Zzzzzzzzzzzz! A thunderous sound echoed, as lightning streaked across the sky.
In an instant, it struck its target and shattered it into pieces.
Several Shikigami, standing in for the intended target, were instantly obliterated by the fierce Yukari electricity.
"..."
Repeatedly going through this process, Isumi Tsukiko, holding the Kinraishou (Golden Thunder Spear), slammed the spearhead into the ground in silence.
The frustration wouldn't subside.
Tsukiko's actions in the training ground were less about training and more about venting her frustrations.
No, perhaps it was more accurate to call it venting her anger.
Tsukiko once again infused Kinraishou with magical energy, housing lightning at its tip.
"...!"
At the moment the lightning was released, the image of Yuusuke's face, whom she had met at the university today, floated into Tsukiko's mind.
Today, there were no reports of Flame appearances, and her work had been calm, so Tsukiko decided to attend school. Since they were taking the same classes, she knew she would inevitably run into Yuusuke there, and she had decided to interact with him as if nothing had changed.
It was her decision to break up with him. She didn't want to burden him, and that's what she had thought.
But...
The lightning released from Kinraishou danced erratically, scorching walls and floors. Its behavior mirrored the chaos in her heart.
The image of Yuusuke's face when he saw her, the softly muttered words of her name, her racing heart, and the contorted expression that seemed on the verge of tears as he looked down – all of it remained etched in Tsukiko's mind.
(Just like before... it's so foolish.)
With a spear hanging limply in her hand, Tsukiko self-mocked.
Before parting ways, she had thought it would be possible. Even without a romantic relationship, they could remain friends.
But now, Tsukiko realized for the first time that it wasn't that simple.
Tsukiko and Yuusuke had first met at their university's entrance ceremony.
When Tsukiko turned around, thinking someone was watching her, she saw a man in an unremarkable suit, apart from his somewhat intense sanpaku eyes. He had no particularly distinctive features, and under normal circumstances, Tsukiko would have easily forgotten him.
Although Tsukiko met his eyes and he quickly averted his gaze, she couldn't take her eyes off him for a while.
At that moment, Tsukiko had only one thought.
—What a graceful stance he has.
The Isumi family, where Tsukiko was born, had a history as a clan of onmyoji and had evolved by incorporating Western magical styles along the way. It was a family with a certain degree of tradition and prestige, and Tsukiko had been imparted with various knowledge and skills beyond just magical training from a young age.
Even from her perspective, that man's posture was flawless. Unwavering core, powerful stance rooted to the ground, yet extending gracefully from the back to the head.
It wasn't something that could be achieved with just a little training. Even if Tsukiko were to attack him from behind unexpectedly, she might not be able to knock him to the ground or defeat him.
"What kind of life would lead to such a posture, or is he someone from the same side as me?" she thought. As someone who had undergone combat training since childhood, Tsukiko was intrigued, more than she should have been.
Surprisingly, he—Yamamoto Yuusuke—was just an ordinary human.
Born into an ordinary family, he had never practiced any martial arts. No affiliation with any organization could be traced. However, there had been a period of over four years when Yuusuke had gone missing. Yuusuke himself had no recollection of it, but Tsukiko was certain that something had happened during that time.
For a while, given their shared circle of friends, Tsukiko had started conversing with Yuusuke with the intention of investigating him further. For someone who had narrowed her social circle due to her family and work, this was her first such relationship, and it didn't take too long for Tsukiko to develop feelings for Yuusuke. In turn, Yuusuke also grew fond of Tsukiko, and they began dating.
They were happy.
Relationships between men and women were filled with surprises, confusion, and the need for courage. Even Tsukiko, an experienced magician, was a novice when it came to matters of the heart. Being with Yuusuke added a new dimension to her life, and she found herself drowning in happiness.
Because of this, she had forgotten.
No matter how much Tsukiko tried to blend in with others, moments of stark contrast would emerge. She couldn't lead a normal life; reality would ruthlessly remind her of that fact.
On one of their dates with Yuusuke, as they walked side by side, something appeared near Yuusuke. It was a surviving remnants of a youkai that Tsukiko had supposedly extinguished a few days earlier.
