The two stood there, watching the conclusion of the drawn-out match.Yunosuke handed the signed papers back to Hyun."It seems he lost… I was afraid this might happen," Hyun sighed."What's going to happen now?" Yunosuke asked concern etched on his face."He won't get the amount of training I'd like him to have. The difference in free time between the top 30 and the rest is enormous…" Hyun's disappointment was palpable. "Well, I'll have to deal with it."Hyun grabbed the signed papers, his grip tightening. "A Sakata… if we train you well, you could become our trump card." Yunosuke struggled to find words that weren't self-deprecating. Inside, he felt a mix of relief and self-doubt."I'm… not as good as my brother at picking up spells," Yunosuke admitted, his voice barely above a whisper."Haha, you don't need to compare yourself. Arashi is a genius…"Yunosuke winced at Hyun's words. Each statement felt like a confirmation of his inadequacy."…just not as much as…""Kami Ichizen," Yunosuke interjected quickly."You know him?" Hyun asked, surprised."He was good friends with Arashi from a young age. I hung out with him sometimes, but his maturity is terrifying… yes, he's a different breed," Yunosuke explained, a hint of awe in his voice."Haha, we have our own beast anyway. I'll tell you the plan for what's to come on the day itself.""Yes, vice," Yunosuke replied, his resolve hardening. He was determined to prove himself, no matter what.. . . "… huh?" She opened her eyes and saw her opponent on the ground. She retracted her dome of flames."Winner: Hino Kana. Time: 14 minutes. Victory by Mana Exhaustion""Mana Exhaustion, huh... So it wasn't about mana. It was all skill," she murmured, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Guess I relied on my family lineage again."She sighed deeply, squatting next to her fallen opponent, and gently patting his head."You did well. Respect," she said softly before standing up and leaving the room.. . . 'FUCK!' I jolted awake in the same desolate room. No sound, no people, nothing. I was lying on the cold, hard ground. Sitting up, I took in the oppressive silence and emptiness.'What is happening… What is this place again?' My mind struggled with the familiar gaps in my memory until everything suddenly came rushing back. I lost. 'FUCK!' I shouted again, frustration boiling over. It wasn't just the mana pool—I simply wasn't up to standard. But how could I improve when I hit a block in my mana manipulation?I looked at my palms, contemplating my next move. 'Mana pool, huh… How about this?' I had an epiphany. 'I'll focus on pooling my mana just before it maxes out and create an orb to carry with me. Hopefully, it works…'Sitting down on the cold ground, I stared into the abyss, concentrating on my mana. A sky-blue fog began to emit from my skin, coalescing into a sphere before me. As more mana gathered, the sphere shifted from blue to orange. Slowly but surely, I would continue this process, determined to break through my limitations.In the darkness, with only the glow of the mana orb to light my way, I felt a glimmer of hope amidst the overwhelming void.. . . "We're ready.""Ye. Let me finalize the plans… I ended up telling the minister." Washio mentions as he wears his equipment."Oi.""It's our failsafe. It is evident the other families are not enough to stop this monster should we fail to do so.""You won't know what the minister might do…that Tendo guy is not trustworthy.""If it becomes a public danger, he will inevitably do his duty. He won't compromise his position for his loyalties.""…fine, let's trust your instincts… But screw that, we are ending that monster right now," Ujin snapped."Everyone ready?" He held the bar atop the ceiling of the plane as the rear door opened."Here's its location… The previous team managed to place a tracker on it.""This is… it's right in the middle of the desert, just west of here," Matsuda noted, his brow furrowing as he studied the map."But… isn't that where the Quons live?" Sakura interjected, a note of concern in her voice."You're right. That's a good point…This seems to be getting more sinister""We better hurry" Ujin cut in urgently.The tension in the room was palpable as they prepared to embark on a race against time, the stakes higher than ever. The fate of the Uons—and perhaps their own—hung in the balance.. . . "Haha, this guy…" Hyun mumbled as he entered the room with Yunosuke.Yunosuke glanced at Yonu, then back at Hyun, shaking his head. He hadn't yet reached the level where he could see mana with the naked eye. "What's happening?""He's pooling mana while he's asleep… I don't know the rationale behind it, but…"Yunosuke squinted at the