Yuki
I felt distracted throughout the rest of the morning.
After Grayfia-sama left, I quickly finished getting ready and headed downstairs to join everyone for breakfast.
Only Issei wasn’t present at breakfast when I arrived.
I grabbed a plate of food and sat next to Koneko as I began to eat.
“Is Issei going to be staying home from school?” Xenovia asked.
“He’s usually up by now,” Irina commented.
“Ise, is still exhausted from yesterday. Asia says that he’ll be fine, but he just needs to rest. So yes, he will be staying home today,” Rias said.
“That’s a shame. He’ll miss out on the sports festival. I’m sorry, Asia-san,” Irina said, giving Asia a sympathetic look.
“I-It’s fine. I just want Ise-san to feel better,” Asia said, trying not to look disappointed.
The conversation continued after that, but I stopped paying attention.
I was lost in thought.
I was thinking of what I could do to adjust my training schedule moving forward, and if there was anything in particular I should study for my curse magic.
I felt someone pull on my sleeve and looked to see Koneko watching me.
“…We need to head to school, senpai. We will be late if we don’t leave soon.”
I glanced around the room and realized it was just the two of us left at the table.
“Is everything alright, senpai?” Koneko asked.
“Just lost in thought about my magic studies. Sorry for making you look after me, Koneko-chan.”
I stood and started walking towards the front door after grabbing my bag.
Koneko followed after me, her bag already in hand.
“…It’s fine, senpai. Are you excited to compete in the sports festival?”
“Hmm? Ah, yes, it will be nice to compete. Though it does feel a bit unfair to the normal students. What event did you end up in, Koneko-chan?”
“…Tug of war.”
I chuckled.
“Don’t crush your opponents too much.”
“No promises.”
We reached the others who were waiting for us in front of the house.
We joined them and walked to the school as a group.
I was soon lost in my own head again.
I stayed quiet and only added a few simple comments when necessary.
We made it to school, and each went to our own classes.
I continued through homeroom and the sports festival opening ceremony without paying much attention.
By the time I realized it, it was time for my event, the relay race.
I pushed my thoughts of my conversation with Sirzechs-sama and of training from my mind for the moment.
I took my position as the anchor for our class.
It was decided that I would be the last runner in our class's lineup.
I stood on the track next to the other class's students when the starting gun sounded.
I watched the first runners take off and begin the race.
I looked over to the stands and saw the girls of the Occult Research Club in the stands.
Irina and Xenovia were loudly cheering on our classmates already.
Asia was beside them cheering as well, just not shouting as loudly.
Kiryuu-san was beside Asia and was clapping for our class as our runners passed off the baton for the first time.
Rias and Akeno were sitting with their class and seemed to be enjoying watching their kohai compete.
Yuuto was with her own class and was cheering for her classmates competing against our class.
Koneko-chan was sitting with the other first years.
She noticed my face and gave me a thumbs up.
I chuckled to myself and paid attention to the race again.
It would be my turn to race shortly.
Gasper-kun was likely hiding somewhere due to there being too many people out currently.
He had managed not to sign up for any of the events, so he wouldn’t have to be in front of everyone.
He was getting better at being around others, but he still couldn’t do something like this.
And Issei had stayed home.
Asia was rather upset that he wouldn’t be here, but at least she could still compete with another of our classmates.
But right now, it was moments away from being my turn.
The runners from each class were coming up on our position.
One of the boys from another class reached the girl in his class first and passed off the baton.
He took off, and quickly after, the rest of the runners reached us and passed off the batons.
I had already started jogging to build speed as I received my class’s baton.
As soon as I had a hold of it, I took off.
I began to pass the other runners.
I was so focused on running that I didn’t realize how far ahead I had pulled away from the others.
As I crossed the finish line, I turned and saw that the next runner was at least five seconds behind me.
I had been planning on making it close so that I didn’t stand out as much when I won, but I hadn’t realized how quickly I had been moving.
My classmates came up to congratulate me.
“Nice job!” “Way to go!” Murayama-san and Katase-san cheered.
“That was great! You kicked butt!” Irina shouted
“Good job winning the event for our class,” Xenovia said.
“You did amazing, Yuki! You were so fast!” Asia said with a smile.
“That was impressive. You finished with quite the lead,” Kiryuu-san said.
“I was pretty focused on the race. I didn’t even realize I was that far ahead,” I said casually.
“Well, it was rather impressive,” Kiryuu-san replied.
