Another morning arrived, peaceful as ever. As soon as the sunlight pierced through the cracks that the curtains failed to cover, Ikiara sat up on her bed, yawning softly and getting some of her ruffled mane out of her eyes. Her purple eyes set on the room as she glanced at her hand. "Brother... I hope you're okay wherever you are..." she took a small breath.

She stood from the bed and exited the room towards the restroom. She grabbed a hairbrush and fixed her disheveled locks. Once she finished, she smiled at herself and nodded. "let's go again."

"someone's up early." Luridad leaned on the doorframe while smiling. She was already dressed in her usual attire. She leaned forward with her hands on her back. "How was your night? Did you sleep well this time?"

Ikiara smiled back at her and nodded. "I did, yeah..." She glanced back at the mirror. "I tried to contact my brother again last night... I'm not sure if he got it... but there's a part of me that believes he did." She turned back towards her friend.

"Hmmmm." She narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "And how long did you keep that up exactly?" she asked with a voice with small sternness but overall concern in her tone.

"Ahehe," she chuckled nervously while holding her hands up defensively. "It was only a couple of minutes. I went back to sleep right after. Promise," she responded while looking down at her.

"Promise on your mystic pinky?" she pulled her hand up with her pinky out.

"My, what now?" She tilted her head.

"It's a way to seal a promise. We use it to make sure that you are telling the truth between loved ones." She signed with her finger. "All you have to do is put a little magic in your pinky."

Ikiara blinked momentarily, her eyes set on the monochromatic girl's finger. A couple of seconds later, she mimicked her gesture, lifting her pinky and engulfing it with small sparkles of purple magic. "I promise on my mystic pinky."

Luridad giggled a bit while wrapping her finger around hers, shaking them in a small gesture. "Perfect! Let's get going then. We still have a lot more to teach you!" she grabbed her hand and began rushing out of the restroom.

She chuckled slightly, stepping after her rapidly and getting past the living room. After they finished their breakfast and thanked Yugikari, they stepped out of the house. As she took in the familiar morning breeze, Ikiara stopped herself for a moment. "Hey... Luridad?"

"Yeah?" She turned to her with a curious expression.

"I think... I want to change my name." She looked into the sky. "I... I'm not sure if I am going to be the same person I would be if I hadn't ended up here." She brought her hand to her chest. "But... I know that I am going to be... me, and it's not just Ikiara... not anymore..." She closed her eyes.

"Oh... deep." Luridad chuckled nervously while rubbing her arm. "Well then... what name do you want to have then?"

She let out a small exhale. "Marahní." She opened her eyes, "Marahní Hikari."

"Marahní, huh..." Luridad smiled. "I like it."

She smiled back at her. "Thank you." She placed her hand back to hers. "Now, let's go." She resumed their steps with an increased stride. The girls giggled together as they reached the library.

Once they got inside, Luridad followed her, hands on her back. "So... what do you want to look over today?"

"Actually... would it be fine if we started with meditation today?" she looked around the halls and shelves as they walked deeper into the building, admiring the piles of books. "We can focus on something new later on. I just want to see if I can recreate what happened the last day."

She nodded in response as she walked alongside her. "Alright, then. Good idea." She moved deeper into the library with her, and soon, they reached a clear spot surrounded by shelves. "This seems like a good spot. What do you think?"

"It seems good," Marahní smiled. She sat in the center, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her ankles.

"Very well." Luridad sat on her knees, placed her hands on them, and turned to her expectantly. Ready?"

She shook her head yes. "Ready." After closing her eyes and deep respiration, she began concentrating, picturing the texts she had previously gone over along with memories of her past attempts at spells and incantation. Combined with that, she fixated on the flashing impression of her brother, the flames that engulfed his aura, and the impact of the blinking presence.

For an instant, it was like being somewhere else.

The air flowed freely. The sun shined without barriers; the sounds of a clear atmosphere reigned.

It was total peace in a spaceless corridor with a faint frame in the distance.

"Boy"

Ikara's eyes shoot open, his conscience returning from a deep concentration trance. "Did I... did I fall asleep again?" He rubbed his head.

"Quite the opposite." Yamaguchi kneeled at the young boy's level. "You were completely centered for a moment; it was brief, but I saw it. If you keep up like that, you'll master meditation soon."

The young boy brushed some of his hair back. "I... suppose I just took in what you told me last time." He placed his hands on his ankles while he looked back up at him. "But maybe it's also because you're an amazing teacher, Mister Yamaguchi!" he cheered.

