The next morning, I woke up before the sun had even risen. The mansion was still silent and dark as I slowly fastened my sword to my waist. The cold dawn air drifted through the partially open corridor windows.
After last night's conversation, my mind was still restless.
The First General was making his move.
The demon armies had gathered.
The nations were beginning to prepare for war.
And I still felt like I wasn't strong enough.
I went downstairs to the kitchen and found Liriel already awake, preparing tea.
She looked at me and smiled faintly.
"You didn't sleep well."
"Is it that obvious?"
"A little."
I sat down as she placed a cup in front of me.
The gentle aroma of the tea helped ease some of the tension.
"Are you starting training today?"
"Yes."
Liriel stayed silent for a few seconds before asking,
"Are you going to overdo it again?"
I looked at her.
"Maybe."
She sighed softly.
"Takumi..."
"I know."
I interrupted before she could continue.
"But I have to do this."
She didn't answer immediately.
She simply held her own cup while watching the steam slowly rise.
"Then at least be careful."
I nodded silently.
After a while, the others started waking up as well.
Scarlett appeared first.
Her red hair was still slightly messy.
"You already started without me?"
"You took too long," Vespera replied as she walked in behind her.
"I wasn't late."
Lyannis appeared carrying several sheets of paper.
Probably notes on strategies and formations.
Rai'kanna yawned as she sat down near the table.
"So, physical training today or a mission?"
"Training."
I answered immediately.
Scarlett smirked.
"Finally."
Elara was the last to arrive, still fixing her hair.
"Where are we going?"
"The outer courtyard first."
I finished my tea and stood up.
"Then the northern mountains."
The girls exchanged quick glances.
They all understood what that meant.
Intense training.
We left the mansion early in the morning.
The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon as we walked through the spacious garden surrounding the estate.
The cold wind gently swayed the trees around us.
I stopped in the middle of the training field and took a deep breath.
"Let's begin."
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"What's the focus?"
"Coordination first."
Lyannis immediately started assigning positions.
"Liriel stays in the rear."
She pointed quickly.
"Vespera provides ranged support."
Then she looked at Rai'kanna.
"Frontline defense."
Elara would be responsible for aerial mobility and elemental support.
Scarlett would handle offense alongside me.
The first drills began simply.
Movement.
Covering each other.
Coordinated attacks.
Position switching.
Everything worked well at first.
But as we increased the speed...
Mistakes began to appear.
Rai'kanna advanced too quickly.
Scarlett attacked before the others were in position.
Vespera kept changing targets.
Elara focused too much on magical support.
Lyannis tried to coordinate everything at once.
And I...
I was still acting as if I were alone.
After another interrupted sequence, Lyannis sighed.
"Again."
Scarlett rubbed her face in irritation.
"We're too slow."
"No."
I answered while looking at everyone.
"The problem isn't speed."
Vespera raised an eyebrow.
"Then what is?"
"We're still thinking individually."
The group fell silent.
I continued.
"When one person moves forward... everyone else needs to know exactly what to do."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"Then let's do it again."
And we did.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Time passed quickly as we trained without stopping.
The sun was already high when we finally took a short break.
Scarlett sat down on the grass.
"You've really become an unbearable instructor."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Liriel handed water to everyone while Elara looked up at the sky.
"There's more demonic mana in the air today."
I looked at her immediately.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded slowly.
"Only a little... but it's increased."
That only reinforced my concerns.
The demons were truly making their move.
After the short break, we headed to the mountains near Vailor.
There I could train without destroying half the mansion.
We climbed to a secluded area surrounded by massive rocks.
The wind was much stronger up there.
I stopped near the edge of a cliff while gripping my sword tightly.
Scarlett watched me in silence.
She already knew what I was about to do.
"Trying again?"
"Yes."
I slowly took a deep breath.
Then I began releasing my mana.
The golden sword shone immediately.
A heavy pressure started spreading around us as golden markings crept across my arm.
The ground trembled slightly.
Scarlett took a few steps back.
The others remained silent as they watched.
The armor slowly began forming over my body.
First my arms.
Then my chest.
Part of my legs.
The power surged through my body like fire.
The sensation was still overwhelming, even after using it so many times.
It was like trying to control a storm inside my own body.
I gritted my teeth as I released even more mana.
The armor advanced further.
But then...
Pain.
