An S-rank gate appeared in Washington. Given the severity of this catastrophe hitting the capital, the U.S. urgently assembled a strike team.

It wasn’t just any team, though. Quite the opposite. The U.S. poured in overwhelming resources to field the strongest raid team possible.

- The Vietnam Liberation Army, veterans with ample combat experience from their battle against the necromancer.
- High-tech equipment funded by massive wealth, outfitting a private American clan.
- And, as the crowning piece, Ninomiya Aika.

Even if her presence was somewhat incidental, they now had two S-rank Awakeners in this historic raid team. Each participant was an elite, unfazed by whatever threats the gate might hold.

Yet, today, every one of these elites found themselves staring in stunned silence.

*BOOM!!!*

*What the—? That’s not at a typical S-rank gate level! Twice as fast and strong!*

A savage assault rained down, with the enhanced monsters swinging their arms wildly in unpredictable, almost impossible-to-counter patterns.

These so-called “fodder” monsters now had the destructive power of medium-to-large beasts from an S-rank gate. Even the elites could barely guarantee their survival against such relentless attacks.

*Ding!*  
[Skill ‘Perfect Hypnosis’ activated. Failed. The caster’s current level cannot…]  

*Feeling frustrated? Can’t quite reach me? I’m right here. Come on, try and crush me.*  

[…Despite the level difference, the target falls under ‘mild’ hypnosis.]  

*Whoosh. Whoosh.*

*It doesn’t matter how fast it is if I know where it’s coming from,* Yu-jin thought.

With his hypnotically enhanced reflexes and heightened mental processing speed, Yu-jin dodged every attack by the thinnest of margins, hypnotically luring the monster’s movements and countering its irregular, brutal strikes with pure intellect.

*He’s slower and less agile than me, so how is he dodging like that?*  
*It’s like he fights better than our captain!*

The elites were awestruck. While Yu-jin had faced predictable patterns in his entrance exams and previous A-rank gate raids, this time, he was up against complete chaos. Yet he dodged effortlessly, hundreds of times over.

"If he survives, that kid’s going straight to S-rank…"

Someone’s murmured words summed up the group’s shared sentiment.

The elite S-rank Awakeners—only seven exist on Earth, each unlike any other. Today, they might witness the birth of an eighth.

*And yet…*

*WHOOOSH!!!*

*Where is he getting all that mana?*

Five hours had passed since this seemingly insane mission of a five-person raid team had begun. Under normal circumstances, any Awakener would have run dry of mana by now.

But Yu-jin? His katana continued to glow with purple mana, as vast as an ocean, never depleting.

This defied even S-rank logic.

*So this is one of only two EX-level unique talents on Earth. A whole other league.*

*I thought he was calmer than Ninomiya, but this strength… he’d even outmatch our captain.*

The other Awakeners eventually gave up trying to comprehend it, resigning themselves to the fact that, like Aika, Yu-jin was an entirely different caliber of being. They watched him with growing reverence.

*This is Yu-jin…*

*5 hours in, and we’re only halfway through. Just enough to use it all up,* Yu-jin noted internally.

The seemingly infinite mana was solely thanks to Aika’s Mana Fuel Rod.

Absorbing energy at a level comparable to a nuclear bomb in secret, he was far from running out of mana anytime soon.

*If they found out, they’d probably ask what kind of money-wasting extravagance this is. But who cares if they don’t find out?*

If the others knew, they’d be horrified. A Mana Fuel Rod? Equivalent to a core from an S-rank gate, burned away in this mission? They’d call it an outrageous expense.

Yet both Yu-jin, who used it, and Aika, who provided it, were entirely satisfied. For them, it was more than worth it.

The result was a battle that was nothing short of dazzling.

*BAM! BAM! BAM!*

"Student! Take cover…"  
"Yu-jin! Fourth one from the center!"  
"I know!!"

The enraged monsters surged forward, horns aimed to spear their prey. They split into countless illusions.

But with Gong’s briefings from his future vision and Aika’s support stepping in whenever necessary, Yu-jin maintained his offensive with unshakable focus.

Two steps to the side, perfectly timed, allowed him to narrowly dodge the full-force charge.

Now exposed, the monster’s side presented the perfect opening.

Yu-jin’s katana sliced cleanly, leaving a slash of purple mana swirling in its wake as it bit into the beast’s vulnerable flesh.

[GR… wha…?]

The massive creature staggered before collapsing onto its side, its life core slashed cleanly. The perfection of Yu-jin’s technique was evident as the other Awakeners, who had been holding their breaths, finally exhaled.

