With only two days until the demonstration, Ember decided to take the intensity up a notch—or rather, ten notches. And this time, Val was right beside him, adding to the madness in ways the team had already anticipated.

Bo, Riggs, and Fon had barely recovered from yesterday's training. Still sore, they stumbled into the training room at dawn, hoping against hope that maybe—just maybe—Ember had gotten it all out of his system.

But as soon as they saw Ember and Val standing at the front of the room with matching grins, any hope for mercy was obliterated.

"Welcome back, soldiers," Ember said, his voice carrying a sadistic enthusiasm that sent shivers down their spines. "Today, we're turning up the intensity."

Riggs shot Bo a horrified look. "Wasn't yesterday 'intense' enough?"

"Apparently not," Bo replied with a resigned groan, mentally preparing for whatever Ember had cooked up.

Val stepped forward, cracking his knuckles with an unnerving calmness. "Ready for Round Two? Ember's already worked you hard, but I've got some ideas to keep things… interesting."

Fon let out a strangled laugh. "Yeah, because 'interesting' is exactly what I'd call yesterday. I nearly met my maker!"

Ember ignored the mutterings and clapped his hands together, calling them to attention. "Alright, first up—speed and agility drills. You're going to be dodging live-fire paint rounds."

"Wait, paint rounds?" Bo asked, his eyes widening. "Like… getting shot at with paint bullets?"

"Exactly." Val loaded a paint gun with a particularly enthusiastic snap, a mischievous glint in his eye. "They'll be coming at you from all angles, and you'll have to dodge each one. If you get hit, you're doing twenty push-ups. No exceptions."

Fon blanched, his face going pale. "I'm doomed."

Ember's smile widened. "That's the spirit, Fon. Now, get into position."

The first round of drills began with a shout from Ember, and the paint bullets started flying. Bo, Riggs, and Fon took off, scrambling around the training room as bright splashes of paint whizzed past them. Each time a shot landed, they heard Ember's delighted cackle and Val's quieter, but no less menacing, "Push-ups!"

Within minutes, they were covered in paint splatters. Fon had already racked up 80 push-ups and was visibly struggling to keep his arms from giving out.

"Oh, come on!" Riggs huffed as he narrowly dodged a shot from Val, only to be hit squarely on the back by Ember. "This is madness!"

Val, chuckling, took aim again. "Madness? You call this madness? This is only the first half of the morning."

Bo let out a low groan, narrowly dodging a shot to the head. "I swear, if I survive this, I'm taking a week off just to recover."

Ember's grin widened. "Oh, we're just getting started. Up next—strength and endurance drills. You'll each be carrying weighted packs while running an obstacle course. And yes, the paint guns are coming with us."

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Bo, Riggs, and Fon exchanged looks of sheer horror. But before they could protest, Ember had them strapped into the packs, the heavy weights adding an immediate strain to their muscles. Ember and Val stood by, paint guns in hand, ready to keep them moving.

"Start running," Val called out, his voice calm but commanding.

The team took off, struggling under the weight as they maneuvered through a series of obstacles. Each time one of them slowed down, a paint bullet would strike, sending them into another round of push-ups.

Fon tripped over a low beam, letting out a strangled curse as paint splattered across his back. "This… is not… training. This is torture!"

Riggs barely dodged a shot from Ember, gritting his teeth as he pushed forward. "Why do I feel like they're enjoying this way too much?"

Ember's laughter echoed through the course. "Because we are!"

By the time the first day ended, the training room was a mess of paint, sweat, and groans. Bo, Riggs, and Fon collapsed on the floor, utterly exhausted and covered in bruises.

Val crouched down beside them, a slight smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll go harder."

Fon looked up at him, his voice barely more than a whimper. "How… how can it get harder?"

Val's smirk widened. "Oh, you'll see."

Day Two

When they stumbled into the training room the next morning, Bo, Riggs, and Fon had barely recovered from the previous day's drill. Ember and Val stood waiting for them, the evil glint in their eyes signaling that whatever was planned would make yesterday look like a warm-up.

"Alright, gentlemen," Ember announced, his tone cheerful in a way that made Bo's stomach churn. "Today, we're focusing on endurance, precision, and—best of all—pain tolerance."

Riggs raised a hand, barely keeping the sarcasm from his tone. "Is that last one really necessary?"

Ember gave a mock gasp. "Why, Riggs! Haven't you learned by now? Necessary is a word we tossed out a long time ago."

The drill started with balance exercises that required them to hold increasingly awkward positions while Ember and Val hurled practice weapons their way. The slightest wobble or loss of form earned them a sharp slap on the back from Val or a forceful nudge from Ember.

Bo nearly toppled over as he tried to maintain a squat on one leg. "Is this… some kind of sadistic yoga?"

"Think of it as character-building," Val replied, nudging him back into form with a shove.

Fon, barely balancing on a plank, muttered through clenched teeth. "I'm… I'm feeling really built right now."

"Great!" Ember chirped, sending another practice sword their way.

Once the balance drills ended, Ember clapped his hands together, his smile downright wicked. "Next up: hand-to-hand combat. You three are up against Val and me. We'll go easy… if you manage to land a single hit."

Bo's eyes widened, pure dread filling his expression. "One hit? Against you two?"

Fon laughed nervously. "Right… so I'm just going to assume my impending death here."

Val cracked his knuckles, his smirk challenging. "Come on, then. Show us what you've got."

Bo, Riggs, and Fon exchanged looks of resignation before charging in, determined to at least make an attempt. But within moments, they realized just how futile that attempt was.

Ember dodged every hit with ease, redirecting their blows with light taps that sent them stumbling. Riggs managed to get close, only to be spun around and lightly kicked aside.

Fon tried a feint, but Val saw right through it, stepping to the side and letting Fon crash face-first into the mat. "Nice try," Val commented with a smirk, not even winded.

By the end of the session, the three of them were sprawled on the floor, groaning in defeat.

"Okay," Bo panted, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I think… we've proven… we're not cut out for this."

Ember crouched beside them, grinning. "Oh, but you're still standing—or, well, lying down. That's something, right?"

Fon managed a weak glare. "Remind me… to never underestimate… your sadistic tendencies."

Ember just laughed. "It's all part of the training, soldier."

Val glanced down at them, nodding approvingly. "Good effort. But you'll need to up your game for the demonstration. We want those Rubra and Aurum-ranked soldiers to walk away in awe."

Riggs let out a bitter chuckle. "Oh, they'll be in awe, alright. Mostly that we're still breathing."

Ember straightened, his expression shifting to one of pride and determination. "That's the spirit. And remember—tomorrow, we show them what Team Unknown is all about."

With that, he and Val strode out of the training room, leaving Bo, Riggs, and Fon lying in a defeated heap, wondering how they'd survive another day of Ember's relentless training.