Heroes of the Holy War

The heroes Gamble and Akira are heading to training under the supervision of Lyra and Lian from the Great Trio. This journey aims to increase their strength for an attack on the Heavenly Army. The Holy War will begin in 5 years. Will they manage to reach a level that will ensure their victory? ... 

"This sounds weak," says Kazoto, holding his head. 

"What are you writing?" asks Kaen, glancing at the paper. 

"Seriously, you want to write a book?" asks Kaen, trying not to burst out laughing. Kazoto, throwing the paper out of the carriage they are riding in, says, 

"No. Not anymore." The journey passes day and night, and when they arrive, they see a beautiful monastery built on perfectly level ground.

"It's unnatural here," says Akira.

Lian replies, 

"Because I leveled it myself without using magic. Perfect for my training... So, are we going in or staying here?"

The team heads to the monastery, but it takes them far too long.

Hana, exhausted, says, 

"I have a strange feeling we're stuck in a time loop."

To which Kaen, also tired, responds, 

"It's just your imagination... or maybe the monastery is HUGE and just far away."

Noticing that the grass isn't moving despite the wind, Hana says, 

"No. We're in an illusion," and then stabs her sword into the ground. After a moment, it turns out they're in some kind of room.

Akira, ruffling Hana's hair says, 

"So you didn't take after your brother. That's something, at least." After a moment, the lights go out, and when they come back on, Akira is in a dark room. As she looks around, she hears Lian's voice, saying, 

"Relax. It's just a test to see if you can handle my training. You're currently in the 'Mountain of Mysteries,' a mountain that naturally has a magical barrier within it. It creates an alternate reality inside... but I'll explain everything once you get in. But you have four stages to pass: 

1- fear, 

2- pain, 

3- body, 

and 4- mind. If you don't complete them within a week, you'll remain in that stage forever, completely disconnected from our dimension. Good luck." After these words, Lian fell silent, and Akira thought to himself, 

"The first stage is fear... so I have to get somewhere through this darkness," she said, then started moving forward. Kazoto, Kaen, and Hana also quickly began moving forward, while on Gamble's side, Lyra was conducting different test methods.

"This seems a bit excessive," says Gamble, hiding behind a rock from a golem.

When he peeks out, he sees Aki waiting for a signal. Gamble throws a shield behind the golem. From the shield, Kaido, using earth magic, removes the earth armor from the golem's shoulder. Aki, using the first technique of the new flames, cuts off the golem's arm, causing it to go berserk, knocking Kaido off and pushing Aki away. Elarina, using a knife, slides under the golem and with quick jumps, climbs onto its back. When she reaches the nape of its neck, she stabs the knife and shouts to Gamble, 

"I need help with the armor; I have an idea." To which Gamble shouts back, 

"Alright! Aki and I will keep it busy!" he says, tossing Kaido high into the air. When she lands, Elarina says, 

"Break here and here, and then connect these broken pieces." As Elarina instructed, Kaido did, and as Elarina signaled Gamble to come over, she created circles of light. When Gamble climbs onto its back, he says, 

"So what's the plan?" Elarina, emotionless, says, 

"Place the shield and create an impulse from inside it." Gamble, slightly terrified, looks at Elarina and says, 

"Alright," then places the shield where the armor was torn off and creates an impulse that tears open the golem's chest, killing it.

"I didn't expect her to come up with the plan," says Lyra, emerging from hiding.

"You think quickly," says Gamble, patting Elarina on the back. 

"But you've got a lot of strength in those skinny arms," says Lyra, praising Kaido.

Aki, sheathing her sword says, 

"So did we pass?" Lyra turning around, replies, 

"Follow me. We're going to my house."

Meanwhile, on Akira's side, Akira has been traversing the darkness for 20 minutes, without stopping and not looking anywhere but forward. When she starts seeing light, she begins to run, and when she arrives, she finds herself in a place full of statues.

"Akira!" shouts Hana, emerging from a door nearby. From other doors, Kaen and Kazoto come out. After a moment, every statue starts to move. 

"Pain... I think we have to endure a set amount of time here. They won't kill us but will inflict pain," says Hana drawing her sword. Akira summons his sword and transforms it into a Flaryx blade, driving it into the ground to create a barrier. 

"I don't think we'll get through without taking hits," says Kazoto. Akira, thinking for a moment says, 

"So grit your teeth," then deactivates the barrier. The statues begin to attack, and as everyone blocks the attacks, they feel as if the attacks hit their mark, though they were blocked. Akira slices through one statue, and the door at the end of the hall rises. 

"I get it! We have to kill a certain amount of them! But be careful; they're enchanted with penetration magic!" 

