After overseeing Myu and Remia's training, I turned my attention to the others. The nearest figures were Shea, Shizuku, and Kaori.
Shea noticed me instantly. She stopped mid-swing with her Drucken, her rabbit ears twitching as she bounded toward me. "Rihito! It's been so long since I felt your warmth!" she exclaimed, pressing her face against my chest like a spoiled child.
"Get it together," I chided, though a faint smile tugged at my lips.
Shizuku and Kaori approached more calmly, their steps measured and deliberate. I glanced at them. "So, you three are training together, I take it?"
"Yes," Shizuku confirmed, standing close to me, her voice steady but her grip tightening on her katana.
My gaze swept across the training grounds. Tio and Tohru were locked in an intense sparring match, their movements powerful and fluid. Yue was running laps, her golden hair glinting in the light, while Hajime sat cross-legged, immersed in meditation. Good. They're taking this seriously.
I turned back to the trio before me. "Alright, let's start with you three first."
They gulped, their nervousness plain, but I ignored it. "Are you getting used to the gravity?"
Shea spun her Drucken with a confident grin. "After moving around for a bit, I'm quite used to it."
"I'm still adjusting," Shizuku admitted, her katana gleaming as she tightened her grip, "but I can move without much trouble."
Kaori straightened, her eyes burning with determination. "I can also move without much difficulty."
I nodded. "Good. Prepare yourselves. You three are going to spar with me."
A black-and-red hammer materialised in my hand, its aura heavy and oppressive.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Surprise flickered across their faces, but it quickly hardened into resolve. They had seen Remia spar with him earlier. Now it was their turn.
I swirled the hammer, its weight singing through the air, and pointed it at them. "Let us begin."
With a burst of speed, I charged forward, the hammer spinning as I brought it down toward Shea.
Boom!
The ground erupted as the hammer struck, sending a shockwave that blasted Shea backwards. She staggered but kept her footing, her ears twitching in frustration.
I dashed towards Shizuku next, swinging horizontally. Before the strike could land, a radiant barrier shimmered into existence.
"Ohh?" My eyes narrowed at Kaori.
"I will protect Shizuku," she declared, her voice unwavering.
The barrier shattered in the next instant, and Shizuku seized the opening, slashing at me. I caught her blade with the hammer, sparks flying as steel met steel. She retreated swiftly, regrouping near Kaori.
Without pause, I raised the hammer above my head, blocking Shea's sudden sneak attack from behind.
Clang!
My counter was immediate—a swift kick that sent her flying toward the other two.
Shea landed with a grunt, barely keeping her balance. "That was so mean!" she complained, puffing her cheeks.
Resting the hammer on my shoulder, I spoke evenly. "Even though I am holding back, this won't be a proper fight unless you work together."
The three exchanged glances, whispering hurriedly. I chose not to listen, instead waiting patiently as they formed a plan.
After a minute, they took their stances—Shea with her Drucken spinning, Shizuku's katana gleaming, and Kaori's hands glowing faintly with light magic.
The air grew tense, charged with anticipation.
"Good," I murmured, tightening my grip on the hammer. "Now show me your resolve."
…
..
.
After a while of sparring, the Trio lay sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily.
"You were being so mean today," Shea whined.
"Learn to deal with it. The enemies we will be facing will not hesitate to play dirty to win."
"Ugh, if I were able to move, I could have done much better."
Rihito ignored Shea's complaints and shifted his gaze toward Shizuku.
"Shizu, your swordplay is improving. Next, try weaving magic into your strikes—especially spatial magic."
Shizuku didn't need further explanation. She had read enough manga to know how terrifyingly broken space-related abilities could be… if those stories were even half right.
Turning to Kaori, Rihito continued, "You're already channelling regeneration magic into your spells, and your affinity for it is strong. Keep refining that. Also, start physical training with Shea and Shizuku. You wield a staff, but I'll teach you polearm techniques as well. That way, you'll be ready if an enemy closes the distance."
Still exhausted from sparring, Kaori nodded weakly.
Finally, his eyes settled on Shea. "Shea, your greatest strength is raw power. But your sloppy movements waste it. When I used the hammer earlier, you saw the difference, didn't you?"
Shea recalled the fight vividly. "Your swings were sharper, stronger… even though your movements were minimal."
"Exactly. I'll help you refine your form while you adapt to the gravity."
Before he could say more, a thunderous explosion shook the ground.
BOOOOM!
Far in the distance, Tio—fully transformed into her dragon form—unleashed a devastating breath attack at Tohru. Yet Tohru tanked it effortlessly, only her hands shifting into draconic claws.
They exchanged a few words, then Tohru pressed her palms together, conjuring a crackling orb of mana—straight out of Dragon Ball Z.
