"..."
Marcos stood on a hill overlooking the sea, a short distance away from the workshop.
Gazing silently at the vast expanse of the ocean, his expression held a hint of loneliness—and perhaps a trace of bitter regret.
"Sighing doesn't suit you. Something on your mind?"
Just as Marcos lowered his head and let out a heavy breath, a voice called out from behind him. He turned to find Ryuga walking toward him.
Ryuga came to a stop at his side. He glanced at Marcos’s profile briefly before looking out over the water, his voice calm.
"...There’s no need to rush. The Ha stage of Shuhari is the most grueling. Advancing past it is a challenge unlike any other. I believe I’ve told you that before."
"You have. But still..."
"Did seeing Yugo’s fight yesterday give you a lot to think about?"
Ryuga wasn’t looking at him, yet his words cut straight to the heart of the matter. Marcos gave a shallow, stiff nod.
Leaning his weight against the fence in front of him, Marcos reflected on Yugo’s performance with the Green Armor. Finally, he began to voice the thoughts he had been harboring.
"When we fought before and you told me I was getting stronger, I was happy. But I still haven't been able to break out of my shell. I don't feel it. I have no sense that I'm actually growing... or that I'm any closer to catching up to you and Yugo."
When Ryuga—a man with strength equal to Yugo’s and someone Marcos held in high regard—had acknowledged his growth during their duel, Marcos had been genuinely moved. He had truly felt as if he were closing in on Yugo, becoming a rival worthy of the name. He had been fired up by that validation.
But since that day, he hadn't felt a single inch of progress. It wasn’t that he doubted Ryuga’s word; he understood that the transition from the stage of following teachings to breaking them—creating one’s own unique style—was a monumental task.
However, that stagnation had birthed a frantic impatience in his heart. He wanted to be stronger, and he wanted it now.
"Then came yesterday's battle. Yugo developed yet another new Blaster and mastered it perfectly. He even found a way to handle long-range combat, erasing his greatest weakness. He’s evolved again... and the distance between us has only grown."
"..."
"It’s frustrating. Incredibly so. We were once equals, but now the difference between us is like heaven and earth. I don't even feel like I'm gaining on him. I can’t help but feel pathetic... it’s maddening."
Marcos clenched his fist until it shook. Within that grip was a surge of raw emotion—loathing for his own inadequacy and a deep sense of shame. He had vowed to keep struggling as Yugo’s rival and greatest friend, yet their power levels were diverging further by the day.
He had been getting ahead of himself lately, but he now had an even deeper reason to feel miserable.
"...The reason I wanted to see the weapons on this island was because I hoped to find a shortcut to strength. I thought that if I had a powerful weapon, like the shooting-use one Yugo used yesterday, I could bridge the gap. But it was a shallow, lazy thought. Yugo isn't strong because his weapons are powerful. His Blasters are only effective because of his own ingenuity and effort. He must have spent countless hours honing his skills in ways I never saw."
"But your line of thinking isn't entirely wrong," Ryuga countered. "Just like Yugo’s Blaster or my Ryuo-ga, the right weapon can draw out your dormant strength. It can be the catalyst you need to break your shell."
"Even if that’s true, both you and Yugo put in the work to earn that strength. There’s no value in a hollow power gained overnight just by picking up a fancy tool. I was so blinded by my own impatience that I forgot that simple truth. I was so disgusted with myself that I had to walk away."
Yugo wasn't strong because he used a modified Blaster. Ryuga wasn't strong because of his legendary sword. They were extraordinary because they had put in the work and mastered the techniques required to draw out every bit of potential from their gear.
If Marcos were to find a superior weapon here and suddenly become more powerful, it wouldn't mean Marcos had grown. The weapon would be strong, but he would remain the same. Realizing he had tried to rely on a crutch had left him feeling utterly defeated.
"...I was unfair to Elena and Poruru, too. They were genuinely trying to help me, working so hard to find the right weapon..."
"Marcos..."
He sighed again, the sound heavy with guilt. Ashamed of his own shallowness, he felt terrible for spurning the kindness of those who had treated him with such sincerity.
Looking at him, Ryuga couldn't help but let a small smile touch his lips.
"I’m relieved. If you’ve realized that much, then you’re going to be just fine."
"What...?"
Surprised, Marcos looked up. Meeting his gaze with a warm, steady smile, Ryuga continued.