CHAPTER 5: The harsh wind of the Vikings
The next day, Rexy woke up inside his tent as usual, except this time Epifanno was waiting for him right beside his sleepbag. Rexy asked in a sleepy tone,
"...Is the training starting now?"
Epifanno nodded sternly, then took Rexy outside to a large hill layered with grass. He stretched, handed Rexy the gas mask, and shouted,
"From now on, inhale for 15 seconds, exhale for 15 seconds! At all costs, keep the rhythm!"
Rexy shivered slightly and put on the gas mask. Before he could even take a breath, Epifanno shouted again,
"On the ground! Give me 50 raw push-ups! Do not break the breathing rhythm, or you'll have to start over!"
Rexy groaned and got on the ground. His first attempt was a total failure—he kept his breathing rhythm until the 32nd push-up, then accidentally broke it. The second attempt went better; he kept going steadily: 31, 32, 33. At the 40th push-up, he collapsed from exhaustion and thirst. Epifanno took off Rexy's mask and handed him water.
"Drink up! I know forcing isn't always good, but slacking off isn't either. After this bottle, keep it up!"
Rexy relaxed as he chugged the entire bottle in exhaustion and let out a sigh. He put the mask back on and continued training. After many failed attempts, he finally reached the 40th push-up again—this time without breaking the rhythm. The 45th milestone was grueling; his hands shook, and he sweated intensely, but he knew doing it again would break him mentally. He burned all his energy for the last five push-ups. After succeeding, he laid down, tossing the mask aside to catch his breath. Epifanno clapped and reminded him,
"This is just the first part. There will be three parts, and you'll do this daily."
Rexy gasped in devastation and asked nervously,
"Isn't that too harsh?"
Epifanno nodded but replied differently from his usual stern gesture,
"Yes and no. I'd rather train you until the timer ends than let you die. Put the mask back on."
Rexy sighed, put the mask on, and waited for orders. Strangely, Epifanno stayed silent. Rexy asked, hinting at confusion,
"What's the next part?"
Epifanno replied slowly,
"It's after lunch. In the meantime, train your body in whatever way you can, but do not just stand there doing nothing."
Rexy nodded and started stretching and lapping around the hill. Meanwhile, Reimu woke up and, annoyed, he complains
"What's with the loud noises?"
Epifanno looked at him and replied,
"Isn't it obvious? I am training him as much as possible."
Reimu watched Rexy running across the field and clicked his tongue in admiration. He walked past the firewood, took out a can of jam, and spread it on his bread while watching Rexy train. Meanwhile, Rexy, exhausted and barely able to continue, stopped at the tent and sat down, panting. Just then, Epifanno arrived with a huge sandwich loaded with skewered fish and vegetables. He said sternly,
"Eat up. This is your lunch."
Rexy sighed and chuckled slightly.
"Can you, like, act a little whimsical? The pressure is making me feel hesitant."
Epifanno laughed, adopting a more joyful tone,
"I can totally do it! I just want to act cool, but if you say so!"
Rexy started eating the sandwich and quickly realized it was packed with meat; the first bite alone was intensely flavorful. By the time he finished, he was completely full. Suddenly, Epifanno appeared holding a cup of water, smirking.
"Drink it up."
Rexy took the cup, expecting normal water, but it had a strong metallic taste. He winced and asked,
"Why is there iron in the water?"
Epifanno grinned,
"It's direct iron extracted from crabs, so your blood can be richer and more potent."
Rexy squinted in confusion but drank anyway; he was too thirsty to care. Soon, he felt energy filling his body. Looking at his hand, he saw it change from pale to a healthy red. Epifanno watched the phenomenon with interest before explaining,
"I forced your body to overwork, putting it on the verge of total muscle shutdown. But with a sudden feast and iron-rich water, it has no choice but to absorb it. Your body heals because it's too exhausted to hesitate."
Rexy stood, stretched, and put his gas mask back on.
"What's next—"
Before he could finish, Epifanno interrupted,
"Woah, slow down! You just ate a lot. Intense training now might hurt your stomach. For now, take a nap."
"You're right," Rexy admitted. "I feel pretty heavy."
He returned to his tent and slept. Meanwhile, Epifanno called Bob.
"Hey Bob, tell me everything about the invader—information, locations, everything."
Bob's end crackled with page-swiping sounds.
"Yeah... Bad news again, he attacked Planetoid Infernium and killed the strongest of the races there. His motive is unknown, but his name is Kamikaze Ryoushiru. He's a bloodthirsty man, wearing a huge ruined dark brown coat, a greatsword that's entangled by thorns and looks like it's breaking, with chains wrapped around his back tying a big wooden cross on him, He looks ruined, kills anyone who stands in his way and leaves no evidence, almost like he's hunting for something. He's not from this branch of the timeline, that's what i know"
Epifanno frowned, stressed, and muttered,
"Someone—or something—broke the line of the script set up by the narrative thread, I'm pretty sure."
Bob paused, considering,
"That might be Santviento's men."
