CRACK!
Another punch split the air like a thunderclap. Kaida barely twisted away, the shockwave brushing past his jaw hard enough to sting. His footing wavered, sweat already soaking through his clothes.
Across from him, Alric Voss stood like an immovable tower, fists raised, smiling—not out of arrogance, but with a wild, unshakable joy. Every punch he threw echoed through the training grounds, loud enough to make birds scatter.
Kaida gritted his teeth, breath ragged, arms shaking.
He wasn’t just fighting.
He was surviving.
Seraphina, Lysara, and Lorien watched from the sidelines, all three bandaged, exhausted, and very obviously trying to avoid round two.
“I don’t care what he says,” Lorien muttered, “that is not holding back.”
Seraphina massaged her shoulder. “If that’s restraint, I’m a goddess.”
Lysara didn’t speak—just kept her eyes locked on Kaida, her expression unreadable.
Alric stepped in again—quick for someone so large. A punch missed Kaida’s cheek by centimeters, and Kaida barely caught his footing before diving back.
“You’re fast, I’ll give you that!” Alric called out. “But fast won’t matter if you can’t land a hit!”
Kaida steadied himself, exhaling through his nose.
“I’m trying!” he growled, launching forward with a burst of speed.
A jab—blocked.
A sweep—dodged.
A cross—caught mid-swing.
In a flash, Alric grabbed Kaida’s wrist, twisted his body—and knee-drove into his gut with bone-rattling force.
THWACK!
Kaida’s eyes went wide. Air left his lungs in a sharp gasp.
Pain shot through his body. The world tilted.
Then—
DING.
A screen appeared in front of him—ethereal, glowing faintly.
DON’T QUIT. LET THE MANA DRIVE YOUR WIND.
Kaida’s vision sharpened.
The screen faded.
His hand clenched.
And suddenly—he moved.
He staggered back, body trembling, knees buckling—but he didn’t fall.
Alric blinked. “Still up?”
Kaida’s jaw tensed.
He wasn’t giving up.
Not yet.
Then—
A gust erupted around him.
The air swirled like a cyclone, rustling grass, kicking up dust. Kaida’s hair lifted with the current, and wind pressure whipped around his frame like an angry spirit.
Seraphina shielded her face. “What the—?!”
“He’s manifesting wind mana!” Lorien shouted.
Lysara stood slowly, eyes wide. “No… it’s deeper than that.”
Kaida stood in the storm, eyes blank—empty.
He wasn’t fully present.
Yet something ancient stirred.
Then—
Like a storm collapsing in on itself, the winds vanished.
Kaida dropped to the ground.
Unconscious.
⸻
He awoke to the faint scent of herbs.
A white ceiling. Soft sheets.
Kaida blinked, slowly pushing himself upright.
His arms ached.
His breath came light and slow.
A shadow moved from the corner of the room.
Temu stepped forward.
“You’re finally awake.”
Kaida rubbed his temples. “Where…?”
“Infirmary,” she answered curtly. “You passed out after your mana spiked.”
He blinked again, processing. “I… don’t remember much.”
She crossed her arms, tail twitching behind her. “You stood up—after getting knocked halfway to the capital. But your eyes? They were hollow. Your body moved, but your mind wasn’t there. Like it acted on instinct.”
Kaida frowned.
Temu’s gaze didn’t waver.
“You’re not the first to awaken their mana in crisis. But that kind of reaction? That much pressure?” She narrowed her eyes. “It means you’ve got potential. Dangerous potential.”
He looked down at his hands. “So it really was… my wind mana.”
She nodded once. “Raw, wild, and uncontrolled. But yeah. It was yours.”
He sat back, exhaling quietly.
“I didn’t know I could do something like that…”
Temu turned toward the door.
“You didn’t. But now you do.”
She stopped at the threshold and looked over her shoulder.
“You’re not weak, Kaida. Just inexperienced.”
She gave a faint smirk.
“That’s fixable.”
Then added—
“Training continues tomorrow.”
He raised an eyebrow. “With heavier weights?”
She grinned. “What do you think?”
The door slammed behind her.
Kaida leaned back, eyes to the ceiling.
He didn’t sigh.
He didn’t groan.
Instead, a quiet determination settled in his chest.
“…Then I’ll be ready.”
He stared at his palm, remembering the wind that once surged through it.
Whatever this world had planned for him—he wasn’t running.
Not anymore.
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