After Evan left, Ignis remained in the training ground, pushing his body through a rigorous workout. However, he only completed half of his usual routine—his focus now had to shift toward mastering the Draconic Flame technique.
Once he was done, he wiped the sweat from his brow and made his way back to his room. Rest was just as important as training. And more than that, he had something else to do—something important.
As he lay down on his bed, he exhaled slowly. Sleep was the fastest and most effective way to recover mana. But that wasn't the only reason he needed rest.
There was something he had to verify.
After his second evolution, he knew—he had awakened something new. But what exactly? That was the question. And as his consciousness drifted into sleep, he prepared to find out.
…..
After two hours of rest, Ignis woke up feeling refreshed. He grabbed a quick snack to replenish his energy, then, as dusk settled over the horizon, he donned a black cloak and a mask, slipping out of the mansion unnoticed.
He hadn't told anyone where he was going. To the servants, he had simply mentioned that he was stepping out for a walk. But that was far from the truth.
Moving swiftly, he reached the outer wall of the estate. With a single, fluid motion, he leapt over it, landing silently on the other side. Beyond the wall lay a dense forest, untouched and shrouded in shadows.
Ignis navigated through the trees until he arrived at a small clearing. The air was still, the forest quiet—the perfect place for what he intended to do.
Standing at the center of the clearing, he exhaled slowly, steadying his mind.
"Let's see…" he thought, his eyes burning with anticipation. "If I can still wield the power of my previous life."
The first technique Ignis intended to test was Shunpo.
He recalled the precise steps from his previous life, where he had used Reiatsu to execute the movement. This time, however, he would substitute it with mana.
Focusing, he directed mana into the muscles of his legs, compressing it like a coiled spring. Then, with a sudden push—
He vanished.
In an instant, he reappeared five meters ahead. The momentum carried him forward slightly, causing him to stagger just a bit—an expected side effect of using the technique for the first time.
Undeterred, Ignis repeated the process. Again and again, he executed Shunpo, refining his control with each attempt. Ten minutes. Then fifteen.
Soon, he could move seamlessly, covering five meters in an instant without any imbalance. His footing was precise. His control, flawless.
A satisfied smile formed on his lips.
"Perfect."
But this was only the beginning.
His gaze sharpened as he turned his focus to the real test—the one he was most eager to verify.
"Now that I've confirmed I can use Shunpo… it's time to see if I can perform Kido spells."
Ignis raised his finger, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Taking a slow breath, he began the incantation, his voice steady and commanding:
"Piercing shard of heaven's ire,
Stitch the chaos, bind desire.
Thunder's fang, in sacred spire—
Bakudō no.4: Byakurai!"
The moment the final syllable left his lips—
A bolt of lightning erupted from his fingertip.
It streaked through the air with a crackling roar, slamming into the tree before him. The impact left a gaping, charred hole in the bark, smoke curling from the scorched wood. However, the attack hadn't pierced through entirely—it had only left a deep, smoldering dent.
(A/N: There is no official incantation for Bakudō #4, so I've crafted one using AI.)
Ignis stared at the result, his mind racing.
He had done it.
For the first time in this life, he had successfully cast a Kido spell—a technique from a world that no longer existed for him.
A surge of exhilaration rushed through his veins, so intense that for a fleeting moment, he almost wanted to jump in excitement, to laugh, to celebrate like a child.
But then, the weight of a thousand years of discipline settled over him like a calming wave.
He exhaled, reigning in his emotions. A slow, satisfied smirk crossed his lips.
"So… it really is possible."
With his Kido spell successfully cast, Ignis turned to his next test—Spiritual Pressure.
With the awakening of mana, he became aware of his Reiatsu, which had been dormant; it was as if a part of him had been unlocked, his Reiatsu not necessarily increased but restored to how it was in his previous life. Obviously, it hasn't fully recovered to its former strength.
"Let's see if I can still use it properly."
Without hesitation, he activated his Spiritual Pressure.
The air around him grew heavy. His mana and Reiatsu burned in unison, intertwining as a silent force field expanded outward. Though there was no visible change, the environment subtly responded—small twigs snapped, leaves trembled and broke free from the trees, drifting to the ground.
Had a 1-Star or 2-Star Knight been present, they would have felt as if an invisible weight was pressing down on them, suffocating yet unseen.
Ignis studied the effects carefully, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his face. His power had truly returned.
But there was still one last thing to verify.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The moment he exhaled, the air shifted—a ripple of power surged around him, carrying a sensation of raw, untamed energy.
Then, it appeared.
A mask began to form over his face.
Bone-white. Pristine. Yet eerily unsettling.
Its smooth surface bore subtle etchings—faint patterns resembling dragon scales, barely perceptible yet unmistakable. A fitting manifestation, considering the dragon blood that ran through his veins.
Ignis slowly opened his eyes.
A new power had awakened—one he had never wielded in his previous life.
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