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Chapter 137: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 137



When exactly had it begun?


The moment when she first admired those heroes who protected others from countless dangers, those who worked tirelessly for the sake of others.


The moment when she first harbored the thought that she, too, wanted to become a hero like them.


That moment when she firmly believed that, just like the heroes in stories said, with effort and passion, she could become a great hero, and that belief had driven her to keep moving forward, never looking back.


Mei reflected with a bitter smile.


Perhaps, that moment had been during a time when she was truly innocent, in her childhood.


Up until the point when she was admitted to the academy, a place renowned as a gateway to becoming a hero, Mei had been half-convinced.


She believed that out of all the students enrolled, she would certainly become a great hero.


Compared to others, she wasn’t lacking in talent, and she had a heart full of determination to become a great hero—something she believed surpassed anyone else’s.


After all, from a very young age, she had only thought about becoming a great hero and had worked tirelessly towards that goal.


So, there was no way she could fall behind others.


At least, that’s what she believed until she met the other students at the academy.


Mei was, if you were to categorize her, a prodigy.


Someone who, when seen by others, would be considered as having some talent.


But among the students she studied with, there were geniuses.


There was a girl with an unyielding body that seemed invincible.


There was another who could freely manipulate water and ice, and another who commanded the spirit of the last remaining star.


There was a boy hailed as a genius magician, and another boy whose talent was so remarkable that he was the youngest to ever be appointed a hero, a talent that would be remembered in history.


Amidst such brilliant talents, Mei realized that her own abilities were utterly insignificant.


While she advanced one step at a time with great effort, there were those who moved ten, a hundred steps forward in the same span.


And what’s more, they weren’t just relying on their talents without putting in the effort.


Mei had no choice but to acknowledge it.


There was an insurmountable gap between her and them.


The disparity in talent was so vast that it made her question the value of her efforts, feeling that it was almost absurd.


However, Mei was not the kind of girl who would let such things break her spirit.


Mei lifted her head and looked forward.


There, a girl with red hair was sparring, her hands engulfed in flames as red as her hair, her movements dazzling.


Scarlet Evande, her dear friend.


Mei had always watched her closely.


She had seen Scarlet willingly sacrifice her arm to protect the people in the gym.


She had witnessed her enduring countless experiences of near-death during special training sessions, never showing signs of struggle and ultimately achieving her goals.


*Admiration.*


That was what had kept Mei going, never faltering in her efforts.


And the admiration she once had for great heroes had, at some point, shifted from heroes to the girl in front of her.


She saw in Scarlet the very image of the great hero she had always admired.


Mei wanted to be like her.


She wanted to be someone who could stand beside her and fight alongside her.


However...


Mei wiped the cold sweat off her face with trembling hands.


Ever since she had been exposed to the killing intent that Leon had unleashed during the class earlier, she had been in this state.


The moment she was exposed to that killing intent, Mei had recalled the memory of facing the witch.


Back then, even though she had watched her precious friend being dragged away by the witch with her own eyes...


She had done nothing.


Nothing at all.


Just because her body wouldn’t move out of fear.


And when she felt her body freeze in response to Leon’s killing intent, just as it had before, Mei lost her confidence for the first time.


She could see the girl she admired sparring with Leon ahead.


Despite having faced the killing intent that had rendered her immobile, Scarlet was receiving it head-on, moving with a speed incomparable to before.


*Is it... talent?*


Mei recalled the day she and Scarlet had trained together with Leon.


That day, the day they faced the witch, and even now.


Scarlet seemed like someone who knew no fear.


Watching Scarlet cross the lines that she herself couldn’t, as if it were nothing, Mei couldn’t help but think that this, too, was a talent.


If not feeling fear was also a talent...


Then she knew, no matter what she did for the rest of her life, she could never become like the girl she admired.


The difference in talent.


The phrase she once dismissed had never resonated with her as deeply as it did in that moment.


And the gaze that Mei had always kept straight ahead began to drop.


As she looked at her own hands, trembling pathetically, she felt utterly worthless.


The realization that no matter what she did, she could never become like the girl she admired felt like she had lost the very foundation that had supported her until now.


Mei felt her spirit breaking as her expression twisted in despair.


But then, it happened.


"-Kehuk, Kelok... Krrr..."


"Are you okay?! Why did you suddenly stop? You were dodging so well, and then in the middle of the sparring, you just froze...!"


"Hicc... Heuk... I’m sorry... I’m so sorry..."


A small commotion erupted as Scarlet was struck by Leon’s attack and sent flying.


