The blade cut through air — and the water scattered, useless droplets breaking apart before they even reached the target dummy.
Kazuo exhaled hard, sweat dripping down his brow. His arms ached, his stance wavered.
"Again," Setsuna said flatly, arms folded.
Kazuo grimaced. "I'm trying—"
"Try harder. Two days, Kazu. That's all you've got."
Kazuo gritted his teeth, focused, and swung again. Another watery blur formed — then collapsed midair, splashing into the dirt. His knees buckled, chest heaving.
He collapsed into a crouch, panting. "This is pointless…"
Setsuna crouched in front of him, studying him with that same infuriating calm as he snapped a rice cracker in half. "It's not pointless. Tiring, sure — but you're missing the point. This isn't about mastering some flashy new resonance trick. It's about training until your basic resonance doesn't bleed you out every time you swing. Don't forget that."
He popped the cracker into his mouth, crunching loudly. "What's funny, though… you toss out Torrent, Water Wall, Shuriken — all the standard stuff — and you don't even break a sweat. But the second it's coating or Arcane?" He smirked, brushing crumbs from his hand. "Total meltdown."
Kazuo wiped his face with his sleeve, breathing hard. "Alright, fine… but when are you going to tell me what kind of magic Rulthan actually uses?"
Setsuna tilted his head, crunching on another rice cracker. "Fine. I wasn't going to tell you — didn't want you distracted. But I'll say it. I tried thinking of a way to prepare you against his magic, and all I could come up with…" He flicked the crumbs from his fingers. "…was pushing you to master your Arcane spell. Nothing else will cut it."
"What is it?"
Setsuna finished chewing, swallowed, and said serious, "Sound Magic."
Kazuo froze. "Sound… magic?" He stared at Setsuna like he'd misheard. "That's so random. I was expecting boulders, metal, muscle — something that actually fit his frame. Not… noise."
"Don't assume."
Setsuna's voice dropping low.
"He ended that match within minutes. Most people walked away confused — they didn't even understand what happened."
He let the words hang, then continued.
"But I saw it. He can shape sound itself into barriers — vibrations you can't see, can't predict. They're there one moment, gone the next, and you only realize it when your blade stops cold."
Setsuna exhaled slowly.
"The only way you'll land a hit is if it's strong enough to tear straight through. And that means Arcane-level."
Kazuo stared at him, floored. His exhaustion was briefly forgotten. "Sound magic that can block without even moving… that means he doesn't even have to fight me head-on. He can just shut me down."
"Exactly," Setsuna said, rising to his feet. "And that's why you don't have the luxury of collapsing here. Get up. Resume your training. Later — or tomorrow — we'll shift the focus back to your Arcane spell.
Kazuo let out a slow breath, the weight of Setsuna's words still pressing on him. His grip tightened faintly around the sword hilt.
Footsteps echoed across the yard.
Setsuna glanced over, then smirked faintly. "Well, looks like your break just got extended. I'll let you boys be."
He turned, heading back toward the far side of the yard.
A familiar voice called out, light and casual:
"Heyo."
Kazuo's head snapped up.
"Rei?"
Rei grinned, striding over before plopping down beside him. "I heard you won your match! Sorry I couldn't come sooner."
Kazuo let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. For the first time all day, a smile pulled at his face.
"Don't get too cozy, Kazu. Training resumes after your little reunion." said Setsuna, while he strolled away.
Rei plopped down beside him, brushing a hand through his spiky red hair as though shaking off the day. A faint breeze tugged at the loose strands, carrying with it the smells of dust and faint smoke from the barracks lanterns.
"Your next match is in two days, huh?" Rei said, leaning back on his hands with a casual grin.
Kazuo let out a tired breath, but the weight on his chest eased at the sight of him. "No worries. I'm just glad to see you again."
Rei smirked, shoulders rolling in an easy shrug. "Well, thanks to my delivery job, you got me — but only for a few minutes. If my boss catches me here, I'm more than fired."
Kazuo chuckled, wiping a bit of sweat from his temple with the back of his wrist. The tension in his frame softened. "How's Gramps doing?"
Rei's grin dipped into something softer. He scratched the back of his neck. "He's good. Glad you're still breathing. Annoyed you're still so reckless."
His expression brightened again. "And Lady Nekomaru is thriving, by the way."
Kazuo laughed, pulling a small pouch from his belt and handing it over. "Here. Treats for her."
"Why do you always have cat treats?"
"Hello? I always have to be prepared."
