One week passed like shifting shadows. The training ground of the Fourth Special Operations Unit had become part of Leon's daily routine. He'd begun to familiarize himself with the faces of the other members, and though he still maintained his distance, the feeling of alienation was gradually fading.
Among the four younger members—Shion, Leon, Traffie, and Mina, a small, quiet girl skilled with concealed weapons—Leon found Traffie the easiest to get along with. Despite his sometimes insufferable overconfidence, his straightforward nature helped Leon relax. As for Shion, the flame-haired woman of strength... though her dedication was admirable, some wall between them remained towering, limiting their conversations to only necessary training matters.
Training under Xiao Yan's guidance continued intensively. The wooden sword in Leon's hands was beginning to respond better to his will.
"Hup!" Leon swung his wooden blade with full force, hoping to create an opening for even a split second, but Xiao Yan still dodged easily as if it were routine.
"Do you know..." Xiao Yan spoke up during Leon's attempt to reset his stance, his voice level but penetrating Leon's hearing clearly, "...this world doesn't only have Awakened with special powers."
"Huh?" Leon's thoughts stumbled. His focus, which had been concentrated on combat, scattered momentarily. His eyes widened in confusion. Before he could process those words, Xiao Yan's wooden sword traced a lightning arc, striking Leon's side with precision and force!
"Ugh!" Leon cried out in pain, doubling over. Sharp pain shot through his body like being hit with a hammer.
"Don't get distracted!" Xiao Yan's voice was stern, though his eyes remained calm. "Get up!"
Leon gritted his teeth, struggling through the pain to stand. The curiosity about Xiao Yan's earlier words still swirled in his head. "What do you mean?!" he shouted while exploding with all his power toward Xiao Yan again. The wooden sword in his hand swept out like a storm, moving with more ferocity than ever before.
Xiao Yan smiled slightly—an unreadable expression. "Heh... some people born into this world... one in ten... no, one in a hundred million is better... have elemental power dormant within them. Like Genus."
The image of Genus, the young woman who controlled earth, immediately appeared in Leon's thoughts. Her amazing power to control soil, stone, and create walls from nothing... or even the mysterious power that had erupted within himself that time... it was completely different from Awakened abilities.
"Oh!! Is that so?!" Leon exclaimed excitedly. New understanding flashed through his mind, but his excitement created another opening.
Xiao Yan deflected Leon's wooden sword easily like brushing away dust, then used that moment to step in close and deliver a swift kick to Leon's stomach!
"Ugh!" Leon's body sailed through the air from the kick's force, slamming hard into the training ground until dust billowed. He lay breathing rapidly, feeling like his internal organs were twisting. His blurred vision caught sight of Shion standing with her arms crossed not far away. The afternoon sunlight hitting her flame-colored hair made it even more radiant. Her mouth moved slightly...
"Tch... completely hopeless."
The voice was so quiet it was barely audible, but for Leon lying defeated on the ground, it rang clear as a whisper in his ear. Embarrassment flushed across his face.
"What are you doing lying around! Get up!" Xiao Yan's shouting pulled Leon's drifting consciousness back to reality.
"Yes!!" Leon sprang up quickly. Pain and embarrassment transformed into driving force, making the blood in his body pump harder. "What about you, Chief! What type are you?!" He thrust his sword forward with all his might, then flicked his wrist to spin the blade and sweep it right—an attack combining speed and determination like he'd never achieved before.
But Xiao Yan still dodged gracefully like a leaf floating on the wind. "Just look and you'll know... what type I am!" With those words, Xiao Yan's form suddenly blurred from Leon's sight! Before the young man could panic or guess, a cold wooden spear tip appeared right in front of him, aimed precisely at the space between his eyebrows! Just a fingertip's distance away!
Speed beyond sight... this was this man's true power!
Before the tense atmosphere could ease, a man in unit uniform ran in with normal urgency—not appearing particularly rushed or alarmed. "Chief! Another report came in! Someone reported more missing persons in City A and City C!"
Xiao Yan's expression didn't show much surprise. He simply nodded lightly. "Again, huh..." he muttered to himself as if it were something he'd heard so often it was routine. His eyes pondered for a moment. "Fine... let Unit Two handle City C as usual. As for City A..." Xiao Yan's gaze suddenly fixed on Leon, an unreadable gleam flashing through his deep indigo eyes. "Perfect. I'll have you investigate this matter."
"Go call Shion too."
Leon froze for a moment, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Are you... are you serious, Chief?" He didn't think that he, still a newcomer who had just been thoroughly beaten, would receive what seemed like such an important mission.
"Well, think of it as taking a stroll around the city, gaining experience," Xiao Yan said in his level tone, casually brushing aside Leon's concerns.
Soon enough, Shion walked in with clearly agitated movements. Her beautiful, sharp face was visibly sulking, her cheeks puffing up slightly without her realizing it when she heard the order. "I don't want to!" she declared loudly. "Why does it have to be me?! And why do I have to go with... with this guy?!" Her pointing finger flicked toward Leon without consideration. Her amber eyes looked at him with irritation, displeasure, and intense dissatisfaction, as if having to do a mission together with Leon was the worst thing in the world.
"Because you two are the only ones available right now," Xiao Yan replied curtly, clearly not wanting to argue. "Traffie and Mina are already assigned to other tasks."
Shion puffed out her cheeks fully, turning her back to Xiao Yan while crossing her arms tightly. "This is so annoying! Why do I have to babysit the newbie?!" she complained in a voice that sounded more like a child than a combat unit member. "And how am I supposed to go anywhere with some strange guy?!"
Leon felt his face burn with embarrassment, but part of him couldn't help thinking that Shion's behavior... was actually kind of cute.
Suddenly, rapid footsteps echoed from the training ground entrance. Another messenger walked in with normal urgency.
"Chief Xiao Yan!" the messenger called out. "Additional report on City A! One more person has gone missing since this morning, in the same district as the previous cases."
Xiao Yan nodded lightly. "Again, huh..." he muttered to himself with familiar resignation before looking at Leon and Shion. "Perfect. You two go do some preliminary investigation. See what's happening there."
He turned to look at Shion specifically. "Shion, you have more experience in investigations. I'm counting on you to look after him."
Shion turned back with an irritated expression. "I don't know why! And why does it have to be me?!"
"Because you're the only one I trust to look after a new member," Xiao Yan smiled thinly. "Consider it teamwork training for both of you."
Shion's face reddened slightly. She quickly turned away. "Hmph! Is... is that all?!" But her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Fine then... let's go."