We headed to the stands to sit with the rest of our class as Irina and Xenovia went to the starting area of their event.
I sat with Kiryuu-san and Asia.
I would focus on the sports festival for now.
Then once we got back home to Issei’s house, I would sort through my thoughts.
For now, I got ready to cheer on Xenovia and Irina during their race.
The practice target burst apart as the bolt struck its center.
I exhaled once through my nose.
Then I lifted my hands and aimed at the next set of targets before the pieces of the last target had settled.
I was currently in one of the basement training rooms in the Hyoudou home.
I had come down to start practicing shortly after dinner.
That had been hours ago.
I shook out one of my hands to try and push away the pain of overusing my spells.
I started firing spells at the new set of targets.
It was quiet on this floor besides the noise coming from my training room.
Someone else had been training for a bit earlier, but once they finished, it had become silent outside my room.
It was a rarity with a house full of so many people.
Even with how large the house was, you could normally hear one of its twelve residents doing something or moving about.
The quiet was comforting, especially as I trained and focused on my spell work.
I was currently focusing on the efficiency and speed of my Baleful Bolt after finishing testing and then pushing my new limits.
The most recent release had reduced the drawback of my curses further, but they still existed.
I was also starting to look into creating another curse spell to use in combat.
I had spent some of my time in the training room re-reading some of the magic-related textbooks in the house and studying my small collection of cursed objects.
So far, I had not found anything that I would want to use or something to use to create a new spell.
I took out three targets before setting a Still Mark in front of one of the larger targets.
I fired a cursed bolt through it and into the target.
Pain flared up in my arm as the target was blown apart.
The spell continued before slamming into the wall behind the target.
I rubbed my hand as I checked my arm.
Besides the pain, it wasn’t too bad.
I had been using less power in my attacks in order to prolong my training before my backlash caused me to have to stop.
My skin was starting to discolor on my hands and was spreading up my arms.
My arms would be raw and need some healing from Asia by the time I was finished, but I would be able to continue for another hour at this pace.
I would go to her in the morning to get healed.
Thinking of Asia made me think of the rest of the sports festival.
After my relay race, Irina and Xenovia competed in one of the individual races.
Despite being from the same class, they were treating each other as rivals for their event.
The two of them were egging each other on as they ran and declaring how they each would win and beat the other.
They left most of their competitors behind as they ran.
Asia and I cheered for them as they ran, and I could hear Rias shouting for them to win as well.
It looked like Xenovia was barely going to beat Irina, but in the end, Yutto, who was also in the race supporting her class, won.
She had been staying ahead of the other students who were keeping up with Irina and Xenovia.
After the race ended, both Xenovia and Irina collapsed to the ground in defeat.
Yuuto gave them an awkward smile as her classmates congratulated and cheered for her.
They made it back to our section in the stands, looking disappointed and defeated.
Our class congratulated both of them on taking second and third places in the race, but they couldn’t be consoled about her loss.
Asia began to try to cheer them up, but Irina continued to pout, and Xenovia lay face down on the bench.
I began to use my Misstep and Shadow Briar as I trained.
I would blink multiple times before ensnaring a tragedy, before firing a boot into it.
I hit one target, then repositioned to another part of the room before attacking again.
After taking out a third target, I stopped to catch my breath.
I put a hand out and leaned against the wall as I panted.
We had watched a few more events until the first year tug of war began.
We cheered for Koneko as the event began.
She and other members from her class were lined up across from another first-year class.
She noticed us sitting with our class and gave us a small wave.
The event started, and both sides began to pull.
Rias could be heard shouting for Koneko to win for our club.
At the beginning, things looked even between the two sides, but then Koneko began to pull.
The other team began to slide forward as they desperately tried to dig their heels into the ground and stop.
Even the students from Koneko’s class who were ahead of her realized they weren’t doing anything.
Then Koneko-chan pulled the rope towards her, and the opposing team was yanked forward towards her.
They were pulled far enough that they immediately lost their match.
Koneko’s class cheered loudly.
Irina, Xenovia, Asia, and I were cheering as well.
I was clapping for her when she turned to our class.
She flexed an arm while still keeping her expression blank.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I shook my head.
Koneko headed back to her class in the stands after that, and I could see her classmates praising her and cheering for her.
I activated one of the magic circles in the room and used it to set up more targets.
I went with the heavier ones this time.
I positioned myself in the middle of the room and shut my eyes.
I felt my state ability, Malediction’s Embrace, begin to form.
