The screen went black. For several seconds nothing happened. No sound, movement or voice. Then a faint crackle of electricity pierced the darkness.
Zzzzt…A single spark appeared then another, then another. Slowly, the darkness began to retreat.
The first thing that returned was the sky. Black clouds had gathered above the barren battlefield, spreading across the horizon like an endless storm.
Lightning flashed between them. The wind screamed across the open land and beneath Eryndor his shadow moved. Not naturally. It stretched.
Darkness began to travel toward it, gathering around his feet before rising upward. The darkness climbed his body and separated into thin strands. One strand wrapped around the lightning hovering above his palm. Another intertwined with the wind surrounding it.
The three forces..Wind, Darkness and Lightning was Merged together. Var looked upward. For the first time during their training his expression changed slightly.
"A tri-elemental attack…"
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
Eryndor remained suspended in the air. The lightning in his palm became darker.
The wind surrounding it accelerated. Darkness wrapped around the entire phenomenon like a living cloak. Var raised his staff.
"Then let me…Storm Pressure."
Eryndor's voice interrupted him.
BOOM. Reality itself seemed to sink.
A tremendous pressure descended across the battlefield. The grass flattened instantly. The ground cracked. The surrounding air became impossibly dense.
Var's robes were pressed against his body. His staff trembled slightly in his hand. For one brief second even Var couldn't move. His eyes widened.
The pressure wasn't merely physical.
Eryndor's soul power had been infused directly into the technique. The force pressing down on reality felt almost like the gravitational pull of a black hole.
Var gritted his teeth.
"…So this is your soul power."
Eryndor raised his hand. The lightning condensed. His crimson eyes sharpened.
"Heaven's Rend."
He threw the lightning bolt. BOOOOOOM! The projectile descended like a falling star.
Lightning, wind, and darkness twisted together as they tore through the atmosphere. Var watched it approach. He could have dodged. He could have countered but instead he waited.
The attack struck. The entire battlefield disappeared beneath an explosion of black, blue, and violent white light. The shockwave raced outward. Mountains in the far distance trembled.
The ground beneath the battlefield cracked apart. Eryndor slowly descended from the sky. His hair moved violently in the turbulent air.
Then a figure emerged from the smoke. Var. Completely unharmed. His staff rested against his shoulder.
He smiled.
"Reverse Gravity."
Eryndor's eyes widened. Suddenly his body was pulled forward. The force wasn't pushing him. It was dragging him directly toward Var. Eryndor's body accelerated. He smiled.
"Since I'm accelerating…"
He extended his left hand.
"Wind's Grasp."
The wind exploded from his palm. It wrapped around Var's body. Instead of resisting the pull Eryndor used it.
He pulled Var toward himself while simultaneously using the wind to accelerate his own movement. The two figures crossed the battlefield in an instant.
Then they appeared directly in front of each other. Their fists collided. BOOM! The impact sent a circular shockwave across the barren land.
Eryndor twisted his wrist and redirected Var's arm. His elbow immediately followed toward Var's ribs. Var rotated his torso. The elbow passed harmlessly beside him. Eryndor continued. His right knee rose.
Var lowered his forearm and caught it. Eryndor used the contact point to pivot. His body rotated horizontally. His heel swept toward Var's head. Var ducked beneath it.
Eryndor landed with one hand against the ground. He pushed himself upward. His palm drove toward Var's chest. Var shifted his body sideways. The palm passed within an inch.
Eryndor didn't stop. His fingers curled. Lightning flickered between them. He attempted to strike Var's shoulder. Var raised his staff.
Clang! Eryndor's hand struck the staff. Var immediately rotated the weapon and attempted to sweep Eryndor's legs.
Eryndor jumped. He twisted in midair. A burst of wind propelled him forward and his fist descended. Var raised his palm and the fist stopped.
Not because Var caught it but because his palm had intercepted the exact point where Eryndor's attack was going. Eryndor's eyes narrowed. He released his fist and spun. His left leg swept across.
Var leaned backward. The kick passed over his face. Eryndor landed. Immediately Var stepped forward. His shoulder entered Eryndor's chest. Eryndor was pushed backward.
He recovered instantly, planting his foot into the earth. The ground cracked beneath him. He lunged again. A combination. Right palm. Left elbow. Low kick. Spinning backfist. High knee. Every movement flowed into another. There was no wasted motion.
Eryndor's Eight Fold Flow had become significantly sharper. Yet Var kept reading him. Every time Eryndor created an opening Var was already there. Every time Eryndor changed rhythm Var adapted.