"Whew…"  
*What the hell is that? Absolutely flawless.*  
*In the midst of such a brutal fight, he makes every choice flawlessly. Is he even human?*

The admiration was hard to suppress.

So, he wasn’t just dodging attacks based on pattern recognition—he was capable of going toe-to-toe with seasoned Awakeners, no less.

"S-... Thank you again for your help, Master," Yu-jin said, smiling.  
"Yes, we make a good team, don’t we?"  
"Absolutely! With you backing me up, it feels like we’re perfectly in sync."  
"Hehehe, really~?"  
"Yes. Just thinking of my gentle Master behind me gives me all the strength I need…"

*So cute, my student, not realizing that I’ve been helping all along while letting him think I’m just a ‘delicate woman.’*

Truthfully, Yu-jin’s success was about 50% his own skill.

The other 50% was Aika’s quiet assistance, along with…

"So, why not take a little break? I’ll even let you use my lap as a pillow…"  
"Ahem. Yu-jin, there are seven monsters 150 meters ahead. I’ll send a few of your friends to lure them out one by one. Get ready for combat."  
"Che."  
"……"  
*If I weren’t here, he’d probably have fallen victim to her flirting a hundred times over by now.*

Thanks to Gong’s future vision and constant intervention, Yu-jin remained oblivious.

---

Meanwhile, Sia and Alice handled the monster luring.

Ordinarily, they would have the most dangerous job, but…

[Alice, just a light hit to the far left monster’s foot. Too much force, and all seven will charge, so hold back.]

With guidance from Gong, a gate-raiding specialist…

*Whoosh… BOOM.*

[…Gwa?]  
"S-Sia! It’s looking this way…"  
"Don’t worry. Do you think I’d leave you behind?"

Alice attacked safely from a distance with magic, while Sia carried her through the shadows.

As a result, they barely even came close to the monsters.

*Sia even looks scared. Her arm has goosebumps!*  
"Why are you touching my arm, you little fox?"

Of course, they were still scared. One mistake could mean death—not just for themselves but for everyone else. Out of sheer terror, they were using their powers to their absolute limits.

*Ding!*  
[Repeated experience has led to…]  

At least their skills were improving rapidly. It was easy to see why other students skimped on training outside of gates. But they, under Yu-jin’s influence, had trained diligently, earning their top marks.

These dangerous moments repeated hundreds of times until they were near the end of the gate.

[There are five monsters left before the boss room. The Liberation Army will handle those. You two can rest now.]

"Finally done."  
"Ten hours? Eleven hours? I feel like I’m about to die… I need Pine Dew so badly…"

Only after Gong called an end to the mission did they finally relax, and Alice slid off Sia’s back, only to immediately collapse.

*Thud.*

"My legs…"  
"Probably dehydration. You finished your water ages ago."  
"Hehe… so thirsty…"  
"And they say newbies shouldn’t be in here."

Sia, who had sat down beside her, pulled out a water canteen.

"Here. Drink."  
"Thank you… Wait, this scent! Pine Dew!?"  
"I knew you’d need it, so I packed an extra one. How grateful are you?"  
"Sia, thank you so much…!!"

Alice eagerly took the canteen, drinking the pale green liquid in large gulps. Sia watched with a smile.

"Phew!"  
"You can drink the whole thing, but you left half?"  
"Yu-jin must be thirsty too. As a fellow member of the Pine Needle Clan, it’s only right to share every drop of Pine Dew!"

Alice, beaming with pride, was already planning to hug Yu-jin when he returned, praising him and sharing the Pine Dew as a reward.

*Even if it’s an indirect kiss. It’s a gate, so it can’t be helped…*

*Grin.*

"Hey, Alice. Do you like Yu-jin or something?"  
"…What?!

"

Sia’s simple question shattered her smile.

Alice scrambled to come up with an excuse, insisting that she had only been taken aback because of the suddenness of the question.

"W-well, yes, of course! As a member of the Pine Needle Clan."  
"Not like that. Do you love him as a man?"  
"Not exactly… but if he confessed, well, I wouldn’t reject him… Unlike you, he does a lot for me…"  
"Hm."

Sia’s smile grew.

What? She’d accept his confession? Unlike her, Yu-jin actually cared for her?

*Sigh. She thinks I’d fight over this? How sad.*

"What about you, Sia? Do you love Yu-jin?"  
"Yes. I love him as a man."  
"Of course, he’s charming, but it’s not like we’ve…wait, what?"

Sia simply smiled at Alice, whose eyes were wide with surprise.

"So…"  

"What’s your move, you little fox?"