"He's not going to die from overtraining, isn't he?"

"I-I don't think so…? Right?"

"Hahaha... let's hope not," Dia laughed nervously.

"..."

The six girls went silent for a moment before Frila spoke up again, her voice carrying quiet confidence.

"Well, one thing is so sure… and that is he would get back in case he fall… He always does."

She remembered how they were saved when he alone faced that transformed Vincent despite bleeding all over his body, despite being completely outmatched, despite having every reason to run.

"That's not as comforting as you think it is."

"Welcome to serving Nero. Where common sense goes to die and insanity becomes standard operating procedure."

The former wives could only nod in resigned agreement.

Their lives had certainly become more interesting since entering his service.

Though whether that was a blessing or curse remained an open question.

***

*THUD! THUD! THUD!*

The sound of fists striking a heavy bag echoed across the training ground at dawn, rhythmic and mechanical.

Nero's knuckles were wrapped in cloth that had once been white but now carried faint stains from preliminary exercises.

His breath came in controlled bursts, each exhalation timed to the impact of his strikes.

The artificial sun hadn't fully risen over Waifuria yet, casting long shadows across the reinforced training area Luna had constructed with frightening efficiency.

Barriers shimmered at the edges, spatial reinforcement strong enough to contain SSR-tier destruction without buckling.

Good thing too, considering what was about to happen.

*Whoosh!*

A massive shadow fell over Nero without warning.

"!!!"

His enhanced instincts screamed danger half a second before Velraeth's fist came rocketing toward his head with enough force to decapitate.

*Wooom!*

He ducked purely on reflex, the displaced air from her punch making his hair whip violently.

"What the–?!"

The strike passed so close he felt the heat radiating from her knuckles.

"Too slow!"

*WHAM!*

Her knee came up in a blur, aimed at his ribs with devastating precision.

But this time...

*Bang!*

Nero's forearm intercepted the strike, his enhanced durability preventing immediate bone fracture despite the tremendous impact.

The force still sent him skidding backward, his feet carving trenches in the reinforced ground.

"Oh?"

Velraeth's ember eyes gleamed with surprised interest.

"You blocked that? Most humans would've had their arm turned to paste!"

"... Yeah, you hit hard, you know?"

Heck, arms were faintly trembling in pain just from the impact of her knee.

And judging by how he wasn't turned into a meat paste, or he wasn't shot like a human rocket, he knew she was VERY MUCH holding back.

Heck, he even saw her make a fissure on the ground with her fist last time!

"Alright! Morning training starts now!"

Velraeth's manic grin gleamed in the pre-dawn light, her ember eyes glowing with predatory excitement.

*Wooosh!*

She didn't wait for a response, her next attack already launching.

She wore minimal armor more than usual, her muscular frame radiating barely-contained violence.

"You said you wanted to get stronger, right? This fist will make you into one! HAHAHAHA!"

*BOOM!*

She closed the distance in a single explosive step, her fist pistoning forward with enough force to crater stone.

'That fist will turn me into a meat chuck if I directly received it.'

Nero calmly retorted as he twisted aside, the punch missing by inches as he simultaneously countered with a palm strike toward her exposed ribs.

*Thud!*

The blow connected, though it felt like hitting a brick wall wrapped in steel.

"HAHAHA! That's more like it!"

Velraeth's tail whipped around like a battering ram, forcing Nero to duck and roll.

He came up in a defensive stance, his body already adapting to her chaotic attack patterns.

'No rhythm. No telegraph. Pure instinct and overwhelming speed.'

He calmly analyzed her movements with cold precision, stripping away the intimidation factor to reveal underlying patterns.

She favored her right side slightly.

Her tail strikes came in predictable arcs despite their speed.

Her footwork, while explosive, followed certain principles that could be anticipated.

'She's deliberately letting me hit her on purpose.'

At the moment, the woman wasn't applying any sort of martial arts or techniques it seems.

*Whoosh! Crack! Boom!*

The exchange accelerated as Nero began reading her attacks more accurately.

He couldn't match her raw power, but he didn't need to.

Deflection instead of blocking.

Evasion instead of tanking.

Counters aimed at the split-second openings her overwhelming style created.

"Interesting! Very interesting!"

Velraeth's attacks intensified, this time her form suddenly had a sort of chaotic order and precise movement and direction.

*WHAM!*

A spinning backfist caught Nero's shoulder, the impact numbing his entire arm despite his attempt to roll with it.

'Ugh, that's hard… but–!'

*Whoosh!*

He used the momentum to create distance, his mind already adjusting tactics.

'She's testing me. She's most likely pushing harder to see where I break.'

And judging by how the intensity and complexities of her attacks were increasing it's safe to say she's testing to get a rough feeling on what level he is right now.

The realization came with perfect clarity.

This wasn't about winning or losing.

It was about demonstrating adaptability under pressure that would crush most people.

For the next four hours, Nero was in a state of hyper-focus.

Velraeth's "light taps" still left bruises, but fewer connected cleanly.

Her "gentle kicks" cracked ribs, but he'd learned to deflect enough force that the damage was manageable.

