A step towards development

Dante stepped out of the house feeling a strange weight in the air. The atmosphere was charged with energy, as if every atom around him was dancing to the rhythm of invisible forces. He felt the wind surrounding him, fluttering around him like a living breath, while an invisible pressure swept through the ground beneath him, making his movements even heavier.

In the open courtyard in front of the house, the scene was filled with action:

On the right side, Yubi and Yuno were practicing controlling the wind element, with Yuno firing precise air blasts, and Yubi repelling them with a smooth movement, controlling the path of the wind as if it were a part of him. On the other side, Dabi stood in a cloud of dust, floating in the air as he lifted a huge rock, moving it left and right as if it weighed nothing.

Yuno with a wry smile: Oh, look who finally decided to join us! Mr. 'I need more sleep than I should'!

Dante raised his eyebrows as he sighed softly, ignoring the obvious mockery in Yuno's tone.

Dante calmly: I needed enough food so that I wouldn't be defeated by you in the first minute.

Yuno: Arguments, arguments! Even if I had a full stomach, would you beat me? I don't think so!

But before Yuno could continue to provoke Dante further, Yubi interrupted the conversation with a serious tone.

Yubi: Since you've finished your breakfast, it's time for your training. There's no point in delaying any longer.

Dante looked at Yubi, who seemed as calm as ever, but there was something different in his eyes this time... strict seriousness, as if today wasn't an ordinary training, but a real test.

Yubi continued: You will duel with Yuno. Dabi and I will evaluate your weaknesses, so that we can determine the aspects that need improvement in your upcoming training.

Everyone stopped talking. Yuno and Dante were now standing face to face, the distance between them was short, but it seemed like a gap between two completely different forces.

Dabi with a wicked smile: Simple rules, no killing, no serious injuries, no excuses! Now, get ready

Yuno moved first, standing confidently, as a light breeze began to wrap around him, lifting the edges of his clothes. Dante, without any element, took a ready stance, his feet firmly on the ground, his eyes watching for the slightest movement from his opponent.

Wind against a body devoid of elements. The difference between them was clear.

But Dante did not intend to lose easily.

Yuno and Dante stand still, their swords drawn, looking at each other waiting for a signal from Yubi, the wind is blowing in the arena, the leaves are flying in the air, and the trees are swaying.

Then the sunlight shines through the clouds onto Dante's eyes and blocks his vision, while Yuno stands under the shadow of the clouds, seeing everything clearly and waiting for the signal, until... Yubi announces the start of the fight.

Yuno pounces on Dante, whose vision was blocked by the sunlight. Yuno strikes from the right above Dante's head with his sword "Storm Cleaver" made of voltrum metal.

Dante tries to dodge the strike, relying on his intuition instead of his blocked eye, but Yuno is one step ahead of him. Yuno uses the wind element to knock Dante to the ground.

Instead of avoiding the wind, Dante strikes Yuno's chest with his sword "the affirmer"

Yuno jumped back, dodging Dante's blow to his chest, but before Dante could regain his balance after landing the blow, Yuno took advantage of the opportunity and unleashed a sharp wave of wind from his sword "Storm Cleaver" towards Dante's head, deliberately pushing Dante into a defensive position.

Dante quickly dropped down, using his quick reflexes to find himself safe under the current of wind, but he felt the pressure of the air passing over him, cutting off some hairs from his long black head. Dante didn't have time to think, as soon as Yuno landed from his jump and touched the ground, Dante pushed his body forward, directing a sideways strike with his sword "The Affirmer" towards Yuno's waist, leaving Yuno in a confused position with no time to dodge the blade.

Yuno with a sarcastic smile as he narrowly dodged

Yuno: Huh! Your moves aren't bad, but you'd need more than simple sword skills to defeat me!

Once Yuno dodged the blow, he quickly turned, using the power of the wind to boost his speed, and delivered a lightning strike towards Dante's shoulder. Dante barely managed to raise his sword to block the attack, but the force of the wind pushed him back, as his feet slipped slightly on the ground and he leaned back slightly.

