The forest air was calm—but Kairyuuha wasn’t.

  He shot forward like a streak of lightning, every movement flowing with clean precision. His Flowstep had evolved. No more hesitation, no more drag. He was pure instinct and speed now, shifting direction in midair, vanishing and reappearing without warning.

  "I can’t just rely on speed. I need something more—something deeper," he thought.

  He dropped to his knees and closed his eyes, entering a deep meditative state. Hours passed.

  He focused on his breath. One stream of air in—another out. Then again. Then both.

  Duel Breathing. A legendary breathing state where one inhales and exhales simultaneously through different channels. Unstable. Inhuman.

  But he did it.

  His mana surged. His body became light. Magic streamed through him like rivers in perfect flow. He stood, opened his eyes—and his aura flared, crackling with his own invented elemental energy.

  He raised a hand. A dark-blue sphere of pulsing gravity formed.

  He clicked his fingers. The sphere collapsed into a streak of pure destruction.

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  “Magic is logic made reality,” he whispered. “Then I’ll invent my own logic.”

  He conjured new spells—bending heat, shadow, velocity, even friction itself. Each spell was a theory, a concept. Destruction with intellect behind it.

  And then… he rose.

  Flight. Not just levitation, but control. He could soar.

  And then, he was gone.

  Teleportation. His coordinates shifted at will. He appeared again, calm and centered.

  He looked toward the sunset.

  “I’m ready.”

  ---

  At the Inn – Team Emberlight’s Room

  Mei paced. “He’s been gone way too long.”

  Thora sat cross-legged on the bed, flicking a coin. “What if he got bored and wandered off again?”

  Kael leaned against the wall. “I checked the Guild registry—no sign of him taking any quests.”

  Reiya’s voice was soft. “He’s probably just… training. But it’s not like him to vanish like this.”

  Yuno didn’t speak. His eyes were closed, sensing mana disturbances in the area.

  “He’ll come back,” he finally said. “I believe that.”

  But even he was starting to worry.

  ---

  Suddenly, the room shook.

  A magic pulse rippled through the inn—gentle, but commanding. A soft golden flash appeared by the door.

  Kairyuuha stood there, glowing slightly with residual energy.

  He was taller now. Stronger. Sharper.

  “…Yo.”

  The room went dead silent.

  “YOU—!!” Mei screamed. “You absolute jerk! Where have you—”

  She launched forward, fist raised—

  —but in a flash, Kairyuuha tilted just slightly.

  Mei missed.

  The room froze.

  “No way…” Thora whispered.

  Kael’s jaw dropped. “She missed?”

  Yuno’s eyes widened a fraction. “…He’s mastered it.”

  Kairyuuha exhaled. “Sorry. Got a little caught up training. I learned Flowstep. Then I broke it down and rebuilt it. Also figured out Duel Breathing. Oh—and I can fly now.”

  Reiya blinked. “You what?”

  He stepped forward, calm and focused, and shared his story—the library studies, the dojo, the custom fighting style, the new spells, and finally, the flight and teleportation breakthroughs.

  No one spoke for a full ten seconds.

  Then Thora smirked. “Alright, I officially hate you.”

  Kael whistled. “That’s not training. That’s… evolution.”

  Yuno stepped forward and placed a hand on Kairyuuha’s shoulder. “You’re not human, are you?”

  Kairyuuha smiled faintly.

  “I don’t know what I am. But whatever it is… I’m not done yet.”

  Mei, misty-eyed, smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “Next time, tell us, idiot.”

  He nodded. “Yeah… my bad.”