Night still covered the mountain like a blanket as Ichiha finished his story, sitting quietly near the fire.
His red aura flickered faintly in the shadows.
"Yamato," he said, eyes narrowed, voice low, "the reason your healing power didn't work when I hit you... it's because of the god inside me."
Yamato looked up, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Ichiha clenched his fists.
"I'm a vessel of the God of Calamity. His strength is... disruption. He disturbs a person's innate traits—their natural gifts. So when I hit you, it disrupted your healing. That's all. I'm actually surprised it didn't affect anything else and for long."
He sighed, his face unreadable but heavy with emotion.
Master Ozaki, sitting nearby with his arms crossed, didn't say a word. His eyes glinted with interest.
Yamato nodded slowly.
"I'm not even sure you're the cause... I punched myself before our fight and didn't heal right away."
Silence followed. The fire cracked.
Later that night, everyone slept. Everyone except Master Ozaki.
He sat cross-legged atop a flat boulder, eyes closed but mind busy.
These boys... their powers are beyond what they realize. I need a way to push them. Make them grow fast.
Suddenly, his eyes opened. An idea struck him.
The Next Morning
Bright sun poured over the mountain ridge. The group stood at the edge of a rocky field, surrounded by sharp stones and the occasional twisted tree.
Master Ozaki stood before them.
"Lumei. Yamato. Ichiha," he said, voice firm. "Today's training is a battle—against each other. But you will only use the weapons I summon."
He stomped the ground.
Glowing lines burst from beneath them—dozens of weapons flying into the air. Blades, staves, spears, chains, scythes, chakrams, maces, even shields.
Each weapon hovered midair, pulsing with light, before stabbing into the ground around the field.
Ozaki's eyes were sharp.
"No gods. No magic. Only skill."
The Duel Begins
The mountain wind howled softly.
Lumei's eyes scanned the weapons. Calmly, he picked up a staff laced with frost patterns. His blue aura shimmered as he spun it once and smirked.
Yamato stepped forward, grabbing a silver-edged longsword. His white aura flickered lightly. He nodded once, his expression calm and focused.
Ichiha, quiet and tense, took a twin-bladed spear. His red aura throbbed faintly. His face remained unreadable, but his stance screamed readiness.
"Begin," Ozaki commanded, and stepped back.
The Fight
Lumei lunged first, sprinting across the rocks. He spun his staff in tight arcs, aiming for Yamato's ribs.
Yamato parried with a sharp clang, sliding back and countering with a clean arc of his blade. He moved with balance—steady and swift.
Lumei grinned. "You've gotten sharper."
Before Yamato could reply, Ichiha dashed in from the side, fast and low, his spear aiming straight at Lumei's back.
Lumei turned just in time, blocking, but Ichiha's force shoved him back hard. His red aura surged, eyes full of intensity.
Yamato jumped in from above, sword overhead, and brought it down with force.
Ichiha turned his spear and blocked, muscles tensed, teeth gritted. Sparks lit the air between their weapons.
They broke apart for a moment—dust swirling.
Yamato breathed hard. "He's fast…"
Lumei wiped blood from his lip with a smirk.
"Let's turn up the heat."
He jabbed his staff into the ground, causing a small shockwave of energy that forced both boys to reposition.
Yamato used a nearby rock to launch himself forward, sword slicing through the air. He clashed with Ichiha mid-air—their weapons locking hard.
Ichiha kicked him away mid-spin, landing in a crouch, breathing heavily. A faint, ominous glow flickered in his red eyes.
"Hey, no god powers!" Yamato yelled.
"That wasn't me!" Ichiha replied. "It's this damn weapon. It's pulling something out of me!"
Lumei came in from the right, staff swinging—fast and fluid. Ichiha blocked the blow, but Yamato used the moment to flank.
Yamato and Lumei attacked together, forcing Ichiha on the defensive. The mountain echoed with every strike and grunt.
Ozaki Intervenes
Just as Yamato raised his sword for a final blow—
"ENOUGH."
Golden rings of sealing magic erupted beneath their feet.
Each fighter froze mid-motion, suspended in the air. Their bodies locked in place.
Yamato's eyes widened. "Wha—?!"
Lumei struggled. "I can't move!"
Ichiha gritted his teeth. "Sealing magic…"
From the sidelines, Sora and Chella stood speechless.
Chella: "He stopped them all in one move…"
Sora: "Master Ozaki is terrifying."
Ozaki descended the boulder with quiet power, hands behind his back.
"You three let instinct take over. You were about to lose control. That's not training."
The seals faded. The boys collapsed to their knees, gasping and sore.
Master Ozaki looked down at them with a rare smirk.
"You're not ready yet... but you're getting close."