Super Sensory

A cool weekend morning breeze drifted through the air. Sunlight, sweet with the taste of leisure, wrapped itself in summer's heat and gently warmed the earth. Sharp-edged clouds floated across a vivid blue sky, while the fresh, green scent of swaying leaves filled the surroundings. It was the very picture of summer—a peaceful scene that belonged in a storybook.

I drank it all in, feeling refreshed…

“...Fuck.”

I muttered the curse under my breath. It felt like I’d been swearing more often since arriving in this world. Couldn’t be helped. Today’s me felt like absolute shit compared to yesterday’s.

“Of all the dreams to have…”

I clutched my still-throbbing head and sighed. The nightmare of the day my mother died. It was one I had at least once a month anyway, so I’d known it was about due. But why did it have to be last night, of all nights? Seeing her in the dream was nice, but watching a truck turn her into a mangled lump of flesh was something I could have done without.

“Haa…”

As I frowned and let out a low groan, Ariel, who had been standing beside me, spoke up.

“Brother…? You don’t look well. Did something happen?”

The red-haired girl gazed up at me, her eyes brimming with worry. I reached out and gently stroked her head. She melted instantly, letting out a soft, purring sound.

“Hmm…”

It actually helped a little. The power of cuteness was no joke. It could even dull trauma. I pushed my irritation and gloom to the back of my mind and offered her a smile.

“I’m fine. Just didn’t sleep well, so I’m a bit tired.”

“Are you sick?”

“It’s nothing like that. Don’t worry.”

I smiled again as I lightly tousled her hair.

“Anyway, let’s get started.”

To shift her attention, I tapped the training sword in my hand. Ariel watched me for a moment, then gripped the staff she carried on her back. I gave her one more smile and moved to the center of the training ground.

“Brother! Is this spot okay?”

“A little further back.”

“Like this?”

“Perfect.”

Ariel settled into position a short distance away. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠She wrapped the surface of her staff in mana, preparing her spell.

“But what kind of training is this? You always trained alone before.”

“There’s something I want to test.”

“Test?”

Ariel tilted her head. I fiddled with the second sword at my waist and answered.

“Yeah. It’s not exactly recent, but I picked up a new ability about a month ago. I want to see what it can do.”

“You gained an ability?”

“More or less. Just think of it as practicing a new technique.”

“I see.”

She nodded in understanding. I tightened my grip on the sword. With my free hand, I lightly brushed the sheath of Bitan at my waist.

-Creak…

It responded with that eerie sound. This was the real focus of today’s training. If I wanted to use it properly in real combat, I needed to get a feel for it first. Of course, I couldn’t swing a divine relic around freely—someone might notice—but its special skills should be safe. Bitan’s unique aura was perfectly contained by the scabbard anyway.

“Looking forward to working with you.”

As I spoke and tightened my hold on the hilt, Bitan hummed with what felt like excitement.

-Vrrrrrm, vrrrrrm.

I patted it soothingly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and looked forward. In the distance stood a red-haired witch, staff leveled at me. Ariel waved her arm dramatically and shouted.

“Brother~! Ready when you are~!”

I raised a finger in an OK sign. Ariel slammed her mana-charged staff into the ground.

-Thud!

The impact rang out, and the surrounding mana began to churn violently.

-Ruuuuumble…!!

The ferocious mana particles collided, letting out bizarre howls. My body tingled as I steadied my stance. Within the turbulent flow, Ariel kept her eyes closed, focusing every ounce of her power on spell control. Her small lips began to chant.

-Ariel-style Ice Magic, Seventh Verse Application-

Thin Ice Arrival

The moment the chant finished, the temperature plummeted. Pure white frost formed at the girl’s feet, and visible puffs of breath escaped her lips. Behind her, massive shards of glacial ice had risen into the air.

“Freeze. Ice Spears.”

A hundred ice spears filled the sky. I took in the magnificent sight and twisted my lips into a grin. As expected of a Lisite. Born with overwhelming talent for ice magic, the display was breathtaking. Ariel Lisite—the Winter Witch who would follow in the footsteps of the Flame Emperor, Stener Lisite.

To shake off the pressure, I tightened my grip on Bitan even further. Then I whispered.

“Bitan.”

The blade shook violently the instant I spoke its name. I held my stance firm, suppressing the convulsions, and opened my eyes wide. A faint blue aura shimmered above my eyelids. I spoke the activation word.

“Awaken.”

A sharp pain prickled across my entire body the moment the window appeared. Then every one of my senses began sharpening to an agonizing degree.

“Ugh…!”

My head felt like it was splitting open. Sounds I’d never noticed before rang clearly in my ears. Microscopic details I’d never seen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠appeared with photographic clarity. I could feel every shift in the wind, every change in air temperature against my skin. Hundreds of scents I normally never registered flooded my nose all at once.

It hurt. My eardrums felt like they would burst. My pupils burned. It was as if my skin was being peeled off in real time. A stabbing pain pierced straight through my nose. The flood of information overwhelmed my brain; my consciousness began to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blur.

“Ugh…!!”

I nearly vomited but forced it down. It’s okay. Just hold on a little longer and soon…

“Ugh… haa……”

The symptoms faded rapidly the moment Iron Mind activated. I took deep breaths to clear away the horrible aftertaste and examined my body. I immediately understood the true value of Super Sensory.

“......”

It was a strange feeling. Every sense felt amplified several times over. My body felt lighter, and the world seemed to move in slow motion. I could feel every contraction and relaxation of my muscles with perfect clarity.

So this… is Unique Skill Number One. Super Sensory.

I was briefly lost in admiration for its impressive performance when—

-Shiiiing!

A sharp object came flying at high speed from behind me. I twisted lightly and dodged it.

