A Welcome Distraction
"I understand, yes. Don't worry."
Perhaps because it was the weekend, the road was completely gridlocked. She had been stuck in the exact same spot for over ten minutes, but she didn't feel too bad about it. In fact, she secretly hoped the traffic would stay backed up forever.
"I won't just storm out rudely like last time. Yes, yes, I know. Yes. I said I understand! Oh, Mom, aren't you worrying way too much? It's because I cause you trouble? Huh? Where else would you find a daughter as good as me?"
A cool breeze blowing through the window ruffled her straight, light-green hair. Her eyes, occasionally visible through her fringe, were deeply sunken. It was a mystery how she could even see ahead with a hairstyle that completely covered her eyes, but the assistant homeroom teacher of Class 1-A gripped the steering wheel with practiced ease. She glanced at the rearview mirror. Her lightly made-up face stared back at her. Siul forced down a sigh that threatened to escape.
"Yes, I'm on my way so I won't be late. I'm almost there."
A lie. She still had a long way to go. She would almost certainly be late for the appointment.
"I have to drive now, so I'm hanging up. Yes, I've heard that more than ten times already. Yes. Yes. Okay. Bye."
Hanging up, Siul finally let out the sigh she had been holding back. She thought things had quieted down lately, but to think she'd be set up on a blind date the moment she was discharged from the hospital. Why was her mother so desperate to marry off her only daughter? Siul knew the reason all too well, but she asked herself anyway, playing dumb.
They had stopped nagging me after I became an Academy teacher...
Siul was already twenty-six, hurtling toward her late twenties. Given the nature of being a hero, one never knew when they might die in battle. Perhaps that was why her parents constantly urged her to marry early. She didn't fail to understand their feelings. Her parents had vehemently opposed her becoming a hero in the first place. However, because supernatural ability users were legally obligated to serve the state and its citizens, they had no choice but to accept it.
Later, when Siul retired from the front lines and announced she would become an Academy teacher, she saw her parents truly happy for the first time. Siul knew how much they treasured her. They had miscarried their first child, and their second had died in an accident at a young age. They must have wanted to raise their third and final child with utmost care. Siul also understood her parents' desire to see grandchildren. They wanted her to marry, have children, and live happily. And if something were to happen to her, having a child left behind might make her parents' lives a little—just a tiny bit—less lonely.
But it's impossible. No matter how much I think about it, it's impossible. Physiologically impossible. I hate it. I really, really hate it.
It wasn't that she disliked men in particular. But if she had to bind herself in marriage and live with one for the rest of her life... She hated it. She just hated the idea.
"Sigh..."
But was Siul a lesbian? Not quite. She had never felt sexually attracted to women either. Asexual. She was probably asexual.
If I were a lesbian, I could at least come out. But since I'm neither, it's just...
Men were a pass, women were a pass. She wished she was just being picky.
If I have to marry... She wanted to do it with someone she loved. Though she had never loved anyone before. Still, there was one person who came closest to that feeling.
Senior Angelica. She seems so busy lately.
Siul had once belonged to the same 3rd Division as Angelica. When Angelica became a professor at the Academy, Siul followed her there. Why had she done that? To put her parents' minds at ease? That was certainly part of it. But the fundamental reason was undoubtedly Angelica.
Was losing to that fox-masked girl really that shocking to her? Lately, Siul hadn't seen her rest at all. Whenever she had free time, she would quietly disappear. If one wanted to find Angelica, they only had to go to the faculty training room. She was always there.
"She's already terrifyingly strong. If she gets any stronger... is she trying to become a Captain?"
If Angelica ever returned to the field, Siul planned to follow her. Her parents would be disappointed, but there was nothing she could do. She had no interest in an Academy without her. Angelica was certainly not a talent meant to end her career as a mere teacher. She could do it. She could become a Captain. Hadn't the Captain of the 3rd Division practically earmarked her as his successor?
"How should I ruin this blind date so spectacularly that everyone hears about it?"
Just showing up to look at his face and leaving like last time was a bit much, right? Her mother had been furious, too. At any rate, she shouldn't have gotten so badly injured this time. It wasn't like she wanted to get hurt, but her parents had been utterly horrified when they saw Siul with her face wrapped in bandages. Even so, arranging a blind date immediately after? Siul felt depressed. Five years ago, Siul's face had been completely torn open, leaving her parents deeply traumatized. Thank goodness medical technology was advanced, or she might have had to walk around wearing a mask. It wasn't that she didn't understand her parents' anxious hearts... but still...
