Shun's eyes widened as Kael surged forward, his form barely a blur against the dim light. Kael's movements were effortless, fluid, as if he had tapped into something beyond mere technique—a raw, instinctive power. Daroii, caught off guard, staggered back, unable to keep up with Kael's blinding speed.
Shun gritted his teeth, fists clenched. "Impossible..."
Jin, watching from the sidelines, stood in stunned silence, his mouth slightly open in shock. Even Ryuunsuke , always calm, couldn't hide his astonishment as he muttered under his breath. Daroii's nervous smile faltered, and she cast a quick, uncertain glance toward Ryuunsuke.
"Daroii," Ryuunsuke said, his tone urging her forward, "You can use it… but remember, don't go beyond your limit."
Daroii's expression tightened as she prepared herself. She knew Kael wasn't going to be easy to match, but if she wanted to keep up, she'd have to give it her all. The faint hum of energy began to crackle around her, an electric charge swirling around her fists. Her stance widened, her muscles tensing, ready to unleash the Thunder Shastra. She would move with the speed of lightning—strike with the ferocity of a storm.
But just as she prepared to activate the technique, the air around her seemed to shift. Kael was gone.
Before she could even blink, Kael appeared in front of her, his figure a mere shadow of movement, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Daroii's breath caught in her throat as she instinctively braced herself. His fist was just inches from her face—so close she could feel the air crackle with the power behind it. Her body froze, caught in the intensity of the moment.
For a heartbeat, time seemed to stretch, the world narrowing down to that single instant. She could barely even see him, let alone react. The raw power emanating from Kael was overwhelming, and Daroii knew that any attempt to counter his speed now would be futile.
A breath later, Kael's fist hovered in the air, his energy crackling with restrained power. The silence between them was deafening, the tension thick enough to cut through.
Ryunsuke's voice broke the stillness, his words cutting through the tension like a blade. "Match is over. Kael wins."
Daroii stood frozen for a moment, her chest rising and falling as she processed the outcome of the match. The weight of defeat pressed heavily on her shoulders, and though she couldn't deny the sting of disappointment, she also couldn't ignore the respect that was growing within her. Kael's speed, his power—he was a force to be reckoned with, and she had been in no position to keep up. But she understood, deep down, that this was just the beginning. She'd seen Kael's power firsthand, and it wasn't something she would forget.
With a deep sigh, Daroii let a small laugh escape her lips, shaking her head. "Not bad," she muttered under her breath, brushing off her defeat. Then, with a mischievous grin, she bumped her fist lightly against Kael's chest. "I like you, Kael."
Kael looked down at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. His gaze met hers, not quite sure how to respond to her sudden shift in demeanor.
Meanwhile, Jin stood a few feet away, his expression tightening into something more envious than impressed. His eyes narrowed as he watched the exchange, arms crossed over his chest, clearly not pleased with Daroii's casual attitude toward Kael.
Ryuunsuke called Kael and Jin over, his calm demeanor betraying a subtle smile. "Well, you two are ready now," he said. "Say hi to Rudra for me."
Before either Kael or Jin could respond, Ryuunsuke raised his hand and snapped his fingers. A burst of light enveloped them, and in a split second, they found themselves standing in their room, confusion washing over them. Neither Kael nor Jin had any idea how they'd gotten there—one moment they were standing with Ryuunsuke, and the next, they were back in the familiar surroundings of their shared space.
Kael blinked, looking around, still trying to grasp what just happened. Jin was equally stunned, his mind racing to catch up. "What the hell was that?" Jin muttered, glancing at Kael.
Kael shrugged, equally puzzled. "I think we were just... moved?"
Jin shook his head in disbelief, trying to process it all. "That guy's got some serious tricks up his sleeve."
"What now?" Kael asked, turning to Jin, who was still shaking his head in disbelief.
Kael raised an eyebrow, watching as Jin flopped onto his bed without a word. The sound of Jin's body hitting the mattress echoed through the room, and Kael couldn't help but chuckle at his sudden exhaustion.
Jin didn't respond, his face already buried in the pillow as he mumbled, "Did you forget? Tomorrow we're leaving."
Kael shook his head with a small grin as he lay down in his own bed, the day's events weighing heavily on him. The bed was surprisingly comfortable, and despite the swirling thoughts in his mind, his body succumbed to exhaustion. With a final glance at the dimly lit room, Kael closed his eyes, letting sleep take him.
The next morning, the soft rays of the sun filtered through the curtains, gently waking Kael. He groggily opened his eyes, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings for a moment. His mind quickly caught up, and the events of the previous day rushed back to him.
Jin was already sitting on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes and looking just as tired as Kael felt. He yawned loudly, then turned to Kael with a half-smile. "Guess it's time, huh?"
Kael sat up, stretching his arms and letting out a deep breath. "Yeah, guess so. Let's get moving."
They both quickly gathered their things, their tiredness forgotten as the anticipation of what lay ahead kicked in.
Kael and Jin exchanged a nod, each feeling the weight of the moment, then headed out toward the academy grounds. The early morning air was crisp, carrying a sense of excitement and purpose as they walked side by side.
As Kael and Jin neared the academy grounds, they spotted Daren standing alone, hands in his pockets, his gaze distant. Oddly, he had no belongings with him, a stark contrast to the others milling around with bags and supplies.
They exchanged a puzzled glance before walking up to him. Just then, Tarek and Rudra rounded the corner, with Rudra leaning in to mutter to Tarek, "Don't overthink it. There'll be plenty more like this you'll have to handle down the line."
Tarek sighed, her expression conflicted but resolute. She offered a small nod, as if bracing herself for something difficult. Kael raised an eyebrow at the exchange, feeling a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Looks like we're all here," Jin remarked, breaking the silence, as he studied Daren's expression.
