"Get up, Hidari. Attack me with everything you have."
The Special Darkside Knight stood in the middle of the training chamber, his hands resting calmly behind his back.
Hidari pushed himself off the floor, rubbing his shoulder where his father had struck him. Despite the pain, a confident grin spread across his face.
He took a few quick breaths, then bounced lightly on his feet, keeping his body loose as he studied his father's stance.
"Don't interfere, Giri," he said without looking away. "I know what Papa is trying to teach me. I'll handle this myself."
Giri frowned. "Just be careful. You remember what happened the last time you tried to challenge him like this."
"Relax. I've got a plan."
Hidari tightened his grip on his wooden sword.
He started bouncing around....Then he shot forward.
His legs drove him across the polished floor with explosive speed. He kept his movements light, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he closed the distance. In a single fluid motion, he swung his wooden sword toward his father's stomach.
The Special Darkside Knight disappeared.
Hidari's blade cut through empty air.
His father reappeared barely a step to the side, having used Switch Mode to evade the strike.
Hidari clicked his tongue.
"Papa, you're always using Switch Mode to avoid my attacks. If you're so confident in your speed, why don't you try dodging me without it?"
His father raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You want me to stop using Switch Mode?"
"Exactly."
From the sidelines, Giri's expression grew tense.
"Are you crazy, Hidari? Don't provoke him. You know how he gets when someone challenges him like that."
"I'm not provoking him. I'm giving him a chance to prove me wrong."
Hidari returned his attention to his father, his grip tightening around the wooden sword.
"Come on, Papa. Let's see if your natural speed can keep up with mine."
The Special Darkside Knight studied his son for a moment before smiling faintly.
"You certainly have a lot of confidence for someone who has never tested his speed against a real opponent."
Hidari's smile faded slightly.
"Running around this training hall doesn't make you faster," his father continued. "And you're only thirteen. You should know better than to boast about an ability you haven't properly tested."
Hidari clenched his jaw. His fingers tightened around the hilt until his knuckles turned pale.
"Then test me."
His father unfolded his arms and planted his feet firmly on the ground.
"Very well. Come at me."
Hidari moved immediately.
This time, he abandoned his bouncing footwork and concentrated on his attacks. He stepped in with a quick slash toward his father's left side, changed direction halfway through the movement, then swung toward the opposite side.
His father avoided both strikes with small shifts of his body.
Hidari followed with a low cut aimed at his legs.
The Special Darkside Knight lifted one foot just enough to let the wooden blade pass beneath it.
Hidari spun and attacked again, aiming for his father's stomach.
His father leaned back slightly.
The blade missed by inches.
Hidari didn't stop.
He pressed forward with a relentless series of strikes, changing their angles and timing to prevent his father from settling into a predictable rhythm. Each swing was followed by a quick adjustment of his feet, allowing him to maintain his balance while accelerating into the next attack.
The training hall filled with the sound of wooden blades cutting through the air.
For the next thirty-five seconds, Hidari attacked without giving his father a moment to rest.
"The Special Darkside Knight continued to evade him... Easily."
He stepped aside, tilted his shoulders, or shifted his weight at precisely the right moment. He never wasted movement, and he never needed to retreat more than necessary.
His expression remained almost casual.
That only made Hidari more determined.
Why can't I hit him?
His breathing grew heavier, but he forced himself to maintain his pace.
I've watched his movements countless times. I know he has patterns. I just need to catch him at the right moment.
Suddenly, his father moved.
His figure blurred as he slipped past Hidari's final strike and appeared behind him, his open palm already moving toward the boy's back.
It was the same counterattack he had used earlier.
For most opponents, the fight would have ended there.
But Hidari grinned.
Instead of completing his forward swing, he rotated his wrist and redirected the wooden sword backward. The movement was awkward compared to a normal strike, but he had anticipated his father's position.
The tip of the sword stopped against his father's chest.
At the same moment, his father's palm halted just short of Hidari's back.
For a brief moment, neither moved.
Then Hidari let out a breathless laugh.
"Got you, Papa."
The Special Darkside Knight glanced down at the wooden sword resting against his chest.
Hidari lowered his weapon, panting heavily.
"I knew you'd try that counter again. You usually wait until I've been attacking for a while before moving behind me. I started paying attention to the timing."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Thirty seconds,you're only watching for an opening.thirty five seconds you're concentrating on ending the fight with that back touch trick.... I've been observing you every day. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
For the first time during their sparring session, his father laughed.
