Favonius Headquarters — Training Grounds
The Knights of Favonius training grounds were usually quiet—only a few recruits.
Today, it was different.
Dozens of knights had gathered around the central ring, forming a loose circle with excited murmurs and eager eyes. The reason was simple:
A rare spar was happening.
Three claymore users.
Two versus one.
At the center stood a man whose frame dwarfed most of those present—fiery red hair, a massive greatsword in hand… held casually with a single arm, as if the weapon weighed nothing.
Yes, It was Elios.
Across from him were two captains the Knights held in high regard: Diluc, the Pyro wielding red-haired young man with a sharp gaze and disciplined stance, and Eula, the Cryo wielder whose posture carried both noble elegance and predator-like readiness.
Steel met steel.
A heavy clang rolled across the grounds as Diluc's blade collided with Elios'—followed by a second impact as Eula's claymore struck from the side.
Elios didn't budge.
He turned the greatsword slightly and deflected both attacks at once, the motion so controlled it looked almost effortless.
And yet—
Sweat glistened on Diluc's brow. Eula's breathing was already growing heavier.
Half an hour had passed.
Elios hadn't even used elemental energy.
Despite the increasing intensity, he looked as calm and collected as he had at the first exchange—though the faintest hint of admiration flickered in his eyes as he read their rhythm.
Finally, he spoke.
"Very impressive, young Diluc… young Eula. I can't believe you've improved this much already."
"Huff… huff…" Eula scowled through her breath. "You say that, Teacher… but you're not even sweating… and you didn't use elemental energy even once."
She wasn't exaggerating.
Diluc and Eula had been pushing their Visions hard—Pyro flaring at every opening, Cryo trying to lock down movement and pressure Elios into mistakes.
But Elios answered everything with raw strength and swordsmanship alone.
Diluc exhaled, steadying his grip.
"Save your breath, Eula. Recover." He glanced sideways. "We counter after that."
Eula met his eyes.
A single nod passed between them.
Their plan formed instantly.
Around the ring, the spectators erupted.
"Go! Captain Diluc!"
"Don't give up, Captain Eula! We bet tonight's drinks on you—so don't lose!!"
"Did you see that?! He blocked both of them with one sword!"
"Skill like that is insane…"
"Heh, you've seen nothing. When Grand Master Varka sparred with him, this training grounds couldn't even survive. That's why they moved to Wolvendom—apparently there's a tougher arena out there."
Some knights watched with shining eyes, trying to memorize every foot placement and timing.
Others were here for more… personal reasons, such as bets for who pays for tonight's drinks.
But among them all, Klee stood out the most—arms crossed, chin raised, chest puffed with proud confidence as she mimicked a certain cat-eared friend.
"Heh~! Papa is invincible! The absolute strongest! Even Sister Eula and the weird grown-up together can never defeat him!"
A nearby knight chuckled and leaned down teasingly.
"But Klee… who would win if Sir Elios fought Lady Alice? Your invincible Papa… or your invincible Mama?"
Klee blinked, genuinely baffled.
"Eh~? But Papa and Mama would never fight~!"
"Just pretend. What if they did?"
Klee frowned hard, thinking with all the seriousness of a scholar facing a complex thesis.
Then her eyes lit up.
"Papa is the strongest… and Mama is invincible too… both are suuuper strong!"
She paused, then nodded as if confirming a sacred truth.
"But! I once saw Papa and Mama both defeated by Mama Nicole!"
"Huh?"
The knights leaned in, stunned.
Klee nodded proudly.
"They did a bad, bad mischievous thing, and Mama Nicole got sooo mad that she pulled their ears and they instantly gave up! So Mama Nicole is the strongest! Hehe~!"
For a heartbeat, the training grounds were silent.
Then the entire crowd burst out laughing.
"I can't believe even Sir Elios has moments like that!"
"So he's invincible against everyone except his family!"
"Heh, you're one to talk. I saw you come to work all beat up last time. I bet your wife kicked your ass again after you got drunk."
"Hey! We don't talk about that here!"
Their laughter cut off sharply as everyone snapped back to the ring—
because Diluc and Eula moved at the same time.
Their exhaustion was still visible, but their stances sharpened.
Their eyes were clear.
They had one last push.
Eula split left.
Diluc split right.
They widened the angle, trying to pull Elios' attention apart—forcing him to track two threats on opposite sides.
Then Diluc suddenly cut inward, charging straight at Elios to draw his guard.
At the same moment, Eula dropped low and slammed her Cryo infused claymore into the ground.
Frost raced forward like a living thing, spreading across the stone toward Elios' legs—an attempt to freeze his footing and steal his mobility.
Elios' gaze stayed on Diluc.
But his body moved as if he truly had eyes behind his head.
He shifted one step—clean, minimal—and the ice missed by inches.
His greatsword met Diluc's blow with a sharp clang—
then he pushed.
Not a dramatic shove, just a cold exertion of strength.
Diluc was forced back several steps, boots scraping the stone.
And that was when Eula closed in.
Her claymore swept in from Elios' blind side, Cryo humming along the flat of the blade—aimed not to injure, but to strike his sword arm and force disarmament.
Her timing was perfect.
Elios leaned back.
