"Uh… well, to be precise," Tsunayoshi began awkwardly, scratching his cheek, "it's because the attributes that Finn and Gareth awakened just happen to be ones I'm more familiar with. Riveria, your potential attribute is… not exactly my strong point."
His tone stretched slightly, as though trying to soften the blow.
Riveria raised an eyebrow, while Alicia and Kaguya exchanged amused glances.
"The power Tiona and Tione awakened is called Dying Will Flame," Tsunayoshi continued. "They specialize in close combat. Their flames embody self-enhancement and destructive strength—both things I'm particularly good at guiding."
He smiled faintly. "After all, I'm more of a 'charge-in-and-fight' type than a thinker."
The Dying Will Flames were vast in variation—each attribute functioning as an entirely different form of combat philosophy.
Among them, Mist was the clearest example—an element that could be deceptively weak or unimaginably powerful depending on mastery.
Tsunayoshi himself was skilled in manipulating the Flames, but not yet perfect.
He had understanding, not mastery.
He could guide others, but the subtleties of each attribute depended on the wielder's own insight and growth.
"I meant to start much earlier," he added, "but my plans got delayed after I went into hiding under the Hephaestus Familia's protection."
"Unlucky," Riveria muttered, sighing. She could only blame circumstance—he had been dealing with chaos back then, and even she couldn't fault him for the delay.
Still, when her eyes drifted to the side, she caught sight of Ais—looking like a child about to be denied dessert.
"What about Ais?" she asked.
Tsunayoshi hesitated only a second before answering. "Ais? She's at the very bottom of the priority list. Finn, Gareth, and I all agreed it'd be best not to give her this power for now."
"...What!?"
The air froze.
Ais's golden eyes went wide as if struck by lightning, her whole body locking in place.
Riveria sighed inwardly. As expected.
Ais was brilliant in battle but hopelessly immature when frustrated. Whenever she sensed her growth slowing, she lost composure—and when she obtained new strength, she couldn't resist testing it recklessly.
"Finn and Gareth made the right call," Riveria said quietly.
Her gaze shifted to Tsunayoshi.
He and Ais were the same age—but the difference in mental maturity was night and day.
Ais threw herself forward without thought for consequences. Tsunayoshi, meanwhile, usually kept his head clear—usually.
She still remembered how he dove headfirst into danger to save the Astraea girls. So maybe "clear-headed" was generous.
"Well," she thought dryly, "he's only slightly better than Ais."
At least he could recover from his mistakes. Ais couldn't—her risk management was nonexistent.
"Anyway," Tsunayoshi said, clearing his throat, "let's set Ais's case aside for now—"
"Wait!" Ais blurted, standing up abruptly. "I want it too!"
Tsunayoshi didn't answer. Instead, he glanced toward Riveria.
Ais froze again—because she understood that look. He wasn't the one deciding.
Riveria was.
The elf met her gaze, unimpressed, as Ais's eyes turned pleading, almost shimmering with tears.
"Riveria…"
She looked like a golden-haired puppy begging for mercy.
Unfortunately, Riveria had long since developed immunity to such tactics.
"No," she said firmly.
Ais nearly whimpered aloud.
Riveria ignored it and turned back to Tsunayoshi. "Before we talk about Ais, tell me first—what exactly are the abilities Tiona and Tione obtained?"
The question snapped everyone back to focus.
Kaguya and Alicia straightened up, eager to hear the explanation.
Tsunayoshi folded his hands. "The Dying Will Flames are divided into seven unique attributes—each named after one of the seven weather phenomena of the sky: Sun, Rain, Storm, Mist, Cloud, Thunder, and the most special—Sky itself."
He paused briefly, then explained:
"Each attribute governs a different effect—activation, tranquility, disintegration, construction, propagation, solidification, and harmony."
"Tiona and Tione awakened Sun and Storm—enhanced physical activation and overwhelming destructive power."
"Gareth's is Thunder. Finn's is Sun, Rain, and Storm combined."
He looked around the room, letting the implications sink in.
"Once they mastered their respective flames," he continued, "the power transformed into a completely new skill."
The revelation stunned everyone.
Alicia leaned forward, eyes wide. "Wait—that's basically an alternate form of magic!"
Tsunayoshi nodded. "You're not wrong. In my own case, the Dying Will Flame occupies my magic slot."
He raised his hand. Seven distinct flames—each a different color and texture—flared to life, orbiting in a slow ring above his palm.
"For me, the Dying Will Flame is magic," he said quietly. "But when I guide others through it, the resulting power doesn't manifest as a spell—it becomes a skill instead."
He let the flames fade, the glow dissolving into the air.
"And because the power you gain comes from my guidance, it's classified differently. The name of your skill won't be Dying Will Flame—it will be Dying Pulse."
He smiled slightly. "Loki thinks it's because I'm the source of this energy. So the system recognizes it as something derived from me."
Riveria's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, while the others sat in stunned silence.
A power born from one man's will—spreading like a living flame to those he deemed worthy.
It wasn't magic.
It wasn't divine blessing.
It was something in between—something entirely his own.
(End of Chapter)
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