Chapter 3: The Exercise of the Holy Heroes

The next morning came like a whip. The sunlight pierced through the thin curtains, slapping my still heavy eyes. My whole body screamed in protest as I tried to sit up. My muscles felt like they had been replaced by rusty iron overnight. Even raising my hand made my shoulders tremble.

"Oh my gosh... is it my body or a sack of stones..." I muttered, dragging myself out of bed.

I poured my face with cold water from the jug. The mirror on the wall reflected a figure I barely recognizable—sunken eyes, disheveled hair, thick black circles under the petals. But behind that fatigue, there's something strange... A small beam of fire behind my spotlight. A fire that didn't exist before all this began.

Knock knock.

The sound of a knock on the door made me turn my head.

"Takeshi! Are you still alive?" Isamu's voice sounded half excited, half dying.

I sighed, pulled out the training clothes the maid had prepared last night, and then opened the door. Isamu stood with his hair tangled like a bird's nest, his uniform barely buttoned up properly. Behind him, Seichii looked neater, but his steps were slow, like a zombie.

"Good morning," I whispered.

"Morning? It's more like hell at six in the morning," Isamu complained. "I can't even feel my legs yet."

"I can still feel my legs," Seichii said quietly, "but that's only because the pain is excruciating."

The three of us looked at each other, then laughed weakly. Laughter that is more like a complaint. But for some reason, it was enough to make our steps feel a little lighter as we walked towards the arena.

The training arena was already crowded when we arrived. The sun was still low, but the knights had swung their swords, the shield struck, and the whistling sound of the coach's whip echoed through the air. The smell of hot sand, sweat, and metal pierces the nose.

And in the middle of it all, stood Duke Alexander.

He crossed his arms, a dark red robe fluttering lightly in the morning wind. His eagle's eyes were on us as soon as we appeared, and his smile—if it could be called a smile—was more like the gaze of a lion that found three stray deer.

"Holy Hero," he greeted coldly. "You guys are back. Good. I bet you guys would run away last night."

"Believe me, if I could, I would," Isamu muttered softly. Unfortunately it was loud enough to hear.

Alexander's gaze was as sharp as a blade.

Isamu immediately straightened his back. "I mean... Eh... of course not, His Royal Highness the Creepy Duke Sir — "

"Shut up," Alexander cut flat. "Today, you guys are going to fight."

My heart almost jumped out. "B-fight... With whom?"

Alexander clapped his hands once. "Not anyone. What."

The iron door on the side of the arena is open. The sound of metal clashing chains echoed... Then a small creature jumped out.

A goblin.

Her green skin was dull, her waist-high petite body, sharp teeth sticking out of her black lips. He growled, twisted the rusty knife in his hand, and stared at us with burning yellow eyes.

"ARE YOU A MONSTER?" Isamu screamed half a tone higher than usual.

"I think this exercise... Theory first!" Seichii panicked, taking a step back.

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Theory doesn't save lives on the battlefield."

He pointed at us with his training sword.

"Your Holy Weapon. Now."

I swallowed saliva. My right hand pulsed, and a black-and-white light gushed out from the symbol on my skin, forming my sword in the air. The sword fell into my hand with a familiar weight—too familiar, as if it had become an extension of my body. But the faint dark aura on the handle made my hair stand up again.

Isamu called out his crossbow, hands still shaking. Seichii raised a magic wand that glowed pale blue at the end.

"Listen," Alexander said, his voice loud. "This goblin is the weakest of all monsters. But if you let your guard down, you will die. Form a team. Use your brains."

The goblin growled, bowed low, then—

"WAAAH!!" Isamu screamed as the creature jumped towards him like a small green bullet.

Reflexively, I jumped forward, fending off his attack. The blade of my sword deflected the goblin's blade, the metal sparks flew away. My grip almost slipped—the creature was stronger than it looked.

"YOUR PEOPLE, STAY AWAY!!" I shouted.

"I TRIED!!" Isamu rolled backwards, hitting the sand.

Seichii raised his staff in panic. "M-mana! Where! Eh—[Spark]!"

A small lightning strike the goblin, making him groan and leap backwards. It didn't hurt him too much, but it was enough to make him stop for a few seconds.

