The cliffs behind them fell into shadow as dawn burned across the horizon. The wind carried salt, the faint remnants of the Citadel’s chaos, and an electric sense of anticipation.
Koha stood at the edge, arms trembling slightly, eyes glowing faintly with violet-white light. The golden thread the sea entity had left pulsed faintly in his chest, reminding him he wasn’t free of the danger yet.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Rio asked, voice low but firm. He stepped closer, closing the space between them. “We’re heading back to the Academy. The place that trained you… the place that can help stabilize your full potential. But it won’t be easy.”
Koha’s lips parted, but no words came. His hands flexed at his sides.
Sky, not waiting for permission, stepped forward. “If we want to get him back to full strength, the Academy’s wards need to be activated, and Koha has to channel through every single element simultaneously. That’s… dangerous. Even for him.”
Huo folded his arms, massive and solid. “Then we keep him steady. I carry him if he falters. Simple.”
Yin knelt, placing a hand over Koha’s heart. “I will maintain the harmonic resonance. Every pulse of magic will be synchronized through him and the team. If Koha’s mind falters… I will buffer the overload.”
Koha looked at them, shyness mixed with awe and fear. “…I… I don’t know if I can handle all that power. Not yet.”
Rio brushed his thumb across Koha’s cheek. “Then lean on us. You don’t have to handle it alone. Not ever.”
Koha’s cheeks flushed. “…Okay.”
The group descended the cliff path toward the winding road that led to the Academy. The world around them felt heavy, almost reverent, as if the elements themselves were watching.
Koha walked between Rio and Huo, while Sky scouted ahead, bow at the ready, and Yin’s aura gently hummed behind them.
Every step Koha took sent tiny ripples of energy into the air — violet-white threads of potential, quivering with nervous tension. He murmured spells quietly under his breath, unintentionally weaving elemental currents around himself. Sparks danced along his fingertips, gusts of wind brushed the group’s faces, and tiny flames flickered harmlessly on the rocks nearby.
Rio rolled his eyes. “Stop overthinking. Just… walk. Don’t light everything on fire.”
Koha blinked, stammering: “…I… I’ll try.”
Huo chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. If you do light it on fire, I’ll be here to catch you.”
Sky leaned over Koha’s shoulder. “And I’ll make sure it’s a pretty fire.”
Koha’s ears burned red.
Yin placed a steadying hand on Koha’s back. “Focus on the elements one at a time. Feel each one, not the power behind it. Fire. Water. Wind. Earth. Light. Shadow. Then let them merge.”
Koha nodded, murmuring softly. “Fire… warmth… water… flow… wind… freedom… earth… stability… light… purity… shadow… truth…”
The group watched in tense silence. Each whispered word shimmered visibly, creating miniature threads of magic that hovered around his form like a constellation.
Huo muttered, “He’s actually doing it.”
Rio’s eyes softened. “He’s trying. That’s enough for now.”
Sky smirked. “Trying is half the battle. The other half is surviving me if I get jealous of Rio.”
Rio glanced at him sharply. “…Excuse me?”
Koha’s blush deepened. He buried his face in his hands.
The path to the Academy was not empty. Twisted fragments of shadow and residual magic from Doojin’s last attack clung to the cliffs like fog.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled.
“Get ready!” Rio shouted, drawing his sword. Flames and lightning danced along the blade.
A shadow beast emerged, black tendrils lashing outward. Its eyes glowed crimson, feeding off Koha’s latent power.
Koha froze. “I… I can’t—”
Rio stepped in front of him. “Yes, you can. You will. Focus.”
Huo raised his hands, slamming the ground. “Muralla del Titán!”
A wall of stone erupted, halting the tendrils mid-strike. Sky fired a volley of elemental arrows, each infused with wind, lightning, and fire. The projectiles carved through the shadows, scattering fragments that hissed and reformed.
Yin muttered an incantation, golden chains of light weaving around Koha. “Lien Sacré. Maintain resonance.”
