The master of four elements!

Sukiro sat on a large stone, his legs crossed, eyes closed, surrounded by an endless field of green. The wind gently swirled through the grass, birds chirped in the distance.

Now you might be wondering how we got here...

—

"The moment we head back, your training starts, Sukiro," Sebastian said coolly.

"Bring it on," Sukiro replied with confidence.

The group hopped back into their vehicle and took their seats.

"So we're really going to start training him, right?" Sirius asked.

"Of course," Sebastian nodded. "But we're starting with the basics."

"Basic training?" Elijah raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Sukiro hasn't learned the fundamentals—absorbing mana, converting it into magic, or even figuring out his compatible element," Sebastian explained.

"We'll begin with those. Most people are trained from a young age, but Sukiro's different."

"So where are we heading then?" Klaus asked from the front.

"A nice open space. That should help with meditation."

"Roger, Captain."

—

The vehicle descended into a massive, open field covered in lush grass. Green moss stretched as far as the eye could see, and a soft wind flowed through the land.

"Every time we come here, I'm amazed by how beautiful it is," Sapphire said, eyes wide with admiration.

The group stepped out, taking in the peaceful scenery.

"I'd love to appreciate this more," Sebastian said, "but we've got work to do."

"Yeah, that's true. Let's get this started!" Sapphire nodded.

Sebastian and Sukiro walked toward a huge rock in the center of the field.

"So… why are we here?" Sukiro asked, puzzled.

"The reason I brought you here is to meditate and learn the basics," Sebastian replied.

"Start by meditating. Try to feel the mana around you. Converting it into magic comes later."

"So I'm supposed to just sit on the rock and meditate?"

"Exactly. Sit down, breathe, and absorb mana. Mana is like air—it's all around you."

Sukiro nodded and closed his eyes.

It's just like breathing… just breathing…

—

Back to the present, Sukiro sat meditating, doing his best—but it was overwhelming.

There's just too much noise! The birds, the wind, the rustling grass—this is impossible! That's it!

Frustrated, he ripped off his shirt, tossed it aside, and tried again, this time with full focus.

—

Meanwhile, at the camp nearby, the others were roasting fish caught from a nearby river.

"Sebastian, aren't you going to check on the kid?" Sirius asked.

"I will soon enough. Let me eat first," Sebastian replied casually.

"He's been at it for three hours," Sapphire said, annoyed.

"Sebastian, go check on him."

"Yeah, yeah, I will after I finish eating."

Sapphire's eye twitched. She spoke in a soft, yet threatening tone,

"I think I said… check. On. Him. Now."

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Sebastian grumbled, still chewing on fish as he stood up.

—

As Sebastian approached Sukiro, he was caught off guard.

"Well damn… that kid's going full speed," he muttered with a smirk.

His thoughts drifted to a past incident.

That time when Donna unleashed her wire—it gave him a small cut on the neck. For an E-Rank, that's normal… but the next day, he managed to catch it.

A twisted smile formed on Sebastian's lips—one that looked more fitting for a villain.

This kid… he adapts to everything. Fast. He might become a real challenge someday.

He watched as the air around Sukiro began to shimmer.

The four elements—Earth, Wind, Fire, Water—gathered around him. Sukiro slowly opened his eyes, which glowed a bright blue before fading back to green.

"Well done, kid," Sebastian said, clapping.

"I didn't expect you to be compatible with all four elements… Not at E-Rank. Even if someone is compatible, it usually takes years of training to absorb more than one element. Just ask Elijah."

He chuckled.

Sukiro jumped down from the rock. His body, now lean and athletic, surprised Sebastian.

He already has some muscle definition. That's good… but it won't be enough. Still, this kid's full of surprises.

—

Back at camp...

"Welcome back, Sukiro!" Sapphire greeted with a warm smile.

"I hope your training went well."

"Yeah, I think… I think it did," Sukiro replied, smiling as he sat down to eat.

After a few bites, Sebastian spoke.

"Kid, we'll continue this basic training for the next three days. After that, I'll check if you can flow mana through your body properly."

Sukiro nodded, continuing to eat.

Up on a tree, Elijah leaned against a branch, whispering,

"How's the training going?"

"Turns out," Sebastian said with a smug grin,

"he's compatible with all four elements."

"ALL FOUR?!" Elijah shouted, falling off the branch.

The whole group looked over in shock.

He dusted himself off, trying to play it cool.

"All four, huh? At E-Rank? Never heard of that before…"

Sebastian smirked,

"And here I thought the great Elijah took two years to master all four elements… but this E-Rank kid did it in one day."

"Shut up, idiot," Elijah growled.

"He just got lucky, that's all. If I had S-Rank hunters training me, I'd be compatible faster too."

"Yeah, sure you would."

"Tch." Elijah rolled his eyes, then glanced at Sukiro, a small smile tugging at his lips.

—

Three days passed.

Sukiro trained hard—meditating, learning to convert mana into magic, step by step.

Now, the party stood outside a bustling guild hall.

Sebastian stepped out, holding a poster in his hand.

"Well, guys—here's our quest!" he announced proudly.

He raised the poster. The group leaned in.

Quest: E-Rank — Find the lost pet, Mr. Hubbles, of Madam Yan Yu.

Elijah's jaw dropped.

"Seriously? An E-Rank pet-finding quest?"

Sebastian beamed.

"Yup! It's time to find Mr. Hubbles!"

He looked way too excited.