The Royal Training Grounds roared with noise as the morning bell rang across the castle.
Steel clashed against steel throughout the wide courtyard as royal knights drilled the summoned heroes without mercy. The sound of blades striking echoed between the high stone walls while bursts of magic slammed into reinforced training targets scattered across the arena.
Dozens of soldiers gathered along the edges of the courtyard, eager to watch the legendary heroes from another world grow stronger each day.
"Again!" Captain Roderic shouted.
Liam stepped forward immediately.
The Sword Saint raised his blade just as a veteran knight rushed toward him with a powerful swing.
CLANG!
Their swords collided with a violent impact that rang across the courtyard.
The knight attacked again, pressing forward with a rapid series of strikes meant to overwhelm his opponent.
Liam stepped back once.
Twice.
Then his grin widened.
"Too slow."
The knight lunged again, but this time Liam moved first.
His blade flashed forward with sudden speed, slipping beneath the knight's guard and striking the man's shield.
The impact forced the knight back across the stone floor.
Murmurs spread through the watching soldiers.
"He's improving again," one of them whispered.
The knight tried to recover and attacked once more.
Liam twisted aside and countered instantly.
His blade stopped just inches from the man's throat.
The courtyard erupted in cheers.
Captain Roderic folded his arms.
"Confidence is good," he said calmly.
Then he stepped forward.
"Try that on me."
The soldiers immediately fell silent.
Liam's grin widened even further.
Their blades collided in a blur of motion.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Roderic's strikes were faster than the knight before him. Each blow carried enough strength to force Liam backwards across the courtyard.
The captain swung low.
Liam jumped back.
The captain followed immediately with a downward strike.
Liam barely blocked in time.
CLANG!
The shock of the impact travelled through his arms.
"Not bad," Liam said with a laugh.
Then he moved.
His sword twisted beneath the captain's guard in a sudden counterattack.
The blade stopped against Roderic's armor.
The soldiers exploded into cheers again.
The captain stepped back and laughed.
"Well done."
Across the courtyard, thunder cracked through the air.
Collen stood before three reinforced stone pillars as blue lightning gathered around his hands.
"Focus your output," one of the court mages instructed.
Collen lifted his arm.
Lightning erupted forward.
BOOM!
The first pillar exploded instantly.
Fragments of stone were scattered across the courtyard.
The bolt continued forward and struck the second pillar, splitting it in half.
Dust filled the air.
The watching mages nodded approvingly.
"His mana capacity continues to grow."
Nearby, golden light shimmered around Shira.
Several knights stood before her, preparing for a combat drill.
"Advance," she said calmly.
Warm light spread across their bodies.
The soldiers rushed forward.
Their speed doubled instantly.
Their swords slammed into a reinforced training dummy with incredible force.
The wooden target shattered beneath the enhanced strikes.
The temple priests observing nearby exchanged satisfied glances.
"Her support magic will dominate the battlefield."
On the far side of the courtyard, Clara sparred with two royal knights at once.
Her crimson blade moved in precise arcs as both men attacked simultaneously.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
One knight swung low while the other struck from the side.
Clara stepped between them.
Her blade flashed.
The first knight's weapon was knocked aside.
She spun and struck the second knight's armour.
The captain nodded approvingly.
"Excellent positioning."
The four heroes stood at the center of the training grounds beneath the bright sky.
They were everything the kingdom had hoped to summon.
Powerful.
Confident.
Admired by everyone watching.
At the far edge of the courtyard, Lucius struggled with a heavy crate filled with spare weapons.
Sweat ran down his face as he carried the wooden box toward the equipment rack.
"Move."
The voice came from a passing knight.
Lucius stepped aside immediately as two soldiers dragged a broken training dummy across the ground.
Neither of them looked at him.
To them, he wasn't a hero.
Just another servant carrying equipment.
Lucius lowered the crate and began collecting scattered spears from the ground.
Across the field, Liam defeated another opponent.
Cheers followed.
Lucius watched quietly.
The faint pressure beneath his ribs pulsed once.
Suddenly
"Clear the field!"
Captain Roderic's voice rang across the courtyard.
Several soldiers rolled three large training golems into the arena.
The constructs were made of enchanted iron and reinforced stone.
Their eyes flickered red as the magic inside them activated.
"Final exercise!" the captain shouted.
"Destroy them!"
The golems charged forward immediately.
One rushed toward Liam.
The Sword Saint dashed forward to meet it.
CLANG!
His blade struck the golem's arm, sending sparks flying.
The construct swung its massive fist.
Liam ducked beneath the blow and sliced through its elbow joint.
Metal screeched as the limb broke apart.
Another golem charged toward Collen.
The archmage raised both hands.
Lightning exploded outward.
BOOM!
The blast struck the construct's chest and forced it backwards across the courtyard.
The third golem lunged toward Clara.
She sprinted forward without hesitation.
Her blade flashed as she cut across the construct's leg.
The golem staggered.
Shira raised her hand.
Golden light surged across the battlefield.
The heroes moved faster.
Stronger.
Within seconds, the three golems collapsed into piles of broken metal.
The soldiers erupted into applause.
"Outstanding!" Captain Roderic shouted.
Lucius lifted the broken crate again and walked toward the storage hall.
No one stopped him.
Behind him, the heroes stood beneath the sunlight.
Growing stronger every day.
Praised by everyone around them.
Lucius stepped into the shadowed corridor beneath the castle.
The faint pressure beneath his ribs stirred again.
The heroes trained beneath the bright sky.
But Lucius…
was preparing for a battle no one else even knew existed.