episode_0012

*****

“Congratulations, senior.”

On the day I returned to the medical center, I was greeted by Sia with a smile on her face. It’s a shame that it’s not a smile of joy, but a teasing smirk, but let’s be honest here.

“Thank you. It was a terrible experience… . In the end, it wasn’t bad. First of all, it seems like the awakening was successful.”

“Of course. It’s much better than before.”

Sia also nodded seriously at this part. While I was speaking, I tried to raise my magic power from inside my body again.

… huh. It is also much easier than before. It would be safe to say that I was able to stand at the start line.

But the feeling of discomfort still remained. At least, I remember not having this feeling when I first awakened.

As expected, has the soul not yet adapted to the body?

Considering the Calamity Dragon Behemoth, the possibility is quite high. Behemoth was definitely one of the top five monsters I’ve ever fought. In reality, the soul had not adapted to the body, so it was caught so easily that it was in vain.

Even though the case was twisted, it was formally a dragon’s soul and a dragon’s body. As someone with a dragon’s body and a human soul, I can’t even imagine how long it will take to adapt.

… In the end, it’s all just speculation.

There is no point in continuing to think about a problem that cannot be answered even if you think about it on your own. Rather than that, I asked Sia what I kept wondering about while fighting the villains.

“But are heroes really this weak these days?”

“You’re weak… . Oh, those heroes who asked for help?”

“It’s hard to be entrusted with hero work when you’re pushed aside by such a simple, ignorant villain unit.”

That race is obviously a fairly stubborn race physically, but they cannot use magical power. Therefore, among the hostile races with intelligence that emerged from cracks, it was one of the easiest to deal with.

If it weren’t for the city, and if it weren’t for budget issues, the military’s response would have been sufficient.

“Senior standards are strange. Usually, in the small cracks that appear in these urban areas, the Uks are quite strong. It’s a bit hard to compare it to those of us who went through the chaos head-on.”

That’s not wrong either… . Even by the standards of the original work, that race was treated as a miscellaneous mob. This will not change unless the power balance is significantly damaged.

As many things have been changed, it would not be strange to say that the development of the original story has virtually disappeared, but even so, as long as the world view is the world view, disasters still remain all over the world. In this situation, the fact that the overall level of the heroes who are supposed to be allies is low is not an issue to be taken lightly.

Moreover, if the professionals are like this, wouldn’t the level of students at Cheonmyeong High School, where the original work is set, be even more serious? When I mentioned those concerns, Sia shook her head.

“Ah, that part is a little different, senior. The ‘school’ run by the Hero Association is rather treated as a high-level professional in the hero industry.”

“Treated as a professional?”

“Yes. Subjects taught at a typical school are taught only until the morning, and from the afternoon onwards, each child can work as a hero. Of course, because it is a school, there are times when we do training or assignments. So, hero school, where you can gain practical experience and learn relevant knowledge and skills, is like a mark of the elite in the hero industry.”

I was worried that stabilizing the country might have an adverse effect. Fortunately, Sia denied my doubts.

Indeed, they apply saliva to promising candidates in advance. It seems to be quite efficient. Anyway, the only ones that appear from small cracks like the one just now are minnows.

“Okay, then let’s train some more. Is going to school tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow we will only be registering. Wouldn’t it be sand that seniors actually go to school?”

“There is time. If possible, I want to get used to the sense of potential by then.”

“Yes!? You just came back from a battle earlier, are you okay?”

The doctor was shocked, but to me, it was more like a warm-up than a fight. My body started to move after a long time, but if I stayed still, I felt dizzy.

During the North Korean purification operation, it was not uncommon to fight five or six times a day. Compared to when the parasitic plant spores fell on the new residence or when the half-fish army crawled out endlessly from the Taedong River, it doesn’t seem like work.

“Besides, I need to build muscles quickly.”

“Muscles… . Miss Ami, are you doing strength training?”

“Huh? Of course, right? You have to improve your physical abilities.”

My spiritual potential is that ‘as motivation increases, magical power and physical abilities become stronger.’ No, now it’s ‘magic power and physical abilities are strengthened depending on the gaze.’

If we talk specifically about reinforcement, it is ‘multiplication.’ It is safe to say that my original physical abilities are multiplied to correspond to magical power or spiritual potential. Of course, the higher my original physical ability, the greater the amount of reinforcement.

This doesn’t specifically apply to my ability, but most body enhancement systems have a similar mechanism. So, in the body strengthening world, there are a lot of machos with muscular muscles like me in the past.

