The training ground hadn't changed.
Grass floor.
Open sky.
Wind flowing in slow, controlled currents along the edges of the field.
But something about it felt different.
Yumi stood at the center.
Her posture was straight.
Her chin slightly raised.
Her eyes focused forward.
For once—
She was early.
"…I'm ready," she said.
Reiji stood a few steps in front of her, arms loosely at his sides.
He studied her for a moment.
Not seriously.
Not critically.
Just… observing.
"…You're serious," he said.
"I said I was," Yumi replied immediately.
Behind them—
Kazue had already taken a seat on a chair near the edge of the training ground, one leg crossed over the other, her posture relaxed but her gaze sharp.
Sui stood quietly beside her.
Hands folded neatly.
Watching.
"…Then we'll start simple," Reiji said.
Yumi frowned slightly.
"…Simple?"
Reiji nodded.
"Basic stance."
A pause.
Yumi blinked.
"…That's it?"
Reiji didn't react.
"Stand properly first."
Yumi's brows furrowed.
"…I already am."
Silence.
Kazue didn't move.
Sui didn't speak.
Reiji exhaled softly.
"…No."
He stepped forward.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Then—
He adjusted her.
A slight push to her shoulder.
A shift in her footing.
A tilt of her stance.
Small changes.
Barely noticeable.
But—
Yumi immediately lost balance.
"…!"
Her body tilted awkwardly as she instinctively tried to correct herself, her foot sliding slightly against the stone.
Reiji stepped back.
"…Hold it."
Yumi stiffened.
Trying to stay still.
But her posture wavered.
Her weight shifted too far forward.
Then too far back.
Her arms tensed.
Her shoulders lifted slightly.
"…Relax," Reiji said.
"I am relaxed!"
"…No, you're not."
Yumi clenched slightly.
Her stance shook again.
A second passed.
Then—
She stumbled.
Her foot slipped just enough to break her balance completely, forcing her to step out of position.
"…That doesn't count," she said quickly.
Reiji didn't respond immediately.
He just looked at her.
"…Again."
Yumi clicked her tongue softly.
She reset her stance.
This time—
More carefully.
More focused.
"…Like this?"
Reiji stepped closer.
Adjusted her again.
"…No."
Her balance shifted instantly.
Again.
"…Why does it feel weird?" she muttered.
Because it was.
Everything about it felt wrong.
Standing still—
Shouldn't be this hard.
But her body didn't listen.
Her weight distribution was off.
Her center unstable.
Her movements too stiff.
Too forced.
She wasn't just doing it badly.
She didn't understand it at all.
From the side—
Kazue watched quietly.
"…Unnatural," she said softly.
Sui didn't reply.
But her eyes didn't leave Yumi.
Back at the center—
Yumi tried again.
And again.
And again.
Each time—
A small correction.
A small imbalance.
A small failure.
Her breathing started to change.
"…This is easy," she muttered under her breath.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"I just need to get used to it."
She adjusted her stance again.
Forced it.
Held it tighter.
And immediately—
It got worse.
Her shoulders locked.
Her balance collapsed faster.
"…Stop forcing it," Reiji said.
"I'm not forcing it!"
"…You are."
Yumi's expression tightened.
She reset again.
More force.
More effort.
More unstable.
From the sidelines—
Kazue's gaze sharpened slightly.
Sui's fingers folded a little tighter.
The wind passed quietly through the training ground.
And for the first time—
Yumi's excitement from earlier…
Didn't feel so certain anymore.
"Alright," Reiji said after another failed attempt.
Yumi wobbled slightly, barely holding her stance before stepping out of it again.
"…This is pointless," she muttered.
Reiji ignored that.
"We'll move on."
Yumi straightened immediately.
"Good."
A small pause.
---
"…To what?" she asked.
---
Reiji turned, gesturing toward the open stretch of the training field.
The grass swayed gently under the wind, bending in soft waves that rolled across the ground.
