Dinner at Himeko's residence had been lively, but by the time the dishes were cleaned and everyone retired to their rooms, silence filled the halls. Kouga sat at the edge of his bed, his hand curled into a fist. He stared at it as if it were something foreign.
When was the last time I trained in this world…? he wondered. Memories of battles blurred together in his mind, he realized, with some frustration, that amidst everything, he had neglected the basics.
Yeah… starting Sunday, I'll have to begin training again. No excuses.
Sunday morning came.
"These books are so boring!" Kiana groaned, throwing herself face-first onto Kouga's bed.
"Kiana-chan, you need to study for the coming semester," Mei said, her calm voice firm as she adjusted her glasses and flipped another page of the thick brown history book in her hands. "Kouga-kun, would you explain it to her? I need to focus on my own reading for a moment."
Kouga's eye twitched. He exhaled slowly, keeping his voice level. "For what it's worth, why are you two in my room right now?"
He'd already had a shock earlier that morning—waking up to find Kiana snoring happily at his right side while Mei had been wide awake at his left, her book already open. After managing to shake Kiana off (which took a lot of effort), Mei had dropped a neatly written study schedule onto his lap. And somehow, that had led to his room becoming a study hall.
Kiana peeked up from his pillow with a mischievous grin. "Well, I thought we should spend more time together, like the old days."
Kouga rubbed his forehead. "You two… I need to train today. If I want access to my stronger forms and the ability to summon my mech, I can't waste this day. We should do this another time."
Kiana's eyes widened, her head popping up from the pillow. "…Could I come?"
Her hopeful tone was answered by a sharp flick to her nose.
"Ow! Owieee!" she whined, clutching her face as Mei shook her head in exasperation.
Kouga stood, pulling on his jacket. "Just take care of Mei for now, Kiana. That'll be enough help for me." He opened the door, pausing for only a moment to glance back at them. His eyes softened. "…I'll see you two tonight."
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Kiana pouting and Mei sighing into her book.
Kouga arrived at the campus gym, one of the buildings closer to the dormitories. The air inside smelled faintly of rubber mats and metal, the soft hum of fluorescent lights above illuminating an array of equipment—punching bags, dumbbells, free weights, even weighted ropes. Anything one could need to push the body to its limits was here.
Good. This should do.
Hours passed in silence, broken only by the sound of fists striking bags and the heavy clatter of weights hitting the ground. Kouga had gone far past standard drills. Sweat poured from his brow, matting his hair as he strained to hold dumbbells out at his sides while a thick rope tied around his waist dragged a giant tire weighted down with plates. His steps were unsteady as though each step were through mud.
That was when a voice cut through his labored breathing.
"…What are you doing?"
Kouga turned his head painfully toward the voice. Standing at the doorway was Theresa, arms crossed, her expression a mix of curiosity and disbelief. She watched the sweaty boy struggle with what looked like a medieval torture routine, dragging the tire around the room like a penance.
"Training," Kouga replied between sharp breaths, his voice low and ragged.
Theresa raised a brow, unimpressed. "Uh-huh. Because hauling half the gym around the campus is such common practice."
Kouga smirked faintly, even through the ache. "To be fair, I'm training my body so it can handle me summoning a mecha… or using stronger forms. This is just the basics. What I really need is far worse." His legs trembled as he forced another step, veins standing out on his arms.
For a long second, Theresa just stared. Then she sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I've got a better way of doing that." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, toward the northern end of the island. Beyond the dorms, the towering silhouette of the Schicksal cathedral loomed. "I have a special training chamber there. Reinforced. Dangerous, but controlled. You'd push yourself a lot further without… dragging furniture around."
Kouga's eyes followed her gesture. He thought about it, then shook his head, determination firm. "Thanks… but I think I'll stick with this for now. I need to feel the strain directly, the weight… the reminder of my limits. Only then can I break past them."
Theresa regarded him for a moment longer, then shrugged. "Suit yourself. Just don't destroy the gym while you're at it."
She turned to leave, only for Kouga to suddenly call out:
"Theresa—could you let me do my own training during class time, instead of the standard drills?"
The little principal paused, considering. After a moment's silence, she gave a short nod. "Fine. But if you collapse, don't blame me."
"You have my thanks," Kouga said, his voice steady despite the strain.
Theresa left with a wave, and Kouga refocused on his routine. Each time the weights tore at his muscles or the rope bit into his waist, he pushed harder, enduring the agony until his body finally gave out. And when the injuries became too much, his Kamen Rider Chalice's undead resilience did its work—bones knitting, muscles regenerating, breath returning—only for him to push himself right back into the pain again.
Kouga's training continued for hours under the afternoon sun. By then, a handful of girls from St. Freya had wandered down to the beach to relax. Their chatter quieted as they noticed the lone boy sprinting along the sand with a massive tire dragging behind him, sweat glistening across his skin. A few blushed outright at the sight, while others simply followed out of curiosity, whispering among themselves as he pushed his body beyond reason. Kouga, lost in focus and pain, paid none of them any mind.
By the time the sun dipped toward the horizon, the beach was painted gold and red. Kouga staggered, breathing hard, then tapped into Kamen Rider Chalice's undead resilience once again. His body regenerated quickly—muscles repairing, stamina returning—enough for him to haul the weights back to the gym before finally heading toward Himeko's residence.
Inside, the only one present was Bronya, sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, controller in hand as her usual poker face stared at the glowing screen.
"Where is everyone?" Kouga asked, setting down his bag.
Without looking away, Bronya replied in her monotone. "Kiana and Mei-nee-sama went shopping. Himeko is still at work."
Kouga nodded. "Figures." With that, he made his way toward the bath.
The hot water was a blessing after the punishment he had put himself through. Leaning back against the wall of the tub, he let out a long sigh as the steam wrapped around him. Muscles that had been screaming hours earlier finally relaxed. Thanks to his regeneration, the strain faded almost entirely, leaving behind only one unexpected change—faint, defined abs now lined his torso, the result of his relentless cycle of pain and recovery.
Afterward, with a towel wrapped around his waist, Kouga stepped out, rubbing his damp hair with another. He barely had time to breathe before the door slid open.
Kiana stood there, bags of groceries hanging at her sides. For a long, awkward second, she simply froze, her blue eyes locked on him. Kouga's brain stalled, completely short-circuited under her stare.
"Kiana-chan, why are you just standing there?" Mei's voice called as she approached, stepping into view. She followed her friend's gaze—and promptly went still herself. Her face flared scarlet as her eyes traced the water still dripping down Kouga's torso.
"…The last time I saw your body, you didn't have abs," Kiana finally muttered with a grin, breaking the silence. "Looks like an upgrade."
Before Kouga could even process that, Mei seized her by the arm, practically dragging her down the hall. "W-we're sorry!" Mei squeaked, her voice high with panic, her own cheeks still glowing red.
The bathroom door clicked shut behind them. Kouga blinked, slowly lowering his towel from his hair. Then, with a groan, he facepalmed.
"…I really need to fix my habit of forgetting to lock the door."