Epifanno interrupted,
"No, it's not. Santviento is strong, but he can't interfere with the core structure of reality or time, let alone the narrative thread."
Both realized at once,
"This must be the work of an external force."
Bob grumbled, then replied,
"I'll contact Lady Kuyo. We have to let Clockwise handle it."
Epifanno's concern was evident.
"What if he isn't enough?"
Bob hesitated, uncertain,
"Better than nothing. Bye, I'm going to work on it now."
The call ended. Epifanno sighed as Reimu approached.
"Feeling stressed again?"
"Yeah," Epifanno replied, rubbing his temple. "It's been a long time since I faced such a big threat. It wasn't a good experience. You'd feel the same."
Reimu chuckled and patted his back,
"Calm down, giant. We all feel the same. Even in these situations, I try to stay whimsical. There's always hope."
Epifanno relaxed and let out a long sigh.
"Yeah... you're right."
As time passed, Rexy slowly gained stamina and resistance from the training. His body was no longer thin and fragile; he was visibly taller and stronger. Today marked the 20th day of training. Epifanno stretched and patted Rexy's shoulder.
"Today is the last day of training. You have one test left. It's not fighting Reimu or enduring the northern wind naked anymore. You're fighting me. Good luck."
Rexy flinched and asked nervously,
"But... am I too weak for this?"
Epifanno laughed loudly, then spoke in a calming tone,
"The harsh cold of the north trains the strongest. You need to embrace it, experience it, adapt. Now, are you ready?"
Rexy, nervous about Epifanno's colossal 250 cm frame, nevertheless prepared his stance and shouted,
"Ready!"
Suddenly, Epifanno blitzed forward, punching Rexy in the side and knocking him into the woods. Rexy crouched in pain, but before he could react, Epifanno was already approaching. Rexy performed a body kick to Epifanno's ribs. There was a loud crack—but it was Rexy's leg, fracturing his bones. Grunting in pain, he didn't retreat. He jumped and executed a series of blows: a kick to the chin, three consecutive punches to the abdomen, a side jab, and an uppercut—but Epifanno barely budged.
"You can't attack me plainly. You need a specific type of attack," Epifanno said. He began breathing in rhythm, then punched Rexy—not to knock him back, but to send a shockwave destabilizing his body. He followed with a headkick to Rexy's cheek, sending him flying back.
"That's Chi," Epifanno explained. "It's energy that disrupts your body and mind upon impact, leaving you vulnerable. Normally gained through meditation and absolute mental peace, but we don't have much time, so I train you the hard way."
He spread his arms, inviting Rexy to try.
"Come on. Breathe slowly and focus."
Rexy nodded, closed his eyes, and began breathing slowly. The world seemed to freeze as his mind absorbed the scenery. With a swift movement, he jabbed Epifanno's abdomen, sending a shockwave through the forest. Epifanno flinched, smiling.
"That's it! That's what I'm looking for!"
Epifanno lunged to tackle him, but Rexy, focused on Chi and tranquility, calmly pushed Epifanno's shoulder, altering his trajectory. Epifanno, surprised, quickly smiled and got back up.
"You can still smile in a one-sided fight?"
He threw a boulder at Rexy. Mid-flight, Rexy touched the boulder, rebounding it into Epifanno, who was pushed back slightly. Epifanno got up, brushed his shoulder from the dust, and laughed.
"Ok, enough messing around. Time to get serious."
Epifanno raised his hands, winding up his fist, eyes closed.
"Maximum Technique!"
His body pulsed with destructive energy, melting everything close to him. Rexy backed away in surprise. Epifanno's fist glowed.
"Singularity Collapse!"
He shoved both hands forward, condensing energy into a blinding beam. It tore through the ground, melting everything, surging toward Rexy. Rexy froze. No time to dodge. The beam swerved at the last second, shooting past him, punching the sky, and exploding into a swirling bloom of light like a newborn galaxy.
"What was that?" Rexy asked.
Epifanno brushed dust from Rexy's hair and explained,
"Signature Techniques. Once unlocked, they become yours, with wide variations. Gaining a second ability is hard, but you'll learn soon. And I was holding back a lot, tehehe~"
He chuckled and patted Rexy's back.
"You're already strong. Keep polishing your skills whenever you can."
Rexy sighed, looking up at the sky.
"Come to think of it, if you're this strong, why didn't you protect the world yourself?"
Epifanno shrugged and replies
"Worlds complicated, i am not unbeatable"
Rexy shrugged, before his stomach rumbles
"Uhh, im hungry"
Epifanno sighs and looks at Reimu, before saying
"Ask the chef"
Rexy immediately forgot the battle and shouted eagerly,
"YES! BRING ME REIMU'S BEST COOKING!"
Reimu sighed in annoyance, emerging from a hollow tree.
"I'm not your chef. Go cook for yourself, or buy food."
The three laughed as they walked back to the city after the rough battle, ending the day with a delicious meal and a life-changing lesson.