Dante didn't have time to catch his breath, as Yuno launched a series of attacks, using the wind element to increase the speed of his attacks, as if his sword was dancing in the air, cutting the distance between them with ease.

Dante calmly as he backed away and parried the blows

Dante: You're very fast… but your speed depends on the wind. What if you can't use it to your advantage?

Yuno confidently: You want to take the wind from me? Just try it!

As soon as he said that, Yuno jumped high, using the wind to increase his height, then landed hard, delivering a vertical strike with his sword "Storm Cleaver". Dante was ready this time. He quickly turned around, and instead of directly blocking, he used the force of the attack against Yuno himself, bending at the last moment, making Yuno's strike penetrate the ground instead of his body.

The ground shook under the force of the strike, but Dante didn't stop. Taking the opportunity to attack, he circled around Yuno and quickly punched his fist towards his stomach.

Yuno, although surprised, tried not to appear weak in front of his opponent, Yuno used his strong winds on his body so that he wouldn't fall to the ground.

Dabi watching excitedly: Not bad! Yuno is fast because of the wind, but Dante uses clever combat tactics to stay in the fight!

Yubi seriously: But Yuno hasn't used his full power yet... This is just warming up.

Yuno stood confidently, holding his sword, then looked at Dante with sharp eyes.

Yuno smiled: Well, I've had fun so far... But how about getting a little serious?

Suddenly, the winds around the arena changed, becoming more turbulent. Dante tightened his grip on "The Affirmer", preparing for the next round, realizing that Yuno had not yet shown his full potential.

Both sides prepared, as if the fight had not even begun.

Yuno quickly attacked, activating the winds on "Storm Cleaver" and directing the turbulent winds from all sides at Dante, leaving his opponent Dante in a difficult and unenviable position, Yuno quickly attacked him, the sword "Storm Cleaver" activated by the winds that throw everything it touches away, and the winds came towards him from all directions.

But... Yuno was not the only one who did not use his full strength, even Dante, he was relying only on waves and intuition.

As Yuno and his winds pounced on Dante, Dante began to tighten his grip on his sword and whispered quietly that Dabi, Yubi and Yuno could barely hear.

Dante: Seventeenth tip, after analyzing the puzzle's flaws, disassemble it properly...

Dante was reading Yuno throughout the fight, analyzing his abilities according to the fourth tip. The more Yuno increased his wind, the more fragile and weaker it became.

The wind reached Dante and Yuno was quickly attacking, taking advantage of Dante's position. There was only a little bit left for Yuno's wind to knock him down and he would lose, but Dante did not plan to remain still. He waved his sword "The Affirmer" several quick waves, cutting through the turbulent wind from all sides, waiting for Yuno to attack with his sword.

Yuno was shocked but did not lose hope and continued to attack. He flew high using his wind, targeting Dante's head to deliver a critical blow with his sword "Storm Cleaver" imbued with wind.

Dante looked up and stuck his sword into the grass hard to hold it steady and used his hands instead of the sword, Yuno was shocked by what Dante did, and began to wonder why he would give up his sword in a situation like this?

Dante: Twelfth advice, act eccentrically to distract your opponent...

Indeed, Yuno was distracted, he was landing on the ground and focusing on questions instead of his last attack, he reached the ground and Yuno was relaxing his sword instead of tightening it, and he looked at Dante and wondered.

Dante grabbed Yuno's wrists who were holding the sword with his left hand, and with his other hand he punched him hard on his stomach, then with his right he grabbed his sword "Storm Cleaver" and threw it away.

Yuno fell to his knees in pain and shock from what just happened, he was trying to deny what happened, he clenched his fist and decided to punch Dante but Dante grabbed his hand and punched him again and pushed him to the ground. Dante pulled out his sword "The Affirmer" from the ground and took it out to point it at Yuno announcing the victory in the fight.

Dante looked at Yuno who was lying on the ground, breathing heavily, the pain in his stomach still reminding him of how foolish he had been at the last moment. He never expected Dante to drop his sword like that, but it was part of his strategy—analysis, confusion, and decisive attack.

Dante calmly pointed the sword "The Affirmer" at Yuno.

Dante: The fight is over.

Yuno remained silent for a moment, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath before bursting out laughing, despite the pain he felt.

