“Are you finally coming to your senses?”

When Jin opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a bed in the infirmary—an all too familiar sight for him.

Beside him were Count Seryas, sporting a somewhat displeased expression, Altina, who looked at him with concern, and Serika, whose face remained emotionless.

‘…Serika?’

Why on earth was she here? Could it be that she came to visit after hearing he was injured?

…Why? The Serika at this moment was not the same as the one who used to willingly be his subordinate in the past.

She was the Vice President of the Student Council and, at the same time, a noble lady from the House of Count Valentine, holding a dignified sense of pride.

Surely, a woman like her wouldn’t come to visit just because an acquaintance was lying in bed, right?

– Serika von Valentine has been by your side from the time you fought the Count until now. The implication is that you are not in a position to make such rude evaluations.

‘…So why is she even here? She used to avoid me like I was some kind of cockroach.’

– How about asking her directly? I, at least, do not know the reason.

‘…?’

Setting aside the blunt tone of the Erica behind him, Jin first checked his body condition by circulating magic power within himself.

‘Fortunately… I seem to be mostly okay.’

His muscle fibers were all torn, several bones had been crushed, and significant internal bleeding had occurred due to the excessive pressure, but considering all this, his condition was relatively acceptable.

– …You call that an acceptable condition?

‘At least I haven’t lost consciousness for several days. And these injuries are manageable with proper healing.’

Long ago, when Jin first used Exceed, he had fallen into a coma for over ten days, so this was a significant improvement.

Moreover, compared to two months ago when he had recklessly used Exceed with an untrained body, his physical condition was much better now, so the burden was comparatively lighter…

“How long have I been unconscious?”

In response to Jin’s question, Count Seryas looked at him with an even more displeased expression but answered willingly.

“It seems about two hours have passed. You lost consciousness the moment the duel with me ended. I suppose the state you fell into was a result of the recoil or aftereffects from that technique you used earlier. Am I correct?”

“Yes.”

Since he had openly used Exceed in front of the Count, there was no point in hiding it, and Jin nodded in agreement.

“What exactly is that technique? I have shared swords with many and experienced a variety of techniques and mental arts, but I have never seen one like yours. To explosively enhance all of one’s abilities without any body reinforcement through aura….”

He was asking Jin about it, yet the Count’s face showed not curiosity, but rather unease and discomfort.

“However, that technique is far too dangerous. From what I can tell, it appears to establish one’s body as a world map and accelerates the will based on the mental image housed within, enabling one to approach the ideal speed as envisioned. Am I wrong?”

“…That’s correct.”

Had he only experienced it once, yet managed to grasp all the principles of Exceed?

Jin inwardly admired the Count’s insight and nodded.

Indeed, as the Count said, Exceed drew on one’s sentiments and intentions as a driving force to reach the speed of an ideal martial artist.

Originally, intent was a powerful force capable of distorting the laws of the world by mere human will alone.

Given its great power, there are limits to the intent possessed by an individual; thus, martial artists who have achieved a certain level often use it to enhance their techniques, akin to a finishing move, or to impose their own laws onto their opponents.
However, Exceed is different. While other martial artists use their intent to distort the laws of the world, Exceed utilizes intent to manifest one’s own mental image in the present reality.

It redefines Jin’s body as a microcosm and channels all intent into embodying the most ideal speed of a martial artist he envisions.

In that moment of using Exceed, Jin is able to replicate the abilities of his master, one of the most formidable martial artists he knows, in this world.

This represents a heterodox application of intent that other martial artists might not even consider.

Typically, martial artists who have reached the level of mastery have already “completed” their bodies, making conventional physical enhancement trivial or meaningless. For them, utilizing intent to pursue another as their ideal is simply unthinkable.

In contrast, for Jin, who resets his body’s state each time he regresses and long ago discarded any notion of martial pride, Exceed is truly a perfect match.

Of course, the aftereffects of using such an immensely powerful technique are indeed unimaginable.

The world distorted by intent—essentially, Jin’s body—will inevitably create discrepancies with the present reality, and after Exceed is released, a correction force from the world is generated to rectify these differences.

In other words, the body, which has been pushed beyond its limits, is forcibly shut down to correct itself.

Metaphorically speaking, it’s akin to pulling the plug on a machine that cannot be turned off by any means in order to make it stop.

Needless to say, such an act places an immense burden on the body.

Even if one’s body were made of steel, repeating such an act would inevitably lead to wear and tear; using Exceed with an untrained body is akin to an act of suicide.

