𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟗𝟕
a difference in mindset?
To be honest, the thought of denying it flashed through my mind for a second.
I had fought with all my heart in the past, and I was still giving it my all to surpass her.
But on the other hand, I felt like I could somewhat understand what Cheong Juhwa was trying to say.
The mindset she was referring to was certainly not that kind of determination.
“Are you saying that I’m fundamentally thinking about something wrong?”
“I’m not sure if ‘thinking’ is the right word. It’s just. . . . . .something I’ve felt quite often in the past.”
Cheong Juhwa said.
She told me that among the exorcists she had met, I had the highest level of skill and that I had continued to surprise her since the first time we met.
“It felt like you were almost a perfect superhuman. I had this unfounded belief that no matter who came, you would somehow manage to win.”
That was an exaggeration, to be honest.
I may have appeared that way on the outside, but the reality was quite different.
And Cheong Juhwa immediately saw through that.
“You don’t think so yourself, do you?”
“. . .That’s right. I’m just good at various things, but I’ve never once felt like I was special.”
“That’s what it seemed like. There were times when I wondered about that strange discrepancy.”
Of course, I can now look at my own abilities somewhat objectively and acknowledge them.
Hwa Baek told me that, and the first trial of the Blue-White Soul Mirror gave me more faith in myself.
As I thought about that, my gaze fell on the memory that had come to mind a moment ago, and I muttered without realizing it.
“Faith in oneself. . . . . .?”
Yes, I definitely felt a sense of fulfillment after passing the first trial of the Blue-White Soul Mirror.
And Cheong Juhwa had said that the Blue-White Soul Mirror might just be trying to tell me something in its trials.
“Can you imagine yourself sincerely becoming the representative of a country or reaching the top as an exorcist?”
“. . . . . . .”
I thought I could do that much.
However, as I seriously imagined that, I realized that it was the wrong idea.
“. . .No, I don’t do well.”
It feels strange.
More than anything, I myself am subconsciously denying it in my heart.
And only then could I clearly recognize the thought that was rooted deep in my heart.
「𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡.」
I have the skills to be proud of, and I’m confident that I can do my part anywhere.
But. . . . . .that’s as far as it goes.
I’m just a part of the world, living a single life. I don’t think I can be anything more than that.
And if there is someone who can, it would be someone like Ciel, as I said earlier.
「. . .𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩.」
I realized right now why the Blue-White Soul Mirror summoned Ciel as my opponent for the second trial.
She is the perfect match for the limits I have set for myself deep in my heart.
“I can’t really explain it either. . . . . .Do you get the general idea?”
“. . .Yes. At least I know what kind of trial this is.”
It’s a new thought, but the Blue-White Soul Mirror must be a really great guide.
It made me look at my own shortcomings that I couldn’t even face and presented them to me as tasks.
That’s why I felt like I had to overcome it somehow.
「𝘽𝙪𝙩. . . . . .𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚?」
The question that the Blue-White Soul Mirror posed was close to the fundamental realm of human beings.
It’s not something that can be changed by mere thoughts or determination, and it’s almost impossible to control on my own.
How can I simply stop my mind from feeling and thinking that way with just my will?
If that were possible, it would be an understatement to say that I would be an extraordinary being beyond the ordinary.
And it’s the same as the main characters in the games I’ve been watching and playing.
「. . . . . . .」
In a word, the Blue-White Soul Mirror was telling me to truly become a protagonist who would save this world.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Whoosh!
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
BOOM!
I’ve seen it several times, but it was truly a magnificent sight.
Stone pillars that seemed to reach the sky and a statue of a gladiator filling one side of my vision.
The Parthenon temple arena showed off its grandeur in front of me, who had once again entered the trial space.
“. . . . . . .”
As I admired it, a blonde woman waved to me from the center of the arena, and I showed her the duel sign that I had repeated dozens of times by now.
This was the twenty-fifth time, and my record was 0 wins and 24 losses.
Screech!
Ciel, expressionless as always, charged at me with a demon sword engraved with a lot of spells.
“Azure Serpent Binding, Yohwaposun.”
Whoosh!
Crackle, crackle─!
Chains of blue light made of spiritual power blocked her path, and a curse that weakened physical functions was eroding the area, but her charge was relentless.
Boom!
Clang!
BOOM!
The chains were all cut in an instant. Also, Ciel’s binding technique, Bridget’s Shard, which had been deployed without me noticing, wrapped around one of my ankles.
“Geusdae, Giant Ogre, Ox-Head Ogre.”
Whoosh.
Roar!
Shikigami with high melee combat abilities blocked Ciel’s charge, and I used the Shadowless Kick technique to get out of her range while breaking free from the restraints.
