Sora darted forward first, his steps quick and precise, testing Kaito’s reaction time. His adaptation abilities usually gave him the edge in battles, allowing him to evolve in real-time to counter his opponents. But against Kaito, who was leagues stronger and faster, adaptation was off the table. Sora’s fists flew in rapid, well-aimed strikes, targeting Kaito’s centerline. Kaito shifted just enough to avoid each punch, his movements so swift it seemed like he was predicting Sora’s attacks rather than reacting to them. “Too slow,” Kaito said with a faint smirk, sidestepping a jab and delivering a light shove to Sora’s shoulder. The force sent him skidding backward, his boots carving lines into the dirt. Tetsuo charged in next, taking advantage of Sora’s retreat to launch his own assault. Raising his arms, he summoned twin pillars of stone from the ground, hurling them toward Kaito with incredible speed. The rock formations shot through the air like cannonballs, but Kaito blurred out of the way, reappearing a few feet to the side as the stones crashed harmlessly into the ground. “Nice try,” Kaito said, his tone amused. Not one to be deterred, Tetsuo slammed his hands into the earth, sending ripples of energy through the ground. A massive wall of stone erupted behind Kaito, curving forward to encase him like a trap. Without missing a beat, Tetsuo charged into the fray, his fists coated in rock-like armor as he aimed a crushing blow at Kaito. But Kaito was faster. He ducked under the punch, pivoted on his heel, and swept Tetsuo’s legs out from under him. Tetsuo hit the ground hard, but he rolled away, narrowly avoiding a follow-up strike. “You’ve got power,” Kaito acknowledged, “but power means nothing if you can’t hit your target.” Jayiden, who had been observing from a distance, finally moved. His katana glinted in the sunlight as he stepped forward, his movements fluid and deliberate. He didn’t rush like the others; instead, he closed the distance with a calm, measured pace. Kaito’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been holding back,” he said, more to himself than to Jayiden. “Why?” Jayiden didn’t answer. With a swift motion, he slashed at Kaito, his blade trailing a faint shimmer of spiritual energy. Kaito tilted his head, dodging the strike by a hair’s breadth. Jayiden followed up with a rapid series of cuts, each more precise than the last. Despite the ferocity of Jayiden’s attack, Kaito weaved through the strikes effortlessly, his speed rendering the katana nearly useless. “You’ve got skill,” Kaito said, deflecting a downward slash with the edge of his hand. “But skill alone won’t cut it.” Meanwhile, Shunjiro circled around, watching the chaos unfold. His fists were clenched tightly, his frustration building with every failed attempt by his teammates. He knew his spiritual energy was unstable, his control over it was far from perfect, but his body was strong. If he could just get close enough… “Shunjiro!” Sora called, snapping him out of his thoughts. “We need a plan!” Tetsuo scrambled to his feet, his hands glowing as he raised more stone defenses. “We’re not gonna win if we keep rushing in one by one,” he agreed. Jayiden stepped back, his katana still held firmly. “We’ll have to force him into a position where he can’t just dodge.” Shunjiro nodded, his mind racing. “What if we trap him first? Use the stone to limit his movement?” Tetsuo frowned. “I can try, but he’s too fast. He’ll break out before we get close.” “That’s the point,” Shunjiro said, a grin slowly spreading across his face. “We don’t need the trap to hold him. We just need it to distract him.” The group fell into position. Tetsuo started by raising multiple walls of stone around Kaito, their jagged edges forming an intricate maze. Sora dashed through the gaps, using the walls for cover as he launched quick hit-and-run attacks. Each time Kaito dodged or countered, Sora retreated deeper into the maze, leading Kaito into a narrower space. Jayiden waited on the outskirts, his katana poised for a decisive strike. His spiritual energy flared slightly, a subtle but powerful aura that made Kaito glance his way. “That’s new,” Kaito muttered, amused. Amid the chaos, Shunjiro disappeared from sight. Kaito moved like a blur, dodging Tetsuo’s collapsing walls and sidestepping Sora’s strikes. When Jayiden lunged forward with a powerful thrust, Kaito caught the blade between his fingers, stopping it mere inches from his chest. “Nice try,” he said, spinning the katana out of Jayiden’s grip and tossing it aside. At that moment, the walls of stone began to crumble. Tetsuo, breathing heavily, pushed his abilities to their limit, sending a final wave of rock shards toward Kaito. The shards rained down like a storm, but Kaito zipped through them, his form a blur of motion. But then he paused. A faint shimmer of energy rippled through the air behind him. Kaito’s eyes widened as he turned, too late. Shunjiro, who had hidden himself within the maze, launched forward with all his might. His body moved on instinct, fueled by a combination of raw power and sheer determination. His fist connected with Kaito’s side, the impact sending a shockwave through the training grounds. The spectators gasped as Kaito staggered back, his expression shifting from surprise to delight. “Well done,” Kaito said, straightening. He looked at Shunjiro, then at the rest of the group. “You actually managed to land a hit. Impressive.” Shunjiro grinned, his breath coming in heavy pants. “Told you we could do it.” Kaito clapped his hands, signaling the end of the test. “You pass,” he announced, his tone filled with genuine approval. “All of you. You showed teamwork, strategy, and resilience. This is the kind of potential I like to see.” The group exchanged relieved smiles, the tension finally breaking. As they left the training grounds, Kaito watched them go, a satisfied smile on his face. “Promising,” he said to himself. “Very promising.”