The World Is Mine For The Taking

Still, I couldn't deny that he had improved.

He had managed to play a useful role during the fight instead of simply charging forward without thinking, and he had repeatedly placed himself near the frontlines whenever the situation became dangerous.

In fact, he had practically become the first line of defense for his team.

He was functioning as something of a tank, taking the attention of the enemy and putting himself between the threat and the rest of his teammates whenever necessary.

That was something worth acknowledging.

"For now, there are several things that you've managed to become genuinely good at," I told him. "You've improved in several areas, and I can see that you're beginning to understand how you should function as part of a team."

I paused before giving him the part he probably didn't want to hear.

"However, when I look at everything as a whole, it still isn't enough."

Kashiwagi remained silent.

"You've made progress, but you still have weaknesses that could get you killed during a real battle, and I don't intend to let you walk onto a battlefield while those weaknesses are still this obvious."

I looked at him seriously.

"So I'm going to make sure I drill this lesson into you again until it finally becomes something you can act on without having to think twice."

"I understand..."

His answer sounded sincere enough.

At least, it seemed like he understood what I was trying to tell him.

How deeply those words had actually sunk into his mind, however, was something I wouldn't know until I saw him fight again.

I shifted my attention toward the other person who had failed this test by a considerably larger margin.

"Morofuji," I said while looking directly at her.

She immediately stiffened.

"If you're going to become so frightened that you can't act when the battle becomes dangerous, then you're simply not ready for actual combat."

Morofuji lowered her eyes.

"Your hesitation to kill is already a serious problem, but being so afraid that you might get killed is another weakness that could become extremely dangerous."

I continued speaking without trying to soften the message.

"That fear doesn't only put you at risk, because it can also affect the mental state of everyone fighting around you. I remembered exactly what had happened during the fight. Your legs were shaking so badly that you could barely keep yourself steady, and when the situation required you to take proper aim at the enemy, you couldn't even line up your attack correctly."

Morofuji remained silent while listening.

"On top of that, your teammates were struggling to keep Beelzebub locked down and make sure she couldn't move while they were holding her in place."

I looked at her seriously.

"They were already having a difficult time maintaining control of the situation, and while they were doing that, you simply stood there without taking action."

Her shoulders sank slightly.

"Your teammates were fighting to keep Beelzebub restrained while trying to create an opening for everyone else, yet you remained frozen in place with your legs trembling."

The moment I finished speaking, Morofuji lowered her head even further.

She looked incredibly ashamed of herself.

I could understand why she felt that way, but I wasn't going to pull my punches just because she was embarrassed or upset.

This wasn't a classroom exercise where making a mistake meant receiving a bad grade and moving on with your life.

This was training for war.

A mistake on the battlefield could mean someone dying.

"Before anything else, I want to ask you again," I said. "Are you absolutely certain that you want to go through with this war?"

Morofuji swallowed nervously.

Her hands trembled slightly, and I could see tears beginning to form around the corners of her eyes.

I knew I was pushing her hard.

Perhaps I was pushing her harder than I needed to.

Still, war wasn't a joke.

It didn't matter whether someone was a hero with physical abilities that had been enhanced far beyond those of an ordinary human being.

Strength didn't automatically make someone mentally prepared to kill.

Speed didn't automatically remove fear.

Having incredible abilities didn't suddenly make the sight of someone dying feel normal.

I didn't think it would be easy for Morofuji to step onto an actual battlefield after what I had just seen.

"I-I will..." she said quietly while struggling to keep her voice steady. "I want to... I want to go home..."

I wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that.

The way she worded it made it sound as though she was forcing herself forward because she wanted to return home more than anything else.

At the same time, I felt like I understood what she was really trying to say.

She wanted to finish this war because she wanted to return to her own world as quickly as possible.

That was probably the real reason behind her determination.

She wasn't fighting because she enjoyed battle.

She wasn't fighting because she wanted glory.

She simply wanted to go home.

Honestly, that was probably the most understandable reason she could have given me.

I nodded slowly.

"Alright," I said. "I'll train you to the best of my abilities, and I'll make sure you're as prepared as I can possibly make you before you step onto the actual battlefield."

Morofuji didn't raise her head, but I could tell she had heard me.

Even if part of me wanted them to stop at this point, it seemed like they had already made their decision.

They were determined to see this through.

They had chosen to participate in the war despite knowing how dangerous it could become, and judging from their expressions, they weren't planning on backing down now.

At this point, there wasn't much I could do except prepare them as thoroughly as possible.

If they were going to walk into a battlefield, then I had to make sure they understood what they were getting themselves into.

I couldn't guarantee that they would survive.

I couldn't promise that none of them would get hurt.

I couldn't even promise that their determination would be enough when the real fighting finally started.

What I could do was train them until their weaknesses became less obvious, until their teamwork became second nature, and until they were at least capable of standing their ground when the battlefield inevitably became far more terrifying than anything they had experienced during this test.

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