Rudra's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise breaking through his usual composed demeanor as he noticed the faint glow of Jin's second orbit, already activated. He hadn't expected Jin to unlock it on his own, especially without any guidance.
Jin, catching Rudra's reaction, smirked with unmistakable satisfaction. "Surprised, huh?" he drawled, crossing his arms. "Guess some of us are just naturals. Not everyone needs a mentor to pull off the impossible."
Rudra studied Jin from head to toe, his eyes narrowing as if trying to unravel a hidden mystery. Then, a knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Ryunsuke helped you, didn't he?"
Jin's smirk only widened, but he kept his expression casual, shrugging with a mock innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied smoothly. "Not everyone needs to be spoon-fed, you know."
Jin puffed out his chest, flashing a smug grin. "I'm just a genius, that's all," he declared, trying to make it sound casual, though there was a spark of pride in his eyes.
Rudra raised an eyebrow, giving him a dry look. "Oh, really, Mr. Genius? Then tell me why you're not putting your stuff in your orb like everyone else?"
Jin's face went blank for a split second, clearly caught off guard. He forced a cough, straightening his posture. "Uh… yeah, of course I knew that," he stammered, though a faint flush of embarrassment slowly appeared onto his cheeks.
Jin forced out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, uh, me and Kael—we just like carrying our own stuff. You know… keeps us sharp."
Rudra's smirk widened, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, absolutely. Can't let a genius go soft, after all."
Jin turned away, hoping to drop the subject, but as he glanced around, he spotted Kael standing with Tarek nearby. She was patiently showing Kael how to store his belongings in his orb, and Kael's face lit up as he got the hang of it.
Jin cleared his throat awkwardly, muttering, "I guess I am sharp enough now…" before suddenly jumping over to them. He intentionally bumped into Kael, knocking him slightly off balance. Kael stumbled, his arms flailing as he barely caught himself, then shot Jin a look.
"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there," Jin said sarcastically, offering a playful grin.
Kael, rubbing his side with a twitch, rolled his eyes.
Without missing a beat, Jin turned to Tarek with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Teach me too. I'm sure I can figure this out faster than Kael."
Kael watched Tarek closely as she casually called out her orb. It appeared with a soft hum, floating in her palm like a small, dense marble. Without missing a beat, she held it out, focusing for a moment, then tossed her satchel toward the orb.
"Just imagine it fitting inside," she said, and the bag disappeared into the orb with a simple thought, as if the orb had consumed it whole.
Jin blinked, impressed. "That's it? Just like that?"
Tarek nodded. "You need to think about the object and how it fits. The orb can only hold so much, so you have to make sure it's something the orb can 'accept.' You can't stuff too much in there at once, or it won't work."
Kael took a deep breath and summoned his orb. It hovered gently in his palm, about the size of his fist. He imagined his bag fitting perfectly inside it, his focus sharp. With a quick, confident motion, he tossed the pack toward the orb. The orb shimmered briefly, then swallowed the bag, closing with a soft click.
Kael's eyes lit up. "It worked!"
Jin, standing a bit further away, watched with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. His orb was already out, and with a flick of his wrist, he threw a few items in with a casual ease, his confidence shining through.
"Simple," he muttered, tossing in a few more belongings. "I'm just a natural, you know. "
Rudra, who had been quietly observing, raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well, if you're such a natural, why do you have everything scattered around like that?" His gaze shifted to Jin's orb, which was struggling to hold all the items.
Jin shrugged nonchalantly. "Pfft, it's not about cramming everything in there. I just like the challenge." He grinned, but the slightly crowded orb betrayed him.
Kael, still testing his own orb, noticed Jin's struggles and couldn't help but chuckle. "Guess not everything's so easy for you, huh?"
Jin shot Kael an exaggerated glare before turning back to his orb. "Okay, okay, I'll fix it—just wait.
Rudra, stepping forward with a smirk, clapped his hands together. "Now, it seems like all of you are finally ready."
He looked at Kael, raising an eyebrow. "Where's your sword?"
Kael paused, glancing at Rudra with a slight frown. "It broke when I was fighting Daroii."
Rudra glanced over at him, his expression shifting to one of mild interest. "Oh? So you fought with Ryunsuke's student, huh? Did you win?"
Before Kael could answer, Jin flustered, waving his hand dismissively. "Aren't we supposed to be leaving soon?
Rudra, along with the others, burst into laughter at Jin's sudden outburst. The tension of the moment was quickly replaced by light-hearted teasing.
As their laughter faded, they approached the portal, the air crackling with energy. Darin, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Rudra," Darin asked, "will we go to all different places with a portal like this too?"
Rudra grinned. "Well, only where the Forge has established a branch. For others, we'll take my spaceship."
Tarek's eyes widened, a spark of excitement flashing in them. "You have a spaceship?"
Rudra's grin widened. "It's parked where we're going next."
Just as the group was discussing, someone in the background, hidden in the shadows, was watching them intently. His hand was raised, and he spoke into his orb, his voice low.
"I saw him. He's leaving for Krokis ."
The person on the other end of the call replied with a slight edge of concern. "Is he alone?"
The watcher's voice remained calm but cautious. "No. He's with some of his friends."
There was a pause, the silence hanging heavy in the air. Then the watcher added, "We don't have to worry about them... but Rudra one of the ten Uncrowned Prince is also with him."
The voice on the other end became sharp. "Is Ryunsuke or Kiran with them?"
The watcher hesitated before responding, "No."
"Then I'm coming," the voice on the other end stated with finality. "He cannot run from us."
With that, Jin and the others stepped into the portal, the swirling energy pulling them forward, unaware of the watchful eyes that followed their every move.