“…Irresponsible. Generally, martial artists view their lives as mere expendables in pursuit of the martial way, yet in your case, that tendency is even more pronounced.”

With this remark, Count Seryas sighed as he looked at Jin, who could not move due to all his muscle fibers being torn.

“Techniques are, by nature, the ultimate form of self-defense for the weak against the strong. However, when it drives the user toward death like in your case, it completely undermines the meaning of self-defense.”

“You mentioned that technique was created by your master. Based on its foundational theory and principles, he must be a remarkably powerful martial artist worthy of the title ‘master.’ Yet, it’s undeniable that this technique is cursed to one day shatter your body and lead you to death.”

“You’re still young. At merely your teenage years, to be able to wield such a level of intent and possess combat experience as rich as yours is almost unheard of. So why are you resorting to a technique that gnaws at your own flesh?”

“…..”

Even Jin himself knew that using Exceed was indeed a reckless act. After decades of using it, how could he possibly be unaware?

However, to put it differently, Jin’s use of Exceed indicated that he was in a situation where he needed power so desperately that he was willing to take such risks.

…Indeed, such as just happened moments ago.

“…Jin.”

As Altina, with an oddly pale face, looked at him and whispered his name, Count Seryas shifted his gaze between his daughter and Jin before addressing Serika, who had been quietly standing next to him.

“It seems like Altina has something she wants to say to him. I believe it would be best for us to step outside for a while. What do you think, Lady Serika von Valentine?”

“…I will comply with the Count’s words.”

Serika nodded obediently at Count Seryas’s remark.

As the Count and Serika stepped outside the infirmary for a moment, Altina’s face, which had been rigid, began to slightly change as she looked at Jin.

Her previously stiff expression now bore signs of emotion, cracking open like a fissure.

The mask she had been wearing until now disappeared, revealing her raw expression—Altina was on the verge of tears.
“Why did you do that? Why… you could have just cooperated moderately with Father and surrendered… There was no reason for you to fight like this and end up like a wreck…”

With those words, Altina gently grasped Jin’s limp right hand.

“Was it like this the last time?”

“…Last time?”

“You know, the time you saved me. You were lying on the bed like this, unable to move. Were you using that technique back then too?”

As much as Jin wanted to deny it, he regrettably realized that Altina was fully aware of the situation.

“Don’t do this. I hate it. I really hate seeing you hurt like this. And… I’m scared. The thought that it’s because of me, just because of me, that you’re lying here like this… I can’t stand it.”

“…..”

Altina’s hands were not just warm; they were hot. Even without a shred of strength in his body, Jin noticed that Altina’s hands were trembling slightly.

But ultimately, Jin found himself unable to respond to her at all.

He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t her fault, that this was merely the result of his own greed, but soon realized that such words would carry no meaning.

Even without this incident, it was certain that one day, he would throw himself into danger to save Nineveh.

“…Does it hurt a lot?”

After holding his hand for a while and looking sorrowful, Altina finally calmed down enough to ask him cautiously.

“Terribly.”

“But the healer said all the treatment is done. She said there aren’t any noticeable excessive injuries.”

“The backlash from Exceed isn’t something that healing magic can resolve. It’s an issue that can only be solved with time.”

After his words, Altina looked visibly anxious but then carefully spoke to him.

“…Then, if you sleep, does that mean your pain will lessen? At least if you’re asleep, you won’t feel the pain, right?”

“That’s true, but… I really can’t seem to sleep right now. Plus, with this pain, I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep easily.”

Upon hearing this, Altina appeared deep in thought, and soon her face turned a bright red.

…What’s she doing? Is she perhaps berating herself again internally?

“I… once heard from my mother that there’s a very good method to help a boy fall asleep…”

“…A method to put a boy to sleep?”

Jin asked, slightly bewildered, causing Altina’s face to flush even more.

“D-Don’t misunderstand! I’m just saying it’s one of the methods. And because I share some responsibility for what happened to you, I want to repay that debt somehow. I can’t just stand by, so I want to do something…”

Altina, who spoke in a rush as if she couldn’t get her words out fast enough, kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed where Jin was lying, kneeling down in a formal position.

“…?”

What is she trying to do? Before Jin could ponder this, Altina carefully opened her mouth to speak.

“L-Lie down.”

I’m already lying down! What does she want me to lie on? No, I can’t even move a finger right now!

“N-No, I mean. L-Lie down here. Right here.”

As Altina said this, her finger was pointing toward her knees.

“I-I’ll give you a knee pillow. I-I’ll take responsibility and help you sleep.”

“…What?”