"Good!" I exclaimed. "Keep bothering him from afar, Seichii!"

"I can only do it twice!" he shouted in panic.

I held my breath, lowered my head, and then attacked. My sword whistled through the air. The goblin twisted its body, dodging at a shocking speed. His rusty knife shot towards my stomach.

I swung my sword to parry—half a second late.

"TAKESHI!!" Isamu screamed.

Suddenly, the world slowed down.

The whisper came again, cold, slippery, like poison dripping in my ears.

"Thebes." Destroy. Split.

I felt something explode from the symbol in my hand. My sword glowed black, sweeping through the air in a dark arc. The goblin blade was broken, the little body was thrown against the iron fence, then collapsed silently motionless.

Silence enveloped the arena for a few seconds.

I stood sculpting, chest rising and falling hard, my sword still emitting a gray light.

Isamu swallowed spitting. "That... It's crazy..."

Seichii looked at me widely. "That was just now... skill?"

Alexander slowly stepped closer, his gaze sharp but there was a hint of satisfaction. "Victory. It's awkward, but it's still a win."

I stared at my sword—its black light dimmed slowly, as if infiltrating back into my skin. But even as it disappeared, I could still hear the echoes of gentle laughter at the bottom of my mind.

I closed my eyes, holding back the trembling in my hands.

That's not my strength. That... something else.

"Don't be too complacent," Alexander's voice cut off my thoughts. "A weak goblin won't give you such a second chance. You only live by luck."

Isamu raised his hand. "A good fortune... very thin, yes."

Seichii lowered his head. "If the goblin is a little faster... We are the ones who die."

Alexander stood up straight. "That's why you have to be faster. Stronger. Tomorrow, you guys fight two goblins at once."

"A-A-A-APA!?" the three of us shouted at the same time.

But Alexander had already turned around, stepping away as if the conversation had ended. The knights laughed at our expressions as they started to clean up the arena.

I slowly dropped myself sitting on the sand, my breath still hunting. Sweat dripped from my chin.

"Just one and I'm almost dead..." I stammered.

Isamu dropped himself down beside me. "I didn't even have time to shoot."

Seichii sat down, his knees still trembling. "I think... My heart stopped three times earlier."

We chuckled—a tired laugh that sounded more like a cough. But behind that fear, there is something strange: a glimmer of conviction.

The three of us are still alive.

For today.

That afternoon, after the additional training of running around the yard with a sandbag (Alexander calls it "cooling"), we returned to our room half-dead. The waiter gave us a wet cloth and hot ginger water. I don't even remember how I could walk to the balcony—suddenly I was sitting there, staring at the orange-burning twilight sky.

The valoria down there shines beautifully. The stone streets, the red tiled roofs, the temple towers reflect the last sunlight. Everything seemed peaceful.

Ironic.

I looked down at my right hand, the seal symbol pulsing slowly like an eye peeking out from behind my skin.

"Why would I... Why us?" I whispered softly. "What did the Goddess see from us?"

The wind blew slowly, bringing the sound of the market starting to close, the distant ringing of bells, and... A whisper that is barely audible:

—Destroy it. Rebuild.

I get goosebumps. But this time... I didn't back down. I closed my hands grasping the symbol, holding my breath.

Tomorrow will be heavier. Tomorrow there might be two goblins. Maybe three. Maybe a dragon. But if I fall... This world also falls.

I stood up slowly, my body still trembling, but there was a small ember in my chest that burned brighter than yesterday.

"Okay," I murmured softly, staring into the dusk. "Let's see how far I can last."

Morning comes, again. And my body... rejects that statement.

"I hate the morning..." I muttered to the pillow, then regretted that my own voice bounced too hard in my skull. Everything hurts. My arms, legs, and even my eyebrows felt cramped.

Tuk. Tuk.

"I pretended to be dead, yes." I hissed, but the thump got louder.

"Come on, Sword Hero, wake up!" Isamu. His voice was too carefree for someone who almost died yesterday.

I dragged my body off the bed, dragged my steps to the door, and opened it slowly. The morning light instantly slapped me.

