My chest felt heavy, like a boulder pressing down on my ribs. My vision blurred with tears I couldn't hold back. The laughter of the knights still echoed in my ears, sharp and mocking. And Lyra's proud smile. It was carved into my mind as if to remind me of my failure.
I always knew I wasn't good enough.
But knowing and feeling it… were two very different things.
"I need to get stronger," I whispered to myself, my voice breaking. "I need to train harder. I won't lose. I won't lose ever again."
I ran. And ran. And ran. My legs burned, but I didn't care. The castle's walls blurred past me until, before I realized, the stone halls gave way to open air. I was outside the castle.
No guards stopped me. No one called out.
Was it because I was crying? Because I lost so disgracefully?
I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. "…Shadows. You're here, right?"
A voice, calm and low, came from nowhere.
"Yes, Prince. We're right beside you. It would be better if you returned before someone notices."
Their presence was invisible, but their voices were as clear as whispers in my ear. The famed Shadow Regiment. Trained to be unseen, unheard, untouchable. Even at my side, I couldn't sense them.
I swallowed, my throat tight. "…Shadow. I have a question."
"Ask, Prince. If it's within my knowledge, I will answer."
I hesitated. My hands were still trembling from my loss. But my words came out firm.
"Can you train me? Can you help me become stronger… just like you?"
There was silence for a moment. Then, a sigh.
"Prince… understand this. We the Shadow Regiment works as assassins, spies, hunters in the dark. We don't fight in the open. Each of us spent years, decades, molding ourselves into this craft. I myself trained for fifteen years before I was allowed to bear this name. You cannot simply become like us overnight. To walk this path, you must dedicate your entire life to it."
Shadow 2 cut in,
"Hey, don't you think that's a little harsh? We're speaking to the Prince, not some recruit off the streets. He could order us executed with a single word."
I shook my head, wiping the last of my tears with the back of my hand.
"No. I won't do that. And I don't care how long it takes. I will dedicate my entire life. You're masters at moving unseen, at striking where no one expects. Not even Nova-stage mages can sense you. That's what I want. I don't care if it's assassination, swordsmanship, magic, archery, or all of them. I want every possible way to win. So please… train me."
My voice cracked near the end, but I didn't look away.
The silence that followed was heavier than the laughter I'd left behind.
The shadow's voice lingered in the air, thoughtful, almost testing me.
"Nice resolve. But will it burn as brightly as now… or fade away as your memory of defeat are gone? Is this motivation… or true determination? Well… not that I can refuse a resolved child, especially when that child is an Imperial Prince."
Then, softly, he said words that carved themselves into my heart:
"Well then… shall we return inside, my disciple? But remember, my training won't be as easy as you think."
My eyes widened. For a moment, I forgot about my tears, my loss, my shame. A bright smile broke across my face. Disciple. He called me disciple. That was all I needed to hear. With someone like him guiding me, I could grow stronger. Stronger than anyone else.
---
We returned to the training grounds.
"Almost six hours remain before your physical training ends," Shadow 1 said, his tone cold, commanding. "From now on, you won't slack off. Answer me every time clearly and loudly."
"Yes, Sir."
"Louder."
"YES, SIR!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the chamber.
He gave a small nod. "Good. We'll begin with basic swordsmanship. We shadows might not be master swordsmen, but we know how to beat a knight or two in direct combat."
A glint of steel flew through the air. He tossed me a sword. Not wooden, but real. Heavy. Sharp. The first real weapon I'd ever held.
I unsheathed it slowly. The weight pulled against my wrist, unfamiliar yet thrilling.
"Ohh… it's my first time holding a real sword," I murmured. "I wonder how sharp—"
"Stop." His voice cut me off like a blade. "No unnecessary thoughts. Focus only on what I teach you."
"Yes, Sir."
He dragged a thick wooden trunk into the center of the training ground. Its bark was rough, the log was dense.
"Slash it."
"Huh…?Won't a thinner target be better for my fir—"
"Just do what I say." His tone was final. "Excuses won't work."
I tightened my grip. My hands were already blistered from earlier training, my arms sore, but this was my chance. I raised the sword above my head, heart pounding, and shouted—
"Yes, Sir!"
Then I swung down with everything I had.
Clink!
