I could not go any longer like this; I was going to starve to death if I didn''t eat anything, but Yato wasn''t allowing me to eat anything other than cup noodles.


    If Iined, he would probably stop even giving me those, so all I could do was take a beating from him during our training.


    I should not even say it''s training anymore; after all, all I do is get beaten by Yato, that''s all.


    For example, if I copsed from starvation and refused to move, Yato would beat me.


    If I refused to train, Yato would beat me.


    If I do train and spar with him, Leo would beat me.


    I''m nowyer or legal expert, but doesn''t this qualify as some form of child abuse?


    Even though I''m 17 and considered an adult, it still can be called abuse, right?!


    Well, on a positive note, Yato ims that my Martial Arts skills havetely been improving.


    However, I am too famished to notice any improvements or progress myself.


    It''s a strange sensation.


    I never imagined anyone could feel this way, but here I am.


    Even when I''m hungry and depleted of energy, I can still keep moving because of the stamina recovery potions I consume and because of the hot spring that is inside the cave.


    I don''t know how, but that hot spring has healing properties inside.


    I feel drained of energy yet somehow still functional.


    I long for sleep, but I can''t seem to sleep at the same time.


    I never realized that hunger could cause such intense physical pain.


    Even though my stomach has stopped growling, I can feel my belly twisting and churning as if it''s trying to eat itself.


    It hurts… It hurts so much.


    "Oye, get up," Yato''s voice abruptly reached my ears.


    I opened my eyes and found him standing there upside down in front of me.


    In reality, it was I who was upside down.


    "What the hell, Master?" I grumbled, attempting to free my legs from the entanglement.


    "You need to stay alert, even in unconventional situations," he replied calmly as if this were just another routine lesson.


    "Unconventional? Do you call this unconventional? I call it hunger-induced delirium!" I retorted, my stomach protesting loudly in agreement.


    Yato sighed, helping me untangle my legs. "Your hunger is clouding your focus. It''s essential to maintain mental rity, especially in adverse conditions."


    Adverse conditions? I wanted to retort with something snarky, but my energy was depleted, and the hunger pangs were relentless.


    As I struggled to stand, Yato tossed me a cup of noodles. "Eat. You need the energy."


    Cup noodles again. The aroma, usually a wee scent, now felt like a mockery of my predicament. Still, I couldn''t afford to turn it down.


    I devoured the cup noodles, feeling a bit of strength returning to my weary body. Yato watched silently, his expression unreadable.


    Once I finished, he spoke, "Your resilience ismendable, but you must also recognize your limitations. Pushing yourself to the brink won''t yield better results."


    Easy for him to say. He wasn''t the one surviving on cup noodles and the asional beatings.


    "Can I please get some rest? I have been training non-stop since I came here, Master." I asked, but he didn''t take pity on me.


    Instead, he threatened me...


    "If you don''t get up for our sparring session, then you won''t get any cup noodles from now on."


    ''No, not that too.'' Knowing I didn''t have much choice, I got up and took my sword, the Sin Of Sword.


    I pointed its de at Yato and gritted my teeth in anger.


    Yato responded by lifting his sleek ck sword and aiming it at me.


    "Come!" he bellowed.


    "Arghaa!" I roared,unching myself forward.


    While charging towards Yato, I enveloped my body and weapon in a thickyer of azure mana.


    This is a Mana Coating; I can hold it for more than twenty minutes by now.


    The surge of mana enhanced my physical abilities to the point where I closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye.


    Fwoosh—!!


    As soon as I stepped close to Yato, I swung my sword at his neck, aiming to cleave off his head with a clean sh.


    Of course, he evaded my attack easily by sidestepping to his right and countered with a swift sword sh.


    Without hesitating for even a moment, I bent my knees and exerted force on the ground using my legs.


    Thwoosh—!!


    Using my legs like a spring, Iunched myself into the air, soaring directly over Yato''s head.


    "Nice one," Yato remarked as he gripped his spear tighter. "But you''ve left yourself wide open in mid-air!"


    As he said that, Yato thrust his sword forward, aiming to stab a non-lethal area of my body.


    However, before his sword could connect, I twisted my body in mid-air, avoiding the attack.


    My sword danced through the air as I executed a series of precise strikes aimed at Yato.


    Cling, Cling, Cling—!!


    Each strike was met with Yato''s expert counterattacks. Our des shed in a rapid exchange, the sound echoing through the snowyndscape.


    Despite the intense battle, my hunger-fueled determination pushed me forward.


    I had to keep going. I had to prove that I could ovee not just physical exhaustion but the limits of my endurance.


    Yato swung its sword at me I dodged and jumped back in air somersaulting.


    "Arghh!" Inded in the distance, clenching my teeth even harder.


    Without dy, I once againunched myself at Yato with an explosive burst of speed.


    Fwoosh—!!


    Rather than charging straight at him, I rushed at him in a zigzag pattern, swiftly manoeuvring towards him.


    Once I entered striking range, I swiftly bent my knees, getting into a low crouched position.


    Since Yato thought I was going to jump, he readied himself for it.


    However, instead of leaping, I executed a rapid spin, shing my sword horizontally at his midsection.


    It was a move I had practiced tirelessly, and the surprise factor caught Yato off guard.


    "Good one," I thought, a glimmer of satisfaction flickering in my exhausted mind.


    But just as I thought I might gain an upper hand, Yato''s silver eyes shed with determination.


    He swiftly shifted his body, narrowly avoiding the full impact of my attack.


    In a split second, he countered with a precise strike towards my exposed nk.


    I barely managed to block it, but the force of the impact sent me staggering backward.


    "Your moves are bing less predictable. That''s progress," Yato acknowledged, his voice carrying a hint of approval.


    Fatigue and hunger gnawed at me, but a surge of determination surged through my veins.


    I couldn''t let up now. Not when I had a chance to prove myself, even if only to myself.


    I took a deep breath and charged at Yato once more, ready for whatever the relentless mountain training had prepared me for.