-Thud!

What embedded itself in the ground was an ice spear. When I turned my head, I saw Ariel launching the attack I had asked for.

“Fall.”

With the final chant, the countless ice spears that had filled the sky began to rain down. Like a pale blue downpour. And of course, every single one was aimed at where I stood.

I released my grip on Bitan, raised the training sword, and took a stance.

-Shraaaaaaaaah!!!

The sound of hundreds of blades slicing through the air swirled around my ears. I could feel every single grain of the sword’s handle against my palm. I threw myself into the wave of heightened senses.

At the same time, I rolled swiftly to the side.

-Thudthudthud! Boom! Crash!

Dozens of spears slammed into the spot where I had been standing. I sprang up immediately and raised my sword at a diagonal angle.

-Clang! Boom!

Two spears aimed at my shoulder were deflected off the angled blade. …This is intense.

My hands, now under the effect of Super Sensory, moved as if they had become one with the sword. The vibrations traveling through the blade heightened my tension.

-Shraaaaaah!!

A relentless cascade of spears poured down without pause. I used backsteps while deflecting the falling ice fragments one by one.

Three in front in 0.4 seconds.

Five above in 0.7 seconds.

Two from behind in 1 second.

Four each from right and left in 1.4 seconds.

-Clang! Clang! Crunch!

Calculation. Measurement. Conclusion. Action. My accelerated mind made rapid judgments and evaded danger. My hearing and touch warned me of attacks from my blind spots, while my vision pierced through the complex magical formations.

-Shatter!

A sound came from behind. I spun smoothly.

-Whoosh!

An ice spear grazed my cheek by a hair’s breadth. The chill of ice lingered on the skin it had nearly pierced.

“Whoa……”

It must have been quite the sight—Ariel’s gasp of admiration reached me. I responded with a relaxed smile and swung my sword again.

Though in truth, I’m anything but relaxed.

The attacks were so fierce it felt like I would be hit at any moment. I was simply moving with extreme efficiency, using the smallest motions possible. To an outside observer, it probably looked like I was dodging with ease.

A poker face is an important part of any match.

-Boom! Shiiiing! Clatter. Thud!

I suppressed my growing shortness of breath and kept my hands moving. Dodge. Deflect. Strike down. Not a single wasted motion. Every action had purpose and design.

Subjectively it felt like an hour had passed, yet only seven minutes had gone by. It seemed that with my heightened cognition, even the flow of time felt slower.

I opened my eyes wider, intending to end the spar.

-Clang, crunch…! Thud!!

By now, only about ten spears remained. I steadily reduced their numbers. I split incoming ice shards in half. I made spears with overlapping trajectories collide and shatter each other. The moment I smashed the final spear with the pommel of my sword—

I collapsed onto the ground the moment the message appeared.

“Haa… haa…”

My burning lungs greedily sucked in oxygen. A loud ringing echoed in my ears—probably a side effect of the ability. …There’s no way I could do that twice in one day.

Even running stamina drills all day would be less exhausting than this. My head hurt. My eyes hurt. The intense movement had even brought nausea rising up my throat. As I rubbed my churning stomach to calm it, Ariel came running over with quick steps.

“Brother! Are you okay?!”

“Yeah… I’m fine… ugh…”

“You didn’t push yourself too hard, did you…?”

She wasn’t wrong. I took the hand she offered and stood up. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest.

“…I feel like I’m dying.”

When I muttered that, Ariel puffed out her cheeks.

“You were the one who confidently said you’d be fine…”

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”

I gave her a tired smile and patted her head again.

“W-wait! Your hand is sweaty! It’s getting in my hair…!!”

The girl hissed like an angry cat. I couldn’t help but let out a short, hearty laugh at her fierce reaction.

“Shall we head back?”

I massaged my aching shoulder as I asked. Ariel tilted her head in surprise.

“Already? It’s only been two hours.”

“That’s plenty.”

“Well… that’s true, but. Don’t you usually stay in the training ground for at least six hours once you start?”

Six hours…? Was I really here that long? That would mean I spent nearly the entire day training outside of classes and sleep. …Must be a habit from my previous life.

I hadn’t realized I was still clinging to training so obsessively. Obsession really was a frightening thing. I swallowed the slightly bitter aftertaste and shrugged.

“Even I have days like this. Besides, I’m really worn out today.”

“Is that so…?”

“Oh, right. Want to come to my dorm with me? Rachel’s been whining nonstop about how much she misses our young lady.”

“Rachel?! Rachel is at the academy?!”

Ariel’s eyes widened in shock. I tilted my head at her intense reaction.

“Did I not tell you? Rachel is now my personal maid.”

“Whaaaaat?!”

We were chatting like that as we headed toward the carriage stop when—

“Huh?”

“Ah.”

Ariel suddenly froze after making eye contact with someone walking toward us.

“Ariel? What’s wrong? Do you know—”

I followed her gaze and stopped in my tracks as well.

Because the people standing before us were ones I had never expected to meet here.

A male student with golden hair and golden eyes.

And a female student with deep blue hair and blue eyes.

They were two people I knew all too well.

The main characters from the original novel Heroes Who Erase Sadness.

The protagonist, Alan Reinhardt.

And his heroine, the top student of the year, Clara Misof.

The two I had only ever seen on the pages of a book were now standing right in front of me.

The protagonist… It’s really the protagonist.

A meeting with the memories I had once adored and cherished. For a moment, an indescribable wave of emotion surged in my chest.

But that feeling was shattered by Clara’s very first words, directed at Ariel.

“Well, well~ Look who it is. If it isn’t our little second-place genius.”

“You…!!”

“My, how sharp. To get so worked up over just a few words.”

Huh. Why are they acting like this?