"The perfect body flow, Kaishi, is a state of absolute emotional void," Sherach explained, his voice losing its usual playful lilt. We stood by the mist of the waterfall, the air damp and heavy. "It's a state where you let go of all sentiment. No wasted movements, no hesitation. It enables a warrior to deliver strikes and techniques with microscopic precision. But you know... I'm just a human who possesses what is called an emotion. I've mastered it to a high degree, but not to its peak. Only an absolute monster—someone who has discarded their heart—can reach the summit of Kaishi."
I looked at my hands, feeling the rhythmic hum of the Nebula Heart within my chest. "Sherach, I want you to teach it to me."
Sherach's gaze sharpened, his eyes searching mine for a flicker of doubt. "So, you want to master Kaishi? It's a dangerous path, Oliver. For a human, true mastery is almost impossible. You can reach a certain level, yes, but if you choose to pursue the peak, you are essentially abandoning your humanity. I'm not sure I can take the risk of leading you down that road."
A technique that turns a man into a machine of pure logic? I thought internally. It's the perfect cheat for me to grasp. I just have to convince him.
"Please, Sherach," I said, stepping forward. "I'm not asking to become a monster. I just want the tools to survive. Trust me what if I find a way to overcome the flaw in learning this impossible' techniques. Let me try."
Sherach stared at me for a long time, weighing my worth. Finally, he let out a short, tired sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll teach you... but only to a certain point. If I see you losing yourself, we stop."
"Thank you, Sherach. I won't let you down."
"Don't thank me yet," he replied with a smirk. "We start tomorrow. I have some business to attend to for the rest of the day. Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone."
"No promises," I replied as he vanished in a blur of gold-tinted speed.
----
I made my way to the northern training fields, where the air was cooler and the crowds were thinner. I had promised Ria and Kael I would check on their progress after my session with Sherach. Even as I walked, my mind was busy processing the fragments of the Shidan magic I had witnessed earlier.
As I approached, I saw them. Ria was in the middle of a waist-stretching routine, her movements fluid and athletic. Kael, on the other hand, was performing stiff arm stretches. As always, Kael was the enigma. He kept his head bowed, his hair casting a shadow that completely obscured his eyes. It was as if he were purposely hiding his soul from the world.
He had black hair, pale skin,and blue eyes, and wore a coat. He carried himself with a quiet, distant calm, like someone who had long stopped expecting warmth from the world.
Messy strands of jet-black hair fell over his eyes, partially hiding the sharp blue gaze beneath. His pale face held no expression, as if emotions were something he had sealed away long ago.
A long, dark coat rested over his shoulders, its edges brushing against his boots as he walked. As for Ria, she had a short silver hair and wore a cropped hoodie.She stood with an effortless confidence, chin slightly raised as if the world existed for her amusement.
Her short silver hair framed her face in soft, uneven layers, catching the light with a faint metallic glow. Sharp eyes watched everything around her, always alert, always calculating.
A cropped black hoodie exposed a line of her waist, paired with fitted combat pants and heavy boots—practical, but still unmistakably stylish.
"Alright, Oliver! Are you ready to see what we've been working on?" Ria asked, her eyes sparking with excitement.
"Show me," I said, genuinely curious. I knew they had potential, but I wanted to see if the Nebula Breathing had finally unlocked their latent abilities.
Ria didn't hesitate. She stood tall and pointed her index finger into the empty air. With a sharp, downward flick, the air seemed to shimmer. Suddenly, a squared metal plate materialized out of thin air exactly where she had pointed. She didn't stop there. With a series of rapid-fire gestures, twelve more pieces manifested, swirling around her like a metallic cyclone before sharpening into deadly, flying daggers.
"Wow," I muttered. I wasn't just acting, the precision was impressive for a low-rank student .
"With more practice, I know I can make them faster," she said, beaming. She then glanced over at Kael, who was still standing in the shadows, silent as a grave. "Your turn, Kael. Don't be shy."
Kael remained silent for a long beat. The tension grew until I finally broke it. "Well, Kael? What have you got?"
"...It's just..." Kael's voice was a low whisper. "I was surprised to find that Ria and I... share the same affinity."
Slowly, Kael raised his hand. Unlike Ria's flashy manifestation, the metal simply seemed to bleed out of the air around his knuckles. He formed a set of jagged, iron-like spikes that hummed with a dark, heavy energy.
"So you're both Metal-based users? That's incredible," I said.
Ria's jaw dropped, then she broke into a wide grin, elbowing Kael in the arm. "That puts us in the same boat, huh? We can be the metal duo!"
Kael didn't smile, but I saw his shoulders relax slightly. These two, I thought. At first, I took them under my wing as a way to pass the time, but now... I'm invested. If they master the combination of metal manipulation and Nebula breathing, they'll be an unstoppable force.
"You've done well," I complemented them. "You've mastered the breathing technique enough to tap into your true potential. Keep this up."
As I spoke, I felt a faint tug in my chest—a slight drain on the Nebula Heart in my inner world. It seemed that by teaching them, I had inadvertently linked my mana frequency.
"It's all thanks to you, Oliver-sensei!" Ria said. "We wouldn't even know we had these powers if you hadn't pushed us."
"Thank you for your effort, Master," Kael added, bowing so deeply his forehead nearly touched his knees, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists in a gesture of profound respect.
"No need to call me Master, Kael," I replied, feeling a bit awkward. "I'm still learning myself." I watched him closely as they went back to their drills. Kael... what is his story? He carries a mental weight that seems heavier than any tier-nine pressure.
Suddenly, the roar of high-powered engines cut through my thoughts. I looked up to see a massive, mechanized sleek-black jet screaming across the sky, heading directly toward the academy's main landing docks.
"Alright, see you guys in class," I said, my instincts telling me that the peace of the afternoon was about to end.
----
The jet landed with a hiss of pressurized steam at the academy's grand entrance. As the hydraulic doors slid open, a figure stepped out that seemed to suck the air out of the plaza.
He was the definition of elite.His hair was a brilliant, sun-bleached blond with fades perfectly at the sides. A silver cross earring dangled from his right ear, catching the light, while a heavy gold chain rested against his dark grey buttoned shirt. He wore a shimmering, long-cut jacket with a sharp collar, framing a face with deep blue eyes and a jawline that looked carved from marble.
He walked with the majestic, arrogant stride of someone who owned the ground he walked on, one hand tucked casually into the pocket of his black trousers. His appearance released an atmosphere of divine presence.
"Wow... he's beautiful," one of the passing girls whispered, her books nearly slipping from her hands.
"Who is that?" another asked.
"You don't know? That's the legendary demi-god, Luka Cinandra."
"No way... Marcus's older brother? The firstborn?"
The envy among the boys was palpable, but Luka ignored them all. He had the eyes of a predator who only looked at things worth eating.
A girl with long, pink hair reaching her waist stood in his path. She had two neatly packed buns at the sides of her head and was lazily stuffing a sweet into her mouth. She wore an oversized jacket draped off her shoulders in a way that screamed "bored."
"What are you doing here, Luka?" Wenta asked, her voice cold and unimpressed.
Luka grinned, showing off teeth that were a bit too perfect. "What do you expect, Wenta? I came to check on my darling fiancé and say hello to my dear friends at the academy." He leaned in slightly, his blue eyes flashing. "Now, would you be a dear and lead me to Suki Von Valerius?"
Wenta opened her mouth to give a sarcastic retort, but a sharp, voice suddenly cut.
"Lead you to Suki? Who the hell are you anyway?".
Luka turned slowly, his grin widening into something far more dangerous as he saw the person who had dared to speak.