After the gigantic imaginary enemy stopped working, the test ended with the passage of time.

"Thank you for your hard work. It's a candy bear. Give me a candy bear …"

The injured candidates stood by the side and waited for a moment. The Xiongying's pillar of support, the Young Lady, who had a super active self-healing ability, walked over with her walking stick and started to heal the wounds of the candidates patiently …

On the other side of the street, the Xin Cao Ambassador stood beside the sleeping Imaginary Enemy 0. He quietly looked at the crowd in front of him. Since he was not injured, he did not have to waste time to heal the candidates.

But …

"Aren't you going?"

The Xin Cao Ambassador's physical strength was much weaker than most of the people in the exam. His mature male voice still had a little bit of air coming from his chest. He tilted his head slightly and looked at the blond boy beside him. "… If I'm not wrong … your ankle is injured right?"

"Ah?

Well … "Yoshihide Yagi who was asked the question habitually touched his dusty hair and replied with a smile." Haha … looking at everyone's anxious look … it's not a problem for me to be a little late … "

"Also!

Because my ankle is completely broken, my brain has produced a lot of endorphins. Now I can't feel any pain! "

"…"

"… Whatever you want …"

The weak voice was just like its owner. Xin Cao slowly moved his feet and sat on the broken wall to the right of Ryōei.

Leaning against the fallen pillar, his purple pupils reflected the lonely white clouds floating in the light gray sky. He showed a look of unwillingness.

The blonde boy looked at his new friend for a while and lowered his head. He loosened his combat suit and untied the blood-soaked bandage that was tied around his ankle in the morning. Then, he pretended to ask casually, "… How's Mr. Worry doing in the exam?"

"…"

"Ah … As expected … Very bad." [Brainwashing] was effective against talented people. Terrible stamina and fighting techniques. From the beginning to the end, the manipulator never had any hope of getting into the hero course. "… I really envy you. You prepared so much equipment … You must have a strong personality too. I guess you won't have a problem getting into the hero course …"

"Huh?"

"… Mr. Xin Cao … Do you think it's my equipment and personality …?" The blond boy's hand that was unwrapping the bandage paused. He tilted his head and smiled helplessly. After standing up with the help of the ruins of the building beside him, he limped towards Xin Cao. "Well … I thought Mr. Xin Cao would say that my fighting posture is very similar to Ormet's style … haha …"

"… Hmm … I can't believe that my skills are being ignored … I'm not happy about it … Ah — Worry Jun, do you want to have a match with me …" Liang Ying looked at the crowded street in front of her. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to them. She turned to Worry Jun and said seriously, "… Please use your personality to fight me … At the same time, I won't use my equipment and [Personality] …"

"What do you think?"

"… Do you know what my personality is?"

The blond boy's words sounded a little provocative. The Worried Emissary, who was squatting on the ground, furrowed his brows and quietly activated his personality. "… I advise you to understand other people's information before you recklessly issue a challenge …"

"I —"

Just as the first word was spat out, the person who spoke seemed to have been petrified. The smile on his face disappeared in an instant, and the eyes that were originally filled with determination were replaced with dull pupils. Even his movements became rigid … just like a robot without any thoughts.

"… Hah … Are all people standing in front of the Pyramid as arrogant as you …"

The Worrywart Emissary let out a mocking chuckle. In the next second, he removed his personality. His face showed a mixture of disappointment and unwillingness. Then, he spoke like a lion with a congenital disability. He had the ambition to become a lion king, but he was dragged down by his physical condition. "So, do you understand now?!

This is … "

"… This is [Brainwashing], my personality …"

"You see!

So even if it's a strong personality that hurts itself … I'm still very envious … "

"At least it's better than this [Enemy Like Personality] …"

"People like you who are born blessed by the heavens —"

"Wait — Stop!"

Ryōei, who had regained his consciousness, waved his hand and interrupted Xin Cao before he could continue talking nonsense. "… What the hell are you talking about!

… Ugh … Although I guessed that it's a mental ability from your physical strength and negative attitude, I can't deduce the conditions for it to take effect if you don't activate it … "

Scratching the few strands of blonde hair on his head, Ryōei had a troubled expression on his face. "… Troublesome … My mother has already handed in the fake papers. Sigh … Forget it … Anyway, there's no problem in entering the school. There shouldn't be an option to expel me …"

"… Ahem, then — Xin Cao -kun, since you already know my name … Please don't tell the teacher about this, okay?"

The blue-eyed boy put down his hand that was grabbing his hair and grinned. He pointed at himself with his blood-stained hand and said proudly, "I, [Yoshihide Yagi], have no personality —"

"Xin Cao -kun, you're envious of the wrong person!"

"Also, look …" The blonde boy bent his arm, revealing the well-defined muscles on his arm. He tapped the index and middle fingers of his other hand on his arm. "These are the muscles that have been trained!

It's not like I used inflatable products … "

"… Ugh … Speaking of equipment … If I haven't been trained, I can't accurately use them …"

"These all require long-term efforts and accumulation —"

"So — Xin Cao -kun," half-squatted down and looked at Xin Cao -kun, who was sitting on the pile of rubble. Ryōei rubbed his dry throat, looked at Xin Cao with his blue eyes, and said sincerely, "I'm sorry!

… Maybe it's my tone just now … Anyway, I'm not looking down on Xin Cao -kun or anything, but … "

"Xin Cao -kun's combat ability is too weak … Haha …"

# --)

"Actually, to keep the suspense of personality … It's only fair if you fight with me …" The blond boy stood up again. Xin Cao then realized that the boy's body had been leaning, and he seemed to have piled all his body weight on his unbroken leg. "Before the endorphins completely dissipate … Fight with me, Xin Cao -kun!"

