Tongen stared at Mira, disappointment flickering across his face. Losing her first fight hadn't shocked him — but it still bothered him. Her ability had potential, real potential, but right now it was underwhelming in a way that went beyond the result itself. Two clones at most, and even that drained her visibly by the end. She'd been working hard, he knew that, but hard work without understanding was just effort pointed in the wrong direction. If she couldn't push past that limit — couldn't find a way to hold the clones longer, use them smarter, stop bleeding focus every time the fight got physical — she'd always fall short when it counted. Not because she lacked the ability. Because she hadn't found the edges of it yet.
He exhaled slowly, the sound quiet enough that no one near him would have caught it.
She doesn't understand her own power yet.
