… as a Grade Two?"
Yamato looked around at them.
Unbothered.
"Yes."
A pause.
"Did she switch abilities?" Ozaki asked carefully.
"Switch how?"
"From distance to something else."
Yamato's eyes lit up.
"She could do that? That would've been fun… but no. Just distance."
Silence.
Lumei spoke, voice tight. "How did you kill her?"
Yamato rolled his shoulders, loosening his body.
"She was weakened. The auto-distance behind her… lagged. Like a delay."
He walked to a massive boulder—nearly twenty feet tall.
"I threw a rock this size."
The group froze.
"Hit her from behind."
A pause.
"Then I went to confirm."
His tone stayed flat.
"So I punched her."
Silence deepened.
"Again. And again."
Chella gagged.
"Forty times," Yamato said. "Until there was nothing left."
Cold ran through the group.
Ichiha said nothing.
…I'm lucky master Ozaki was there.
Lumei's voice shook slightly. "Forty… when one punch can crack that rock?"
Yamato nodded.
"Until there was no skull. No brain. Just blood."
Then—
He smiled.
"Let's move."
He turned and ran—
Straight off the cliff.
His body dropped instantly.
One by one—
They followed.
---
Cloak High.
Regns Realm.
Darkness wrapped around everything.
Ancient relics filled the temple—broken clocks, torn fabrics, mounted beast heads. Vines crawled along cracked pillars as faint lightning flickered above.
Six students stood in silence.
Before them—
Master Regns.
"Today," he said, voice calm but heavy, "your real training begins."
The air tightened.
"I will make you stronger. But understand—this is not easy training. The world is still in danger."
They raised their fists.
"The world!"
Seouk frowned. "I thought it was the continent—"
"The world, the continent," Regns cut in, "what difference does it make when danger comes?"
Murmurs.
Kiro stepped forward—
"Shhh."
Silence.
Regns pointed ahead.
"First match."
A pause.
"Mira versus Leah."
Mira stepped forward, eyes locked on Leah, a faint smirk forming.
"I won't hold back because you're a girl," she said. "If I make you bleed, I won't apologize."
Leah stepped forward, fists glowing white.
"Good. Don't."
They took their positions.
Regns raised his hand.
"Begin."
"Lightning Blade!"
Red-orange electricity exploded around Mira's arm, forming a jagged blade that crackled violently.
"Case Form... Form 1—Blade of Light!"
A clean white saber formed in Leah's hand.
Leah moved first.
Fast.
Controlled.
Slash—left.
Right—
Upward—
CLANG!
Mira blocked everything.
Each strike met lightning.
Precise.
Effortless.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Sparks burst with every collision, the ground beneath them trembling slightly.
Mira twisted—
THUD!
Her kick landed hard against Leah's side.
Leah staggered back, breath uneven.
"Mira isn't serious yet," Renji muttered. "She hasn't used Case Form…"
"I'm not done!" Leah shouted.
Light formed.
One blade—
Then another—
Then more—
Floating sabers appeared around her, multiplying rapidly.
Ten.
Twenty.
More.
They hovered, surrounding Mira from every direction.
Then—
They launched.
A storm of light shot toward her.
Mira smiled.
"More… you can do more."
She moved.
One step—she dodged.
Another—she tilted.
A blade came from above—
She raised her lightning blade—deflected it forward—
Then stepped on it.
She launched herself into the air.
In midair—
She struck them.
One after another.
Each hit redirected them into the ground.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
She descended—
Sliding across the falling blades like steps—
Closing the distance.
THUD!
She struck Leah's weapon at the hilt—
Then drove her knee into Leah's side.
"Ugh!"
Leah stumbled back, her energy flickering.
The floating blades vanished.
Only her main saber remained.
Mira cracked her neck slowly.
"You can't hold that form much longer."
Leah screamed and charged blindly.
Mira closed her eyes.
Her blade faded.
A breath.
"Case Form... Form 1… Yellow Lightning."
A spark appeared in her hand.
Small.
Then—
It grew.
Expanding outward—
Forming a bow.
Pure yellow lightning crackled violently around it.
An arrow formed.
Sharp.
Alive.
The air vibrated.
The others stepped back instinctively.
Leah froze.
"What… is that…?"
Mira said nothing.
She released.
BOOM!!!
The arrow tore forward like a storm.
The ground split open beneath it, scorched black.
The speed—
Unnatural.
Leah raised her blade—
Too late.
The arrow pierced through her right side.
An explosion erupted on impact.
Dust and smoke filled the temple.
Lightning crackled across the walls.
When it cleared—
Leah lay on the ground.
Her body shook violently.
Blood spread beneath her.
Her aura—gone.
Mira stood still.
Then—
Lightning surged again.
Stronger.
Heavier.
A second bow formed.
Larger.
More violent.
The arrow that formed this time pulsed with destructive force, sparks tearing at the ground beneath her feet.
The air itself trembled.
Leah couldn't move.
Couldn't react.
Mira drew the string back slowly.
No hesitation.
No emotion.
Just execution.
In that instant—
Darkness appeared.
Regns stood before her.
His hand reached out—
And caught the bow.
The lightning reacted violently—sparks exploding outward—
Then—
It was swallowed.
Completely.
Pulled into darkness like it never existed.
"That is enough."
His voice was absolute.
"The winner… is Mira."
Silence fell.
Mira lowered her arm slowly, her energy fading.
No smile.
No pride.
Nothing.
Kiro rushed forward immediately, dropping to Leah's side.
He tore his shirt, pressing it against her wound as his other hand glowed, channeling healing energy.
Her body trembled under his touch.
Around them—
No one spoke.
Daigo exhaled quietly. "Good thing I'm learning Coating…"
Renji shook his head. "Bad matchup for me… ice versus lightning…"
Seouk remained silent.
Regns watched Mira closely.
Then muttered—
"She's evolving… faster than expected."