Koha’s lips trembled as he whispered: “Tenchi Mugen…”
The ground shifted under their feet, gravity bending subtly, the cliffs warping as Koha’s elemental control extended outward. Flames erupted, water swirled in spirals, wind whipped across the path, earth rose into protective spires, and light and shadow entwined to form a shimmering dome.
The shadow beast screeched. Its form began to distort uncontrollably, unable to stabilize against the combined elemental storm.
Rio roared, charging forward with twin streams of fire and lightning trailing his sword. “폭풍 무도!”
The shadow dissolved. Its remaining fragments fled, hissing in retreat.
Koha collapsed slightly into Huo’s arms. “…I… I did it.”
“Not alone,” Rio reminded gently, brushing hair from Koha’s damp forehead. “All of us did it. Together.”
Koha looked at them, aura pulsing white and silver. “…Together.”
The Academy gates loomed in the distance — massive, rune-etched, sealed for centuries. Golden sigils glowed faintly against the stone, dormant but waiting.
Yin stepped forward, hands raised. “Koha, this is where your control must stabilize. Every element will channel through you into the Academy’s wards. It will anchor your power and purge the sea entity’s thread.”
Koha swallowed. “I… I don’t know if I can handle all six at once.”
Huo knelt beside him. “You can. We’ll support you. Just… breathe. One step at a time.”
Sky leaned forward, smirking but with rare tenderness. “And if anything goes wrong, I’ll hit it with an arrow. Or your head, whichever comes first.”
Rio crouched in front of him, hands brushing Koha’s shoulders. “…You’re stronger than you think. Trust me. Trust us. Just step forward.”
Koha’s lips trembled. He exhaled, closing his eyes. “Okay… one step at a time…”
He moved forward.
The moment he touched the sigils on the Academy gates, a surge of magic exploded outward.
Light, fire, water, wind, earth, and shadow swirled in chaotic harmony around him. His body glowed silver-white, aura pulsating violently as it resonated with the ancient wards.
Yin chanted, connecting his magic to Koha’s. “Harmonic resonance, maintain the flow!”
Huo’s hands rose, reinforcing the elemental energy with stone and iron.
Sky sent arrows twirling in spirals of wind, guiding Koha’s flow.
Rio’s sword danced, striking rhythmically through the aura, channeling lightning and fire into Koha.
The wards flared, reacting to every pulse of his heart, every tremor of his hands. The thread of the sea entity pulsed violently, then began to unravel, its resonance dissolving into Koha’s own light.
Koha gasped. “…I can feel it… all of it… every element…”
Yin’s voice was steady in his mind. “Balance it. Merge them. Let them flow as one.”
Koha closed his eyes, murmuring softly:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9u4Y4pUHp
“火焔の矢… 流水の刃… 疾風の突… 大地の拳… 閃光の矢… 闇影の刃… All… together…” Arrow of Flames… Blade of Flowing Water… Gale Thrust… Fist of the Earth… Arrow of Flashing Light… Shadow Blade…
The Academy gates shuddered. Magic spiraled outward, lifting dust and stone. The sky above split with brilliant auroras of silver, violet, gold, and sapphire.
The golden thread snapped.
Koha fell to his knees, trembling, exhausted—but radiant.
Rio crouched beside him, holding his hands. “You did it. All of it. You… you controlled everything.”
Koha blinked, voice soft and shaky: “…I… I think… I finally can.”
Huo’s massive hand rested on his back. “You are enough.”
Sky leaned over, whispering teasingly. “And don’t even try to deny it—you’re dazzling.”
Koha’s blush burned fiercely. “…I… thank you…”
Yin smiled softly. “Your aura… fully stabilized. The Academy’s wards are complete. You are… whole.”
For the first time, Koha felt it: the true harmony of his power, balanced, steady, and entirely his.
And behind him, the cliffs, the sea, and the world waited—quiet, reverent, and alive.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wm4eNHu5D
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA36rOswJ1C
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