The hazel-eyed man hummed. He then smiled and shook his head. "I've only shown you the way. It's you who has walked it at an impressive rate." He glanced past the mountain's edge. "Stand up, boy, we're going down today,"

Ikara stood beside him, looking at the edge curiously. "What for?"

"We need to pick up leaves for your training and other supplies." He began walking towards the edge, but this time to the opposite end from which Ikara had climbed. He took some baskets he'd taken out of the temple beforehand. "Come, we must seize daylight time."

The orange-eyed boy nodded as he walked after him, hurrying the space to catch up. As they reached the edge, he saw that they were stairs craved all the way to the forest. He blinked a little in disbelief, "Ah..."

A few minutes later, they climbed down numerous stairs and arrived at the rich forest that rested at the formation's base. Ikara looked around as he followed closely behind Yamaguchi, "Is... is this what you do every day?"

"Every day, I need provisions." He responded with his hands together under his robe's sleeves. He glanced around while they moved past the various trees, the light piercing through the deep foliage and providing a dim light.

"Woah... this place is..." Ikara took a small breath, "So calm..." He passed his hand to one of the trees.

Yamaguchi nodded, "Perfect for honing your concentration." He opened his hand, watching the leaves fall naturally from the branches, and one of them landed on his palm. "Are you ready to go again?"

He looked at the greeneries falling. He briefly glanced at the older man and then took a small breath. "I think I am..." he grasped his fists, orange orbs setting on the falling objects, focusing only on them and repeating the process he went through last time. His brain played images of the exercise while his body began acting in synchrony with them, mimicking each movement. His eyes opened in a state of absent concentration as his hands opened on his palms.

With numerous consecutive strikes, the air dispersed with each one, releasing echoing booms that broke the silence of the forest. The leaves pieces are barely visible as they fall onto the floor. "How was that?" he smiled expectantly as he glanced back at him.

"Impressive," Yamaguchi commented as he looked down. He watched the last bits descending. "You did this after seeing it once..." he looked back at the boy. "Your eyes were detached from anger. I saw it. How did you achieve it?"

"I was just doing what you told me, honestly." Ikara moved one of his locks away from his face. "Cleared my mind and just thought about the leaves... I guess I also replayed the way you do it on my head... kinda like tracing over a line."

"Interesting concept." he rubbed his chin, closing his eyes in thought. "Either way, there's a few other things we need to get today. After that, we can move to the next part of your training," he signed the boy to follow as he resumed walking.

Ikara walked after him, continuing to admire the scenery while he helped him get some fruits out of the trees. He climbed up the logs and carefully pulled the fruits before hopping back down the ground and going back to follow. "So... do you only eat fruits?"

"Meat is a lot more dangerous to acquire," He stated as he carried a basket in his hands. "Not only that, but it attracts unwanted attention; people look for food all around the planet, and this forest is no exception." He glanced back at him without stopping his steps. "Fruit is just as effective without all the risk."

The boy hummed a little, "I guess that makes sense," he glanced away, hiding his discontent on the man's preferred diet and rapidly changing the subject. "So, what do when we have all the stuff we need? What comes next in my training?"

"To get sap." He stopped in front of a tree.

"Sap?" he raised an eyebrow while halting behind him.

"These trees have a special kind of fluid; they are very good for nutrition and keeping energy in small rations." He placed his hand on the wooden surface. "To get it out, you have to strike a precise point."

"Oh..." He blinked a little, "I think I know what you're talking about." He placed the basket on the floor.

"So... just like with the leaves?" he asked as he glanced back at him.

Yamaguchi signed to the tree, "see for yourself."

Ikara took a deep breath, settled into a firm position, and closed his eyes. He relaxed his arms and hands as he pictured the movements on his head.

Mind going in silence.

Peace engulfs skin fibers.

"Marahní?"

The purple-eyed girl woke from her meditation trance, her vision opening and taking the gaze of Luridad, still sitting before her with a curious and confused gaze. "Uh... too much?"

Luridad giggled lightly with her hands together. "Yeah...you sort of spaced out for a while...but hey! It means you were very concentrated!" she added with her hands clapped together.

"Yeah... I'm still not sure what I am focusing on... but I know it's in there..." She brushed her hair back and fixed her sitting position. "Okay, I think I'm ready to do something new today."

"That sounds good. Let's see what books we can find." Luridad stood up and reached out her hand.