He placed a hand on Hidari's shoulder, his expression filled with genuine pride.
"Impressive. You didn't just memorize my movements. You understood what I was waiting for and prepared a counter of your own."
Hidari's grin widened.
"So I win?"
"Don't get carried away. You caught me because I allowed you to challenge me under specific conditions. In a real fight, your opponent won't give you the same opportunity twice....And that pattern you noticed?"
That was your training,for you to figure it out...before we move to the next phase of our duel.
His father gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"But you did well. I'm proud of you."
Hidari's expression softened.
"Thanks, Papa."
The Special Darkside Knight turned and began walking toward the training chamber's entrance.
"Papa, wait!" Hidari called after him. "What about Giri? Aren't you going to spar with him too?"
His father raised one hand without turning around.
"No. The two of you can fight each other."
Both brothers exchanged puzzled looks.
The Special Darkside Knight stopped at the doorway.
"I know you planned this together. Hidari wanted to prove his speed, while Giri was supposed to watch and learn from the fight. There's nothing wrong with that, but you won't improve if you keep relying on me to test your abilities."
Hidari scratched the back of his head.
"So you knew?"
"Of course I knew."
Their father gave them a knowing smile.
"You're brothers. You should be pushing each other to improve, not waiting for me to solve every problem. Learn to recognize each other's weaknesses, challenge one another, and find ways to overcome your limitations."
His expression became serious.
"Strength alone won't make you great Shinras. You need judgment, discipline, and the ability to adapt when things don't go your way. Remember that."
"Yes, Father!" both boys answered.
Satisfied, the Special Darkside Knight left the training chamber.
The moment he disappeared through the doors, Hidari turned toward his brother with a triumphant grin.
"See? I told you the plan would work."
Giri rolled his eyes, though he couldn't hide his smile.
"Yeah, yeah. You managed to touch his chest. Don't act like you've defeated the strongest man in the kingdom."
"Still counts as a win in my book."
Giri extended his hand.
"Good job, idiot."
Hidari clasped it firmly.
"Thanks, idiot."
The brothers laughed before picking up their wooden swords and returning to the training floor.
Neither of them intended to waste the opportunity their father had given them.
Elsewhere in the kingdom, Lucy had taken Alfie, Jackson, and Sasaki to an abandoned training ground near Ashura's hunting forest.
The moment they arrived, the three boys stopped to examine their surroundings...as the pressure becomes stronger under the training ground.
The training ground was an enormous open space enclosed by towering stone walls. Its concrete floor was cracked in countless places, with weeds growing through some of the wider gaps. Around the field stood colossal statues of Shinras from an earlier age. Time had worn away their faces, and several had broken limbs or damaged weapons, but their sheer size still made them imposing.
Beyond the walls, the dark forest stretched toward the horizon.
Alfie stared up at a statue whose head nearly disappeared into the clouds.
"Master... what is this place?
His body trembling a little before adapting to the pressure.
Lucy folded her arms.
"Your first training ground."
Jackson looked around uneasily.
"Why does it look like nobody has been here in centuries?"
Jackson body still trembling..... Nobody saying anything.
"Because hardly anyone uses it anymore."
Sasaki glanced at the cracked floor, then at the enormous statues.
"Is there a reason you brought us somewhere abandoned?"
It doesn't look like a place for training.
Sasaki said with a sigh.
Not concerned by the pressure.
Lucy turned toward him.
"Do you have a problem with it?"
"No."
"Good."
She looked at all three of them.
"Then listen carefully. From today onward, none of you leaves this place without my permission...Is that understood?"
Alfie and Jackson exchanged a look before nodding.
Sasaki simply gave a quiet nod of his own.
Alfie scratched the back of his head.
"Okay, but... where are we supposed to sleep? And what about food? Or when we need to..."
He hesitated, then lowered his voice.
"You know... use the toilet?"
Lucy stared at him.
"Are you finished?"
"Almost."
"Alfie."
"Right. I'm finished."
Lucy sighed.
"Who said anything about living here? This isn't an inn. You'll train here during the day, and we'll arrange somewhere to rest afterward."
Alfie relaxed.
"Oh. You could've just said that."
"I was about to, but apparently you were more concerned about finding a toilet."
Jackson covered his mouth to hide a laugh.
