Sora leaned in, ears twitching. "You mean… you seriously didn't know Water Magic is rare?"
Kazuo crossed his arms. "I grew up in hiding, not in a noble library."
Tetsu closed his notebook with a sigh. "Explains the ignorance."
Kazuo scowled. "Then enlighten me."
Setsuna stepped forward, his tone shifting — still casual, but carrying weight. "Alright. Listen up."
He raised four fingers. "A long time ago, there were only four kinds of elemental magic — Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water."
He let the words hang for a second.
"They were considered pure. Untouched. Said to be tied to the Sacred Beasts, if you believe in that kind of thing."
Kazuo raised an eyebrow. "Sacred Beasts?"
Setsuna shrugged. "Just old stories. But the point is — those four were the starting point."
Sora picked up the thread. "But people… well, people fall in love. A Wind mage and a Water user have a kid, and boom — they don't always get one or the other. They might end up with ice."
Tetsu added without looking up, "Or Snow, if Water and Wind mix. Or Crystal. Or Smoke. Even Gravity, in rare cases."
"Over generations," Setsuna said, "those mixes became more common. So common that now, the original four are almost gone."
Kazuo blinked. "So Water Magic…"
"Is rare," Sora finished for him. "Crazy rare."
Setsuna nodded. "It's not about one magic being better — fusion magic can be just as strong or stronger. But most people carry magic that's been blended over and over. Pure types like yours? Barely exist anymore."
Kazuo glanced between them. "When we met in the Hollow Veins… you didn't seem that surprised, Setsuna."
Tetsu's head tilted. "Wait—Hollow Veins? You've been down there?"
Setsuna stepped back, cracking his neck. "Anyway. That's enough of a history lesson."
He smirked. "Now let's see what Kazu can actually do."
Kazuo narrowed his eyes. "It's Kazuo."
Setsuna raised both hands, amused. "Right, right. My bad."
Tetsu blinked, still processing. "Hold on—you just said Hollow Veins—"
Sora shifted forward, stance tightening. "I'm ready."
Tetsu glanced at her. "No, seriously—what do you mean by—"
"Not now," Setsuna cut in, raising a hand before Kazuo could speak.
Sora pouted. "What? Why not?"
Setsuna's voice was light, but final. "I need to assess him properly first. He spars with me."
Kazuo frowned. "We already did — in the Hollow Veins, remember?"
"That?" Setsuna's grin widened. "That was warm-up. Now we get serious."
Tetsu threw up his hands. "Hello?? Hollow Veins? Where—"
Sora stepped in, cutting him off again, half-playful, half-challenging. "Fine. But when you're done, I want my turn with him."
Setsuna drew his blade with a practiced ease. "Don't worry. You'll definitely break."
The training yard went quiet.
Kazuo exhaled slowly, sword angled low, magic already stirring at his fingertips.
Across from him, Setsuna rolled his shoulders. "Try to hit me. And don't hold back this time."
Sora perched on a low wall, tail swaying in anticipation. "This is gonna be good."
Tetsu sat cross-legged, notebook balanced on one knee but pen unmoving.
Kazuo moved first."Water Magic: Torrent."
A sweeping slash sent a tight, forceful wall of water rushing forward. Setsuna stepped aside without hurry, letting it hammer into a wooden post with a hollow thud.
"Good pressure," he said. "But easy to read."
Kazuo didn't reply — instead he followed instantly."Water Magic: Shuriken!"
Three spinning disks of water hissed through the air, each at a different height. Setsuna's blade flashed — one burst apart in a spray, another was sidestepped — but the third curved, ricocheting off the yard's outer wall to catch him from behind.
Setsuna twisted, deflecting it at the last second — and in that opening, Kazuo was there, sword clashing against his in a burst of spray.
"Better," Setsuna murmured, blocking a rising slash.
Kazuo pressed harder, movements fluid, the blade's arc trailing ribbons of water. He shifted angles constantly — high, low, pivot, thrust — every strike aiming to force Setsuna to commit.
The dirt underfoot darkened and slicked with water, and Kazuo used it, sliding into a low spin that sent another burst upward, blinding from below.
Setsuna simply stepped onto the edge of the fountain, out of reach. "Creative."
Kazuo followed, springing up — blade raised for a decisive overhead slash.
Steel rang.
For a heartbeat, Kazuo thought he had him — then his sword was gone, wrenched aside so smoothly it felt like magic. His feet hit the fountain's rim wrong, balance slipping.
In the same motion, Setsuna's free hand tapped his chest with the pommel of his sword. "Dead."
Kazuo landed hard on the damp ground, breath short.
Setsuna didn't gloat — just offered a hand, pulling him up with deceptive ease.
"You know what I noticed?" Setsuna asked.
Kazuo caught his breath, wary. "What?"
"You fight like you've been in real danger before. Not drills — survival. Every move was layered to corner me, not just hit me. That's rare… and dangerous."
Kazuo blinked. "…That's good, right?"
"It is," Setsuna said. "But—" he raised a finger, "—you rely too much on making me react. Against someone faster or less predictable, you'll lose control of the fight before you realize it. In the tournament, that means you're done."
A second finger. "Your magic control is whacky — half the time it's razor-sharp, the other half it's like you're swinging a bucket of water."
A third finger. "And you use your sword with too many motions. Looks flashy, but it wastes energy and time for a big hit that may never land."
Kazuo exhaled. "So I'm a mess."
Setsuna's grin softened. "It's important to know where your weaknesses are. Acknowledge them, and you can improve. We'll fix it before the tournament begins — because if you don't, they'll eat you alive."
He started to turn away, then paused. "Besides… there's something else I noticed."
Kazuo narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"A secret for now," Setsuna said lightly. "Next session."
Tetsu finally looked up from his notebook. "So this is Water Magic… interesting, but now everything's soaked."
Sora leaned in, eyes bright and tail flicking. "But it's still pretty to watch."
Tetsu brushed a wet ink blot from his notes. "Still… Captain Setsuna's right. They'll eat you alive in tha—"
He froze mid-sentence. His head turned toward Setsuna, suspicion dawning. "…Wait. Did you just say 'tournament'?"
Sora's ears perked sharply. "Tournament? As in… the tournament?" She narrowed her eyes. "You don't mean the Tournament of Nobles, right? Right?"
Setsuna rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean exactly that."
Tetsu's pen dropped.
Sora stared. "Wait, wait, wait—are you saying he's going to enter it?"
Setsuna casually gestured toward Kazuo with his thumb. "Yup. Our little water boy is stepping into the lion's den."
Kazuo nodded.
Tetsu actually choked on air. "You're joking—right? That thing's made purely to entertain the masses. It's rigged, dangerous, and dripping with gambling and politics."
Sora's tail flicked once. "And half the people in it would kill for a chance to settle old grudges."
Kazuo didn't have to say anything. He already knew.
Then—
Footsteps. Graceful. Purposeful.
All three turned.
Through the stone archway walked a figure wrapped in flowing pale blue. Silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her presence seemed to quiet the courtyard with a single glance.
Lady Elyria.