Due north west of Derdalf lay several mountain ranges scattered about, the tallest of which was the furthest from the city. By car, one could reach the base of the nearest mountain range in four hours, unhindered.

Partway atop that mountain stood individuals, their exhaustion clearly visible from the journey upwards.

The man took the time to take a look at the scenery while he hadn't become busy yet. The woman… stood calmly with her arms crossed, staring blankly into the sky in thought. Summer was on its way, but the altitude had decreased the temperature somewhat, to a quite comfortable range.

The plateau where they stopped was where Diavolo was going to be trained for the next month.

"Where was Yukio taken?" Diavolo asked, partly curious and partly to break the silence.

"They're heading for the inner mountain ranges, in search of waterfalls. The approaching summer should be melting the ice from the peaks by now."

To recap, the five youths were designated to be trained under the five Shard Guardians, due to each conveniently having similar affinities to the latter.

Under that train of thought, Diavolo should be training in the arts of manipulating fire. But there were several issues needed to be addressed during this month long session.

Even though he had started out with fire, under the fit of rage displayed in the island, including him, all of the three boys had awakened to new abilities. It was one thing when there was no progress at all, but when the first step had already been taken, it would be a waste to not keep treading forward.

Meaning, having reached a new height, that is, controlling pure plasma, it might become a useful tool for the future. Any new power, that was not entirely inconceivable, could be made into a valuable weapon. And in this case, it was pure destructive might. What is more powerful? A soft substance like fire? Or something that is so densely packed with energy that it can burn through without even leaving ashes if concentrated enough?

It was obvious. But the learning curve is steep. It would not be a wise decision to rely on something so recently awakened for a mission so crucial under normal circumstances. But this was something involving one who was labeled one of the "Prodigy Transfer Students". His peers had borne witness to his feats when being pushed to a corner. It was something worth gambling on.

But of course that didn't mean normal training would be neglected. One can truly reach higher peaks with an affinity awakened from the very beginning. It would be foolish to not fan his flames at all. But the problem was that…

Diavolo had never once seen Arashi use any kind of flames… or in fact, any kind of Material of her own. The most anybody ever witnessed was when she used Takeover to control someone else's power. Whether Arashi even had a Material or not was something he had yet to ask.

"Let me get this straight. We'll be training in regions that align with what we control, right?"

"Yes."

"Then, why are we on a plateau? I'm pretty sure I control plasma."

Not only were the youths to be trained under seniors with the same affinities as themselves, but their designated training spots were also selected to help very specific needs. For one controlling heat and plasma, a barren plateau was truly an odd place to train.

"Oh." Something seemed to have sparked inside Arashi's mind, as she turned around to face him, the cool breeze making her white hair flutter and wave with translucence under the sunlight. Her crossed arms tightened, accentuating her large bosom as she inhaled deeply, signing the beginning of the training with a bewitching smirk, "You'll be practising something different," and licking her lips.

Further atop the same mountain, to a point where one could even touch the clouds, stood another pair with the same intentions as the previous. The sky was already dark. Meaning, adding to the coldness of their height, the absence of sunlight simply made it worse. Thankfully, the people had hiked all the way up here well prepared.

Sheng Hu looked at his wristwatch. It was no longer a time to train. Rather, it would even be pretty late for one to call their meal 'dinner'.

"I've heard of everything that happened, but… are you aware of where you're lacking?"

The petite figure finally managed to trudge her way to the small, level space where he stood. Even with the unhindered winds that make hearing more difficult, her loud panting was distinctly audible. Even with Hannah pushing herself everyday in her normal training routine, she had never prolonged a session to hours beyond what could be considered proper for royalty. She had other things to do and could not simply brush them aside in favor of wholeheartedly training her physique. That would simply make her a battle crazed brute.

As such, unceasingly hiking around two kilometers up a mountain, that too for her first time, was something beyond her comfort zone to say the least. But that was not all. Being two kilometers above sea level meant that the effective oxygen she could inhale had also dropped. Violently panting for air was not simply the result of exhaustion but a desperate struggle to keep herself from fainting or perhaps worse.