---
"Movement."
---
Yumi blinked.
---
"…Running?"
---
"Basic movement," he corrected.
---
Yumi relaxed slightly.
---
"…That's easy."
---
Reiji didn't respond.
---
That should have been the warning.
---
"Start from here," he said, pointing to a spot in the grass. "Run to the end of the field. Stop. Turn. Come back."
---
Yumi raised an eyebrow.
---
"…That's it?"
---
"Yes."
---
Silence.
---
Yumi exhaled through her nose.
"…You're underestimating me."
---
Reiji stepped back.
"…Go."
---
Yumi didn't hesitate.
---
She pushed off the ground—
---
And immediately—
---
Her footing slipped.
---
"…!"
---
The grass shifted under her step, her weight landing unevenly as her body lurched forward more than she intended.
---
She corrected quickly—
But the rhythm was already off.
---
Her stride was uneven.
Too long.
Too stiff.
---
She was fast—
But not controlled.
---
The air rushed past her ears as she accelerated, her speed rising quickly—
Far beyond what normal people could perceive.
---
But compared to what she had seen—
Compared to Kaito—
---
It felt wrong.
---
Each step dug too deep into the grass.
Each push sent her slightly off balance.
Her upper body tilted too far forward.
Her arms didn't sync with her legs.
---
"…Why—"
---
She reached the end—
Too fast.
---
"…—can't I—"
---
She tried to stop—
---
And failed.
---
Her foot planted—
Too hard.
---
The grass tore slightly beneath her step as her balance snapped forward—
---
"…!"
---
She stumbled—
---
And dropped to one knee.
---
A sharp breath escaped her.
---
Silence.
---
The wind passed over the field again.
---
"…That didn't count," she said quickly.
---
Reiji didn't move.
---
"…Get up."
---
Yumi pushed herself back to her feet immediately.
---
Her expression tightened.
---
"I just slipped," she said. "The ground's uneven."
---
Reiji said nothing.
---
That made it worse.
---
"…Again," he said.
---
Yumi clicked her tongue.
---
She reset.
---
This time—
More careful.
---
She ran again.
---
Same result.
---
Not the fall—
But everything else.
---
Too stiff.
Too forced.
Too unstable.
---
Her speed climbed—
But her control didn't follow.
---
She stopped again—
More carefully this time—
But her body still jerked slightly at the end, her balance wavering.
---
"…Why does it feel like this?"
---
Her breathing had changed now.
Slightly heavier.
---
Reiji stepped forward.
---
"You're fighting your own body," he said.
---
"I'm not!"
---
"…You are."
---
Yumi clenched her fists.
---
"I'm doing exactly what you said!"
---
"No," Reiji replied calmly. "You're trying to force it to work."
---
"Again."
---
Yumi's jaw tightened.
She was fast—
---
Her body cut through the air as she accelerated—
Mach 2000.
---
For a normal child of the Wind Clan—
That alone would already be impressive.
Most five-year-old embodiments moved between Mach 1000 to 1500 without training.
Yumi was above that.
Naturally.
But—
---
It didn't feel fast.
---
Not after what she had seen.
---
Not after watching Kaito.
---
Kaito—
who ran casually at Mach 5000.
---
Who, if he actually tried—
could push even further.
---
Yumi's speed wasn't the problem.
---
It was everything else.
---
Each step dug too deep into the grass.
Each push threw her off balance.
Her body leaned too far forward—
like she was chasing her own momentum.
Speed without control.
Power without structure.
Behind them—
Kazue watched quietly, her gaze steady.
---
"…Her raw speed is high," Sui said quietly.
Kazue nodded.
"…Higher than average."
A pause.
"…But meaningless like this."
"…She has speed," she said softly.
"…But no foundation."
Back on the field—
Reiji pointed again.
---
"Jump."
---
Yumi blinked.
"…What?"
---
"Jump."
---
"…That's even easier."
