The sun stood high on the horizon, its light pouring down without restraint, while a gentle wind moved across the training grounds—soft, almost peaceful, as if nothing significant was about to unfold.
Zeo broke that quiet first.
"What is your element?"
The question came directly, without hesitation. Curiosity had been building inside him ever since Shin mentioned it—and now, standing here, it refused to stay contained any longer.
Shin listened.
A faint curve touched his lips.
"Hmm… it's like fire."
And with that vague answer, he walked toward the center of the training ground.
Zeo remained where he was, confusion settling deeper instead of fading.
"Like fire…?" he muttered under his breath. "What is that even supposed to mean?"
But before he could think further, Shin's gaze shifted toward him—sharp, observant, measuring.
Not his words.
His body.
His stance.
His potential.
I don't know how to train him, Shin thought quietly. And I can't teach him the way I was taught.
After a brief pause, he spoke.
"We'll start from the basics."
Zeo blinked slightly.
"Hand-to-hand combat."
The words didn't sound heavy—but the way Shin positioned himself made it clear this wasn't a suggestion.
It was a test.
Zeo instinctively raised his guard, covering his face as he dashed forward, closing the distance in a straight line—
Too direct.
Too fast.
Too careless.
A light tap landed on his head before he even realized what had happened.
He stopped.
Confused.
"What are you doing?" Shin said calmly. "Charging at your opponent without understanding their movement or fighting style… is just another way of stepping into death."
Zeo frowned slightly, trying to process it.
Shin continued, his tone steady but firm.
"You don't know how I fight. You don't know my habits, my reactions, or my limits. If I wanted to end this… there are countless ways I could have already done it."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then—
Understanding.
"So… to win a battle," Zeo said slowly, "you need to observe your opponent first. Make them reveal themselves… and find their weakness."
Shin looked at him.
A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.
"…Yes."
Then he added,
"And in your case… you don't just find weaknesses."
"You create them."
Zeo's thoughts sharpened.
"So instead of attacking blindly… I should force you to show your abilities first… then use your weakness against you."
A faint nod.
"Good."
Shin stepped back slightly.
"Then let's begin."
A pause.
"Your objective is simple—observe me."
His gaze narrowed.
"Find my fighting style… and my weakness."
Another pause.
"…No. That might be too much for now."
"Just try."
But Zeo—
Was already focused.
The battle began without signal.
Water gathered instantly around him, forming a dense sphere, while smaller fragments separated into sharp projectiles. Without hesitation, he launched them forward—not to win—
But to observe.
To understand.
To see how Shin would respond.
Every movement.
Every reaction.
Every detail mattered.
Shin didn't move at first.
Then—
Everything changed.
In a single instant, the water sphere and projectiles were forced upward—violently—as if struck by something invisible.
And before Zeo could even comprehend it—
They were gone.
Evaporated.
Erased from existence in seconds.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
Zeo's eyes widened slightly.
"…Pressure?" he muttered. "But… from what?"
Shin stood calmly at the center of the field.
Watching.
Waiting.
Inviting him forward.
Zeo's mind raced.
If he gets close… it's over.
Without hesitation, he shifted elements.
The ground beneath him trembled.
Earth rose forward, surging toward Shin—not refined, not controlled, but forceful. Raw. Driven by urgency rather than mastery.
Distance.
That's all he needed.
Just enough space to think.
But—
Shin moved.
His eyes flickered with a faint orange glow.
And then—
He passed through the rising earth.
Not breaking it.
Not avoiding it.
Passing through it.
Like it wasn't there.
The moment his hand brushed the surface—
It melted.
Zeo froze for a fraction of a second.
"…What?"
The thought slipped before he could stop it.
That wasn't force.
That wasn't impact.
That was—
"Technique…" he whispered.
His focus snapped back.
"No… I can't lose here."
He pushed harder, forcing his control over the scattered earth, compressing fragments together, strengthening them mid-battle despite the strain.
Another attack formed.
Unstable.
But real.
Shin observed quietly.
He's adapting mid-fight…
That feeling…
It's the same as before.
Then—
Something shifted.
A faint mist-like aura formed around Shin's hand—subtle, almost invisible, yet carrying a quiet intensity… like heat that hadn't revealed itself yet.
The air changed.
A sudden burst followed.
Wind—compressed, distorted—expanded outward, scattering everything in its path.
Zeo felt it instantly.
The temperature.
Rising.
Not gradually—
But aggressively.
Then—
Shin was in front of him.
No transition.
No warning.
Just there.
Standing still.
Looking directly at him.
"This is enough for now."
The fight ended.
Zeo exhaled slowly, his body relaxing as tension left him all at once. He took a few steady breaths, trying to stabilize his thoughts.
Shin turned slightly, thinking.
I held back as much as possible…
Now let's see what he noticed.
He walked closer, stopping beside Zeo.
"So," he said, "what did you understand?"
Zeo stayed silent at first.
Then Shin added,
"Don't worry about being wrong. I want to see how you think."
Zeo inhaled deeply.
Then spoke.
"At first… you used some kind of pressure to push away my water attacks."
A pause.
"If I judged only that… I'd say wind."
He shook his head slightly.
"But it wasn't just that."
"It felt… hot."
His eyes narrowed in focus.
"Like something boiling… then releasing."
Shin's gaze sharpened.
Zeo continued, more confident now.
"When I used earth, you didn't break through it."
"You passed through it."
"And where you touched… it melted."
A breath.
"That's not just force."
"That's heat."
He looked up at Shin.
"Something hotter than fire."
Shin's expression shifted slightly—interest replacing neutrality.
"And in the last moment," Zeo added, "you did it again."
"Compressed… then released."
He hesitated briefly.
Then gave his answer.
"It could be lava… or something even hotter."
Silence.
Then—
Shin smiled.
He walked past Zeo.
"You're… half right."
Zeo turned slightly.
"My element is beyond fire," Shin said.
A pause.
Then he stopped—and looked back.
"What shines above you every day."
"You feel its warmth… yet can never reach it."
His eyes met Zeo's.
"Distant… yet always present."
Zeo's breath slowed.
Shin's gaze deepened.
"The answer is—"
A brief silence stretched.
Just long enough to make the moment heavy.
"Sun."
Zeo's eyes widened.
"…The element of the Sun?"
The air around them felt different now.
Heavier.
Hotter.
As if the answer itself had changed something fundamental.
But Shin didn't explain further.
Instead, he turned away again.
"From tomorrow," he said calmly, "we begin real training."
A pause.
Then, without looking back—
"Let's see… if you can survive it."
The wind passed once more across the field.
But this time—
It carried heat.