Away from the chaos of Hina…
Farther down the village paths—
past rows of wooden houses and winter trees—
another training ground rested near the edge of a cliff.
This one was quieter.
Older.
Large stone pillars stood around the open field, worn smooth by decades of wind and weather. Beyond the edge of the cliff, the mountains stretched endlessly, and strong currents of natural wind swept through the valley below.
The air here was always moving.
Always alive.
Standing at the center of the field—
was Kaito.
His blue eyes were closed.
His posture was steady.
Calm.
Across from him stood Akira.
Arms folded.
Watching.
The wind brushed through Kaito's hair as it passed through the open field.
For a long moment—
neither of them spoke.
Then Akira broke the silence.
"…You're forcing it again."
Kaito slowly opened one eye.
"I'm not."
Akira raised an eyebrow.
"You are."
Kaito sighed quietly.
"…How can you tell?"
Akira stepped closer.
He gestured toward the open sky around them.
"Because the wind is moving everywhere."
The currents flowed through the field.
Soft.
Natural.
Untamed.
Yet—
none of it responded to Kaito.
Akira tapped Kaito lightly on the chest.
"But you're trying to grab it."
Kaito frowned slightly.
"I'm trying to control it."
Akira shook his head.
"No."
He walked past Kaito, his hands behind his back.
"You're trying to force it."
Kaito turned to look at him.
Akira continued calmly.
"Listen carefully."
He stopped walking and looked out toward the mountains.
"We are called the Wind Clan."
He lifted one hand slightly as a breeze passed through his fingers.
"But many of you misunderstand what that means."
Kaito listened quietly.
Akira continued.
"You think we create wind."
He shook his head.
"We don't."
Kaito's brow furrowed slightly.
Akira looked back at him.
"We are wind."
Silence settled over the field.
The breeze drifted across the ground again.
Akira continued speaking slowly.
"Yes, we use Vital Pulse to generate stronger wind."
He raised his hand slightly—
and a sharp gust suddenly burst forward across the training ground.
Dust scattered.
Leaves lifted.
The air cracked with pressure.
Then the wind disappeared.
"But that doesn't mean the wind isn't natural."
Akira lowered his hand.
"The wind we create is still wind."
His gaze sharpened.
"The difference is only strength."
Kaito crossed his arms slightly.
"…And the wind that already exists?"
Akira pointed toward the valley.
Massive currents of air rolled through the cliffs below.
"That wind…"
His voice softened slightly.
"…does not need your pulse."
He turned back toward Kaito.
"That wind already lives."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"And so do you."
Kaito stood silently.
Thinking.
Akira continued.
"Using the wind around you should be as natural as breathing."
Kaito frowned slightly.
"But it isn't."
Akira nodded.
"Of course it isn't."
Then he smiled faintly.
"Because you're still trying to command it."
He walked closer again.
"You're treating it like a tool."
He shook his head.
"But wind doesn't obey tools."
He stopped directly in front of Kaito.
"It listens to itself."
Kaito's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…That doesn't make sense."
Akira chuckled softly.
"It will."
He stepped back again.
"Now try again."
Kaito closed his eyes.
The wind brushed across the training ground.
Cold.
Constant.
Alive.
Kaito slowly lifted his hand.
Nothing happened.
The wind passed around him.
Ignoring him.
Akira watched silently.
After several seconds—
Kaito lowered his hand again.
"…Still nothing."
Akira nodded calmly.
"Because you're still doing it wrong."
Kaito exhaled slowly.
"…Then explain it differently."
Akira tilted his head slightly.
Thinking.
Then he gave a simple analogy.
"Imagine a river."
Kaito opened one eye again.
"…A river?"
Akira nodded.
"If you jump into a river and try to push the water forward…"
He shrugged.
"What happens?"
Kaito answered immediately.
"…Nothing."
"Exactly."
Akira pointed toward the valley winds.
"But if you float…"
He spread his fingers slowly as the breeze moved between them.
"…the river carries you."
Kaito went quiet again.
The wind continued flowing across the cliff.
Akira spoke one last time.
"So stop pushing the river."
Kaito closed his eyes again.
The wind brushed across his face.
