Armed men came out of the surrounding rocks. A few seconds later and they were surrounded by hundreds.

Three giant men, whose faces weren't wrapped in cloth like the others, came forward. Unlike everyone else who kept their distance, these three approached Hasanu confidently.

Of the three, the middle one was bigger. He wore a red turban on his head like a nomad. In his hefty hand, he carried a huge white ax. His eyes didn't glaze over despite the lack of sunlight. Two stars at the center of the eyes replaced the iris in each eye.

The two men next to him had normal-looking eyes, but on their foreheads, there was a mark, a miyura.

The person standing by the right had three images of stars on his forehead that revolved around his miyura. While the one on the left side had two stars, which also orbit around the miyura on his forehead.

The star-eyed stepped forward. "Hasanu," he said arrogantly. "The difference is clear. The only way you can get out of here alive is by my mercy. Though I must say when we saw there's only three of you, we wanted to kill you and seize whatever you have. After seeing you, I changed my mind. If you give me the sixth-grade Ayrid and everything you own, I will allow you to pass. Despite my two advisers..." he glanced at the two men next to him. "Anyway, pass it over."

Hasanu looked at the big man and decided to mock him. "Elik, I didn't know you have four stars, my congratulations are in order."

Elik giggled wickedly. "Today," he said. "Your pride will die with you. I have a three-star general, a two-star general, and five thousand men that are just waiting for my order. Tell me, who in the seven worlds can rescue you from my wrath? I have changed my mind. Today is the day you'll take your last breath, Hasanu of the Sword."

He raised his hand and pointed at Hassan. All 5,000 men behind him, as well as the two men by his side, attacked Hasanu.

Hassan ordered Kiru and Nostalgia to stand behind him. "Pay attention to what I'm about to do. You may not have another chance."

Five thousand men attacked three people, and yet, Hasanu stood in front of his two younger siblings to fight them alone. He stepped forward with his right leg.

His pol burst out from the right leg and mixed with the surrounding air.

Five ethereal stars appeared in Hasanu's eyes: three in the right, two in the left, replacing the iris in each eye. Strong winds blew, swinging boulders and throwing stones.

Two statues made completely from the wind appeared. One on his right, and one on his left.

The temperature markedly fell. It felt so cold that everyone around shivered. The 5,000 foot soldiers stood still midway to attack. The extreme cold penetrated their bodies, which stunned them, causing many to drop their weapons. And when the wind blew again, it froze them in place, causing hailstones to fall from their skins. The ice wasn't white, it was a dark-gray hail that radiated pol energy.

The five thousand men Elik was boasting about fell on their knees, leaving Elik and his two advisors to themselves.

Unprepared, they halted in fear. Elik opened his mouth in panic, his body trembling. ''You... when did you...? It can't be. I don't believe it..."

He was interrupted as the two men by his side fell to the ground as well.

The two-star general fainted immediately, his skin covered with the same dark-gray hail. The three-star general fell to his knees first as he tried to resist the cold, but he couldn't resist for too long, and he froze. They looked like freshly crafted ice sculptures that would soon melt.

The two wind puppets standing on either side of Hasanu made their way over to Elik, emitting soundless roars as they flew.

Elik tried to run, but they surrounded him. He slashed at them, but his ax simply passed through them like the air they were. A long string of wind appeared in their hands. They tied Elik with it even as he struggled, and threw him into a bag of holding. He didn't even get the chance to shout.

Nostalgia and Kiru were filled with awe. They knew how Hasanu was respected in Sisiya but what they just saw still frightened them. Elik was an awakened Bender and both his advisors could use miyura, which put their pols at above five hundred years each, yet Hassan defeated him with one attack. Just how powerful was he?

"Pay close attention. I'll show you the trick now." Hasanu took a deep breath, as if sucking the air he was breathing in his nostrils, his eyes calm and focused. "I don't need to remind you that whatever I'm about to show you shall be treated the same way as every Sisiyan Bend. You should teach it to no one. It's by having restricted knowledge in the art that we hope to defeat our enemies."

His voice filled their ears like thunder, even though he spoke quietly. They stared at him, wondering about what he would do next, and if they would ever catch up to him.

The two puppets he'd summoned stood beside him with their heads bowed in reverence. The wind and the sickening cold in the air still blew.

"There is no small Bend," said Hassan. "Any Bend can go from small to big if you add value to it. All the Bends in the world can be made perfect through sacrifice. We sacrifice a part of our body to perfect our art. It has to be something you can move at will, like a limb or an eye. Because it will be the repository of all your Bends."

Although he was speaking to them, he still didn't turn around to look at them, nor did he lift his right foot from where he had placed it in the first place.

"If everything goes as planned, you can summon your Bends as easy as moving that part of your body. This will put you above any Bender that's using core alone. Take me for example, all my magic is related to my right foot."

He lifted his right leg and took a step back. It was the same step he took earlier but in the opposite direction.

As soon as his foot touched the ground, the cold wind blowing disappeared. The two statues by his side also disappeared, and the swaying frost disappeared as if it was never there, to begin with. The weather changed back to what it was before he attacked. Only the frozen men lying unconscious on the ground remained.

Hasanu turned to look at Nostalgia and Kiru whose mouths were still open full of surprise.

"This is the next step you will take after you have perfected your current training," he said.

"I want you to remember everything you saw today. Soon you will be blessed, then you will see the benefits of what I have shown you today."

As he said this, he took another step with his 'enhanced' right leg. As his foot touched the ground, a dome of red wind appeared around them. It carried them up gently and soon they were lost in the clouds.

After hiding them in the clouds, the wind carried them forward to Sisiya.

Kiru gulped. "Brother," he said. "If I understand correctly, your djinn controls the wind, and your Bend is somehow connected to your right foot. Does that mean you can fight by just moving your legs around?"

Hasanu smiled a little and nodded. His brother's explanation was right, albeit misleading.

Kiru inhaled deeply. He still had many questions.

"How many levels do I have left before taking this training?" He spoke with his eyes full of hope and determination.

Hasanu didn't answer him immediately. He took a long time just staring at the passing clouds. Kiru wondered if he would ever answer.

Then he looked at him and shook his head. "Don't be too quick in matters of Bending. Everything has its time. For you, the most important thing is to awaken. Your little sister has already awakened. I know it isn't your fault. The requirements for awakening vary even among siblings.

''In three weeks, the Non Touch dungeon in Mikironomada will be opened. Sisiya has paid a heavy price to get a slot for you. Take advantage of it. Who knows, you might awaken there."

Like that, the trio headed home after a long mission.