The air in the training room was heavy, not just with the weight of exhaustion but with the unspoken tension that still lingered after the brutal team trials. The quiet hum of the recovery machines and the faint scent of healing balms filled the space, but Unit 92 sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.Benji stood before them, arms crossed, his face unreadable. He had watched every second of their battle against Unit 3, and though they had come out victorious, it was far from a clean win. His eyes scanned his students, each one battered and bruised, but none more so than in their pride."Let's talk about the fight," Benji said finally, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, but there was a weight behind it that made everyone sit up a little straighter.John, still nursing a sore shoulder from Victor's relentless fire blasts, shifted uncomfortably. "What's there to talk about? We won, didn't we?"Benji raised an eyebrow. "Did you? Or did you just survive?"That shut John up. He glanced at Gordon, who was staring down at his fists, and then at Anne and Alex, who both seemed equally drained."Winning doesn't mean much if it's by the skin of your teeth," Benji continued. "You were out of sync. Your individual skills are good, but together? You barely functioned as a team."Gordon's fists clenched tightly. "We fought hard," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. But Benji caught it."And yet, you let your ego get in the way," Benji said, turning his gaze directly on Gordon. "Victor exploited that. He knew exactly how to push your buttons, and instead of working with your team, you tried to handle it on your own."Gordon's eyes flashed with frustration, but he didn't argue. He knew Benji was right.Benji shifted his attention to Anne, whose face was still flushed from the battle. "Anne, you're fast, and your energy control is improving. But against Isabel, your strategy fell apart. You were reactive, not proactive. In a real fight, that hesitation could cost you."Anne nodded, biting her lip. She knew she had struggled against Isabel's teleportation, but hearing it aloud stung.Next, Benji turned to John. "John, you were reckless. You relied too much on brute force, assuming you could overpower Victor's flames with your own. Fire against fire doesn't always work. Sometimes, you need to be smarter, not just stronger."John frowned but gave a tight nod. He didn't like hearing it, but Benji wasn't wrong.Finally, Benji looked at Alex, who had been unusually quiet. "Alex, your physical strength is impressive. You held your ground against Max, but you were predictable. Max controlled the battlefield with his gravity, and you let him. You need to think outside your comfort zone."Alex gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I guess I let him throw me around a bit."Benji's stern expression softened slightly, though his voice remained firm. "Each of you has potential. You're strong, but strength alone won't win this tournament. The other cities—Aqualis, Ignis Peak, Skyshear—they all have teams who have been training together for years. They know each other's strengths and weaknesses like the back of their hand."He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "If you want to win, you need to be more than just individual fighters. You need to be a unit—a true team."The room fell silent again, the students absorbing Benji's words. They had been training together for months, but the trials had shown them just how disjointed they could be under pressure.John finally broke the silence. "Benji," he said slowly, "back there, when you faced off against Rage... you were something else. That Evolved State you went into, how do we... get there?"All eyes turned to Benji. The memory of his transformation—his radiant white aura, the sheer power he had unleashed—was still fresh in their minds. It had been unlike anything they had ever seen.Benji's gaze softened, but there was a flicker of something else—something guarded. "The Evolved State isn't something you can just 'get to,'" he said quietly. "It's not about power or technique alone. It's about more than that."Anne leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "So... what is it about? How did you do it?"Benji crossed his arms, considering how to explain something that couldn't truly be taught. "The Evolved State is about harmony—mind, body, and soul. When those three align perfectly, a bender can transcend their normal limits. But it's not something that happens just because you want it to. It happens when you're ready. When every part of you—your thoughts, your emotions, your spirit—reaches that point of perfect balance."John furrowed his brow. "So, it's like... meditation?"Benji shook his head. "It's deeper than that. It's not just about clearing your mind or focusing your energy. It's about understanding yourself completely. Your strengths, your weaknesses, your fears. It's about accepting all of that and letting it fuel you, not control you."Alex, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke up. "So, it's not just about being strong or fast. It's about being... whole."Benji nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "Exactly. And that's not something you can force. It comes with time, with experience, and with understanding yourself—truly understanding yourself."Gordon, still fuming quietly, muttered, "So, what? We just wait for it to happen?"Benji looked at him, his expression serious. "No. You train. You push yourselves, not just physically but mentally and emotionally. And when the time is right, when your mind, body, and soul are in perfect alignment... then you'll be ready."The weight of Benji's words hung in the air, and for the first time, Unit 92 truly grasped just how much further they had to go. The tournament was only a week away, and while they were strong, they weren't yet whole."We've got a lot of work to do," John muttered, glancing at the others.Benji nodded. "You do. But I believe in each of you. You've come this far, and you'll go even further. Just remember, strength comes from more than just bending. It comes from within."As the team sat in quiet contemplation, the faint hum of the recovery machines the only sound, they understood the challenge ahead of them wasn't just about mastering their bending. It was about mastering themselves.