"…"

"… Heh."

Xin Cao -kun, who had recovered most of his physical strength, stood up and walked down the ruins in his sportswear. He twisted his neck, and the joints of his neck made a cracking sound. Coupled with the unhappy expression on his face, his baritone voice slid out rather intimidatingly, "Then … I hope you won't show that embarrassing side of you again …"

In the face of provocation, the blond boy did not respond politely as usual.

He just smiled and stood more than a meter away from Xin Cao. His white battle suit stuck to his straight back, outlining his tall figure. He was like a white direction stick, trying to guide others for the first time.

"Have I been seen through …"

Xin Cao -kun, who planned to use his personality to control the situation from the beginning, frowned. He rushed forward with a straight punch. At the same time, when his fist swung toward Ryōei's face, his right foot quickly tripped down, aiming at the only leg of the blond boy that was standing …

Hmm … To be honest, this series of actions could be regarded as very wise.

After attracting the opponent's attention with his fist, the main attack on the leg could easily become the winning move, and it was very likely that he would win in one fell swoop in the next second.

But …

Fast, accurate, and ruthless. A fist suddenly rushed out from the right side of the purple-haired boy. Like a racing car racing on the track, it suddenly appeared behind him in the blink of an eye, and at this moment, the owner of the fist also followed the movement and lightly stepped on the ground, nimbly turning from under Xin Cao's arm to the side behind him, and neatly dodged the attack.

Before Xin Cao, who was hit by the fist, came back to his senses, the arm wrapped in the white battle suit had already sealed his movement and climbed onto his shoulder. Then —

Shoulder throw!

From the beginning to the end of the battle, it only took ten seconds. The blond boy squatted down and pulled up Xin Cao who had fallen to the ground. He gritted his teeth and said with a smile, "What a cunning tactic — Mr. Xin Cao, but in terms of [Effort], there's still a big gap between us …"

"Cough, cough, cough …" After receiving two heavy blows on his back, the Xin Cao -kun who was not in good physical condition coughed and even had a tendency to retch — this was the result of Ryōei holding back his strength. He leaned against the pillar beside him and panted heavily for a few times. When he wiped his mouth and raised his head again, the purple pupils that were originally devoid of enthusiasm reflected the intertwined light of stubbornness and persistence …

It was as bright and dazzling as a candle that was first lit in the dark night.

"Tsk — It's not over yet!"

The strength of the soft fist was also soft. Ryōei only needed to gently grasp it and he would be able to catch it.

A person with an unstable lower body was the easiest to deal with. The blonde boy curled up his injured foot and hit the bone of his foot upwards. He withdrew his hand and the messenger of Xin Cao fell back to the ground.

"Again —"

Feeling the pain on his ankle becoming more and more obvious, Ryōei bit the tip of his tongue and half-squatted. He used his shoulder to push the purple-haired youth who was charging at him, bringing him back to the ground.

"Damn it — don't look down on me!"

This time, it was a naked twist. The pressure on his throat caused the purple-haired boy to roll on the ground powerlessly again …

At this moment, the envoy of Xincao was almost as miserable as Ryōei.

His originally neat sportswear was dirty and messy with dust and gravel. His purple hair was also stained with a lot of dust, just like Ryōei's blonde hair. There was even a fingernail-sized cut on the corner of his mouth from the glass on the ground.

But the look in his eyes did not change. It was still so stubborn and stubborn.

Ryōei had seen this kind of look before.

The blonde boy stretched out his hand and used the hard bone on his elbow to knock over the person who was jogging towards him. He carefully and slowly recalled the look.

Where did he see this kind of look before?

Ah, yes.

It was that old video … The video that was passed down to this day because of [Ormet] …

That look was the look that Ormet had at that time.

It was a look of striving to charge towards a goal, like a burning new flame, determined not to take a step back …

It was the look of [Hero].

The corners of Yagi Ryoei's mouth curled up. She didn't force herself anymore and allowed the pain to engulf her. When the exhausted fist of the purple-haired youth hit her, she naturally relaxed and fell to the ground.

"Ah … I can't take it anymore …" Looking at the Xincao Messenger who was panting heavily, Ryōei collapsed to the ground. He wiped the cold sweat on his head and smiled embarrassedly. "Haha … I was wrong. Xincao -kun is really scary when he works hard!"

"As expected of a hero who can ignore [Personality] and [Equipment]!"

"…"

"Ha … Cough, cough cough … Whatever you want …" The purple-haired boy who was out of energy but still trying to stand trembled. He slowly walked to the right side of Ryōei and lay down on the ground in exhaustion. "What … You …"

"… If it's [Hard Work Gap] …"

"I've already seen it …"

"… Cough … Even so …"

"I will also … I will also become —"

"A more outstanding hero than a guy like you who goes easy on me!!!!"

The loud voice echoed from his heart and rushed up to the blue sky. In the colorless but rather brilliant air, it bloomed as brightly as the color of the flame, a vast future …

This was the future that belonged to the Xincao Messenger.

"Ha … Then you have to work harder — Xincao -kun …" The blond boy who was exposed closed his eyes in relief. The sunlight from the top of his head gently covered his face, leaving a warm mark that indicated yesterday, today, and tomorrow. "Because … the person you want to surpass is [Yoshihide Yagi] who will definitely become the [First Hero] …"

So …

Please be sure to bring this courage with you.

Ultra!

*

The treatment ended just after the two of them fell to the ground.

Ryōei and Xincao, the two examinees who were like vagrants, were lying on the ground in dispiritedness. They looked at the young girl who was running over angrily from not far away with a guilty conscience.

"You still want to fight when you're injured!

Don't think that I didn't know! "

"Sorry …"