That evening, the students gathered in one room.

"Did you buy them?" Yuna asked.

"Yes. It wasn't cheap," Riko replied, placing the bag on the table.

"And you? Did you find the guild?"

"Yes," Subaru answered.

"Alright... in that case, tomorrow we'll head outside the city," Yuna said.

After a while, Yūma returned to his room. On the way, the aroma of roasted meat drifted from the kitchen. It smelled good, but he wasn't hungry. He stepped inside, sat at his desk, pulled a notebook from his bag, and continued to write.

Yuna... I think she has potential. She's confident, though she hides her fear from others. Of the three, she resembles a leader the most. Even back in university, I noticed how she liked to take charge of group work in different classes. That's something that can be useful in the future.

Riko is modest, shy, and sometimes too afraid. At the reception desk, with the merchant, at the market, she always hid behind Subaru or me whenever she had to talk to strangers. But around me, she doesn't seem afraid. Maybe because we're from the same class. She's kind, and the sight of children running barefoot in the streets affects her more strongly than any of us. That kindness in a team is important, even if in this world it can become a burden.

Subaru is... I don't know yet. So far, he's come across as a decent guy, open, and sometimes careless. It'll take more time to really understand his strengths and weaknesses.

Yūma closed the notebook, put it back into his bag, and lay down to sleep.

The next day, the four students agreed to meet in front of the inn. When Yūma came down, the trio was already waiting.

What caught his attention immediately were the new clothes he had bought with Riko the day before.

Subaru looked like a completely different person. The carefree aura of a high school boy was gone, replaced by the presence of a warrior. He wore black trousers with pockets, long boots, and a grey T-shirt. His hands were wrapped in cloth. 

Riko stood beside him in a red cloak with a deep hood. Her figure looked slim and mysterious, with asymmetrical belts around her waist and a pouch at her side, giving her the air of a heroine from old legends. Uncertainty remained in her eyes, but in that outfit, there was a strength she hadn't shown before.

Yuna, on the other hand, radiated elegance and confidence. She wore a white blouse with puffed sleeves, tied with a black ribbon, paired with high-waisted black trousers and a belt fastened with several straps. Black gloves gleamed on her hands.

Even Yūma had changed beyond recognition. Instead of his school uniform, he now wore a dark suit with crimson accents – a cherry shirt, black trousers, suspenders, and a tie. His hands were covered with black leather gloves.

The four left Parin and walked toward the forest. The road took them through open fields until tall trees appeared ahead. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, and birds sang above. To anyone else, it was just a forest, but for them, it was where they would find out who they really were.

"So, what now?" Subaru muttered, resting his hands on his hips.

"We're supposed to have these powers, but how do they even work?"

"Maybe... you need to call them out somehow? Focus on them?" Riko suggested softly, stepping closer.

Yuna crossed her arms and sighed.

"Let's try one by one. Better here, where no one can see, than in the middle of the city."

Subaru went first. Standing in the middle of the clearing, he clenched his fist and threw a punch, as if gearing up for a fight. Nothing. He tried again, harder. Still nothing.

"Seriously?!" he snapped, kicking a rock.

"God dumped some useless trick on us."

"Not so fast," Yuna said coldly.

"Try again. This time focus. Don't act like you're fighting in a schoolyard."

Subaru gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. Still no reaction.

Next, Yuna tried. She stretched out her hand, focused, and imagined vanishing from sight. She stared at her fingers, but her body stayed visible. Determined, she tried again, concentrating harder, but nothing changed.

"It's not working..." she muttered, frustration creeping into her tone.

Yūma watched in complete silence. Looking around to check if no one is watching. He was pretty embarrassed in that moment.

Good thing no one's watching, he thought, grimacing.

Then Riko spoke softly. "Maybe... we need to name it. Give it shape."

Subaru turned. "What do you mean?"

"My power is supposed to be summoning two battle wolves. What if I just focus on that and say the name of the skill?"

She closed her eyes, imagined two wolves, and spoke clearly: "Summoning."

