The cold hit Kyron like a slap.
He stepped into the forest behind Ayush, snow crunching under his boots. Even his breath turned white instantly. All around them, towering pine trees stood blanketed in frost, and not a single bird or breeze stirred the silence.
Kyron pulled his jacket tighter around him. "This is insane... It's spring. Why the hell is it snowing here?"
Ayush didn't even glance back. "It always snows here. This forest is surrounded by mountains from all sides — the wind gets trapped. No sun. No warmth. Just cold."
Kyron raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like hell."
Ayush stopped and looked over his shoulder, smirking. "Exactly why I love it."
They came to a clearing — dead silent, untouched snow, perfect white.
Ayush turned, pulling his katana out of its sheath slowly, like it was sacred. "Alright. Let's see what you've got. Ignite your blade."
Kyron blinked. "Now?"
"No, tomorrow. Yes, now."
Kyron swallowed, then nodded. He took a deep breath and focused. Anger. He needed to feel it. He needed to let it rise.
His parents' faces flashed before him — their lifeless bodies, that awful grin carved into their skin. He clenched his teeth, gripped the hilt tightly.
The blade shimmered, flickered orange... and then fizzled out.
He tried again.
And again.
Each time, the flame sparked — and died.
"Why isn't it staying?" he muttered, frustrated.
Ayush sighed. He drew his own katana, and in a single breath, flames erupted across the blade. Bright, alive, controlled.
Kyron stared, amazed. "How did you—"
"I've trained," Ayush interrupted. "I've practiced anger. Controlled it. Sharpened it. That's the difference between feeling mad and using your rage."
Kyron shook his head. "You practiced being angry?"
Ayush nodded. "Meditation. Breathing. Isolation. You want to turn your emotions into weapons? You have to earn it. People think anger's just yelling and swinging wildly — no. Anger is focus. It's a furnace. But if you can't control the fire, it burns you first."
Kyron was quiet for a second, still staring at the snow. "…How does breathing affect all this?"
Ayush looked impressed he asked. "Good question."
He stepped closer. "Every time you breathe in or out, your body lets its guard down — even just for a split second. In that moment, a Smiler can kill you. That's why breath control is everything. You reduce those openings. You make your body efficient. Silent. Sharp."
He pointed to the forest. "That's why I train here. This cold? It forces you to stay calm. Forces your body to adapt. You either learn... or freeze."
Kyron nodded, trying to take it all in.
"Oh, and by the way," Ayush added, "how many moves do you know?"
Kyron blinked. "Moves?"
Ayush stared at him.
"…You don't know what moves are?"
"I mean… I've just used raw emotion until now."
Ayush looked physically pained. "You're killing me, man. Seriously. That's like picking up a violin and trying to kill someone with it."
"I didn't know—"
"It's fine. It's fine," Ayush muttered, rubbing his temples. "Every Emotion Style has techniques. Signature moves. Combos. I use Anger: Bird Style. I've mastered 18 of them."
Kyron's jaw dropped. "Eighteen?!"
"To survive the Hunter exam, you need at least one. So first… ignite your sword. Then I'll teach you."
---
Training in the Cold
"Take your shirt off."
Kyron gave him a look. "What?"
"You heard me. Shirt. Off. Sit in the snow."
Kyron hesitated, then slowly stripped off the top layer. The cold was instant and brutal, like knives on his skin. His breath stuttered. His body trembled.
"Meditate," Ayush said. "No emotion. No distraction. Just breathe."
Kyron sat, arms wrapped around his knees, shivering. His thoughts jumped from anger to pain to doubt.
Ten minutes passed. Ayush gave him a break.
Then another round.
Two and a half hours of snow meditation — focus, break, repeat. By the end, Kyron's fingers felt like glass. But his mind was strangely… clearer.
Ayush didn't stop.
Next came the frozen lake.
Kyron stood ankle-deep in the ice-cold water, goosebumps all over his body.
"Hold your breath. Go under. Two minutes."
He took a breath, then submerged.
The silence underwater was deafening. His heart pounded in his ears. His chest screamed for air. But he held.
Surface. Rest. Again.
One hour.
Then — sword swings. Wooden logs, one after another. Slash after slash. Over and over. Kyron's arms burned. His palms blistered.
Then punches. Bare-knuckled. Tree trunks.
The pain didn't matter anymore. Something was rising in him — slow, hot, determined.
---
The Spark
Snow crunched as Kyron stepped back into the clearing. He held his katana, breathing slow.
No thoughts now. Just focus. Rage. Control.
He thought of their faces again. His mother. His father. That haunting, terrible laughter.
Something clicked.
Flames erupted from the blade — not wild, not unstable, but steady. Alive.
Ayush's lips curled into a proud grin. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
And now it's time for you to learn moves
Kyron nodded and said "I am ready" Ayush said "that's the spirit and started explaining Flame Rush – The First Step
Ayush's Explanation:
Ayush crouched down in the snow, drawing a straight line with his finger.