His hair moved slightly with the current.
This time—
he didn't try to command it.
He didn't try to pull it.
He simply stood there.
Breathing.
Letting the wind pass around him.
Seconds passed.
Then—
very faintly—
the air near his fingers trembled.
Just slightly.
Almost unnoticeable.
Akira's eyes sharpened.
Kaito's brow twitched.
He felt it.
Just for a moment.
The wind had almost—
almost—
responded.
Then it slipped away again.
Kaito opened his eyes slowly.
Akira smiled faintly.
"…Closer."
Kaito looked down at his hand.
The faintest hint of excitement appeared in his eyes.
"…I felt it."
Akira nodded.
"Good."
He turned and began walking away.
"Then you're finally starting to understand."
Kaito looked back toward the endless winds flowing through the valley.
For the first time—
he wasn't trying to control them.
He was trying to listen.
Hours had passed.
The sun had climbed high above the mountains, and the cold winter air had slowly softened under its light.
But the wind had never stopped.
It flowed endlessly across the cliffside training ground, weaving between the stone pillars like invisible rivers.
At the center of the field—
Kaito collapsed.
He dropped onto the ground with a tired thud, landing on his butt as his legs finally gave out.
"Haaah…!"
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
Sweat ran down the side of his face despite the cold air.
His arms rested on his knees as he leaned forward, breathing heavily.
"Ha… ha…"
His lungs burned.
His muscles trembled.
Hours of trying.
Hours of listening.
Hours of reaching for something he still couldn't fully grasp.
The wind brushed across his skin again.
This time—
it almost felt like it was teasing him.
Standing nearby, Akira watched quietly.
His arms were folded, but his expression was calm.
Satisfied.
After a moment, he nodded slightly.
"Well done."
Kaito looked up.
"…Really?"
Akira walked closer, his boots crunching softly against the stone.
"You didn't force it."
He gestured toward the air around them.
"You stopped fighting the wind."
Kaito wiped sweat from his forehead.
"…It still slipped away."
Akira shrugged slightly.
"Of course it did."
He looked toward the endless currents flowing across the mountains.
"You've been trying to understand something that has existed since the beginning of the world."
His voice was calm.
"You're not supposed to master it in one afternoon."
Kaito chuckled weakly.
"…That's reassuring."
Akira looked down at him again.
"But you touched it."
Kaito blinked.
"You felt the wind respond."
He nodded once.
"That means you're getting the hang of it."
Kaito leaned back slightly, letting the cold stone cool his body.
For a moment—
they simply listened to the wind.
Then Akira spoke again.
"…Where's Hana today?"
Kaito tilted his head back toward the sky.
"She went into the village."
Akira raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Kaito stretched his arms slightly.
"…She said she was looking for a personal maid for Hina."
Akira hummed softly.
"That's fast."
Kaito shrugged.
"…Mom said after what happened last week, Hina should have someone nearby at all times."
Akira nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Then he added calmly,
"…Same reason you have Kaede."
Kaito blinked once.
Akira folded his arms again.
Kaito exhaled deeply again.
For a moment he simply stared at the clouds drifting over the mountains.
Then—
a thought crossed his mind.
"…Master Akira?"
Akira glanced at him.
"Yes?"
Kaito's voice became quieter.
"…You spoke about evolution last time. But how do people evolve?"
The wind continued moving around them.
Akira didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
he sat down on one of the nearby stone steps.
His posture relaxed.
His eyes thoughtful.
"…That's a big question."
Kaito leaned forward slightly.
"But there must be an answer."
Akira nodded slowly.
"There is."
He held up one finger.
"First…"
"…you must train."
Kaito nodded.
"That part I understand."
Akira shook his head slightly.
"No."
"You don't."
Kaito frowned.
Akira's voice grew more serious.
"Training isn't just swinging a sword."
"It isn't just throwing stronger wind."
"It isn't just pushing your body until it breaks."
He looked directly at Kaito.
"Training is a conversation."
Kaito blinked.
"…A conversation?"
Akira nodded.
"A conversation between who you are today…"
"…and who you could become tomorrow."
The wind swept through the field again.
Akira continued.