Yuno, raising his hands in surrender: Huh... I never expected that. You completely fooled me, Dante.

Dante lowered his sword and extended his hand to Yuno, who looked at him for a moment before smiling and grabbing his hand, getting up with difficulty.

Yuno sarcastically: But don't think I'll let this go easily... I'll get my revenge in the next fight!

Dante with a calm smile: I'll be ready.

Dabi was clapping enthusiastically while Yubi stood with his arms folded, slowly shaking his head.

Dabi excitedly: That was an amazing fight! Dante, you were amazing! And Yuno, don't be so hard on yourself, you were strong too!

Yubi: You both have proven good skills, but there are still weaknesses that need to be improved.

The two of them looked at them attentively, while Yubi continued his speech.

Yubi: Yuno, your excessive reliance on the wind puts you at risk if you face an opponent who understands how to exploit your weaknesses. You could have reduced the intensity of the turbulent wind instead of increasing it mindlessly.

Yuno muttered: Yes, yes... I got my lesson.

Yubi turned to Dante: As for you, Dante, your strategy was brilliant, but you still lacked sufficient physical strength. If Yuno had been more careful, I wouldn't have been able to take him down so easily.

Dante nodded in agreement. He knew he had to improve his physical fitness to be able to fight stronger opponents.

Dabi excitedly: Well, that means we'll be training even more! No rest for you today!

Yuno sighed and raised his hands in surrender, while Dante merely smiled faintly.

Despite the fatigue, there was something clear in all of their eyes—the desire to improve, to become stronger than ever.

And so, the training day continued, and this was just the beginning.

---

Sarah's Night Training Scene

In the darkness of the night, with only the sound of a light wind through the trees, Sarah stood in the middle of her private training ground, sweating despite the chill. The silver moon shone brightly on wooden puppets that moved spontaneously, thanks to the healing power of the element, which gave them some vitality.

She gripped her sword hilt tightly, then lunged toward the first puppet with steady steps. She lowered her body slightly and quickly swiveled with her sword in a semicircular motion, cutting through the air with force. The blade struck the wood of the puppet, causing it to shake slightly but not fall.

"Faster... Stronger... No room for error!" she whispered to herself, stepping back lightly before leaping forward with a swift movement. This time, she shifted her grip on the sword, swerving her body to execute a diagonal strike from the bottom to the top, sending the puppet swaying violently.

She continued the attack without pause, leaping high and spinning in the air, landing a direct vertical strike on another doll's head. She heard the wood crack from the impact.

She inhaled deeply, her eyes shining with determination, then strode forward with swift steps. She executed a series of swift strikes on a third doll, using her agility to deliver a swift stab to its center, then veered sharply and delivered a crushing sideways strike.

But she didn't stop. Instead, she hurried into a defensive stance, raising her sword in front of her. "Don't hesitate... don't stop... keep going until you get stronger!" she whispered.

Just as she was preparing for another attack, she heard a soft rustle in the trees behind her. She turned quickly and cautiously raised her sword, before her eyes widened in surprise as she saw a small figure emerge from the shadows.

A young boy, no more than seven years old, with golden-blonde hair and wide blue eyes that reflected the moonlight, stood there in his simple, innocuous clothes. He seemed to have been silently watching her for some time.

He raised his head and looked at her, saying in a calm, childlike voice, "Are you still training this late?"

Sara slowly lowered her sword and looked at him in surprise before saying his name, "Aelin?! Why are you here?"

Aelin stepped towards her, folding his small arms behind his back, then said simply, "My mother sent me to you... She said I must stay with you from now on."

A surprised expression crossed Sara's face, then she looked into his sincere eyes, before she exhaled silently and smiled faintly.

Sara: "So... that means you're officially under my care, right?"

Aelin nodded enthusiastically, then looked up at her, saying, "Will you teach me to fight, too?"

Sarah laughed a little, then reached out to play with his hair, saying, "Maybe... but first, let's go and rest. Training is over for tonight."

She took his small hand and began walking with him back to camp, the moon lighting their path and the stillness of night surrounding them, signaling the end of this long night.