In the early morning hours, far from the demonic kingdom, under a dark sky barely illuminated by a few stars, Agnitus and Kairou were there.
There were no buildings nearby. There were no witnesses.
Only hard earth, some scattered rocks and the constant sound of heavy breathing.
Both were training.
Sweat ran down their bodies without rest. Their muscles were tense, marked by extreme effort.
Every movement seemed to tear strength from them that they no longer had, but still they continued.
Kairou's arms trembled violently.
His hands sank slightly into the damp earth every time he lowered his body.
His breathing was irregular, broken, as if his lungs were about to collapse.
—Master… ah… my body… is about to give up… —Kairou said between gasps, without stopping the movement.
His words came out with difficulty. His voice trembled as much as his arms.
Agnitus, a few meters away from him, continued training as if nothing.
His body seemed like a machine made for war. Every push-up was firm, precise, powerful.
—You can't give up —he responded with a firm voice—. If you do, you'll have to do a thousand squats.
The tone was not cruel, but absolute. It left no room for complaints.
Kairou swallowed saliva.
—Y-yes, sir… —he responded, clenching his teeth.
Kairou's body began to tremble even more. He felt his arms burning, as if fire ran through his muscles.
His legs barely held him. Sweat fell from his forehead, entering his eyes, clouding his vision.
Even so, he continued.
Not even he himself fully understood why he was there.
He didn't know why he had accepted such brutal training.
He didn't know why he had followed Agnitus without questioning him. He simply… let himself be carried away.
Everything had begun the day before, when he woke up in the infirmary.
He still remembered that moment clearly.
He was lying down, looking at the ceiling, with his body aching and his mind empty. He thought no one would come. As always.
Then, the door opened.
And there he was.
Agnitus.
One of the Seven Deadly Sins. A living legend.
A monster, according to many. A being that even the most experienced knights feared facing.
And he was there, standing in front of his bed.
Kairou remembered how his heart almost stopped when he saw him. He couldn't believe that someone like that was in the infirmary, and much less… visiting him.
A nobody.
—Hey —Agnitus said that time—. You put up a good fight. Be proud of that.
His words were simple, but for Kairou they meant more than he could explain.
—Th-thank you very much… —he responded at that moment—, but I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't defeat him… not even hurt him.
Agnitus frowned slightly upon hearing him.
—What are you saying? —he asked—. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
Kairou remembered how those words hit him harder than any attack.
—You have a courage that no one else has —Agnitus continued—. The other knights didn't want to face me out of fear. But look at you. You stood up and said that you would be my opponent.
Agnitus leaned a little toward him.
—You know, kid… you have potential.
Kairou's heart began to beat hard just remembering it.
—And that's why —Agnitus continued—, starting tomorrow morning, you and I are going to train. I will be your master. I will make you strong enough to fight against a hero.
At that moment, Kairou couldn't hold back.
Tears welled up in his eyes without him being able to stop them. They weren't from sadness. They were from something he had never felt before.
Hope.
—Master… —he had said with a broken voice—. Really, thank you very much. You came to see me when I was in the infirmary… and you gave me hope of being someone strong.
He remembered how his hands trembled while speaking.
—I have no friends… nor family. I've been alone for as long as I can remember. Today… I feel like you are like my family, master. Thank you… really.
Agnitus had smiled a little upon hearing him. Not a big smile, but sincere.
—Good —he said—. Less talk and more movement. You still have ten push-ups left.
—Yes, sir! —Kairou responded without hesitation.
And so, the day had begun.
Returning to the present, Kairou could barely hold himself up.
His arms seemed about to give way. Every movement was a fight against his own body.
—One more… —he murmured to himself—. Just one more…
Agnitus watched him attentively. He said nothing, but he didn't miss a detail. He saw the trembling, the sweat, the pain. And yet, he also saw something else.
Determination.
He didn't stop him.
Because he knew Kairou had to break his own limits.
Meanwhile, very far from there, Kael's group was already outside the elves' kingdom.
The landscape had completely changed. The forest was dense, dark, full of roots and enormous trees that blocked almost all the light. The air was humid and heavy.
—We… arrived… —Kael said, leaning a little forward while breathing with difficulty.
His legs hurt. His feet were tired. They hadn't rested well all night.
The monster attacks in the forest hadn't allowed them to sleep.
They had barely closed their eyes when something tried to attack them, forcing them to keep moving without stopping.
That had made them move faster than planned.
—We arrived at the elves' kingdom —Viridia said, climbing nimbly onto what seemed to be a huge stone circle.
The circle was covered in strange, ancient symbols. Runes carved carefully, full of a power that could be felt even without activating them.
—Why are you standing there? —Viridia added, turning to look at them—. Come on. We're going to the elves' kingdom… or don't you want to go?
Kael looked at her for a few seconds, still catching his breath.
—Ah… yes, I see… wait a second… —he responded, straightening up little by little.
One by one, they all climbed onto the circle.
Viridia positioned herself in the center and crouched slightly. In her left hand appeared a short sword.
Without hesitation, she brought the edge to the palm of her right hand and made a small cut.
The blood fell onto the symbols.
The circle began to glow with an intense green light.
The air vibrated.
And in an instant, the four were teleported.