Chapter 5: The Heavy Day of the 3 Holy Heroes

The last black smoke vanished into the air. I was still sitting on a half-crushed rock, chest up and down, ears ringing. The dust descended slowly, like snow ash from the gray sky. My breath is still burning, but... The world is not collapsing. No more roaring. There are no more big fangs ready to tear us in two.

We won.

“... I really can't believe we still have legs," I muttered, glancing at my limbs one by one, making sure they were all still stuck in place.

Isamu was lying on his side, his arms outstretched, his eyes staring at the empty sky. "If this is a dream... Don't wake me up."

"If this is a dream," Seichii said hoarsely, "why does my whole body hurt."

He tried to stand up. It didn't work. Surrender. Sit again like a wet cloth.

The three of us just sat there for a few seconds, surrounded by the ruins of Valoria's north gate—shattered stones, torn flags, and blood that hadn't had time to dry. The sound of heavy footsteps approaching from behind the smoke. I turned my head, and saw a line of royal Knights coming.

They held their breath as they looked at us—three half-shattered teenagers, standing (more precisely: nearly collapsed) on the ruins of the magical beasts that had just terrorized the city. Then someone pushed forward through the ranks of Knights: tall body, shiny silver armor, dark red robes dangling from his shoulders. Her black hair was neatly combed back, her face was hard as a statue, and her eyes... cold, sharp.

He walked without haste, but his every step made the rocks rattle.

“… It's Duke Alexander," whispered one of the Knights behind, quietly like a prayer.

Isamu turned his head slowly. "Duke? Like... Secret boss?"

"It's a real boss," Seichii said without emotion.

Alexander stopped right in front of us. His gaze traced through the ruins, then stuck at us one by one, as if weighing whether we were human... or a new problem.

"Holy Hero," he said flatly. "Winning against Shadowfang... without armor, without permission, without a plan."

“… Thank you?" I said hesitantly.

"Not a compliment," he said coldly.

I shut my mouth.

Alexander let out a short sigh, then turned to his soldier. "Secure the area. Help civilians. Clean up the ruins." He then looked back at us. "The three of you, come with me."

I looked at Isamu. Isamu looked back at me with a 'please tell me this is just a dream'. Seichii just stood up, then walked first like a zombie.

We were led across the square, surrounded by the gaze of residents who were still hiding behind the rubble. Some little children peeked out from behind their mother's skirts, staring at us like heroes from a fairy tale. I don't know what to be proud of... or guilty.

Within five minutes, we entered a black stone building on the west side of the inner city fortress. The room inside was cold, full of maps and military symbols. Alexander stood at the end of the long table. We sit—or rather, collapse—in the chairs before him.

He looked at us for a long time, then said quietly:

"The three of you are crazy."

"Thank you," Isamu said tiredly.

"It's not a compliment," Alexander repeated. "Your actions are stupid and reckless. But... effective."

Seichii raised an eyebrow. "That... almost sounds like a compliment."

Alexander looked at her as if he wanted to throw her out the window. "That's a warning."

He leaned against the table. "You realize what you just faced? Shadowfang—a B-class magic beast, usually only appears in the Curse Forest, is a two-day drive from here. If one can appear at the city gate, it means that there is a big gap in the northern barrier."

I took a sip of saliva. "The gap... How big?"

"Big enough to swallow the city," Alexander replied flatly.

The atmosphere became silent. Even Isamu wasn't joking.

Alexander stood up straight. "Tomorrow morning, you three Holy Heroes are officially on the military surveillance list. You will receive a schedule of combat training, municipal protocols, and field investigations."

“… That sounds like... school, but more likely to die," I muttered.

"That's right," he said.

Isamu raised a weak hand. "There is... the option of refusing?"

"Yes. Prison."

“… I like the spirit of the team," Isamu lowered his hand.

Alexander looked at us like a tombstone staring at a grave. "Today you guys are lucky. Tomorrow, don't count on that."

