Chapter 26: The Harder You Try, the Unluckier You Get
"C–Construction Technique!"
"Construction Technique!"
"Construction Technique!"
"Con–con–con–Construction Technique!"
"Su… success…"
Zen'in Mai stared at the brass bullet gleaming between her fingers. A flicker of excitement rippled through her light-brown eyes.
She had finally done it.
Within a single day, she had successfully created two bullets using her Construction Technique.
For her, that was nothing short of a breakthrough.
Her combat capability—doubled.
If that was the case… then maybe… just maybe… she could close the distance—if only a little—with that guy.
Her breathing came in heavy pulls, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Ren was too strong.
He had been strong from the start—and he was growing stronger at a visible, almost terrifying pace.
She didn't want to lose to him.
No—that wasn't even realistic. Catching up to him completely? That was beyond human limits.
But at the very least… she didn't want to be left so far behind that she couldn't even see his back anymore.
She had had enough of that feeling.
Enough of being left behind.
Enough of watching someone disappear into the distance while she stood powerless.
Looking at the brass bullet shining at her fingertips, she felt a small, hard-earned sense of relief.
This… this should be enough to narrow the gap a little, right?
"Mai? Mai?"
A voice rang out beside her. Miwa's. It sounded panicked.
"What's wrong?"
What… wrong?
Didn't I just achieve a breakthrough?
Miwa, look—
A sudden wet warmth spread beneath her nose.
Heat surged up into her sinuses.
"Mai? Mai!"
What is this?
She looked down, confused, just in time to see a streak of crimson staining the brass bullet in her hand.
Blood?
The world tilted violently.
Everything went dark.
---
"What happened?"
In the infirmary, several voices murmured anxiously. Ren, who had just arrived, spoke with clear confusion.
"Is she sick? Or was it a curse attack?"
Inside the school, a curse attack was unlikely.
And illness? Sorcerers' bodies were reinforced by cursed energy. Their physical resilience far exceeded that of ordinary people—including resistance to disease.
They rarely got sick.
So then…
What had pushed her this far?
Miwа, Mechamaru, and Utahime turned around.
"Neither," Miwa explained softly. "Mai just… overtrained."
"Overtrained?" Ren stared in disbelief.
"She had already used Construction Technique to create one bullet. But she insisted on making a second."
"She finally succeeded… but then she collapsed like this." Miwa spread her hands helplessly, gesturing toward the hospital bed where Mai lay with an oxygen mask on.
"This…" Ren was rendered speechless.
He had just returned from a mission when he heard that Mai had suddenly fainted and been rushed to the emergency ward. He'd hurried over immediately.
Even though what had happened between them earlier was confusing and still unresolved… they were classmates. And more than that. For this woman—normally so arrogant and sharp-tongued—he found himself caring more than he expected.
How could someone just collapse at school?
On the way here, his mind had spun through a thousand worst-case scenarios.
And the result was… this?
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Call her reckless? That didn't feel right.
Praise her determination? Even worse.
He exchanged looks with Miwa, Mechamaru, and Utahime. Judging by their expressions, they were thinking the same thing.
"How did this even happen?" he finally managed. "She knows her limits. Why force herself to make a second bullet?"
"Mai… probably just pushed too hard," Miwa said gently. "She really wants to improve."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted unconsciously toward Ren.
There was something she didn't say.
She had a feeling that Maki's behavior had a lot to do with him.
He was simply too dazzling. As their classmate, his rapid growth created immense pressure without him even realizing it. Miwa herself didn't mind—she'd long since accepted being "just Miwa." But Mai was different. She came from the prestigious Zen'in clan, one of the Big Three Families. Pride and self-respect ran in her blood.
Still, none of that was his fault.
So Miwa kept quiet.
---
"Open your mouth."
Ren peeled and sliced an apple, lifting a wedge to Mai's lips.
Mai parted her lips slightly and leaned forward with a faint smile, taking the slice into her mouth.
Not just the fruit.
The brush of her lips, the subtle drag of her tongue—just for an instant—made his heart jolt.
He glanced sideways. Miwa was turned away, focused on her phone, oblivious.
When he looked back, Mai's proud, beautiful face carried a knowing, mischievous smile.
He frowned faintly at her in complaint.
Her smile only widened.
Once it was confirmed that Mai had simply overexerted herself and wasn't in serious danger, the others gradually left.
Ren volunteered to stay and take care of her.
Technically, it would've been more convenient for Miwa, another girl, to remain—and she had even offered. But Ren didn't want to look like the kind of man who disappears after getting what he wants. And with Mai's temperament… if she woke up and found him absent at her "life-or-death moment," he had a feeling she'd never let him hear the end of it.
Of course, he was genuinely worried about her. That was the real reason.
He sliced another apple wedge and held it to her lips.
"Miwa, want some apple?" he called out at the same time.
This time, under Miwa's watchful eye, Mai behaved herself.
"Ah? N-no, it's fine…"
When a woman says she doesn't want something, it often means she does. That rule didn't always apply—but with Miwa, especially when it came to food, it was almost guaranteed.
She was overly polite to a fault. Gentle, kind—but sometimes so careful it created distance. Fortunately, Ren had grown used to it.
With a crisp snap, he cut the apple in half and handed a portion across the bed.
"Don't be shy. There's no way she can finish all this alone. Consider it helping her out." He gestured with the fruit knife toward the pile of fruit baskets by the bedside.
"O-Okay!" Miwa accepted it with both hands, lowering her head as she began nibbling quietly.
Ren sliced a few more pieces, feeding Mai one by one after she finished chewing.
After delivering another slice, he sighed in boredom and grumbled:
"What kind of trash technique is this?"
"You should just stop using it."
The brightness instantly drained from Zen'in Mai's face.