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Chapter 138: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 138



After a brief silence, Leon, who had been looking at Mei with an apologetic expression, sighed and then bowed his head to apologize to her.


"I'm sorry. I don't really like people who use talent as an excuse. I have bad memories of people who said things like that without putting in enough effort. But, if someone like you is desperate enough to say something like that, I understand. And if that's the reason, there's no reason for me not to help you."


"...Thank you."


"You don't need to thank me. I was out of line too, so I'll make sure to help you. Don't worry."


Leon, who had been watching Mei, pointed at her and asked.


"You’re someone who manipulates air, right? Primarily focused on close combat?"


"Ah, yes. I use wind to accelerate, create barriers by solidifying air... Or I can slightly control the flow of the atmosphere itself, but I'm not very good at that."


"Hmm... I think I'll need to see you fight for a bit first, so why don't you try attacking me?"


After receiving a few attacks during the sparring session that followed, Leon nodded and said.


"...If we're just looking at the ability itself, you could manage long-range attacks, but it would probably be best to focus on your current speed. You've been training that aspect all along, right?"


"...Yes, but at some point, I felt like I hit a plateau. It's like I can't get any faster."


"Haha, I know that feeling well. I was the same way once. I think I can give you some advice that might help. I can't guarantee it, but I think you can get faster."


"...! Really?"


"Of course. But there's something we need to do before we start training..."


Leon pointed at Mei with his finger and said.


"Take that off."


"...My clothes?"


Mei's reaction, as she clutched her chest and stared at him with a disgusted expression, made Leon chuckle. He tapped his temple and explained.


"No, I mean your glasses. Those are magic tools for eye protection, right? A psychic like you wouldn't need glasses due to poor eyesight."


"...They're magic tools, but without them..."


Mei held onto her glasses with a worried expression.


Training without protective gear for her already sensitive eyes? Usually, it wasn't possible, so if there was no protective gear, one would create a barrier around their eyes with their ability while running. But doing so would divert attention, leading to a decrease in speed.


These glasses were a tool that helped Mei maintain her speed in many ways, so she looked at Leon with skeptical eyes.


Leon smiled faintly, pointed at his own eyes, and said,


"Look at me. Have you ever seen the fastest hero around wearing anything on his eyes? If you keep training your ability, your body will naturally adapt to it. The existence of psychological defense mechanisms like protective gear unconsciously creates a limit to your speed. Once you reach a certain level, those things become nothing but a hindrance."


"...Is that so?"


"Of course, the 'certain level' I'm talking about is at least as high as an average hero, so it's not widely known. But your goal is at least that high, right?"


Scarlet had said she wanted to become strong enough to fight against a witch.


So Mei also needed to become strong enough not to be a burden to her.


With that thought, Mei slowly nodded in response to Leon's question.


Seeing this, Leon spoke seriously.


"In that case, trust me... No, trust the hard work you've put in up until now and take them off. I'm sure you can do it."


"Trust in myself..."


Mei muttered and then, with a determined expression, took off the glasses she always wore.


Leon nodded at her and said,


"There are only two things you need to remember. Keep your eyes fixed on your target, and when you feel like you've hit your limit, take just one more step forward. Keep that in mind."


Having said that, Leon tossed aside the spear he was holding and spoke to Mei.


"Normally, you would do this in your imagination, but since it's your first time, I'll help you. From now on, I'm going to run just a little bit faster than you. Think of me as a slightly faster version of yourself running ahead. If you catch up to me, you'll have succeeded. Got it?"


When Mei nodded, Leon grinned and said,


"Then, let's start!"


As soon as Leon finished speaking, Mei saw his speed and shouted internally.


"‘A little’ faster? How is that in any way little?"


But there was no time to complain, so Mei pushed off the ground with all her strength.


Accelerate, then accelerate again.


She thought she might have already surpassed her usual top speed.


But she gritted her teeth and ran to catch up to Leon.


Even so, the distance didn’t close.


The faster she ran, the slightly faster Leon was.


No, it wasn’t Leon.


It was herself running one step ahead, so no matter how much she ran, the parallel distance was maintained.


The faster she ran, the blurrier her vision became.


She could feel the sharp pain in her slightly stinging eyes turning into a prickling pain.


Her body was now shouting that it was reaching its limit.


Any faster, and it would be dangerous.


