Fated Adventure.

My life had become a relentless storm of activity, but amidst the chaos, I found purpose. Each day was a cycle of growth, struggle, and connection, an intricate balance between forging myself into a warrior, nurturing my bonds, and guiding those who needed me.

Every morning, Scathach ensured that I understood the true meaning of pain. Her spear was an unrelenting force, her movements precise and merciless.

"Again," she'd say, watching as I pushed myself off the ground, blood dripping from my split lip.

I gritted my teeth, gripping my own weapon tightly. Every muscle screamed in protest, but I wouldn't back down.

Saeko, ever the devoted swordswoman, often joined in. Where Scathach broke me down, Artoria refined me, helping me hone the more intricate aspects of combat. She was graceful yet ruthless, a predator in human form.

"You hesitate," she murmured, parrying my strike with a flick of her wrist. "In a real battle, that would be your end."

She was right.

I had to be faster. Sharper. Stronger.

Meanwhile, Medea continued to refine my magical prowess. I was dragged along to magical courses with her and Scathach with the other mage girls. Fleur, Yue, Rachel, Luna Hermione..

Even Hermione and Luna contributed in their own way. Hermione, ever the scholar, had taken it upon herself to teach me more advanced magical theories, while Luna—though odd—had a knack for helping me see things from unexpected angles.

After combat, I was thrown into the fires of Hephaestus' forge.

"You're improving," she admitted one evening, watching as I worked molten Life Gold into the beginnings of a blade. "But don't get cocky. You still have much to learn."

Sweat dripped down my brow as I shaped the metal, my mind completely focused. I could feel the weapon taking form, its potential humming beneath my fingers.

And yet, there was never enough time.

After forging, I had to descend into the dungeon. I needed to push my level, to fight stronger monsters, to hone my instincts further. It was a brutal, never-ending cycle of combat, but it was necessary.

Every opponent I felled, every wound I suffered, was a step toward evolution.

Despite my insane schedule, I never neglected the younger ones.

Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Liliruca often sought my guidance, though for vastly different reasons. Xiao Wu had grown into a fearsome combatant, but she still had a childish streak that made her cling to me whenever she could.

"Ryan! Train with me!" she demanded one day, eyes shining with excitement.

Zhu Zhuqing, ever the quiet one, trained silently but always watched me closely, absorbing everything like a sponge.

Liliruca, on the other hand, had become more confident with time, though she still sometimes struggled with trusting others. I made sure to check in on her, ensuring that she felt safe and valued.

Then there were the Hollows.

Teaching them common sense was like trying to tame wild animals, much like I had done with Xiao Wu in the past. Some of them resisted, their instincts too deeply ingrained, but others were slowly beginning to learn.

"You don't need to act like beasts anymore," I told them one day, watching as one hesitated before speaking instead of attacking. "You can be more than just mindless killers."

It was a slow process, but I wasn't giving up.

No matter how busy I was, I always made time for my girls.

Fleur, ever the flirt, would drag me off for "romantic outings," smirking as she enjoyed my flustered reactions.

"You work too hard," she whispered one evening, brushing her fingers against my jaw. "Let me take care of you for once, hmm?"

Luna and Hermione preferred simpler moments—long conversations, stargazing, and intellectual debates. Luna had a way of making even the strangest topics fascinating, while Hermione's excitement when discussing new things was downright contagious.

Yue and Serenity were more direct in their affections. Yue was possessive yet playful, while Serenity—though quiet—treasured every moment she could with me.

Rachel was the most reserved, but I noticed how she always lingered nearby, quietly enjoying my presence even if she didn't always voice it. Usually with a book in her hand.

Saeko had adjusted to her new lover role with enthusiasm. Often joining Serenity and Winky in helping out with chores or cooking.

About the only one I hadn't made too much progress with was Harribel and Konan for obvious reasons due to her being a child.

Still I could see they were fitting in well and opening up more with the other so I wasn't worried.

Every moment with them was precious.

An Exhausting, Fulfilling Life

Every day was brutal, exhausting, and demanding. But it was also incredibly fulfilling.

The intense rhythm of my life finally slowed, if only slightly, when I summoned my paths to take over the training of Nagato and Yahiko. They were still in the early stages of their training, building up strength, learning the basics of movement, and becoming accustomed to the idea of controlled power.

It wasn't much, but it was something.

Nagato, ever the silent one, was quick to pick up on the physical drills, while Yahiko struggled a bit more. His stamina was lacking, and his form was sloppy, but that was the part I could teach.

"Focus on your core," I instructed, guiding him through a series of bodyweight exercises. "You need to stabilize from the inside out. If your core is weak, your whole body will follow."

Yahiko nodded, his breathing heavy, but determination flashing in his eyes.

Nagato, on the other hand, was already ahead of the curve. He moved with the quiet grace of someone who had already begun to understand his body's limits. He wasn't the most expressive, but I could tell his focus was unwavering. Seems even without the Rinnegan he was still a genius.

I let out a breath, watching them from a distance, knowing that I couldn't afford to let up on my own responsibilities.

I also needed to send one of my paths into the dungeon—a strategic move to grind experience without physically exerting myself further. The path would gain levels by killing monsters, and while I didn't feel the brunt of the grind, the experience was still mine.

The dungeon was a good place for my path to help me gain strength in levels. It was a reliable way to level up without my direct involvement. I could still focus on my other tasks—training, forging, and managing my growing responsibilities.

I had seven bodies to manage, but there was one problem I hadn't anticipated. Teamwork.

Training with Scathach was one thing—facing off against her spear, with all its terrifying power, was a necessary crucible that shaped me into a better fighter. But having seven bodies working in tandem during combat was something entirely different.

Each body had its own fighting style I would need to learn to utilize. Also make them work as a team, they had to be completely synchronized. And that was no easy feat.

Scathach made it worse.

She'd already taught me the importance of mindset and the need for constant focus, but working with my path bodies required a different type of concentration. Luckily that was helped along with the heart splitting technique and different thought processes.

"It's not enough to just have numbers," Scathach would say, watching from the sidelines. "You have to think as one. You want them to move as a single entity, not as individual warriors."

The answer, unfortunately, wasn't as simple as I hoped.

We spent hours on drills, running through basic maneuvers, testing reflexes, timing, and execution. Even with my enhanced mind it was frustrating, a constant reminder that unity in combat wasn't something you could just force.

At first, I thought it was a matter of coordination. After all, I was essentially puppeteering six extra bodies at once. But as the days passed, I realized it was more than that.

Working together required me to understand not only their own role but the roles of everyone around them. Every move had to be in sync, not just physically but mentally, like a dance of war that we all had to learn. And the only way to achieve that was through constant practice.

Frustratingly, Scathach only made it harder.

Every time one of my paths failed to execute a move properly or was out of sync just slightly, her spear would flash out, knocking me—or them—off balance. The drills grew more grueling as she demanded perfection, her voice always calm but never lacking in discipline.

"You can't afford to hesitate," she would say. "Your movement need to flow, predicting each attack properly and utilizing any openings."

Well it was just a few more beatings I suppose.

[And another, anyway send Powerstones and soda money, writing so much is thirsty work! Cashapp $Ryantheholy ]