The courtyard had nothing left to give him.
Kaito felt that clearly now.
Not in a dramatic way.
Not like something had been taken...
But like something had been finished.
He stood in the center of the field again, the same place where he fought for Rank 1.
The same place where everything had changed.
"…Alright," he muttered. "Next question."
Nasukawa was already there.
Of course he was.
"…You don't even pretend anymore," Kaito said.
"No."
"…Good."
Kaito stretched his shoulders slightly, loosening his stance.
Then...
"…Infinite Breakthrough," he said.
Silence.
"…That's what I reached."
"Yes."
"…That's what beat you."
"Yes."
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"…So what is it."
Nasukawa didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped forward, stopping just across from Kaito.
"…Show me."
Kaito didn't hesitate.
He clenched his fist.
The air responded instantly.
A low vibration spread outward, not explosive, not wild...
Controlled.
Perfect.
The ground beneath his feet gave a faint crack.
Not from force.
From precision.
The energy flowed through him like it belonged there.
No resistance.
No strain.
Just… alignment.
"…That's it," Kaito said.
"Yes."
"…Feels like there's nothing left to break."
"There isn't."
Silence.
Kaito blinked once.
"…What."
"There is nothing left to break," Nasukawa repeated.
"…So that's it," Kaito said. "That's the end."
"No."
Kaito frowned.
"…You just said..."
"I said there is nothing left to break," Nasukawa interrupted calmly.
"…Not that there is nothing beyond it."
Silence.
Kaito's expression shifted.
"…Explain."
Nasukawa crossed his arms.
"…Before you reached this point," he said, "your body was incomplete."
"…Incomplete."
"Yes."
"Each breakthrough," Nasukawa continued, "removed a limitation."
Kaito listened.
"Your first breakthrough allowed your body to endure force it couldn't before."
"…Yeah."
"Your second allowed you to control that force."
"…Right."
"Your third refined your movement."
"…Keep going."
"Your fourth stabilized your internal energy."
"…And the fifth."
"…Aligned everything together."
Silence.
"…So Infinite is what," Kaito asked.
"The result of all of that being completed."
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"…Completed."
"Yes."
"…So I finished it."
"Yes."
"…Then why does it feel like there's more."
"Because there is."
Kaito stared at him.
"…You're not making sense."
"I am."
"…Then say it clearly."
Nasukawa met his gaze.
"…Infinite Breakthrough is not a new level."
Silence.
"…What."
"It is the absence of levels."
Kaito didn't move.
"…That sounds like nonsense."
"It isn't."
"…Then explain it better."
Nasukawa didn't look away.
"…Before Infinite, you were climbing," he said.
"…Yeah."
"You were restricted by structure. By stages. By limits you had to break one at a time."
"…That's how it works."
"Yes."
"…So what changed."
"You ran out of limits."
Silence.
Kaito's chest tightened slightly.
"…So Infinite…"
"…Is what happens when there are no more barriers inside you to break."
The words settled differently.
Not like power.
Like clarity.
"…So I didn't gain something," Kaito said slowly.
"…I removed everything that was holding me back."
"Yes."
Silence.
Kaito looked down at his hand again.
Clenched it.
The energy responded instantly.
Perfect.
"…So this is my body at full capacity," he said.
"Yes."
"…For this world."
"Yes."
Kaito's eyes lifted.
"…There it is."
Nasukawa didn't react.
"…For this world."
"Yes."
"…So this is the limit here."
"Yes."
"…And outside…"
"…It will not be enough."
Silence.
The words didn't hit like a warning.
They hit like a fact.
Kaito exhaled slowly.
"…Good."
Nasukawa watched him.
"…You don't sound disappointed."
"I'm not."
"…Why."
Kaito's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…Because I'm done fixing myself."
A pause.
"…Now I can start building something stronger."
Silence.
"…You think that's how it works," Nasukawa said.
"…It is."
"…Out there, your body will not be the strongest."
"…Then I'll make it stronger."
"You will not be the fastest."
"…Then I'll get faster."
"You will not be the most skilled."
Kaito smirked slightly.
"…We'll see about that."
Silence.
The air shifted faintly.
"…Infinite Breakthrough gave you freedom," Nasukawa said.
"…Yeah."
"But it also removed your excuses."
Kaito didn't respond.
"…You can no longer blame limitations," Nasukawa continued.
"…Good."
"…Because now everything depends on how you use what you have."
Silence.
Kaito rolled his shoulders slightly, feeling the movement settle into place.
No wasted motion.
No delay.
Everything connected.
"…That's fine," he said.
"…I've been doing that the whole time."
Nasukawa nodded once.
"Yes."
A brief pause.
Then...
"…There's one more thing," Nasukawa said.
Kaito glanced at him.
"…Of course there is."
"…Infinite Breakthrough is rare."
"…I figured."
"…But not because it's difficult."
Kaito frowned slightly.
"…Then why."
"…Because most people never reach the point where they can remove everything holding them back."
Silence.
"…They stop early," Kaito said.
"Yes."
"…Or they get comfortable."
"Yes."
Kaito nodded slowly.
"…Not my problem."
"No."
Another pause.
"…So that's it," Kaito said.
"…No more breakthroughs."
"No."
"…No more stages here."
"No."
Kaito looked out across the courtyard.
Then beyond it.
"…Good."
Silence.
"…Why."
Kaito's expression settled into something sharper.
"…Because now I know exactly where I stand."
A small pause.
"…And I know exactly what I need to do next."
Nasukawa didn't ask.
He already knew.
Kaito turned slightly.
"…I'm not chasing another breakthrough."
Silence.
"…I'm chasing them."
The air stilled.
"…The Black Order."
"Yes."
Kaito's gaze hardened.
"…And when I find them…"
A brief pause.
"…I won't need another breakthrough to win."
Silence.
Nasukawa watched him.
Then...
"…Good," he said.
Kaito smirked faintly.
"…Yeah."
He looked forward again.
Beyond the courtyard.
Beyond the world he had already outgrown.
"…Now it actually starts."