A sharp pain shot through my right arm.
My breathing faltered for an instant.
My mana started slipping out of control.
"Takumi!"
Liriel stepped forward.
I raised my hand to stop her.
"I'm fine."
But I wasn't.
My body felt like it was burning from the inside.
I pushed even harder.
The golden markings spread across my neck.
The sword blazed brilliantly.
For a few seconds, I managed to stabilize it.
Then everything collapsed.
Mana exploded around me.
The ground cracked violently.
The armor partially vanished as I was forced to stagger backward.
My breathing was heavy.
Scarlett clicked her tongue in irritation.
"You're forcing it too much."
I rubbed my arm, feeling the pain pulse through it.
"It wasn't enough."
Rai'kanna watched carefully.
"Your body still can't keep up with your power."
"I know."
Lyannis slowly walked closer.
"The problem is that you're trying to release everything at once."
I looked at her.
"It's not that simple."
"But it should be."
I frowned slightly.
Lyannis continued.
"You're treating that power like something you have to dominate by force."
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"She's right."
I looked at both of them.
Then Liriel spoke calmly.
"When you fight normally... your mana flows much better."
I remained silent.
Maybe they were right.
From the very beginning, I had always tried to control that power through brute force.
As if I were fighting against the sword itself.
I took another deep breath.
Then I tried again.
This time more slowly.
Without releasing everything at once.
Golden mana began flowing gently through my body.
More controlled.
More stable.
The armor appeared again.
Partial.
But far more solid than before.
Scarlett noticed immediately.
"That's it."
I kept my breathing steady while feeling the mana circulate throughout my body.
It still hurt.
But less.
Much less.
I managed to maintain it longer.
One minute.
Two.
Three.
Then my arm started failing again.
The armor gradually disappeared.
I dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
Scarlett approached first.
"You improved."
I looked at her while catching my breath.
"Only a little."
"But you improved."
Liriel knelt beside me and used healing magic on my arms.
The warm sensation of her magic immediately eased the pain.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds.
Then the sword glowed faintly.
And that voice echoed in my mind once more.
"You're still wasting power."
I slowly opened my eyes.
The girls didn't seem to hear it.
Only I did.
Mentally, I answered,
"Then tell me what I'm doing wrong."
The spirit of the sword remained silent for a few moments.
Then it replied,
"You're fighting the power."
I frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"The power should not be dominated."
The voice sounded distant.
"It must be accepted."
The light of the sword disappeared soon afterward.
I remained silent, thinking about those words.
Scarlett watched me closely.
"What happened?"
"She spoke to me."
Rai'kanna raised an eyebrow.
"The sword?"
I nodded slowly.
Lyannis crossed her arms.
"And?"
"I think I've been using its power the wrong way."
Scarlett let out a quiet laugh.
"Good to know that now."
I completely ignored the comment.
I spent the next hour training again.
This time focusing only on control.
No massive explosions.
No trying to unleash everything.
Just a constant flow of mana.
Gradually, I began to notice something.
The less I forced it...
The more stable the armor became.
It was strange.
As if the power itself responded better when I stopped fighting against it.
When the sun began sinking toward the horizon, we finally ended the training.
My entire body ached.
My hands trembled slightly from exhaustion.
But even so...
I could feel progress.
Small.
But real.
As we descended the mountain, Scarlett walked beside me in silence.
After a few minutes, she spoke.
"You're going to keep going until you destroy your own body, aren't you?"
I kept looking ahead.
"If that's what it takes."
She sighed in irritation.
"You're really impossible."
Vespera walked just behind us.
"But he improved today."
Lyannis nodded.
"His mana flow became much more stable."
Rai'kanna smiled faintly.
"You finally started using your brain."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"You're welcome."
Liriel simply watched everything in silence.
But I could clearly sense her concern.
We returned to the mansion after nightfall.
Dinner was calmer.
The group talked about the training while I remained quieter, staring at my own hands.
I could still feel the mana lingering in them.
After dinner, I went upstairs alone.
I placed the sword beside the bed and looked out over the city through the window.
The sky was completely dark now.
Silent.
But that unsettling feeling still lingered in the air.
The First General was still out there.
Waiting.
And I needed to become stronger before he arrived.
Much stronger.
I picked up the sword once more.
The golden blade faintly reflected the moonlight.
Then I closed my eyes.
And began training again.