The morning sun cast a golden glow over Castle Light as Alen Drakkengard appeared with an almost divine burst of light—this time, carrying a large basket brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables.
He placed the basket carefully in front of Julius, who was still nursing his dreams of Megurgers but had to face a hard truth.
"Julius," Alen said firmly, "these are what you need. Fresh fruits, vegetables. No more expired junk. Emilia will cook them for you."
Julius's eyes widened. "What? No Megurgers?"
"No," Alen said. "Megurgers ruin your form. If you want to grow stronger, you must eat well."
At that moment, Emilia walked in, wiping sweat from her brow. She glanced at the basket, then at Julius's disappointed face.
"I'll do my best," Emilia said with a half-smile, but her eyes sparkled with determination.
Alen nodded. "Good. Now, Emilia. It's your turn."
Emilia tilted her head. "Me? Train? But I'm just… me."
Alen crossed his arms, eyeing her critically.
"What are you good at?"
Emilia paused. "Cooking? Singing? Occasionally annoying Reinhart?"
Alen shook his head. "You're going to train, starting with the basics."
Emilia's Training
The day was filled with exhausting drills for Emilia. Alen taught her the fundamentals: balance, footwork, basic aura control. She stumbled, fell, and swore under her breath more times than she cared to admit.
Her flaming hair caught fire once—no thanks to her clumsy hands.
"Stop being so clumsy!" Alen barked. "Aura flow is about control, not chaos!"
Emilia groaned. "I'm not built for this…"
Alen smirked. "We'll see."
Subaru and Reinhart — The Wrestling War
Meanwhile, Reinhart and Subaru had found an open space in the castle's courtyard. The two squared off, tension thick in the air.
"Arm wrestling?" Reinhart challenged, smirking.
Subaru grinned. "You're on."
They locked hands, muscles bulging.
The ground beneath them started to crack and splinter under the sheer force of their strength.
"Whoa! Calm down!" Subaru laughed as a fissure ran through the stone, spider-webbing wider.
Reinhart's eyes narrowed, focusing all his strength. Suddenly, with a loud CRACK, a large chunk of the ground beneath Subaru gave way, and he tumbled through the opening, landing in the lower levels with a grunt.
Quick to react, Subaru pushed a group of freshies nearby, using a gust of wind to blast them gently but firmly toward the Void below, preventing their fall damage but sending them wiping from the game.
"Sorry!" Subaru shouted, already sprinting away from Castle Light, knowing another chase would begin.
The Arm Wrestling Challenge
Reinhart, now alone and slightly frustrated, asked the castle residents to arm wrestle him, boasting about his newfound strength.
But every single person shook their heads and declined.
"You're too strong," one said nervously.
"Not worth it," another whispered.
Julius, watching from the sidelines, finally chuckled and stepped up.
"Fine. I'll do it," Julius said, cracking his knuckles.
They locked hands.
Reinhart grunted as he tried to move Julius's thick, fat hand but couldn't budge it even an inch.
Eventually, he sighed and gave up.
"Fine," Reinhart said. "You win, King of Calories."
Julius puffed up his chest triumphantly.
Emilia Returns
After hours of grueling training, Emilia returned to the castle courtyard. Her hair was messier, her eyes sharper, and her movements noticeably more fluid.
Reinhart, impressed, immediately called her over.
"Let's test your strength," he said with a grin. "Arm wrestling. Come on."
Emilia accepted eagerly, a competitive spark lighting up her face.
They locked hands, and Reinhart focused.
The ground trembled beneath them—stronger than before.
Suddenly, Reinhart overestimated his power and unintentionally hurled Emilia backward.
With a startled cry, Emilia plummeted toward the Void.
Subaru to the Rescue
Just as Emilia was about to disappear into the abyss, Subaru appeared with a gust of wind so powerful it knocked several freshies off their feet and into the Void along with her.
"Gotcha!" Subaru called out, catching Emilia mid-air with a swirling vortex of wind.
He set her down safely on the ground, panting.
"Subaru! You saved me!" Emilia said, half-angry, half-relieved.
Subaru shrugged. "No big deal. Just don't fall off next time."
He looked around and saw a few dazed freshies picking themselves up.
"Oops," Subaru muttered, then disappeared running again, probably to avoid angry players or the wrath of Castle Light's administration.
The Day Ends
Reinhart shook his head, watching Subaru's retreating figure.
Emilia dusted herself off and glared at Reinhart. "You owe me an apology... and a rematch."
Julius grinned from the sidelines, still clutching his basket of healthy food.
Alen watched silently, a small smile breaking through his usual stoic expression.
"Progress," he muttered. "This is just the beginning."