Saruto and Ethan emerged from the Time Chamber after their fierce battle, the floor echoing with the weight of their footsteps. Saruto turned to Ethan, his eyes gleaming with a mocking smile.
"You must be hungry... after all this time of sleep."
Ethan chuckled briefly, placing a hand on his stomach.
"I've almost forgotten what food tastes like... it's been so long."
Saruto led him directly to the palace. As soon as they entered the dining hall, he ordered the servants to bring out the finest delicacies. Within minutes, the aromas of roasted dishes, simmering soups, and rare fruits filled the air. Ethan sat down at the table, didn't hesitate, and began to eat ravenously, as if hunger had been gnawing at his insides for millennia.
Saruto sat opposite him, watching with a silent smile. He didn't comment until the table was overflowing with empty plates, and Ethan straightened up, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Now I truly feel alive again… Thank you, Saruto," he said contentedly.
"Eat well," Saruto replied calmly. "The next few days are not for rest. I only have one week left until I return to the Academy… and we won't waste a single moment."
And so the following days passed in relentless training under Ethan's guidance.
Each day, the clash of swords filled the air, and each evening, opposing auras illuminated the Time Room. With every training session, the bond between Saruto and Ethan grew stronger and more resilient.
Then came the final day—
Early in the morning, Saruto stood on the balcony of his mansion, gazing at the horizon. His new Academy uniform hung beside him, the family crest gleaming proudly above it.
Ethan approached him, his hand on the hilt of his black scythe, and said in a solemn voice, "The road ahead is not easy… and I will give everything I have to support you."
Saruto turned his head toward him, a confident smile on his face.
"I… I'm grateful to you, Ethan."
Then he raised his hand and placed it on his forehead. They disappeared from Ethan's sight. He said,
"It's time to return to the academy… It's time for everyone to see how much I've changed during this break."
Saruto returned to the academy after a short absence, but he was a changed man, one no one knew about.
At the gate, the students gathered, whispering amongst themselves:
"Who's that?"
"The aura around him… it's suffocating!"
"Impossible… Is it really Saruto?"
He entered with quiet steps, his eyes unmoved by the whispers. Lucien had already gone in and waved to him from afar, his eyes holding the familiar glint of defiance.
Only a few hours passed before the first lesson of the new semester began.
A retired knight, a professor, stood in the vast training ground. His voice boomed, rising above the noise of the students:
"Today… you will learn the fundamentals of how to channel aura into your weapons and armor. This is the first step to transforming your inner power into a deadly weapon or an unbreakable shield!"
He raised his broadsword before him, and in a flash, a brilliant blue light enveloped him.
"Aura isn't just for intimidating or pressuring an opponent. That's a technique only fools use to show off against their rivals. Instead of wasting it on such a trivial thing, why not integrate it into your weapon to give it greater power?"
Saruto and Lucien turned to each other, remembering the moments when they had pressured their opponents with aura, and realized that the master was speaking to them.
He gave the signal, and the heirs of the eight families began trying to apply his instructions. Some managed only a faint flash, while others failed completely.
But when it was Saruto's turn…
He grasped one of his chained swords, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to let out a muffled roar. A black aura, tinged with violet light, flowed across the entire chain, until the sword resembled a piece of blazing night.
As his sword struck the ground, the stone tiles shattered beneath the blow, and silence fell over the entire arena, a response to the master's insult.
The master took a step back, his eyes wide.
"…This isn't a beginner's level. It seems what you said provoked him."
On the other side, Lucien unleashed a blue aura on his spear, which shone like a small sun. He retorted defiantly, "Don't think you're the only one progressing, Saruto."
Even Dragon Heir Rhyn and Hurricane Heir Kyle had mastered it.
The arena's atmosphere had transformed into a hidden struggle between the heirs, and everyone understood that what had been simple lessons… would become a testing ground for the giants of the future.