He then stepped away, his red robe flapping in the cold air. The Knights opened the door. We were left to sit there, silent.

“... So," Isamu said finally, "we just got promoted... or be punished?"

"Both," Seichii said.

I massaged my temples. "The most annoying holiday in history."

Several palace healers appeared, forcing us to come along to the medical room. They immediately checked our injuries like a merchant checks cracked goods. My shoulders were wrapped in cold bandages, Isamu screamed like a pig every time he was doused with alcohol, and Seichii... sitting still like a living corpse, either because of discipline or because of numbness.

"How can you guys keep standing against Shadowfang?" asked one of the healers, amazed.

"Not standing," Isamu corrected. "We flew ... then landed roughly."

I held back a smile, but failed. Seichii just let out a long sigh.

After a full hour of dousing bitter herbs and applying an ointment that smelled like rotten dragon's feet, we were finally released.

The sky was already orange as we exited the medical room, walking slowly to the hero's dormitory. Our shoes were dragging on the rocks. No one spoke for long, until Isamu leaned against the balcony railing and said, "If every day is like this... We are only three days old."

"Optimistic," Seichii said.

"I... I don't know," I said quietly. "Just now, when Shadowfang appeared... I'm scared. But also... Flame."

They turned their heads. I looked at my right hand, the holy sword symbol still throbbing slowly—cold, silent. "Like... Something woke up when we were about to die."

Isamu looked up at the sky. "May the one who wakes up is not the part that wants to kill us."

"At least," Seichii said flatly, "we know one thing: we do need practice. A lot."

I nodded. Tomorrow we will be thrown into the military world—tactics, formations, discipline. No longer children who just swing guns.

Our holidays are already burned out. The rest... just a long road full of thorns.

Huhh... "I hate mornings. I hate the morning—

"WAKE UP!!"

A sound like lightning exploded inside our dormitory room. I instantly fell off the bed, hitting the hard stone floor. Isamu screamed, entangled in his own blanket, and Seichii... already sitting upright at the end of the bed like a corpse that rises before the sun.

I raised my head—and regretted it. At the door stood Duke Alexander, his silver armor shining like the sun, his red robe fluttering in flames. In one hand was a huge steel bell that was still vibrating.

"You guys are getting up late," he said flatly. "Even though I came earlier."

“… That... It's not our fault," I muttered, still half asleep.

"That's right," said Alexander, "it's your fault."

I wanted to argue, but he had already turned around. "Your time begins now. Five minutes to prepare. Run to the training barracks. If it's more than five minutes... There is no need to come."

The door closes.

The three of us stared at each other.

“… He is serious," said Isamu.

"He's Duke," Seichii said. "Duke has always been serious."

I screamed softly into the pillow, then immediately got up. Five minutes. Five minutes. I washed my face with water that looked like a cursed liquid, put on a workout shirt that smelled of iron and dust, and ran out with two other morning failures.

We arrived at the training ground at the last second. The sun has only risen halfway, but the cold air has been replaced by heat like a furnace. A line of soldiers was running around the stone track. Alexander stood on the edge of the track, hands behind his back, his gaze sharp like a tense bow.

"You guys are passing," he said.

"Through time... or through life?" asked Isamu jokingly.

"Both of you if you're slow," Alexander replied expressionlessly. "Now join the ranks. Run. Ten rounds."

I stared at a circular track as wide as the town square. "Ten...?"

"Run," he said flatly.

We run.

First round: I can still talk.
The second round: talk turns into a grunt.
Third round: I'm sure my lungs turned to sand.
Fourth round: I started to see the god of death waving from a distance.
Fifth round: Isamu falls, then gets up again screaming "I'M STILL ALIVE".
Sixth round: Seichii remains as calm as a vengeful spirit.
Seventh to ninth rounds: everything is blurry.
Tenth round: I reached the finish line... and immediately smelled the ground.

"I... hate... life..." My Village.

Alexander walked over. "You guys are slow."

"We... still... live," said Isamu from a position of sitting.