As in the past, my battle with Ciel was mostly like this.
My opponent would close the distance no matter what, and I would repel it and wait for my chance.
However, there were countless attacks and defenses mixed in between that simple process.
“Yin-Yang Five Elements Technique. Fire.”
Flare!
Ggong-sam-yi, who had been waiting on the side in advance, shot out intense flames, and my spell, which had perfect timing, amplified them.
However, the opponent’s defense technique was also perfect, and at the same time, Ciel, who had made the next move first, was chasing Ggong-sam-yi.
Slash!
Explode!
“. . .Burn.”
Ggong-sam-yi, who had narrowly escaped the attack, returned to my shadow, and I stared at her next move as I shot out three curses in a row.
“Secret Curse of Fear. Burning Jealousy. Illusory Taoist Thought Wave. . .”
I can’t win this way. I had realized that for sure after the last twenty-four challenges.
But I kept repeating it in my mind, sending faith in myself.
I can be anything.
I can defeat Ciel in front of me, defeat Polar Night, and eventually bring a complete ending to this world.
However, as I fought over and over again, I felt a strong intuition that it was not the case.
「𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮. . . . . .𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠.」
I showed strong will, but in reality, nothing had changed from before.
As expected, the answer that the Blue-White Soul Mirror was asking for from me could not be satisfied with just a difference in perception or a small amount of determination.
Nothing can be changed with this kind of artificial will.
I felt a sense of overwhelming powerlessness and shortness of breath, and I realized that my mind was gradually becoming blank without me knowing it.
I have too many distracting thoughts.
Even though I knew it wasn’t the time for it, my mind was filled with theoretical thoughts about how to overcome this trial.
BOOM─!
As it repeated and repeated, the moment I finally allowed Ciel to land the first effective hit, I felt like I was possessed and decided to just let everything go.
「. . .𝙔𝙚𝙨. 𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.」
The memories of the twenty-four challenges, the memories of analyzing her fighting style and its strengths and weaknesses, and even the memories of the past when I had fought countless times to win.
Whoosh!
Rumble!
She and I are meeting for the first time in this place and fighting for the first time.
And in this space alone, neither the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons nor the nemesis Polar Night exists.
I just came to enjoy the fight, like when I was running around the Parthenon temple arena, aiming for the highest place.
“Encircling Slaughter and Dyeing Wave.”
BOOM!
Screech─!
And only then was I able to face a new vision that I had never seen before.
I can’t explain it well with words, but something was different.
She was an opponent that I had fought and lost to so many times, but every single one of her actions felt so new.
「. . .𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚.」
Being familiar with her was not a gain but a poison.
Even though I had gone through so many hardships and grown, I was tied to the image of her that I knew and experienced before and was repeating the same mistakes as before.
“You didn’t have to do that at all.”
BOOM─!
For the first time, my curse landed a solid blow, piercing through her seemingly impenetrable defense.
And I was able to counterattack right away, as if I knew it in advance, and it was so natural.
“. . . . . . .”
It was a really strange and bizarre feeling.
I had always thought that nothing had changed since I first fell into this world, but I had changed so much without realizing it.
“Death Transmigration.”
I had seized the opportunity, but I didn’t really want to think about anything else. I just immersed myself in the fight and enjoyed it purely for the first time in a long time.
Before I knew it, the match was over.
“. . .Whew. Whew.”
She was kneeling on one knee on the cold stone floor, breathing hard, and I was looking at her with a blank expression.
Ciel, who had put her weapon down on the ground, got up from her seat and approached me, and only then did she open her tightly shut mouth for the first time.
“When we first fought in the arena, there was something I didn’t get to say.”
I vaguely remembered it.
I had done my best, but I had no choice but to face a complete defeat, and that was when I first felt a high wall from her.
I honestly don’t remember well what her expression was like when she met my gaze.
However, I could fully understand the emotions she must have felt at that time from her following words.
“. . .I came here after watching your gameplay. It was fun to fight you.”
The moment she uttered the last syllable, Ciel’s figure disappeared before me like a mirage.
And the Parthenon temple arena also began to collapse slowly, making a loud noise.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Rumble, rumble!
I had passed an impossible trial, but I didn’t feel any excitement or joy.
Rather, it was more accurate to say that I had a hard time expressing this feeling in words.
However, there was one emotion that I definitely recognized in the midst of it all.
“. . . . . . .”
It felt like my chest had been opened up, and it was a very refreshing feeling.
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𝐀𝐖𝐄𝐁𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐔 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘
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Translation-(COMPLETED) – I Became the Academy’s Genius Shikigami Summoner𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥《⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐》!!
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