The morning sun shone through the windows of the girls' room, filling the space with a warm, golden glow. Pixel stirred from her slumber, feeling a sense of contentment wash over her as she stretched out her limbs. Her gaze turned to Jean, who was still fast asleep, her breathing slow and even. Rose entered the room just then, noticing that Pixel was already awake, and gave her a subtle nod of acknowledgment. Moving over to Jean's side of the room, Rose gently pulled back the covers, causing Jean to stir slightly in her sleep. Rose carefully folded the blanket with a practiced hand and placed it neatly to the side, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. Jean woke up from a peaceful slumber and groggily gazed at the wall. Rose had allowed her enough time to wake up, which took a while. Jean stretched and let out a yawn. After finishing her stretch, she realized her bruises were less painful than the previous day. She felt relieved that the pain was subsiding.

"Did you girls sleep well?" Asked Rose, resting her hands on her hips.

"Better than ever! My bruises are going away!" Beamed Jean, flapping her arms.

"Thank God our bruises are fading," Pixel agreed, flexing her muscles. Rose clasped her hands happily.

"That's great! You girls are now improving yourself! Now, training is going to be easier!" Chirped Rose. The girls glanced at each other and never saw Rose this enthusiastic. They knew that training wasn't going to get easier.

"Breakfast is now being served. Hurry up before it runs out," told Rose, turning around and leaving the room. The girls got up, fixed the room, and left the room.

Maya came in with the breakfast and noticed that Rose and the girls weren't there, which annoyed her. Maya sat next to Xóchitl and carefully laid the basket filled with creamy prawn risotto. Maya checked the time, and the clock struck seven, which meant Rose and the girls were late for breakfast. Right as she grabbed Xóchitl's bowl, Rose and the girls came in, making Maya glare mostly at the girls before serving her grandmother.

"You guys take so long to wake up," scolded Maya, filling the bowl.

"Whoopies! Sorry that my beautiful sleep takes so long," joked Jean, cupping her cheeks. Maya gave off a sarcastic laugh before rolling her eyes in nuisance. Pixel and Jean glared at Maya as they wondered why she gave off a rude attitude. Maya served them their breakfast. Pixel rolled her eyes and sat down beside Rose. Maya handed them their breakfast, and they thanked her. They grabbed their plates and started to eat.

"So, how's the training going?" Asked Lee, taking a bite of his rice.

"Pretty good, pretty good," answered Pixel.

"Is Rose giving you guys the hard times?" Asked Xóchitl, grabbing a spoonful of her food.

"Definitely," answered Jean as she lifted her bowl.

"Wow, not hesitating. That's something," giggled Xóchitl. Rose rolled her eyes and ate her food.

"Anyway, when is the exam?" Pixel asked, lowering her bowl. Rose put her plate down and picked up her napkin. She cleaned her mouth and dropped the napkin down.

"March 3rd," answered Rose.

"Oh, wow! It's on my birthday," gasped Jean, her eyes widened. Pixel was also shocked.

"Oh, dear. What a way to start your birthday," sighed Xóchitl, sadly staring at Jean.

"What a way to celebrate your twentieth birthday," Pixel joked, taking a spoonful into her mouth. Jean chuckled as she began eating her food.

"Does anyone know how this whole Demon Slayers thing started?" Asked Pixel, always curious.

"You don't know the story?" Asked Maya, shocked.

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking," Pixel gawked, earning Maya a harsh glare. Xóchitl sighed as she put her bowl down and lifted her cup of black tea.

"Lucian was bestowed with the highly esteemed distinction of becoming the inaugural Demon Slayer and protector by the Four Gods. With the lyre securely in his possession, The Gods entrusted Lucian with the pivotal task of defeating the Demon King," informed Xóchitl.

"The Gods chose Lucian to defeat the Demon King?" Questioned Pixel.

"And they handed down a lyre for what reason?" Asked Jean.

"Oh, dear. You ladies truly don't know the whole story, huh?" Gasped Xóchitl, staring at Rose, who was also stunned. Rose swallows her food and stares back at Xóchitl. Xóchitl lowered her cup of black tea and intertwined her fingers.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"The Gods chose Lucian to be the first human protector and carry on the legacy of the God of Light to establish peace. Unfortunately, this peace didn't last long when the Demon King broke free from his seal and caused chaos throughout the land. Interestingly, the Demon King was not truthfully a Demon King but something else entirely. His main objective is to retrieve the lyre and create his world," explained Xóchitl. Now Pixel and Jean were more curious.

"Why is the lyre important?" Asked Pixel.

"The lyre is dangerous. The lyre can create AND destroy anything."

"Anything? Who created the lyre?" Asked Jean, shocked.

"The Four Gods. With their combined power, they created the lyre and entrusted it to the God of Light and our land," Maya said, staring at her reflection in her tea.

"And who has the lyre?" Asked Pixel.

"Lucian descendants, which are the M—" Before Xóchitl could finish her sentence, the clock rang, indicating breakfast was over. Then, someone knocked on the door and made Maya pick up the empty basket. Everybody quickly ate their food, and once they finished, they put their bowls together, and Lee took them to the kitchen. Rose told the girls to head to the back, and they obeyed her as they left. But they returned and thanked Xóchitl and Maya for the food, to which Xóchitl smiled and waved her hands.