seemingly empty room, struggling to see any change. He could barely make out water mana, let alone another element's mana, not that that's how it works."All you have to do is coat your eyes with a thin layer of mana… It takes some skill, but it's rewarding," Hyun explained."Haha, I'll get there when I get there.""Haha, well, we'll train you, don't worry… Even if you're not in the combat team, you still need to be strong enough to protect the base."Suddenly, a bright orange ball started glowing in the middle of the air."That's it, isn't it?" Yunosuke said, eyes widening."He finally made it that concentrated," Hyun said with a smirk. "I think I know what he's trying to do.""May I ask what it is?""He's creating a separate source of mana. He'll carry this mana ball with him and tap into it whenever he needs extra power.""I knew Yonu was a genius," Jin said, appearing behind them."Yunosuke, this is Jin Gamma, the leader of the group.""You're the Sakata guy, huh? Nice to meet you." Jin extended his hand, and Yunosuke shook it firmly."I'm going to try what Yonu is doing. Haha, if I can make it a subconscious thing, it'll be even better. Mana will never stop being generated, and no excess mana will be wasted," Jin said, already walking toward the door."Oi, Hyun," he called back."Yeah, I'm coming. Sorry, I'll follow him to the training room. Please keep an eye on Yonu for now.""Alright," Yunosuke replied, settling in to watch over his friend, his mind buzzing with the possibilities of what he had just witnessed.. . . "How the hell is Yonu doing this subconsciously?" Hyun muttered, straining to concentrate his mana into an orb above him."It's the Black Box," Jin replied."Already?! It took me months to encounter the Black Box.""Well, we did force him to fight match after match, back to back. With the number of times he's gone through recovery, I'm sure he can access the Black Box every time he's in recovery," Jin said, his orb starting to glow a light gray."I must admit, this is a brilliant technique. I have to thank Yonu. He's a genius," Jin said, standing up and pinching the air. Suddenly, an orb of light gray mana floated between his fingers."Poor boy must have been desperate to improve his mana pool. This technique definitely helps to boost it temporarily, but in the end, it depends on the preparation time between fights. So he's only stronger for one fight at a time.""Then we need him to distract everyone at once… I'll change the plans," Hyun said, his concentration faltering as the orb fell to the ground. "Ah, fuck."Jin looked at the fallen orb and then back at Hyun. "Don't worry, we'll get there. Yonu's shown us the way. We just need to keep pushing.""It seems we can't use the orb for anything other than absorbing it… The moment we separate mana from the orb, it devolves into a lower energy state faster outside the body of the orb," Jin explained, frustration evident in his voice."So, we can only absorb it back? What's the point then?" Hyun asked, exasperated."It's better than nothing, Hyun. An extra source of mana can be crucial in the heat of battle," Jin replied, his tone more reassuring. "You know how important it is to have a backup when you're running low."Hyun sighed, fiddling with his orb of mana. "That's true... Alright, we'll make it work."Jin watched as Hyun's orb pulsed with a faint glow. "Remember, every bit counts. In the middle of a fight, that extra mana could be the difference between victory and defeat."Hyun nodded, a spark of determination in his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. Let's perfect this technique and make it our ace in the hole.""Exactly. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but with Yonu's discovery, we're one step closer to being unstoppable," Jin said, clapping Hyun on the shoulder. "Let's get to it."As they resumed their training, the room filled with the hum of concentrated energy, each orb a testament to their growing power and resolve.. . . "What is this…" Yunosuke murmured'ARGH!' I sat up with a start, panting heavily."Yo," Yunosuke greeted, leaning back in his chair.'Haha… I lost, haha,' I said, rubbing my face as if to wipe away invisible tears."Hey man, it happens," Yunosuke replied, a hint of sympathy in his voice.'You're right, you're right,' I glanced up at the glowing fireball still hovering in the air. 