Chapter : Training Ground

Chapter [Title Placeholder]

After his bizarre and slightly uncomfortable interaction with Chaos, Josuke barely had time to collect his thoughts before his communicator buzzed. A message from Kyle appeared:

"85th Room. Now."

Josuke groaned, rubbing his temples. He had just spent hours meditating, trying to reach Chaos' twisted realm, only to be thrown straight into something else. What now?

Still, he didn't want to keep Kyle waiting—especially if it involved training. He stood up, stretched his arms, and left his room, making his way toward the elevators.

The 85th Room was deep within the headquarters, one of the lowest floors in the entire structure. As Josuke entered the elevator, he quickly realized it was going to be a long ride. People kept entering and exiting at every level, making his descent feel agonizingly slow.

"This has to be a form of torture," he muttered, leaning against the wall.

It took nearly thirty minutes before he finally reached his destination. When the doors slid open, he stepped into an entirely different section of the building—one he had never been to before.

The air here was dense, almost suffocating.

The walls were sleek and reinforced, designed to withstand the most destructive forces imaginable. This was where weapons were tested and where criminals and rogue Rangers on death row were disposed of. It was the kind of place that reeked of power and danger.

As he followed the signs to Room 85, he soon arrived at a massive pure white chamber, eerily empty. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes locked onto two familiar figures.

Kyle stood there, looking as relaxed as ever, while Arthur leaned against the far wall, arms crossed with an annoyed expression.

Arthur clicked his tongue. "Really, Kyle? You had to invite this clown?"

Josuke rolled his eyes. "You call me a clown, yet you're the one acting like a moody teenager."

Kyle, ever the mediator, grinned and clapped his hands. "Alright, ladies, let's not get into a lover's quarrel. We have work to do."

Arthur scoffed. "Tch."

Josuke blinked. "Wait, I thought training was tomorrow? We just got back from Barron Island this morning."

Kyle stretched lazily, yawning as if he hadn't just called them down to a death trap. "It was, but Mr. Grumpy over there decided to disturb my precious beauty sleep. So, here we are."

Arthur's eyebrow twitched. "You were going to sleep for three days straight, weren't you?"

Kyle smirked. "Don't act like it wouldn't have been well deserved."

Josuke exhaled sharply. "Fine, whatever. What is this place, anyway?"

Kyle's expression turned slightly more serious as he gestured around them. "Welcome to the Time Chamber."

Josuke's eyes widened. "Wait, like in those old martial arts comics?"

Kyle nodded. "Pretty much. If I'm going to teach you guys how to use Void Impact, why not do it in here?"

Josuke and Arthur exchanged looks.

Kyle continued, "It takes around two to three years to fully master the Void Impact attack. But in this room, time works differently—one day outside equals a full year in here."

Arthur's interest piqued. "So, we're training for two to three years?"

Kyle grinned mischievously. "Oh, it gets better. With my time magic, I can enhance the effect. I've adjusted it so that 30 minutes outside is a full year in here. That means we'll be spending about two hour and thirty minutes in here, giving us more than enough time to raise your power, mana reserves, and overall combat skill."

Josuke whistled. "That's insane."

Kyle smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Of course, before we start the actual training, I need to test your current strength."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Test? As in—"

With a sudden slam, the massive chamber doors locked shut behind them.

Kyle's smirk grew. "Simple. You two… fight me."

Josuke felt an odd mix of excitement and nervousness. Kyle wasn't just strong—he was a monster. A former prodigy, the youngest-ever S-Rank Ranger, and arguably the strongest person in Elaris. Josuke had fought powerful opponents before, but Kyle was on another level entirely.

Arthur's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. "You sure about this? You might regret it."

Kyle laughed. "Oh, please. You two together might last more than five minutes. Maybe."

Josuke smirked, his excitement outweighing his fear. "Alright, you cocky bastard. Let's see if you can back that up."

With a flash of crimson light, Josuke transformed into his Devil Form, his horns extending as his aura darkened. His massive blade materialized, crackling with demonic energy.

Arthur followed suit, summoning Excalibur, the blade gleaming with divine radiance.

Both warriors stared down their opponent, who remained completely unfazed.

Kyle yawned, tilting his head. "Is that all? You two need a dramatic transformation to get serious? I just wake up looking this good."

Josuke and Arthur exchanged a glance before grinning.

"With pleasure."

And then—they charged.

The Fight Begins

Josuke was the first to strike, his massive blade swinging down with devastating force. The very air around them shattered from the sheer pressure.

Kyle didn't even move. His index finger rose.

CLANG!

Josuke's eyes widened. His entire attack was blocked with a single finger.

Kyle smirked. "Predictable."

Before Josuke could react, Kyle vanished.

A sharp impact struck Josuke's stomach, sending him flying backward into the chamber wall, cratering the metal.

Arthur lunged, Excalibur's holy energy surging, but Kyle effortlessly sidestepped and flicked him on the forehead.

BOOM!

Arthur crashed into the ground, the sheer force shaking the chamber.

Kyle dusted off his jacket, sighing dramatically. "You guys really need to work on your speed. I mean, at this rate, an old man could hit harder than you."

Josuke groaned, pulling himself out of the wreckage. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. You're strong. But…"

His aura flared, and his blade darkened, becoming even more monstrous.

"I'm just getting started."

Arthur grinned, Excalibur glowing brighter.

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You actually have some fight left in you?"

Josuke grinned. "Let's see if you can still talk when we stop holding back."

Kyle cracked his knuckles, his smirk widening. "Alright then. Show me something interesting."

And with that, the real fight began.

To Be Continued…