"I never thought training could be this exhausting," Gensei Jirou groaned, sprawled on the ground, unable to move.
"It's nothing like clan training," Bankaku Nisei added, slightly better off but still drained. A month into Reisen Riou's boot camp, the intensity was crushing. "I just wanna gamble, but I've got no energy left." Bankaku had been thrilled when their lord allowed hobbies, but the relentless regimen—physical drills, specialized courses, and cultural classes like Seven Nations Etiquette—left them physically and mentally wrecked. Oddly, Bankaku's gambling itch was fading, more habit than craving now.
The training escalated with their progress, piling on more specialized and cultural lessons. Results showed: Bankaku's Life Level held steady but neared a breakthrough, while the others—Gensei, Kagei Banma, and Arakawa Jirou—each gained LV1, with Arakawa hitting LV40 (pre-breakthrough), second only to Bankaku.
A violet flash split the night sky. The ronin scrambled to their feet, saluting as Reisen Riou appeared. "Good," he said. "Monthly assessments start now. Pass, and you'll get a daily Secret Elixir for the next month."
His Secret Elixir, a lab-crafted set, included the Frostmind Pill for brain enhancement, Thunder General Salve for bone strengthening, Blazetiger Powder for muscle and stamina, and Thunder Elixir Force to amplify and balance the others. Unlike Ei, who could conjure Longevity Thunder Elixir at will, Reisen Riou, merely adept in Electro, sealed his Thunder Elixir Force into Narukami Grass pills using barrier and sealing arts. Digested, the pill's seal broke, unleashing Electro to supercharge the other drugs and tune the body. Currently, they got one every two days—prized as rare treasures, far surpassing noble families' elixirs. Daily doses meant double the boost.
"First, combat assessment," Reisen Riou said, leading them to a clearing. "Attack me."
Ten minutes later, they lay defeated. Reisen Riou revived them with Thunder Elixir, then judged: "You broke my Type-3 test barrier—attack power passes. Dodged Type-4 frequency strikes—reaction passes. Withstood Type-4 elemental hits—resistance passes. No paralysis from Electro-Charged—stability passes. Well done, no slacking. Combat assessment cleared."
"No endurance test?" Bankaku asked, puzzled after endless stamina drills.
"I'm too busy for that," Reisen Riou said, walking off. "Endurance is machine-graded later. Next, professional assessments at Hanamiita—tracking, counter-tracking, stealth, counter-stealth, and more. Experts will judge."
Using his Absolute Hit Law, Reisen Riou pinned a Geo barrier mid-air, setting up a small chair, table, and snacks to watch the assessments. Thunder cracked nearby. "Lady Makoto, a bit close," he coughed, expanding the barrier.
Another bolt—Ei's… assets nearly grazed his head as she landed. More thunder followed: Yae Saiguu and Reisen Anko arrived. Then, Ei's robes rustled, and a pink fox—Yae Miko—popped out, gasping dramatically. Reisen Riou, teary-eyed, laid out more tatami and snacks.
"Lord Riou, could this aerial platform be permanent?" Makoto asked, admiring Inazuma's twilight view. "It's stunning."
"Temporary, reliant on my demonforce and Absolute Hit Law," he replied. "But for a small aerial pavilion, I've got spare Floatstone from my cavern domain. I could make it work."
"You saw through me," Ei teased, catching Makoto's intent.
Reisen Riou's gaze shifted—Kagei Banma was spotted during tracking. "Ten minutes, twelve seconds. Kagei, fail."
"Tracking's tough, especially against counter-tracking experts," Ei said fairly.
"Khaenri'ah's worse," Reisen Riou countered. "They've got life-detection devices—likely thermal imaging and tracking—hitting anything alive. My team faces their tech and fighters, so their skills need to be elite."
"Your call," Ei said, stroking her chin.
Tenryou Commission ninja masters picked off the recruits one by one. None passed; one even lost their target. Expected—they'd trained less than a month. Time was short.