Chapter Seven: Two Titans Risen
Zephyr moved cautiously through the icy expanse of the dome, his sharp eyes scanning the glittering frost for even the faintest sign of disturbance. The ice forest was eerily beautiful, its crystalline trees refracting pale blue light as though the entire space were caught in an eternal, frozen twilight. The silence was absolute, broken only by the soft crunch of his boots against the frosty ground. A faint smile touched his lips, knowing the serenity was deceptive. Somewhere within this maze of frozen trees, Yozora was hiding—or at least trying to.
Yozora crouched low behind an ice boulder, his breaths slow and deliberate as he focused on maintaining Kakusu. The screamer weights strapped to his wrists and ankles grew heavier with each passing second, a brutal reminder of the stakes. He couldn’t afford a single misstep. The piercing shriek of the weights activating would not only give away his position but also send a painful jolt of electricity through his body while amplifying the burden he already bore.
His eyes glanced upward toward the frost-laden canopy. The faint motion of light filtering through the branches gave him pause—was it a trick of the breeze, or had Zephyr already found him? The cold air bit at his exposed skin, but the real challenge wasn’t the freezing temperature. It was the mental strain. Keeping Kakusu active without leaving even the smallest trace of Hindo residue was like walking a razor-thin tightrope, knowing one wrong move would be catastrophic.
Zephyr paused near the edge of a frozen pond, his gaze narrowing as he noticed a faint disturbance in the frost. The outline of a footprint—subtle, almost invisible—caught his attention. His smirk widened as he muttered to himself, “Clever, but not clever enough, Yozora.”
Yozora’s heart pounded in his chest as he sensed Zephyr closing in. Adjusting his position, he moved with painstaking care, ensuring not a single frost crystal shifted under his weight. His muscles screamed in protest, the effort of holding Kakusu for so long pushing him to his limits. The screamer weights dug into his flesh, a constant threat waiting to betray him, and Zephyr’s razor-sharp instincts made the already impossible task even more perilous.
Then, a faint hum rippled through the still air, so subtle it could have been mistaken for a whisper of wind. Yozora froze, his pulse quickening. It wasn’t the weights activating. No, this sound was far more deliberate. It was the low, resonant hum of Zephyr’s Raimu—materializing in his hand. The move wasn’t meant to attack; it was meant to rattle him, to force a mistake.
Yozora clenched his teeth, forcing his focus to remain unbroken. He wouldn’t be baited. Not yet.
Yozora forced his breathing to steady. If Zephyr wanted to flush him out, he’d have to try harder than that.
Zephyr, circling the area methodically, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows. He could feel Yozora's presence—it was unmistakable. He’s, somewhere, biding his time. Zephyr’s chuckled softly. “This game is as much about patience as it is skill. Let’s see how long you can last, Yozora.”
Elsewhere, T.LAC had already completed the techniques of Kakusu, Keijo, and his formidable Raimu.
Selene observed him closely, her tone calm but commanding. “Since you’ve completed everything we have to teach—at least for now—you’ll assist Zephyr in training Yozora. We’ve got one day left before the mission to rescue Mara begins.”
Without a word, T.LAC turned and set off toward Yozora.
Meanwhile, Yozora found himself lost in thought. “Sutā Geizā… Why didn’t I name them in the past?” he mused, his gaze distant. “Was I just careless, or was I actually a source of comfort to those around me? Ever since I regained this power, everything feels colder… emptier.”
It was then that he heard Sutā Geizā’s voice, break through his thoughts.
“Young master, you should focus on the task at hand. Such distractions in a real life-or-death situation could get you killed—and take all twelve of us along with you. Please remember, your life is also our life.”
Yozora closed his eyes for a moment, steadying his mind. Sutā Geizā’s words struck a chord, reminding him of the gravity of his responsibility. The silence around him deepened, the weight of the impending mission settling heavily on his shoulders.
Yozora gazed down at the snow beneath his feet, his breath forming mist in the frigid air. “I’m sorry your life is connected to mine like this,” he murmured. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his posture. “I’ll become stronger—strong enough to save Mara and make sure no one else has to risk their life because of me.”
