The sun hung high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the training grounds. Alister stood before his team, arms crossed, as his sharp gaze swept over each of them.
The faint rustling of leaves and distant clanging of metal from the other training grounds could be heard. Beside him stood Cinder, her expression calm as she observed the humans in her lord’s team: Anzo, Axel, Blitz, Lila, and Beatrice.
Alister cleared his throat, drawing their full attention. “According to the Guildmaster, there won’t be any raids today. Instead, we’ll be focusing on something just as important… training.”
He took a step forward as he spoke, his voice ringing out loudly. “It’s my responsibility as your team leader to ensure your skills remain sharp. Before we return to any dungeons, I need to identify your strengths, refine your techniques, and push you to your limits. Consider today a test-a chance to show me what you’re made of.”
Axel suddenly spoke up. “I get this is supposed to be training and all,” he said, his voice filled with confusion, “but what’s with the crowd?”
Alister followed his hand as he pointed around, his expression remaining calm. A sizable group of guild members had gathered, standing at a distance but watching intently.
A few guild members standing further away began to call out to them in a friendly but loud manner. One of them shouted, “Don’t worry, we’re just curious about how Alister trains his team!”
“Yeah, we won’t interfere, just watching from here! Just act like we’re not even here!”
“No pressure! Do your thing, we’re just here to learn by watching!”
Blitz, overhearing the chatter, smirked. “Forget about being watched by just them; even Team Leader Ren is here.”
“I guess we’ve gotten so amazing he’s come to take notes.”
Alister turned his gaze to the crowd, and sure enough, Ren was there, adjusting his glasses and standing with his arms crossed, observing the scene with a calm expression.
Ren casually spoke up, “Just like the others, I am simply curious about the process of your training, Alister. Please, don’t mind me.”
Alister glanced toward the crowd, his eyes narrowing slightly, causing most of them to feel a bit uneasy. Redirecting his gaze to Axel, he said, “Leave them be. Don’t let it distract you from your training.”
Axel smirked, then straightened up. “Fine, no problem.”
Blitz shrugged, clearly enjoying the attention, then turned to Alister. “So, what’s next, boss? Ready to show us what you’ve got?”
“I’ll be going up first,” Anzo suddenly said.
His lips curled into a sly grin as he leaned forward slightly, cracking his knuckles. “You said you’d be training us. That includes sparring with us personally, right?”
Alister’s eyes narrowed. He looked ready for a challenge. A slow smile formed on his face, brimming with confidence. “Yes,” he replied.
“That includes personal sparring.”
Anzo’s grin widened, eagerness practically oozing from his every movement. “Is that so?” he said, rolling his shoulders and taking a step forward.
“How about we go a round, then, oh fearless team leader? I’ve been dying to find out how I’d fare against you. One-on-one.”
The rest of the team exchanged glances. Axel elbowed Blitz, whispering, “This is gonna be good,” while Lila and Beatrice looked on with curiosity, unsure whether to cheer or prepare to patch someone up afterward.
Alister let out a soft chuckle, his expression unchanging as he took off his coat and handed it to Cinder.
“If you insist, Anzo. But I won’t go easy on you.”
Cinder’s crimson eyes filled with amusement as she took the coat. “Be sure to put him in his place, my lord… He has been far too insolent.”
Anzo clapped his hands together, the sound echoing across the training grounds. “Let’s see what you’ve got, team leader!”
Alister stepped into the sparring circle, taking on a battle stance, his demeanor calm. The rest of the team stepped off the sparring ring, standing close by.
Alister’s eyes narrowed as he studied Anzo’s muscular frame, a look of curiosity crossing his face.
“Also… I’ve been curious but never got to ask. What’s with all the muscle?” Alister asked. “The first time we met, I thought you were a physical enhancement user, but you’re a Null- type, right? So, why are you so fit?”
Anzo smirked, clearly pleased by the question. He leaned back a little, cracking his neck before replying.
“Curious, are we?” he said, the cocky grin never leaving his face. “Well, my telekinesis only lets me lift thirty times what my body is capable of, so if I want to get stronger, I’ve got to train my body. But that doesn’t mean I don’t use my body in battle. I may not fight physically often, but I don’t rely solely on my powers.”
As he spoke, Alister’s thoughts raced. So his talent can get stronger? I’ve never heard of that before.
Anzo flexed slightly, making his muscles visibly tense under his clothes. “As the saying goes, a sound body is the perfect home for a sound mind.”
Alister raised an eyebrow, impressed by Anzo’s approach to his strength. “Is that so?” he thought aloud, his gaze lingering on Anzo for a moment before shifting his focus back to their
spar.
“I suppose that’s a good philosophy to live by.”
Anzo shrugged nonchalantly, clearly enjoying the attention. “Well, enough about that. I’ve got a question for you, Team Leader,” he continued, leaning forward slightly.
“Are we going to use training equipment so no one gets hurt, or are we going full throttle with our normal equipment?”
Alister’s smile widened, the challenge evident in his eyes. “You’re welcome to use whatever you think is best,” he said, his voice calm and authoritative. “But I’ll remind you, I won’t go easy on you… Or maybe I will a little… I don’t want to kill you, after all.”
Anzo grinned again, his excitement rising. “Oh? You want to hold back because you’re afraid you could kill me? Haha.”
He chuckled. “You can go all out. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be sure to make things interesting. In fact, let’s see if you can even keep up, Team Leader.”
“Wait, hold up,” Axel said, glancing around. “So, both of you are seriously going to use your regular gear in a sparring session?”
Blitz raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed. “Are you sure about that, Team Leader? I thought we were supposed to be testing our skills, not trying to kill each other.”
One of the guild members in the crowd leaned toward another and whispered.
“I mean, this could get real interesting… A full-blown fight using actual weapons? Is Alister really going to go all out too?”
Anzo, who was already cracking his knuckles and adjusting his stance, added with a smirk, “You all can’t be serious. You really think we’re just going to play around today?”
He glanced down at the greatsword strapped to his back, clearly confident. “I already brought this bad boy along with me. No point in holding back now.”
Beatrice, watching from the side, exchanged a look with Lila. “But… Alister doesn’t have anything. He’s just standing there like he doesn’t even need a weapon.”