The next day, Leo returned to the special training area.
The instructor was already waiting.
"Today, we increase difficulty," he said.
Leo nodded. "…What kind?"
The instructor raised his hand.
Multiple magic circles appeared around the field.
Five.
All different.
"All of these will activate at once," he said. "Analyze and respond."
Leo's eyes sharpened.
"…At the same time?"
"Yes."
No more explanation.
The circles lit up.
Instantly—
Five spells activated.
Different speeds. Different angles. Different structures.
Leo moved.
His mind raced.
One—direct attack.
Two—delayed trigger.
Three—wide spread.
Four—tracking.
Five—
"…Hidden," he muttered.
The first attack came.
Leo raised his hand.
Barrier.
But thinner.
More precise.
It deflected instead of blocking.
Second attack—
He stepped aside.
Minimal movement.
Third—
He disrupted the flow mid-air.
The spell broke apart.
Fourth—
It followed him.
Leo frowned.
"…Tracking type."
He changed direction suddenly.
Then—
Cut its connection.
The spell vanished.
Fifth—
Nothing.
No attack.
Leo didn't relax.
"…Still there."
A faint shift behind him.
He turned instantly.
Raised his hand—
Too late.
The spell hit.
A sharp impact pushed him back.
He slid across the ground.
Stopped.
Silence.
The spells disappeared.
The instructor watched calmly.
"…You missed one."
Leo stood up.
"…It was hidden in the flow."
"Correct," the instructor said. "And you still got hit."
Leo exhaled slowly.
"…Again."
The instructor didn't hesitate.
The circles lit up once more.
This time—
Leo focused harder.
Not just on visible spells—
But the space between them.
The flow underneath.
The hidden patterns.
Attacks came again.
Faster.
Stronger.
Leo moved cleaner.
Less wasted motion.
More accuracy.
One by one—
He handled them.
Then—
The hidden one.
He felt it.
Before it appeared.
"…There."
He turned early.
Raised his hand.
Disrupted the flow before activation.
The spell never formed.
Silence.
All attacks stopped.
The instructor lowered his hand.
"…Good."
Leo stood still.
Breathing steady.
"…I'm starting to see it."
"Not see," the instructor corrected. "Understand."
Leo nodded slightly.
"…Understand."
At the same time—
Inside the main training hall—
Rin stood surrounded by other students.
"Again," she said.
A student attacked her.
Fast.
Strong.
Rin didn't move much.
She adjusted.
Redirected.
Countered.
Clean.
Another student stepped in.
Then another.
Rin handled all of them.
Not easily—
But efficiently.
Her movements sharper than before.
Her control tighter.
"…She's different now," someone whispered.
Rin stopped.
Looked at her hand.
Then clenched it.
"…Still not enough."
She walked out of the hall.
No rest.
No pause.
Only one thought in her mind.
Catch up.
Back in the special field—
The instructor looked at Leo.
"Next stage begins tomorrow," he said.
Leo nodded.
"…I'll be ready."
And for the first time—
There was no hesitation in his voice.
Only certainty.