—I need to eliminate it quickly.
Tsukiko thought, and she halted her steps. What she had considered a natural course of action throughout her life, dealing with such threats, didn't seem normal when she was enjoying her newfound happiness.
So, Tsukiko couldn't act. She deceived herself into believing that she could handle it, and she looked away. Then, the moment Tsukiko averted her gaze, a car, distracted by something, approached Yuusuke with the intent to run him over.
Yuusuke narrowly avoided the car, escaping with only a graze on his arm. The youkai being had vanished without a trace.
It was then that Tsukiko realized she couldn't seek normality. She couldn't accept a regular happiness.
So, she chose to break up with Yuusuke.
She believed that if she continued to be with him, the same would happen again. She would hurt someone she loved because of her, and she couldn't bear that. It was better to stay apart. If they didn't get too close, they could remain friends who exchanged occasional words without causing harm.
That's what she thought.
But Tsukiko didn't realize one thing. Ending a relationship was akin to denying a person's worth. Yuusuke, who had always been carefree and smiling in front of Tsukiko, had a face on the verge of tears as he looked down.
The person she hadn't wanted to hurt was hurt the most when she ended things.
"Aaaah!"
Tsukiko raised Kinraishou as if to shake off unpleasant memories and infused it with magic power. The spear turned into lightning itself. At the moment she was about to throw it, a hand grabbed her arm from behind.
"Hey, do you plan on blowing up the entire training ground?"
"...Ayaka."
When Tsukiko turned, she saw Ayaka, her childhood friend and also her superior at work. Ayaka looked at Tsukiko with a bewildered expression.
"I don't know what's bothering you, but if you shoot that thing, the training ground won't be safe either. Calm down a bit."
"..."
"Sigh... I haven't heard your side of the story, so I don't know what happened, but I've been in this world longer than you, so I can somewhat understand."
Tsukiko stared at Ayaka with a sharp look. Both Ayaka and Tsukiko had been taught from a young age that showing emotions was a sign of weakness.
Seeing someone like her, who rarely displayed her emotions, express herself so openly, her feelings must be genuine.
"...Ayaka, have you experienced something like this too?"
"..."
Ayaka wordlessly took Tsukiko's hand and led her to the wall of the training ground, where she motioned for Tsukiko to sit down beside her. Ayaka herself sat down as well.
"If you've lived in this world for long enough, everyone has experienced something similar to some extent. Some have even lost loved ones because of it."
"Don't you ever want to quit?"
"If I could, I'd quit this job in a heartbeat."
Brushing her bangs aside, Ayaka stared ahead. A girl blessed with talent as a magician and a prestigious lineage, she had never questioned her life until now. The walls that an ordinary person might have encountered much earlier in life, she only faced now due to her exceptional abilities.
Therefore, what Ayaka could offer as guidance was not an answer.
"You can do whatever you want, in my opinion."
"Do whatever...?"
"No matter which family you were born into, no matter what talents you possess, in the end, Tsukiko is Tsukiko. You should decide your own life, not let others decide it for you."
"Do you think I can decide my own life?"
Tsukiko looked at Ayaka with an expression that said she hadn't considered this.
"Of course, who else is going to decide it for you? Living your life according to your parents' wishes or going through arranged marriages between families isn't the norm anymore. If you want to quit, then quit and reconcile with Yuusuke."
Ayaka paused, then continued, meeting Tsukiko's gaze.
"If that's the choice you make, I'll support it. But the decision is yours, Tsukiko."
"Ayaka."
"Now, that's enough talk. We still have a lot of work with Flame and everything!"
Ayaka clapped her hands and stood up.
"Come on, Tsukiko."
"Yeah, I understand."
Tsukiko, who was a genius, always composed, and seemed more mature than her age, smiled with an innocent expression. Although Tsukiko was usually reserved, when talking with Ayaka, she seemed to regress to her childhood self. Ayaka found this endearing.
(Oh, wait, is this like a motherly thought? Hold on, I'm still in my early twenties. I'm her big sister, right? Big sister!)
Suppressing the sudden doubt that had welled up, Ayaka decided to keep it to herself.
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