Juichi's training in the Inner Domain of Yūgen no Sekai transcended time. Days blended into one another, and every breath became part of a relentless rhythm—strike, fall, rise. The domain, with its starlit skies and drifting isles, felt suspended between dream and nightmare.
His body transformed through pain and persistence. But more than muscle, his spirit evolved—shaped by something far greater than strength.
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The Elemental Bonds Strengthen
The Trial of Elements was not symbolic—it was survival.
Sakata stood atop a jagged stone suspended over celestial fire. His voice cut through the silence.
"Fire isn't a tool. It's a hunger. You tame it by burning with it."
Juichi, sweat-soaked and bare-chested, stood within a ring of flames that flared with every hesitation. This time, he didn't resist.
He invited the fire.
It wrapped around him, spiraling into glowing orange markings. His fist surged forward—graceful and controlled—a spiral of fire roaring out, beautiful and precise.
Sakata gave a short nod. "You're dancing now."
A sudden gust blew out the flames.
"Wind," Sakata said, "is awareness. If you don't feel its intent, you'll never catch it."
Blindfolded, Juichi faced floating daggers. The first came—he dodged. Then another. Then ten at once.
He stopped thinking.
He felt.
The wind whispered warnings, and Juichi moved like a leaf in a gale. When he pulled off the blindfold, every blade had missed. Behind him, they clattered to the floor.
Sakata's look held quiet pride.
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The Hidden Trial: Void
The next day, Sakata's tone changed.
"You've danced with flame and listened to the wind. Now, walk into emptiness."
Juichi barely had time to react before the ground lit up with glowing runes—and vanished.
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There was no light, no body, no form.
Juichi floated in the Void.
He panicked—then surrendered.
In the silence, he felt it: not flame, not wind—but connection. Space itself. The breath between all things.
He reached with his soul.
And understood.
The Void wasn't empty.
It was everything unspoken.
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The Small Awakening
Back in the domain, Juichi opened his eyes.
Sakata stared. "You returned faster than expected."
Juichi said nothing. He simply nodded.
That night, beneath drifting stars, Juichi felt something stir inside. The seal on his essence cracked. Power leaked out—terrifying and vast.
The Multiple Elemental Dragon Essence had awakened.
Not fully.
But it had noticed him.
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The Technique: Serious Time
Two days later, on the Floating Arena's shifting stones, Sakata stood ready.
"Show me."
Juichi stepped forward. "It's unfinished. The name's… dumb."
Sakata smirked. "Let's hear it."
Juichi breathed in. Fire and wind surged around him, spiralling into runes beneath his feet.
"Serious Time… Maybe."
He launched forward—wind compressing, fire bursting. A punch shattered the air itself. Sakata barely blocked.
"Fire Fang!"
A flaming elbow strike. Sakata deflected upward.
"Gale Edge!"
A blade of wind. Sakata countered, eyes narrowing. "You're combining them…"
But Juichi wasn't done.
His tattoos glowed red and silver. Power pooled at his core.
"Serious Time… Now."
He struck the platform.
A shockwave of Fire-Wind-Void tore through the arena. Sakata shielded with space magic—but it cracked.
As the light cleared, Juichi dropped to one knee, panting over the cratered arena.
"That's the prototype."
Sakata laughed. "Serious Time… Maybe? Genius or idiocy?"
Juichi smirked. "Both."
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To Be Continued…
Juichi wasn't just training anymore.
He was awakening.
...
To be Continued...