He lifted his head, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity. “Sutā Geizā… in the past, why didn’t I ever give you or the other Mirrors a name?”
Sutā Geizā chuckled softly, his tone warm but tinged with mystery. “Young Master, you did give us names—mine and the others. They came from you… and the woman named Enola.”
Yozora froze, his heart skipping a beat as a vision flickered before his eyes. In that fleeting moment, he saw her—a woman with jet-black hair that cascaded like silk under a moonlit sky. Her eyes, glowing with a deep, radiant purple, seemed to pierce through his soul. The intensity of her gaze was mesmerizing, holding an air of mystery and power that left him breathless. She wasn’t real. At least, she wasn’t supposed to be. But the image lingered, vivid and unshakable, as if etched into his being. The world around him faded into a haze, the icy dome and its biting chill distant and irrelevant compared to the presence of this woman. "Who...?" The word barely left his lips, trembling with confusion and something else—something closer to awe. But just as quickly as she had appeared, the vision dissolved, leaving only the cold silence of the forest.
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“Sutā Geizā,” Yozora whispered, his voice shaken. “A woman… I saw a woman just now when you mentioned the name Enola. Who is she?”
Sutā Geizā’s tone grew heavier, almost oppressive. “Enola isn’t someone you can sum up in a few words. And I am forbidden to say more than that to you. You’ll come to know her again when the time is right. For now, focus on the task at hand.”
Yozora’s gaze turned upward, the cold wind brushing against his cheeks. “Enola… such a beautiful but lonely name,” he muttered, the weight of it settling in his thoughts. But before he could lose himself again, a sharp, commanding voice pierced through his reverie. “FOCUS!”
The sudden force of the word jolted Yozora back to reality, just in time to notice a glowing arc bead speeding toward him. He dashed backward, narrowly avoiding the bead as it struck the ground where he had been standing. “What was that just now?” Yozora muttered to himself. “If that voice hadn’t snapped me out of it, I’d still be lost in thought… Was that bead infused with Arc Hindo?”
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. “Yo, Zora, hurry it up already! Mara’s waiting, and you’re slowing me down!”
Yozora’s eyes darted around, searching for the source of the voice. Though he couldn’t see anyone, he knew exactly who it was. “T? What the hell, man? That bead was loaded with Arc Hindo! Are you trying to kill me?” He muttered to himself, “He finished all the training before me…”
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a swift and heavy blow struck the back of his head, sending him crashing through a line of trees. Snow erupted around him as he tumbled to a stop.
Through the swirling snow, a pair of mauve eyes glinted, their sharp gaze fixed on Yozora. T.LAC stepped forward, his expression hard and unyielding. “Mara is waiting, and you’re wasting time worrying about yourself. Screw this hide-and-seek crap! You know as well as I do—neither of us is mastering Kakusu to the level of your parents anytime soon. And I guarantee Selene is already giving your pops hell for slacking on your training.” T.LAC’s voice grew harsher, his tone commanding. “So quit stalling and throw some hands, or I’ll leave you behind and rescue Mara on my own!”
Without another word, T.LAC's eyes flickered with an intense glow as he locked onto Yozora. “Zora, I’ll show you what I’ve learned. Rensa, Uchikudake! Hojō no Shōkō (Chain Together and Shatter! Radiant Palms of the Bejeweled Orb).”
In that moment, the gentle snowfall turned into a howling storm of ice. Yozora shielded his face, squinting through the chaos to faintly see T.LAC. Around him, beads spun in a mesmerizing dance, leaving trails of radiant light as they orbited him in perfect synchronicity. Then, in an eruption of Hindo the beads burst with brilliant light.
"Range Form, Kyn'tralis: Lupine Howl!"
In the blink of an eye, T.LAC unleashed a barrage of arc-infused arrows, each streaking toward Yozora like a comet.
Yozora reacted instinctively. The first arrow screamed through the air, its electric aura slicing cleanly through a cluster of frozen branches as Yozora rolled beneath them. Shards of ice rained down, glittering like shattered glass under the dome’s artificial light. There was no time to marvel at how close the arrow had come. The second arrow struck the ground mere inches from his foot, unleashing a surge of arc Hindo that rippled outward. The impact sent a shockwave up his legs, causing him to stumble briefly.