She hurled it.
BOOOOM!
The blast engulfed Tio, sending her crashing face-first onto the floor, charred and smoking. For a moment, Rihito felt concern… until he saw her wriggling like a black caterpillar against the white stone.
He crouched beside her. "Still alive?"
Tio's heavy breathing and blissful smile answered for her. She muttered about how good it felt, comparing it to when Hajime had used that rod on her.
"…Pervert."
Rihito stood, brushing off the scene.
He then turned to his dragoness, "Good job, Tohru. Once you're done training that thing," he gestured toward Tio, "Help me with mine."
He handed her several glass bottles filled with a shimmering liquid. This was healing water he had crafted, inspired by divine water. It was created using concentrated mana infused with light and recovery magic. Although it remains inferior to divine water, it is still quite effective. "Use these if her life is in danger," he instructed.
He will hand these to everyone and get some useful data to improve upon.
Tohru accepted them with a bright smile. "Yes, Master. I'll come as soon as I'm done here."
"Good. Also, I'm raising your gravity to fifty percent and Hers to ten."
Tohru's body twitched under the sudden increase in weight, but she straightened quickly. I expected no less from her.
"Ah~ I feel heavy~" he heard a pleasure-filled groan coming from behind, which he ignored.
Rihito approached the last two on his list. Hajime broke his meditation, sensing me as Yue finished her lap and joined them.
"So, how is gravity treating?" Rihito asked. He immediately continued without waiting for an answer. "I already know this much is nothing for you two. I'll raise it directly to ten percent," he said, smiling.
Both Hajime and Yue shot him with annoyed glares.
"How's training going?" Rihito pressed.
"You piss me off. You know that," Hajime snapped, cutting him off. Yue nodded firmly beside him, her eyes urging Hajime to say more.
Rihito only laughed. "I push you hard because you two can handle it. You're the frontliners—I need you ready for anything." His tone was confident, almost smug.
Hajime exhaled sharply, irritation clear in his voice. "After this torture, your so-called training camp—we're heading to the Sea of Trees, right?"
"Correct," Rihito replied evenly. "But first, we'll stop at the Heiligh Kingdom."
Both Hajime and Yue raised their brows. Yue's red eyes narrowed. "Why there?"
Rihito's tone grew heavier. "Two reasons. First: while scanning Fried's memories, I discovered plans to strike the kingdom—aimed at weakening humanity and forcing the heroes to either join their side… or be eliminated. Second: within the Divine Mountain lies another ancient magic, dormant. If we head straight to the Great Haltina's labyrinth, Sensei and the others could be compromised, and the Heiligh Kingdom itself might fall. An undesirable outcome."
The words pressed down on them like the gravity bracelets they wore.
Hajime scoffed, folding his arms. "So, the Divine Mountain is one of the labyrinths. How convenient."
"They're using it as a stronghold to block access to that magic," Yue concluded, her voice calm yet firm. She remembers Miledi mentioning the head church.
"Exactly," Rihito affirmed, his expression hardening. "The mountain is a place of worship for that bastard. Apostles are likely stationed there, waiting."
The mood shifted instantly. Hajime's sarcasm faded, replaced by grim seriousness. "You had fought one. How strong are they?"
Rihito's voice dropped, deliberate and cold. "The one I faced was stronger than you are now. If you master
"GGs?" Yue tilted her head, puzzled, as she didn't understand the new term.
Hajime sighed, rubbing his temple. "It means you're screwed if she gets close."
Yue's eyes narrowed with determination. "Then I'll make sure she never does."
Hajime let out another weary breath. "I see… so we really have no choice but to get stronger, huh?"
"Pretty much," Rihito replied, his tone maddeningly casual, as if their survival was nothing more than a passing thought.
Hajime glanced down at the gravity bracelet on his wrist, then back at Rihito. "How much gravity can you even handle?"
Yue perked up at the question, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
Rihito tilted his head, thoughtful. "Last time I checked… around four hundred? Maybe more. I stopped counting after that." He spoke in a tone that suggested he was doing some light exercise.
"..."
"..."
The silence was suffocating.
"Even now?" Hajime somehow asks.
I nodded, "It's my daily routine, you see."
"How strong are you, then, if you've already defeated one of those apostles?" The words slipped out before he could stop himself. Hajime instantly regretted asking the question.
Rihito's lips curled into a smug grin. "Strong enough to treat them the way hunters treat pigeons. Don't worry—I'll make sure you reach that level too." His smile widened, sharp and unsettling.
Yue's eyes widened, and she instinctively stepped back. That smile wasn't encouragement—it was the predator's smile, savouring the hunt.
A chill ran down Hajime's spine. In that instant, he understood. Their tormentor had only just begun.
…
Chapter end
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