“Ah, that’s why there are so few women in the body enhancement field.”

“Awesome people are amazing, but they are still at a disadvantage. In most cases, it is supplemented in the form of increasing magical power.”

But this is a pretty famous story. A doctor whose job was to control the hero’s condition would not have known this. Sure enough, the doctor shook his head at my explanation.

“That’s not what you’re talking about. What I meant was, isn’t it meaningless?”

“Huh? It has no meaning?”

“Well, it will be back to normal the next day, right?”

“… Yes?”

An honorific came out without me even realizing it. No meaning? Muscles? Strength training?

There is meaning in this noble act that seems to give meaning to life… , no?

“You saw it this morning too. Ami’s hair grew back.”

“Oh, no. That’s recovery, right? Like healing an injury or something… .”

“You only vaguely heard the story again. Strictly speaking, I said ‘restoration’ and not recovery. It’s not clear yet, but there are certain standards, and it’s a form of rebuilding the body according to those standards.

So, if Miss Ami’s hair gets shorter, it will grow back, but if her hair gets longer, it will shrink again. No, my hair won’t grow any more in the first place.”

“Uh… , Then the muscles won’t stretch any further, something like that… ?”

“Yes. Muscles, height, and weight will remain the same, neither increasing nor decreasing.”

Well, that can’t be possible… . The lats, which always helped me when I punched, the deltoids, the quadriceps when I kicked, the glutes, which were the center of all movements, the digital flexors of the feet, which were like cartoon techniques and were worth training, and all my other lovely muscles. I can’t raise it anymore… ?

“Wow, no matter how much you eat, you won’t gain weight? If women around the world hear this, you might die of jealousy.”

“Do you know that? . Do you know how hard I worked to get my old body back? Ugh, my amazing body would crush most bodybuilders… .”

“Wow, were you planning on building that much muscle with your current body?”

Sia looked at me as if she was waking up, but I didn’t have time to pay attention to that look right now. I may have lost a lot more than I thought.

So what should I do now? Of course, it is farewell. Let’s have a farewell party. For farewell–muscle training.

While the two women looked at me in horror, I performed push-ups with each movement filled with farewell affection.

***

Not to mention my old self, even someone like Sia can move much faster than an average car. However, even such high-ranking awakened people normally travel by car in the city.

Something like an awakened person moving at ultra-high speed is nothing other than a feeling of discomfort to ordinary citizens. Because of the risk of accidents, high-speed travel is legally regulated unless there is a true emergency.

For that reason, Sia and I were driving home after leaving the medical center.

“That’s amazing, senior. Only five or six hours have passed since I woke up. I didn’t think you could already handle potential to that extent.”

“Only the trigger has changed, so the feeling of reinforcement itself is familiar. I was even more surprised by the fact that you were a teacher… .”

According to the schedule instructed by the association, students are to register for school tomorrow and go to school right from the beginning. So, I asked about the registration process and was told something. I was told by the doctor that I could ask my teacher, Sia.

I was concerned about why it was ambiguous to say that Sia was an active hero. It’s understandable if you’re both a teacher and a hero.

“Director Lim did too much. Ah, what a waste. Originally, I was planning to surprise my senior by appearing as the homeroom teacher while he was in the classroom.”

“My junior is my homeroom teacher and I am a student. What kind of torture is that.”

“Torture. We will see each other often from now on. Wouldn’t it be better to enjoy it a little more?”

“Haha, joke too. … Are you kidding?”

Sigh. Sia’s sly smile was the answer.

I have to go to school at this age, but my homeroom teacher is a junior I know. No matter how I look at it, all I can think of is that the positions have been reversed.

Plus, at school, there will be a lot of eyes watching me, so I have to use respectful language towards him. It is a terrible sight to even imagine.

“My class is quite difficult. Even seniors should try hard to take notes, right?”

“Written? You have practical skills, then?”

“Except for general subjects, almost all hero subjects have practical skills attached. Well, if you are a senior, you will most likely get a high score on practical skills.”

It must have already been revealed that I was a teacher, and most of the topics of conversation were about school life. Things like the approximate schedule at school, and things like school activities being done in groups of 3 to 4 people, like a real hero team.

What changed the topic was a comment coming from the car radio.

‘… Although they are called heroes, their roots are awakened. Can we really say that there is no danger to themselves? As a simple distinction, Hero has the same fundamentals as Genesis… ‘

A university professor was talking about recent heroes and emphasizing the need for the military to take charge of security. This is a topic that has been discussed ad nauseam since the time of the great chaos.