Sheng Hu's question definitely entered her ears. But it had been well over a minute before Hannah could parse and comprehend what he said. This whole time, her mind was rapidly switching its attention from keeping herself standing up, maintaining strong deep breaths, preventing her mind going blank and many other primitive yet vital necessities to stay alive.

Even after she comprehended what she heard, she had a hard time answering. Every instance she was about to move her oral muscles to speak, her body would reflexively and forcibly relax those muscles again in favor of simply breathing.

Sheng Hu of course took notice of this. One minute was the most waiting he could do. At this rate, Hannah might collapse before they even discuss what to train.

"It seems you're already out of breath."

"No… Haa… I… Haa… Can…"

"Enough. We're heading down again. Get on."

Hannah struggled and shook her head, but it was nothing but futile in her current state. Unable to muster any strength, she could barely stay standing. Sheng Hu casually rested her on his back and picked her up, following up with a smooth descent a few hundred meters to another small and relatively flat region.

"Easier to breathe now?"

In actuality, it was still difficult. Going several hundred meters horizontally on flat ground was nothing compared to going against gravity in such a harsh environment. Descending so far was in its own a big step behind. As such, Hannah didn't want to complain and cause more trouble, despite her clear need of rest and care.

"... Yes. I'm sorry. And thank you."

"Don't thank me. I got my fair share of reward too."

"???"

"... Ahem, nevermind. Well? Have you thought about it while we were coming down?"

Taking advantage of the fact that Hannah was too exhausted to realize the minor harassment she had received thanks to being on his back, Sheng Hu quickly changed the subject.

"My lacking… is…" She seemed to have put a finger on the issue, but was hesitating on saying it.

The answer lay on the stark contrast between the current state of her and Sheng Hu. Even after ascending so high up, and then carrying the person on his back to descend again, he didn't seem to break a sweat. It could be the temperature cooling him as quickly as he heated himself, but nevertheless, he still seemed like he could go on till the very summit.

"Why are you hesitating? It's not like I'm punishing you for being wrong. We don't have the liberty to do that."

"... Yes. I thought back to during our journey to the island. The first thing that made me guilty was the fact that I fainted while my friends were still fighting. I… became dead weight."

"And you became dead weight because?"

"I… the amount of Natura I controlled was beyond what I could handle and…" She stopped, feeling ashamed.

Even without spelling it out directly, the parties knew what the issue was. Stamina. There were many reasons Hannah needed to work on that, no matter how skilled she was in intricately manipulating wind. Occasions such as taking a long time to cast that 'deadly' attack on Claude on the school rooftop and fainting after dealing a decisive blow on the sea beast were two of the many she could recall throughout her life. It was even more of a problem because of her weapon's incredibly high requirements. Heratune was an incredibly useful and versatile weapon, but it basically needed a living powerhouse to operate to its potential. In order to utilize a decent fraction of that power, she needed to become strong enough to deal those 'decisive' blows like they were normal punches.

"That's right. You might be skilled at various ways to manipulate the air around you, but when it comes to high output, you fall. As a Gas user, you have an abundance of resources. The air is all around you. On water, earth users are useless. On ground, water users fall short. But that's not the case for you. If others fall out, you're the one who is supposed to still stand strong. We can't have you fainting on us in the middle. Understand?"

"Yes."

"And that's why we're up here. To even trigger the use of Natura, you yourself need to have energy in stock. That's the most basic of the basics. In a place of low pressure, you'll be needing to put more effort into manipulating whatever wind you could. That, and the fact that you won't have it easy breathing, should act well to boost your natural energy content."

"Yes, I understand."

"??? For the prided Hannah C. Rose, you're awfully quiet and obedient now. What happened to the energy you displayed for your cousin? You're not saying you're still feeling guilt, are you? We've been through the whole moping around phase already."

"No, I'm just pondering on how to do what you said."

"What's there to ponder? You just get up there and do regular training. The advanced techniques can wait. I'll carry you back if things get dangerous."

"Yes, but… What if I make a mistake while…"

"Hah?!!! Are you mocking me right now?!"

This girl… was someone who had an incredibly high wall to climb, and also her own wall to maintain. The shadow cast onto her by her father, and also the expectations held by her little brother were something. But she had made big mistakes till now and that led to Suzume being taken away.

