This camp inside Eligos Territory hadn't been used for a long time. Its exterior looked a bit run-down, but unlike abandoned towns or cities, it hadn't fallen completely into ruin.
Because it was close to the battlefield, the entire camp had been reinforced with protective measures. Even after all these years, it only looked worn on the surface—its actual functions were still intact.
At the very least, all the tents were still usable. The interiors looked as if they'd just been set up. They weren't spotless, but they were clean enough to meet basic standards.
Under Leo's guidance, the members of Eligos's servants settled into the tents one after another.
They chose three large tents near the center of the camp. Not only were these tents spacious and well-equipped, but stepping outside led directly to the central plaza.
In the middle of the plaza stood a massive bonfire pit. Once night fell, it would ignite automatically, the flames burning all the way until dawn.
As for how the tents were divided—Leo took one large tent for himself. Yukino and Utaha shared another, while Asuna and Mahiru stayed in the last one. The tents were close to each other, so if anything happened, no one would miss it.
They gathered in the plaza.
Once everyone had settled in, Leo called them all out and stood before the bonfire.
"Ready?"
Leo smiled slightly as he looked at the four girls standing in front of him.
"Of course."
"I'm ready."
"Bring it on anytime."
"I'll do my best."
Yukino, Asuna, Utaha, and Mahiru all wore serious expressions, their resolve clear.
They had changed into athletic clothes suitable for movement. If not for the setting, it would've looked like they were about to head to a PE class.
Leo, on the other hand, was still dressed casually, looking relaxed and almost lazy.
If this were the past, he would've needed to take things seriously too. But now, he barely cared about the dangers lurking in this Ancient Battlefield, so his attitude naturally became much more laid-back.
"All right. First, take these. Look them over carefully."
Leo took out four sets of documents and handed them to the girls one by one.
"These are…?"
They accepted them with puzzled looks.
"These are training plans I made specifically for each of you, based on your physical condition and demonic power," Leo explained. "They include both physical training and demonic power training. The workload increases day by day, and as long as you complete the assigned amount each day, you'll steadily push past your limits. Your bodies and demonic power will grow stronger very quickly."
"Don't underestimate physical strength and demonic power. Even though you're all Sacred Gear users and mainly rely on your Sacred Gears in battle, you still need a solid foundation in both."
"After all, a Sacred Gear runs on stamina and demonic power. Every time you use one, you consume both. The more you have, the longer you can keep your Sacred Gear active. Only with enough stamina and demonic power can you support stronger Sacred Gear abilities."
"Without that support, even if you possess a powerful Sacred Gear, you won't last until the end of a fight. Mahiru and Utaha-senpai should understand that better than anyone."
At his words, Utaha and Mahiru fell silent.
During the attack by the Old Maou Faction, both of them had performed exceptionally well. Their powerful Sacred Gears protected their teammates, leaving the enemy helpless. But if the battle had dragged on and Leo's group hadn't arrived in time, their fate would have been just as grim.
Utaha had maintained her barrier nonstop, blocking enemy bombardment until she nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Mahiru had completely run out of stamina and demonic power by the time they reached the third room, forcing her to rely on her teammates for protection.
If Leo and the others hadn't arrived when they did, neither of them would have made it to the end.
But if their stamina and demonic power had been more abundant, they could've maintained their Sacred Gears longer. Breaking through might have been unrealistic, but at least they could have protected themselves.
Yukino also recalled her first fight against Sharon. Back then, she had used her Sacred Gear without regard for consumption, draining herself too heavily. When Sharon unleashed her killing move, Yukino didn't even have the strength left to dodge.
If not for Leo stepping in, she would have been dead.
"In the future, all of you may reach the ultimate realm of your Sacred Gears—Balance Breaker."
"And using Balance Breaker consumes an enormous amount of stamina and demonic power."
"If you don't have enough, even after reaching that realm, you won't be able to maintain it for long. You'll be forced to carefully restrain your power to reduce consumption. But doing that lowers output, preventing you from unleashing Balance Breaker at full strength."
Leo tapped the training plans in their hands.
"That's why this plan exists. If you can complete it, one month from now you'll be reborn. Conservatively speaking, you'll be several times stronger than you are now—if not more."
The girls nodded in unison and began reading the plans seriously.
As they read, something caught their attention.
"The training schedule here seems to only cover the mornings," Utaha said, the first to notice. "What about the afternoons and evenings?"
Indeed, Leo's plan only included morning training.
The reason was simple.
"This is just basic physical and demonic power training," Leo said matter-of-factly. "You can't spend all your time on fundamentals, right? That's why the plan only covers mornings. From the afternoon onward, you'll each do targeted training."
"For example, Asuna, you'll continue training your swordsmanship. I don't need to teach you how to do that, do I?"
Asuna nodded without hesitation.
Her sword training was handled by Miyamoto Musashi, who had already told her exactly what to do before they set out. She knew her path clearly.
She had more or less mastered the techniques of Niten Ichi-ryū. What she needed next wasn't new moves, but something deeper.
All of that had already been arranged by Miyamoto Musashi. Leo, an outsider in swordsmanship, had no need to interfere. Asuna could handle her afternoon training on her own.
That left the other three.
"Yukino," Leo said, turning to his first recruited servant. "After you finish your morning basics each day, you need to focus on how you use your Sacred Gear. Do you know what your biggest problem is right now?"
"My biggest problem…" Yukino frowned, hesitating before answering. "My mastery over the Sacred Gear isn't high enough?"
"That's right." Leo nodded, then continued, "But do you know why that is?"
"That…" Yukino fell silent.
"Because you're using it the wrong way," Leo said bluntly. "'Absolute Demise' is an Independent Avatar Type Sacred Gear. Do you know the defining trait of Independent Avatar Type Sacred Gears?"
"That they're alive," Leo continued without waiting. "They can act and fight on their own."
"Their greatest advantage is that the host doesn't need to control them directly. Instead, the host can fight alongside them, achieving a result greater than one plus one."
"But think about your battles so far. Every time you summon your Sacred Gear, haven't you been controlling its power yourself?"
At those words, realization struck Yukino like a bolt of lightning.
He was right.
Every time she summoned the Ice Princess, she instinctively controlled it, forcing it to fight according to her will. She became a puppeteer, pulling strings, instead of fighting together with it.
"What you need to do now is completely grasp your Sacred Gear's combat style," Leo said. "Don't control it. Let it coordinate with you—or you coordinate with it. Fight together. That may increase consumption, but your combat power will double."
"This will be your targeted afternoon training for the next month. Understand?"
Yukino nodded silently.
She was exceptionally sharp. Once Leo pointed it out, she immediately understood what she needed to do.
She wrote her afternoon training goals onto her plan, refining it.
Meanwhile, Leo turned to Utaha and Mahiru.
"Utaha, you're the most talented when it comes to using your Sacred Gear. Your wild imagination is your greatest asset. Your afternoon training should focus on turning that asset into reality—constantly experimenting with different barrier setups, expanding their applications and possibilities."
"And Mahiru," Leo continued, "you need to deepen your understanding of the Holy Cross. You wield Holy Power and Purification Power. These two forces place extremely high demands on your mental state—your mindset. As long as you maintain a pure and upright heart, you'll be able to grasp and strengthen these powers quickly."
It was clear Leo had already thought all of this through. His guidance flowed smoothly.
"That covers your afternoon training."
"As for the evenings, that'll be combat practice. You'll cross the Ancient Battlefield and endure its environment."
"Now then—let's get started."
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You can read up to chapter 174 on patreon.com/NiaXD.