Firefly
For some reason, today's guest instructor, Martina Ivanova, had looked incredibly displeased even before the class began. The moment the lesson started, she declared, "You're all dead meat today," prompting the students to groan inwardly. Ah, we are absolutely screwed, they thought.
The students had already experienced a brutal lesson during the previous special class with Natalia, who had looked so gentle on the outside but had literally worked them to death. If an instructor who already looked this displeased was running the class, they couldn't even begin to imagine how grueling it would be. They could only pray they would survive the day.
And so, they began the class in a state of high tension, only to find themselves utterly bewildered by an intensity that was far milder than expected.
"You idiot! Is your enemy a scarecrow? When you attack, you always have to keep the opponent's counterattack in mind! Keep your movements concise! Don't let them hinder your next move! Try again!"
"Ah... like this?"
"Yes! That's a bit better than before! But you're still lacking, so go over there and practice!"
Martina's teaching style was quite standard, in a way. She had the students attack her with everything they had, responded appropriately according to their skill level, and pointed out their shortcomings one by one after each spar. Of course, since they were being personally guided by an outstanding Hero like Martina, it was still a grueling class that required their absolute utmost. However, to students who had recently endured a lesson where their flaws were literally beaten into their bodies, Martina's class felt incredibly manageable.
Meanwhile, Martina herself, who was running the class, was thinking:
Haha, look at the dazed expressions on these kids' faces. They look like they're struggling so much they don't know what to do! ...Maybe I should be a bit gentler.
In truth, she was wondering if she should lower the intensity.
Though she considered herself quite strict, Martina was fundamentally a softhearted person. This was especially true toward those weaker than her. If raising plants, Natalia was the type to smile and trample on the sprouts so they would grow strong, while Martina was the type to grumble and curse while diligently mixing nutrients into their water. She believed that once they became Heroes, they would face plenty of harsh experiences whether they liked it or not. Thus, rather than subjecting them to overly grueling training right now, she felt it would be more helpful to build a solid foundation.
"Get your head in the game! Are you just going to dodge the incoming attacks and ignore your blind spot? A monster would absolutely love to see the back of your head!"
"Ugh... I'm sorry!"
"Still, your reaction to the attacks you can see is fast, so don't lose heart! If you utilize your other senses instead of just your vision, you'll improve. Next!"
Telling the kids they were "dead meat" had merely been a customary remark to get them to take the class seriously. Of course, it did carry a tiny bit of personal emotion. She had definitely been annoyed by the sight of Yoon Siwoo, who kept glancing sideways with a goofy grin, clearly distracted by whatever had happened with the girl sitting next to him. However, Martina was not so lacking in character that she would let personal feelings interfere with her professional duties. If she were that kind of person, she would never have risen to the rank of division captain, no matter how strong she was.
Besides, putting that matter aside, Martina was actually in a very good mood.
"I can see you're highly talented. But even if you're skilled at magic, wasting mana like that can put you in a dangerous spot in real combat. For example, with the fire magic you just used to counter my attack, if you alter the structure of the magic circle like this—"
"...Hmm, I see. Doing it that way definitely reduces mana consumption. And if I apply it like this... I can adapt it to other spells as well."
"...Oh? You understood that just by seeing it once? You're a quick study. I'll show you how to apply it, so go practice."
She had discovered a wealth of talented children who far exceeded her expectations. Every single one of them shone with their own light—from a child who remained perfectly fine after tanking most attacks with his bare body, to another who absorbed almost any magic and made it her own after seeing it just once. As someone who would eventually have to pass down her mantle, Martina was simply delighted to see these future sprouts growing so splendidly.
Though she didn't show it outwardly, Martina was teaching with great enthusiasm when that child finally stepped before her. A crimson-haired girl with a name tag that read Scarlet Evande. Seeing how Yoon Siwoo stared blankly at her, unable to tear his eyes away, Martina was certain this girl was her romantic rival. Of course, she had no intention of penalizing her for it. She would simply evaluate her with a slightly stricter eye.
Narrowing her eyes to glare at the girl with those thoughts in mind, Martina noticed a foreign body part attached to her and asked quietly, "You, what happened to your arm?"
"Ah... well, while fighting a monster..."
At those words, a story Martina had overheard some time ago flashed through her mind—the tale of a girl who had lost her arm while protecting people from a monster.
So she's the one... Ugh, how admirable. No, don't let your guard down over something like this, Martina.
Shaking her head to stop herself from gazing at the girl with an unconsciously softened expression, Martina glared at her once more and said, "...I won't go easy on you, regardless of your physical condition. No objections, I assume?"
When the girl nodded, Martina beckoned her forward with a flick of her hand—a gesture telling her to come at her whenever she was ready. Without a moment's hesitation, the girl charged straight at Martina.
The distance closed in an instant, thanks to an agility that exceeded Martina's expectations. To keep her at bay, Martina fired a spell directly into the girl's path. A wide-range shower of fire arrows rained down, designed to be difficult to evade. However, the girl lowered her stance as much as possible, using the flames rising from her own fist to neutralize only the magic directly blocking her path, maintaining her speed as she closed in. It was the optimal decision for someone seeking close-quarters combat.