And now that plans were underway, the little brother that looked up to her has also joined the fray. While it was definitely true that she didn't want him to get hurt, the other reason was that she didn't want him to see her failures and weaknesses. Just how many mistakes had her overbearing parent made? The public was one thing, but Marvin was different. The one person who truly looked up to her… if that collapsed, she'd have nowhere to escape to.

It was revealed that Marvin had that special constitution. Under the guidance of a Guardian, he'd definitely soar. He is being trained to fight a General, an opponent on the same level as her own. Marvin is being trained specifically to catch up to her. And somewhere along those lines, Hannah had realized… that she was subconsciously trying to keep Marvin weak to maintain her standing.

The very thought made her stomach churn and mouth sour. It was her who was holding him back. She was a horrible person. A failure of a sister. She had to let him go. But that was not the only thing weighing her down.

"You… you're afraid of making mistakes?! Who do you think you are?! I took a long leave from my company just for this and you dare to waste my time with such nonsense?!"

Hannah gritted her teeth and just sat silently in frustration.

"I'm not here to console you! I'm here to train you! You make a mistake, you get right back the fuck up! I don't care what perfect image you want to keep up! Here, you're just my apprentice! If you piss me off, I will toss you down this hill, giving absolutely no shit about your status! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Y-y-yes, sir!!!"

"It's quite cold even though it's summer, isn't it?" Yukio commented.

"We're pretty high up after all," Arnold replied, lighting a cigarette.

Even at such a height, the two found themselves having to pass through quite the forestry on their way to their destination. Thin layers of ice and snow made crunching noises with every step they took forward. As the sound of water crashing slowly and steadily increased, it was difficult to notice their own approach unless they compared the ambient sound from when it was quiet to what it was now.

"Our site is just ahead, right?"

"Yeah, we've gone off road for quite some time now. Should be around here somewhere."

Yukio cupped his hands over his ears. "I… think I can hear the streams. Hmm… Ah! There it is!"

Peering past the narrow view between the trees, Yukio managed to find the stream that would lead to their destination: a waterfall.

The sound of the crunching ice faded away and was replaced with moist cracks of leaves and twigs lying around. There were no mountain animals in sight for the time being. It wasn't like there would've been a problem if there were any, but it would definitely put needless trouble for a pair just finishing a long hike.

Saying goodbye to the people of the mansion two days ago and two of his friends who came with him just the other day, Yukio had finally reached his own zone. Reminiscing on whether those he left behind had already started their training, Yukio squatted down and casually dipped his fingers into the rapids. "Brrr! Cold, cold, cold!!! Are we really going to be doing this?"

"We don't have a choice, do we? You're the one who proved that you could freeze liquids. That'll be pretty convenient in critical situations at least, if you can't control it freely."

"B-but I already told you that that time was just a bluff! Blood rushed to my head and it just happened! I got lucky!"

"And yet you seem to be able to control… Raze just fine."

««.........»»

"N-no, that was…"

"Hey, are you really not hiding anything? Are you sure you don't know how to solidify liquids?"

"... Yes."

By far, it had probably been Yukio who displayed the most explosive growth in that journey. Walking on water, taming a Sea Duke, awakening use of Raze and also the ability to freeze water. But the problem was that most of those powers were unavailable now. Yukio had walked on water without freezing it, but during that time he was apparently unconscious and has no recollection of the event. On the flip side, the ability to freeze water was not his own ability but Neon and Argon's. And, to summarize, Yukio was advised not to let anybody know of their existences by the duo themselves. The reason?

「«You need not concern yourself with the details. Just know that even though both you and your friend are using what you call 'First Generation Weapons,' we are special.»

«What your friend has is merely an empty husk. It has no mind of its own. It operates based on a pre-established compatibility factor and merely channels a miniscule amount of energy from its host. But we are different. You have us in our entirety. We are the weapon you bear.»

"But then why is it a problem if people find out about you?"

«Idiot! Our existences should have long since perished! Those around you might not care, but do you know how big of an incident it would turn into if relevant people caught wind?!»」

Arnold sighed. "Alright, let's leave it at that, then. What about walking on water?"

