Anime, Girlfriend Shokuhou Misaki.

"I can't learn it."

Blood flowed down Haramura Makoto's arm, and his face darkened.

He was confident that he could replicate Edelweiss's Accelerated Sword by training his muscles.

But with Edelweiss's slowing sword, he saw no hope of replicating it.

After all, compared to pure swordsmanship, he is more skilled at combining his supernatural abilities with his sword.

Moreover, his spirit armor is not just a sword.

Indeed, many people say he is very talented in swordsmanship, but he knows very well that they are only referring to his physical talent.

But to truly wield a sword and reach the pinnacle, one must have a sincere heart for the sword.

For him, the sword was merely a means of attack.

He could never be as good as Ikki Kurogane or Edelweiss.

Therefore, there's little chance he could learn Edelweiss's second sword technique.

Furthermore, Edelweiss had channeled a burst of energy into the sword he had just stopped with, causing him to fly backward uncontrollably and crash into the spatial rift that Edelweiss had slashed open.

Is this all the enlightenment you've gained?

at this time.

A clear, cool voice rang out from outside. Although the voice was not loud, it entered his ears like fine rain.

When will you finally be able to let go of those unnecessary distractions?

Unnecessary distractions!

This wasn't something that would make Haramura Makoto realize his mistake. In fact, he already knew what his problem was, but he just hadn't consciously thought about it.

He has always been clear that he is not obsessed with becoming stronger.

Although he is very hardworking and puts in a lot of effort.

However, he ultimately didn't dedicate himself to it as wholeheartedly as Ikki Kurogane and Ohma Kurogane.

This mindset can make him a strong person.

Because he has such talent and ability to support him.

However, this mindset will become a stumbling block on his path to becoming the strongest.

Furthermore, he lacked that indomitable spirit.

Think about it carefully.

All the difficulties and obstacles he has faced so far, are they only faced when he has a certain degree of certainty?

I wouldn't say I have absolute certainty, but the success rate must be extremely high.

But when faced with situations where he was clearly not confident, like the current match against Edelweiss, his first thought was definitely to run.

But if it were Ikki Kurogane, he wouldn't have done what Makoto Haramura did.

He himself would also know what it means to draw his sword when facing the world's strongest swordsman.

However, Kurogane Ikki would only be more excited.

He would treat this battle as a test of his abilities. Even if there was a 99% chance that he would perish here after the battle, Kurogane Ikki would still not regret it.

The same applies to Black Iron King Horse.

(But should I continue like this?)

Makoto Haramura was lost in confusion.

Avoid impulsiveness and rash decisions; always prioritize self-preservation and avoid doing anything you are not confident about.

This has been a belief he has adhered to since childhood.

Of course, it was precisely because of his personality that he was able to rise from poverty to the bottom of Academy City.

Do you really think it's that easy to rise through the ranks of Academy City?

It's filled with all sorts of deceit, trickery, and bloodshed.

If you don't know when to bow your head, don't know when to put on a show, and just rush forward like a fool, you'll eventually be swallowed up without even leaving a bone.

Should he change his mind now?

His transformation is almost equivalent to abandoning his past self.

So, do you want to become pure?

Makoto Haramura didn't know the specific answer to this question either.

Edelweiss made no further move, simply standing there quietly, completely unlike the murderous look he had just given off, as if he were about to kill him.

He could see the confusion in Makoto Hirahara.

"If you can get this far, you'll probably see the door."

Edelweiss looked at Makoto Haramura and thought to himself.

That's right, just as Makoto Haramura thought, there's no point in Edelweiss attacking him.

Edelweiss and Nango Hikojiro still have such a good relationship.

She attacked Haramura Makoto because she wanted to give him a push.

While there's certainly a reason for this: she wants to repay Nango Hikojiro's kindness through Haramura Makoto, there's also her curiosity about Haramura Makoto.

If Nango Hikojiro could notice Haramura Makoto's unusual behavior, then why couldn't Edelweiss notice it?