However, it was a bit annoying to see extreme remarks appearing here and there. It’s not that you don’t understand, but it would be better for that person if you chose your words at least.

“… You’re calmer than I thought.”

“Huh? What?”

“I thought you would get angry if you heard something like that.”

“Well, it’s bubbling in many ways.”

In the end, it’s a matter of how much you get used to it. If you have been a hero for 20 years, you are bound to hear many words of resentment as well as many words of gratitude.

I know. Some of the people who reject the Awakened actually lost their families in accidents to the heroes. No matter how much I tell them that heroes are on the side of humanity, what is the use?

Of course, among those who say such things, only a very small number have actually experienced tragedy. So the reason I’m not that angry may be because of the composure of a winner. No matter what they say, it won’t change the fact that heroes play a big role in this world.

When I said that, Sia’s expression became slightly blank. Well, even a man like me has a lot of sins. Again, you have dragged another junior into the swamp of respect.

“Respect… Yes, I respect it in a way. This is even more so when you think that these are coming from the person who stormed into the venue and caused a scene because he did not like the remarks of a member of the National Assembly.

If possible, why don’t you show off that broad mind a little more during your active duty days? If you had done that, I wouldn’t have had to clean up the mess.”

“That was a politically meaningful action!? … As a result!”

I myself was disciplined, but Changhyuk and the president of the association used the image of the Four Heroes to get improved treatment for heroes. At that time, my image had not yet reached its peak.

Aren’t you two covering for my trolling? Ah~, that is~.

… This story ends here!

“Well, are the Genesis guys still active? The professor just mentioned it very naturally.”

It was to change the topic, but it was a topic that had to be discussed at least once since I spoke with Changhyuk in the association president’s office.

The Genesis school sweep was three years before I caught the monster dragon, so it was 10 years ago now. Although the center of the organization was destroyed, it was strange that it was still active enough to be mentioned in private news.

At least when I was active, Genesis would have been shrinking. If such a big change occurred, it would be correct to say that something happened.

“Did something happen while I was asleep?”

“Ah… , I see. It would be good for seniors to know too… , Joe, yes. I have the materials at home, so I’ll show them to you when I arrive.”

To my question, Sia answered with a confused expression, as if she didn’t like it for some reason. Was there an incident that serious?

After arriving home, we quickly finished dinner and gathered in front of the TV. Originally, it wasn’t supposed to be played for home use like this, Sia added.

How serious was this video that it was put under video control? Well, we’ll see soon enough.

[Hello, citizens of the Republic of Korea. My name is Ymir.]

What appeared on the screen was a girl with white hair who appeared to have her eyes closed. A somewhat ephemeral-looking girl with not silver hair but really bleached-white hair like an old man.

If you’ve ever seen a girl like this, you can’t forget it, so it must be your first time seeing her. For some reason, I had a feeling of discomfort, as if I had seen it many times.

And the reason was soon revealed to be the girl’s remarks.

[I am the biological daughter of Odin, the former leader of Genesis.]

“What!?”

Odin’s daughter… ? Does that guy have a daughter?

When I actually heard it, I found myself nodding my head. The overall feeling of inhumanity and the reverent atmosphere that takes people’s breath away just by standing still are quite similar.

Still, the reason I was surprised was because I never thought that the man who was once my nemesis would have a family. Even with the original setting, this is the first time.

… Could it be that that machine-like guy was also a person after all?

[As some of you may know, our Genesis was defeated by the heroes of the International Allied Forces in Eurasia and lost its leader. I know that many organization members from all over made individual efforts, but Genesis as an organization was virtually disintegrated.]

Even while I was shocked, the girl in the video continued talking. The Genesis of the past that the girl named Ymir was talking about was generally the same as what I knew.

[But I think there will be people who won’t believe you even if you talk about Genesis in this way. So, I prepared a small proof method.

… Oh, I’m just saying this just in case, but if you’re a child under the age of 19, please look away. Also, if you are sensitive to provocative images or are elderly, we recommend that you close your eyes. First of all, I tried to make it as clean as possible, but depending on the viewer, it may look a bit cruel.]

[Are you ready? Then, I will move the screen to the side.]

Slurp. The camera turned sideways in a movement that felt like an amateur’s sloppiness. There were objects scattered there that could only be described as ‘strange’ the moment you saw them.

A tree with human limbs sprouting out, a concrete wall with a torso carved into it, or something that looks like a brain… .

… I didn’t really remember anything beyond this. Because it just makes me feel unnecessarily bad. All I can say is that it is a sight that seems to desecrate the human form itself to the limit.

