017 Heroine’s Heart - Part 3 - Mirai’s POV

The shadow demon stood beside Elena, connected to her by a thin thread of darkness stretching from her feet. It looked almost humanoid—two arms, two legs, a head—but its body flickered like a silhouette struggling to exist in three dimensions. Its glowing red eyes fixed on me, unblinking.

I had no idea how strong it was, but considering it was a cryptid, I was going to assume very.

Karl didn’t give me much time to think. His entire body ignited, flames surging from his skin. He dashed forward, moving faster than I expected.

Oh, we’re going all in now?

I thought he’d be a little more gentle, considering how he apologized earlier. Guess not.

I had no time to counter. All I could do was move.

Karl’s flaming fist came flying toward me. I twisted my body, letting out a bit of my luck to dodge. His attacks came in a flurry—jab, hook, elbow strike. I barely managed to weave between them, feeling the heat lick at my skin.

The shadow demon moved in from my side. Its arm stretched out like a blade, aiming straight for my ribs.

“Anna—!”

Threads shot from her fingertips, wrapping around Karl’s wrist, yanking him back.

But the demon? It wasn’t affected.

Of course not. It wasn’t really physical.

I had a split second to react. My instincts screamed at me to move, so I jumped—flipping backward just as the demon’s arm morphed into a long, scythe-like blade and swung at me.

I somehow cleared it.

I landed, panting.

And they always told me backflips weren’t practical.

A loud buzz rang in my ears.

I blinked.

“What—?”

Reina crossed her arms and announced, “Mirai’s out.”

I looked down at my bracelet. The gauge displayed a glowing red 0%.

Wait. What?

Karl smirked at me before immediately shifting his focus to Anna, flames flaring around his fists.

Elena scoffed. “You’re a fool for not noticing the flames that latched onto you.”

My eyes widened. I frantically patted my clothes, searching.

There—on the edge of my sleeve—a tiny, almost invisible ember clung stubbornly to the fabric.

That sneaky bastard.

Karl must have slipped it onto me during his rush, and I hadn’t even felt it. It probably didn’t burn me directly, but it must have been enough to chip away at whatever invisible barrier or system the bracelet used to measure damage.

What a dirty tactic.

I let out a frustrated sigh as I stepped back, now officially out of the match.

Meanwhile, Anna was holding her ground, but barely. Karl and Elena had wasted no time double-teaming her.

The shadow demon lunged, its arm morphing into another wicked blade. Anna barely dodged, rolling to the side as Karl closed in with a fiery uppercut.

I watched, helpless, as the fight continued without me.

Some heroine I was.

I stood at the sidelines, useless, as Anna fended off two opponents at once.

Karl and Elena worked disturbingly well together, slowly chipping away at her defenses. Anna’s ESP, Threads of Fate, gave her some versatility—thin, glowing strands wove around her, creating makeshift barriers and snares—but against Karl’s raw aggression and Elena’s damn shadow demon, she was barely holding on.

Karl’s fists blazed with flames as he dashed in again, forcing Anna to retreat. She tried to bind his arms with her threads, but the moment they wrapped around him, the flames flared, burning them away.

Elena smirked, arms crossed as she let her demon do the work. The shadowy figure twisted unnaturally, melting into the ground before reappearing behind Anna. Its scythe-arm swung.

Anna barely dodged, flipping away, but she was slowing down.

Come on, Anna…

I clenched my fists, feeling completely useless. If I’d just been a little more careful—if I’d realized Karl had tagged me sooner—I could’ve still been fighting. Instead, I left my partner in a two-on-one beatdown.

Anna breathed heavily, sweat forming on her brow. She weaved another set of threads, this time lashing them out like whips. They cut through the air with a sharp crack—Karl dodged, but one of them slashed across Elena’s cheek.

Elena’s eyes flared. “You little—”

The demon lunged again.

Karl rushed in at the same time.

Anna twisted, trying to dodge—

Too late.

Karl’s fist slammed into her gut, flames erupting on impact. At the same time, the shadow demon’s arm pierced through her defenses, hitting her square in the back.

A loud buzz filled the air.

Anna staggered, her bracelet flashing red before displaying 0%.

“Match over,” Reina called out. “Karl and Elena win.”

Anna groaned and fell onto her back, arms spread. “Ugh.”

I exhaled, frustrated.

This loss? It was on me.

Reina clapped her hands once, drawing everyone’s attention. "Now, let's talk about why Mirai and Anna lost."

I swallowed, already knowing what I had to say. "It was my fault," I admitted. "I didn't detect Karl’s ember in time. I got taken out because of it."

Reina scoffed. "That's your takeaway?"

I blinked. "...Yes?"

She shook her head. "Karl and Elena exploited a loophole in the system, but in a real battle, do you think you’d just drop dead the moment your bracelet hit zero?"

The room was silent.

"If this were an actual fight, you’d have kept going," Reina continued. "You would've struggled, burned through every bit of luck you had, fought until one of you was dead. That’s how it really works."

A chill ran down my spine at how easily she threw that possibility out there—like it was just a fact of life.

