The next morning arrived quietly, wrapped in pale gold light that filtered through the church windows. Lulu awoke before the morning bell, her muscles still sore from yesterday's efforts, but her determination sharp and unwavering. She dressed quickly and went straight to the prayer hall.
After offering her morning prayer, she stepped out into the chilled dawn. The training grounds behind the church were silent except for the sound of wind rustling through leaves. Mariel was already waiting, standing with her arms crossed.
"Back so soon?" Mariel asked, one eyebrow raised. "Most trainees would still be asleep."
Lulu straightened her posture.
"I want to grow stronger. I need to."
A rare, faint smile touched Mariel's lips.
"Good. Then today won't be easy."
---
Mariel tossed Lulu a wooden practice sword, and before Lulu even adjusted her grip, the training began.
Their blades clashed again and again. Mariel's movements were fluid and controlled, while Lulu's were shaky and inconsistent. She stumbled more than once, barely managing to catch herself.
"Lower your stance!" Mariel commanded. "You're leaving your center wide open!"
Lulu corrected herself, gritting her teeth. Sweat dripped down her brow as she pushed through the burning ache in her arms.
A spark of approval flickered in Mariel's eyes.
---
By midday, Lulu felt like collapsing. Instead, she walked—almost staggered—to the archery field. Aira stood waiting with her calm, peaceful aura that balanced Mariel's harsh intensity.
"Relax," Aira instructed gently as she guided Lulu's stance. "The bow is an extension of your breathing. Calm your spirit, or the arrow will never fly true."
Lulu drew the bowstring. Her first arrow missed the target completely. The second grazed the edge. The third landed close to the center.
Aira nodded.
"You improve quickly. Not in strength, but in spirit."
Lulu shook her head. "Not quickly enough…"
"Speed will come," Aira assured her softly. "Patience is part of strength."
---
In the afternoon, Lulu trained with Calian. His lessons were blunt and physical.
"Technique matters more than power," he said, placing a heavier spear in her hands. "A single mistake can cost your life."
Lulu practiced thrusts, spins, footwork, and stances until her arms felt numb and her legs shook violently.
Calian grunted approvingly.
"You don't quit. That's good."
Lulu forced a tired smile.
"If I stop now… I'll never reach the Priestess's expectations."
Calian paused, then sighed.
"The world will need you, Lulu. Hero Number Four will be summoned soon, and peace… may not last."
Lulu swallowed hard. The Priestess had mentioned nothing specific, but everyone knew a new hero would eventually arrive.
But the powerful beings the Priestess created—Hikaru Hikari, Ruka, and Doran—were still unknown to Lulu, and they would only appear in the distant future… after Hero Number Six.
For now, their existence was completely separate from her journey.
---
Night settled over the church. Lulu returned to the deserted prayer room beneath the sanctuary, lanternlight reflecting off ancient stone carvings.
She opened the old book.
Page two was far more complex than the first—its symbols twisted like living strands of light. Her head throbbed as she attempted to decipher each stroke.
Hours passed.
Her candle burned low.
She made progress measured in inches, not leaps.
Her vision blurred as fatigue clawed at her, yet she pushed on, tracing the ancient runes with trembling fingers.
"This is harder than anything I've ever seen…" she whispered.
But she kept going.
Even when her body protested.
Even when her eyelids grew heavy.
Even when the spell seemed too big for a single human to learn.
Finally, she reached the end of page two.
Not mastery.
But understanding.
She closed the book gently and pressed her forehead against the cover.
"I'll learn it," she whispered. "No matter how long it takes."
---
Lulu left the prayer room long past midnight. Her steps were slow, her breath shallow, but she walked with steady resolve.
She was still far from mastering the spell.
Hero Number Four had not yet been summoned.
The world was peaceful—but only for now.
Lulu did not know what the future held.
But she knew one thing with absolute certainty:
Tomorrow, she would train again. And she would not stop.