This unfilial daughter is weeping. Sob.
Still, she hated the idea of marriage. Even if Senior Angelica asked her to marry, she would probably hesitate, agonize over it, and ultimately refuse. So how could she possibly accept men she had absolutely no interest in?
"The traffic isn't budging at all," Siul muttered, staring at the still-congested road. Come to think of it, wasn't there a cherry blossom festival nearby? If the crowds had gathered for that, then this murderous traffic jam made sense. She had gone with Senior Angelica last year. She had practically dragged her senior along, even though Angelica complained about how annoying it was to go. This year, it would probably be impossible. Her senior was busy, and by now, most of the cherry blossoms would have fallen anyway.
"Huh?" Siul furrowed her brow. She poked her head out of the window. It was a dangerous move that could easily cause an accident, but the road was blocked anyway, and she was confident she wouldn't get hurt even if a motorcycle sped by and clipped her head.
"A scream?" Something brushed against her heightened supernatural senses. It was faint and hard to be sure because of the traffic noise, but she could hear a clamor of voices. She glanced at the passenger seat. Her favorite sword lay propped up at an angle.
"No way. This is District 4. The security here is excellent."
There was something called a Spiritual Vein. A place where spiritual energy flowed through the earth. Supernatural ability users could sense these veins. Land where spiritual energy flowed suppressed the formation of Rifts in Space. Of course, nothing in the world was absolute, so rifts could still open even on land with spiritual veins. However, the frequency was significantly lower compared to other places. Within the nation's territory, the strongest spiritual vein flowed through District 1. Next was District 2, followed by District 3. The districts were numbered in order of the strength of their spiritual veins, making District 4 the land with the fourth strongest spiritual vein in the country. While the vein didn't flow through the entirety of District 4, it still influenced the surrounding land. Unless it was outside the single-digit districts, a Rift in Space wouldn't normally occur here—
"..."
—but no one could ever predict the world. Siul looked up at the cloudless blue sky. An undeniable scar of destruction was etched there.
"...Well, I just got a great excuse to ruin my blind date." She wasn't happy about it at all.
Whenever a sound tore through the air, destruction immediately followed. The high-quality Academy uniform, specially made for supernatural users, was reduced to tatters. Despite its flawless durability designed to withstand intense combat, it was shredded like paper. Every single blow was unbelievably heavy. Even though the blade wasn't particularly long and didn't seem to weigh much, the strikes unleashed by the Black Knight were as heavy as a mountain.
"Ugh!" Yujin stumbled backward repeatedly. Every time the longsword, as dark as the knight's armor, cleaved through the light, a new wound was carved into Yujin's body. Even when he used his flames as propulsion to deflect the blows, he was pushed back. Clashing directly meant being overwhelmed by sheer force, leaving him with no choice but to parry and redirect. Because of this, his options rapidly dwindled. The Sun Sword, which should have been carving countless arcs through the air, was entirely occupied with desperately defending its master.
Screeech! The longsword and the Sun Sword locked together, letting out a harsh, grating shriek. Shaking it off was difficult, and deflecting it was out of the question. The knight's strength was sickeningly immense. The high-tier monsters Yujin had fought during his field training were mere lizards compared to this Black Knight. This was a Named Monster—a beast boasting the absolute pinnacle of strength even among high-tier monsters. Yujin was barely managing to keep this a fight. No, even calling it a "fight" felt pathetic. No one would call being unilaterally beaten a fight.
"Kgh...!" Yet, Yujin endured. He was holding his ground. A mere student was clashing swords with a Named Monster. Though not much time had passed since the field training, Yujin had grown significantly. Compared to back then, when he had barely cracked open the door of awakening, he had now adapted to his power. He had not been lazy; he had not been negligent. He had strived to make the power he gained entirely his own. As a result, Yujin's strength had reached a new realm.
"..."
"Agh?!" But that was all. He was still no match for a Named Monster. A massive shockwave erupted from the longsword, gouging the ground hideously. Evading it was nothing short of a miracle. His instincts warned him with a sharp ringing in his ears, and his extreme concentration slowed down his perception of time. Dropping his body nearly flat to the ground to let the shockwave pass over him, Yujin transformed into a red flash and slashed upward with the Sun Sword. Since the dagger had a short reach, he lunged inside the knight's guard to target the gaps in the armor. Of course, he failed to connect. As if anticipating everything, the Black Knight drove a knee straight into Yujin's abdomen.