The blade stopped the instant it touched the trunk, a jarring vibration running up my arms. My teeth clenched as shivers coursed through me. Forget cutting it in half, I hadn't even left the faintest scratch.
"Try again!" Shadow barked. His voice cracked like a whip. "And don't stop until you've cut it through!"
My chest tightened. Really? Cut this? How could I possibly cut down a trunk this thick?
That's when it came.
[ Would you like to receive my instructions? ]
My breath caught. "…Veyra? You finally spoke." Relief swept through me like a tide. "Yes. Help me slash this trunk."
[ Your current physical ability is not enough to slash it down in one or two strikes. ]
[ But with repeated hits, focused on the same point, it can be done. ]
"…But I didn't even leave a scratch," I muttered, doubt crawling up my throat. "How am I supposed to cut it after several stri—"
"HEY!" Shadow's voice thundered, snapping me out of it. His presence loomed over me like a storm. "What are you daydreaming about? I thought you wanted to grow stronger. Or are you going to quit the moment it gets hard? Pick up the sword and swing!"
I grit my teeth. "Y-Yes, Sir!"
Clink!
Clang!
Clink!
The sword bounced uselessly, my strikes weak, unfocused. Each clang was another mockery. Not even a scratch. Not even one.
But then—
[ While swinging, you are not focusing on a single spot. That is why no damage is forming. ]
[ Focus on one point, and channel momentum into every strike. Stretch your arms more. Relax your glutes. ]
"…Like this?"
Clink!
A faint indentation formed. My eyes widened.
Clang!
It deepened, ever so slightly.
[ Better. Now repeat the strikes. ]
I tightened my grip, sweat rolling down my cheek. My muscles screamed, but I lifted the blade again.
And again.
And again.
Each strike echoed in the chamber, my breath ragged, my body trembling, but finally—finally something began to change.
Clang.
Clink.
Clang.
The rhythm of steel echoed through the training ground, steady as a heartbeat.
Shadow 2 shifted uneasily, his voice low. "Hey… how many hours has it been?"
Shadow 1 folded his arms. "Four, give or take."
Shadow 2 whistled softly. "And the Prince is still at it. After all that vibration… all that pain… and he's not stopping. If you ask me, he's going to be a terrifying warrior someday."
"Yeah," Shadow 1 muttered, eyes fixed on the boy. "The blade hasn't cut clean through yet, but he's already carved halfway. His arms are shaking, his palms are torn raw, and yet… he looks like he's enjoying it."
Shadow 2's tone darkened, almost reverent. "Who would believe it? Striking the same spot for hours without rest. He's like a madman. A pure lunatic, crazy for power."
Shadow 1's gaze flicked to him, sharp. "Careful. He may be our disciple for now, but he's still an Imperial Prince. If the Empress heard you calling him that, we'd both vanish before sunrise."
Shadow 2 laughed bitterly. "True. Who would imagine the cold-blooded, unshakable Empress to be a doting mother?"
"…Doesn't matter," Shadow 1 said flatly. "Our duty stays the same. Protect him. Train him. If he survives this path, he won't just be strong—he'll be unstoppable. A force the whole world will soon have to acknowledge."
Shadow 2 nodded, eyes narrowing as Kaito's body trembled but still swung the sword. "Yeah… those who carve for power aren't like us. We train, we endure, we follow orders. But them? They grow. Stronger, and stronger still. With talent like his, he'll surpass us in a few years, and we'll never even see it coming."
Shadow 1 exhaled slowly. "…That's the difference. Between those who rule, and those who are ruled."
His voice sharpened. "Enough for now, Prince. Time to move on to the next method."
Silence.
"Prince?" Shadow 1 called.
No answer.
"Prince, are you listening?" Shadow 2 stepped closer.
Still nothing.
And then—they froze.
Kaito's eyes had rolled back, his body drenched in sweat, lips pale. He had collapsed long ago, unconscious from the pain, the heat, the sheer exhaustion.
But his arms never stopped.
Swing after swing, the steel came down, each strike landing on the exact same spot. Mechanical. Relentless. Inhuman.
Shadow 2's breath caught in his throat. "…Impossible. He's unconscious, but his body's still moving."
Shadow 1's expression hardened. "No. He isn't just unconscious."
Clang.
Clink.
Clang.
"He's a true madman,"
"A lunatic who won't stop until he gets what he wants."