Every time Eryndor attempted to strike from an unexpected angle Var intercepted him before the attack could become dangerous. Eryndor's breathing remained calm. His eyes narrowed.
"He's impossible to catch."
He suddenly stepped forward.
Lightning flashed beneath his foot. He vanished. Var turned. Eryndor appeared behind him. His palm moved toward Var's back.
Var shifted half a step. The palm missed. Eryndor twisted and his knee came upward. Var blocked. Eryndor followed with his elbow.
Blocked. A kick got blocked. A punch that got dodged, Another Redirected. Eryndor slid backward. He stared at Var.
Var smiled.
"You already know how to apply soul power to your element."
Eryndor smiled faintly.
"Can't be too sure."
Then he closed his eyes. The battlefield became silent. His breathing slowed. His body relaxed. Var watched carefully. Eryndor opened his eyes. One was white. The other was black.
Something changed. His body moved. Before his mind could command it. His right foot shifted. His torso turned. His palm shot forward. Var raised his arm.
Eryndor's strike came within centimeters of his chest. Var blocked. Eryndor immediately rotated. His left hand came from another angle.
Var's eyes sharpened. He caught that one too and for the first time Eryndor had nearly struck him twice. Not through deception. Not through misdirection. Not because Var was distracted.
His body simply moved before conscious thought. A trancelike state. Instinct. Flow. Var's soul power suddenly erupted. A silent force passed between them.
Eryndor felt his own soul power being neutralized. The two forces collided. Then vanished both stopped and Eryndor exhaled. His eyes returned to normal. Var lowered his hand.
"That state…"
He smiled.
"You're beginning to understand yourself."
Eryndor nodded.
"Thank you, instructor, for the enlightenment."
Var's smile became slightly amused.
"No worries. Though…I don't think you will need Uriel's teachings."
Eryndor raised an eyebrow.
"I won't?"
"You've already begun understanding the most important part."
Var turned toward the others.
"But you'll see her tomorrow."
Eryndor nodded.
"I understand."
He walked back toward the team. His shoulders rolled. He stretched both arms above his head.
"Seems like that's it, guys."
He glanced around.
"Only three instructors left."
His smile widened.
"Then we can finally move on to the real deal."
Kaelus immediately stood.
"I'm excited."
Rein stood as well.
"I'm looking forward to it."
Alucard crossed his arms.
"No one loves fighting more than you guys."
Isly laughed.
"You're saying that like you're any different."
Alucard sighed.
"I've been surrounded by lunatics."
Stellar looked upward. The evening sky had begun turning orange. She quietly placed a hand against her stomach.
"…I'm hungry."
Tina immediately grabbed her hand.
"Let's go eat, then."
Stellar blinked. Tina pulled her along.
"Come on."
Darius chuckled. Dova stood.
"Food sounds good."
The others followed. Var watched them leave. A faint smile remained on his face.
The Black Sun Syndicate walked through the golden streets of the Land of the Sun People once again. The city was alive. Sun People laughed together. Families gathered around tables. Musicians played in the streets.
Golden lanterns floated above the buildings.
The peaceful atmosphere was almost strange compared to the battles they had experienced throughout the day. They eventually returned to the same restaurant.
This time they didn't hesitate. Food covered the table. Roasted meat and Fruits. Golden grains. Various dishes infused with the natural solar energy of the realm kaelus immediately began eating.
"This is still incredible."
Rein nodded while chewing.
"Best training environment ever."
Darius laughed.
"You only care about the food."
"I care about both."
Kaelus pointed at him.
"Food and fighting."
Eryndor shook his head.
"You're hopeless."
Everyone laughed.
For a while they simply enjoyed themselves. No training, battles, discussions about realms. Just friends eating together. Eventually, the meal ended. The Black Sun Syndicate returned to their residence.
The massive open quarters were illuminated by soft golden light. One by one, they settled down. Stellar fell asleep almost immediately. Tina quietly rested nearby. Darius laid against the wall.
Dova stretched before lying down. Alucard crossed his arms behind his head. Isly sat near the window for a while, watching the glowing forest.
Rein eventually closed his eyes. Kaelus dropped onto his sleeping area. Eryndor stood near the window for a final moment. The golden forest stretched endlessly before him.
He looked at his hands. Then at the sky…they had come so far. Yet somehow he felt as though they were only beginning.
Tomorrow another instructor and lesson. Another step toward the upper realms. Eryndor smiled then finally he closed his eyes. Night settled over the Land of the Sun People and the Black Sun Syndicate slept. Their journey toward the greater worlds continued.