The air around her trembled, and light rose from the ground. Out of mist and sparks emerged two enormous, silver wolves. Their eyes glowed blue, and their fur shimmered like moonlight. They howled, the echo rolling through the forest.

Riko stepped back, covering her mouth with her hand, fear sparking in her eyes at the sight of such powerful creatures.

"Well, that's something," Subaru muttered, raising his fists.

"Alright, if that's how it works... Martial Arts!"

At those words, his body tensed, muscles pulsing with energy. He lunged forward so fast he left a faint blur in the air and slammed his fist into a tree trunk. The wood cracked as though struck by a hammer.

"Ha! I knew it!" he shouted, pulling back his uninjured hand.

Yuna narrowed her eyes, clenched her jaw, and said evenly. "Invisibility."

Her figure shimmered, vanishing into the air. She was gone. Clothes and all. Subaru's jaw dropped.

"Uh... where'd she...?"

"Right here," came a whisper in his ear. A moment later, a hard kick to his back knocked him stumbling forward. Yuna reappeared seconds later, breathing heavily but with satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.

Yūma still stood in silence. He looked at his hands, then ahead. Quietly, he spoke: "Hawk Eye."

Everything looked different. Colours became sharper. He noticed every leaf rustling and every bird flapping its wings above. It all seemed close, and details he had never seen before came into view.

He grabbed a stone and threw it toward a tree. Before he released it, a glowing line traced the trajectory in his vision. The stone struck the exact center of a knot in the bark, as if he'd fired through a scope.

"So... that's how it works," Yuna said, her voice calm.

The first day, they spent testing. Subaru measured how many strikes he could land before exhaustion dragged him down. He found the longer he used his ability, the heavier the fatigue afterward.

Yuna experimented with invisibility. She discovered she could vanish for a little over five minutes. But the more stressed she was, the shorter it lasted. And if she breathed too loudly, enemies could still detect her.

Riko grew used to her wolves. She named them Yuki and Shiro. They were strong and obedient, but they disappeared when she was too tired. Summoning drained her energy heavily.

Yūma spent hours observing. His eyes could see not only distant targets but also the subtle twitch of muscles before an enemy attacked - tiny signs of movement that revealed intent. But after ten minutes of constant focus, his vision hurt, and dark dots blurred his sight.

The second day, they trained together. Subaru fought against Riko's wolves, practicing counters. Yuna vanished into thin air while Yūma pushed his sight to track her movements, noticing faint ripples in the air when he strained his ability to its maximum level. At this stage, he could only stand for seven minutes before the aching pain got to him.

With more usage, we will be able to fix all our weaknesses. But what's next? Why do we reach Stage 2.

On the third day, trouble found them.

As they trained in the clearing, the forest shook with heavy steps. From between the trees emerged a monster. A massive boar, its black fur stood out, the size of a horse, with tusks like swords, eyes glowing red, and foam dripping from its mouth. The beast roared and charged straight at them.

"Split up!" Yuna shouted, vanishing into the air.

Subaru ran forward. "On me!" he yelled, slamming into the beast's side. His fist hit like a hammer, but the boar only staggered before turning its head toward him.

"Yuki, Shiro!" Riko raised her hands. The wolves appeared beside her and lunged, sinking their teeth into the monster's legs. The beast roared, trying to shake them off, its movement slowed.

Yūma was already aiming. He grabbed a metal rod, braced his arm, and hurled it like a spear. His eyes glowed. He saw the beast's weak point beneath its neck, but its hide looked too thick for a simple metal rod. Instead, he aimed for the eye. The nod struck true, and the monster howled in pain.

Yuna reappeared behind it, slashing with the knife she'd bought at the market. The strike didn't kill it, but it weakened the beast further.

"Subaru, now!" she shouted.

Gathering all his strength, Subaru drove his fist into the side of the boar's head. The crack echoed through the forest as the beast collapsed with a heavy smash, unmoving.

"We... we did it," Riko whispered as her wolves dissolved back into mist.

Yūma looked at the others. He saw joy and excitement shining in their eyes.