Tai was looking at the candle. His eyes wanted to flinch, but he didn't.
Tai Yang said, "What the hell is this?"
Hiroshi replied, "It's one of your training exercises, you could say."
Tai said, "It's very hard."
Hiroshi adjusted his glasses.
"Just do it. It's very important to have focus, as focus is a very important part of battle."
Tai Yang nodded.
"Alright. Now it's time to finish this."
Tai focused on the candle.
Hiroshi walked away.
He looked up at the trees.
The leaves began falling around him.
Then Matsuri came over.
"Hey, Hiroshi."
He looked at her.
"Yes, Matsuri?"
She said, "I want to talk to you in private."
Hiroshi said, "I see."
His glasses reflected the candlelight.
Scene shifted.
Both of them were sitting in a dark room, facing each other. A candle stood between them. Only their faces and half of their bodies were visible in the dim light.
Matsuri said, "About Tai Yang… could he be connected to Xen Yang?"
Hiroshi replied, "There could be a chance, I have to say. There are some missing pieces that we can't explain here, but there is definitely something between him and that man."
He paused.
"And the Blue Dragon Azure… that's unexpected. If I'm not wrong, these families don't usually possess Azure, even though they do possess some creatures and many other things, such as extremely high amounts of mana—something that many noble families can barely achieve."
Matsuri said, "I see. I can say that he is not a threat."
Hiroshi nodded.
"He isn't. Reigo Gensaki gave us permission. Even I don't see him as a threat. When I first saw him, he looked reckless, but somehow… he does feel familiar."
Matsuri said, "I see."
Hiroshi continued,
"Also, you don't need to worry because he is okay. I feel that if he gets trained properly, he can become something… I would say, based on what I've seen about him."
Tai Yang finally focused.
Through the flame, he could see someone.
It was Lan.
"Hey! Big brother!"
Tai's focus broke.
"Hey, Lan. What are you doing here? You should rest, I guess."
She shook her head.
"I don't want to sleep right now."
Tai sighed.
"Well… I can't say you can't stay here."
Lan looked at him curiously.
"By the way, what were you doing?"
"Oh, it's training to improve my focus," Tai explained. "It'll help me battle better. I'll become the strongest magician here, no matter what."
He clenched his fist.
"It's special training."
Suddenly, Hiroshi opened the door.
"Are you finished, Tai?"
Tai looked back.
"Huh? No, I need more time."
Hiroshi closed the door and walked away.
As he walked, he looked up at the trees.
"I wonder what type of power Azure possesses."
He adjusted his glasses.
"The Blue Dragon is very famous for its blue flames, chaotic phenomena in the sky, and many other abilities."
Meanwhile, Tai looked back at the candle.
"I should focus on this. I can do it."
Mana began flowing from his body.
"What… is happening?"
He steadied himself.
"I guess I'll try again."
Tai focused on his power.
More and more mana surged through his body.
"What…?"
His mana grew stronger.
After a moment, Tai looked at his hands.
"Did I… do it?"
Smoke suddenly rose from his body.
His mana disappeared.
Tai stared at his hands in confusion.
"What?"
Hiroshi looked at him.
"You did good, though."
Tai smiled.
"I guess you can say that."
Hiroshi remained relaxed and confident, slightly smug and completely unbothered.
Tai blinked.
"Huh?"
"You need to do this continuously for two days."
Tai immediately collapsed.
"What?! No way! I already spent hours doing this! I have to do even more?"
Hiroshi calmly replied,
"Don't worry. It won't take much time."
He looked at Tai.
"For now, you can rest. You're only beginning your training."
The scene shifted.
A blonde-haired woman stood in the kingdom, looking toward the sky. She was wearing a cloak as she gazed toward the forest.
Someone spoke from behind her.
"Leader Kurno, what are you doing here?"
Her name was revealed.
Kurno.
Kurno continued looking toward the forest.
"I'm just looking at the forest."
The knight nodded.
"I see."
Kurno looked up at the sky.
"Why do I feel like you're somewhere out there…?"
She paused.
"Even though… aren't you dead?"