And through the chaos, when Mei caught sight of Scarlet’s face, it was as if she had been struck by a hammer to the back of her head.


A face drenched in cold sweat.


Eyes filled with fear, trembling and contorted in anguish.


As she apologized in a shaking voice and headed towards the infirmary, the look on her face unmistakably showed not pain, but fear.


In that moment, Mei realized something.


Scarlet wasn’t someone who was free from fear.


She had simply been enduring it all along.


At that moment, a wave of intense self-loathing washed over Mei.


Thinking about it, it was only natural that Scarlet, like herself, would feel fear.


And yet, Mei had seen her as some kind of fearless monster.


It dawned on her that maybe she had unconsciously been looking for an excuse, a way to justify giving up on her own efforts.


If that were true, it would have been a truly cowardly and disgraceful thing to do.


And yet, she had the audacity to claim she wanted to become a great hero.


Mei bit her lip in self-reproach.


Just then, as she watched Scarlet leave the gym, Leon spoke up with a troubled expression.


"...There was a bit of an incident, but we need to continue the class. Who’s next?"


"...I’ll do it."


Impulsively standing up, Mei walked to the imaginary line that Leon had drawn with his spear.


The moment she stood in front of the line, she felt the suffocating presence of killing intent.


It was the same feeling she had experienced before.


With the first step, a chill ran down her spine.


With the second step, her body began to tremble.


And when she tried to take the third step, her body froze without her realizing it.


Her instincts screamed at her that she was going to die, to run away.


"Ugh..."


Even though she wanted to take the next step, her body refused.


But Mei steeled herself as she felt Leon’s gaze on her.


Hadn’t he said that a hero mustn’t succumb to fear?


Besides...


Mei bit her lip as she recalled the image of her friend, who had thrown herself into the jaws of death to save them.


Whatever fear she was feeling now, it was nothing compared to what Scarlet must have felt back then.


So if she wanted to stand by Scarlet’s side, how could she allow herself to be so weak now?


With a grinding sound from her clenched teeth, Mei gathered her strength in her legs.


And she crossed the line that she hadn’t been able to cross before.


As soon as she did, the killing intent that had been suffocating her disappeared, and Leon spoke with a faint smile on his lips.


"...I’m a bit surprised. I didn’t think you’d succeed so quickly. Well done. Overcoming fear like this is the way to survive. If you get used to it, it will certainly be helpful—"


"...It’s not enough."


"...What do you mean, ‘not enough’?"


Cutting Leon off, Mei spoke, her breath ragged.


The strain of forcing her body to move against its will left her grimacing, but she managed to look at Leon and spoke with a trembling voice.


"...It’s not enough. Just learning how to survive. So please, teach me how to become stronger."


"...You seem to have gotten quite a bit stronger than before, so why the sudden urge to get even stronger?"


"...Because I don’t have any talent. I can’t use magic, and my abilities are mediocre. If I want to reach my goals, I need help."


"...Hmmm."


Leon observed Mei with a dissatisfied expression for a moment before his face hardened, and he muttered,


"...Is that really your only reason?"


"Kaah...!"


Immediately after, Mei was once again crushed by the pressure emanating from Leon, forcing her to her knees.


Even though she was in pain, overwhelmed by the sudden pressure after having just relaxed, Leon remained indifferent as he asked,


"If that’s the only reason, it’s hard to take seriously. Even if you’re my daughter’s friend, it’s a bit rude. If you’re going to ask for a favor, you should have a more compelling reason."


And at that moment, Mei muttered,


"...No... I don’t want..."


It was then that she realized something.


Now that she thought about it, there was something she feared even more than death.


"...I don’t want that!"


Remembering the moment when she had felt the most worthless in her life—the moment she never wanted to experience again—Mei planted her hands on the ground and slowly forced herself to stand, despite the pressure weighing her down.


Finally, she stood on her feet, meeting Leon’s gaze with burning eyes, and shouted,


"I don’t ever want to...! Be in a situation where my friend is in danger and I can’t do anything...!!!"


After shouting that, Mei panted heavily, and with as much sincerity as she could muster, she bowed deeply to Leon.


"...So, please. Help me become stronger..."


There was a moment of silence.


"...You should have just said that from the start."


Leon, retracting his energy, scratched his head with a sheepish expression as he spoke.


---------------------


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Comments

  1. I am crying, why is this so beautiful

    ReplyDelete
  2. The only thing that scarlet fears is hurting others instead of death, heh.

    ReplyDelete

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