Her "playful headbutts" caused concussions, but his enhanced reaction time meant he could partially evade most attempts.

And through it all, he terrifyingly adapted.

He improved with speed that made even Velraeth pause occasionally.

"HAHAHA! You're getting faster! I like you!"

*WHAM!*

Another exchange sent him skidding backward.

Nero's breathing was labored, his body was screaming in pain from accumulated damage.

But his eyes remained sharp, focused, analyzing every movement for patterns to exploit.

"Not bad at all, human."

Velraeth lowered her stance slightly, a slight approval entering her expression.

"Most people I train either break or give up within the first hour. You lasted four hours and kept adapting the entire time."

It's a bit creepy looking at how her vertical pupils were looking at him as if she found a rare creature.

But nonetheless,

"Thanks."

He said with a chuckle as he thought to himself,

'Yep. Definitely a training psychopath.'

And an extraordinary one at that.

***

From the observation area, Celis had watched the entire session with her characteristic gentle smile.

As Velraeth left, she walked forward to Nero, the healing light was already gathering at her fingertips.

"Good morning, Savior."

Nero looked up, his body had some accumulated bruises from the training, but his eyes were still sharp with focus.

"Yo. Morning, Celis."

Her healing magic then washed over him like warm sunlight, knitting bones and closing wounds with practiced efficiency.

"Thy dedication is most admirable," she said softly, her voice carrying genuine warmth. "To endure such trials without complaint speaks to great strength of spirit."

"Just doing what needs to be done."

"Even so, thou hast performed excellently."

She finished healing the worst damage, leaving minor bruises that would fade naturally over the day.

"Thy progress in but a single session surpasses what most achieve in weeks. The way thou adapted to Lady Velraeth's overwhelming style showed remarkable instinct and mental fortitude."

Nero blinked, surprised by the straightforward praise from someone usually so reserved.

"You really think so?"

"I know so, Savior. 'Tis not mere encouragement, but an observed fact."

Her smile widened slightly, carrying mysterious depth.

"Continue as thou hast begun, and thy growth shall exceed even thine own expectations."

She gestured toward the academic building where Luna waited.

"Now go. The Great Sage awaits thee, and 'tis best not to keep her waiting when she's prepared lessons."

Nero nodded, grateful for both the healing and the encouragement, before heading off to face the next phase of his training.

"..."

Celis watched him go, a sort of bittersweet expression was evident in her face while gazing at his back.

***

The transition from physical combat to mental academics was jarring in ways Nero hadn't anticipated.

One moment he was adapting to a psychotic dragon woman's attack patterns.

Next he was expected to perform complex magical applications while his brain was still in the physical training mode.

"Focus."

Luna's voice cut through his mental transition period.

"The mana circulation pattern I just demonstrated isn't complicated. A novice could replicate it with proper concentration."

Nero forced his attention to the floating diagram, the glowing lines and sigils resolving into comprehensible patterns as his mind shifted gears.

'Mana flows in geometric circuits. Each intersection point requires precise energy distribution. The output frequency determines stability.'

His analytical mind, sharpened by the morning's combat, processed the information with surprising speed.

"Alright, I've got it."

He extended his hand, channeling mana according to the pattern Luna had demonstrated.

The energy flowed smoothly this time, his control surprisingly precise despite recent exhaustion.

*Buzzzz...*

The spell formation materialized, holding stable for a full five seconds before dissipating naturally.

"..."

Luna blinked, her heterochromic eyes widening slightly.

"That was... adequate. Better than adequate, actually. Most students take several attempts to achieve even basic stability on their first try."

She pulled up another diagram, this one more complex.

"This is a basic shield spell. Elementary level magic that most apprentices learn within their first month of study."

She demonstrated with casual ease, a translucent barrier materializing in the air.

"Your task is to replicate it. Show me you understand the fundamental principles."

Nero studied the pattern intently, his enhanced perception breaking down each component.

The mana circuit was more intricate than the first exercise.

The geometric structure required three-dimensional visualization.

The output had to maintain dynamic frequency to prevent collapse under stress.

'It's like... a self-correcting pattern, right?'

*Buzzzz...*

He attempted the spell, sweat beading on his forehead from concentration.

The shield materialized, flickering initially but quickly stabilizing into a translucent barrier that held for nearly ten seconds.

"..."

Luna stared at the dissipating shield, then at Nero, then back at where the shield had been.

Her analytical mind raced through calculations.

'That shouldn't be possible. First attempt at shield magic and he achieved 80% stability? The average student requires days of practice to reach that level."

"Again," she commanded, her tone sharper now. "Show me that wasn't a fluke."

For the next three hours, Nero cycled through various basic spells under Luna's increasingly intense scrutiny.

Shield formations. Minor elemental manipulation. Energy projection.

Each one he grasped faster than the last, his understanding building on previous lessons with frightening efficiency.

"Your theoretical comprehension is... exceptional,"

Luna finally admitted during a water break, her pride as a teacher warring with genuine shock, but decided to rein most of it in.

Heck, he wasn't just exceptional… he was monstrous!

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