She was talking to herself.
The knight spoke again.
"Leader, Vianic is calling you."
Kurno turned around.
"I see."
She began walking away, but stopped for a moment and looked back toward the forest.
At the top of the cliff, Kurno touched her necklace and kissed it gently.
Then she walked away.
---
Scene shifted.
Konsoon was sitting at a table, playing chess with Victor.
Konsoon moved one of his pieces.
"I see."
He looked at the board calmly.
"There are many people here who are very likely to take me down, don't you think?"
He looked at Victor.
"Do you agree, Victor?"
Konsoon smiled faintly.
"I can already see that you're going to take me down."
Victor remained silent.
Konsoon smiled faintly.
"I guess I'm winning this battle."
Konsoon made his move.
The position was set for a classic trap.
Black had pinned the knight on f3 to the queen with the bishop on g4. Moving the knight would normally mean losing the queen.
But Konsoon suddenly sacrificed it.
"Nxe5."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
Konsoon had deliberately broken the pin and left his queen exposed.
Victor took the bait.
"Bxd1."
The queen was captured.
Konsoon didn't react.
Instead, he immediately counterattacked.
"Bxf7+."
Check.
The black king was forced toward e7.
Konsoon calmly moved his other knight.
"Nd5#."
Checkmate.
Victor stared at the board in silence.
Konsoon leaned back slightly, a faint smile on his face.
"Guess I win this one."
Konsoon looked at Victor.
"You know, Victor… chess isn't really about winning or losing."
He glanced at the board.
"It's about whom you're willing to sacrifice in the battle."
He paused.
"Chess is a conflict between minds. Not physical bodies. Not strength."
Konsoon smiled faintly.
"It's about who can take the initiative, who can make the right decisions, and who can use deception."
He moved a chess piece.
"That's what can make someone truly great."
"However, you have potential."
Konsoon looked at Victor with a faint smile.
"Someone who could eventually overshadow me… perhaps even outclass me."
He paused.
"However, I have captured you. So you may never get the chance to use those beautiful eyes of yours to surpass me."
Victor remained calm.
"It's my pleasure, my lord."
Konsoon turned toward the balcony.
Outside, rain had begun to fall.
He watched the droplets quietly for a moment.
"I see…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"The rain has started."
He looked out into the distance.
"I guess something good is going to happen here."
Tai Yang saw something red on the wall inside the Kisidian Force Palace.
He was walking with his sister, Lan.
Lan looked at him.
"What's happening, little brother?"
Tai looked around.
"Nothing…"
He smiled.
But then the red mark appeared again.
Tai didn't notice it this time.
He continued walking with Lan.
Scene shifted.
Konsoon was sitting alone in his room. Victor had already left.
Konsoon looked ahead calmly.
"This is going to be interesting."
Scene shifted.
Kurno was moving across the rooftops.
As she reached another building, she suddenly noticed something strange.
There were creatures with half-human, half-bear appearances.
They were attacking the knights and clinging to their bodies.
Kurno narrowed her eyes.
"Cav, send some recruits here. I'll handle the rest."
She activated the Eyes of Hector.
In an instant, Kurno moved at incredible speed.
One of the bear-like creatures suddenly attacked her, pushing her backward.
Kurno didn't even draw her blade.
She moved past it—
and cut off its head.
Another bear-like creature suddenly attacked from behind.
Kurno caught the bear-like creature by the hand.
She stared at it carefully.
"They don't seem to be in control of themselves…"
She narrowed her eyes.
"What even are these? Humans… or animals?"
Scene shifted.
Tai Yang was sitting there, eating his rice balls.
"Mmm… these are really tasty. Who made them?"
Matsuri raised her hand.
"It's me."
Tai looked at her.
"They taste good."
Matsuri smiled.
"Glad you like them."
Suddenly, Hiroshi spoke.
"Tai Yang, you've been assigned a mission."
Tai looked up immediately.
"Any great mission?"
Hiroshi adjusted his glasses.
"Hmm… yes. You could say it's somewhat important."
Tai nodded.
"Alright."