Marahní smiled a bit while she took her hand, standing up alongside her. They walked together through the library, returned between the bookshelves, and looked around at the different tomes and manuscripts either resting on tables or lying on the floor. "I sometimes forget how big this place is..."

"Yeah... really makes you think there's no end to what you can learn, doesn't it?" the monochromatic girl glanced back at her with her hands on her back. "It's really exciting if you ask me."

"That is exactly what I was thinking," She giggled a little while her fingers ran across covers and pages. "Magic is such a... marvelous thing..." She smiled with wonder as she held onto a random book, pulling it out of the shelf. "How does this one look?"

Luridad hummed a bit, studying the cover with her hands on her back. "Reflection and incantations—oh, I think I remember those. They are a bit advanced, but I trust you can handle them." She turned around with a happy skip. "Let's go!"

She watched her go, her eyes lingering on her before they turned towards the leather cover. "Advanced, huh?" she pondered the idea for a few instants. Then, she nodded to herself and rushed after her friend to catch up. Soon, she reached her on one of the tables and placed the book on it. "So, how do we start?"

"We should probably begin with the simple things.... Well, simple things for this book, that is." She opened the book on the second page. "This is a prism mirror incantation. Basically, it's creating an object that reflects any light, even the ones created by magic."

"I think I can handle that," She looked at the book.

"Of course, you think that always so gullible." A familiar, smug voice spoke from behind them.

"Oh, hi, Elizabeth." Luridad crossed her arms as they turned to see the extravagant blond young woman.

Elizabeth giggled, her hands on her back, and she hummed a bit while tilting her head condescendingly. "Hello again, Luridad; I see you're still hanging around your fallen dove."

"Fallen angel." The monochromatic girl corrected her with a calm yet stern expression while narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, yes, whatever you want to tell her." She waved her hand dismissively, closing her eyes and smirking nonchalantly.

Marahní sighed, placing the book on the table and her hand on top of it, her other hand landing on her hip. "Can't you just leave us alone? We are trying to study here, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth chuckled, placing her hand over her mouth, "Ohohoho!" she shook her head. "Study? Oh please, Ikiara, as if you could learn something as advanced as prism incantations."

Marahní hummed a bit, unamused by her smug tone. "It's Marahní now." She tapped her fingers on the book. "You know, I'm starting to think you have nothing better to do in this place. I never see you studying. Maybe these books are too advanced for you, rich girl."

The blond girl's face twisted in indignation, and her eyes glared as she scoffed. "My time is too valuable to waste with you, " she said, turning around and brushing her puffy hair over her shoulder before leaving their sight.

"Seriously, what is her problem?" she whispered as she leaned towards Luridad.

Luridad shook her head as they watched her leave, "she's just a daddy's girl, no other way around."

"Right..." She turned around and picked up the book from the table. "Anyhow, I'm going to start before anything else comes to interrupt us." She opened the tome back on the second page, her hand tracing the line, followed by her steady eyes.

She extended her hand, raising two fingers. At the same time, she continued to follow the lines with her gaze, going over the words continuously as her hand remained in a steady position before waving her wrist downwards, concentrating on the shape she wanted to create and the spot she wanted it to be. A mirror. As she closed her eyes, fracture sounds sprouted from her fingertips, emanating fractured glass particles.

Some of the same particles started to gather on the top of Luridad's head. "Huh?" she glanced up, watching an irregular frame that reflected light that came near it. "Amazing, Marahní!" she clapped her hands.

She smiled a bit more, bringing the mirror prism to herself, holding it in her hands, and examining it slowly while tilting her head in interest. "Woah... it really does reflect light beautifully,"

She giggled softly as she returned to her and pressed her shoulder against hers. "And you haven't even seen how it reflects magical lights," she added with a playful nudge. This caused her friend to chuckle with her, and a small tint appeared on their cheeks from the closeness.

Marahní cleared her throat while glancing away and spinning the prism on her fingers nervously. "Well then, Now I have to see what that looks like." She tossed the prism in the air, keeping it afloat with her left hand, using levitating magic. After that, she took another breath, extended her hand, and concentrated on creating a magical light.

She took in the air around the library, letting it fill her lungs and feeling the magic particles resonating with her thoughts.

They coursed from her brain to her hands, rushing through every fiber of her arms.

As the magic extended through her hands, it exploded through her fingers.

Like a carefully practiced strike on a single point, a palm strikes the center of a tree, releasing echoing sounds of pressured air.

"Well done, Ikara," Yamaguchi nodded as he watched the boy's palm leaving the tree, a circle broken through the tree's crust, leaving a place for the leaking nectar from the circle. He leaned down and placed a jar, filling it with the liquid that dripped from the hole.