Alfie glared at him.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing."
Lucy raised a hand, cutting off their bickering.
"Enough. There's something else you need to understand before we begin."
Her expression grew serious.
"This training ground was built to help Shinras strengthen their bodies under extreme conditions. The gravity here is three times stronger than Earth's."
Jackson's eyes widened.
"Three times?"
No wonder my body feels like it's about to collapse.
"That's right. Even standing here requires more effort than you're used to. Walking, running, and fighting will be considerably harder."
Alfie shifted his feet.
Now that Lucy had mentioned it, h already feel the difference. His body seemed heavier, and even moving his arms required slightly more effort than usual.
Sasaki remained composed, although his eyes moved across the field as he assessed the environment.
Lucy continued.
"This place was once used by Shinras who wanted to strengthen their physical abilities. Eventually, newer training facilities were built with more advanced equipment, and this ground was abandoned."
She glanced at the weathered statues.
"Most people consider it outdated. I disagree."
Her eyes settled on the three boys.
"Your bodies have grown accustomed to fighting with Renshi. Before you can become stronger, you need to improve your physical endurance and learn to function under conditions that put you at a disadvantage."
Jackson swallowed.
"So... what exactly are we doing today?"
"Learning to endure."
Lucy released a measured wave of Renshical pressure.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Dust lifted from the cracked floor, and the ancient statues trembled as loose fragments of stone fell from their surfaces.
The weight pressing down on the three boys increased.
The gravity rose from three times Earth's to four.
Alfie's knees bent slightly. He widened his stance and forced himself to remain upright.
Jackson wasn't as fortunate.
His shoulders dropped, and his legs trembled as the added pressure pressed him toward the ground.
"Ghh... Master, you could've warned us!"
"You're still standing, aren't you?"
"Barely!"
Sasaki stood almost motionless, his expression unchanged.
Lucy glanced at him.
"Don't assume that being able to stand means you're handling the pressure well. You'll find out how much you've improved when I make you move."
Sasaki nodded.
Lucy then activated Switch Mode.
She vanished from the ground and reappeared atop the tallest statue overlooking the training field. Its weathered stone head was broad enough for her to stand comfortably.
She placed her palm against the statue's forehead.
A deep rumble rolled through the ground.
A massive Renshi circle spread across the training field beneath Alfie, Jackson, and Sasaki. Intricate markings illuminated the cracked concrete, spreading outward until the entire area was covered in a faint glow.
The three of them looked down as the markings passed beneath their feet.
Before any of them could react, dark symbols appeared on their foreheads.
Alfie reached up instinctively.
"What the...?"
The markings glowed for a brief moment before sinking beneath their skin, leaving no visible trace.
Atop the statue, a smaller circle formed beneath Lucy's palm. Its light pulsed once, then faded.
The rumbling stopped.
The training ground fell silent.
Alfie looked around, then back up at Lucy.
"So that's why you told us not to move. You were setting something up."
"Exactly," Lucy replied as she stepped away from the statue's forehead.
"The markings connect you to this training ground. They'll allow the field to recognize you as its trainees and keep track of your presence within its boundaries."
Jackson touched his forehead.
"Can you see what we're doing through them?"
"Not everything. Don't flatter yourselves."
Alfie let out a quiet laugh.
"Fair enough."
Lucy used Switch Mode again, reappearing on the ground before them. Her cape settled behind her as she looked over the three of them.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then her expression softened.
"That's enough for today."
Alfie blinked.
"Wait, what?"
"We've had a long day. You've gone through the trials, and Jackson has barely recovered from his Renshical sickness. There's no point in exhausting yourselves before we've even begun proper training."
Jackson breathed a visible sigh of relief.
Lucy continued.
"Tomorrow, we'll start with endurance exercises. You'll learn to walk and run under this gravity before I introduce anything more difficult."
She turned toward the exit.
"For now, we'll eat, rest, and return when you're ready."
Alfie's face lit up.
"Finally! I thought you were going to make us train until we collapsed!"
He threw both arms into the air.
"Freedom! Food! A proper sleep!"
Jackson immediately slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Would you keep your voice down? Do you want Master to change her mind?"
Alfie's muffled protest was barely understandable.
Lucy glanced back at them.
She looked as though she might scold them.
Instead, she shook her head with a faint smile.
"Come on, you idiots. Let's go."
The three followed her out of the abandoned training ground.