The infirmary's smell of herbs still clung faintly to him, but Kazuo's body felt whole again. His wounds from the match with Kaya were nothing more than memories now. He stretched his shoulders once, rolled his neck, and let out a sharp breath.
The training yard lay quiet beneath the midday sun. Blades of grass swayed against the stone path, and the air shimmered faintly with heat. Somewhere behind him, the soft twang of Sora's bowstring echoed as she practiced alone. Tetsu was nowhere to be seen — off locked in some experiment again, no doubt.
Kazuo dropped onto the grass, propping his sword against his shoulder. He leaned back on his hands, gazing at the open sky that seemed far too calm compared to the storm that still stirred in his chest.
Where the hell is Setsuna at…?" he muttered.
The only answer was the rustle of grass in the breeze.
Then a shadow fell over him.
Kazuo lifted his head.
"I saw your fight," the man said, his tone bright, carrying a warmth that immediately pressed against the silence of the yard. "You did splendid."
Kazuo blinked, caught off guard. Compliments were rare — they usually came with suspicion or sarcasm. "Eh… thanks," he said, scratching his cheek.
The man's smile widened, not mocking but encouraging. "Your eyes shine with a vibrant light and resolve. I like that determination."
Kazuo shifted slightly, unsure what to say to a stranger who spoke so openly. "…Who are you?"
The man extended a hand. "My name is Asahi."
Kazuo hesitated, then reached up. The moment their palms met, a warmth surged through him — gentle, wrapping around him like a sunlit embrace. For a heartbeat, the storm inside him fell quiet.
Kazuo's gaze lifted as the man released his hand. In the fading touch, the warmth lingered. His eyes caught on small details: the medium brown hair, its golden tips catching the light like threads of radiance; the single fingerless glove on his right hand; the sun-shaped pendant resting against his chest. A faint mole marked the skin beneath his right eye, drawing Kazuo's attention upward — to the eyes.
Bright yellow, alive, almost dazzling — eyes that seemed to carry the sun's glow within them.
The rest of him matched that quiet radiance. He wore a loose white jacket left open over a dark shirt, long brown trousers fit for ease of movement, and rolled sleeves that spoke more of comfort than formality."
Asahi stepped back, adjusting the sword on his back. The glow in his eyes softened, though it never truly dimmed. "Keep that light steady," he said, his voice calm, almost melodic. "It will guide you farther than you think."
He gave a small nod, then turned, his figure retreating with the ease of someone who belonged anywhere.
Kazuo stood there, unmoving, the warmth of that brief touch still clinging to his skin. Words never came.
Who was that man?
The thought pressed against his chest. Something about Asahi's presence had felt achingly familiar — like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, as if for a moment the world itself had grown a little lighter.
Footsteps crunched the grass behind him. Setsuna strolled into the yard, hands tucked loosely in his pockets, his sharp gaze lingering on the retreating figure. "I see you finally met Asahi," he said.
Kazuo glanced back. "You… know him? Who is he?"
Instead of answering right away, Setsuna tilted his head. "When you spoke with him — what did you feel?"
His hand unconsciously brushed the spot where Asahi had pulled him up. "I don't know why," Kazuo admitted, searching for words. "But I felt like if I followed him, nothing would go wrong."
Setsuna's lips curved faintly, though his eyes stayed serious.
"That's his aura."
"Aura?" Kazuo turned.
Setsuna nodded. "I'm impressed you noticed. Most your age can't sense it at all. Aura's like a passive skill — it lets you read the weight of someone's presence, get a feel for how strong they are. Asahi's aura doesn't just show strength. It draws people in."
Kazuo frowned. "But who is he? Does he belong to a squad?"
"Do you remember the opening ceremony? Eight banners were hung — one for each squad."
Kazuo nodded. "Yeah, I remember."
Setsuna's voice lowered, steady. "But this year, a ninth banner was raised. Belonging to Idris Squad. In truth, there are ten divisions."