Ikara moved his hand from the tree, looked at it for a second, and then nodded. "Thank you." He looked back behind them; various trees had holes pierced just as precisely and strongly, their crusts laying along the bases. He then turned back to his tutor. "Is that enough?"

He nodded, placed the filled jar on the basket, and turned around. "Let's go; we have to take your practice to the next level," he said, walking forward through the timberland.

He followed after him, "What is the next step then?" as they passed a lake, he noticed his reflection in the water, causing him to stop for a moment. In the clear liquid, he saw himself, but it was not the same anymore. His hair had changed its look, the black color replaced by a dark purple pigment, almost completely black, but the new tint was there. As his hand moved along the changed locks, he noticed the change in his appearance; no longer was he a little boy, but now his appearance reflected the frame of a young teen.

"Ikara!" Yamaguchi called out, breaking the young male out of the trance induced by reflecting through the passing of time. The sight behind them was covered with countless trees, all of them with the same hole on their crust, shreds of leaves covering the pieces of wood. Pieces that covered the dirt with years of repeating training.

He quickly caught up with the older man. "Sorry, I was just... thinking." He glanced back at the river for a second. He then glanced back at him. "What were you talking about?"

"You are ready for the next stage of your training, " he answered, his hands on his back, the basket hanging over his wrist, and every item held inside perfectly balanced.

"And what would that be?" Ikara asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"You've mastered with my strikes, but that's only a part of becoming a complete warrior." He continued to advance. "You will have to learn much more than just my art."

The young male blinked in confusion, "meaning?" he tilted his head, waiting for the older man to elaborate.

"You need to learn from different masters, work on different areas that I cannot teach you, and cover every strength a fighter needs to reach their center." He stopped walking, placing his on a low-hanging branch on one of the trees. "But before any of that, you must prove that you've truly understood everything I taught you."

Ikara raised an eyebrow with his hands on his sides. "How many ancient masters are there in this-" Before he could finish his sentence, Yamaguchi darted at him like a lunging hunting animal, a turning palm plummeting at his stomach, sending a strong gust of air as the teen was pushed back.

"Hmm," the older man pursued him, ready to strike again, but the next thing he saw was Ikara's opened palm launching itself at his face. His eyes went wide as he sidestepped swiftly, watching the air pressure pierce the greeneries that covered, making a hole with its misfire's force from which the afternoon light could shine through. As the mentor stepped back, he could see Ikara's palms having small scratches on them. 'He moved his hands at the last moment to block, clever.' He smiled at the thought.

Then, he blocked the next attack with the back of his left palm. He used the other hand to attack with a straight hit, but the young male blocked with his backhand, jumping back to create some distance.

After that, he took a small breath. "Okay, I got it," he mumbled, using the base of his feet to hit the ground with precise strength to impulse himself quickly towards his mentor. He launched a straight palm that was met with Yamaguchi's strike, making even more shockwaves with the collision of their attacks.

Ikara and Yamaguchi continued to exchange detailed palm attacks, parrying each other with new attacks and making booming noises all around the small clearing. The teen's auburn orbs stared up at him, reaching every point in quick succession without being hit. He then reached his hand forward at the man's head, seemingly leaving himself open.

The older man caught sight of it and responded accordingly, sliding aside and thrusting his palm at the boy's face. Yet, still, he seemed to blink from sight the moment the attack reached, appearing before him and hitting him square on the stomach with a curving leg strike, using the same principle with the plant of his foot.

Yamaguchi's eyes went ever so slightly wide, forcing the breath out of his mouth and causing him to stumble back, causing him to jump back, holding his side and catching his breath. But he didn't let that surprise hold him back for long, rapidly moving his wrist to block the boy's next strike, struggling against him while looking down at him with a mixture of surprise and contentment. "You learned to use your 'other' palms... striking." He pushed him back, taking position once more. "Show me more, youngster."

Ikara landed firmly on his feet, nodding in response and smiling as he took a similar stance. "I'm ready." he lunged forward once more.

As palms clashed, another change in air pressure sent waves across the forest clearing, making the trees shake ever so slightly and expanding gusts of wind in short distances.

It was as if the wind was being controlled precisely to create rings around the area.

All expanded and then concentrated, spiraling along the greeneries.

"Woho! You got it, Marahní!" Luridad lifted her hands in cheer as she watched her friend using a spell to control the air around them.