Isamu stood there with an expression like someone had drowned all night. His hair was messier than the concept of luck. But his eyes—strangely—lit up.

"Why do you look... excited?" I asked suspiciously.

"Because I'm still alive," he replied lightly. "That's a big achievement."

Behind her, Seichii appeared slowly, dragging a stick like an old grandmother. Her black hair clung to her cheeks because of the sweat she hadn't had time to wash. "My body hates me," she said softly. "But I hate goblins more than my body."

I blinked. “… That... The most heroic sentence I've ever heard from someone who looks like he's about to pass out."

We looked at each other, then laughed shortly—weakly, but real. And for some reason, it was enough to move our feet towards the arena again.

The training arena this morning felt quieter, or maybe it was just my ears that were ringing too much because of fatigue. The cold sand pierced the feet, and the sun had just peeked out from behind the temple tower.

Duke Alexander was already waiting, standing like a bored war statue. His gaze swept over the three of us, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised.

"You guys are coming," he said flatly. "Good. I think you're going to run away."

"Believe me," said Isamu, "if there is a way out, I will make a tunnel with a tablespoon."

Alexander blinked slowly, then turned around. "Unfortunately, there are no spoons in your room."

“… He's serious," whispered Seichii horrified.

"He's always serious," I replied.

The iron door at the end of the arena opened, and the sound of chains echoed again.

This time... Two goblins came out at the same time.

They were larger than yesterday's, their small muscles stiffening under the gray-green skin. Their canines sticked out, and their yellow eyes stared at us hungrily.

Izuku swallowed loudly. "Okay. Two. We can. We're still alive, right?"

"We're still alive now," Seichii corrected.

Alexander turned his head, his gaze sharp as a sword." Formation. Use your brain. If someone dies... take it as a lesson."

"We really don't like that kind of lesson," I muttered, summoning my sword.

A black-and-white light sprayed from the symbol in my hand, forming a heavy blade that fell into the grasp. It tastes a little more... familiar today. It was as if the sword adjusted my grip. Or... swallowed me slowly.

Isamu swung his crossbow with trembling hands. "I'll keep my distance."

"I can give you a distraction with [Spark] again, but only three times," Seichii said, taking a deep breath.

I nodded. "Okay. Focus on one enemy first. Isamu attacked from afar, Seichii interrupted, I held the front."

"A suicide strategy that... surprisingly logical," said Seichii.

"Thank you... I guess?"

The goblin growled, then charged at the same time.

"Now!!"

I jumped forward, slashing the left one. My blade bounced off its rusty blade, sparks of metal flying. The right one immediately turned towards Isamu.

"AAAGH WHY AM I ALWAYS A TARGET!?" shouted Isamu as he fired a bolt of holy energy. The light arrow struck the goblin's shoulder, making him stagger.

Seichii raised the wand. "[Spark]!" A small lightning strike at the goblin that was snatched away, making him howl. I twisted my body, slashing from below—but they were agile, jumping backwards at the same time.

They learn.

"This is bad," I sighed.

"This is terrible!" Isamu shot again, his bolt missed and stuck into the arena pole. " I need a stationary target like a tower or... Mountain!"

"The mountain didn't strike back," Seichii replied dryly, then turned on the left goblin again. But the goblin instead turned the knife and fended off the lightning with a metal shield on his arm.

They really learned .

One jumped at me. I fended off, but his strength made my right arm tremble. My sword almost bounced, and in an instant my gaze fled.

—Split them.—Destroy them.

The whisper came again, echoing in my skull. The symbol on my right hand was throbbing hard. A gray light began to seep into the hilt of the sword.

Not... not now. This is not the way.

I bit my lip, resisted the urge, and shouted, "YOU!! NOW!!"

"READY!!" Isamu fired two shots in a row. The first bolt hit the right goblin's knee, sending him fall to his knees. A second bolt hit his chest, sending him pushed backwards.

"SEICHII!!" I called.

"[Spark]!!" A small lightning bolt struck the head of the goblin who was holding my slash, making it stiff for a fraction of a second.

Enough.

I twisted my body, slashing flat to the side. My sword split through the air and smashed into the goblin's stomach, throwing it against the fence wall. He collapsed.