"No problem," said Xóchitl as Rose and the girls left the house.

The girls were outside and doing their morning workout. Their hands were on the ground, doing their twenty sets of push-ups. Pixel and Jean take a deep breath as they push themselves to keep going. In front of them stood Rose, watching their movement and counting their push-ups. Pixel and Jean counted their sets and soon completed their twenty push-ups. Jean grumbles to the ground while Pixel gets up and stretches her body. Jean pushed herself up and did a quick stretching. But they noticed she wasn't there when they faced Rose's direction. Jean confusedly scratched her head as she wondered where Rose went while Pixel checked her surroundings.

"Where did Rose go?" Asked Jean, resting her hands on her hips.

"I don't know. But try to keep your guard up, Jean. She might be hiding," said Pixel, making Jean nod and keep her guard up. While the girls checked their surroundings, Maya opened the door holding two wooden staffs. Maya came down the stairs, and the girls noticed her and wondered what she was doing until they saw Maya walking up to her and handing Pixel and Jean the two wooden staffs.

"You'll be needing these for your training," informed Maya, making the girls grab the wooden staff and watch Maya walk back inside. Pixel gazed at the wooden staff and stared at Jean confusedly. Jean was still staring at the wooden bo and tilted her head. But Jean glanced at Pixel and shrugged as they returned, sensing Rose's presence. Rose hides behind a tree and tosses the acorns upwards until she catches them. Rose stood straight, and in an instant, she threw the acorns all around, making the girls alert. While the girls were distracted, Rose jumped down and dashed rapidly at them. The girls felt something behind them, and right as they turned around, their eyes widened when they saw Rose coming straight at them. The girls gasped as they jumped to the side and avoided Rose's sudden attack. Rose was impressed by their quick reflex. However, she wouldn't stop there as she immediately went after Jean. Jean's eyes widened as she saw Rose coming after her, and she wasn't sure what to do. A smile forms on Rose's face as she notices the fear on Jean's face. Rose appeared in front of Jean and threw a punch. Jean quickly avoided the attack and stood beside Pixel.

"Don't just stand there, girls. Come at me as you were in a fight," said Rose, making the girls grip their long wooden sticks and stare at Rose. The girls gathered their courage and instantly ran towards Rose. Rose saw them and prepared herself. Pixel took the lead as she appeared before Rose and started swinging her wooden bo. Rose easily avoided each swing and noted what they needed to improve. Later, Jean came as she started swaying. Rose avoided both girls' attacks, and they were impressed at how easily Rose dodged them. Rose jumped over Jean's swing and appeared behind her. And before Jean could turn around, she got kicked in the back, sending her flying. Jean crashed into the ground and then into the tree. Jean's eyes expanded at how painful it was, as she hated it. It's just a straightforward kick; it pains her. Pixel cringed at the sight and couldn't get distracted. Pixel knows that Rose wouldn't go too far in hurting them. But now, Pixel knew no demon would go easy on anybody. They show no mercy and need to learn to deal with the pain.

Pixel knew the importance of being cautious with her surroundings and body. With swift movements, Pixel charged towards Rose, brandishing her wooden bo. However, Rose quickly recognized Pixel's position and dodged her attack effortlessly. Seizing the opportunity, Rose kicked Pixel and sent her flying, causing her to crash into a nearby dirt hill. As Pixel struggled to catch her breath, Rose let down her hair, giving it a quick shake before tying it back up in a bun. Despite the sounds of the other girls groaning in pain, Rose remained calm. Jean, in particular, appeared to be struggling to cope with the intense pain in her back.

Meanwhile, Pixel wiped away her tears, coughing and holding her side in pain. Rose watched her, silently willing her to get back up. Jean looked on, noticing Pixel struggling to stand and trembling. Pixel plunged to her knees as she couldn't bear the intense pain. Rose stood there, waiting for them to stand up, yet the girls struggled.

"Just like your bruised muscles, deal with them. Ignore them. It would help if you learned how to deal with the pain. Once you're out there, the demons will show no mercy. Nobody will. Overcome the pain! Endure it! Show that you can do this!" Encouraged Rose, folding her arms. Pixel and Jean attentively listened to the harsh truth that life is never easy; it is a constant struggle. They knew they must overcome their pain and prove their inner strength. However, their excruciating pain surpassed the discomfort of mere bruised muscles. Their breath became shallow, their vision blurred, and they experienced hyperventilation, exacerbating their difficult situation. Pixel and Jean breathed out as they forced themselves to stand up. Their body trembled as they were too tired. Rose wasn't planning on attacking them; she was testing their durability. The girls couldn't retain themselves as they were losing their vision. Rose could see the girls' hollow eyes as she knew they were tired. Pixel holds her head and closes her eyes, dealing with the headache. Jean couldn't contain herself as she fell over and passed out, but Maya carefully caught her. Pixel opens her eyes and turns to see Jean getting carried by Maya.

"J...Jean," murmured Pixel as she plunged and passed out. Rose comes in and catches her. She hears Pixel's soft breathing. Maya also checked Jean's breathing and carried her to the infirmary alongside Pixel.