The clearing was still damp when I woke up.
The heaviness in my body from the previous day's training reminded me of every mistake I had made. Scarlet was no longer nearby. The silence of the morning made it clear she had left early.
I knew where to.
I followed the trail that led to the other entrance of the Rank S dungeon. It wasn't the same path I used. Scarlet had separated the training sessions on purpose.
As I approached, I felt the mana first.
Dense.
Organized.
Controlled.
It wasn't the chaos of combat. It was practice.
I stayed hidden behind the trees, watching without being noticed.
The sorceress of the Demi-dragons stood with her hands behind her back, posture straight, gaze firm. In front of her were Rai'kanna, Elara, Vespera, and Liriel.
None of them saw me.
Rai'kanna had her eyes closed. Around her body, small currents of mana spiraled, like invisible threads being woven through the air.
"Finer," the sorceress said.
Rai'kanna adjusted.
The spiral shrank.
It became precise.
Elara stood a few meters behind, bow in hand. She wasn't shooting at fixed targets. Small discs of mana moved through the air, changing direction unpredictably.
Each of her arrows struck exactly at the center.
Without hesitation.
Without misjudging anticipation.
Vespera wasn't using a weapon.
She was moving.
Short, light steps, almost silent. The sorceress launched small bursts of energy onto the ground around her. Vespera dodged without looking directly.
Anticipating.
Liriel was sitting on the ground, hands pressed against the earth. Her mana flowed down into the soil and returned as a soft vibration.
Then I realized.
She was sensing the entire environment.
I breathed slowly.
That wasn't ordinary training.
It was refinement.
The sorceress began walking among them.
"The power you have is already great," she said. "The problem is that it is wasted."
Rai'kanna opened her eyes.
"Wasted how?"
"Excess. You use too much mana to do too little."
She stopped in front of Elara.
"You don't miss. But you still use too much force to hit."
Then in front of Vespera.
"You move well. But you still depend on sight."
And finally in front of Liriel.
"You sense the environment. But you still don't trust it."
I had never seen someone analyze them like that.
No praise.
No empty criticism.
Only precision.
Rai'kanna raised her hand.
"And Takumi?"
The sorceress didn't turn her head.
"He is learning to fight. You are learning to control."
I remained silent.
They returned to their positions.
This time, the practice changed.
Rai'kanna created a single line of mana in the air. Thin as a strand of hair. Keeping it stable seemed to require more effort than any explosive spell I had ever seen her cast.
Elara began shooting at irregular intervals, alternating rhythm without pattern.
Vespera closed her eyes.
Liriel pressed her hands deeper into the soil.
The movements became smaller.
More economical.
More efficient.
Time passed without me noticing.
When the sorceress finally called for a break, the four of them were sweaty, but not exhausted.
Tired from concentration.
They sat down on the grass.
That was when Rai'kanna saw me.
"You were there the whole time."
I stepped out from the trees.
"I didn't want to interrupt."
The sorceress examined me from head to toe.
"Good. You observed."
I approached.
"You're different."
Elara smiled faintly.
"We're using less to do more."
Vespera added,
"And missing less."
Liriel simply nodded.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"And you?"
I thought about the fight against Scarlet.
"I'm learning why I lose."
The sorceress seemed satisfied.
"Then the training is working on both sides."
We stayed there for a few minutes in silence.
I sensed something new in them.
It wasn't a raw increase in power.
It was control.
Presence.
Confidence.
When they stood up to leave, they walked differently. Calmer. Firmer.
Like those who already know exactly what they are capable of.
As we walked back along the trail, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time.
Tranquility.
Not because we were strong.
But because we were becoming better.