-- penetration magic is a spell cast on weapons or people when you want to penetrate the enemy's defense without actually piercing it. In short, it deals damage despite the block, but lessens it by 37%, though the spell is difficult to master and few learn it, and it can't be mastered spontaneously --

Returning to Akira and the others, Kaen, using the -first technique of the new flames- cuts a statue in half. Kazoto and Hana struggle more, but Akira and Kaen help them. Hana, barely breathing, collapses to the ground. The fight wasn't short, and everyone took at least three hits. Akira carries Hana, and the team proceeds to the next stage. But not completely. As they pass through, they arrive at a place resembling a room with four beds and a fridge with food, as well as another room that has a bathroom.

"Looks like we have some rest," said Kazoto, and then Lana's voice could be heard: 

"You have two days to rest because the next challenges will last not just one day, but at least three. Good night." After hearing this, everyone lay down and quickly fell asleep. Meanwhile, Gamble and the rest arrived at Lyra's house. In front of the house, a young boy was chopping wood. When he turned around, he smiled and ran up to Lyra, saying, 

"Mother, everything you asked for is ready," as he knelt down on one knee. When he noticed Gamble and the others, he immediately blushed and ran into the house. Lyra laughed and said, 

"That's my adopted son, Elias. Don't worry, he's harmless."

When they entered the house, Gamble looked around and said, 

"I guess we won't be training here or anywhere nearby." Lyra put down her katana and asked, 

"And why not?" Aki noticed a photo on the wall of Lyra and Lian with an unfamiliar man. He wanted to ask about it, but Elias began to speak, 

"Mother, I found someone in the forest today." Lyra went to check on the person and make sure they were okay. It turned out to be Nal. Gamble surprised, said, 

"So he's alive after all." Lyra started asking about him, and Gamble explained who Lan was 

"In short, he and his boyfriend tried to destroy the relationships between men and women. They caused being gay or lesbian to be punishable by death in the Land of the Dragon." Without hesitation, Lyra pulled out a dagger and held it to Nal's throat. 

"So, should we finish him off?" Lyra asked with a dead-eyed stare. Gamble replied, 

"No, I want to see if people can change. Let's release him." Lyra smiled and said, 

"Alright," then snapped her fingers, and Nal disappeared.

"Tomorrow you have three days off. You can use them to get to know the place." Gamble, Aki, Kaido, and Elarina had a peaceful night, while on Akira's side, everyone had already risen to move on to the next trial, which was about the body. This trial had four logic puzzles, but each one was ten times heavier. The puzzles took the team a good two days. The next stage was the mind. The team split up again, but this time they were in a place with four mirrors. When Akira looked into one, he saw his reflection, but it didn't mimic him; instead, it tried to attack him. Another was despondent, the next was terrified, and yet another mirror was empty. The puzzle was to unify anger, sadness, and fear. Akira managed to complete the task almost immediately. 

"Was I the only one who made it?" Akira asked as he walked onto a balcony where Lian was sitting. Admiring the view, Lian said, 

"They're kids. It will take them more time than you. Their fear is much stronger. Though your fear might be even greater than we think."

A day passed when Kaen and Hana reached Lian's house. 

"Where's Kazoto?" Hana asked, just as Kazoto, battered, stepped out of the door behind her. Lian said, 

"So it's true. Your anger is stronger than the Mirrors of Truth." Akira, surprised asked what that was and Lian answered, 

"The Mirrors of Truth show three emotions: sadness, fear, and anger. If one of them is too powerful, it gets its own body and consciousness. Kazoto, I have a question. Have you ever lied and killed someone?" Kazoto sighed and said, 

"No, I was never kidnapped, and I wasn't exiled from the village for awakening the Raigan." Kaen, shocked, asked, 

"Why did you tell us this?" Kazoto sat down and said, 

"Because I don't trust anyone. I wasn't sure if you would kick me out because of it." Akira changed his tone to serious and said, 

"Tell us everything from A to Z."

Kazoto sighed and began to speak: 

"My parents always favored my brother. He was born naturally with the Raigan. It's possible but very rare to be born with Raigan in both eyes. In my parents' eyes, I didn't exist, and instead of my mother, my cousin took care of me. Wanting to get my parents' attention, I trained for as long as I can remember, but it never made a difference. While practicing a spell, I gave myself this scar. I awakened the Raigan, and my parents noticed my existence, but they demanded everything from me that they expected from my brother, including talent in combat. During the final test at our academy, you have to fight to the death. I couldn't kill my rival, so my father wanted to send me to the army as a human shield. My mother wanted to keep me as a servant for my brother; only my cousin stood up for me... That night, my father killed her for defying him. I ran away and have been living in the forests and stealing ever since." Akira sighed and said, 

"A story similar to Kaen's. So you're a vengeful ninja." Ruffling Kazoto's hair, Akira stood up and said, 

"Five years of training if Lian doesn't work hard enough, I'll add something extra."

And so, the five-year training of the heroes begins… or maybe not five years after all.