Hiroshi continued,
"But there's one thing. Since you haven't fully mastered your power yet, you need to take care of yourself during the mission."
Tai nodded.
"Alright."
Hiroshi handed him something.
"Here you go."
Tai looked at it.
"What is this for?"
Hiroshi explained,
"If you encounter any problems, you can use it to call for a recruit. And if you have trouble controlling your power, it can also help you control it for a few minutes."
Tai examined it.
"Sounds good."
Scene shifted.
Tai was leaving the palace.
As he walked, he thought to himself,
"I'm still confused. He wants me to go alone?"
He smiled slightly.
"Interesting… anyway."
Tai continued walking toward his mission.
Scene shifted.
Hiroshi and Matsuri were sitting together in the future hall. Matsuri was wearing her kimono.
Matsuri looked at him.
"It's his first mission, I assume?"
Hiroshi nodded.
"Yeah."
He leaned against the wall.
"I would say the reason is because I saw him defeat Akhos."
Matsuri's expression changed.
"Akhos? You mean that legendary swordsman?"
"Yeah."
Hiroshi adjusted his glasses.
"Akhos himself killed two king-level threats without hesitation."
He paused.
"However, I would say it was Azure who actually did it."
Hiroshi looked toward the direction Tai had left.
"Still, even with only half of his training, Tai was able to accomplish that. He already has the basic foundation."
Matsuri nodded.
"I see."
Hiroshi continued,
"And don't worry. If necessary, I can teleport him back at any time. That bandage works that way. If he senses that he's in serious danger, I can teleport him back instantly."
Matsuri looked at the bandage.
"I see. But that's some advanced magic technology you made, isn't it?"
Hiroshi adjusted his glasses.
"You could say that."
Tai continued walking toward the mission area.
"I mean, I'm not afraid or anything… but yeah, I probably need someone to accompany me."
He shrugged.
"Anyways, let's go. I'm heading to the mission site."
As Tai continued forward, he suddenly encountered one of the bear-like creatures.
Tai stopped and looked at it.
"So, I guess I have to fight this guy."
He examined the creature.
"He looks tough, I guess… but not tougher than me."
The bear-like creature suddenly charged at him and threw a powerful punch.
Tai easily dodged it.
He looked back at the creature with a confident expression.
"You really think that would work on me?"
Scene shifted to Kurno. She was fighting one of the human-like bear creatures. After defeating it, she noticed a human emerging from its body. His eyes rolled back, and he died as blood poured from him.
Scene shifted.
Tai said, "Now, take this!"
Another bear-like creature suddenly appeared, followed by another one.
Tai somehow dodged their attacks. It was close, but he quickly regained his balance.
"Now it's my turn."
Tai attacked and finished off the human-like creature.
He looked at the bodies in confusion.
"What's going on? Are these really humans?"
Two more bear-like creatures appeared.
But this time, Kurno had already defeated both of them.
Tai stared at her in shock.
"What…?"
Tai Yang saw Kurno.
"Who is this blonde lady?" Tai wondered. "She looks young."
Kurno slowly walked toward him.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay. By the way, who are you?"
Kurno looked at him.
"What's your name?"
Tai blinked.
"My name is Tai Yang. I was the one who asked first, but okay, I'm fine with that. Now, can you—"
Kurno interrupted him.
"Which kingdom are you from? You look like you're from the Land of Water."
"What? Ah… I'm from the Kisidian Order."
Tai struggled to pronounce the name correctly.
"Kisidian Order?" Kurno repeated.
"Yeah, that."
Kurno nodded slightly.
"I see."
She suddenly raised her sword.
"Then you're my enemy."
"What?! But you just saved me!"
"I did. But I didn't know at first that you were our enemy. We don't have a problem with your leader, Reigo, but your members have caused us a lot of trouble recently."
She tightened her grip on her sword.
"I can't spare you here. You could become a threat to me and the people of this kingdom."
Cav approached them.
"My lady, we already defeated them. Should we save some of the humans?"
He looked at Tai.
"Oh… who is he?"
"He's a member of the Kisidian Order," Kurno replied.
