Rebekah sat alone after Amanda left, her thoughts turning over like restless waves. There's no need to rush. I'll pretend to think about her offer for a day, maybe two… then I'll agree. If she truly has a way to wipe out the darkside spirits, I'll play along until the time is right. My path is clear.
---
A New Morning in Ashura
Far away, in the radiant kingdom of Ashura, dawn broke in brilliant streaks of gold. The land where Lucy, Alfie, Jackson, and Sasaki had gathered was alive with the cries of birds and the hum of morning energy.
The four of them, dressed in traditional dōgi training clothes, were already on their way to the field. The loose, pale garments swayed awkwardly with every step.
"This looks so lame," Alfie muttered under his breath, tugging at the cloth. "I swear, I can't keep wearing this any longer."
Jackson sighed, matching his tone. "Hard for me to say, but for once I agree with you. This outfit is—"
"You two," Lucy's voice cut clean through their whispers. She didn't even turn her head. "I can hear you both just fine. No need to whisper."
The boys froze, then slowly gave each other space, caught red-handed. Sasaki, walking just behind, smirked but said nothing.
---
The training field stretched wide, ringed with towering stone statues of Shinras. Each figure loomed like a mountain, carved in impossible detail, weapons and armor frozen mid-strike.
Lucy stepped ahead and exhaled. With a flicker of her aura, the very air trembled. Her Renshical Pressure unfurled across the ground like a tidal wave, slamming down on all of them.
The earth groaned. Muscles screamed. In an instant, the gravity around them grew fourfold.
Alfie staggered. Jackson clenched his jaw as the weight pressed down on his shoulders. Even Sasaki shakes slightly, surprised at its density.
"We're getting straight to it," Lucy declared, her voice firm. "You have five months. Your task: lift each statue from the ground and hold it for thirty minutes. Then switch to the next. Fail to complete one, and you start over."
She walked casually toward one of the giants.
Jackson's eyes widened. "Wait, what?! These statues… they're enormous! I couldn't even lift a single leg!"
"Don't panic, Jack," Lucy said calmly. "This isn't about Renshi at all —it's about force energy. Endurance. Control. With dedication, you'll surpass yourself long before the five months are up."
Jackson wasn't convinced. He groaned under the crushing weight.
Alfie, on the other hand, straightened with a grin despite his trembling muscles. "I think this is going to be hard… but also fun. It's not about whining over the small stuff—it's about looking at the bigger picture." He pointed to the sky with a smile, even under the gravity.
Lucy's lips curved. "That's the spirit, Alfie."
Jackson looked at them both, exhaling through his nose. "You two… you really are the same kind of crazy."
---
Sasaki stepped forward, stretching his shoulders. His smirk sharpened. "Alright, then. I'll contribute something of my own: I'll be finishing this task today."
Alfie's eyes lit up with mockery. "Ha! There's no way. I'll bet my dinner on it."
"Then it's a bet," Sasaki replied smoothly, already striding toward a statue.
He placed his hands against the massive feet of the stone warrior. His veins flared as he roared, pushing against the weight. The ground cracked beneath his feet. For a moment, the statue trembled—then, with a guttural cry, Sasaki lifted it a few inches from the earth.
For thirty seconds he held on, sweat dripping down his face, his arms quivering violently. Then the weight won. The statue crashed back down with a thunderous BOOM, shaking the entire field.
Panting heavily, Sasaki stumbled back. "Tch… how are we supposed to do this for thirty minutes… and fifty times over?!"
Lucy's eyes glinted. "It's possible. With enough focus, you can lift anything—even the planet earth itself."
"That must be a joke," Sasaki muttered, wiping his brow.
"Yeah, that's a joke," Alfie said.
"Definitely a joke of today," Jackson added.
Lucy tilted her head. "Yes. That's a joke."
The three of them just stared at her.
---
Lucy's expression hardened. She stepped to one of the largest statues, planted her feet, and calmly drew in her breath. Pure strength force energy flared in her veins.
With no strain visible, she gripped the base and—like lifting a branch—hoisted the entire Shinra statue into the air. It rose effortlessly, towering above their heads.
All three of them froze in disbelief.
"That—" Alfie stammered. "That's one hell of an example! But how are we supposed to learn anything if you carry it like it's nothing?!"
Lucy set the statue down gently and turned to him. "I gave you the hint: apply strength where it matters. I won't show you how—find it yourself,how can you know how I did it when you haven't tried it out yet you idiot. That's the point of training."
Alfie swallowed hard. "Y-yeah… okay, I get it."
"Good boy." Lucy's tone was firm, almost mocking. "Remember: if you can't last thirty minutes and move to the next, you start over. That's why I gave you five months."
With that, she turned and began walking away from the field.
"That's not fair, Master! You're just leaving us here with this madness?!" Alfie shouted.
"Calm down," Jackson said, thinking it through. "If we lift one, we'll get rest before the next. We have five months—plenty of days to manage it."
Alfie blinked, realization dawning. "Huh… that's smart, Jack. Didn't think of that."
---
When they looked back, Sasaki was already gone.
"Wait… where's Mister Reaper?" Alfie asked.
A loud crack answered him. They turned just in time to see Sasaki already attempting another statue, sweat pouring as he endured. He lasted thirty-five seconds before collapsing, the statue slamming back down with another earth-shaking crash.
"This is going to be a long five months," Jackson muttered.
Alfie nodded grimly. "Too long."
Still, they each turned to their own statue. Alfie clenched his teeth, every vein bulging across his head and arms as he forced his strength into his muscles. With a guttural scream, he lifted his statue an inch off the ground—just for five seconds—before it slammed back down. He dropped to his knees, panting, drenched in sweat.
Jackson wasn't doing much better—already collapsed, groaning under the invisible weight of Lucy's Renshical pressure.