---
Reiji didn't respond.
---
Yumi bent her knees slightly—
And pushed off the ground.
---
She went high.
---
Too high.
---
Her body lifted cleanly into the air—
But her form broke instantly.
---
Her legs didn't align.
Her core loosened.
Her descent angled slightly off.
---
She landed—
---
"…!"
---
Too hard.
---
The impact traveled straight through her legs as her balance snapped again, forcing her to step forward awkwardly to stabilize herself.
---
"…That's normal," she said quickly.
---
Reiji stared at her.
---
"…Again."
---
She jumped again.
---
Same problem.
---
Power—
Without control.
---
Movement—
Without understanding.
---
Each attempt drained more energy.
---
Each failure chipped away at something small—
But important.
---
Yumi stood there, breathing slightly heavier now.
---
"…This is easy," she muttered again.
---
But this time—
It didn't sound as convincing.
The wind moved softly across the training field.
---
The grass bent and swayed with each passing current—
Gentle.
Calm.
---
A complete contrast—
To what was happening at the center.
---
"…Again," Reiji said.
---
Yumi pushed off the ground—
Too hard.
---
Her foot dug into the grass, tearing slightly at the surface as she forced herself forward, her movement fast—
But uneven.
---
She reached the end—
Turned—
Lost balance for half a second—
Then forced herself upright again.
---
"…I'm fine!" she snapped before anyone could say anything.
---
Reiji didn't respond.
---
From the sidelines—
Kazue watched.
---
Silent.
---
Sui stood beside her, hands folded neatly, her gaze fixed on Yumi.
---
"…Her body is strong," Sui said quietly.
---
Kazue nodded once.
"…For her age, yes."
---
Another pause.
---
Yumi jumped again—
Landing too stiffly.
Again.
---
"…But," Sui continued, "she doesn't know how to use it."
---
Kazue's eyes followed Yumi's movements carefully.
Every imbalance.
Every forced correction.
Every mistake.
---
"…She's never needed to."
---
Sui glanced at her.
---
Kazue continued, her voice calm.
"…Everything has always been given to her positionally."
---
Yumi stumbled again in the distance.
---
"…But not physically," Sui added.
---
Kazue didn't disagree.
---
Another failed landing.
---
Yumi's breathing was heavier now.
Her movements sharper.
More impatient.
---
"…She's trying too hard," Sui said.
---
"…No," Kazue replied.
---
A small pause.
---
"…She's trying the wrong way."
---
Sui's gaze softened slightly.
---
At the center—
Yumi reset again.
---
Her shoulders were tense now.
Her jaw tight.
---
"I said I've got it!" she snapped, more to herself than anyone else.
---
She ran again—
---
Faster this time.
---
The grass bent violently beneath her steps as she pushed harder, forcing speed—
Trying to make it work.
---
But the faster she moved—
The worse it became.
---
Her form broke even more.
Her balance shifted wildly.
---
She stopped—
Too abruptly—
---
"…!"
---
And nearly fell again.
---
She caught herself at the last second.
---
Silence.
---
"…She's getting worse," Sui said quietly.
---
Kazue didn't look away.
---
"…Because she believes effort alone will fix it."
---
Another pause.
---
"…It won't."
---
The wind passed between them.
---
Sui lowered her gaze slightly.
---
"…Should we stop her?"
---
Kazue shook her head.
---
"…No."
---
Her eyes remained on Yumi.
---
"She needs to feel it."
---
Another failed attempt.
---
Yumi stood still this time.
Breathing heavier.
---
Confusion creeping into her expression.
---
"…Why…"
---
The word barely left her lips.
---
From the sidelines—
Kazue's gaze softened.
Just slightly.
---
"…This is the first time," she said quietly, "she's met something that won't bend to her."
---
Sui said nothing.
---
Because they both knew—
---
This wasn't just training anymore.
---
It was the beginning of something much harder.
---
Understanding.