Her eyes wouldn’t survive.


However, if she diverted her ability to protect her eyes, she would surely fall behind.


She didn't want that, but it was getting harder to ignore the growing pain in her eyes. She became frightened, and without realizing it, her eyelids began to close to protect her eyes.


- Keep your eyes fixed on your target.


Recalling Leon's voice, Mei forced her eyes wide open.


In her bloodshot, veiny eyes, she could see her own back running just a step ahead.


Her goal, her target.


As Mei repeated those words to herself, she realized that wasn’t her true goal.


Her real target was much further ahead than that.


Ten steps? A hundred steps?


Or perhaps even farther away.


The girl she admired and aspired to catch up with was far beyond her reach at the moment.


She had no idea how fast she would have to run to catch up.


But she would not stop.


Just like the girl she admired, who never stopped during training.


No matter how many setbacks she faced, she would keep going until she reached her goal.


As she focused on that distant target, her blurred vision began to clear, and she saw the back running just a step ahead.


Ah, how close it was compared to what she truly sought.


Upon reflection, it was nothing at all.


The fear of surpassing her limits, the self running just ahead of her—none of it really mattered.


What was truly terrifying wasn’t that, and what was truly far away wasn’t that either.


Without hesitation, Mei took a step beyond her limits.


And at that moment,


The girl became the wind.


"...Huh?"


When she came to her senses, Mei found herself with her hand on Leon's back, looking at him with a dazed expression.


Leon, looking back at her with an immensely proud expression, finally spoke.


"Talent is such a cruel word. People often compare it to a flower, seeking out only the ones that bloom early. Most of the late-blooming flowers wither away before they even realize they can bloom. It takes constant care, water, and fertilizer for a late-blooming flower to blossom. It's not something just anyone can do."


Leon, who had been a late-bloomer himself, knew how difficult it was for such flowers to bloom.


"In that sense, you deserve respect. Even if someone shows you the way, taking that one step forward all at once is impossible without relentless effort. And usually, that one step is the hardest."


"...Ah."


With those words, he smiled genuinely at the newly blossomed flower bud, which was still sporting a bewildered expression.


"That’s just the beginning. If you keep stacking one step on top of another, you can go as far as you want. So keep pushing yourself. You’ve got talent."


Feeling something wet sliding down her cheeks, Mei, flustered, stammered,


"...Huh? Why... Why am I...?"


As the long winter passed and the snow finally melted, the remnants of the season seemed to bless the late-blooming flower with its moisture.


Surely, after all the careful watering and nurturing, it would bloom into a beautiful flower.


Leon smiled, savoring the lingering scent of the wind the girl had created.


The late spring breeze of Mei, which had started to blow, was warm.


And then, Leon finally noticed the commotion caused by the wind the girl had stirred and let out a hearty laugh.


"...Haha, well, well. It seems everyone’s fired up now."


Wind, after all, fuels the flames.


As Leon saw the burning determination in the eyes of the numerous onlookers, he laughed loudly and shouted,


"Alright, I'm in a good mood today! I’ll train each one of you, so get in line!"


---


Author's Note


If I were to talk about Leon's backstory, when he first entered the academy, he was at the bottom of his class.


No matter how much he tried, his skills barely improved, but there was a female senior who cheered him on. Fueled by her support, Leon trained desperately, and eventually, he bloomed late, reaching the point where he was skilled enough to graduate early by the end of his second year.


After his early graduation, Leon immediately proposed to that senior, who later became Leonor's late mother.


As a side note, Leon’s skin was originally just flesh-colored, but because he moved so fast, his skin got sunburned repeatedly until it eventually toughened up due to his ability, turning it into the brown color it is today.


Coming up with these backstories while writing is quite fun in its own way.


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Comments

  1. the hell is happening

    ReplyDelete
  2. If Mei is a spring blossom, carefully tilled then scarlet is a dandelion on the roadside, desperately blossoming to grasp at a chance to survive

    ReplyDelete
  3. If Mei is a spring blossom, carefully tilled then scarlet is a dandelion on the roadside, desperately blossoming to grasp at a chance to survive

    ReplyDelete
  4. The author's note reminds me of Super Alloy Dark Sunshine from One Punch Man and the controversy it caused when he was revealed to have been not black (aka not African Descent) before lol.

    ReplyDelete

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