Marahní had her hands together, and her eyes closed. She lifted a prism on the dirt above her head, making the winds contract back on the center and enter the object, concentrating on one of the glass faces. She then opened her hand and lifted her three middle fingers, shooting into the sky as a concentrating bean. She let out a small breath. "Combining magic is so interesting... what else can we do with it?" she asked as she looked back at her with an excited yet serene smile on her face.

"Hmmm..." Luridad rubbed her chin and tapped her foot on the ground in thought.

"Oh, I know!" she snapped her fingers. We can try transmuting magic." She placed her hands together. "You know, turning things into other things, magical or not, I'm sure you can handle it; you've basically devoured half the library by now," she added with a praising tone and smile.

She giggled a little, feeling her cheeks burning slightly while running her head through her now longer, straight black hair, playing with one of her bangs. She took a small look at herself; her outfit had changed a bit over her time there. She wore a grey skirt that covered half of her long legs and a white shirt with a black tie adorning the middle. "It's not a big deal." she glanced away coyly.

"Come on, fallen angel, don't be so modest." Luridad slapped her back playfully while giggling gleefully. "You've studied more than anyone else I know; you got the trick on the back!" she added while pointing finger guns spiritedly.

"All right, okay, I'll give it a show." Marahní turned back to her, fixing her hair slightly before elevating the prism in front of her. She extended her index fingers, concentrating magic sparkles on them and spinning them slowly as her eyes engrossed the object.

As the prims were covered in a purple magic aura, it began spinning in tandem with her fingers. Within four revolutions, the class shifted and twisted until it blackened and hardened into a dark stone. "Look! It's obsidian!" she smiled as she moved it back to her palms.

Luridad clapped her hands while smiling in praise. "Amazing! Let's see what else you can do!" she added while leaning down and picking up a handful of rocks from the floor.

She nodded, gripping her hands together with fortitude. "Okay!" she responded, placing the obsidian rock on her friend's palm. Then, she watched her lift the stones with sparkles of white magic. Marahní placed her hands together, rubbing them against each other. Then, she extended her arms and lifted her fingers, igniting each of them with a purple magic aura. She extended her fingers through each rock and imagined the rotations in her mind.

Seconds later, the rocks began to spin in their center as well as around them. After that, she closed her hands, causing the minerals to twist themselves until they turned into a ring of fire. She then moved her hands in fluid motions, causing the flames to flow around the air. With another twist of her wrist, the fire turned into light that bolted in between the trees at blinding speeds before going down toward the ground.

The sound of contact was a deep echo, like a cannonball coming down on Earth.

Like lightning moving at full force and masterful movement.

Catching someone at that speed would require highly trained reflexes.

A realization came to Ikara as he felt the heavy pressure of a kick on his stomach, causing him to let out the air in his lungs. He only caught a glance from the figure bouncing around the trees, an older man similar to Yamaguchi, but he had a white ponytail and twirly hair as well as a silver robe.

The young man's eyes followed the blurs as much as he could as the movements blasted all around the rainforest. His eyes went wide as he watched the silver robe man coming down towards him, his arm moving rapidly to deflect the hit with the back of his wrist, but the sheer force pushed his arm against his torso, making him grunt and jump back for space.

He landed on his feet and right hand, briefly glancing at Yamaguchi, only to be met with a sight glance. The boy scoffed and stood back up, readying his stance and concentrating on the sounds of the rocketing movements, the vibrations that each of them caused in the air, and the trails the movements left.

As the next kick came by, Ikara's hand moved with invigorated quickness, spinning his palm to stop the older man while meeting eyes with the silver master. He used the impulse to launch him back, and the next instant, he jumped back into the side of a tree, breathing deeply and closing his eyes, recreating the moments and movements on his head while he bent his knees on the tree's surface.

He opened his eyes and launched himself forward, mimicking the movements that played in his mind. He bounced from tree to tree at intervals at matching speeds as he followed the older adult, meeting his kick midair with one of his own, sending shockwaves that knocked out leaves from the high branches.

After contact, Ikara landed back on the ground, quickly brushing his nose and regaining his stance. He watched as the silver-robed master stood in a stem. "Yamaguchi was not exaggerating with you; you truly are a unique breed." He brushed his ponytail aside and bent his knees. "Get ready."

Ikara nodded, bending his legs tightly while keeping his eyes set on his mentor, his gaze tight and firm with determination.

