In the Kingdom of the Drakhaens.
Kai bowed slightly. His feet sank into the soil.Breath.Then he whispered:
"Stone Art - Moon Wolf Stone - Level 1: Moon Sense"
The world opened. The sound doubled. Skyler's step became heavier than it should. The smell of dust… clearer than it should be.
Kai raised his head. And at the same moment , His body changed.The fingers stretched. Silver, glowing claws, As if moonlight had poured over them.
The ground… bent. Not a collapse, A slight, invisible curve.
Kai lunged. A jump longer than normal. The air tore beneath his feet. First strike, Second, Third... Every movement left a moonlit trace on the ground.
The area declared itself. Hunting ground.
Skyler moved. But the movement… was not as it should be. The light around him became heavier, then whispered :
"Stone Art - Solar Stone - Level 1: Solar Hum"
A faint buzzing, not heard… But felt in the bones. The heat rose without flame.The air became dense. Every step required a decision.
Kai seized the moment. A claw strike passed close. It cut through the air, not the body.
Then, Kai stopped suddenly. His chest rose. And the ground… trembled.
"Moon Wolf Stone - Level 4 : Wolf Howl"
It was not a sound. It was a feeling. Fear slid beneath the skin. The energy trembled. Focus… cracked. The rocks shivered. The air broke.
Skyler froze, For just a fraction of a second. Enough.
Kai lunged to finish it. But, The light compressed. Not an explosion. Not an extended beam.
But,
"Solar Stone - Level 3: Collapsing Ray"
A single line. Compressed onto itself. It pierced the void… Then swallowed what lay before it. No burning. No smoke. Only space.
The ground within the area entered a single frequency. Kai felt it immediately. A wrong step And the damage would return to him.
He moved. Half a beat late. The pressure reflected. His body was thrown backward. The claws scratched the soil. The ground, No longer bent for him.
Skyler stepped forward. The buzzing disappeared. Replaced by a single sound :
"Solar Stone - Level 5 : Voice of the Sun"
It was not a scream. It was precise articulation… For a single frequency. The sound struck the bones. The energy vanished. The hostile intent… faded. The light did not blind.
The light erased. Kai fell onto one knee. The claws vanished. His breaths were heavy.
Silence.
Skyler stood before him. No flame. No exaggerated glow. Just the sun… Knowing when to press.
The training ended. And the result Was clear without a single word. This training was part of the routine, To maintain control… not to test superiority.
The place settled. The dust calmed. The ground stopped trembling. Kai remained kneeling for a moment, His breaths heavy,
A hand extended before him.
Skyler.
He said nothing. Only an open hand. Kai looked at him… Then laughed. A short, genuine laugh, Not like a battlefield. He grabbed his hand. Stood up.
Kai patted on Skyler's shoulder, And said, still smiling:
"You are talented. Skyler"
He paused for a moment. Looked at him with a serious gaze, But the warmth did not disappear.
"I should train for 100 years, not 1000..."
Then added in a light tone:
"To be able to keep up with you."
Skyler blinked. Burst out laughing. A loud, informal laugh, As if the training had never happened. He bent slightly, Wiping the sweat from his forehead:
"You say that… After you almost tore the ground beneath my feet?"
Kai shrugged with feigned indifference. A short silence fell. Not heavy. The silence of friends.
Then Skyler spoke, Turning his back and beginning to walk:
"Let's eat."
Kai paused for half a second. Then followed him.
"Finally, a smart idea."
They moved away from the arena. Two synchronized steps. A faint laugh faded. And things went as they always do after training ended.
Hoshino Airi stepped forward. One of the members of the service squad in the arena, Tasked with preparing the food and arranging the place after training.
She placed the meal in front of them. Two plates. Warm.
"Please…"
She said in a low voice. Lowered her head slightly, Then turned quickly, As if afraid of being noticed. Two steps. Three. She walked away.
Behind a small rock at the edge of the arena, She stopped. She reached her hand into her coat pocket. Took out a stone. Small. Dull. Gray, as if a piece of a forgotten road. No inscription. No glow. No name.
She held it in her palm. Whispered But to no one.
"…Today too, no one asked."
She fell silent. A sound of distant laughter passed. Not directed at her… But it reached her. She clenched the stone in her fingers.
"They know the names of their stones."
She said it as if listing facts.
"They know their art… their ranks… their levels."
She looked at the stone.
"And you…"
She smiled a small, Broken smile.
"No art and, No title, Not even a reason to carry you."
She lowered her head further.
"They say you are useless."
She hesitated. Then added in a weaker voice:
"And they say I am as well."
Silence. The stone did not answer. But she was not waiting for a reply. She wiped away with the edge of her sleeve a tear That slipped out without permission.
"But…"
She raised the stone before her eyes.
"I wish I were strong like Skyler and Kai."
She smiled again. A painful smile.
"Even though I am older than them,"
She whispered.
"They are more useful than I am."
She returned it to her pocket. She turned. And walked away.
_
As for Kai and Skyler, They were sitting on the ground. The food between them. The air warm. A laugh escaped Kai without thought. He said, chewing:
"I didn't expect it to taste this good."
Skyler smiled. A half-smile. Quiet. He reached his hand to take a bite...
Buzz.
A sharp metallic sound. He froze. The disc fixed on his wrist Ignited with a faint light Then began to vibrate. Kai raised his head immediately.
"…Skyler?"
No reply. He raised his wrist before his eyes.
<
The light intensified.