The stars were out in full force, speckling the sky like a shattered diamond field. A cool wind whispered across the orphanage grounds. While the village of Hage slumbered peacefully, one soul remained wide awake—eyes glowing faintly crimson under the starlight.
Kael stood in the open clearing behind the orphanage chapel. His white hair caught the moonlight like snow kissed by fire. In one hand, a practice sword made of wind; in the other, the growing intensity of pressure that only he could feel.
> "They'll catch on soon…"
His body had already surpassed what a normal child could achieve, but that wasn't enough. If the Grimoire Ceremony truly marked the beginning of fate's movement, he needed an edge far beyond what anyone expected—even Yuno or Asta.
> [System Online – Night Cycle Detected]
Night Training Mode: Activated
Experience Multiplier: x2
Progress Bonuses: Increased Stealth Skill, Enhanced Magical Feedback
Warning: Training during Nighttime draws attention from hidden observers. Proceed with caution.
Kael smirked. "Exactly what I need."
---
Training Objective One: Silent Movement
He dashed into the woods using Windstep, weaving between trees like a wraith. Every footfall, every shift in direction was calculated. No sound, no trace.
A rabbit nearby didn't even flinch.
Kael slowed, eyes narrowing.
> [Skill Mastery Increased – Windstep Lv.2 → Lv.3]
[New Passive Skill Unlocked – "Ghost Trail" (Leaves an afterimage at high speed for 1.5 seconds)]
"Good," Kael muttered. "Now—combat flow."
---
Training Objective Two: Elemental Adaptation – Dual-Weapon Creation
Kael raised his hands. He focused, drawing in mana from the air. Two weapons began to shimmer into existence—a short blade in his right and a curved wind scythe in his left.
> [Weapon Creation Magic – Dual Manifestation Initiated]
Mana Drain: Moderate. Risk: Minimal.
Form Stable: 67%... 79%... 93%.
His breathing remained even.
"Begin."
He launched into a flurry of strikes against conjured wind targets. His movement was clean, deadly, and smooth. But halfway through a rotation—he froze.
A flicker of another element.
Water.
> "What was that?"
He dropped his stance. Behind him, a pool of dew had risen unnaturally into a floating orb.
> [Unknown Elemental Interference Detected]
Adaptation Trait Unlocked – Hybrid Affinity Potential (Wind + Secondary Element: Water)
"Secondary...?"
Lyra appeared, shimmering with concern. "You're evolving faster than I anticipated."
"Was that you?" he asked.
"No. That's your core adapting. This world's mana responds to your original soul differently. You're bending the rules. As if... rewriting the elements to suit you."
Kael looked at his palm again.
"I won't stop until I can control every element. Even the ones this world doesn't know yet."
---
Training Objective Three: Spirit Compatibility
Lyra hovered above the ground, her spectral body glowing. "Ready for a deeper fusion test?"
Kael nodded. "Do it."
Light surged around him as Lyra merged into his body once more. Unlike last time, Kael maintained clarity. His form shimmered with spirit threads—translucent wings behind his shoulders, and a faint circle of wind around his feet.
But his crimson eyes stayed sharp.
> [Spirit Fusion – Level 1: Sustained]
Fusion Duration Limit: 3 minutes
Stability Rating: 83%
Fusion Trait: Sky Mantle (Passive boost to wind speed, reaction time)
Kael leapt skyward. For the first time, he hovered—only a few feet—but with perfect balance. The wind beneath him answered his will directly, not just command.
He descended silently, landing in a crouch.
"Time?" he asked.
"Two minutes and forty-two seconds," Lyra said. "Your limit's almost three."
Kael smiled. "Then I still have room to grow."
---
Later That Night
He collapsed against a tree, sweat dripping from his brow. His mana had dropped to near-empty. But for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt something new:
Pride.
Not just for growing stronger.
But for doing it alone.
In the silence.
In secret.
In the dark where no one could praise him—only the stars to watch his struggle.
---
Elsewhere...
In the capital, deep in the Magic Knight archives, a red-haired noble sat reviewing mana surveillance data.
"Mild surge in the Forsaken Region. Faint... but old. Something beyond the First Era?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"No… someone."
---
[System Notification: Training Complete]
> – Windstep Lv.3
– Weapon Creation Magic: Dual Form Unlocked
– Spirit Fusion Lv.1 Sustained Mode Acquired
– New Trait: Hybrid Affinity (Wind + ???)
– Passive Skill: Ghost Trail
– Kael's Combat Rank (Simulated): D+
– Side Affinity Growth: +2% Lyra
---
Kael stood once more, moonlight casting his shadow over the silent field.
He was no longer a powerless orphan.
He was a blade in the dark.
A protector in silence.
A whisper carried on the wind.