The movements are quick, just like the passing of time, a dash that turns days into months. Months that cover all kinds of memories and discoveries. Like the mastery transmutation magic, Marahní twirled her hands gracefully, turning the flow of water into rigid ice, then into twisting metal, then pure magic sparkles, and finally, thin air that dissipated in the sky.

After that, She and Luridad cheered together. The monochromatic girl took her hands on her own and skipped happily, much to her joy and fluster. The girls looked up and watched the last few shines dissolve into the sky.

Or memories like the tremble of the ground after a heavy fist connected to it. Ikara's young frame escaped from it, watching as a bulky older adult in an obsidian robe jumped at him, the muscles on his arm contracting for another devastating attack. The mire aftermath of it caused the teen to get launched into a large rock, but after a shout of pain, he planted his arms and feet on the boulder. He gritted his teeth and waited for the towering mentor to reach him. He watched his muscles tense and contract, simultaneously doing the same on his left arm and legs.

As the obsidian-robed man reached him, Ikara destroyed the rock with the force of his forelegs, using the rubble as a barrier, which the older adult swiped away with a swing of his arm. Still, this forced him to halt his next attack and cover himself from Ikara's concentrated left hook with his wide hand. The sudden force caused him to stumble back as the young male landed safely.

Yamaguchi and Silver Robe watched from a distance, nodding to Obsidian as he regained his stance. The bulking man extended his fist at Ikara as a sign of approval. Ikara returned the gesture before they resumed the exchange.

An exchange like the changing of stations, like watching the snow fall upon the arrival of winter and preparing for the cold temperatures. Marahní levitated a variety of outfits, joining them together to create new creations from the chilly season, and then levitated them to display them for Luridad and Yugikari.

She enthusiastically clapped her hands, sparks in her eyes. At the same time, her father gave a calmer yet still appreciative reaction, complimenting her progress and the creativity of her spells. The three changed into their next clothes and gathered around the kitchen to prepare food for the night.

Marahní picked up cups of chocolate and closed her eyes, clasping her hands together, muttering a spell, and extending a warm aura towards the mugs that heated the liquid to perfection. She smiled softly as she picked up the tray and turned around to join them in the living room.

Warmth then grows, just like the abrasive heat that is felt at the top of a volcano, a precarious situation that makes a fight even more dangerous. A problem with high pressure is when you're fighting a master that hits you full force with the very end of their elbow. Ikara barely landed on his hand and stumbled on his feet, brushing the blood from his nose, staring intently as a scarlet robe master approached him, putting all their weight on their knee and aiming at the young male's face.

He shot his eyes wide and moved his hands as quickly as he could to defend his face, but the weight of the attack still sent him flying toward the edge. He dug his hands into the volcanic rock, griping with force and pulling himself back into the air, using the impulse to put all his weight on a matching elbow strike.

The scarlet robe master jumped, parrying the attack with a knee, causing a pressure that made the ground beneath them rumble. After Ikara jumped back firmly, he let out a small breath and returned to a steady stance. To this, the older man gave a gesture to tell him to continue. Despite the injuries, Ikara charged once more.

Injuries are as natural as they are disheartening. Even more so when you look at them on a wounded creature such as a griffin, their wing mangled and a fissure on its hip, a sight which caused Marahní to twist her expression in dismay. She looked at Luridad, her face showing the discomfort of watching such a creature in pain.

Luridad frowned with sympathy and concern, but soon, she gave a soft smile, gesturing for her friend to try to restore the creature to health. She walked towards her and took her hands, carefully placing them on top of the wing. Then, she turned back toward her and nodded in encouragement.

She glanced back at it, staring intently at the magic and mustering coats of magic from her hands, picturing threats that mended the flesh and placed the joints back together. With a mystic glow, just that happened; the cut closed itself, and the wing returned to its place. Shortly after, the griffin stood up, bowing its head in gratitude before chirping majestically and flying away. Marahní cheered happily, hugging Luridad from the side and pressing her cheek against her face, to which she blushed darkly but smiled nonetheless.

The kind of hold was much different than the one that Ikara experienced, his neck being restrained by a tight arm like a constrictor. He puffed to keep himself conscious as his hands struggled to force the arm of him to no avail. So, instead, he used his weight to pull the person over his back, standing firm on the ground and using force to throw the person off him.

The stranger landed swiftly. It was another older man, this one with an emerald robe covering his figure. He signed Ikara to come after him. He obeyed, rushing towards the master and jumping at him, trying to pull him into a hold from the middle area, but he moved aside, taking his arm and pushing him to pull him into a leg lock.

