With 19 days left until the Thunder Tournament, the team could no longer afford to take things lightly. Yesterday had been about reflexes, but today? Today was about raw endurance and combat efficiency.
Morning - The Weighted Battlefield
Raidon led them to an open training ground, a floating platform in Stratos Haven, where warriors sparred and trained under the shifting skies. Unlike a regular battlefield, the air here was denser, and gravity itself seemed stronger.
"This place is called the Iron Wind Plateau," Raidon explained. "Here, the air pushes down on you like a storm. If you can fight here, you can fight anywhere."
Before anyone could ask questions, Raidon tossed them silver anklets.
"These will make your movements ten times heavier."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Training weights? That's it?"
Raidon smirked. "Oh, you'll see soon enough."
As soon as the anklets locked onto their legs… BOOM.
All four of them collapsed onto their knees, the sheer weight making even standing up feel impossible.
"T-Ten times heavier?!" Shigan gritted his teeth, struggling to push himself up.
"Feels like twenty!" Sakayanagi groaned, her body trembling from the strain.
Kaelen managed to stand, but even he looked like he was fighting against an invisible force.
Ren clenched his fists. "This… is nothing." He forced himself up, his legs burning, his body resisting every movement.
Raidon watched them with his arms crossed. "Good. You'll be fighting in these all day."
Midday - Combat Under Pressure
For hours, they sparred against each other and the forces of nature.
1️⃣ Kaelen vs. SakayanagiKaelen used his connection to nature to adjust his footing, but Sakayanagi pushed back with unpredictable movements, keeping him off balance. Every strike was slower, every dodge felt delayed.
2️⃣ Ren vs. ShiganRen relied on his instincts, but the weight dulled his usual fluidity. Shigan, meanwhile, tried using Ki reinforcement, but it took too much energy under these conditions.
Each time they fell, they had to push themselves back up, knowing that giving in meant failure.
Raidon, of course, didn't let them off easy. Every time someone slowed down— ZAP! A small shock of thunder reminded them to keep moving.
Afternoon - Unshackling the Body
As the sun hovered lower in the sky, Raidon finally snapped his fingers, and the silver anklets clicked open.
The moment they came off—
WHOOSH!
Everyone felt weightless, their bodies moving twice as fast as before. Their attacks were sharper, their dodges effortless.
Ren clenched his fists. "This… is insane."
Sakayanagi took a step and nearly launched herself forward, shocked at how much lighter she felt.
"Your bodies have adapted," Raidon said, satisfied. "This is what real conditioning does."
But just as they started celebrating, Raidon held up a thunder-marked medallion and smirked.
"Time for phase two."
The ground beneath them shifted, and suddenly, they were no longer on the Iron Wind Plateau.
Instead, they found themselves inside a massive storm cloud, lightning flashing all around them.
"Welcome to the Thunder Labyrinth," Raidon said, his voice barely audible over the roaring winds. "Now, let's see if you can survive."
To be continued…