He swung the sword, aiming for the dummy's head. His strike was powerful, but Freyja's expression remained impassive. "Not bad," she said, "but you lack finesse. Strength is nothing without control. Again."
Raiden swung the sword again, focusing on his technique. This time, his strike was more precise, and Freyja gave a small nod of approval.
Kaito and Zohar watched, their nerves mounting as they waited their turn. Freyja handed Kaito a spear, her gaze sharp as she assessed his stance. "Hold it like this," she instructed, adjusting his grip. "A weapon is an extension of your body. It must move as one with you."
Kaito nodded, following her instructions as he faced his own dummy. He thrust the spear forward, his movements a bit awkward but filled with determination. Freyja corrected him, her tone patient but firm. "Again," she said, guiding him through each movement.
Zohar was given a pair of daggers, their blades gleaming in the sunlight. He felt a surge of adrenaline as he faced his dummy, his heart pounding in his chest. He had always been quick on his feet, and he used that speed to his advantage as he struck at the dummy, his movements swift and precise.
Freyja watched, her expression inscrutable. "You have potential," she said, "but potential is not enough. You must push yourself harder, faster. In battle, hesitation can mean death."
The hours passed in a blur as they trained, their bodies pushed to the limit. Tyr and Freyja watched over them, correcting their mistakes and urging them on. They were relentless, their expectations high, but Raiden, Zohar, and Kaito refused to back down. They knew that this was only the beginning of their journey, and they were determined to prove themselves worthy of the gods' trust.
As the sun began to set, Tyr called a halt to the training. "You have done well," he said, his tone grudgingly approving. "But this is only the first step. There is much more to learn, and much more to endure."
Raiden, Zohar, and Kaito stood together, their bodies aching but their spirits unbroken. They had faced their first test, and though they were exhausted, they knew that they had only scratched the surface of their potential.
Tyr nodded, a rare smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Rest now," he said. "Tomorrow, we begin again. And this time, the real training begins."
As they finished their training for the day, an angel with a serene expression and softly glowing wings appeared to escort them to their chambers. They exchanged weary glances, knowing they had pushed themselves to the limit under the watchful eyes of Tyr and Freyja. Every muscle in their bodies ached, each step a reminder of their brutal initiation into the world of the gods.
The angel led them down a long, winding hallway lined with ancient tapestries and marble statues of past warriors. Despite their fatigue, they took in the grandeur of the hall, feeling a mixture of awe and exhaustion.
"Your chambers are just up ahead," the angel said, his voice calm and soothing. "I advise you to rest well. Tomorrow will be another difficult day."
Raiden gave a weak nod, forcing a half-smile. "Thanks. We'll try."
As they entered their chambers, the angel turned back to face them. "Get as much rest as you can," he repeated. "You'll need every ounce of strength. Tomorrow, the true trials begin."
With that, the angel left them alone. The chamber was spacious yet simple, with three individual beds arranged around a central table. A single torch burned on the wall, casting a warm glow over the room. They all sank onto their beds with groans, feeling the day's training settle into their bones.
Kaito let out a deep sigh, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. "If I knew saving the world would involve this much pain, I might've stayed home."
Zohar chuckled, wincing as he moved to sit up. "Yeah, nobody mentioned anything about getting whipped into shape by a bunch of Viking ghosts when we signed up."
Raiden smirked, but his face showed the strain he felt. "You two seriously thought saving the world was going to be easy? What did you expect, a training montage with upbeat music?"
Kaito laughed, although it quickly turned into a groan. "Hey, I wouldn't have minded a little bit of that. At least then we'd get to skip the worst parts."
Zohar leaned back against the headboard, rubbing his shoulders. "Right? I can barely lift my arms, and it's only the first day. Tyr wasn't kidding when he said this was going to be rough."
They sat in silence for a moment, each of them lost in their thoughts. The enormity of their task hung over them like a shadow, a constant reminder of the impossible odds they faced.
Kaito broke the silence with a nervous laugh. "You know, part of me still thinks this is some kind of dream. Like, any second now, I'm going to wake up in my bed, and all of this will just be some weird nightmare."