Applauding the girl's impressive capabilities, Martina deployed a magic circle in front of her. Pre-prepared spells burst forth from the glowing array, pouring toward the girl. Yet, not a single one managed to slow her down. As if navigating a path visible only to her, the girl evaded the spells by hairsbreadth margins, yet with absolute certainty. It was a movement that could not be displayed without countless experiences and bone-carving effort.
But even more than her movements, what caught Martina's attention was the girl's eyes. Even amidst her frantic maneuvers, her gaze remained locked onto her target—Martina—without a single tremor. They were eyes that were infinitely straight, unyielding, and burning with a fiery heat. Martina felt a shiver run down her spine. A gaze that looked only forward. Regardless of talent, regardless of circumstances, those with eyes like that were bound to grow strong in the end.
From the girl's movements, Martina could tell she hadn't received much formal training in combat. Perhaps, before discovering her talent, the girl had thought of herself as nothing more than a mere bug. But right now, she was undeniably shining. If the girl was a bug, she was surely a firefly—a creature () that burned () and burned () its own body with the flames of effort and passion to produce light (). That was why one couldn't tear their eyes away. A light born from burning oneself was simply that dazzling.
Martina murmured, "Splendid."
Before she knew it, flames erupted from the fist of the girl, who was now only a few paces away. At a heat that made even the observer's heart race, Martina stopped casting her spell. Instead, she wrapped her mana around her own body to block the flames and spoke.
"However, your gaze is too honest."
Martina tilted her head slightly, dodging the swung fist. At the same time, she swept her leg, throwing off the girl's balance.
"And your attacks are too linear."
Though the off-balance girl tried to counter by swinging her leg even as she fell, Martina's hand was faster, pinning her to the ground. Martina's fist plunged down toward the head of the girl forced onto the floor.
"Go learn a bit more."
A loud thud echoed. Martina withdrew her fist and shook it out. Then, looking at the girl who hadn't even blinked as the fist slammed down right next to her head, she burst into a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! You've got a real spine of steel, kid. You're bound to succeed no matter what you do. Seriously, where did a cheeky brat like you pop out from? Come on, get up."
Offering a hand to pull the fallen girl up, Martina asked as the girl stared blankly at her, "What? Is it weird to see a mage throwing punches?"
The girl, who hadn't flinched even during the attack, flinched slightly at the question before slowly nodding. Martina smirked at her reaction and answered.
"Do you know what people call mages? 'Those who prepare.' That's because mages are a breed that prepares thoroughly for every possible situation."
Usually, they were called that because they prepared to handle any situation using magic, but Martina had taken it a step further.
"But I'm the one called the greatest among mages, aren't I? So I simply prepared for the scenario where I run completely out of mana. That's why I mastered weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. It would feel pretty damn shitty to be helpless just because I ran out of mana."
Saying so, Martina gave the girl's head a rough pat.
"Anyway, while I can still see some flaws, it was plenty good. If you patch up the things I just mentioned and work on putting intent into every single movement, you'll see great results. I, Martina, guarantee that you will grow strong."
As she praised the girl and looked at her with pride, Martina suddenly felt a strange sensation.
Wait, I feel like I'm forgetting something...
After tilting her head in confusion for a moment, she suddenly stiffened. The smile on Martina's face contorted. She had just remembered that this girl was her romantic rival. Just as she was panicking over the bizarre realization that she had spent the last few minutes showering her rival in love with praise, a small voice reached Martina's ears.
"...cool."
"Huh? What did you just say to me?"
Martina asked, wondering if the girl had just muttered some insult under her breath, but the girl's reaction was unexpected.
"No... I mean, you're really cool..."
"...Cool? Who is?"
At the question, the girl gestured toward Martina with a slightly embarrassed expression. Then, hesitatingly, she spoke.
"Well... preparing because you didn't want to be helpless... that's just so cool... I thought I'd like to be like you."
Cool? Wants to be like me? Me?
Mulling over those words in her mind, Martina slowly nodded. Then, trying her best to appear calm, she spoke.
"I-Is that so? Ahaha! You've got a good eye for people, kid! Bwahaha!"
But it was no use. Martina couldn't stop her cheekbones from twitching upward in a massive grin.
Martina was highly confident in general, but not when it came to romance. Having been the constant target of Natalia's teasing and ridicule, she had spent many days feeling dejected, wondering if she was just hopeless. Yet, hearing the girl she deemed her new romantic rival say she wanted to be like her sent her lost confidence soaring.
W-What's this? Maybe she's actually a good kid?
Grinning foolishly to herself, Martina slowly turned around, only to spot Yoon Siwoo still staring blankly at the girl. Her elevated mood instantly plummeted back to the abyss.
Just then, the girl looking back at her caught Martina's eye. On an impulse, Martina called out to her.
"...You, come here for a second. You remember what I just told you, right?"
Then, pointing at Yoon Siwoo in the distance, she said, "Keep those points in mind and fight him. Treat it like real combat."
Go beat the absolute stuffing out of each other.
Strictly speaking, this decision was heavily loaded with personal feelings.