The dojo did not feel the passage of time in days anymore.
It felt like repetition.
Morning drills.
Afternoon sparring.
Evening correction.
And slowly—
That repetition changed everything.
Carina no longer stumbled through basic footwork.
Her stance had become stable.
Not perfect—
But usable in real combat.
Kuina stood across from her in the yard.
Sword lowered slightly.
Observing.
"…Again."
Carina sighed.
"…You really love that word."
But she moved anyway.
No hesitation this time.
Their wooden swords clashed.
Clean.
Controlled.
Carina blocked Kuina's first strike properly.
Not perfectly—
But correctly.
Kevin stood at the edge of the yard, watching silently.
Koshiro stood beside him.
"…She is no longer unstable."
Koshiro said.
Kevin replied.
"…Yes."
Kuina increased pressure slightly.
Not overwhelming.
Just enough to force adjustment.
Carina responded faster than before.
Her feet shifted properly now.
Her defense held longer.
"…Better."
Kuina said simply.
Carina smirked slightly.
"…That sounds like approval."
Kuina did not respond.
She continued training.
Kevin's training under Koshiro had also changed.
No longer basic form correction.
Now refinement.
Breathing control.
Blade direction efficiency.
Minimal wasted motion.
Koshiro watched him closely.
"…You are compressing your movements too much."
Kevin replied.
"…Efficiency."
Koshiro shook his head slightly.
"…Control is not suppression."
Kevin paused slightly.
Then adjusted.
Koshiro nodded once.
"…Better."
Days continued.
Then months.
Then years.
The dojo remained the same—
But everyone inside it changed.
Carina no longer looked like a beginner.
She could now defend multiple exchanges without collapsing immediately.
Kuina's sword became sharper.
Cleaner.
More precise with each passing month.
And Kevin—
Never stagnated.
Always refining.
Always adjusting.
But he did not leave.
Not yet.
Because this time, he was not passing through history.
He was shaping it.
One evening, after training ended—
The yard was quiet.
Only wind remained.
Carina sat on the wooden floor, breathing slowly.
"…I don't even remember how weak I used to be…"
Kuina stood nearby.
"…You are still weak."
Carina pointed at her.
"…That's not comforting at all."
Kevin stood slightly apart.
Watching the sky.
Koshiro spoke quietly.
"…Time has passed longer than expected."
Kevin nodded.
"…Yes."
Then Koshiro asked the question directly.
"…How long has it been since you arrived?"
Kevin paused briefly.
Then answered.
"…Years."
Silence.
Carina looked up.
"…Years… already?"
Kuina finally lowered her sword slightly.
"…Time did not stop."
Koshiro turned slightly toward all three of them.
"…Then you should know your current state."
He looked at Kevin first.
Then Kuina.
Then Carina.
"…The dojo has changed you all."
And then—
The narration marked the passage clearly.
⏳ TIME SKIP RESULT
Kevin: 10 years old
Kuina: 9 years old
Carina: 8 years old
Kevin looked toward the sea beyond the dojo.
The same sea that existed before.
But now—
It no longer felt distant.
It felt inevitable.
And soon—
They would leave it again.