“Really, they seem like crazy bitches.”

Aside from the fact that it is a video that will make you cry, the scene in the video proves at least two points in time that the girl in front of you is worthy of calling herself Genesis.

One is the object. The thing that was broken into pieces and turned into a strange object was an American hero special forces unit that I knew. The fact that one of the world’s leading awakened units was formed like that implied that the girl in front of me was capable of mobilizing such force.

Another point that cannot be missed when discussing Genesis is its unique technology.

“… Sia, that.”

“Yes. Everything is alive. ‘Very fine’.”

Space disconnection? Biotization of inorganic matter? I don’t know how. I don’t even want to know. However, it was clear from the movement beyond the screen that all the awakened people who had been divided into pieces were alive.

Afterwards, those objects were sent to various countries and returned to the hands of the United States. According to the results of the investigation at that time, it was said that it was not just a body attached, but all of these objects together were a living body in itself.

It is completely unknown how it was made that way.

The fact that Genesis’ technological prowess, which is considered to be two or three levels higher than that of other countries, is still alive was nothing but a nightmare.

[Our purpose has not changed at all. Creation of a new world. Opening new horizons for humanity. That alone is our motto. Contrary to popular belief, we do not engage in senseless killing or destruction. We are──]

“I understand roughly. There’s nothing more to see, right? Turn it off.”

“Yes. I feel bad too and don’t want to see this anymore.”

It’s probably a propaganda phrase that I’ve grown tired of hearing since then. We are not scared~, we will not harm~, let’s aim for the path toward evolution together~, etc. It feels like that.

Sometimes I think about it, but do they think people are idiots? No one knows that not committing meaningless killing means being willing to kill if it has meaning.

Most people who don’t know have died and disappeared from Genesis.

Even the ‘meaning’ is no different from meaningless to the general public because they decide it however they want.

“This video was forcibly broadcast from almost every video device in the world. Twice during the day and night. Considering that different versions were transmitted for each country, it is still an incredible piece of technology.”

“So, what did someone under the age of 19 do?”

An advertisement that is broadcast simultaneously around the world. It’s so stupid that even a child would think of it, but it must have been so effective. Starting from that video, Genesis seems to be gaining momentum again.

Odin, the former cult leader, is the character in charge of the final dark side in the original work and the person who created the most tragedies in the world. That’s why I prioritized subjugation without waiting for the original. Who would have thought that something like a daughter would come out?

The conversation with Changhyuk came to mind again. What happened in the original story is bound to happen unless you really nip it in the bud. It seems as if there is a law of the world that seeks to maintain the development of the original story.

Of course, I understand in my head that the power of restoration is an illusion, as history has been changed so many times… . I couldn’t help but feel bitter.

“When did this come out?”

“It was about 3 years ago. Don’t worry too much, senior. It may have been a period of great chaos, but now many countries have entered stabilization. Those guys won’t run amok as easily as they used to. Plus, the United States is looking for them with all eyes on them, so honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were discovered at some point, right?”

“… That’s a good thing.”

It’s probably impossible, though. After swallowing my next words, I nodded at Sia’s words.

Even in the original work, Genesis’ home base is information that is revealed only towards the end. It’s a shame that I used my knowledge of the original work to forcefully attack them, even though I was so stubborn that it was just my intuition. If it weren’t for that, I would never have found it.

This is especially true now that it has been discovered.

“You are more senior than that, shouldn’t you think about closer issues first rather than these?”

“Problem at hand? What is that?”

“Hehehe, just wait a moment. I’ll get it right away.”

Without even having time to ask what she was going to bring, Sia went into her room. Well, as Sia said, there is nothing I can say I am worried about right now. Let’s think of it as a great harvest just knowing that Genesis has been completely revived.

But what on earth did Sia go into the room with such joy? I don’t think anything special happened when he liked me that much. It’ll be okay this time… , ji?

“Ta-da~. This is the uniform the senior will wear to school~.”

What Sia brought was literally a school uniform, with a different design but similar coloring to the Hero Association’s uniform. I don’t know much about fashion, but looking at the way Sia was holding it, it looked sophisticated enough to make you think she put a lot of thought into the design.

So far so good. Because I like the school uniform to be cool rather than tacky. but… .

“Why on earth did you bring a girl’s school uniform!?”

“? Well, you’re a senior woman, right?”

“I’m a man!”

What Sia brought was a properly pleated skirt and blouse. I knew it would be like this. Somehow, I felt like I was bringing it with great momentum.

