Chapter 69: Skybound Training

The sky above Tokyo was a canvas of gray, thick clouds swirling as the rain fell in steady sheets. Most people were indoors, sheltering from the drizzle, but Riku Hayashi was soaring.

High above the skyline, his body hovered with effortless grace, arms at his sides, silver hair whipping in the wind. The Zephyr Ascendancy Essence flowed through him—cool, smooth, and empowering. He wasn't just flying anymore—he was mastering it.

"Still stable," he muttered to himself as droplets skated off the barrier of aura around him. "Let's see what you can really do."

Riku angled his body forward, wind slicing past as he accelerated into a dive, pulling up at the last second and shooting skyward with a burst. He spun, flipped, drifted sideways, stopped mid-air and reversed—testing every angle, every possibility.

Unlike the first time he used it, his energy wasn't dropping rapidly. The training, recovery, and natural adaptation to his Essence were finally syncing.

He wasn't falling anymore—he was in control.

With no distractions and nothing on the schedule, Riku decided to push himself.

The clouds rumbled softly above as he hovered again. Closing his eyes, he focused.

Seven hours.

He spent seven straight hours flying, dodging raindrops at high speeds, slicing through wind currents, pushing Zephyr Ascendancy to the limits. He trained his aerial agility, reaction time, and pressure control, making clones in mid-air to battle and strategize against.

From the ground, if anyone happened to glance up into the stormy sky, they might've seen only flashes of light and streaks through the clouds—like a celestial dancer cutting through the rain.

By the time he finally descended—landing gently on a rooftop and dismissing the remaining clone—his breathing was steady.

No energy loss. No exhaustion.

Just steady progress.

Riku looked out across the rain-soaked city. The storm wasn't over—but neither was he.