The wind over the Ember Isles carried heat unlike anywhere else, dry and sharp as if the air itself had been scorched too many times to cool down. The ground beneath their feet was dark and cracked, faint traces of glowing orange running through the earth like veins. Small plumes of smoke rose from distant ridges, and the sky above looked slightly hazy from the constant warmth.
Tyouro stood there, looking around with wide eyes.
"…This place is insane."
Griffin adjusted his hat slightly, his coat swaying as he walked forward without even glancing back. "…Focus."
Tyouro scratched his head. "I mean yeah, but why am I here again? You just grabbed me out of nowhere."
Griffin stopped.
Then turned slightly.
"…Because you're wasting your potential."
Tyouro blinked. "…Huh?"
Griffin sighed softly, then raised his hand. A small flicker of orange flame appeared above his palm steady, controlled, and strangely dense despite its size. It didn't burn wildly like normal fire. It felt… contained.
Tyouro's eyes widened.
"…Woah."
Griffin stepped closer and held it out.
"…Take it."
Tyouro hesitated for a second before slowly reaching out. The moment the small flame touched his hand, he felt it not heat that burned, but heat that lived inside. Something deeper than his usual blast energy.
"…This feels different…"
Griffin's voice sharpened slightly. "Don't get excited."
Tyouro froze.
"…Why?"
"Because if you lose control," Griffin said calmly, "you won't just burn something. You'll explode everything around you."
Tyouro immediately stiffened. "…Okay never mind I'm calm."
Griffin turned and started walking again toward a small house not far from where they stood. "…Good. Keep it that way."
They entered the house, and Tyouro immediately noticed how different it felt compared to the outside. Papers were everywhere, stacked in piles across tables and floors. Strange tools, glass containers, diagrams filled with symbols and equations covered the walls. It looked less like a home and more like a place where someone studied everything.
"…What is this place…"
Griffin removed his gloves slowly. "…Knowledge."
Tyouro looked around, still holding the small flame in his hand. "…So… what do I do with this?"
Griffin leaned against the table slightly. "…Feel it."
"…That's it?"
"No," Griffin replied. "Understand it."
Tyouro frowned. "…That doesn't help."
Griffin closed his eyes for a moment before speaking again. "…Your blast energy is unstable. It's explosive, wide, uncontrolled. But this…" he pointed slightly at the flame, "…is condensed."
Tyouro looked at it again.
"…So… I make it stronger?"
Griffin shook his head. "…No. You make it deeper."
Tyouro blinked. "…Deeper?"
Griffin stepped forward slightly, his tone calmer now. "…Fire isn't just destruction. It has layers. Heat, pressure, flow. If you understand how it forms, you can evolve it."
Tyouro stayed quiet.
Griffin continued. "…You might not just be a fire user."
"…Then what?"
Griffin looked at him directly.
"…A volcano."
Tyouro's eyes widened again. "…That sounds crazy."
Griffin nodded once. "…It is."
Tyouro looked down at the flame again, his expression slowly shifting from confusion to excitement.
"…So how do you even know all this?"
Griffin paused for a moment.
"…My grandfather."
Tyouro looked up. "…He taught you?"
Griffin shook his head slightly. "…He knows everything."
"…Everything?"
"He studies people," Griffin continued. "Their habits. Their weaknesses. Their patterns."
Tyouro listened closely now.
"…He can create counters for anything. Predict outcomes. Build weapons that ignore power systems entirely."
Tyouro's jaw dropped slightly. "…That's insane…"
Griffin nodded. "…He doesn't fight. He prepares."
"…Can I meet him?"
Griffin turned away. "…No."
"…What? Why?!"
"Because you're not ready," Griffin replied calmly. "Unlock your energy first. Then maybe."
Tyouro looked back at the flame, gripping it slightly.
"…Fine… I'll do it."
Griffin adjusted his coat. "…Good. Before we return to Reishin, you will master your blast energy… and this new one."
Tyouro smirked slightly. "…And I'll name it too."
Griffin didn't respond.
But for a second-
He looked slightly interested.
Back at Reikosha Academy, the atmosphere felt quieter without Tyouro's noise.
Kairo sat on a bench, leaning back slightly, staring at the sky with a bored expression.
"…This is so boring…"
Yura walked over and sat beside him.
"You're quiet today."
Kairo sighed. "…Of course I am. Tyouro isn't here. Griffin probably kidnapped him or something."
Yura chuckled softly. "…Griffin said he has hidden energy."
Kairo glanced at her. "…So?"
"So we wait," she replied. "Days… weeks… maybe months."
Kairo groaned. "…That's even worse."
Yura stood up. "…Then stop complaining."
Kairo looked up. "…What?"
"Let's train."
Kairo blinked. "…Now?"
Yura nodded. "…I'll teach you something new."
They walked to the training yard, the evening light casting long shadows across the ground. Yura stepped forward and turned to face him, her expression more serious now.
"…Gyakuun."
Kairo tilted his head. "…The reversal thing?"
Yura nodded. "…Yes. You already know Reikou. This is the next step."
She raised her hand slightly.
"…Gyakuun allows you to reverse attacks. But it's not simple."
Kairo crossed his arms. "…How hard can it be?"
Yura's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…If you fail, the attack comes back to you."
Kairo paused. "…Oh."
Yura continued. "…You don't just block. You redirect. You feel the attack, control it, and send it back."
She demonstrated quickly, flicking a small burst of energy toward him before reversing it instantly mid-air, sending it back to its original path.
Kairo blinked. "…Okay that's actually cool."
"Try."
Kairo took a breath and focused, gathering his Reikou energy before launching a small attack forward.
"…Now reverse it."
He tried.
The energy wobbled-
Then shot back at him.
"WOAH!"
He barely dodged.
Yura sighed. "…Again."
Time passed.
Again and again, Kairo tried, failing multiple times, each attempt bringing him closer to understanding the flow. His movements became sharper, his reactions more controlled as he slowly began to grasp the concept.
Without them noticing, Shougo stood at a distance, watching quietly.
His expression softened slightly.
"…They're growing…"
He turned and walked away, phasing through the wall as he left.
Inside the teacher training room, the space was wide and empty. Shougo stepped in and removed his black cloak, revealing his sleeveless shirt, his body still strong despite his age.
He stood still.
Closed his eyes.
"…Let's see…"
His hand lifted slowly.
A can of soda on the table trembled
Then moved.
Slowly.
Controlled.
Shougo's breathing grew heavier almost instantly, his control slipping slightly as he forced his manipulation energy to work.
"…Still… works…"
The can lifted higher
Then dropped.
Shougo opened his eyes, breathing hard, already reaching his limit.
"…Not like before…"
He smiled faintly anyway.
"…But enough."
Back at the training yard, the sun began to set, painting the sky in orange and gold.
Kairo stood there, breathing hard.
"…One more time…"
He launched the attack...
Focused-
Felt it-
Then-
Reversed it.
The energy shot back cleanly, faster than before.
Kairo froze.
"…I did it…"
He looked at Yura, his face lighting up.
"I DID IT!"
Without thinking, he ran forward and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you so much! I finally learned it!"
Yura blinked slightly, then smiled softly. "…Don't get too excited."
Kairo laughed. "…I can't help it!"
She looked at him for a moment.
Then leaned closer...
And kissed his cheek.
Kairo froze completely.
"…Huh…?"
Yura stepped past him calmly, walking away like nothing happened.
"…Surprise Tyouro when he comes back."
Kairo stood there, face red, completely silent.
"…What just happened…"