"Ack!" With a choked cry, Yujin was launched into the air. The Black Knight immediately swung his longsword in a wide horizontal arc, aiming for Yujin's neck. Even as the pain threatened to cloud his consciousness, Yujin sensed the mortal danger and raised the Sun Sword to block. Boom! Yujin was blown away. He had managed to avoid a direct hit by thrusting his sword forward, but the impact that shuddered through his forearms and shoulders was immense. The knight's absurd physical strength sent Yujin flying dozens of meters. He crashed through a cherry blossom tree and bounced off the ground several times before finally grinding to a halt.
No. I can't win like this. From physical capabilities to pure skill, he was overwhelmingly outmatched in every single aspect. If he had even a single advantage, he might see a way forward, but cruelly, there was none.
Damn it, if only my weapon was my original sword... He cursed his morning self. He felt incredibly pathetic for ignoring Teacher Angelica's warning. A hero was supposed to be prepared for any situation...
"..." The Black Knight waited for Yujin to stand. There was no special reason. Striking down a fallen foe would only tarnish the joy of victory. This was a command directly bestowed by that great personage. He would offer a perfect victory.
"Haa, haa..." Thanks to the Black Knight's twisted consideration, Yujin managed to steady his posture and catch his breath. He couldn't go on like this. He would just be pushed back until he was defeated. He had to change the flow of the battle. Now, while he still had a chance.
The problem is that it's a dagger. The reach is too short compared to his longsword. If only he could do something about his weapon... An image flashed through Yujin's mind. Thunder. A clean, decisive flash. A sword forged from lightning. If she can do it, then so can I. No, I will do it. If lightning can do it, then so can fire. Using the dagger as a core, Yujin ignited his flames. The Black Knight, who had been slowly walking forward, paused at the sight. He watched Yujin silently, as if telling him to try whatever he wanted.
"Huuuup!" He had already tried something similar. Meteor Shower was created by condensing fire in midair. If he applied that same principle, forging a sword of fire was entirely possible. But perhaps he was too focused on the sword. Yujin realized an approaching presence a beat too late.
"...!" It wasn't the Black Knight. From Yujin's left, a lizard-headed beastman—a Lizardman—lunged at him. The ambush, launched from where it had been hiding in the burning vegetation, was perfectly timed. Yujin was utterly defenseless. Evading or blocking completely was impossible. He had to brace himself to take the hit.
"Kieeeeeeeek!"
"...?!" However, no wound opened on Yujin's body. The Black Knight's strike split the Lizardman's head clean down the middle. It didn't stop there. The red glow of his helmet gleamed ominously. Every time the longsword swung, the hidden Lizardmen were hacked to pieces, spraying blood everywhere.
"What...?!" Yujin was dumbfounded by the sudden sight of the Black Knight slaughtering his fellow monsters.
"Subterranean Liberation, Rama." The Black Knight muttered calmly. This is the command that personage bestowed upon me. How dare a lowly creature interfere? Even the air seemed to freeze in terror at the Black Knight's warning. The atmosphere trembled. The remaining presences of the monsters hurriedly retreated. Saved from the crisis, Yujin stared blankly at the Black Knight.
"What do you think you're doing? Weren't you on the same side?"
"..." Some monsters occasionally spoke, but their words were incomprehensible. Humans couldn't tell if it was their own language or just meaningless howling. But that wasn't what was important right now. Yujin swung the Sun Sword with all his might. The short dagger elongated into a longsword. Woven from fire, the Sun Sword blazed fiercely.
"..." The Black Knight silently took his stance. Yujin raised the Sun Sword with both hands over his right shoulder, stepping forward with his left foot into a wide stance. He had solved the weapon's reach. That left dozens of other problems. He had no choice but to face them head-on and overcome them.
"...Here I come." Yujin channeled strength into his legs. Just as he was about to kick off the ground and charge—Snap. The sound of a breaking branch echoed. Right behind him. Don't tell me another monster has appeared? Keeping his guard up against the Black Knight, Yujin threw himself to the right. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the source of the sound. Honey-blonde hair slightly dirtied with ash, pale skin, and pink eyes as beautiful as cherry blossoms. Shaking off blood that had yet to cool, a girl was running toward him in a hurry.
"Lucia?!" Yujin cried out her name in sheer bewilderment.
"Yujin!" Lucia replied with a bright smile. Holding a blood-stained spear she had acquired from who-knows-where, she spoke proudly. "I'm here to help!"