"Flame Rush isn't about waiting. It's about becoming the flame. Fast. Explosive. Low to the ground. Your body's an arrow. A single cut is all it takes — the fire will do the rest."
He stood, drew his katana, and whispered, "Flame Rush."
In an instant, he vanished — a streak of orange light slicing across the field like a shooting star. A second later, he reappeared behind a frozen log. The log trembled… then split in half, erupting into fire.
Kyron's Attempt:
Kyron gripped his blade. He tried to remember the motion — quick, forward, decisive. He charged.
Nothing.
Just a messy sprint through the snow. No flame. No streak.
Ayush sighed, shaking his head. "You're still thinking like a fighter. Fire doesn't think. It just burns."
He walked over and placed a hand on Kyron's chest. "Your flame's in here. You're just too scared to let it out."
Unlocking Moment:
Kyron closed his eyes.
He remembered that first fight — the green Smiler, the blind rage, the raw instinct. The moment he ran without thinking, only feeling.
He took a breath.
And moved.
A sudden spark. A trail of glowing snow behind him. His body zipped forward in a burst of orange light. Not perfect — he stumbled, and the flame flickered out early — but it was real.
Ayush grinned. "Now that... that's starting to piss me off — in a good way."
2. Flame Slash – Power Over Distance
Ayush's Explanation:
Ayush carved a snowman out of solid ice, planting it ten meters away.
"Flame Slash is for when they won't let you get close. It's not just about the swing — it's about pouring your rage through your arms and sending it forward."
He lifted his blade. His grip tightened.
"You ever scream into the void, hoping someone hears you? That's what this is. Let your rage speak for you."
He slashed.
A blazing arc of fire roared through the air, slicing the snowman in half. The pieces dissolved before they hit the ground.
Kyron's Attempt:
Kyron stepped into position. He raised his katana and swung.
Nothing.
Again. Just a puff of smoke.
Ayush didn't say a word.
Kyron clenched his fists tighter. His grip was too stiff. His breath uneven.
"You're holding back," Ayush finally said. "You're afraid of what happens when you really let go."
Unlocking Moment:
Kyron lowered his blade.
He saw his mother's hand again — frozen mid-reach.
He saw the world grinning while everything he loved burned.
His heart throbbed.
He lifted the blade once more. This time, his arms didn't shake. They burnt — not from heat, but from purpose.
He swinged.
A fiery wave erupted. It missed the target — but lit the tree behind it ablaze.
Ayush clapped once. "That's the first time I've ever been proud of a miss."
3. Bird Dash – Becoming the Flame
Ayush's Explanation:
Night was settling in, painting the forest in deep violet. Ayush traced the shape of a bird into the snow with his blade.
"This one's different. Bird Dash isn't just movement. You become the flame. Let it wrap around you — shape you. You're not running anymore. You're flying. Straight through the enemy."
He stepped back. "When I use this, I think of every moment I felt small… and burn it away."
He took a stance.
Flames ignited, stretching into wings along his back.
He dashed — a fiery bird exploded through an ice boulder, feathers of flame fluttering in his wake.
Kyron's Attempt:
Kyron blinked, stunned. "You actually expect me to do that?"
Ayush smirked. "I expect you to fail. Then learn. Then fly."
Unlocking Moment
Kyron tried
Once
Twice
The flame flickered, wings half-formed — then collapsed. He crashed into the snow, coughing.
Frustration flared.
He looked up at the stars — the same stars that hung above the ruins of his home.
He stood.
He screamed.
This time, the flame didn't just wrap around him — it welcomed him. Like it had been waiting.
He dashed forward. The wings formed for just a moment — unstable, unrefined — but real.
He crashed into a tree. It burst into flame.
Ayush walked over, offering his hand.
"Welcome to the sky, rookie."
Final Scene: The Fire and the Future
Later that night, they sat beside a small fire under the starlit sky.
Kyron flexed his sore fingers. "That... really hurt."
Ayush chuckled. "Good. Pain means progress."
Kyron looked at his katana. It pulsed gently, like a heartbeat. He nodded to himself.
"Thanks, Ayush."
Ayush didn't answer right away. He just tossed another log into the flames, watching them flicker and rise.
"You're not ready yet," he said finally. "But you will be. And when you are… you'll burn brighter than any of us."
Ayush's Final Thoughts (After Kyron Leaves)
Kyron exited the forest, his figure shrinking into the trees.
Ayush stayed behind, staring at the fading trail of flame Kyron left in the snow.
He crossed his arms, lips tugging into a quiet smile.
"I thought he'd give up. This wasn't beginner training. It was the real thing. But somehow… he still made it. Kyron I don't know what destiny has planned for you. But I've got a feeling — it's something huge."
The fire beside him crackled gently, like it agreed.