The other tried to get up—Isamu shot him once more, right in the eye. The monster groaned, then fell.

Silence.

The dust slowly descended, mixing with our hunting breath.

I stood staggering, my sword stuck into the sand to support my body. Isamu sat down, his crossbow falling out of his hand. Seichii squatted down, his face pale.

"We... win?" asked Isamu in a voice that was almost incredulous.

I nodded slowly. "We... win."

My sword trembled in my hand, and as the gray light dimmed, I could still hear a faint laughter... deep in the bottom of my mind.

Alexander walked over. For the first time, there was something like a faint smile on his face—or maybe just an illusion of exhaustion.

"Still alive," he said briefly. "Better than I expected."

That... maybe a compliment from Duke Alexander.Or an insult. It's hard to guess.

"Don't forget your fears today," he continued coldly. "Fear is what keeps you alive."

He turned around. "Tomorrow... three goblins."

"A-WHAT!?" the three of us screamed together.

Alexander just waved lazily without turning his head, then disappeared behind the arena gates, leaving us with heavy breathing and sweat flooding in.

I dropped myself to sit on the sand, staring at the sky that was starting to turn bright blue.

Isamu collapsed on his back. "I want to faint for a week."

"My body has fainted, only my mind refuses to notice it," Seichii complained.

I laughed a little. His voice is hoarse, but warm." Tomorrow three, yes..."

I stared at the symbol in my hand. The pulse was slow, like the breath of a sleeping creature waiting.

… Well.

If this sword is going to swallow me, at least let it swallow me while I keep going.

I stared at the ceiling from the top of the bed, trying to raise my hand—failed. Raising his head—regret. Everything hurts, from the toes to the ego.

Knock knock knock.

“... No one," I said flatly, pretending to be a corpse.

"I KNOW YOU'RE ALIVE, TAKESHI!" Isamu's voice hit the door like a sound grenade.

"I'm not alive. I'm just... move because of illusion."

"Let's get out, Sword Hero, we have an appointment with hell."

I groaned like a corpse that was billed for debt, dragging my body to the door. As soon as I opened it, the morning light was dazzling and I immediately wanted to close it again.

Isamu stood there with a crazy smile—his hair looked like it had been electrocuted, his uniform was half-buttoned, and there was a thick black circle under his eyes. But his eyes shone like a person who has just found the meaning of life.

"I'm starting to like this fear," he said cheerfully, which made me even more worried.

Seichii emerged from behind his shoulders, walking around dragging his legs like a zombie running out of coffee. "I've lost taste in half of my body," he muttered.

"I'm embarrassed," Isamu said.

“… I lost the will to live," I said.

The three of us looked at each other, then chuckled—our voices cracked, but warm. For some reason, the laughter gave enough energy to move again.

The training arena was still cold when we arrived. A thin mist hangs over the sand. The knights stood around like gladiator arena spectators, some placing small bets on leather pockets. I could even hear someone exclaim softly, "I put two coins they died in five minutes."

Spirit.

Duke Alexander stood in the middle of the arena, a deep red robe fluttering softly. The gaze of the eagle swept over us as soon as we stepped inside.

"You guys are coming again," he said, his flat tone unchanged. "I thought you guys had run away."

"We... Consider it," I admit honestly.

"But we don't know the way out of the castle," Isamu added.

Seichii nodded tiredly. "And no spoon."

Alexander let out a long sigh, as if regretting our entire existence. Then he patted her hand once.

The iron door at the end of the arena is open.

Chain sound. Growl.
Three goblins came out at the same time.

They were bigger than yesterday, their bodies were as muscular as green stones, and their eyes burned with hunger. Each carries a rust weapon: a bent knife, an iron club, and a broken spear.

I felt my heart kick my ribs straight from the inside.

“... We're going to die," Seichii whispered.

"No. We are about to die," Isamu replied quickly. "A small but important difference."

Alexander looked at us. "Strategy. Cooperation. Or die."

To be honest, the options sound the same to all.

I raised my sword. A black-and-white light sprayed from the symbol in my hand, forming a heavy blade that landed in my grasp. Weighing... slightly less than yesterday. Or maybe I'm the one who's too numb.

