For five consecutive days, Eren met defeat at Mika's hands. Each morning brought new humiliation as he pushed himself to the limit, believing victory was within reach, only to find himself flat on his back, staring at the sky. His punishments escalated—one hundred push-ups became two hundred as Commander Maria deemed his progress insufficient.
Each night, Eren returned to the training grounds where Viva taught him techniques unknown in his previous life. Her instruction was patient but demanding, pushing him further than he thought possible. Under the silver moonlight, she corrected his stance, adjusted his balance, demonstrated the flowing movements that made Thornvale warriors so formidable.
"The body remembers what the mind forgets," she told him one night, guiding his arm through a complex counter-strike. "Let your muscles learn the truth of combat."