"That is the first half of evolution."
"Relentless effort."
"Endless refinement."
"Learning your limits."
"…and breaking them."
Kaito listened carefully.
Then he tilted his head.
"You said that was only half."
Akira smiled slightly.
"Yes."
He lifted a second finger.
"The other half…"
"…is understanding."
Kaito frowned slightly.
"Understanding what?"
Akira pointed toward Kaito's chest.
"Yourself."
Silence filled the training ground.
The wind passed between them like a whisper.
Akira spoke again, his voice softer now.
"Power grows when a person understands who they are."
He looked toward the horizon.
"When you know your fears."
"When you know your desires."
"When you know what you will protect…"
"…and what you will destroy."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"That's when you stop growing randomly."
"That's when you start growing correctly."
Kaito stared at the ground quietly.
Akira continued.
"Strength without understanding creates monsters."
"Understanding without strength creates victims."
He looked back at Kaito.
"But when both grow together…"
"…that's when someone evolves."
The wind moved through the stone pillars again.
Kaito slowly nodded.
"…So evolution isn't just about power."
Akira smiled faintly.
"No."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"It's about clarity."
Then he added quietly—
"A person who understands themselves will never walk the wrong path."
Kaito sat there silently.
Thinking.
Then another question appeared in his mind.
"…How do you know if someone has evolved?"
Akira leaned back slightly.
"That one is easier."
He held up one finger.
"First way."
"Rank."
Kaito nodded.
"Like Masters?"
Akira nodded.
"Exactly."
He continued calmly.
"Most Elite Masters…"
"…are evolved beings."
"Not all of them."
"But most."
He raised a second finger.
"The second way is simpler."
"Strength."
Kaito tilted his head.
"If someone has evolved…"
"…their power will reflect it."
Akira nodded.
"They might not hold a high rank."
"They might not even be famous."
"But when you see them fight…"
"You'll know."
Kaito thought about that carefully.
Then he leaned forward slightly.
"…And the third way?"
Akira smiled slightly.
"That one is the most reliable."
He stood up.
Then he slowly pulled the collar of his shirt aside.
Exposing his right shoulder.
Kaito's eyes widened slightly.
There—
etched into Akira's skin—
was a strange tattoo.
It wasn't simple ink.
It looked almost alive.
A swirling pattern that resembled a spiraling current of wind.
Elegant.
Ancient.
Beautiful.
Kaito leaned closer.
"…What is that?"
Akira let the fabric fall back over his shoulder.
"That…"
"…is the mark of a True Being."
Kaito blinked.
"…True Being?"
Akira nodded.
"Another name for evolved individuals."
He tapped his shoulder lightly.
"All of us have one."
Kaito's curiosity deepened.
"…Where does it come from?"
Akira's eyes softened slightly.
"It comes from our Eidolon."
The wind around them shifted gently.
Kaito whispered the word.
"…Eidolon."
Akira nodded.
"The primordial version of ourselves."
"The pure concept we represent."
"When someone truly evolves…"
"…their Eidolon leaves a mark."
He tapped his shoulder again.
"And that mark becomes visible."
Kaito stared thoughtfully.
"So if I see someone with a unique tattoo…"
"…they might be evolved?"
Akira nodded.
"Exactly."
Then he raised one finger slightly.
"But be careful."
Kaito looked up.
"People can draw fake tattoos."
Kaito blinked.
"…Seriously?"
Akira chuckled.
"Of course."
"There are always people who want to pretend they are something greater."
Kaito crossed his arms.
"…So how do you tell the difference?"
Akira smiled faintly.
"Simple."
He tapped his shoulder one last time.
"A fake tattoo…"
"…is just ink."
"It can be removed."
"It fades."
"It dies."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"But the mark of a True Being…"
"…cannot be erased."
The wind suddenly surged across the training ground.
Powerful.
Alive.
Akira's voice lowered slightly.
"Because it isn't drawn on the skin."
He looked directly at Kaito.
"It's carved into the soul."
Silence returned to the mountains.
Kaito sat there quietly.
Thinking about everything he had just heard.
The wind continued moving across the cliffs.
Endlessly.
Patiently.
Waiting.