Astreil had returned. And this time… Kyle felt different. Ready.
The celestial's gaze pierced him, as if reading every thought, every hidden fear. Kyle felt his pulse quicken, but he stood his ground.
"So… you've come back," Astreil said, his voice calm but heavy with power. "What is it that you want?"
"I've come to get stronger," Kyle said, his voice steady, flames of determination burning in his chest. "According to your words, the end of the world is near. I want to change the fate of my home… and I'll become the vessel you need to carry your immense power. So train me."
Astreil's radiant eyes shimmered faintly, measuring the depth of Kyle's resolve. No words, just the calm weight of expectation.
"Very well. Training starts now. Attack me. Show me what you've got. Use your powers, channel it to desired position around your body."
Kyle clenched his fists, feeling a strange heat run through his veins. It wasn't just adrenaline. It was Astreil's power—the celestial energy pulsing within him since their first encounter—awakening. He could feel it twisting, coiling inside, desperate to be focused.
He concentrated, closing his eyes, imagining the energy as a ball of pure electricity. He reached deep, calling on the surge of light that had been silently guiding him, shaping it, bending it to his will. Sparks flickered across his fingers, jumping in tiny arcs, and he opened his eyes.A sphere of condensed electricity hovered above his palm, spinning violently, arcs of lightning snapping outward.
Vire… he whispered to himself, naming the power instinctively, feeling it resonate with him. This wasn't just raw energy—it was a fragment of Astreil's celestial force fused with his own spirit, a weapon born from their bond.
"Okay," he said, and launched forward.
His first attack was cautious but precise. As he closed in, he twisted mid-air, aiming for Astreil's back. Lightning arcs danced along his arms, Vire spinning violently in his palms.
It didn't work.
With a flick of his hand, Astreil unleashed a surge of energy, forming an invisible but deadly force field. Kyle slammed into it like a cannonball, pain ripping through his body—but then… nothing, he was gone.
He blinked. He was standing. Whole. Unharmed, he was dumbstrucked.
"I was just dead right now, what the f*ck
Is happening here"
"You are only conscious, because of your strong willpower pulls you back. Some could be brain dead by now, not even able to survive survive a fraction of this. Stand up. Try again."
Frustration surged through Kyle like molten metal. His body ached, his fists throbbed, and yet, he obeyed. He had learned the first lesson: underestimating your opponent is death. Ignoring patterns is death.
This time, he attacked with focus. Electricity arced across his arms, Vire condensing into a tight, spinning core. Sparks snapped off it, crackling through the chamber. He lunged high, pivoted mid-flight, darting unpredictably. Astreil struck again with a force field—but Kyle twisted, rolled, and narrowly avoided the deadly energy.
He fired arcs of Vire at Astreil. The celestial's calm figure shifted slightly—but it was only a bluff. Kyle thought he'd found a gap, launched a concentrated shot—only to feel the electric force slam back into him. Pain exploded; his vision went white. Then nothing.
Dead.
Again. Dead.
Over and over. Five hundred thirty-seven times.
Every death left him shaken, broken—but sharpened. Each mistake, each miscalculation burned in his mind, etching lessons into him. Kyle's hands shook as he rose again, heart pounding, resolve unbroken. He would survive. He had to. The fate of his world depended on it.
Then… something changed.
Reflexes doubled. Movements flowed naturally. Tactics became instinct. Electricity pulsed through him like a second heartbeat. Vire spun faster, arcs leaping along his arms as he darted around Astreil's attacks. He moved unpredictably, spinning, leaping, striking from impossible angles. Every dodge, every strike, every pulse of energy was sharper than before.
"This time…" Kyle whispered to himself, eyes blazing, fists crackling.
He launched, twisting midair, Vire spinning into a blazing core around his right fist. The air split with electricity as he rocketed toward Astreil like a living bullet. He feinted left, then right, then spiraled upward, arcs of Vire slicing through the air, creating streaks of blue-white light.
BAM!
Impact. He connected. For a fraction of a second, the chest of Astreil's radiant form shivered. Kyle's heart leapt—but then reality hit. Astreil didn't budge.
With terrifying calm, Astreil grabbed Kyle's shoulder. Pain erupted like a volcano as a devastating knee struck upward, crushing organs, twisting his body. Before he could react, Astreil stomped down with precise force, sending him flying.
Darkness consumed him… and then he blinked open his eyes. Fully alive. Fully restored.
"Stop," Astreil said, voice low but commanding. "You're ready."
Kyle's chest heaved, limbs trembling, mind racing. Every death, every failure, every moment of agony had forged him sharper, faster, stronger. Electricity surged along his arms, Vire now a brilliant, spinning sphere of pure energy, arcs lashing like lightning itself. He felt his body, mind, and instincts reach a new level.
He raised his fist. Sparks exploded across the chamber, casting jagged light and shadow. Kyle gritted his teeth, feeling a power that had been locked within him finally awaken. He was ready to face the impossible. Ready to stand against the Invaders.
Astreil's eyes studied him, calm and unreadable, yet somehow… approving.
"You've survived everything I threw at you. Your body has learned. Your mind has adapted. Your power… now flows with your will. That is what it means to be ready."
Kyle's chest burned with adrenaline, electricity dancing along his skin. A grin crept across his face. Every death had been a lesson. Every failure had been a step toward this. And now… Vire wasn't just a weapon. It was an extension of his soul.
"I'm ready," Kyle whispered, voice steady, burning with confidence. "No one will stop me."
The first true spark of hope for his world ignited in that moment. And Kyle Nova… was no longer just an ordinary boy. But someone with great potential yet to be attained.