"For now," Alexander said. "Now the fun part."

"Part... fun?" I looked up, suspecting it was a threat.

Alexander flicked his fingers. Several soldiers appeared carrying crates of weapons and light armor. "You are holy heroes. But you fight like children. Today you learned how not to die."

One of the soldiers put a training sword in my hand. It was heavy, dull, and smelled like the sweat of 30 people.

"I miss Shadowfang," I muttered.

The training begins.

First: the formation of the line. Alexander stomped a steel stick on the ground, drawing a circular pattern with the positions of the attacker, the magician, and the ranged shooter. "Heroes are not teams. But you three Heroes. You have to be a team."

We stood in each other's positions: me in the front, Isamu in the left back, Seichii in the right back.

"Coordination," Alexander said. "Isamu, attack the front target. Seichii, give me support. Takeshi, hold the line."

"Ready—" I said, but Isamu had already fired the Holy Bolt at the wooden target, Seichii called out a little Spark, and I... Standing in front of the board while staring at the two almost hit me.

Alexander stared at us like he was staring at three rotten tomatoes. "Wrong. Repeat."

We repeat. Wrong.
Again, wrong.
Repeat.Still wrong.

The clock ticked like a snail being dragged by a dragon. We continue to fail. Isamu shot too fast, Seichii was slow to cast spells, I was wrong to go forward or late backwards. Every time we failed, Alexander just said "again" like a talking stone.

Finally, on the 27th attempt, we succeeded: Isamu shot on time, Seichii nailed the target with the Freeze Bind, I hit the wooden dummy until it split.

We cheered. Alexander did not react. "Not bad. Now a hundred more times."

“… I HATE LIFE," shouted Isamu.

Noon came like a huge monster. The sun penetrates right above the head, burning the skin. We switched to a one-on-one duel practice against senior soldiers. I was paired against a man whose upper arms were bigger than my head.

He bowed politely. "Don't hold the blow, Hero."

"Ah... "I'm really planning on holding it all back," I said.

We start.

Five seconds later I was thrown five meters, rolled over, and kissed the sand. My lips may fall off.

"I... It's okay..." My Lie.

Alexander stood at the edge of the arena, arms crossed. "Again."

I got up, held the spinning world, and then attacked. This time I had time to parry—before being hit in the waist and landing outside the arena.

"Again," Alexander said.

We repeat. Again. And again. And again.

Isamu was mentally hit by his arrow, Seichii was thrown until his stick broke. But every time we fell, Alexander just said, "Again." Like a machine that doesn't know the meaning of pity.

And strangely... Slowly we improved. The blow is not as hard as the first, the parry is faster, our pace begins to synchronize. Sweat dripped like rain, breath burned the lungs, but there was a new rhythm in our bodies.

When the sun started to set, we stood in a row, dirty faces, hands shaking, but not collapsed.

Alexander approached. "You guys are still alive."

"Thank you," I sighed.

"Don't be grateful," he said coldly. "Today is just an opener."

Isamu raised his hand weakly. "What's tomorrow... rest?"

"Tomorrow: a full combat simulation," Alexander said. " Fight against elite team units. Until one of the teams can't stand."

I want to faint just hearing it.

Alexander looked at us one by one. "Remember. Holy Heroes mean nothing if you die first."

He then turned around, his red robe fluttering, leaving us in a silent field.

The three of us sat on the ground together, like a fallen tree.

"This... crazy," said Isamu, still smiling tiredly. "But... It's pretty cool."

Seichii nodded slowly. "We... improved."

I stared at the sword symbol in my hand. Still throbbing. Slow, but warm. Like a small ember that refuses to be extinguished.

"Yes," I said. "Tomorrow we will be better."

Or die trying.

Our first day as warriors ended with the sun setting behind the fortress of Valoria. The sky was red, and we walked back to the dormitory, smelling of sweat, dust, and a strange faint hope... still on.

Holiday? Forget. This has become a war.