Rei accepted it with a grin, tucking it away. Then he looked straight at Kazuo, his tone quieter. "Though… I still don't get why Gramps didn't come watch your match in the arena. I figured he'd be the first one in the stands."
Kazuo felt the weight of the question press against him. The truth hovered in his mind — Cedric, the nobles, and especially Shiranami. Even he didn't fully understand it, but he suspected if Gramps set foot in the Upper Crescent, it would ignite trouble. Dangerous trouble.
Rei held his gaze, steady. "You know too, right? About Gramps."
Kazuo blinked, caught off guard. "…You figured it out?"
Rei gave a small shrug. "I'm not stupid, Kazuo. I asked him about it once — flat-out. But he just deflected, cracked a joke, and changed the subject."
He leaned back, exhaling through his nose. "Typical 'I'm hiding something' behavior."
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the evening wind tugging at the training banners overhead.
Finally he said, softer, "Guess he has his reasons. Just… don't think he wouldn't be there if he could."
Kazuo's chest tightened at that, but he gave the smallest nod. "I know."
The quiet stretched a little longer. A pair of sparrows darted across the yard, wings cutting through the fading light. Kazuo shifted his grip on his sword, but didn't lift his eyes.
"You know… I still owe you my life."
Kazuo glanced at him, surprised.
Rei was dead serious now. His usual grin was gone, his voice quieter than Kazuo was used to. He looked out over the training yard, eyes following the swaying shadows cast by the lantern light.
"Back then… I had nothing," he said slowly. "No home. No one who gave a damn if I lived or died. Just another stray kid trying not to starve."
He let the words hang there, his fingers absently brushing through the dust at his side. The wind shifted, carrying the faint creak of the fence posts.
"Then you found me," Rei went on, softer. "And you didn't ignore me like the rest. You actually saw me — with those weird eyes of yours. You pulled me in, hid me away."
He paused again, swallowing hard.
"When Gramps finally caught on, I thought that was it. I thought I'd be thrown back out on the streets." His jaw worked, but the edge in his voice softened. "But he let me stay. Because you wouldn't give me up."
The silence after was heavier than anything their banter could fill. Rei's gaze stayed fixed on the shadows, but the faintest smile tugged at his lips.
His mouth curved into the faintest smile, one that didn't quite reach his usual brightness. "That night… you gave me a place. A family. I never forgot."
Kazuo lowered his gaze, voice quiet. "You never owed me anything."
He hesitated, fingers curling loosely around his knee. "And it wasn't just out of some pure heart, either. I was lonely too. No one wanted to be near me. Because of my eyes… I spent most of my time hiding, keeping my head down. You were the first—"
Rei cut him off with a sharp shake of his head. "You don't have to justify anything, Kazuo. All that mattered is… you saved me. I don't care what your reasons were."
The air was too still, too heavy.
Then he smirked, voice dropping into mischief
"Besides… if anything, I could blackmail you. I saw your dick and honestly? it's not impressive."
Kazuo's head snapped up. "We were seven, idiot! I've obviously grown since then."
Rei put his hands behind his head. "Not buying it."
They both cracked up, the laughter spilling into the yard and chasing off the heaviness like smoke.
"Anyways! You remember that old house I had my eye on? With this job, I can finally afford it. Big enough to start my family, maybe even the loudest one in Yurelda."
Kazuo smiled, shaking his head. "You? Settle down? I'll believe it when I see it."
Rei jabbed him in the side with his elbow. "Hey, don't underestimate me. One day I'll have a wife, a dozen kids running wild, and you'll be the grumpy uncle they all climb on."
"That does sound nice."
Rei stretched out his arms, at the darkening sky. "Loud… but happy. That's all I want."
For a moment, Kazuo just watched him — and the dream in his eyes.
Hoping, quietly, that at least one of them would get their dream fulfilled.
He flashed a crooked grin, lowering his voice as if about to share a secret. "Oh, and dude — I met a woman. Instant karma. She had beautiful ash-gray eyes, long braided brown hair...and I…" He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "…let her go without even asking her name."
Kazuo burst out laughing. "Deserved. That's because you made all these years fun of my flirting skills."
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But listen — she had this voice, man. Enchanted. Like a princess healing wounds with just her voice."
He grinned, still catching his breath. "What did she sing?"
Rei scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "Some old folksong… …about a forest king… and a lotus, I think."
Kazuo went still. His laughter died in his throat. "…Lotus? Like… inverted lotus?"
The air pressed heavier around them.