A year had passed.
Hage Village remained peaceful. The small church stood quietly at the edge of the fields, smoke rising gently from its chimney as children ran around the yard. Life had improved over the past few years.
But Asta was rarely seen in the village during the day.
Most of his time was spent deeper in the forest.
The reason was simple.
Strength alone was no longer enough.
In the future, his enemies would not be simple animals. They would be magic users… magical beasts… even devils. Against opponents like that, raw strength meant nothing if he could not react fast enough.
So for the past year, his training had changed.
Instead of only building muscle, Asta focused on something harder.
Instinct. Awareness. Reaction.
---
Sensory Training
Asta stood in a small clearing with a cloth tied tightly around his eyes.
Several wooden trunks were planted around the area like poles. Between them, thick ropes connected the trunks in different directions.
At the end of each rope hung a heavy wooden log.
Asta reached forward and pushed one log lightly.
The moment it moved, the ropes pulled the other logs as well. They began swinging in unpredictable directions through the clearing.
Asta stepped forward.
He could not see anything.
But the air moved.
The sound of the swinging wood cut through the wind.
One log rushed toward his head.
Asta tilted sideways just before it struck.
Another came from behind.
He ducked.
A third swung low toward his legs.
He jumped over it.
The logs continued swinging wildly, crossing each other at different heights. Some moved fast, others slow.
Asta moved carefully through them.
Step.
Turn.
Lean.
Jump.
Every movement depended on sound, air pressure, and instinct.
If his timing was wrong even slightly, the logs would smash into him.
THUD.
One struck his shoulder.
Asta stumbled a step but stayed upright.
"…Still slow."
He steadied himself and continued.
This exercise was not about perfection.
It was about forcing his body to react faster each day.
---
River Training
Later he moved to the river.
The current here was strong enough to push a grown man off balance.
Asta stepped into the water until it reached his waist.
Instead of swimming normally, he turned sideways and began walking across the current.
Each step required effort.
The water pushed hard against his legs, trying to sweep them away.
He adjusted his stance constantly.
If he leaned too much, the current would throw him off balance.
After crossing halfway, he turned around and repeated the movement back.
Then he stepped deeper.
Now the water reached his chest.
Asta bent slightly and began moving again, pushing sideways against the river.
The resistance forced every muscle in his legs and core to work harder.
Sometimes the current knocked him back a step.
Sometimes he nearly slipped completely.
But slowly his movements stabilized.
This training strengthened something important.
Balance under pressure.
Exactly what he would need in combat.
---
By late afternoon the training ended.
Asta stood on the riverbank, breathing steadily.
His body felt heavy from the day's work, but his mind felt sharp.
For a year he had prepared for one thing.
The wolves.
The magical wolf pack that had nearly killed him before.
Last time he escaped.
This time he came to finish it.
Asta checked the sword at his waist and tightened his grip on the axe before walking deeper into the forest.
---
Hunting the Pack
The forest grew darker as he moved forward.
He followed the signs carefully.
Burn marks on trees.
Claw marks carved into bark.
Bones scattered across the ground.
This was their territory.
Asta slowed his breathing.
Then he heard it.
A low growl.
Another answered from the left.
Then another behind him.
Five shapes stepped out from the shadows.
The wolf pack.
Their bodies were larger than normal wolves, muscles shifting beneath dark fur. Heat shimmered around them.
Flames flickered inside their mouths.
Magical beasts.
Asta did not move.
This time, his body was calm.
The wolves spread out slowly, trying to surround him.
The leader stepped forward.
It was bigger than the others.
Its eyes burned with red light as flames curled between its teeth.
For a moment the forest was silent.
Then the leader attacked.
The wolf lunged forward with explosive speed.
Fire burst from its mouth like a blast.
Asta moved instantly.
Not backward.
Forward.
He stepped inside the edge of the flame before it fully expanded. Heat burned across his sleeve as he raised his arm to shield his face.
At the same moment his axe swung upward.
CRACK.
The metal edge smashed into the wolf's jaw and knocked the beast sideways.
But Asta didn't stop.
His other hand already moved.
The sword flashed from his waist.
Two wolves attacked at the same time.
One fired a blast of fire.
The other leaped directly for his throat.
Asta pivoted sharply.
The sword cut through the air in a fast horizontal arc, forcing the jumping wolf to twist mid-air to avoid losing its head.
At the same moment his axe came down from above, smashing into the ground where the second wolf had tried to land.
The beast barely jumped away in time.
Now the pack understood.
This prey fought back.
All five wolves began circling faster.
Asta adjusted his stance.
Sword in his left hand.
Axe in his right.
Two weapons.
Five enemies.
The leader attacked again.
This time two wolves followed it.
Fire exploded toward him.
Asta dashed forward instead of retreating.
The sword slashed first, cutting across the muzzle of the closest wolf and knocking its fire attack off course.
The blast shot harmlessly into the dirt.
The second wolf lunged from the side.
Asta rotated his body.
The axe came around like a hammer, slamming into the wolf's ribs with a heavy crack.
The beast flew sideways and crashed into a tree.
But another wolf came from behind.
Asta sensed the movement.
He ducked.
Claws tore through the air above his head.
His sword stabbed upward instantly.
The blade slid between the wolf's ribs.
The beast howled and stumbled back.
Four wolves remained.
The leader roared.
Flames erupted around its body, lighting the clearing in flickering orange light.
Then the entire pack charged together.
Asta sprinted toward a nearby tree.
At the last second he jumped.
His foot struck the trunk.
He pushed off and flipped over the charging wolves.
As he came down, the axe fell first.
THUD.
The blade buried itself deep into one wolf's spine.
Before the body even hit the ground, Asta's sword moved again.
A quick slash across another wolf's throat sent blood spraying across the dirt.
Three wolves left.
The leader spun around with a furious snarl.
Fire blasted from its mouth like a flamethrower.
Asta rushed straight through the edge of the flames.
Pain burned across his arm.
He ignored it.
His sword struck first, cutting across the wolf's eye.
The beast recoiled blindly.
That was the opening.
Asta stepped in close.
The axe rose high above his shoulder.
Then came down with full force.
CRACK.
The leader collapsed.
The remaining two wolves hesitated.
That single moment sealed their fate.
Asta moved like a storm.
Steel flashed twice.
When the forest finally became quiet, five bodies lay scattered across the clearing.
Asta stood in the center of it, breathing heavily.
Burn marks covered his sleeve.
Cuts lined his arms.
But he was still standing.
And the wolf pack was gone.
Asta wiped sweat from his face and looked down at the bodies.
"…Now that's better."