I asked for a more detailed explanation of the Mental Power Battle Megiddo-san had requested, but his only answer was that I would understand once I experienced it for myself.
"What... really?"
"Well, experiencing it is the best way to learn, after all."
"Ah, Kaito-san, it’ll be fine. You can withdraw from a Heart Match whenever you like."
"Oh, I see."
That made me feel a bit more at ease. If I could Escape at any time rather than being trapped until the fight was settled, then trying it out as Megiddo-san suggested might actually be worth a shot.
Still, I wasn't so sure. A Mental Power Battle? I didn't exactly have an image of myself being strong... but Megiddo-san seemed to be putting a lot of faith in me, and I could feel that expectation radiating from him.
For now, I would just try my best. I could always run if things got bad.
"Right! Let's get started, then."
"Good luck, Kaito-san. By the way, she really doesn't listen to reason, so if it looks like a lost cause, you should just give up quickly."
With the decision to try it out made, Megiddo-san manifested a complex Magic Circle beneath his feet and held his hand out toward me. A brilliant Light erupted, and my consciousness began to sink, swallowed by the glow.
When I came to, I was standing inside an Arena. There were no spectators; it was just a vast, empty space.
"Kaito, can you hear me?"
"Megiddo-san? Is this the Heart Match?"
"Yeah. Right now, your consciousness is inside a simulation of my heart. You can move your body just fine, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'll give you a quick rundown. Inside this Heart Match Space, your Mental Power is converted directly into Physical Ability. Naturally, if you lose your nerve, your Physical Ability will drop as well, so stay sharp."
"..."
"Alright then. I'm going to partially release the Seal of the Destruction Instinct. I'm counting on you!"
"Wait? No, hang on—!"
Hold on, hold on! This was different from what I had imagined. A Mental Power Battle... was just converting willpower into muscle and punching each other? That was just a regular fight!
As I panicked, a Black Mist appeared in front of me and transformed into Megiddo-san... or rather, the Female-form Megiddo-san that was his True Form.
She looked almost identical to how she had before, but strange hoop-like restraints bound her body. Her eyes glowed blood-red, and she bared her teeth in a low growl, intimidating me. S-So scary...
"Start!"
"Ughhh!"
The moment Megiddo-san's voice rang out, the figure in front of me—the Destructive Impulse—charged forward with ferocious speed. Naturally, there was no way I, someone who had never even been in a proper street fight, could react. Her fist slammed directly into my face.
Ouch... wait, actually... it didn't hurt. I felt a slight impact, but that was it.
"Just as I thought! Your raw power far exceeds the Destructive Impulse's. Take her down, Kaito!"
"Eh? Oh, okay!"
I see. Since Mental Power determined Physical Ability, even a pushover like me in the Real World could take a hit from the Destructive Impulse without taking damage. Thank goodness. At least this wasn't going to be excruciating.
With that thought in mind, I swung my fist to counter. It was a punch delivered with speed that would have been impossible for the real me. However, the Destructive Impulse parried the blow and slammed her own fist into my face in a counter-strike.
There was almost no damage, but the force of the blow made me reel. As I tried to swing again, she grabbed my arm and sent me flying over her shoulder in a perfect circle throw.
Even when I hit the ground, I didn't feel any pain. I didn't feel it, but...
"...Um, does this thing have high-level combat techniques too?"
"Yeah. She's a part of my emotions, after all. Her techniques are the same as mine."
...I see. So while my Physical Ability was much higher, the Destructive Impulse possessed the same martial prowess as Megiddo-san himself. Wasn't this impossible? No matter how high my stats were, how was I supposed to land a hit on someone who fought like Megiddo-san, a master of combat?
Earlier, the conversation made it sound like winning was a foregone conclusion and the focus was on how to make her surrender... but I couldn't even reach the point of winning, could I?
Ah, I get it. The people he had asked before were Kuro and Alice—people with world-class combat skills. If that was the case, I didn't stand a chance.
"Ow!?"
"Kaito?! Stay focused! If your will falters, your ability will drop!"
That last hit actually hurt. Right, I forgot. Mental Power was everything here. If I started thinking I couldn't win or that it was impossible, my power would plummet.
I had to challenge her with a bold attitude, like I was definitely going to win. Okay, let's do this!
"Well, that’s how it goes, I guess. No matter how much your Physical Ability surpasses theirs, it doesn’t mean a thing if you don't have the technique to actually land a hit. I suppose the character in the title is going to be the key here after all, isn't she?"