Training under Master Rivel had taught Kagami control, structure, and theory. But training under Elias was like standing in a storm without shelter.

  “Again.”

  Kagami coughed as dust settled across the rocky field behind Whimwood Preacademy. His fusion spell had colpsed mid-cast, the thunder-element runes scattering like torn paper while the stone formation crumbled before it could shape.

  Elias stood on a high boulder, arms crossed, cloak fluttering in the wind.

  “That’s the third failure,” Elias said casually. “Why?”

  Kagami wiped sweat from his brow. “The mana density ratio was wrong. My thunder surged ahead of the earth core.”

  Elias tilted his head. “You’re repeating what your senses tell you. But not why it failed.”

  Kagami narrowed his eyes. “Aren’t you going to help me figure that out?”

  “I am,” Elias replied, then pointed to the scattered ruins of the spell. “You’re holding the power like two separate tools. Thunder and earth need to argue before they can agree. Conflict before harmony. Think like a smith—not a schor.”

  Kagami paused, eyes narrowing. He hated vague metaphors.

  Elias’s training style was brutal. No step-by-step handholding. No soft corrections. Just fragments of insight, cryptic analogies, and relentless repetition.

  And yet, Kagami was learning faster than he ever expected.

  Each failure peeled away a yer of misunderstanding. Each spark of mana told him something new. He was forging something real. Something unique.

  “Alright,” Kagami muttered, stepping back into formation.

  “Thaldrum Terra: Forge and Fury—Vajra Core Spiral!”

  Stone twisted up beneath his feet, etched with runes that pulsed to his heartbeat. Thunder crackled through his veins—his chakra subtly reinforcing the channels. He didn’t let the two fight anymore. Instead, he let them dance—earth to anchor, thunder to charge.

  BOOM!

  A spiraling nce of electrified stone burst forward, striking a cliff face with enough force to crack the wall.

  Elias raised an eyebrow.

  “Better.”

  Kagami grinned faintly, his shoulders heaving. “Still too much energy loss on the crest.”

  “Then fix it next time,” Elias said simply.

  Kagami sat down, panting. “You’re rougher than your mother.”

  Elias smirked. “That’s because you’re not a student anymore. You’re a craftsman.”

  Before Kagami could respond, a faint tremor passed through the earth.

  He stopped breathing.

  Elias turned sharply toward the horizon.

  A dark plume of smoke coiled into the sky—far beyond the trees, near the eastern ridges that bordered the Vale of Sable Pines.

  From below the hill, Master Rivel sprinted up, face grim. Behind her came Mikay and Zack—both armed.

  “Kagami, Elias!” she shouted. “Bandit scouts near the merchant trail. They’re using monster summons and alchemical explosives.”

  Mikay added, “They’re targeting caravans from the capital—likely hired to slow down supplies for the frontier warfront. We just got the fre signal from the guild.”

  Elias stood. “They’re striking this close to Whimwood?”

  Zack nodded. “And not regur bandits. These are professionals.”

  Kagami clenched his fists, fire rising behind his eyes. “Can I come?”

  Master Rivel hesitated—but only for a moment. “You’ve earned that right. But only as part of the support squad. No solo action. You’re still recovering from the st fusion drain.”

  Elias grinned. “Let him. This is real training. And he needs to see what happens when magic isn’t just about technique—but choice.”

  Rivel sighed. “Fine. But I’ll be watching.”

  Zack handed Kagami a lightweight travel bde. “If things go south, remember—your life is the mission. Nothing else.”

  Mikay ruffled his hair. “Don’t overdo it. Just because you can cause explosions doesn't mean you should.”

  Kagami ughed softly. “No jutsu this time. Just pure magic.”

  The wind carried a distant scream.

  Their path was clear.

  ---