Alfia led the remaining Astraea girls to the training grounds in the backyard. As she prepared to assess each of them individually, she spoke with a voice that brooked no argument.

"I will be testing each of you individually," she declared, her tone firm and unyielding. "As a Level 7, I will temper my strength just enough to avoid causing permanent damage. But make no mistake, I have no intention of going easy on any of you."

With practiced ease, Alfia exchanged a series of blows with each of the girls present, testing their speed, strength, and endurance. The clashing of steel and the sound of grunts filled the air as they engaged in the rigorous evaluation.

"Excellent. Now I know exactly how hard I can hit you," Alfia declared, an evil smile spreading across her face.

The sight sent a shiver down the spine of each Astraea girl, freezing them in place as they met Alfia's gaze with a mixture of trepidation and determination. The tension hung thick in the air as Alfia's smile lingered, casting a shadow over the training grounds.

"What do—?" Kaguya's question was abruptly cut off by a sharp pain in her chest as she was sent flying into the hard training yard wall. The impact rattled her bones and left a ringing in her ears.

"Now, now, this is combat training. There is no time for idle chatter," Alfia declared, her eyes locked on her next target:

Lyra.

Feeling the intensity of Alfia's gaze, Lyra reacted on pure instinct. She leaped away, her hand snatching a vial from its hidden location in her clothes. In one fluid motion, she launched it towards Alfia, determined to gain distance.

With a swift and practiced move, Alfia redirected the bomb towards Neze and Maryuu, who were caught off guard by the sudden blast. While the explosive power itself weas minimal, it was enough to throw both the girls off balance and leave them dazed.

As Alfia closed in on Lyra, Kaguya scrambled to her feet, but before she could fully rise, a terrified scream pierced the air. As the sound echoed, it sent shivers down Kaguya's spine. Her heart raced as she looked up and saw Lyra hurtling towards her like a cannonball.

With a deafening THUD, Lyra's body slammed into Kaguya, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a chaotic mess of limbs. The impact jolted through Kaguya's body, knocking the very breath out of her and leaving her disoriented and dizzy. She struggled to regain her bearings as pain shot through her body from where they had collided.

"You stupid Prum. How could you get caught so easily? I thought you were supposed to be sneaky," Kaguya grumbled through gritted teeth as she struggled to untangle herself from Lyra.

"Shut it. You got taken out first. This woman is a goddamn monster," Lyra retorted, her voice trembling with both fear and frustration as she tried to regain her footing. The look on her face mirrored Kaguya's own shock and disbelief at their opponent.

Meanwhile, Neze and Maryuu struggled to pick themselves up from the aftermath of the bomb blast, their expressions a mixture of annoyance and determination as they glared at Alfia.

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"Is that all you little girls can do?" Alfia taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. "Truly, if you are considered a top Familia, it is just pathetic. How far Orario appears to have fallen. Though now that I am here, anyone else was always going to be second-rate."

The girls continued to glare at her as they ground their teeth, but Alfia remained unfazed and merely scoffed at them.

"Those glares are not going to do you any good with me. Glare all you want, but you little noises mean nothing," Alfia dismissed their anger with a wave of her hand.

"I sincerely hate this bitch already," Kaguya seethed, as her fury began to mount

"Me too. I can't believe Bell is related to her. He's such a sweet kid," Lyra cursed

"Well, that is because my sister was a saint, and Bell inherited her kindness. You will find that I am unconcerned in that regard, particularly with all of you hyenas looking to sink your teeth into Bell and throwing yourselves all over him. As if I would allow any of you little noises anywhere near him. Especially that red-head. However, since she is absent, you all are going to serve as my punching bags instead. Don't worry I will make sure that your skills improve." Alfia explained, her tone dripping with disdain.

The girls were dumbfounded by Alfia's reasoning.

"We will be continuing now," Alfia declared, her voice cutting through the tension as she resumed the training.

As the training session continued, Kaguya groaned as she struggled to push herself up from the ground, her body aching from the brutal training session. She glanced over at Neze, who had just gotten up after being sprawled on the ground, whimpering in pain. Lyra and Maryuu were also sporting various bruises and cuts from their training with Alfia.

"Was Alfia always like this?" Erebus inquired, his brow furrowed in concern as he and Zald observed the rigorous training session.

Crunch.

With a resounding crash, Neze collided with the stone wall, her body crumpling to the ground in a heap of pain. She let out a whimper as she struggled to stand as her limbs trembled as she attempted to push herself up, but each movement sent waves of agony coursing through her body, causing her to collapse back onto the training ground.

"Somewhat. She was often considered a tyrannical woman. She frequently exposed her students to risky situations," Zald explained, his voice tinged with a hint of apprehension.

Crack.

Maryuu was thrown through the air like a ragdoll. Her body twisted and convulsed in agony as she crashed to the ground, her hands frantically clutching at her stomach. With a gut-wrenching heave, she expelled the remnants of her breakfast onto the ground.

"Damn. On second thought, this may be even worse than before," Zald remarked grimly, his gaze fixed on the unfolding chaos.

Whack.

With a kick from Alfia, Lyra was sent flying through the air, her body limp and unresponsive as she crashed to the ground with a sickening thud. Alfia promptly pulled out a healing potion from her pack and hurling it towards Lyra in order to revive her for another round of training.

Erebus's brow furrowed as he observed Alfia and Kaguya exchanging blows in their intense training session. "Do you think they'll be okay?" he asked.

"Don't worry, they'll live. Alfia knows not to use her full strength, and she wouldn't want to upset Bell by hurting them." Zald reassured with a wavering confidence as he watched Kaguya being forcefully thrown outside of the training area and into the lawn, causing a large swathe of the grass to be ripped up.

With a heavy sigh, Zald's voice carried through the air, "Alfia! Stop destroying the new lawn."

"Tch. Whatever," came Alfia's grumbling response, her attention still fixed on the Astraea girls who were struggling to stand back up.

Exasperated, Zald muttered under his breath and shook his head in dismay at the chaotic scene unfolding before him. Meanwhile Erebus's brow twitched in concern. The sound of grunts, screams, and wails filled the air, mingling with the scent of sweat and blood as they were pushed without mercy. Any objections were silenced by force. And so, Alfia continued her training of the Astraea familia.