Time slipped by unnoticed.
The clearing remained as tranquil as ever beneath the towering trees of the Sun People's land. Sunlight drifted through countless branches, painting the forest floor in shifting patterns of gold and emerald. A gentle breeze wandered through the clearing, carrying the scent of fresh leaves and ancient wood.
No one spoke.
The members of the Black Sun Syndicate remained seated exactly where Zeth had instructed them. Hours passed. Breath after breath. Thought after thought.
Until eventually…Even thoughts disappeared. The only thing left was silence. Not the silence of the forest.
Not the silence between people. But the silence that existed within themselves.
Gradually, the first pair of eyes opened.
Eryndor.
His ocean blue eyes reflected the world before him, yet everything appeared different.
The trees were still trees. The wind was still wind. The earth remained beneath his feet.
Yet all of it possessed another layer.
Something invisible. Something that had always been there.
He could feel it.
Soon after, Rein opened his eyes. Then Darius, Kaelus, Stellar, Alucard, Dova, Isly, and Finally…Tina.
One after another, every member of the Black Sun Syndicate emerged from their meditation.
For several moments, nobody spoke.
Each of them quietly observed the world around them.
The towering trees.
The flowing wind.
The earth beneath their feet.
The insects moving through the grass. Even the birds soaring overhead.
Everything possessed soul power. Everything. The forest itself seemed alive in a way they had never noticed before.
Yet there was one exception.
They instinctively turned toward Zeth.
Nothing.
They couldn't sense his soul. Couldn't sense his presence.
Couldn't even perceive where his power began or ended.
It was as though he simply… didn't exist.
Zeth stood before them with his sword resting calmly at his side.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"It seems…"
"…you finally understand how to use soul power."
Eryndor slowly clenched his right hand.
His brows furrowed.
"I don't know…"
He looked down at his palm.
"I can feel it…"
He hesitated.
"…but somehow it feels…"
Before he could finish—
Zeth answered.
"It feels wrong to apply it."
Everyone looked toward the wandering swordsman.
He continued calmly.
"You believe that using it will cause you to lose the focus required to feel it."
Eryndor slowly nodded.
"Yeah."
A faint smile crossed Zeth's face.
"That feeling is natural."
His voice remained gentle.
"It is something every deity experiences."
He looked toward the sky.
"What you need isn't greater control."
His gaze returned to Eryndor.
"What you need…is greater focus."
Silence settled over the clearing.
Eryndor slowly closed his eyes once more.
His breathing became steady. His feet shifted naturally. One foot moved forward.
The other settled behind him.
His body lowered. His palms rose.
The familiar posture emerged effortlessly.
The Eight Fold Flow.
Every movement flowed into the next like water following the current of a river.
There was no hesitation.
No wasted motion. Only harmony.
The wind circled quietly around him.
Eryndor stepped toward a nearby tree.
He planted his right foot firmly into the earth.
Then inhaled.
His eyes remained closed.
He didn't seek his soul power. He simply acknowledged it.
He felt it flowing naturally throughout his body.
Calm. Silent.
Without resistance.
Slowly, he reached forward.
Instead of striking…He merely pinched the bark between two fingers.
Then he opened his eyes.
Stepped backward. Nothing happened. For one heartbeat.
Then….Crack.
A sound echoed from deep inside the trunk.
The entire tree trembled. Countless fractures spread through its interior before exploding outward.
The tree collapsed into countless splinters as though it had shattered from within.
Silence filled the clearing. Zeth watched the broken remains.
Then smiled.
"I am impressed, Eryndor Nasarik."
His expression remained calm.
"To copy my technique so quickly…"
Eryndor rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"I just wanted to imitate how you shattered the tree with the tip of your sword."
A faint chuckle escaped Zeth.
"That alone is impressive."
Nearby, Kaelus smiled. The breeze around him became strangely gentle.
He closed his eyes. The wind disappeared.
A moment later a whisper reached Eryndor's ear.
"Can you hear me?"
Eryndor blinked. The voice had come from directly beside him.
Yet Kaelus wasn't there. Then another whisper reached Rein.
Another reached Darius. All at the same time.
They instinctively looked around. Nothing. Only the wind.
Eryndor laughed softly.
"You really live up to your title, bro."
His eyes followed the moving breeze.
"Everywhere…yet nowhere."
He smiled.
"I guess you can communicate from miles away and hear from miles away too."
The wind gathered.
Kaelus slowly emerged from within the flowing current with a grin plastered across his face.
"Yeah."
He folded his arms proudly.
"I'm so cool."
Several members rolled their eyes. Darius paid no attention.
Instead, he quietly stared at the shadow beneath his feet.
His expression slowly changed.
"I get it now…"
His voice was barely above a whisper.
The shadows beneath every tree seemed connected.
The shadows beneath every person. Every rock.
Every blade of grass. They were all part of one enormous network.
His own shadow stretched outward.
Merged with another. Then another.
Without moving a muscle a nearby tree suddenly trembled.
Its shadow rose first. Then the tree itself slowly lifted from the earth.
Roots tore free without a single hand touching it.
Darius smiled quietly.
"Interesting…"
Not far away, Stellar took a single step.
Her foot never touched the ground. She continued walking.
Each step carried her several inches above the earth as though the air itself had become solid beneath her feet.
She looked down curiously.
A faint smile appeared.
"I feel like…I could freeze time and space."
The cold surrounding her deepened.
Frost quietly formed beneath the air itself before vanishing just as quickly.
Nearby, Alucard closed his eyes.
Golden energy surged quietly through his body.
Dova's crimson aura pulsed once before settling into perfect stillness.
Rein folded his arms as dominion quietly flowed around him.
Isly allowed strands of black flame to dance across her fingertips without consuming the air around them.
Tina quietly reached toward the empty space before her.
Invisible ripples spread outward.
One after another They all succeeded.
For the first time…They consciously channeled their soul power.
Zeth observed each of them in silence.
Satisfied. Then he rested his hand upon the hilt of his sword.
"Now that I've taught you how to channel soul power…"
A gentle breeze drifted across the clearing.
"My job here is done."
He turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Kaelus called out.
Zeth stopped. He glanced back. Kaelus smiled brightly.
"Sir Zeth…"
He slowly extended his hand.
A burst of wind gathered. Tempest appeared in his grasp.
The sword hummed as currents of wind spiraled around its blade. Kaelus rested it across his shoulder.
"Would you mind sparring with me?"
For a brief moment the clearing became quiet.
Zeth looked at him. Then smiled.
"Sure."
He slowly drew his sword.
"I've got time."
The others quietly moved back.
Some sat down. Others resumed meditating while watching from afar.
A wide circle naturally formed within the clearing.
At its center Kaelus and Zeth stood facing one another.
Neither moved or spoke. The forest itself seemed to hold its breath.
The match was about to begin