?“I wonder if the concept of Gyo＝凝(Focus)—as we call it in the East—would translate to you,” Laili said.

  ?She began to mold her etheric body, coated in a translucent mist, shaping it into letters and numbers before Terumi’s eyes. But to him, it was invisible; even her words failed to take root in his mind. It was only natural. To Laili and her kind, Ether was a fundamental substance of life, as plain as day. But for those like Terumi and Phoebe, bound by material education and the inertia of habit, it remained hidden—attainable only through the most rigorous of refinements.

  ?“I saw it! It was the letter R!” Letty chirped instantly.

  ?“My, my... well done, Letty. So young, yet you possess such innate talent.”

  ?“How can I train to see it too?” Amethyst asked, her eyes wide with a child-like curiosity that surpassed even the youngest among them.

  ?“It is less about 'training' and more about... perception,” Laili replied. “First, you must prepare a mirror. If you are interested, try this once you return home.”

  ?“You’re saying we’ll see it in an instant?” The father peered into his daughter’s eyes, skeptical, unable to take the words at face value.

  ?Laili turned her back to them. “As one grows into adulthood, abilities not required by society naturally wither away. That is the way of things. You have no choice but to refine yourselves by adopting the perspective of your daughter. It is a slow, grounding path.”

  ?“...Fine. Tell us. How do we see it?”

  ?“Then, everyone—Kuramo-san as well—please line up in a single row at equal intervals. Spread your arms so you don’t bump into one another. Phoebe-san, Amethyst-san, take the front row. Letty, you may stand wherever you like.”

  ?“Okay!”

  ?“Letty, can you see this?”

  ?“A unicorn!! Amazing! It was a letter before, but now it’s an animal!”

  ?“You have a rare gift, Letty.”

  ?“How the hell can you see it so fast?” the father muttered. “Is it colored like fireworks smoke or something?”

  Straining his eyes to see, Terumi stumbled forward, nearly colliding with Kuramo. Laili gestured for him to mind his position. It was hard to tell who the child was in this moment.

  ?“Now, now, Terumi-san. Back to your place. When you stand before a full-length mirror, there is one thing I want you all to practice.”

  ?“Understood, Commander! Or is it Major?”

  ?“Keep your gaze fixed straight ahead on your own reflection. Focus your strength into your Tanden—your core. Set your legs in a stance as if stretching your Achilles, and shift your center of gravity from left to right without moving your belly. Do this slowly. Sustain it.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  ?The group began the slow, rhythmic shift of their weight.

  ?“Your breathing is synchronized. Now, take a staff or an umbrella. Relax your shoulders and swing it down slowly. This is where the true challenge begins.”

  ?“Is this stance right?” Terumi asked, twisting his body and switching his legs as if dueling his own reflection.

  ?“Hehe... truth be told, it is incredibly difficult.”

  ?“Am I not supposed to twist?”

  ?“That is a secret. I shall give you the details individually.”

  ?“I’d appreciate that. But what does our movement have to do with seeing the colors of a unicorn?”

  ?“It is not something seen in a single stroke. As you become conscious of how you use your body—sensitive enough to feel even the breadth of a single hair—the mysterious colors surrounding your reflection will gradually reveal themselves.”

  ?“You mean it transforms?”

  ?“As you grew, you chose to prioritize the visible world. Because of that choice, your ability to use Gyo atrophied. The fact that a girl of her age can see it so effortlessly is proof enough.”

  ?“That’s news to me,” Terumi said. “When we get back to our world, I’ll try it until I see the damn thing. But tell me one more thing. What’s the point? What’s the benefit of seeing what Letty sees?”

  ?“I cannot say it will change your social standing,” Laili said softly. “But perhaps your gratitude for this world will deepen. To progress is to change the very way you look at things.”

  ?“I still don’t get the mirror part,” Phoebe said, nodding in agreement with Terumi. “My mentor taught me that in physical arts, you never look at a mirror. There’s an unspoken rule from a certain island nation—survivors of a sunken continent—that even when dressing in kimono, you must not use a mirror. That philosophy spread worldwide. The idea is to sharpen your internal senses. Using a mirror seems... counterintuitive.”

  ?“You are sharp, Phoebe-san. It is true that one’s consciousness can get trapped by the reflection. However... as you engage muscles, bones, and awareness you usually ignore, the unique colors cloaking you will appear. While the consciousness eventually reaches higher planes, I first want you to feel the center of gravity in every bone and sinew.”

  ?“Could you give us an example?”

  ?Laili conjured an example in an instant.

  ?“When you push a wall, where do you place your strength? Not in your palms. You use the muscles in your back. Try pushing your neighbor with that sensation. With even a sliver of power, a person will fly. I won’t tell you to check that in a mirror, but it is precisely when you sink your weight into a bow-step and swing a staff that the vision becomes clearest.

  ?Another example: breaking tiles.

  If you tense your shoulders or palms, they will not break. You must feel the weight through your stomach and sacrum. Only when you crown that center of gravity can it be done. Try it when you return.”

  ?“‘Think and feel’... what a worldview,” Kuramo mused, impressed. He began gathering flat stones to test the theory. “I wish I could’ve brought my past self here.”

  ?“Look, Terumi-san! I broke three!”

  Kuramo had expertly adjusted the height of some large stones and, with a drop of his center, struck through eight flat pieces.

  ?“Only three? I could do ten,” Terumi scoffed.

  ?“I’ll go find some thicker ones then.”

  ?“What a guy!”

  ?“Do you have any idea how many minutes it took to find stones this beautiful? It’s a miracle to find slate-like roof material just lying around here.”

  ?“It’s just slate for roofing, isn't it? I’ll give you credit for gathering hand-sized pieces.”

  ?“One is limestone; the rest are mostly shale. They aren't as hard as slate, but finding this many the size of postcards is a miracle. I haven't felt this excited in a long time.”

  ?“You? The guy who lives next door to the supernatural?” Terumi teased. “I can’t tell the difference, but... there, there, Mr. Inari.”

  ?“You remembered when I used to wear the fox mask! Now I’m blushing.”

  ?As they frolicked like children in a park, the sun began to dip below the horizon.

  ?“That is enough, everyone,” Laili announced, her voice commanding the full gravity of the moment. “For now, the hour of magic begins.”