"A member of the Kisidian Order?" Cav asked. "Shall we send some knights here?"
Kurno shook her head.
"No. I am enough to handle this child."
"Hey! I'm not that much of a child!" Tai protested, half-jokingly.
Kurno's expression remained serious.
"I'm not joking. I might spare you, but we may have to capture you. If you do anything extreme, I might kill you."
"Wait! I'm not here to fight!"
Kurno's eyes began to glow.
"We'll see about that."
She looked toward Cav.
"Go from here. I'll finish this quickly."
Cav bowed slightly.
"As you wish, Leader Kurno."
Kurno said, "Fight me, Tai Yang."
Tai Yang looked surprised.
"What? Should I? I mean, can we talk? I never raise my hands against an ally. You look like one."
"Then prove it."
Kurno swung her sword.
"Whoa!"
Tai clashed against her sword, then somehow managed to dodge her next attack.
"She's very fast… How can I beat her?"
Kurno suddenly teleported behind him.
"What?!"
Tai was caught off guard and was stabbed by her.
"Hey!"
Tai used his fist to block her next attack, but Kurno dodged it.
"I would say you're a little strong, but not enough to beat me. Show me what you've got, because I know you're not showing me everything."
Tai blinked.
"Huh? What are you saying?"
He somehow dodged another attack, but Kurno still managed to damage him.
Tai held his injured side as blood dripped from the wound.
"Enough. I'll take it."
Tai moved closer to her.
Kurno raised her hand.
"I order you—throw water!"
A wave of water attacked Tai, but he managed to dodge it.
Suddenly, Tai's body began healing slightly, and a blue aura emerged around him.
"I'm feeling something right now… You're done."
Tai attacked Kurno, forcing her to slide back for a moment.
"How about this?" Tai said with a smile.
"I told you, I don't want to attack."
Kurno steadied herself.
"I can handle you, but I don't want to take any risks here."
She raised her hand.
"Eyes of Hector, give me the power to kill him."
Tai's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Kurno's eyes began to glow.
She attacked Tai.
Tai dodged and moved away quickly.
"She's even faster than usual, I would assume."
Kurno attacked again, and Tai was injured.
Tai looked at her.
"You really think you can beat me with those injuries?"
Kurno stared at him.
"You're still standing."
Scene shifted to Konsoon for a moment.
Konsoon smiled.
"Looks interesting. I have influenced both of them."
Scene shifted back to Tai and Kurno.
Tai Yang thought, How can I beat her?
Kurno attacked him, but Tai somehow managed to dodge.
"These will be your last moments, Tai Yang," Kurno said.
She attacked again, but Tai dodged.
"I will capture you and find out what connection you have with the other kingdoms and our kingdom."
Tai shook his head.
"I won't let you capture me."
Tai was bleeding and began coughing.
"Damn it… I can't move my body. She damaged me a lot."
Kurno looked at him.
"It seems like you've reached your limit. You did well, but you don't have what it takes to defeat me."
She moved toward Tai and reached out to grab him.
Suddenly—
Tai vanished.
"What?"
Tai reappeared in front of Hiroshi.
He looked at Hiroshi.
"Oh, yeah… You did tell me something about this bandage. So this is what you meant. It teleported me."
Hiroshi looked at him seriously.
"You're injured right now."
However, you were close to being captured.
Hiroshi said, "You did well, though. I didn't expect things to happen like this, but I was watching."
"You're watching?" Tai asked.
"Yeah. Her name is Kurno Benifer."
"Kurno? Huh?"
"Yeah."
"Anyways, why didn't you tell me this might happen in the first place?"
"Calm down. Take it easy. You're injured right now. Mei will take care of you."
"Not her again…"
Mei appeared.
"Hey there. I'm here to take care of your injuries."
She suddenly kicked Tai.
"AHHH!"
The camera zoomed out as the movement became funny.
Kurno was looking at herself, questioning what had really happened.
Cav came over.
"Are you okay, Leader Kurno?"
"Yeah."
Kurno looked up at the sky.
"So… he vanished? Huh? Out of nowhere… I wasn't even aware of it."
The scene ends.