'I did it in real life too…?'"It seems so. Tell me, what were you thinking?"Yunosuke asked, leaning forward with interest.'I was thinking I needed more mana… My mana pool is still absolute trash, and that's why I lost. Maybe not the only reason, but it's a flaw I need to overcome… and something that I WILL find a way to overcome eventually,' Yonu declared, determination burning in his eyes."Haha… I see," Yunosuke said, forming a ball of mana in his hand. "What's the difference between what you're doing and what I'm doing?"'What I'm doing is using mana at the same rate it's being produced. Since my body's mana is maxed, it stays at its maximum while I gather mana outside. That way, I don't waste any mana I could be producing. At least, that's the rationale,' I explained, scratching the back of my head. I still don't get my own reasoning haha..."You're a genius, haha. I assume you'll just use it like that?" Yunosuke asked, watching the small glowing ball closely.'I guess so,' I twirled my finger around. The small ball followed, becoming whiter and paler. I held it between my thumb, index, and middle fingers, watching it turn a very light blue. 'Okay…' I pushed it to a side, and it floated around my shoulder as willed.Bringing the orb back in front of me, I pinched the air beside the small orb and pulled, causing a string of mana to follow. The orb's size and color remained intact. "Jin and Hyun were here too.""Oh? What did they say?""Nothing much, but they were impressed by your new plan."'Haha… we'll see if it even works,' escaped my lips, as I jerked my fingers away from the orb. The mana string snapped off, forming a small, glowing orange orb. "Is it really that concentrated?""If even I can see it, it must be. You can see mana in the atmosphere too, can't you?" Yunosuke asked.'Oh, ho ho ho, that I can't,' I admitted, trying to make the small orb expand by releasing my fingers but to no avail. It didn't change, so instead, I tried to absorb it back into my body. 'It seems I can't…'"Huh?"'After pulling any mana from the orb, it seems useless. I think the mana can't be controlled after it's separated from the original orb… maybe it devolves to a lower energy state. FUCK.''So in the end, you can only absorb it back from the main or... Well, it's better than nothing,' Yunosuke said, trying to sound encouraging.'Sigh… yeah…' Sighs left my mouth as a hint of frustration.. . . "Alright, let's go," they said in unison, launching themselves headfirst out of the plane."OPERATION STARTS NOW! WE'RE DIVING STRAIGHT TO THEIR WEAPONS FACILITY WHERE THE BEAST IS!" Ujin shouted, turning his head to check on the others, who nodded resolutely.As they rapidly descended, each of them showcased their superior bending skills.Ujin spun and glided gracefully down. The Hinos fired bursts of energy from their palms, slowing their descent for a controlled landing. Washio punched forward, extracting water from the air to create a slick water slide that recycled itself from top to bottom as he descended. The slide leaned and straightened in sync with his movements.They landed in a desolate, sandy, and dusty environment. A foreboding silence loomed as they surveyed the area—nothing but walls and doors in sight.They approached a particular door leading to a large shed behind it."This is it.""It might be this silent because they're hiding from the creature… or what if the creature already…" Sakura muttered, her voice trailing off."Let's not jump to conclusions, Sakura," Matsuda said as they formed an all-around surveillance and approached the large shed."In three, two, one." Ujin counted down before kicking down the door. Harrowing darkness greeted them, accompanied by a damp, cold air. Then, a voice echoed from the shadows."Wel…come…" A gush of horrendous-smelling gas hit them square in the face.Sakura snapped her fingers, conjuring a small flame that illuminated the doorway, revealing the grotesque mouth and teeth of the creature. They all took a step back, hearts pounding."What are you?" Ujin demanded, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger."World… Domination…""What did you do to the Quons?" Ujin shouted, desperation creeping into his tone.Suddenly, a massive vibration emanated from the depths of the dark shed. The creature's mouth moved away from the door as the ground shook violently. Sand and dust swirled into the air, forming a dense cloud that obscured their vision."HAH!" Ujin yelled, swinging his hand to unleash a powerful gust of wind, clearing the dust cloud in a dramatic flourish.Matsuda stepped further in, his eyes blazing with determination. He punched his fists to either side, sending flames spreading out, illuminating the shed's surroundings. The light revealed the monstrous, grotesque body of the beast, its form more horrifying than they had imagined."What is this…" Sakura whispered, horror evident in her voice, eyes wide with terror."It's as they described… It's… disgusting," Matsuda replied, his voice a mix of revulsion and dread.