"That's…"

«That is actually your own power. You do not need our help for that.»

"Eh?! Really?!" Yukio's expression reflexively turned into that of surprise.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?"

"A-ah! No, no! I was just trying to remember exactly how I did it. Although I have no recollection of that, I could try. I might be able to find a workaround."

«Fumu. At the very least, we shall coach you on this.»

In truth, Yukio did not require assistance from Arnold, having finally been able to talk directly to Neon and Argon. Who has more knowledge? A mid-thirties fisherman, or a millenia-plus ancient dragon?

But the help Yukio got on the island was merely a one-time occurence. An emergency. Yukio needed to grow on his own first. Fully utilizing one's weapon, especially in a First Gen case, was a two-way relationship. Yukio had already gotten a feel for Raze, so there were no issues on him reproducing that ability again. And just like Diavolo's Blood Burner, the armbands he originally had were permanently morphed into a pair of glove-like gauntlets. It had a very odd sensation. On their own they felt like regular gloves plated with strong materials on top, but after the user wore them and inbuned it with his energy, they would clench up and slightly shift into skin-tight, yet metallic hard gauntlets.

And this way, Yukio was to be trained by Arnold, while also being secretly coached by the ones lying hidden. Individually, among the five youngsters, perhaps it would be Yukio with the most solid foundation and personal growth thanks to the additional guidance.

"Um… why are we near the sea, Randolf bro?"

"Hmm? It's obvious isn't it, since you control electricity. And besides, we get a nice view on our breaks. Plus, if you suffer grave injuries we can hightail to the nearest hospital if we want to. It is very convenient if you ask me." Randolf nodded in satisfaction.

"No, but… we're not really here for relaxing, though…" Shin awkwardly smiled.

This was indeed the coastline near the place where they had set sail a few days ago. The pair kept an adequate distance from tourist spots and areas where anybody might show up. Meaning, a relatively abandoned corner safe and reserved for training.

"Ideally, I'd like it if we were in a stormy area. But too bad we can't have storms day in and day out."

"S-s-storms??? I'm sorry but I'm not sure if I can handle actual lightning like that, sir!"

"Haha! What, chickening out already?"

"No, just a little trauma." Shin hugged himself, rubbing his upper arms and recalling the time he got electrocuted. "I'm just not good with lightning that's far beyond my control after everything I've went through. But if it's required, then I've got no choice."

"Rest assured. We're not doing any of that. Your main tasks will be to get used to Raze, your weapon, and improving control of lightning. I'm sure you know, but Plasma is the most destructive Material out of the four, but also the hardest to control because of its sheer energeticness. Failing to control the other three is just that, but failing in Plasma can cause serious injuries. Control is key here."

Unlike Yukio who achieved Raze control with the help of Neon and Argon, Shin's awakening was completely genuine. Diving to the depths of emptiness as Splinter's Black Lightning drained him of all his energy forced him into a sense of nothingness. From that torrential realm of nothing, spontaneous and random occurrences of explosions and then erasure, a rapid and continuous contrast that can only lead to one's mind crumbling, served to only prove the strength of willpower Shin bore. Among the trio, Shin was probably the one with the highest bodily and mental toughness, despite his constant aloofness and cheerfulness.

That still didn't mean all his problems were fixed. Shin still needed to practice using White Lightning while keeping his cool. Using Raze would automatically cause it to switch to its evolved form, but that would only make it harder for him to use the weapon for longer durations. The mental strain on using Raze was much higher compared to Natura. So much, that Shin found it hard to believe Diavolo manages to use it so freely. Meaning, he would need to raise his expertise on all three of the above mentioned fields if he were to have a chance against the enemies. Not even one must be left unimproved.

"I understand that, so…"

"We're here precisely to enhance that. Air is a poor conductor of electricity, so the charge you gather can be easily maneuvered throughout your body and especially over your skin when needed. But out here, where it's more humid and salty…" Randolf extended his index fingers and placed them near a certain distance.

Crack! Crack!

"???" Shin tilted his head in confusion.

"...You'll discharge more easily. Can't you see that the distance between my fingers are further apart than when you're inland?"

