The balance I had established held firm.
But the moment I tried to use it… it began to crack again.
---
I stood in the training hall.
The Kuroi in my hand.
The Lightning within—calm, yet tense.
The Spirits—silent, as if watching.
SCAR — far too pleased with himself.
---
'So now you want "techniques"?' he smirked.
---
I nodded.
'Yes.'
'Proper techniques. Not just flashes.'
---
A pause.
---
Akarania blinked softly:
---
[TASK: CREATION OF SYNERGISTIC TECHNIQUES]
[CONDITION: ALL SYSTEMS MUST BE ENGAGED]
---
I exhaled.
— All right.
---
And I began.
---
---
⚡ First attempt
---
I gathered lightning into a blade.
The Spirits directed the flow.
SCAR added pressure.
The Core held its shape.
---
I struck.
---
EXPLOSION.
---
The wall shattered.
The floor cracked.
---
"Too rough…" I whispered.
---
---
🌀 Second attempt
---
I altered the flow.
The spirits became gentler.
The lightning — thinner.
The SCAR — weaker.
---
A strike.
---
A cut.
Clean.
But weak.
---
— Not enough…
---
---
💀 Third attempt
---
I tried to make them work perfectly.
---
And they… started to argue.
---
The lightning sped up.
The perfume slowed down.
SCAR was pressing too hard.
---
---
EXPLOSION.
---
I was blown away.
---
— Damn…
---
---
I sat down on the floor.
---
Breathing heavily.
---
— Why is it so difficult…
---
SCAR chuckled quietly.
---
— Because you're trying to turn chaos into a symphony.
---
---
I looked at my hand.
---
— But is that possible?
---
---
— It is possible, — he replied.
— But not straight away.
---
---
I stood up again.
---
And tried once more.
---
The hours passed.
---
I fell.
I got up.
I fell again.
---
---
And finally—
---
something worked out.
---
---
I didn't force the forces to be the same.
I made them… complement each other.
---
Lightning became the framework.
Spirits — the direction.
SCAR — the strike.
Kuroi — the form.
Core — the stability.
---
---
I slowly raised my blade.
---
And concentrated.
---
— Pull yourselves together.
---
---
They did not argue.
---
They… agreed.
---
---
I struck.
---
And the world before me…
---
vanished.
---
---
It didn't explode.
It didn't crumble.
---
---
It was wiped out in a single stroke.
---
---
Silence.
---
---
Akarania flashed:
---
[TECHNIQUE CREATED]
[RANK: SSS]
[NAME: "SYNCHRONOUS CUT"]
---
---
I stood there.
Breathing heavily.
---
— It worked…
---
But inside, I felt empty.
---
---
I lowered my blade.
---
— …just one technique?
---
---
SHRAM said quietly:
---
— That's enough to wipe out cities.
---
---
I clenched my teeth.
---
— I wanted more.
---
---
And at that moment—
---
the system flared up.
---
---
[WARNING]
---
I froze.
---
---
[POWER STABILITY LOW]
[RECOMMENDATION: PAUSE]
---
---
I frowned.
— Pause?
---
---
[TASK: REST FOR 3 DAYS]
[REASON: STABILISE EVOLUTION]
---
---
I blinked.
— Rest?..
---
---
SCAR laughed.
---
— Even the system realised you're about to collapse.
---
---
I sat down on the floor.
---
And for the first time, I didn't argue.
---
---
— Three days…
---
---
Akarania:
---
[REWARD FOR COMPLETING FUTURE STABILISATION]
[UNLOCK: HIDDEN CONTROL OF THE DRAGON FORM]
---
---
I raised my head.
---
— Hidden control?..
---
---
SHRAM said quietly:
---
— Oh, that's interesting.
---
---
I smiled.
---
— So… a break isn't just a break.
---
---
I stood up.
---
And for the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to pause.
---
---
But even in this silence…
---
I sensed:
---
---
this isn't the end of the training.
---
---
but preparation for the next level.