The days passed in a blur of training and exhaustion.By the third day, Hajime could already activate Analyze on command, pulling up basic descriptions of objects and items around him. By the fifth day, he could access more detailed insights—but the sheer flood of information drained him mentally.
Still, curiosity had begun to stir within him again.During one session, a dangerous thought crossed his mind:
What would happen if I tried to Analyze... the skill Analyze itself?Or worse—Dimensional Energy?
The idea lingered, reckless and tempting.He decided to seek Haruka's advice.
After the third day, Haruka had mostly left Hajime to train on his own, disappearing to the far side of the academy grounds—a small mountain that wasn't quite tall enough to be majestic, but far too proud to be called a hill. From there came the sound of crashing, sparks of golden light, and waves of power that rolled through the air.
As Hajime approached, the cave mouth flickered with golden trails that broke into runes midair. When he used Analyze, he caught a glimpse of descriptions forming—but quickly dismissed them. They looked like they'd drain too much mental power, and frankly, he wasn't that curious anymore.
Sure, his skills consumed Dimensional Energy (DE), but he had plenty of that to spare.Mental strength, though? That was another story. He was in his forties now—strong-willed, yes, but not about to fry his brain for curiosity's sake.
He cupped his hands and shouted into the cave,"Oi, Haruka! I'm coming in, so please don't blast me with whatever weapon—or magic—you're throwing around! I'd like to stay alive for a few more years, thank you very much!"
The noise and light stopped.
A voice called back, amused."Hajime? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me—so please, nothing rash! I'm still too young to die," he said, stepping carefully inside with a grin.
Haruka chuckled, and for a moment, Hajime caught himself thinking, So cute…
"What's all that about?" he asked, handing her a can of water and a small towel he'd grabbed from the dorm before heading out.
"Well," she said, stretching slightly, "since I'm an instructor—and one of the combat-oriented ones—I have to keep my body in top condition. So, I warm up here every morning."
Hajime froze.For a moment, he was awestruck. The glow of the golden light reflected off her perfectly toned frame, and she looked almost divine—like a warrior goddess hand-crafted by the gods themselves.
"Alright, enough staring," she said with a teasing smirk. "Tell me what brings you here."
"I wasn't staring!" he said quickly. "I was, uh… analyzing!"
"Oh?" She tilted her head, stepping a little closer. "And what exactly were you analyzing?"
Her proximity made his heart skip. She smelled faintly of wild air and burning heat—a strange but intoxicating mix. He tilted his head slightly, swallowing hard.
She laughed softly and stepped aside. "Relax. I'm just teasing."
Hajime exhaled, thankful to be released from whatever spell she'd just cast on him, and quickly explained his curiosity about using Analyze on itself—or on Dimensional Energy.
Haruka gave him a look that could only be described as a disappointed Asian mom hearing her son ask if he could lick an electrical socket.He immediately backpedaled. "Or not! Yeah… maybe that's a bad idea."
Her stern face softened."I don't want to kill your curiosity," she said gently. "So let's think it through together."
She continued, "Skills like yours activate using Dimensional Energy, but they're also linked to the body parts responsible for those senses. For you, that's your eyes—and your brain, since it has to process all the incoming information. Overloading it with a self-referential command could burn your mind out completely."
Her tone turned serious. "Now imagine doing that with Dimensional Energy itself—something you barely understand. You'd be staring into an infinite ocean with no boat to come back on. No one knows what would happen."
Hajime stared down, feeling the weight of her words. He'd been reckless—so wrapped in curiosity that he hadn't realized how dangerous it could've been. He might've risked more than his life.
But before he could spiral too deep into thought, Haruka clapped her hands together."Anyway, I'm glad that curiosity of yours is working again," she said warmly. "Now get some rest. We've got a few more days before we return to ITA Headquarters for the mission briefing."
She looked toward the sunset beyond the cave entrance, her expression darkening slightly."And once we leave Valhalla… know that the war has already begun."
Hajime felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Then she turned back with her usual grin."Come on, let's grab something to eat. After that, I'll take you sightseeing—there's a special place I want to show you. You'll love it."
For the first time in a long while, Hajime smiled without worry.A brief peace before the coming storm.