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"Your mistake wasn’t missing the ember," Reina said, "it was hesitation. You let your defeat happen the moment you stopped looking for a way to win."

I had no response to that.

Then she turned to Anna.

"And you," Reina said sharply, "why did you let them control the pace of the fight?"

Anna stiffened. "I—"

"You reacted instead of dictating. From the moment Mirai went down, you played by their rhythm instead of forcing them to play by yours. Against one opponent, maybe you could’ve managed, but against two? That hesitation got you taken out."

Anna clenched her fists. "I understand."

Reina sighed. "You're lucky this is just a spar. Next time, don’t give your opponents the chance to do whatever they want."

She turned away, looking at the rest of the class. "Remember, combat isn’t just about power. It's about control—of yourself, of the battle, and of how your opponent reacts. If you let them dictate everything, you will lose."

No one dared to speak.

I clenched my fists. "Come on! It was two against one!"

My voice rang out, sharper than I intended, but I didn’t back down. "This was unfair! None of the other sparring matches had this setup. Why are you only singling us out?"

Reina met my glare with an impassive look. "You think the world is fair?"

"That’s not the point!"

"That’s exactly the point," she said coolly. "You lost, and now you’re making excuses. There’s no such thing as a fair fight—only winners and losers."

I opened my mouth to argue, but she turned away, calling out, "John."

John—the imitator. He stiffened, looking hesitant. I remembered he lost his match earlier, though I wasn’t sure to who. I think he lost to the speedster.

"Come here," Reina ordered.

John hesitated before stepping forward. He wasn’t exactly a fighter, and he knew it. "Y-Yes, Master Reina?"

"You’re going to fight Karl and Elena," Reina said.

John paled. "Wait, what—?"

"But," Reina continued, her voice unwavering, "I will be possessing you."

Silence fell over the class.

"Possessing?" I echoed.

Reina nodded. "This is an extension of my ability. I can mentally inhabit another person, but only with their consent. I take over their body and use their ESP as if it were my own."

John gulped, glancing around as if hoping someone would object. No one did. "...And I don’t get a say in this?"

"You do," Reina said simply. "Consent is required. Do you accept?"

John looked like he wanted to say no, but he bit his lip and nodded. "...Fine."

Reina smiled, but it wasn’t exactly reassuring. "Good."

Then she went still. Completely.

John blinked, standing in place for a few moments—then, subtly, something changed. His posture, his stance, the way he held himself—it was all Reina. Even though the body in front of us was John’s, the aura it exuded was hers. That same sharp, almost predatory presence.

"With experience," John—no, Reina—spoke, "anything is possible."

The voice was his, but the way he spoke, the confidence in every word—unmistakably Reina.

She rolled John’s shoulders, testing the movement. Then she looked at us, smiling slightly. "This is what I mean when I say experience is the key to everything. My vision for the Pioneer Class is simple: to crystallize experience as fast as possible. The younger you are, the more paths you can explore. The faster you learn, the more new paths you can create for the ESPer world."

She cracked her neck. "And now, let’s demonstrate. Karl. Elena. Step forward."

Karl and Elena exchanged glances, but they stepped forward, getting into position.

I narrowed my eyes.

John’s ESP was imitation, right? But I remembered from his earlier match that it had limitations—he could only copy a single ESP at a time, and there was a strict time limit. Even so, Reina had just taken over his body.

And she was still completely confident.

The match began.

Karl’s flames roared to life as he dashed in, aiming straight for Reina-John. Elena’s shadow demon loomed behind, ready to flank.

John didn’t move.

Then—effortlessly—he stepped to the side. Karl’s fist shot past, grazing air. The moment Karl realized he missed, Reina grabbed his wrist and flung him over her shoulder in one smooth motion.

Karl hit the ground with a thud.

I blinked.

Elena’s demon swiped in from behind, its blade-like arm descending—

Reina ducked, twisted, and grabbed the demon’s outstretched limb. A shimmer ran through John’s body. Suddenly, his free hand erupted with flames.

Karl’s flames.

Reina copied him.

She twisted the demon’s arm violently, and the creature screeched before being blown apart by an explosion of flames.

Elena cursed, backing up. "Tch—!"

Karl groaned from the floor, trying to get up, but Reina didn’t give him the chance. She darted forward and planted a foot on his chest, forcing him back down. Then she raised a hand toward Elena, her palm still flickering with stolen fire.

"Yield," she said flatly.

Elena clenched her jaw. She hesitated—then, reluctantly, nodded.

Reina smirked. "Good."

She stepped back, rolling her shoulders again, before suddenly freezing in place. Then, just as abruptly, she moved again—but this time, it was John who controlled his body. His expression twisted into shock as he stumbled.

"Whoa—!" He caught himself, looking around wildly. "What the hell just happened?!"

Reina, now fully back in her own body, smirked. "Experience."

Karl groaned, still lying on the floor. "That wasn’t experience. That was insane."

Elena crossed her arms, scowling. "…That was ridiculous."

