Go and rest," the old man said again.
"Tomorrow starts early."
No one argued.
⸻
Morning came quietly.
The cavern was wide, open, and still. Stone pillars rose naturally from the ground. A shallow stream flowed along one side, reflecting the light above.
The old man stood at the center.
"You will train here," he said. "Creation comes later. Manipulation comes first."
He turned to Ren.
"You will train with me."
Ren nodded.
The others stepped back.
Hayami brought her hands together, then slowly pulled them apart.
Metal formed first.
A clean, sharp sword appeared between her palms. Water wrapped around its edge, flowing constantly, never dripping, never falling.
Kaiden cracked his neck.
Metal flashed.
A sword formed in his hands, lightning dancing along its surface, buzzing violently.
Daigo clenched his fist.
A heavy hammer materialized—metal handle, stone forming the striking head, dense and immovable.
Aoi raised his hand.
A metal blade appeared, thin and refined. The air around its edge twisted, compressed so tightly it screamed. The wind sharpened the blade beyond steel.
They faced each other.
No signal.
They attacked.
Water clashed against lightning. Wind redirected stone. Stone shattered lightning. The cavern echoed with impact after impact. Movements were controlled but ruthless—no hesitation, no mercy.
Ren watched.
Then the old man lit a bonfire beside him.
"Sit."
Ren obeyed.
"Fire is unstable," the old man said. "So you don't create it first. You attract it."
He held his palm toward the flame.
"Focus your consciousness," he continued. "Your will. Not anger. Not fear. Command."
Ren extended his hand.
The fire flickered.
Nothing happened.
"Again," the old man said calmly.
Ren closed his eyes. He focused—not on the flame—but on his palm. On the feeling of heat. On existence.
The flame bent.
A thin thread of fire stretched toward him.
Ren's breath caught.
"Shape it," the old man said. "Even if it fails."
Ren clenched his teeth.
The flame wavered, collapsed, then burst back into the bonfire.
Ren fell back, panting.
"Good," the old man said. "Again."
Behind them—
A scream.
The air darkened.
A creature emerged from the shadows. Its body twisted unnaturally, eyes rolling white, mouth split too wide.
"A soul eater," Daigo said.
Kaiden grinned.
"This is mine."
The soul eater screamed again.
Its body twisted, lightning crawling unnaturally across its skin.
Kaiden stepped forward, eyes wide with excitement.
"This is mine."
Lightning erupted around him.
"Lightning Blades."
Electric arcs snapped into shape around his arms, condensing, sharpening—two blazing blades formed in his hands, humming violently.
In a single breath—
Thunderclap.
The cavern detonated with sound.
Kaiden vanished and reappeared behind the creature, lightning tearing through the ground as he slid low.
His blades crossed.
The soul eater's legs were severed instantly.
The body slammed down, twitching violently—
But lightning exploded outward.
Black electricity surged from the wounds, forming a barrier around the creature's core. The legs dissolved into smoke, already regenerating.
Kaiden clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Fast."
He raised his blades.
"Thunder Dragon."
Lightning twisted, roaring into the shape of a massive serpentine dragon. It lunged forward, swallowing the barrier and the soul eater whole, spiraling upward into the air.
The ground shook.
"Hayami!" Kaiden shouted.
Hayami stepped forward, calm as ever. She brought her hands together, then spread them apart.
A metal sword formed.
Water surged outward.
"Aerial Flow."
A massive water platform materialized beneath Kaiden, suspended in midair. The thunder dragon shattered, releasing the soul eater—but it had nowhere to fall.
Water rose like walls.
The fight continued in the air.
Lightning clashed against water. Steam exploded outward. The soul eater struck wildly, copying Kaiden's movements—black lightning mirroring blue.
Kaiden landed on the water platform.
"Okay," he said, grinning. "Now you're annoying."
He clenched his fingers.
Lightning compressed around his fist, projecting forward—sharpened, focused, vibrating violently.
"Thunder Fist."
He vanished again.
The punch landed square into the soul eater's chest, electricity tearing through its core—
But the creature countered.
Black lightning formed its own fist.
The impact shattered the water platform.
Both were launched backward.
Kaiden flipped midair.
He extended his arms downward.
Lightning surged into the water below, rushing back up through his body like a circuit.
His body lifted.
He hovered.
His eyes narrowed.
"Alright," he said quietly. "End of the line."
The air screamed.
Lightning condensed to an impossible degree, splitting into countless microscopic strands.
"Molecular Destruction."
Kaiden moved.
Not fast.
Instant.
Lightning sliced through the soul eater again and again, breaking its body into fragments too small to regenerate properly. Every movement reduced it further.
The creature shrieked—then stopped.
Kaiden thrust his hands forward.
Electricity surged outward, forming a cage.
A prison of thunder.
The fragments froze inside.
"Daigo."
Daigo stepped forward, slamming his hammer down.
Stone erupted, sealing the prison instantly.
Hayami reversed her flow, gently lowering Kaiden back to the ground.
Silence.
Ren stood frozen.
His heart pounded.
His palm burned.
"…Wow," he whispered.
He stared at his hands.
I have this power too…
The old man looked at him.
"And that," he said calmly,
"is why you must learn control before creation."