“T.LAC, you’re not pulling your punches!” Yozora shouted, his voice strained but edged with a nervous laugh.
“No point in holding back, Yozora!” T.LAC’s voice boomed across the icy expanse, slightly distorted by the dome’s acoustics. “If you can dodge these, you can dodge anything.”
Yozora cursed under his breath, pushing himself harder as his mind raced to calculate his next move. The dense forest offered limited cover, and the open spaces between the crystalline trees left him vulnerable to T.LAC’s precision. Zigzagging to avoid presenting an easy target, he darted between icy trunks.
Another arrow whistled past his ear, its electric charge crackling like a miniature thunderstorm. The air grew heavy with static, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Yozora leaped to his right, rolling behind a massive ice boulder just as two more arrows slammed into the ground where he had stood. The impact shattered the frost, releasing an electrified mist that hung ominously in the air. Pressing his back against the cold surface, Yozora tried to steady his breathing, his heart pounding like a war drum.
He could hear T.LAC moving through the forest, the crunch of frost under his boots a stark contrast to the storm’s roar.
“You’re quick,” T.LAC called out, his tone calm with amusement. “But how long can you keep this up?”
Yozora’s eyes darted around, scanning the terrain for his next move. Taking a deep breath, he activated Kakusu, his form blending seamlessly into the icy surroundings. Silent as snowfall, he slipped from behind the boulder.
T.LAC, undeterred, scattered another volley of arrows in a wide arc. Yozora weaved through the streaks of Hindo, the hum of arc arrows brushing past him like needles against his skin. Diving behind a cluster of crystalline trees, he allowed himself a brief, breathless grin.
“You’re gonna have to try harder than that, T,” he muttered. Stepping out from cover, his voice rang clear. “Now let me show you what you think I’ve been slacking on.”
Yozora held out his hand, summoning Kagami no Hoshikage (Mirror of Star Shadows). “Sutā Geizā no Yaiba!” (Blade of the Star Gazer).
The ethereal blade materialized in his grip, its edge shimmering with starlight. Yozora slashed downward with incredible force, the impact created a powerful vortex that spiraled outward, vaporizing the ice and snow around them. The once-frozen battlefield was left barren. Sheathing Sutā Geizā, Yozora whispered, “Illuminate the Infinite Sky, Sutā Geizā no Yaiba.” With his offhand, he flicked his thumb upward, unsheathing his katana in a flash. “Sutā Geizā Fumi: Shūkakū.” (Harvest).
A sweeping crescent-shaped slash erupted from the blade, carving through the landscape like a scythe through grain. Trails of starlight and shadows lingered in its wake, their brilliance dazzling against the desolate battlefield.
T.LAC, caught off guard by the sudden attack’s magnitude, froze. The crescent slash tore toward him with impossible speed, leaving him no time to react.
From the observation platform, Selene glanced at Zephyr with wide eyes and in that same instant grab T.LAC. “Oh boy, that was close. My student almost got beheaded by our son.”
Blair, holding her breath, exhaled sharply. “That kid… he’s a freak of nature.”
T.LAC glanced to his left and then to his right, realizing he had narrowly escaped thanks to Selene. Shaking off the shock, he said, “Is that even fair? One slash, and now the whole forest is gone. Thanks for the assist.”
Yozora, still unaware of the full effect of his own attack, smirked and shrugged. “Bruh, who the hell cleared out the forest? That’s some major landscaping work. I wonder how many trees I cut down… Guess I’ll never know. Oh well. Hey, T., where’d you go? Did my little slash get ya?”
T.LAC, shouting from beside Selene, replied, “Yeah, I’m good, bruh. Almost freaking killed me, but I’m good.” Running a hand through his locs, he added with relief, “Thank goodness my locs are all still here.”
Selene’s voice rang out from above, calm yet authoritative. “I think that’s enough training for now. Let’s meet up with Blair for the mission briefing.”
Yozora looked up at her with a casual smirk, his tone teasing. “Yeah, whatever you say, boss lady… instructor… or whatever.” As he walked toward the group, his thoughts drifted. “Gotta find out who destroyed the forest… and learn that attack.”