"Nope. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"... What are your grades like?"

Shin simply grinned as reply, to which Randolf sighed, giving up explaining.

"Nevermind. The gist of it is that you'll have a harder time controlling electrical charges in higher humidity since the charges will tend to simply discharge out of your body. If you can keep the electricity under control here, then it'll be easier in dry air."

"Ah, so it's like… the environment just raised the difficulty. It's like that game Yu plays!"

"... Yes, let's go with that."

"What do you mean we're already here?!!! This is basically still home!!!"

"Tch! God dammit, kid, you're loud!"

"You're not gonna train me are you?! You're just gonna pretend to be serious like sis always does!"

"Huhhh???"

"Ow ow ow!!! Let go of my head!!!"

"Listen here, brat. If you don't stop whining like a lil' bitch, I'm seriously gonna whoop your ass off this hill and watch you tumble and crash into those piles of rocks down there!"

"....."

"Much better. Look around you, kid."

"??? There's nothing there."

"Nothing but the endless stretch of land, you mean. What's the most abundant Material after Gas?"

"Um, Liquid, so… water?"

"Bzzt! Wrong! Not when you live your whole life on land! You're really not quick on the uptake."

"So… is that why we're here? But, I've heard from gramps that practising in the wilderness is more effective, since you can find more varieties of rocks and minerals there."

"That's only for those who already have a grasp of manipulating solids. You asked why we didn't leave the city like the others, right? Let me ask you a question, then. Why do you think that device you use to find your Material affinity uses sand instead of soil, even though soil is generally considered to be a standard material to represent 'solids' or 'earth'?"

"Huh? Erm…"

Chipo smirked. "It's because of the very nature of sand itself. 'Solid' doesn't refer to just any kind of solid. When people with the affinities for it, it tells you they are more suited to manipulate materials with a very specific structure, i.e. 'solid' lattices. Soil is a mixture of various substances, and although it's solid, it isn't pure and won't work as an accurate reference. The internal structure of sand is rigid enough to be a proper solid, and the material itself is loose enough that it can show different observations with different users. Plus, it's pretty abundant and easy to purify."

"Is that so…" Marvin gulped, mentally taking notes. "But then, why do people start learning how to manipulate soil in the beginning stages? Isn't it detrimental?"

"Kind of, but not really. Practical demand. Soil is just more abundant, so until one finds their specialization, they are expected to do on site jobs which usually involve being sufficiently surrounded by soil. But that's not what we're gonna do. Our routine is different. You'll be going a different route. Starting from today onwards, I'll be building a foundation in you using different kinds of pure and uniform substances! And what better place than a city?! Hehehe!"

"!!!" Marvin's eyes shot open with the realization. "I see. I understand now. Thank you! And I'll be in your care, sir!" He got revved up, but a second later realized something else. "Hmm? Wait, but then, why are we on an empty stretch of land for it? Should it be easier if we were actually in the city?"

"That much is obvious isn't it?" Chipo turned, walked a few steps away from him and turned around, immediately taking off the hoodie in one smooth motion. "This entire place is our arena! Come at me!"

Marvin's usual fighting space consisted of the dojo, and at most his school grounds. Such a large and open area being deemed an arena was inconceivable to him. It was not common sense at all. Was it even possible for two people to utilize such a large space completely? Was this a joke? Something like a figure of speech? But if it wasn't, then just what kind of hellish training was he about to undergo?

It had finally dawned on him. Even though he had affinities with any kind of Material, it didn't mean he was going to have it any easier than his peers and elders. He had witnessed the kind of injuries the others had faced, but he had never suffered those themselves. A child through and through.

Marvin stood there, shocked.

However, where that shock was placed was not at what he was about to endure, but at something different.

Beholding Chipo completely ready to fight, witnessing every fibre of muscle stretched taught, he kept staring at the figure. A very well toned body. And even with all those, the delicate features were unmistakable. The slender shoulders, the thin waistline, the wide hips and the sarashi covering the chest. It was obvious, yet he couldn't believe his eyes after all the conversations he had with this person.

"...... YOU'RE A GIRL???!!!"