Morning came slowly.
Not peacefully.
Not normally.
It didn't feel like a new day.
It felt like…
A pause.
A short break between disasters.
The city, which had screamed and burned with chaos just hours ago, now lay in an eerie silence.
No crowds.
No traffic.
No normal sounds.
Just—
Stillness.
Sunlight slipped through the broken windows of the abandoned house, cutting through the dust-filled air in thin golden lines.
Particles floated lazily in the light.
Too calm.
Too quiet.
Inside the dusty living room—
Four exhausted survivors sat scattered across the floor.
No one spoke for a while.
They were still recovering.
Not just physically—
But mentally.
Maru stretched her arms slowly, wincing slightly as her muscles protested.
"So…"
Her voice dragged a bit.
She turned her head toward Rishiro.
"You said you'd train us."
Daichi nodded, rolling his shoulders.
"Yeah."
"If we're supposed to survive in this world…"
He exhaled.
"…we need to get stronger."
Hikari adjusted her glasses carefully.
Her expression was calm—but her voice carried urgency.
"…Preferably before the next monster shows up."
Rishiro, who had been leaning against the wall, pushed himself up.
"Alright."
He cracked his neck slightly.
A small, sharp sound.
"Training starts now."
The shift in tone was immediate.
The three of them straightened up.
Fatigue didn't disappear—
But focus replaced it.
Serious expressions formed.
This mattered.
This was survival.
Rishiro raised one finger.
"First exercise."
He pointed toward the floor.
"Push-ups."
A pause.
"…What?"
"100."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Rishiro continued like nothing was wrong.
"Then 100 pull-ups."
"100 squats."
"And running."
The words landed like a brick.
Maru stared at him.
"…That's it?"
Daichi blinked slowly.
"…Why do I feel like I've heard this somewhere?"
Hikari tilted her head slightly, genuinely analyzing.
"…How does that help us fight yokai?"
Rishiro shrugged casually.
"I saw it in an anime once."
A beat.
"…And?"
"I assume it works."
Silence.
Again.
Maru slowly turned her head toward Daichi.
Her expression completely flat.
"…Are we really trusting this guy?"
Daichi sighed.
Long.
Tired.
"…Unfortunately."
And somehow—
That was enough.
Despite the doubt.
Despite the confusion.
Despite the very obvious lack of logic—
They started training.
Push-ups.
One after another.
Their arms trembling early.
Pull-ups on a broken metal bar near the doorway.
Barely holding on.
Squats.
Running laps around the empty house—
Dodging broken furniture, stepping over debris.
The floor creaked with every step.
Time passed.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Sweat dripped onto the dusty floor, leaving marks in the dirt.
Their breathing grew heavier.
Their movements slower.
And yet—
They couldn't even complete that so-called "anime training."
Maru collapsed flat onto her back.
"I'm dying."
Daichi dropped beside her, staring at the ceiling.
"This won't help against monsters!"
Hikari leaned against the wall, sliding down slightly.
"…Statistically speaking…"
She adjusted her glasses weakly.
"…this seems ineffective."
Rishiro watched them.
Then sighed.
"…You guys are impatient."
He reached down and picked up his chainsaw.
The moment his hand gripped it—
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
VRRRRRRR—
The engine roared to life.
Loud.
Violent.
Filling the entire house with its presence.
The three of them immediately sat up.
Alert.
Focused.
Watching.
Rishiro stepped forward.
"Watch."
And just like that—
Everything about him changed.
No more jokes.
No more laziness.
His posture lowered slightly.
Balanced.
Grounded.
His feet moved across the floor—
Slow.
Precise.
Controlled.
Every step had purpose.
The chainsaw moved.
A single swing.
Fast.
Clean.
No wasted motion.
He shifted his weight instantly—
Another strike.
Sharp.
Efficient.
Exact.
The blade stopped perfectly at its endpoint.
No overextension.
No hesitation.
Then—
Stillness.
The engine slowly died down.
The sound faded.
Silence returned.
The three of them stared.
This time—
Not confused.
Not annoyed.
Impressed.
Maru blinked.
"…Okay."
Daichi scratched his head.
"…Since when do you know how to fight like that?"
Hikari adjusted her glasses slowly, eyes focused.
"…Your movements were extremely efficient."
Rishiro shrugged.
"I practiced."
Simple.
Casual.
But inside—
A different thought ran through his mind.
…Honestly, I have no idea if this training even works.
A small pause.
But it sounds cool.
So let's pretend it does.
The training continued.
Push-ups.
Running.
More drills.
Repeat.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Rishiro leaned against the wall, quietly watching them struggle.
Observing.
Not interfering.
Not helping.
Just—
Watching.
Beside him—
The wooden floor creaked slightly.
Creeeak.
Something moved.
From beneath the loose floorboards—
A small figure slowly emerged.
Nando babā.
The same old woman-like yokai from before.
She crawled out cautiously.
Her wide eyes locked onto Rishiro immediately.
Careful.
Wary.
Clearly remembering what had happened earlier.
Rishiro glanced down.
"…Oh."
No reaction.
No concern.
Without thinking—
He casually rested his arm on top of her head.
The yokai froze instantly.
Completely still.
Like a statue.
She let out a small, grumpy sound—
But didn't resist.
Didn't attack.
Didn't move.
Apparently deciding—
This was better than getting punched again.
Across the room—
Maru lay flat on the floor, completely exhausted.
Her eyes shifted slightly.
And then—
She saw it.
Rishiro leaning casually against the wall.
Like nothing mattered.
His arm resting on the head of a grumpy yokai.
Like it was normal.
The chainsaw sitting quietly beside them.
Like it belonged there.
Maru stared for a long second.
Then—
She sighed.
Deep.
Resigned.
"…I knew this was going to be bad."
Outside—
The city remained silent.
But not empty.
Something was still out there.
Watching.
Waiting.
And soon—
This training wouldn't be enough.
Because the game—
Was about to level up.
End of Chapter 14