Perfect—this is where we break her confidence further and transition into the time skip → exhaustion → internal crack.
---
Continuation — Scene 4: Breaking Rhythm
"…Again."
---
Yumi didn't respond this time.
---
She just moved.
---
Her feet pushed off the grass—
Faster.
Harder.
---
The ground tore slightly beneath her steps as she forced more power into each movement, her speed climbing—
Past control.
Past rhythm.
---
"I just need to go faster."
---
That was the answer.
It had to be.
---
She ran—
---
The wind screamed past her ears now.
The world blurred.
---
For a moment—
It felt right.
---
"…See?"
---
Then—
---
Her footing slipped.
---
"…!"
---
Her body tilted sharply to the side as her center collapsed again, her stride breaking mid-motion—
---
She stumbled—
And this time—
She fell.
The grass flattened beneath her as she hit the ground, rolling slightly before coming to a stop.
Silence.
The wind passed overhead.
Yumi didn't move.
Her fingers dug slightly into the grass.
"…That didn't count," she muttered again.
But she didn't get up immediately.
Her breathing was heavier now.
Not exhausted.
Not yet.
But no longer steady.
"…Get up," Reiji said.
Yumi pushed herself up slowly this time.
Her movements weren't as sharp anymore.
"…Again."
She ran.
Again.
Jumped.
Again.
Turned.
Again.
Each attempt—
Slightly worse.
Her balance never held.
Her movements never aligned.
Her body never followed what she wanted it to do.
Time passed.
The sun shifted slowly across the sky.
The light softened.
The wind cooled.
And still—
"…Again."
Yumi ran.
Her steps were heavier now.
The grass no longer tore sharply beneath her
It pressed down.
Dragged.
Her breathing was uneven.
"…Again."
She jumped.
Lower this time.
Her landing sloppy.
"…Again."
She moved.
Slower.
More forced.
Her arms didn't sync.
Her legs hesitated.
Her posture collapsed with every attempt.
"…Why…"
The thought slipped out this time.
"…Why is it like this…?"
She didn't get an answer.
Only—
"…Again."
The word came out the same as before.
Calm.
Unchanging.
Unforgiving.
Yumi's fingers trembled slightly as she reset her stance again.
Her body felt heavier now.
Her legs slower.
Her balance worse.
"I thought…"
She swallowed slightly.
"I thought this would fix it…"
The thought lingered.
Unanswered.
She ran again—
But this time—
She didn't make it far.
Her legs gave out halfway through the field.
"…!"
She stumbled—
And dropped.
Harder this time.
She didn't roll.
She didn't catch herself.
She just hit the ground—
And stayed there.
The grass bent beneath her.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly now.
Her arms felt heavy.
Her legs—
Didn't want to move.
"…Why…"
Her voice cracked slightly.
"…Why is this so hard…?"
The sky above her had begun to dim.
Orange light stretched across the horizon.
Time had passed.
Hours.
And she had nothing to show for it.
Nothing that worked.
Nothing that made sense.
Her fingers tightened weakly against the grass.
"…I thought…"
Her breathing hitched slightly.
"I thought this was the answer…"
Silence.
From the side—
Reiji stood still.
Watching.
His expression had changed.
The lightness from before—
Gone.
Replaced by something quieter.
"…She's worse than I expected," he thought.
Not weak.
Not untalented.
But—
"…She doesn't understand anything."
Not her body.
Not movement.
Not control.
He exhaled slowly.
"…This is going to take longer than I thought."
Behind him—
Kazue stood.
"…That's enough."
Her voice cut cleanly through the field.
The wind stilled slightly.
Reiji glanced back.
Sui lowered her gaze slightly.
Kazue stepped forward.
"…Training ends here for today."
No argument.
No hesitation.
A command.
Yumi didn't respond.
She was still lying there—
Breathing.
Trying to understand something—
That refused to make sense.
And for the first time—
Her certainty from earlier…
Felt very far away.