Hizari asked Yushiro, "If we’re going to train, why don’t we go back to the temple and open more gates?" Yushiro, with his usual calm demeanor, replied, "All seven other gates require mastery of either Shiden or Kuren." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "First, we’ll focus on Shiden."They ventured deeper into the forest, where sunlight barely pierced through the dense canopy. The air was still, heavy with anticipation. "The first technique we’ll tackle is the ‘Eye of the Maelstrom’," Yushiro explained. "It’s a method that requires using a small amount of calm Shiden to create a rotating vortex. The trick lies in maintaining the storm with Shiden while forming the eye with Kuren. On its own, the Shiden storm isn’t that powerful, but when balanced with Kuren, it becomes a force capable of tearing through even the strongest defenses."Hizari, determined, tried to mold his Shiden into a controlled swirl. But the energy slipped through his grasp like water through his fingers. His frustration began to boil beneath the surface, and Yushiro’s voice cut through his thoughts. "Remember, Hizari—Shiden demands calmness to be controlled. Fury and impatience will only make it wild and chaotic."Hizari clenched his fists and forced himself to sit down, meditating in silence for hours. His mind raced with the memories of his past failures, each one a taunting echo in his mind. Why can’t I do this? he thought, the doubt gnawing at his resolve. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the faces of those he couldn’t protect—the villagers, his comrades, and Ragnar lying bloodied. The weight of his inadequacies threatened to choke him, but he gritted his teeth and shut those thoughts out.When he attempted the technique again the next morning, the same discouraging result greeted him. The Shiden remained untamed, surging out of control. His breath quickened in frustration, the air thick with tension. Sweat dripped from his brow as he glared at Yushiro. "Why can’t I get this?!" he yelled, his voice tinged with desperation.Yushiro watched him silently for a moment, then sighed. "You’re still holding onto too much anger. You want to prove yourself so badly that it’s clouding your focus." His voice was calm, but there was an underlying gravity to it. "Power is born from the strength to confront both your rage and your fear without letting either consume you."For the next few days, Hizari threw himself into relentless meditation, trying to tame the storm within him. Each failure was like a knife twisting deeper into his pride. He couldn’t sleep; the memories of past battles haunted him—the sensation of being powerless, of failing. It felt like he was standing at the edge of a cliff, staring into an abyss of doubt. But with each breath, he forced himself to push those thoughts aside. He would not fail this time.The next morning, after hours of grueling practice, something finally clicked. He could feel the energy coiling within him—no longer erratic, but focused. As he extended his hand, a massive vortex of Shiden took shape in the air before him. The ground trembled under the sheer force of it, and even Yushiro couldn’t hide his surprise. "I expected the storm to be sizable, but this... this is extraordinary," Yushiro said, his eyes wide in awe.Hizari, for a fleeting moment, felt a surge of pride. But the pride quickly led to distraction, and in that instant, he lost his grip on the Shiden. The vortex spiraled out of control, threatening to tear everything apart. Hizari’s heart raced—he could feel the technique slipping away, could feel his chance crumbling. He screamed in frustration, "Look!" But before the maelstrom could wreak havoc, Yushiro snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the storm dissipated into nothingness.Hizari collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, his body shaking. Yushiro placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a rare smile. "Great progress. But there’s still more to learn."The next technique was the ‘Lightning Afterimage,’ a move that required precise control over Kuren. "It’s not about speed, but subtlety. Even at a slow pace, you can create afterimages that deceive your enemy," Yushiro explained.Surprisingly, this time Hizari found the technique easier to grasp. He created dozens of afterimages effortlessly, each one flickering like shadows in the forest light. Yushiro’s approval was clear as he nodded. "You’re ready to face the dragon again. I won’t teach you more. The rest of your journey requires you to learn by yourself."That night, even when the rest of the village slept, Hizari continued training. His thoughts remained locked on the dragon, the overwhelming force he had faced before. This time, he wouldn’t back down.At dawn, he was sent back to Nernginous, his heart steeled with newfound determination.

The chapters are late because I am also making this novel into a manga heres the link. The manga is kinda fast paced tho.

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/121431720

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