However, the young male disappeared upon contact, reappearing on the other side of the emerald robe and grabbing his other arm. Using his whole body as a lever, he pulled him into the ground, forcing him to disengage and slither away from the Ikara's hold, taking the match back to neutral territory. The master nodded in acknowledgment as he watched his stance.

Watching intently like waiting for the morning to come.

This was a feeling that Marahní knew all too well. Every time the sun would rise through her window, she would wake up and get ready to start the day to learn more; even after all the weeks and months that had passed, her goal was set in stone.

Her room was filled with books, piles upon piles surrounded her bed, and a small desk that was given to her after her first year on the planet. She passed his hand upon it with a melancholic smile. Then she took one of a couple of unfinished tomes to begin. Even as she ate breakfast, her eyes scanned pages intently, taking in every instruction and line.

As she sat in the living room, her hands set on the table with numerous manuscripts opened, flows of magic energy passing the pages at variate rates, skimming every word and passing the information to her head, the lights flowed around her like a river of stars. One that Luridad watched in amazement, entranced at the sight to say anything.

A few minutes later, the books reached their last page, closing one by one, and the magic aura was dispelled from them. Marahní opened her eyes and exhaled. "Well... that's every astral projection book I could find... I think I can try to find him again."

"Every book on that?" Luridad blinked in silent shock and then shook her head rapidly. "Well, whenever you want to start, I'm sure you can do it!"

She smiled a little and looked towards the ceiling. "I know I can do this.... I just need one last test."

One last test.

That was exactly what Ikara was dealing with, exchanging strikes with Yamaguchi at the top of the mountain where his training had started. His hands moved swiftly, his body avoiding the wind-breaking palm strikes, and he responded with matching hits. One after the other, they failed to hit their objective.

Still, he had learned to avoid his mentor's hits with similar speed. The palms nearly hit his face as his head moved out of the way. His shoulder and arms launched his hands with gathered pressure, only for Yamaguchi to pull them aside with backhands.

Ikara used his forearm to block a strike to his neck, subsequently applying the same pressure to the plant of his feet and jumping back to give himself breathing room. The second he landed, Yamaguchi perused him with speed far superior to the one used in their past training. He sent a strike that made him block with both arms, a small grunt escaping his mouth as the concentrated force made his skin shriek.

However, he gritted his teeth, tightening the muscles on his legs and throwing his arms up to swipe off his mentor's hand; after that, he ducked for a low posture and prepared a palm strike that Yamaguchi promptly moved his hand to deflect. But suddenly, Ikara's foot reached his face, a kick from the side into the head that left the older adult disoriented long enough for Ikara to follow up with an elbow strike on the stomach, followed by an arm grip that constricted his master to the ground with a force that shook him to his core.

In quick succession, Ikara chained together attacks from different artists to overwhelm his opponent.

A style interchange.

"Huh..." was the only sound that left Yamaguchi's mouth after he regained his conscience. He then let out a small, content sigh. "Very well, then, I yield."

Ikara looked down at him. " Wait, what?" He stepped back and released his arm.

"You've taken him to the ground without losing your temper," he stood up and dusted himself off. "As far as I'm concerned, I have taught you everything I can." He met his eyes, noticing that he did not need to look down anymore, as the male before him had grown past that. "Your advance has to continue without my guidance."

"Oh..." Ikara looked down, a small expression of sadness hitting his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. Well, I still need to meditate one more time in this place. Don't think of leaving you without taking a swing at your first lesson one more time," he smiled brightly and gripped his fist. You aren't getting rid of me that easily."

Yamaguchi chuckled a little, shaking his head with a small air of humor in his tone, "I would not expect anything more from you." He leaned down, sitting with his knees and placing his hands on them. "Very well then, show me you've understood my teachings,"

Ikara mimicked his posture. He breathed deeply, letting the air fill his lungs. He felt the currents, the light of day shining upon him, the movement of every particle of dust around them; suddenly, the space around him became nothingness. His mind and soul aligned in a constant peace.

And then, a light appeared—a single purple spark in the distance. "What..." he chased after it. The closer he got to it, the clearer its shape became. The feeling was the same as years ago. "Sister?"

But this time, he got a response: "Ikara? Is that you?" He didn't recognize the voice, but he knew it was her; he could feel it.

"You're there..." he said, shaking his head to focus. Yes, it's me. I am here! Where... where are you?"

"I'm okay, I'm safe. Where are you?" she responded urgently.

"I'm., not sure,"

"That's okay! I can still bring you to me!" she responded quickly. Now that I've found your presence again, I can make a gate for you to come with me!"

