Bonus: A secret confession

(Clang! Clang! Clang!)

The air in the Eclipse Adventurers Guild training hall was heavy, smelling of iron and sweat.

"Haaaa... Haaaa..."

There, Shija stood in the center, immersed in a trance of exhaustion.

(Clang!)

Sweat dipped ceaselessly onto the sandy floor. His muscles screamed for rest, but he forced himself to continue, slicing the air in a perfect arc.

(Clang! Clang!)

Shija, swinging the sword faster and more brutally, recalled the recent events of the past few days and how everything had begun with the mission to "Explore Exotic Plant Species" in the Forest of Laments. A mission that, shortly after Mireya disappeared from sight, ended in the total destruction of the forest.

"Haaaa..."

Gasping, he recalled how, upon entering the foliage, Mireya had vanished instantly.

(CLANG!)

Immediately, he had searched desperately, running through the trees.

"Haaaa... Haaaa... Haaaa..."

However, the search was useless due to the dense fog that enveloped the forest, devouring all visibility.

(I was incapable...!)

The memory grew sharper.

(… I couldn't... Track the trail... Of his Ki...)

He lamented his weakness and inability to detect Mireya's Ki, which fluctuated chaotically, like disorganized waves that blended into the environment.

"I failed..."

There was no trace, only unstable energy that made tracking him impossible.

"A failure due to my pride."

The image of the rejected chain, the apocalyptic crater, the destroyed forest, and the humiliation before the Guild Master filled his mind as he forced himself to continue swinging his sword.

"Mistress...!"

Everything was a direct consequence of his arrogance.

(I must be stronger!)

The failure of containment was unforgivable, not only to the Guild but also to his own goal.

(I must improve!)

With that in mind, Shija forced himself to continue swinging his sword; his eyes, though exhausted, shone with a burning need as drops of sweat flowed uncontrollably down his face, mixing with the dirt from the exertion.

"Haaa... Haa...!!"

All the pressure of the recent days—the shame, the humiliation, and the powerlessness—accumulated, forcing him to push his body to the breaking point.

(Only if I am strong enough, will I be able to...)

The final thought, painful and persistent, was the only thing keeping him standing. He needed that strength for a distant goal, a personal debt: to recover his Mistress, the one who had suffered what Mireya called a "brainwashing" before leaving with the organization he had investigated named Dominion-H.

(Clang! Clang!)

The sword moved in a whirlwind of controlled agony, the relentless technique pushing against the brink of imminent physical collapse.

(I must... retrieve my Mistress.)

The pressure was immense, driving him beyond the limit.

"Haaaa... Haaaa... Haaaa...!"

Shija forced himself to continue swinging his sword, seeking the perfection that would allow him to compensate for his ineffectiveness and, above all, achieve the necessary strength to confront Dominion-H.

(… Move... Come on, come on... Move...!)

Drops of sweat flew as they hit the air, mixing with the haze in the hall. His breathing became irregular, hoarse gasps that failed to fill his lungs, and his accelerated pulse turned into a violent pounding against his temples.

(I must continue!!)

His body swayed, slightly losing balance with every movement.

(I will be stronger!!)

But, clinging to the debt owed to his Mistress, he forced himself to stay upright, to resist. Trying to forcefully push past his limits, ignoring the sharp pangs of pain and the exhaustion.

"Haaaa... Haaaa... Haaa... Haa..."

But finally, his vision blurred and his body...

"... Damn... it..."

... Gave way.

(Cling!)

The sword slipped from his hand, falling with a dull thud.

(Is this... My... Limit...?)

Slowly falling toward the sandy floor, utterly drained, his thoughts spun rapidly while the world seemed to move in slow motion.

"I just get back, and you're already in this state?!"

However, just before his body hit the floor, he felt two arms firmly holding him from behind, stopping his fall with surprisingly stable strength, and a familiar, scolding voice, mixed with exasperated concern, resonated in his ear.

"Just a few days unconscious, and this happens!"

