Morning came with fewer groans than the day before.
The soreness hadn't vanished, but the rookies were getting used to it. Pain no longer felt like punishment, it felt like proof they were changing.
After their now-ritual morning routine, washing up, dressing, and a quick but healthy breakfast, they gathered once more in the yard. The sun was still rising, dew glistening on the grass. A slight breeze carried the scent of tea and sweat.
The second day of training dawned cold and brisk.
Mist rolled gently over the grass in Red's backyard, clinging to the training posts and straw dummies like ghostly veils. Birds chirped lazily in the trees overhead, but none of that mattered to the rookies, who stood in a rough formation, half-shivering, half-focused, as the sun struggled to break through the clouds.
Red, as always, was already there.
Sitting on a crate, sipping a black cup of something steaming and probably bitter. He didn't speak as they lined up. Just nodded.
"Yesterday," he said without preamble,
Red: "you learned formation basics. Today, we see if you remember."
He stood slowly, placed the cup down, and looked at Lio.
Red: "You lead."
Lio blinked. "Me?"
"You're a frontline swordsman," Red said. "Command comes with the role."
Rika raised an eyebrow. "You sure that's a good idea?"
Lio puffed his chest. "Come on. I've got this."
Greenie bounced into position behind him, mimicking his confident posture with squishy enthusiasm.
Red ignored them. "Rika, Selena, flanks. Yuzu, Hina, rear support. Greenie… stay out of the way."
"poyo~poyo" the green slimes chirped.
"You're a rubber ball with eyes," Rika muttered.
"Let's do this," Lio said, stepping forward. "Team! Advance! Three steps, tight formation!"
They moved, somewhat, with awkward coordination. Rika stepped too far left, bumping Selena. Yuzu tripped on a root, and Hina caught her just in time. Greenie bounced behind Lio, trying to mimic his every move.
Lio turned to issue another command. "Rotate formation!"
Greenie spun dramatically in a circle and flung himself backward, crashing into Yuzu's legs.
She squealed as she went down in a tangle of limbs, robes, and goo.
Red sighed.
Rika laughed. "Is this a formation or a farce?"
Lio turned beet red. "Okay, okay! Reset! That was a warm-up!"
They tried again.
Lio: "Forward! Then rotate! Selena shield up, no, no, Rika, wrong side!"
"I'm literally on the flank you assigned me!" Rika snapped.
Greenie bounced after her like an enthusiastic little mirror.
"poyo~poyo~poyo!" he chirped, wobbling in circles.
"Greenie!" Rika growled, spinning around. "Stop copying me!"
"Poyo~" Greenie echoed.
Yuzu burst out laughing.
Selena tried not to smile. Hina covered her mouth.
Red watched in silence, completely still, until he finally stepped forward, his boots crunching softly on the grass.
Red: "Enough."
The rookies froze mid-motion, even Greenie, who slowly wobbled to a halt.
Red stood between them.
"This is what happens," he said calmly, "when you confuse action with discipline."
Lio lowered his eyes. "Sorry…"
Red turned to him. "Do you know what a formation is?"
Lio hesitated. "...People standing in lines?"
"No," Red said. "A formation is a structure."
That made them pause.
Red stepped beside Yuzu and lightly tapped her shoulder. "This one keeps you alive with her magic."
He moved to Selena. "This one blocks the blade coming for your throat."
He pointed to Hina. "This one makes sure you wake up when you collapse."
Then he looked at Lio.
Red: "And you? You're their linebreaker. You're the one who steps first. If your formation collapses, it's because you led it off a cliff."
Lio swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to"
Red raised a hand. "No Reason. Only lesson."
He turned to the rest.
Red: "Mocking a leader during training teaches nothing. Laughing at a mistake makes you no better than a bystander."
Rika looked away.
Yuzu stepped forward. "Then… what should we do?"
Red walked back to his crate and picked up a thin stick.
Red: "Simple. You're going to drill until the mimic gets it right."
They blinked.
Greenie tilted. "Poyo~?"
"Formation," Red said.
Red: "If even Greenie can mimic your movement properly, it means you're moving with enough clarity to follow. If he fails, you failed."
Greenie gasped. "Poyo~?"
"Starts! Now!" Red said.
Yuzu whispered to Lio, "We're doomed."
The next two hours were chaos.
Every move the rookies made, Greenie copied, sometimes too late, sometimes too early, sometimes with comedic flair. He rolled when he should've jumped. He bounced when he should've ducked. He dramatically threw himself onto Rika's feet during a retreat command and refused to move.
But little by little, they got better.
Lio slowed down his commands. Started using clear gestures.
Selena mirrored him, taking the left flank and giving call-outs.
Yuzu and Hina started moving in perfect tandem, the mage covering weak angles, the healer watching for falls.
Rika grumbled but fell into rhythm. "If I get slimed one more time, I swear I'll shoot him."
Greenie squeaked, "Poyo~poyo!"
By midday, Red finally raised a hand.
Red: "Stop."
The team froze.
Greenie was perfectly aligned behind Hina, mimicking her soft stance and even blinking in sync.
Red looked at them all.
Red: "Passable."
They sagged in relief.
"Barely," Red added.
They sagged harder.
He picked up his training rod and gestured to the dummies. "Now real drills. In formation. Wooden weapons only."
Lio picked up his training sword, Selena her shield. Yuzu held a light staff, and Rika pulled a dulled bow from the rack. Even Greenie wobbled toward a small stick tied to a pebble.
"No magic," Red warned. "Only movement. Pressure. Reacting to targets."
They moved in formation this time, slower, more deliberate.
Lio called out instructions. Selena adjusted for angles. Rika covered flanks. Yuzu used her staff defensively, and Hina signal when they needed to rotate.
The dummies didn't fight back, but they didn't need to.
Red watched as the team began to flow.
Sweat beaded on their brows. Breaths came harder. But no one complained.
Even Greenie stayed mostly on track, only falling once when Rika pivoted faster than expected and kicked him by accident.
By sunset, the team stood soaked in effort, but upright.
Red gave a slow nod.
"You're not a team yet," he said. "But now you're moving like one."
Yuzu smiled through her exhaustion. "We'll get there."
Rika added, "At least Greenie's still alive."
The green slime raised his stick triumphantly. "Poyo~!"
They laughed.
Red picked up his cup from earlier, cold now, but untouched, and sipped.
Red: "Same time tomorrow. More pressure. Less room for mistakes."
Selena saluted. "We'll be ready."
As they walked inside, tired but proud, Lio stayed back a moment, looking at the training field.
Red spoke behind him.
Red: "You did better today."
Lio nodded. "It was messy."
"That's how you learn," Red said.
Red: "Even leaders fall. The ones who rise again, they become the sword others follow."
Lio looked down at his hands. "I want to be that."
Red: "Then earn it."
Red walked off.
Greenie bounced beside Lio, squishing his face against his leg.
"Poyo!"
Lio chuckled. "Let's just survive tomorrow, Greenie."
That night, the house felt more alive than ever.
They cleaned their gear without being told. They bathed and dressed bandages without needing reminders. They even prepared their own meals, simple vegetable stew, dry bread, and fresh water , but with pride.
Rika silently left a single apple cinnamon pastry on the table.
"For tomorrow," she said.
Lio reached for it.
She smacked his hand.
"For tomorrow."
They laughed.
In his room, Red looked out the window, watching as the training field faded into moonlight.
They were still rookies.
But rookies… with purpose.