"I..." Ikara looked down. He wanted to see his sister more than anything, but he knew that there was one thing he had to do, someone he had to see again before leaving that world. "I need to do something... just one thing... can you wait until tomorrow?"

She remained silent. She wasn't sure what could make him want to wait. But she knew the idea of leaving a place after calling it home for so many years wasn't easy. "Okay... do what you need to do."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you." Now, he had to think about the last thing he needed to do in that world.

And, of course, it was telling his adoptive parents about his departure. The people who gave him a home and a family, brief as their time together was, the explanation was not made any easier. Especially with the look of utter shock they gave him.

"You found your sister?" Katherine mumbled, her hands on her chest at the weight of the implication.

"How... are you sure it's her?" Alfan questioned with both concern and shook in his eyes, as well as a nagging sensation of loss.

"I... just know it's her." Ikara looked down, his hand tightly on his chest. "I can feel it's her presence... her soul... it's just the same as I remember it." he let out a small exhale. "I know... that this seems dangerous, but that doesn't mean I am leaving together."

He smiled a bit and took their hands. "You two gave me... so much more than I could have asked for after I lost everything. You are my family, even if I am going to meet a part of my past one... I would never disregard the new one." He stood firmly and squeezed their hands. "I will come back to see you, no matter what happens. I promise..."

Katherine's lips quivered, tears falling from her eyes as she gripped his hand. "my little cup... look at you... you've gotten so tall and strong, and yet you're the same kind of shining sun we saw that day." She held his hand close to her face. "I knew you'd go to find your family one day... but please promise me that you'll never forget us as part of it." her voice was shaky, but the love and devotion were vibrant in it.

Alfan's eyes teared up as well. He leaned down, encasing the young man into a hug, keeping him close to them. "Ikara... I can tell just by looking at you that you've become strong...and you will continue to do so... so keep moving forward, no matter what. You are our legacy... carry your siblings will with pride and resolve, never let anyone keep you down, no matter what." he placed his hand on his shoulder, a glance of pride and sadness reflected in his eyes. "Are we clear, young man?"

Ikara's eyes let out a couple of tears, and yet he smiled, holding them both into a tight but gentle hug, leaning his head close to them. "I already told you..." he sniffed slightly. "I won't forget you or them... ever." He pulled back, brushing his tears. "I'll be back before you know it, promise."

As he turned around, he heard another voice. "Are you not forgetting someone?"

He turned to see his mentors standing on the landscape, not just Yamaguchi, but all of them, obsidian, scarlet, emerald, and silver. "You all... came here just to say goodbye to me."

Yamaguchi snickered, "I did not deal with you for all your teenhood to not see you embark on the next stage of your journey."

"You owe us this much." Silver nodded.

Obsidian crossed his arms, "You better face every challenge with the ferocity you fought me."

Scarlet hummed, "You've barely hit the surface. You have no time to slow down now."

"Wherever you end up, take every lesson with you," Emerald pointed at their head. "That's our last instruction."

Ikara's chest felt heavy. His face softened at their words, and he remained silent as the wind blew through his dark violet hair. Then he smiled widely. "Next time, I'll be so strong you'll barely recognize me." He pointed at them with a determined gaze. "Remember that!" he said.

After that, a vortex opened before them, a circular gate of spiraling mystic energy emanating an alien feeling, yet everyone knew it was Ikara's way. He smiled at them warmly, giving them one more glance. "Thanks...all of you." Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, the gate closing behind them as the others watched with a pride that overwhelmed the pain of watching him leave.

On the other side, Marahní stood beside Luridad, "Okay... this is the spell." She looked forward anxiously.

"Hey..." she said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Everything will be fine... You've prepared for this all your life, and it will go perfectly."

She smiled lightly, holding her hand and breathing in, her head retelling the pages of the spell and her hand extending. She took in her brother's aura, setting in the memories of his presence and anchoring her magic to it.

With mystical sounds, a portal appeared before them; Luridad smiled brightly as she shook her hand enthusiastically, "You're doing it!"

And then, someone stepped through—a young man of tall stature with ever-so-slightly tan skin. He wore a black shirt, red pants, and yellow boots. His eyes were bright orange, and his hair was wild, with the back tied into a ponytail. It was a very dark violet color.

He set his eyes on Marahní, his face astonished for a few seconds, staring in disbelief. Then, he smiled with warmth and joy that shone through every fiber of his semblance.

"...hey sis."