Shija managed to turn his gaze, with difficulty and through his vision still clouded by exhaustion. He recognized the androgynous face of his companion.

"You..."

And with a barely audible murmur...

"Why are you... here?"

... he asked.

"An excellent question, dear guide! Well, you see, I'm here because I passed out for who knows how long, my body hurts, I barely have mobility, and of course..."

In response, Mireya, saying that, gently released him until he was supported against the wall, his face quickly turning serious.

"Because I have work to do."

Mireya paused, his eyes scrutinizing Shija's trembling body.

"Also, this reminds me of something!"

Then, Mireya's expression lit up with a realization.

(Slap!)

And in a fleeting movement, he slapped Shija.

"Gasp?!"

The force was not brutal, but it was enough to make Shija, already strengthless, completely collapse onto the sandy floor.

"Listen closely..."

Then Mireya stood over him, pointing an accusatory finger as his smile vanished.

"Destroying your body like that is not the solution!"

"!!"

Hearing that after the slap, the contempt for his effort, and the hypocrisy of the statement caused Shija's emotional dam to burst.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT!"

Thus causing all the accumulated frustration to be released in a bitter torrent.

"It's easy for you to talk about solutions when you have limitless power!"

Then, with his voice broken by rage and humiliation, his body trembled, not only from exhaustion but from repressed fury.

"You have the strength to destroy a forest and create a hole in reality, and yet you complain!"

The repressed emotions—the shame of failure, the frustration over his inability, and the powerlessness in the face of the difference in power—erupted in shouts laden with resentment.

"I can't improve fast enough! If I wasn't so weak right now...!"

Shija, kneeling and broken, gasped after his own outburst.

"If I wasn't so weak...!!"

"....."

"My Mistress... She...!!"

"Come on... Let it out..."

"SHE WOULDN'T HAVE LOST!!"

"....."

Mireya listened to every word in silence without his expression changing.

"I can't improve fast enough! And if I'm not fast, if I'm not strong...!"

Shija's screams grew sharper, the tears of frustration mixing with the sweat and the sand.

"It was my fault my Mistress lost! I was incapable of protecting her from Dominion-H! I was useless then, and I'm still useless now!"

The rage turned into a painful confession as Shija bit his lip so hard that he drew blood, the metallic taste invading his mouth.

"ANSWER ME!!"

"....."

"W-what... SHOULD I DO...?!"

Finally, his voice broke into a guttural sob, releasing all the accumulated shame and insecurity.

"Well..."

And after listening to every word with his head slightly tilted, his expression calm and serene, showing no trace of anger or panic...

"....."

... he smiled again.

"Do you feel better?"

Staring intently at Shija, Mireya asked in a soft, calm voice...

"....."

... Leaving Shija in shock by the answer.

"Here. How does it feel to vent what you had inside?"

Immediately after, he watched in bewilderment as Mireya pulled a simple crunchy cookie from his pocket to offer it to him.

"What are you doing...?"

In response, Shija, with a bloodied lip and a frown, looked at him with palpable confusion.

"Correcting you on your previous statement."

"My... my statement?"

"That's right! Because you said I was strong, that I had great power. But that's a mistake! I am weak. Very weak."

"Huh...?"

"There are many things I don't know about myself, and yes, I admit to being afraid of finding them out!"

"....."

"But despite that, life goes on. And I want to know. Even if I'm not ready for that truth yet, I'll take my time and do it at my own pace, because after all, I'm a coward!"

After saying that, Mireya took another cookie and immediately ate it in one bite.

"And you..."

It was then that Mireya, pointing directly at Shija with a crumb-covered finger...

"What will you do... Shija...?"

... he asked him, looking at him for the first time.

"......"

In response, Shija remained silent, biting the inside of his lip, the physical pain eclipsed by the shock of those words.

"Inhale... Exhale... I..."

His breathing became slower and deeper.

"Chomp, chomp..."

And slowly, he began to eat.