Not a dodge—an impossibly flexible, almost lazy bend at the waist that let the claymore pass a hair's breadth from his face.
Eula's strike missed.
For the briefest instant, her form broke—balance shifting.
Elios' free hand moved like a whip.
A punch landed on her sword hand, he used her strategy against her.
Pain sparked up her arm and her grip failed.
Her claymore flew from her fingers and spun away across the ground.
But Eula didn't look defeated.
She smiled.
Because she'd bought exactly what Diluc needed.
Diluc's Pyro surged.
His claymore ignited fully, heat warping the air.
And then—
"Dawn"
A flaming phoenix erupted from his blade, roaring forward in a brilliant arc of fire.
It slammed into Elios.
Flames engulfed him.
The heat was violent enough that even the watching knights flinched instinctively.
For a moment, Diluc and Eula regrouped and pushed in—running on sheer will, their stamina scraping rock bottom.
They struck into the blaze.
And then—
A hand shot out of the fire and caught Eula's incoming attack.
At the same time, Elios' greatsword rose and blocked Diluc's strike.
Effortless.
The flame didn't weaken him.
It didn't even force him back.
What shocked Diluc and Eula wasn't that he blocked them—
It was that they still couldn't sense him using any elemental energy.
Meaning he'd endured Diluc's full Pyro technique with his body alone.
A technique that could have vaporized a small lake.
Eula's teeth clenched.
Diluc's eyes narrowed.
Both of them, at the exact same time, thought: 'I think I'm going insane.'
Elios' voice came calmly from within the fire, as if he were commenting on the weather.
"It was a good plan. Both of you."
The flames began to disperse as he stepped forward.
"It's just a shame you chose Diluc for the finishing move." His tone remained casual. "If it had been Cryo… I might've been forced to use elemental energy."
He shrugged—almost apologetic.
"But since it's Pyro… well."
He gave them a faint smile.
"I'm… a bit resistant."
Diluc and Eula stared at him.
Both of them, again, thought: 'am I the weird one by thinking that is not just "a bit"?'
They withdrew their weapons without arguing.
They were done.
Their bodies had nothing left. Stamina hit rock bottom.
Elios stepped fully out of the last drifting embers—and only then did the true "damage" show.
Not to his skin.
To his clothes.
His shirt had been burned to crisp ruin, leaving his upper body bare—muscles carved so cleanly it looked almost unfair.
A few knights coughed awkwardly and looked away.
Several others stared openly.
Eula's face turned red instantly.
She jerked her gaze to the ground… and then, when she thought nobody noticed, stole quick glances anyway.
(A/N: As for how the pants survived, don't ask. That's Hulk logic.)
Elios walked up and patted both their heads—like they were kids who'd done well in practice.
"You've really grown stronger. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if you two together could defeat that kid Tartaglia— the Eleventh Harbinger."
Eula stiffened slightly at the head pat.
Diluc, even while breathing hard, tired, maintained his composed expression.
Elios continued, still sincere.
"If you keep improving for a few more years… I'm sure you'll break your limits and reach Varka's level."
(A/N: Yeah, I'm assuming Varka is at the very peak of human limits, as he, a normal human vision holder, was able to contend with Rerir, someone on the level of gods, even if it was briefly, his strength proved by that fact alone, I'd place him on Arlecchino level, below Archon level but closest to it, maybe he also received some boons from Andrius, being Boreas' Knight and all, but nothing's confirmed yet)
Diluc's eyes flicked toward Elios' burnt shirt situation, then back to his face.
"You say that, Sir Elios… but we still couldn't force you to use elemental energy."
Elios laughed, genuinely amused.
"Don't worry about that, young Diluc. It's a bad match. Your trump card was Pyro."
He tilted his head toward Eula.
"If it had been Eula's big move instead… I'd have had no choice but to get a little serious."
Diluc frowned, still puzzled.
"But how can you endure that heat with your body alone? Even with a Pyro Vision, that shouldn't be possible. At least, it's impossible for me."
Elios answered simply.
"Unique constitution." His tone softened. "Remember how Klee plays with her Jumpy Dumpties without getting hurt by the explosions? Same thing."
He smiled.
"Fire is the least of what can hurt us."
Eula finally snapped out of her flustered trance—then immediately got flustered again.
She slapped Elios' hand away from her head and snapped, voice louder than necessary.
"Before anything else—put on a shirt! Everyone is watching!"
She pointed accusingly while still refusing to look directly at him.
"I don't want rumors spreading that my teacher is a pervert!"
Elios blinked.
Then nodded like she'd made a perfectly reasonable tactical request.
"Fair enough."
He reached… somewhere—and pulled out a fresh shirt like it had always been there.
He put it on calmly.
Eula felt relief for half a second.
Then, inexplicably, she also felt a sharp pang of disappointment.
'What am I thinking? I shouldn't be disappointed.' She scolded herself internally, cheeks still warm.
Before anyone could tease her—
Klee burst through the crowd like a small cannonball.
"Horaaay~! I knew Papa would win! Papa's the strongest~!"
She latched onto Elios with familiar efficiency, climbed him like she'd done it a thousand times, and settled onto his shoulders with triumphant glee.