CHAPTER 12

Chapter 12: The Edge of Limits

Another grueling night of training had passed. The moon shone brightly in the sky, but the princes and princesses of the Demon Kingdom had no time to admire its beauty. They lay on the ground, panting, their bodies covered in bruises and wounds.

The Minister of the Interior gazed at them with an emotionless expression and said,

"You've given it your all, but it's still not enough."

Ryo, his hands trembling from exhaustion, gritted his teeth and muttered,

"We… we can't go any further… There's nothing left in us."

The Minister's piercing eyes locked onto him as he stepped closer.

"Do you really think this is your limit? Then why are you still alive? If you had truly reached your limit, you'd be lying unconscious on the ground, unable to even speak."

He paused before continuing,

"Limits aren't real. They're just mental barriers you create for yourselves."

His words echoed in their minds. How real were their limits, truly?

---

Beyond the Limits

The training resumed, but this time, the goal was clear: to break past their personal barriers.

Each of them had to find their own limits—and surpass them.

Ryo was lost in the instability of time and space. Every step he took would suddenly throw him meters forward or backward. He had tried countless times to stabilize himself, but each attempt ended in failure.

Aya, training beside him, collapsed onto her knees and said,

"You have to feel it, not think about it… It's a natural flow."

Ryo clenched his fists. If limits weren't real, then why couldn't he control this power?

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and allowed time and space to envelop him…

This time, his body remained still.

For the first time, he had found balance within the chaos.

---

Yuma and Kazuki Were No Longer Prey

But now, they weren't just surviving anymore.

Yuma, who had always believed in running away, had learned to use the environment to his advantage. He moved carefully through the shadows, predicting the movements of the beasts, escaping with calculated precision.

Kazuki, on the other hand, had learned how to fight. His body had grown stronger, his reflexes sharper. He could now stand his ground against the enemies he once fled from.

They were no longer just prey.

They were evolving.

---

The Warriors' Growth

The princes and princesses in the combat group no longer fell so easily.

Every mistake still came with a heavy price, but they had learned to grow from them.

Sachiko, who had always struggled with her lack of physical strength, had started focusing on speed and precision. Her movements became faster, her decisions sharper.

None of them were perfect yet, but now… they had the ability to fight.

---

The Minister: "Now, You Are Ready."

A few days later, when their training had reached its peak, the Minister of the Interior gathered them once more.

He looked at the princes and princesses, who no longer whined or collapsed from exhaustion. Their eyes were filled with determination.

"Now, you are ready to enter the next stage."

Ryo, Aya, Yuma, Kazuki, Sachiko, and the others… they were all ready.

But they had no idea how much harder the next stage would be.

End of Chapter 12.