Kahn wasn't sure whether anything he told Zuko had truly helped, but at the very least, Zuko would have plenty of time to think during his exile.
And with Iroh accompanying him, Kahn felt much more at ease. Iroh was always the gentle center of calm in a storm.
Kahn was the only one who came to see Iroh and Zuko off.
As for Azula, that was obvious. And Mai and Ty Lee weren't any different—both of their families held official positions, so none of them dared to be seen supporting Zuko right now.
Iroh simply patted Kahn's shoulder. He didn't say much; everything that needed to be said had already been said.
Kahn had done more than enough to earn his trust.
Besides, just as Kahn mentioned, they could still meet in the Spirit World later. If they tried, they could practically see each other every day.
Thinking that way… the farewell didn't feel quite so heavy.
Kahn watched as the ship carrying Iroh and Zuko drifted into the distance.
When he finally returned home, the lively courtyard felt empty. Quiet. A little too quiet.
He let out a breath.
He was alone again.
"It looks like Zuzu and that old man Iroh have finally left."
Azula's voice cut through the air behind him.
She looked past Kahn at the now-empty courtyard, expression bright and mischievous. She stretched her arms out as if claiming the space.
"From now on, this will be my territory!"
Her sudden theatrics shattered the melancholy Kahn had been sinking into.
He snapped back irritably, "Are you pretending I don't exist?!"
"You?" Azula turned, giving him a disdainful glance. "Please. Aren't you my subordinate? A former loser? Do you have any objections?"
Kahn's eye twitched. How did she become this arrogant after only a few days? Who gave her this confidence? Lightningbending?
Well… too bad for her. He wasn't scared of that anymore.
In the sparring match that followed, Azula fired a sharp bolt of lightning—only to watch it bend into Kahn's hand and shoot cleanly back at her.
She froze.
Then collapsed, body numb, pupils shaking in disbelief.
"!@#￥%… (What kind of technique is that)?!"
Azula lay on the ground, twitching and furious. She accused Kahn of cheating.
She already had to work hard to beat him in Firebending—and now he could reflect lightning?
"How am I supposed to win against that?!"
"Someone seemed really arrogant a few days ago," Kahn said smugly.
He crouched beside her, ignoring her muffled curses, and shamelessly squished her cheeks like dough. They were unexpectedly soft.
Azula's face turned bright red—whether from anger, embarrassment, or something else entirely, even she didn't seem sure.
Of course, she eventually recovered enough to beat him up afterward.
Kahn pretended to resist but honestly didn't mind. Regaining some of his pride was already enough.
Reverse Lightning Fire had performed even better than he expected. This was his first time using it in live combat.
Despite its power, it was incredibly dangerous.
Reverse Lightning Fire was created by Iroh, inspired by the push-and-pull flow of Waterbending.
It only looked like the lightning was reflected. In truth, the user guided the lightning through their body—from one hand, down to the dantian, then out the other hand.
If the lightning slipped and ran through the heart?
Instant death.
That was why Iroh never allowed him to use it in real combat while training—and Iroh himself had never actually used the technique after creating it.
Kahn's reflected bolt was the first successful outcome in real battle.
He only dared to use it so casually because the attacker was Azula.
Her Lightningbending wasn't yet at a lethal level, and Kahn knew she was always careful when sparring with him.
Even if something went wrong, paralysis was the worst outcome.
And now?
Now he knew Iroh truly deserved to be called a genius. The technique worked perfectly.
Once Kahn mastered Reverse Lightning Fire and combined it with his Thermal Energy Firebending, he would become a nightmare for Firebenders.
Even facing Ozai… he finally felt a little confidence.
As for practice?
Well, Azula would provide plenty of lightning.
Azula naturally wanted to learn the technique as well, and Kahn had no reason to refuse.
Just as she broke the rules to teach him Lightningbending, he wouldn't be stingy. As for explaining it to Iroh later—Kahn figured the old man wouldn't mind.
Azula always held a grudge against Iroh, and even though Iroh had been wary of her at first, he eventually grew strangely fond of her.
Kahn never knew why.
Teaching each other advanced techniques would only help them both improve. A perfect mutual exchange.
Azula's presence quickly dispelled Kahn's sadness. As she prepared to head back, Kahn paused and spoke sincerely.
"Thank you for coming all the way here."
"Coming all the way here? For you?" Azula scoffed.
"Don't flatter yourself. I was bored, so I came to walk around my own backyard. Stop imagining things."
"Heh. I'm leaving."
Kahn watched her walk away—graceful, stubborn, tsundere to the very core—and couldn't help smiling.
This side of Azula… was pretty cute. Staying behind for her was starting to feel worth it.
Feeling lighter, Kahn returned to the courtyard and began practicing Spiritbending.
His first priority was entering the Spirit World and reuniting with Iroh.
Iroh's direct help was gone for now, but his wisdom was irreplaceable. Being able to consult him in the Spirit World would make every step easier.
With that thought in mind, Kahn immediately sat down and entered deep meditation.
—
Outside the courtyard, Azula walked down the road, hands covering her face in horror as she replayed their conversation.
"Why did I say that?!"
"Let me think… what did Mai say again? Something about being more honest. So how was I supposed to say it?"
"No—'You're welcome'? Or 'It's nothing'? I did smile!"
"Aaah… I'm such an idiot!"
Azula groaned, face red with embarrassment. She had no talent whatsoever in this area.
"Forget it. I'll go ask Mai again."
She immediately changed direction, marching toward Mai's house.
(Though… was it too cruel to ask Mai about romance advice right now?)
She winced internally.
Probably.
But she went anyway.
...
Author's Note:
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