"Ten?"
"Asahi is the captain of the tenth," Setsuna said, his tone shifting.
"Then why wasn't he there?"
"That's because he's the captain with no squad," Setsuna replied flatly.
Kazuo stared, confusion tugging at him. "No squad?"
Setsuna's gaze lingered on the empty path Asahi had walked. His voice lost every trace of playfulness. "He fights alone. Why? No one really knows. But there's one thing I can tell you about Asahi—if you ever want to understand what it means to be a man, he's the embodiment of it."
Kazuo blinked, surprised by the weight in Setsuna's tone.
A faint smile crossed Setsuna's lips, but his eyes stayed cold. "Long ago, I thought he'd be the one to bring change to this kingdom. Maybe even become the next king." He shook his head slowly. "But he never stepped up."
Then Setsuna turned, meeting Kazuo's gaze directly. His words carried the gravity of truth. "And if you want to know how strong that man really is… between you and me, he's the one closest in this kingdom who could defeat me in a one-on-one duel."
In that moment, Kazuo's own awe began to take root. And though he didn't know it yet, crossing paths with this man would shape his path forever—changing not only how he fought, but how he saw the world itself.
Setsuna shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, already shifting the mood away from Asahi. "Anyway. Your match with Rulthan is coming up, and we don't have the luxury of time. Two things need sharpening. First — your Arcane. You haven't fully mastered it yet."
Kazuo's remembered how unstable the spell still felt in his hands, like a river threatening to slip its banks.
"Second," Setsuna went on, his gaze narrowing, "against Kaya, you infused your water into your sword. We need to talk about that but know, that it won't be enough against Rulthan."
Kazuo tilted his head. "Why?"
"I couldn't prepare you for Kaya's magic. We hadn't seen her fight before. But while you were laid up in the infirmary…" Setsuna's eyes sharpened. "…I watched Rulthan's match. His magic is a problem."
Kazuo gave a short laugh. "Isn't that the case with… all magic?"
Setsuna smirked faintly, conceding the point with a nod. "True. But his is different. Which is why we're changing things up. You've learned how to channel your magic into your blade for close-range strikes. But tell me, Kazuo — what about mid-range? Or even ranged sword slashes?"
Kazuo blinked. "What do you mean?"
Setsuna tilted his head toward the yard. "Remember when we trained your Arcane spell? When you lost control, and I had to step in with my sword?"
Kazuo's jaw tightened. "Yeah. Everything froze solid the moment you moved."
"That," Setsuna said, smirking, "wasn't just Ice Magic. It was a ranged slash attack — my blade carrying magic through the strike. You couldn't see it because I'm too fast."
Kazuo's eyes widened. "Wait… you're saying I can do something like that?"
Setsuna chuckled, waving him off. "Of course not. Not even in a year. Don't dream too high." Then his voice leveled, carrying weight.
"But the point is this: When you infused your Riptide Cutter into the blade, that's called Resonance. Fusing magic with weapons falls under that. Honestly, I didn't think you'd be able to pull it off this early, which is why I never trained you in it. But the fact you managed it changes my approach."
His gaze sharpened. "That trick worked against Kaya, but it nearly bled you dry. Against Rulthan, it won't be enough. Your best shot is your Arcane spell. And the fastest way there—" he gestured toward the yard "—is to train your shaping in smaller doses. Forcing the water off the sword into a slash. Fail, and you just waste a swing. Succeed, and you'll learn to hold water together instead of letting it explode."
Kazuo's brow furrowed as the logic sank in.
"And here's the bonus," Setsuna added. "The better you shape water, the less it'll drain you. Even your standard Resonance won't eat your stamina the way it did against Kaya."
Kazuo slowly nodded. "So… while the problem with my Arcane is giving it shape, this mid-range Resonance training is about control. And if I get better at it, even my close-range Resonance will last longer."
Setsuna smirked. "Now you're catching on."