Kai: “Are you sure we are heading in the right direction?”

Kai was holding Yama’s map in his hands, looking rather concerned.

Yama: “I am positive”

Kai: “In that case…Do we have a boat?”

They were in front of an enormous lake that seemed to stretch on to a horizon.

Yama: “Don’t need one”

Kai: “You can’t be serious. The body of water is miles long. Going around it would take days….”

In response, Yama simply stepped on water.

It instantly froze.

Ice started to spread around and soon enough it became a clear path.

Kai’s mouth ended up wide open in shock.

Yama: “Just follow me and it should be fine”

Nagare: “Right, I forgot he could do that”

Kai: “Is that really ok? Aren’t you overexerting yourself?”

Yama: “It is fine. My chi reserves are large enough”

Shoyo: ‘Large enough my ass…’

Chi reserves could be increased with training. From what he could sense, Shoyo knew for a fact that Yama’s chi reserves were truly enormous.

It takes a lot of chi and control to create so much ice.

Just having an affinity did not mean anything unless one puts in enough effort to gain control over it. Yet Yama created so much ice as if it was nothing.

In terms of pure power, Yama had long surpassed his master.

His ability was truly impressive.

Shoyo: ‘You have grown truly strong, Koutarou’

Yama started to simply walk upon the frozen water.

The further he walked the more ice he manifested.

Kai: “He wouldn’t be a Guardian if he was not at least this strong”

Nagare: “Sometimes I wonder if he is even human”

Shoyo: “It’s probably my fault. Sorry”

Nagare: “What does that supposed to mean?”

* * *

Nagare: “Walking on water instead of using boats. Truly an out of the box solution”

Yama: “Walking on ice. Only Shisui san can walk on water”

Shoyo: “Speaking of which, who the heck is this Shisui person everyone keeps talking about?”

Yama: “Guardian of Rain, Shisui Shirohana. She is also the regular teacher for the kids”

Shoyo: ‘Ah, that’s who I ended up substituting for’

Nagare: “She must be really nice”

Yama: “She is. But the way she smiles…it gives me the creeps”

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Nagare: ‘Even a Guardian as mighty as he fears her smile? What kind of a monster is this lady Shisui?’

Shoyo: “What does she look like?”

Yama: “Bluish hair and purple eyes. A rather petite woman”

Shoyo: ‘What an incomplete description’

Yama: “Oh yeah, she wields two swords”

Shoyo: ‘As vague as always, you haven’t changed at all, Koutarou’

His student only paid close attention when it came to survival. When it came to acquaintances or friends, he was not good at memorizing their traits or even faces.

The fact that he remembered only the size of the person and color of eyes and hair was a testament of how little attention Yama paid.

Nagare: “I assume she uses water type chi?”

Yama: “And wind”

Nagare: “A dual element wielder? And a master too!”

Yama: “I take it you are interested in learning from her?”

Nagare: “If possible. Initially I wanted to meet the Guardian of Flames but…”

Shoyo: ‘Right, his apprentice did not exactly leave a good impression’

Getting beaten up by Enrou was not a pleasant experience.

After enduring such humiliation, Nagare wanted to steer clear of the Guardian of Flames. Anyone who could be a teacher to someone like Enrou could not possibly be a sane person.

Nagare: “Shisui san sounds like a safer choice”

Yama: “Not sure what you mean, but ok”

Nagare: “What about the other Guardians?”

Shoyo: “Any of them your friends?”

Yama: “Acquaintances at best. I am not really close to any of them. Each one has his or her own problems to deal with. I never really fit in among them… and the ranks are pretty stupid”

Kai: “Isn’t it an honor to be a Guardian?”

Yama: “It’s just a title. Nothing more”

Yama: “Truly strong need no titles.”

Nagare: “But aren’t the titles there to signify who is a superior swordsman?”

Yama: “There is far more to swordsmanship than simply slashing and stabbing stuff. Swordsmanship is a form of expression. Each style embodies a separate philosophy based upon an affinity. By deepening your knowledge of the fundamentals and applying them, one can grow as a swordsman”

Nagare: ‘I have much to learn’

Yama: “It’s a matter of experience. It gets easier as you get older, right?”

Shoyo: “I am much older than you, Koutarou”

Yama: “Really? I thought you were about same age as Nagare?”

Shoyo: “Hardly”

Nagare: “Koutarou-san, how does one turn chi into an element?”

Yama: “Well, chi is an energy, essentially your life force. When you reach the second level, your chi gains an elemental affinity. A common misconception is that chi allows one to generate an element. That is false”

Nagare: “What?”

Yama: “Chi’s elemental affinity only allows one to control the pre-existing element”

Nagare: “But you created so much ice with your chi! How can it be?”

Yama: “My chi controls temperature. Using my chi, I can lower the temperature of my surroundings. Depending on the moisture, ice is generated as by-product of temperature manipulation”

Nagare: “I see…so there is no way to convert chi into element directly….”

Yama: “Maybe there is…but I do not know much about that. I only know how to use my chi and that is enough for me”

Shoyo: “Sticking to what you are able to do is better than obsessing over what you can’t, Naga-kun”

Yama: “It should be coming by now”

Nagare: “What?”

Yama: “Our ride”

Shoyo: “Koutarou, don’t tell me…”

Kai: “There is something under the ice! It’s huge!”

As in on cue, the beast broke through the layers of ice; its long body resembled that of a snake.

This creature was the Sea Serpent, also found in large bodies of water.

It’s enormous and long body was comparable to that of a dragon.

With a mighty motion, it proceeded to exhale a powerful blast of water in their direction.

Their group barely managed to dodge the first blast.

The impact was enormous, destroying most of the ice around the blast range.

Yama: “How fun!”

Nagare: “What?!”

Shoyo: “Indeed”

Nagare: “What?!!”

A huge grin spread on Yama’s face as he exclaimed.

Yama: “Come at me, baby!”

Nagare: ‘He is insane!’

The sea serpent unleashed a second blast only for Yama to block it with his own attack.

Water instantly froze into gigantic icicle before shattering into pieces from the impact of Yama’s slash.

Faster than their eyes could perceive, the beast dove in head-first in Nagare’s direction. Yama grabbed Nagare and threw him away from the beast’s mouth.

Now it was Yama against the Sea Serpent.

Nagare: “What the hell is he doing?”

Shoyo: “Taming the beast”

Nagare: “We gotta help him!”

Before Nagare could move, Shoyo stopped him.

Shoyo: “There is a limit to idiocy, Naga-kun”

Naga: “But he is gonna…”

Shoyo: “He will be fine”

Sea serpent lunged at Yama, intending to swallow him whole, but Yama managed to jump in time, landing on top of Sea Serpent’s head.

Using his blade, he stabbed it right in the skull area, transmitting his chi into the beast’s brain.

Instantly, the beast stopped moving.

It happened to quickly that it was almost anti-climactic.

Nagare: “Is it dead?”

As if in response, the beast’s mouth opened and closed.

Yama: “It better not. Climb aboard guys!”

Nagare: “What?”

Yama: “This is our ride”

Nagare’s face grew pale at the realization of inevitable.

Kai: “Nagare-san?”

Nagare: “I think I am starting to understand why nobody wanted to team up with him. He is an absolute nutjob!”

Kai: “I agree that his methods are questionable, but he does get the job done”

Shoyo: “Climb aboard the Sea Serpent Express!”

Nagare: ‘I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!’

Reluctantly, Nagare climbed on after everyone else.

Yama: “Let’s go!”