Until now, I hadn’t even come close to wearing women’s clothing. As for underwear, I only wore spandex panties and nothing on top—I was wearing them, but my nipples were chafing and hurting, so I was only able to cope with bandages!

They only wear casual clothes that are as unfeminine as possible, such as jeans or cotton pants and a baggy hoodie. So you brought me a girl’s school uniform. What has all the effort up to this point been for?

“Is this a male school uniform? . That way you can save it. Your breasts are quite small, but they’re not completely gone, right? The butt is also pretty big.

If you wear a men’s school uniform like that, your body line will be revealed. Senior, are you a prostitute?”

“No! The body being exposed… . There are things like compression bandages!”

Originally, I would have thought it would hinder growth and have a negative effect on the body shape, but not only am I not interested in such things, but now that I am a doctor official, my body shape is almost fixed.

If you organize your long hair well, you will be able to look like a pretty boy. … maybe. clearly.

However, my hopes were mercilessly crushed by Sia.

“There’s no way it could happen. Compression bandages and body shaping devices all restrict body movement. Are you going to fight wearing something like that?”

“Ugh… .”

“On the other hand, skirts don’t have that problem at all. Moreover, unlike pants, the school rules allow you to wear gym clothes underneath. If you don’t like being feminine, you should wear this instead.”

I see… ? Maybe… .

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. As I continue to listen to Sia, I think that side is correct.

“Then you can just wear gym pants from the beginning.”

“Unfortunately, that is not possible. Cheonmyeong High School is a school that even young ladies from rich families attend. The school rules are strict because of image management.”

“Still, the skirt is a bit… .”

“Mmm. Well then, how about trying it on just for one day? If you still think it doesn’t work, I’ll find another way.”

Just one day. That’s enough… , are you going to… ?

The feeling of rejection is still there. But it’s not like I can’t wear pants at all, and more than anything, I don’t want to bother Sia with something like this.

Let’s wear it for just one day. As I nodded at the suggestion, Sia smiled the brightest smile I had seen in the past few days.

… It’s good that Sia is happy, though. What is this complicated and subtle feeling?

“An excellent choice! Now, there is one more important thing left.”

“Again? Yes, you have to do it all anyway, come all at once. What is it this time?”

“You know, right? You have to call me ‘unni’ at school.”

Ugh, that’s it. A problem I had been thinking about before was suddenly thrust before my eyes.

On paper, I am Sia’s chair sister. Of course, I am the younger sister. However, in my current state, the possibility of accidentally using informal language toward Shia was quite high.

So, Sia’s opinion to practice in advance before entering is justified, but… .

“… Wouldn’t it be okay if I just don’t make mistakes?”

“If you can still believe in yourself after looking back at your actions so far, you don’t have to try.”

“Qu… .”

If you say that much, there is no way there is anything to say. Let’s give up useless resistance and strengthen our resolve.

Don’t run away. That is the most basic skill a hero must have. Besides, it’s not that difficult compared to wearing a female school uniform.

Rather, it is even more shameful because I think this is shameful. Is there anything to be ashamed of in a simple title? What is important is the relationship between me and that person, not the title.

Hu─, ha─. After taking a deep breath, I barely managed to get a sound out of my mouth.

“… Uh, sister.”

… No, it’s still embarrassing!

How old is this guy and I? How much I have taken care of him since he was a child! To a kid like that, you’re not even a sister, you’re an older sister. If there is a hole, I want to hide in it, and that is exactly how I feel right now.

Oh really. I’m so embarrassed that it’s hard to even look at Sia’s face. From the looks of it, he might be hesitating with his face turning red.

It might not be such a strange visual now, but after all, people should act according to their age──

“──Ugh!?”

In an instant, an image so horrifying that cold sweat broke out on my back flashed through my mind.

Although I reflexively moved away from Sia and took a defensive stance. This is Sia’s house, there can be no danger. … There won’t be any. For some reason, my intuition warned me that I was ‘being eaten’ by Sia.

… Well, it must be my mood, right?

“Why are you doing this, senior?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Ahaha, you were surprised. Still, senior, I think that title is a bit difficult. Just call me Sia or Sia noona.”

“Yes, I will do that… .”

I think it would be best not to think too deeply about the warning from my intuition that I was going to be eaten, or the fact that a large amount of magical power boiled up in Sia when I called her sister. In the first place, the fact that a title is difficult means that it is difficult for someone… .

… No, this is also rude to my junior. Let’s not go overboard too much. There are times when even intuition makes mistakes. hmm.

Convincing myself like that, I told myself to lock the door before going to bed just in case.

*****