Isamu shook his crossbow, his chin trembling. "I shot from a medium range."

Seichii raised the wand, his lips pressing the spell. "I have five [Spark] leftovers today."

I nodded. "Okay. We focus one by one. Take care of the formation."

The goblins growled... Then it invaded at the same time like a small green bullet.

"NOW!!" I shouted.

I blocked the middle one, parrying his spear with my sword. A loud vibration rose to my shoulders, making my teeth quiver. Isamu shot to the left—the holy bolt hit the goblin's shoulder, making him spin, but the right one instantly jumped towards Seichii.

"WOW!!" Seichii shouted, throwing a reflex [Spark]. A small lightning strike the goblin's chest, making it stiff for a split second. Isamu took advantage of the gap, shooting twice fast, hitting the knees and chest. The monster rolled over.

"Good!" he exclaimed, then fended off the spear attack. I jumped forward, slashing diagonally. My blade crashed into another goblin's staff, a spark of metal flew off. They started to surround me.

"Takeshi, don't die!!" Isamu screamed while turning the crossbow lever.

"I tried!!" I spin, parry, jump backwards. But one of them slipped to the side and—

—Split.

—Destroy it.

—They are just meat. Split.

The whisper returned, cold, sharp, infiltrating my marrow. The symbol on my hand lit up a deep gray. My sword shook wildly in my grip, as if it wanted to move on its own.

Not. Not now. Not the way.

I growled, held my breath, and then shouted, "SEICHII!! FLASH!!"

"[Spark]!" Lightning struck the ground in front of them, dazzling. I closed my eyes for a split second, then slammed one of the goblins right in the ribs. My blade pierced, green blood gushed out. The monster screamed, then collapsed.

Two remained.

Isamu swung his crossbow. "Cover me!!" It fired a quick shot after another, the holy bolt hitting one goblin multiple times, forcing it to retreat.

The other turned the club towards me—I lowered my head, then slashed horizontally. My blade split the weapon, then his shoulder. The monster collapsed, growling until his last breath.

Silence for a fraction of a second. The remaining one.

The last goblin stared at us, growling low... then lunged.

"TOGETHER!!" I shouted.

Isamu's bolt hit his chest. Seichii's lightning struck his head. I jumped, my sword lit up faintly gray—and my slash hit right on his neck.

His head was thrown away. His body collapsed.

Dust falls. The arena is silent.

Then—"... WE ARE STILL ALIVE!!" Isamu screamed, then fell to the sand while laughing hysterically.

Seichii sat weakly, laughing dryly. "I... still... Absolutely."

I stood trembling, chest rising and falling hard, then slowly lowered my sword. The gray light receded slowly, and the whisper subsided—leaving a heavy silence.

The plan steps are approaching. Duke Alexander stood a few meters away from us, staring at the corpse of the goblins.

"Disgusting," he said. then turned to us. "But it's effective."

His eyes narrowed, judging us one by one. "You guys... not entirely useless."

Isamu raised his hand. "That... some kind of compliment?"

"No." Alexander turned around. "That's an objective fact."

We looked at each other—then laughed a little, tired but relieved.

Alexander walked away, his voice faint in tone, "Tomorrow you guys rest. Tomorrow, you will meet a real opponent."

I froze. “... T-T-T-T-Wait, who wasn't the real opponent?"

There is no answer. Only the wind lifted the dust around us.

A few hours later, we sat on the balcony of our respective rooms. The afternoon sun bathes Valoria with golden light, the red tile roofs reflect its rays like coals.

My hands were still trembling as I grasped the cup of herbal tea that the waiter had given me. My sword was lying beside the chair, silent... But I can still feel his gaze.

The symbol in my hand pulsed slowly.

—You're starting to enjoy this, aren't you?

—Blood. Victory. Fear.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"No," I whispered. "I enjoy... still alive."

The wind brought Isamu's faint laughter from the next balcony, and Seichii's voice nagging about running out of muscle potions.

I stared at the sun slowly setting. The three of us are still alive. For today. Tomorrow, maybe not. But today... We are safe.