Two years had passed since Elric had begun his training under Mira.The forest that once echoed with the sound of his struggle now carried the rhythm of his resolve.Each dawn, his blade sliced through the morning mist, each night, his breath burned the air around him.
He was no longer the frail boy who had once collapsed after swinging a sword ten times.His movements were sharper, his eyes calmer — but inside, the fire was still untamed.The rock still stood. The same massive stone that had haunted him for years.The same stone he had sworn to cut before the end of his training.
That morning, the air felt heavier. Mira stood at a distance, her gaze unreadable.Elric cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as he took position.He took a deep breath."Water Breathing… Second Form — Flowing Slash."
The world around him seemed to slow.Water spiraled around his blade — a shimmering stream, alive and dancing.With a sharp exhale, Elric swung his sword.The blade moved like a current, fast and clean — but when it struck the rock, the sound echoed like thunder.
THAANG!
The water scattered into droplets.The rock remained unbroken.
Elric froze. His sword trembled in his grip.A drop of sweat rolled down his face and hit the ground with a soft pat."…Still not enough," he whispered, voice trembling.
He clenched his fists, veins bulging. His breathing was ragged.He had poured everything into that strike — all his strength, all his spirit.Yet, the rock didn't even flinch.
"Why… why won't you break?!"He slammed his sword into the ground and fell to his knees.
Mira didn't move. She simply said, "Technique without heart is nothing. You're forcing power, not flowing with it."
Elric didn't reply. He stood silently, then turned and walked away.For the first time, he didn't say goodnight or thank you.
That night, he lay under the open sky, staring at the stars through half-closed eyes."Two years… and still nothing," he murmured. "Guess I'm just swinging metal at air."He chuckled weakly. "Maybe that rock's harder than my luck."
The sun rose again — and with it, Elric's resolve.He didn't speak. He didn't complain.He just trained.From sunrise to moonlight, again and again, repeating his breathing forms.He sharpened his senses, calmed his breath, balanced his heart.
Days passed. Then weeks.
Until one morning — he stood again before the rock.
But this time, something was different.
Beside Mira stood a boy — wearing a mask.He was slightly shorter than Elric, dressed in worn-out clothes, and carried a wooden sword casually over his shoulder.Elric's brows furrowed.
"Who's that?" he asked.
Mira said nothing.
The masked boy chuckled softly, his voice muffled."So… you're the one struggling to cut this thing for years?"
Elric frowned. "And you are?"
The boy tilted his head. "Someone who's already done it."
That hit harder than any sword.
Elric tightened his grip. "Then what do you want?"
"To see if you even deserve to touch it."The boy raised his wooden sword. "Beat me, and maybe you'll understand why that rock won't break for you."
Elric smirked, though his jaw tightened. "Fine. But don't cry when I break your toy."
The wind shifted. Leaves swirled around them.Mira's eyes followed every movement.
"Begin," she said softly.
Elric lunged first — fast, precise, fierce.His blade slashed in arcs, water trailing behind each swing.The boy, however, blocked every attack effortlessly, his wooden sword clacking against steel like it was child's play.
"Tch…" Elric grit his teeth. "You're mocking me, aren't you?"
"Not mocking," the boy replied calmly, sidestepping another strike. "Just watching you waste energy."
That pushed Elric's patience off the edge.
"Shut up!" he shouted, his aura flaring.He dashed forward — faster than before —"Water Breathing: Second Form — Flowing Slash!"
Their blades collided — a burst of air shaking the trees.The boy slid back slightly, impressed. "Finally showing some fire."
But then — something strange happened.A faint glow flickered on Elric's hand — a mark, forming near his wrist, glowing faint blue.The boy's masked eyes widened.
This energy… it's awakening.
Elric didn't even notice. His mind was blank, filled with nothing but one thought: Cut him down.He swung again — faster, sharper.The boy ducked, ready to counter — but in that instant —
SHH!
The mask split cleanly in two, falling to the ground.
Elric froze, sword still in midair.The boy stood silent, face revealed.His hair was crimson, messy, his skin covered in scars — battle marks.His eyes were calm, but something ancient rested in them.He looked barely older than Elric — yet felt like someone who had lived through lifetimes.
"You…" Elric muttered. "Who are you?"
The boy didn't answer. He simply smiled faintly."Looks like you're finally ready to learn why the rock won't break."
Before Elric could ask again — a gust of wind blew past, and in a blink —Both the boy and Mira vanished.
Elric spun around. "Mira?! Where—?! Wait!"But there was nothing. Just the forest, and the unmoving rock.
He lowered his sword slowly, staring at his reflection on the blade."…What the hell just happened?"
Silence. Only the sound of leaves rustling.
He sat down, exhausted, looking at his hand — the faint mark still glowing."What was that… and who was that guy?"
The question burned in his chest.But one thing was certain — the path ahead had just changed.This wasn't just about cutting a rock anymore.
It was about discovering what had been sealed inside him all along.