I retched violently into the toilet.
At the age of twelve, I was completely plastered. I didn't know if it was a natural lack of tolerance or the effect of my Crest Power, but I was suffering through a hellish hangover.
Still, the old man was incredible.
Today, I had managed to successfully slice through a stack of three bottles, but anything beyond that was impossible. The slightest tremor, the tiniest misalignment, and the whole stack would come tumbling down.
I recalled the Sword King’s demonstration.
That aura—it was so pure, so incredibly sharp.
After seeing the real thing, the truth was undeniable: my Sword Aura was just massive. I was simply letting it leak out, scattering it everywhere without focus. When I thought back to the auras Gaia-san and Osiris-san possessed, they definitely had a refined sharpness that I lacked.
"Huff... huff... my head is splitting... everything’s spinning..."
I dragged myself back into the room.
"Oh! Leo-chan! Your face is pale as a ghost! Ready for another round?"
"Ugh..."
The old man was surrounded by beauties, indulging in a scene of total decadence. This geezer... he had way too much energy. There was no way he was actually on the verge of death.
"...Huff... huff... please. Another lesson."
"Mm-hm, it’s good to be young. That said, it’ll be a waste of time to keep doing the same thing. Let’s move on to the Second Stage."
"A waste? But I’ll show you I can do it eventually."
"Umu, you might. However, for a type like you—someone who values others more than himself—there is a much, much more effective training method."
"Training? Hic—!?"
Did he just strike me?
"Why..."
"Growth cannot exist without pain, Leo-chan. I’ll be knocking you unconscious at regular intervals, so you’d better learn to intercept the blow eventually."
"Ah..."
No wonder Gaia-san and Osiris-san ran away. This man could smile so kindly while being so incredibly violent.
"Besides, that was just the First Stage. It’s going to get much, much tougher from here."
"......Are you serious?"
And then, Leo’s world went black.
"Now then... I wonder if this will be a treat for Leo-chan. Or perhaps... it might be the most grueling training of all. But," the Sword King laughed as he watched Leo being carried away. "In any era, Leo-chan, the simplest way for a man to grow strong is through the power of lust."
After a while, Leo woke up to a throbbing headache.
He was in the same place he had woken up after dining with Haurezel—on top of a bed.
The only thing different this time was...
"Flare...?"
Flare was right there beside him.
He sat up, tilting his head in confusion, and then it hit him.
"—!?"
Flare was wearing nothing but her undergarments.
He scrambled to look away. Even Leo knew that staring at a girl in her underwear was wrong. He braced himself, expecting the usual flying kick to come hurtling his way.
But it never came.
"G-Good morning... Leo."
"Good morning."
Her voice was strangely hesitant. She was shaking—no, she was trembling with nerves. Flare sat up as well, clutching the duvet to her chest to hide her body.
"You’re not... going to kick me?"
"What kind of person do you think I am?"
Her tone shifted back to its usual bite, and Leo felt a wave of relief. He timidly glanced in her direction. Her face was flushed crimson and she kept her eyes cast down, but she didn't show any sign of hostility.
He tilted his head. "U-Um... what are we doing?"
"S-Shut up."
"...L-Let's just put some clothes on for now."
Leo started to get up, but a hand suddenly clamped around his arm. When he turned back, Flare’s face was so red it looked ready to combust.
"J-Just a little... longer."
"Huh?"
"I-I'm telling you to get under the duvet! Now!"
"Whoa!?"
Leo was hauled back onto the bed by a sudden, frantic strength. As he lay there in shock, Flare dove under the covers with him.
It was then that Leo realized he was also only in his underwear. His skin brushed against hers. He smelled the faint scent of shampoo; looking closely, it was obvious she had just finished bathing.
As he felt the sensation of their smooth skin touching, Leo’s heart began to hammer against his ribs.
"U-Um... Flare?"
"Be quiet."
"............Yes."
Flare’s body was trembling as she edged closer to him at a pace slower than a crawling turtle. At first, there was enough space between them for another person, but the gap slowly closed until their bodies were pressed firmly together.
"U-Um..."
"Shut up... I'm embarrassed to death here."
"...Yes."
Leo went stiff as a board, terrified to move an inch. Then, Flare reached out and touched his torso.
"............You have so many scars."
"...That’s because I was weak. Abeljan got me plenty of times... I'm still not strong enough."
"You are strong, Leo. But... do you want to become... even stronger?"
"Yeah............ much, much more. I never want to see someone die because I wasn't strong enough to save them ever again."
"............I see. Yeah... of course. That’s just who you are, Leo... which is why I’m going to do my best, too."
Flare reached out and took Leo’s hand, guiding it until his palm was pressed against her chest. Leo’s eyes went wide with shock. At the sudden, soft sensation, his fingers inadvertently squeezed.
"—Ow!"
"S-Sorry!"
"It's okay. Leo, listen. Right now... I'm suppressing my Crest Power as much as I possibly can. I want you to maximize yours."
"B-But if I do that... you'll get hurt, Flare! I still... I can't control my Sword Aura that well yet!"
"I know... that’s why............ okay?"
The Sword Aura one wore was the very essence of the Crest’s power. By refining its control, one could unleash the devastating might of someone like Iricobert, or suppress it so thoroughly that they seemed like an ordinary human.
Leo’s Sword Aura was a titanic, inhuman force. The delicate skin of a young woman could be shredded in an instant if he lost focus.
That was why he had to adapt. Right now.
Leo’s mind began to race, his concentration sharpening to a razor’s edge. His brain went into overdrive as he felt the weight of the task.
"—Be gentle. It's... it's my first time, after all."
With his blood feeling like it was beginning to boil, Leo surrendered to a sensation he had never known before.