I entered the state and opened my eyes.
The familiar rush I always felt was still there, but I was getting a better handle on it every time I practiced.
I lifted my hand and fired a larger bolt of cursed lightning.
The last event from our class that I paid attention to was the three-legged race.
Asia was on the starting line with another boy from our class, Oja-san.
I could tell that she was trying not to show how disappointed she was that Issei wasn’t here.
Just as she was about to tie her leg to Oja-san, Issei came running over while shouting her name.
Issei had been woken by Grayfia-sama, spoke to Sirzechs-sama, and then was teleported to the school just in time for the race.
Asia’s face lit up with a smile as she saw him.
Oja-san patted Issei on the shoulder and left so that Issei and Asia could run together.
Issei quickly tied the two of them together, and they lined up at the starting line.
The starting pistol fired, and they took off.
I could hear Rias and Akeno loudly cheering from the third year’s section.
I cheered for Asia along with Xenovia and Irina.
I could also see Yuuto cheering for them as well.
Asia and Issei ran in sync and pulled ahead of the other students.
Issei’s parents had come too and were cheering loudly for Asia.
Issei and Asia crossed the finish line, and our class cheered loudly for them.
They managed to take first place.
Issei and Asia began to celebrate, until Issei stumbled to the side and Asia caught him.
He looked a bit pale as she started to fuss over him.
Rias had made her way down to congratulate them and noticed his state.
She sent the two of them off behind the gym so that Asia could try to heal him.
Rias leaned next to Asia and whispered something that made her turn red before they went.
They came back later, both red-faced, and Asia looking proud of herself.
Kiryuu-san pestered them about it with a knowing grin, but they just brushed off her questions.
But something had happened between them.
Perhaps Issei had finally realized that Asia saw him as more than family.
Or more likely, Asia had mustered up her courage and confessed to him in some way.
Either way, I was happy for them.
They were the kind of people who deserved that kind of happiness.
I came out of my state ability.
Sweat ran down my neck as I tried to catch my breath.
Around me, the targets were shattered or torn apart.
I shook my hands, trying to force the pain away.
My chest was numb from the backlash of Still Mark.
I walked over to a bench and took a towel and water bottle with shaking hands.
I quickly drank the water from the bottle and then began to wipe sweat off of my body.
I sat on the bench as the room started to shift in my vision.
I closed my eyes and placed a hand on my temple.
I heard the door open, and I looked to it.
Koneko stood in the doorway.
She looked around the room and took in the destroyed targets and my worn-out stare.
A small frown formed on her face.
“…It’s pretty late, Yuki-senpai. Are you going to come back to your room soon?” She asked.
I closed my eyes and leaned back against the cool stone wall behind me.
“I still have some more training to do,” I replied.
Koneko’s frown deepened.
“Everyone else has already gone to bed, senpai. You can train more tomorrow.”
“I’ll finish what I have planned, and then I’ll head up. You don’t have to stay up for me, Koneko-chan.”
“…You need to have Asia-senpai check on your hands. You’re overusing your spells,” Koneko-chan said as she glanced at my hands.
“I was going to talk to her in the morning. I'll be fine until then.”
“…Yuki-senpai. You should stop for now.”
I stood from the bench and moved to the magic circle that controlled the targets.
“I will, just later.”
Koneko stared at me for a moment as I summoned more targets.
She let out a small huff before nodding.
“…Okay, senpai… Please don’t stay too long.”
I nodded.
“I’ll be up soon. Go get some sleep, Koneko-chan.”
I said as I moved to the center of the training room again.
She watched me for another moment before nodding to herself again and left, softly closing the door behind her.
I stared at the door for a moment before I turned towards the targets.
I ignored the soreness and pain in my arms and the cold numbness in my chest.
My eyes shut before I entered my state ability again.
I had to get stronger.
My conversation with Sirzechs-sama left me with the certainty that I needed to improve my strength to ensure that I was more ready for the next crisis.
Even with my seal released, I wasn’t enough.
The image of each member dead as I failed them flashed through my head.
I wouldn’t allow that.
I opened my eyes and focused on the nearest target.
I would get stronger, even if I had to push myself further than what others found acceptable.
I was used to working through the pain.
It was something I understood.
For me, power has always come with a cost.
I formed another Baleful Bolt.
I released it and rushed forwards towards the rest of the targets.
I’d finish up my training and head up to sleep next to Koneko.
Eventually.
END OF VOLUME 5
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