She also discovered that Makoto Haramura was not subject to the interference of fate.

She had also doubted the possibility that Makoto Haramura was a born demon.

However, there are still some questions here.

Since he was born a demon, why didn't Makoto Haramura's magical power increase?

Therefore, there must be many special things about Makoto Haramura, which she was very curious about.

Today, she's going to push Haramura Makoto to his limit and see if there are any special changes in him.

"Ok?"

Suddenly, Edelweiss murmured, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"So fast?"

"But why? Why is this kid's aura unclear?"

She had witnessed the transformation process of several demons.

That should be a process of going from being poised to unleash one's full potential.

Why did Makoto Haramura's transformation happen this way?

……

"Do we really need to think about all that?"

"No, it's not necessary."

Makoto Haramura's gaze immediately hardened.

Indeed, he likes to think things through before doing anything, and he only puts things into practice when he is confident. He doesn't have that kind of indomitable spirit.

But he has another advantage.

That means that when making a decision, one is never indecisive. Once a decision is made, one will devote oneself wholeheartedly to it without thinking about a way out.

Clearly, the path he is now on has become his constraint.

If this isn't a world that requires force, and the worlds he goes to next aren't worlds that require force either, then so be it.

Unfortunately, that's impossible.

In this world, there exists a swordsman who can single-handedly defeat an entire nation.

In their original world, there were beings like the number one in Academy City who could withstand nuclear bombs.

He needs stronger military force.

He needs more power.

In this world where power reigns supreme, only those who possess power have the right to make the rules.

Intrigue, scheming, and weighing the pros and cons are indeed very important.

But in the face of true power, these things are insignificant.

Shouldn't he have understood these things long ago over the past sixteen years?

If he possessed superpowers, and if he were also Level 5, why would he need to struggle so hard?

Because he has no power, he needs to struggle.

Because he lacks power, he needs to resort to scheming and plotting.

That's why he worked so hard to train himself, so that even though he was just an ordinary person, he could fight against people with special abilities.

But ultimately, that was the end of it; his power limited him.

"Yes, I needed to change a long time ago, didn't I?"

A glint suddenly appeared in Makoto Haramura's eyes.

It was a light as bright as the sun, unlike anything ever seen before.

His face was calm, but the gaze in his pupils was unwavering, a natural and concentrated expression of his will.

It's forced, making yourself wholeheartedly pursue something.

Without the slightest impurity, the power of the heart is concentrated into an extreme point.

A massive stone gate appeared directly in front of Makoto Haramura.

Yes, it wasn't Haramura Makoto who was approaching, but rather the stone gate that appeared directly in front of him.

A stone gate tens of meters high, a completely enclosed space.

There was no decoration on the door, but one could clearly feel the weight of the stone door, as heavy as the stars.

"I see. So this is the obstacle that Ikki overcame today."

Magical power surged wildly around Makoto Haramura, and he slowly raised his sword, his entire being condensed with energy and spirit.

Suddenly, Makoto Haramura's leg moved.

He took a sudden step forward, and in the next instant, he was standing very close to the stone gate.

"—'Time-Space Dislocation'!"

The battle to seize this space transformed into a sudden flash of light that cleaved heaven and earth in two.

"choke--"

The recitation, soaring through the clouds, was only belatedly transmitted.

"Now I can cut everything off."

"These mere shackles, I'll break free and show you."

The sudden burst of light from the blade even illuminated the dim space.

"Chong-"

A sword mark that pierced through the entire stone gate appeared directly on the stone gate.

"Rumble--"

In an instant, the stone gate was split in two, falling one after the other. Then, the shattered stone gate turned into crystalline fragments and dissipated into the air.

"Kid, I didn't expect you to do it so quickly."

The familiar voice suddenly rang out, and before Makoto Haramura could even be surprised, a dizzying sensation swept over his head.

When he woke up again, he was in an open field.

There was nothing on the open ground; not even weeds, just bare yellow earth.