Reina ignored their complaints, turning back to the class. "If I can do that using his ESP, then what do you think you are capable of with enough experience? Think about that before our next session."

I swallowed.

Maybe I should start thinking about that.

Reina let out a slow breath as she returned to her own body, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the sensation of possessing John. She regarded us with her usual sharp gaze, arms crossed.

"I want you all to understand something," she said. "You are not just students. You are pioneers. You are the first class of this Academy, the first of your kind. You will not be the best because of talent alone—you will be the best because you must be."

Her words carried weight, pressing down on us with an unshakable certainty.

"Pioneers carve new paths," she continued. "Champions raise the standard. Heroes change the world."

I flinched.

That last word—hero—lodged itself deep in my mind, more than I wanted it to.

Hero.

It wasn’t just some random word to me. It was a role I had played before. One that I never asked for, yet somehow kept being forced into.

Why did it bother me so much?

I clenched my fists but stayed silent.

"Now," Reina said, snapping me out of my thoughts, "to conclude this session, I will have one last match."

I tilted my head. Who was left? Everyone had already sparred—except…

"Ron," Reina called.

The class stirred. My curiosity piqued.

Ron Ardent—the imperial prince.

What kind of ESP did he have?

Ron sighed, standing up and stretching. "Guess I can’t get out of this, huh?"

"You will spar with me," Reina said, giving him a look that brooked no argument. "And before anyone accuses me of giving him special treatment—" She swept her gaze across the room. "—this is not favoritism. This is an example."

I raised a brow. An example of what exactly?

Reina turned to the class, expression serious. "Your ESP abilities will, ultimately, be a mismatch against him. If you had to fight him seriously, you would lose."

That was a bold claim. The class murmured in confusion.

Ron smirked, looking mildly amused. "You sure about that? Kinda setting high expectations here, Master Reina." The golden retriever suddenly looked like a sly fox for some reason.

Reina ignored him. "His ESP is a combination of precognition and ESP nullification."

The murmurs grew louder.

I froze.

That was… insanely broken. Precognition alone was a nightmare to deal with, but adding nullification into the mix? That was an outright counter to nearly every ability in this room.

Wait. If he had precognition, then—

"Hold on," I blurted out. "If he can see the future, then why did he rank so low in the Entrance Exam?"

The class quieted, waiting for an answer.

Ron laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that…"

Reina answered instead. "His precognition does not work the way you think. It is not a constant, perfect foresight. It is unreliable. Incomplete. Limited."

Ron shrugged. "Basically, I get glimpses of the future, but it’s not like I can just pick and choose when it happens. And as for ESP nullification…" He rolled his wrist. "Let’s just say it works best in person."

So it had range limits too.

That made sense. No ability was truly perfect.

Reina didn’t waste any more time. She stepped forward, raising a hand. "Enough talk. Let’s begin."

Ron sighed. "Guess I can’t just forfeit, huh?"

"You cannot."

"Didn’t think so." He rolled his shoulders, then got into a stance. "Alright then, Master Reina. Let’s see how this goes."

The fight started.

Ron dodged before Reina even moved.

His body shifted out of the way, reacting to an attack that hadn’t happened yet. A moment later, Reina’s fist shot forward, but Ron was already gone, moving to the side with ease.

Precognition.

It wasn’t a constant awareness of the future, but it was good enough.

Reina didn’t seem frustrated. She adjusted immediately, striking faster, sharper—but Ron kept avoiding her attacks, always a step ahead. He wasn’t even counterattacking. Just dodging.

Then, suddenly, he struck—his fist barely grazing Reina’s sleeve.

A flicker of something passed over her body.

ESP nullification.

That was his real counter. He just needed to touch someone, and their ESP would be nullified.

But Reina didn’t falter. She embraced the hit—grabbing Ron’s arm the moment he made contact.

Ron’s eyes widened. "Ah, shit—"

Reina slammed him into the ground.

The match didn’t last much longer. Ron was quick, and his abilities were strong, but Reina was stronger. Faster. More experienced.

She read his movements, anticipated his precognition, and kept pressing until he had to fight back. Until he had no choice but to touch her again. And every time he did—she punished him for it.

After a few brutal takedowns, Ron groaned from the floor. "Okay, okay. I get it. I lost."

Reina stepped back, satisfied.

"Your ability is powerful," she told him, "but power alone means nothing without skill. Experience is what sharpens talent into something truly lethal. That is what I want all of you to understand."

She turned to the rest of the class. "That concludes today’s session. Dismissed."

With that, she walked out of the room.

I exhaled.

Well. That was… a lot.

Ron, still on the floor, groaned. "Ugh. Someone remind me why I agreed to come to this school?"

I snorted. "You’re royalty. You probably didn’t have a choice."

He grumbled something under his breath before pushing himself up.

I stayed where I was, mulling over everything.

Precognition. ESP nullification. Experience. Pioneers. Heroes.

I didn’t know why, but Reina’s words still lingered in my head.

And no matter how much I wanted to ignore it…

That word wouldn’t leave me alone.