168: Fueled by Failure

"Haaah..."

I let out a long, heavy sigh.

I was in Noblesse City Area A.

I held my right hand up toward the sky, wallowing in the depths of my own pathetic helplessness.

Cynthia and I had been a perfect match—a dream team. Our compatibility was top-tier.

And yet—we didn't win.

I couldn't even blame it on the unfamiliar weapons. We were all in the same boat there. Everyone had to adapt.

No, what I lacked was resolve.

Duke and Lilith were operating on a level of seriousness I couldn't touch. And then there was Weiss—he always radiated that overwhelming aura of ambition. Not to mention that new Magic Eye of his.

By contrast, I was nothing but a Copy. A guy who spent his time mimicking others.

Master Zebis and Master Darius always told me: "Don't you dare take pride in how hard you work or how much you train. Take pride in your results."

Thinking about it that way... I’m a total failure.

"My, my. Such a heavy sigh. It smells like pure, unadulterated youth."

Startled by the sudden voice, I bolted upright. There, perched on the edge of the rooftop, was Eva-senpai. She was swinging her legs back and forth while nibbling on a small Melo-Melon.

She was an enigma. She was terrifyingly strong, yet she didn't seem to care about power at all. She just lived her life, her own way.

"Since when were you here?" I asked.

"I was here first," she replied.

Was that even possible? Then again, with Senpai, anything was possible.

"Sorry. Was I bothering you?"

"Mm-mm. I don't mind a junior lost in the throes of teenage angst. Come over here."

She beckoned me with a wave of her hand, and I shuffled over to sit beside her. She reached into a box and handed me a Melo-Melon.

"Oh... thank you very much."

"Make sure you don't get your hands all sticky."

"I won't."

I took a crisp, juicy bite. Man, this is delicious.

There was something about her—an aura that made her hard to approach, yet at the same time, made me feel like she’d listen to anything I had to say.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what it is," she said. "I’m not a fan of anything troublesome."

"......"

There were so many things I wanted to know. She hadn't really told me much about that person who looked exactly like her. I’d heard she’d been talking to Teacher Milk and the others, but I was stuck on the outside looking in.

That isn't going to cut it.

In that case...

"How do I get strong? What do I have to do?"

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【Important Notice】

As explained previously, the character count for daily updates will decrease due to my participation in the Kakuyomu Contest.

The chapters might feel a bit fragmented; due to my writing style, if I write a 5,000-character block, I’ll be splitting it up into smaller parts.

I might even move to once-a-week updates, but I appreciate your understanding!

Thank you for always reading! (^^♪

The Case Where a Boy and a Cat Who Walked Unrewarded Lives Reincarnated into Another World and Became the Strongest with a Magic Mark and an Out-of-Spec Dragon https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330667751334852

The Strong Slow Life of a Former Otherworld Hero: Customizing the Island to My Liking with the New Ability "Pioneer" https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330667750471450

I, Who Reincarnated as the Weakest Villainous Noble, Discovered Out-of-Spec Mana While Raising an Evolving Magic Sword, so I'm Going to Crush All the Flags https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330667749374858

In haste, I’ve posted a new work for Kakuyomu Contest 9. I’ll update daily until my backlog runs out! Please support me with a follow and ☆☆☆! ( ;∀;)