Zohar snorted. "Yeah, well, if this is a dream, it's the most painful one I've ever had. I mean, seriously—how did we end up here? Fighting gods and demons? A few days ago, we were just regular guys."
Raiden shifted, sitting up straight and staring at his friends. "Do you guys honestly think that way? That this is all just some kind of fluke?"
Kaito shrugged. "I don't know. It just feels...surreal. Like, we're supposed to be fighting Lucifer? And maybe Loki and Hades, too? Those are gods. And here we are, getting our butts kicked just by training with the Einherjar."
Raiden narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening. "Look, I get it. You're scared. I am, too. But we can't afford to think like that. We can't let doubt creep in, not now."
Zohar glanced at him, frowning. "But, Raiden, we're only human. You heard Tyr. We're nothing compared to what's coming. Lucifer's just the beginning. We're supposed to be these 'chosen ones,' but we barely made it through one day of training."
Raiden's jaw tightened, his gaze hard. "Yeah, we're human. And that's exactly why we can't give up. Do you think we're the first humans to be put in a position like this? Every generation has faced its own darkness. And they fought. They bled. And they survived."
His words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. Kaito and Zohar looked at him, their faces reflecting a mixture of fear and uncertainty.
"I know it seems impossible," Raiden continued, his voice low but fierce. "But we don't have a choice. This is our reality now. We can't go back. We can't just walk away from this. If we want any chance of seeing our families again, of going back to some semblance of a normal life—if that's even possible anymore—we have to fight."
Zohar shook his head, frustration etched on his face. "But, Raiden, what if we can't do it? What if we fail? Lucifer isn't just some random demon. He's the prince of darkness. He's been planning this for centuries. What are we against that?"
Raiden's gaze turned steely, his fists clenched. "We're the only hope this world has. We may not be gods, but we've been given a chance—a chance to make a difference. And I'm not going to let that slip through my fingers just because I'm scared."
Kaito looked at him, his expression conflicted. "You make it sound so simple, Raiden. But we're just kids. How are we supposed to stand against gods?"
Raiden leaned forward, his eyes blazing with intensity. "We stand because we have to. We fight because there's no other choice. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. I'm not saying we're guaranteed to win. But I do know one thing: if we don't try, if we don't give it everything we have, then we've already lost."
Silence settled over them, the weight of Raiden's words pressing down on them. Zohar and Kaito exchanged a glance, a spark of determination flickering in their eyes.
Raiden's voice softened, but his resolve remained unyielding. "Look, I know this isn't what any of us wanted. But this is our reality now. And we have to make the best of it. We have to fight, not just for ourselves, but for everyone we care about. For everyone who can't fight for themselves."
Kaito nodded slowly, a glimmer of hope breaking through his uncertainty. "You're right, Raiden. We don't have a choice. But if we're going to do this, we need to do it together. We need to have each other's backs."
Zohar managed a small smile, his usual humor returning. "Well, if we're going to be fighting gods, at least we've got each other. That's something, right?"
Raiden's lips curled into a faint smile. "Yeah, it is. We may not have all the answers, and we may not be the strongest. But we've got each other. And that's enough to start with."
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their mission settling into their bones. The road ahead was dark and treacherous, filled with dangers they could barely comprehend. But they knew, deep down, that they couldn't turn back. They had to keep moving forward, no matter what.
Raiden looked at his friends, a fierce determination in his eyes. "From now on, we don't look back. We don't doubt. We push forward, no matter what. We kill Lucifer. We face whatever else comes our way. And we do it together."
Kaito and Zohar nodded, their faces set with grim resolve. They knew the odds were against them, but they also knew that they couldn't afford to give up. They had a duty to fulfill, a mission to complete. And they would see it through, no matter the cost.
With a final nod, they settled back onto their beds, the weight of the day pressing down on them. They knew that tomorrow would bring new challenges, new trials. But they also knew that, no matter what, they would face them together.
And with that thought, they closed their eyes, letting the exhaustion take over, their minds filled with the dark promise of the battle ahead.