The morning sun bled through the clouds, washing the training field in a pale light. The clang of steel echoed faintly — a rhythm, measured and calm.
Sayaka moved like water in motion. Her twin blades flashed, each swing smooth, deliberate. No bursts of magic. No elemental flare. Just mana, softly infused into her blades — a quiet strength that shimmered faintly along the edges.
Kazuki stood by the fence, watching silently. She hadn't noticed him yet. He had asked her the question he needed answered, but she told him she wasn't really in the mood. He respected her answer, and waited till she was ready.
The way she fought was different from the others — not showy, not desperate. Every move was born from discipline, not power.
Her blades crossed, mana humming faintly. She paused, exhaled, then whispered to herself,
"Still not enough."
Kazuki stepped forward. "You're up early."
Sayaka turned, slightly startled, then smiled that same warm, practiced smile.
"Kazuki. You too, huh? Can't sleep again?"
He gave a short nod. "You could say that."
They stood in silence for a moment — the air cool, the world still.
Then Kazuki spoke, voice calm but curious.
"You fight differently from everyone else here."
She nodded, raising one of her swords. "No elements, fire, water, wind or anything like that. No fancy spells. Just mana. channel it into my weapons — keeps me from getting crushed out there."
Her tone was casual, but her eyes wavered. Kazuki noticed.
"You make it sound easy," he said quietly.
Sayaka looked down, brushing dust from her blade.
"It wasn't. When I was a kid, I thought the world ended the day my home burned."
Kazuki's eyes widened. He didn't speak — he just listened.
Sayaka smiled faintly, almost bitterly.
"A group of Terras came one night. They had formed a group, i don't know how many exactly. I remember the screams, the smell of smoke, and… the sound of metal cracking. My parents tried to fight back."
She paused, voice trembling slightly. "They didn't make it, I was lucky the hunters came when they did."
Kazuki's chest tightened.
"I was taken in by a hunter," she continued, her voice distant now, like she was speaking from another life. "She was strong — the kind of person who could silence a room just by walking into it. She raised me like her own."
Sayaka's smile softened. "She taught me to fight. Taught me to infuse mana. Taught me to survive."
Kazuki's eyes softened. "What happened to her?"
Sayaka's expression flickered — the faintest break in her calm.
"She… died saving me."
The silence that followed was heavy. Even the wind held its breath.
Sayaka looked up, smiling again — the same radiant, gentle mask as always.
"Anyway, that's why I became a hunter. It's not about glory or revenge or anything."
Kazuki looked at her carefully. "But is that really true?"
She blinked. "Huh?"
He turned slightly, eyes on the horizon. "You said it's not about revenge. But every time you smile… it feels like you're hiding something heavier."
Sayaka laughed — softly, but it cracked at the edges.
"You think too much, Kazuki."
"You don't have to hide anything from me Sayaka, I'm always here for you."
She sheathed her blades and stretched, pretending the conversation was over.
"Well, come on. I've got a meeting with my captain in an hour. And don't go getting all gloomy on me."
But as she walked ahead, Kazuki's thoughts followed her.
She always acts so cheerful around me…
But now I can see it, what she really feels....it's anger, hatred for the terras.
The morning wind swept through the courtyard, carrying the faint sound of steel clashing again — as if the ghosts of her past still trained beside her.