Chapter 3
From the eyes of Frost soldier Valdergarth.
My legs were shaking, there were cuts all over my body, and the river's current was crashing directly into my throat. I felt the burning inside my lungs from the lack of air. We had already forgotten the choruses Mason had told us to sing by this point; all we could hear was the struggle for air from our companions as we marched against the current.
—You bastards, I want to hear you sing! You're not on vacation in a green, sunny field playing with dolls!
Mason was deliberately throwing rocks off the ground, just to make our lives more difficult. It's obviously part of his training, but with the grim smile on his face, it was hard to believe it was just training.
"You didn't hear them!" Rango handed Mason a basket containing a pile of spent bullet casings.
The shell casings were sharp, flattened from use, and sharp enough to dig into the skin. It was something that could easily cause serious cuts. I looked around; we were physically exhausted and couldn't take any more. With all of us tired and on the verge of tears, I honestly don't think Mason would be so stupid as to throw them into the river.
But as much as I wanted to keep up with the chorus and follow Mason's instructions, I was hot but cold at the same time, my legs were shaking, my heart was pounding so hard it hurt, my vision was going dark, and I just couldn't go on any longer. Even my fingers were numb and cold as hell, making it hard not to swallow water when I breathed.
"I said... I don't hear them." Mason proceeded to laugh like a fucking psychopath, and I quickly felt the shell casings cut into my skin like butter.
"If you don't start singing, it'll be worse!" Mason laughed as he walked off the mainland.
Fear, pain, and adrenaline dominated my body for a moment, and against every thought of defeat I had, I began to sing.
—I saw it, we saw it, when it was all over, my mother's tears, my father's tears, my sister's tears, my brother's tears, they're tears I'm not going to see again, why wouldn't I let them be shed again, I put on my boots, I put on my shirt, I grabbed a gun, and I went out, with a mission... I'm going to achieve it, nothing's going to stop me, I hate what's in front of me but I love what's behind me, in the darkest hour, when I can't take it anymore, I'm going to get up again, because I'm not going to make my mother cry, my father cry, my sister cry, my brother cry, we are warriors, we are soldiers, we were born in war, we were born to fight, we were born to bring down the moon, and raise the sun! —We all started singing in unison, we hugged each other and walked forward together.
The surprise came when Mason continued throwing bullet casings and the bastard started singing with us.
Although the shell casings continue to pierce my skin, and the pressure of the water will multiply the pain of the cuts, neither I nor anyone else falters in our steps. With our arms on our companions' shoulders, we find strength, we find support. We were not alone, we were together.
In the chant, there was one voice that was louder than the others, a voice that cracked from the high voice. That voice was Ashley. It seemed strange to see her with us, since she was part of Mason's select group, and everyone in that group had received special instructions. Although, in a way, it felt comforting to have her with us because of her determination.
We spent four hours marching against the current in the river, when we reached the finish line we were all bloody and tired, Ashley as soon as she touched land she looked extremely pale and with lost eyes, she ended up vomiting although Mason helped her so she wouldn't get soaked with her own vomit, I could see that she had much deeper cuts than I had.
I have cuts that, although they burn, were simply outrageous. It wasn't a direct risk to my health, but hers are dangerous. I was amazed. I had seen her throughout the entire march, imposing and strong, but she was suffering even more than I was.
"Guys, that's it. Rest and go eat." Mason scooped Ashley up in his massive arms and carried her back to the base.
We were too tired to celebrate, but we all showed some concern for Ashley.
Through the eyes of Sean Dorvin.
—So magic, it feels like an extension of yourself, like I can feel it all around me, I said.
—Correct, that's why you can tell which hand the stone is in without even seeing the stone. You have to concentrate on that feeling so you can reproduce it more easily. Sensing things using magic is a skill not to be taken lightly, although bringing it into combat is extremely difficult, —Azumi explained.
She hid a stone in her hands, and I had to find it without being able to see it. With my eyes closed, I felt like I could draw things in my mind. But not because I remember them, but because I can feel them. I understand why Azumi said it's a difficult skill to bring to the battlefield, since you have to concentrate intensely to be able to sense your surroundings.
"Sean, you have to come back quick! Something's wrong with Ashley!" Mason shouted as he ran toward me.
"We have to go, Azumi. Tell me, Mason, what the hell happened?" I asked as we ran back to the base.
—I did the things you gave me, they marched against the current in the river and I threw things that hurt them, but she ended up much more hurt than the others.
"But what the hell did you throw?" I asked worriedly.
"What a change of language," Azumi mocked to herself in a low voice.
—Throw bullet casings and small rocks.
—Animal, the point was to make their lives miserable, not to kill them from hemorrhage or infection before going into battle!
We arrived at the base pretty quickly, Mason guided me to Doc's tent, where Ashley was lying on a wooden table, completely soaked in blood and pale.
—Doc, report. —I asked Doc to desperately search for some medicine that would reverse Ashley's condition.
—She's badly injured. She appears to have lost her sight and hearing. She's vomiting bile and has deep cuts. Her skin is deteriorating; she appears to be extremely delicate and weak.
—What do you mean, much weaker? Doc shot bullet casings as sharp as a can lid at him. —I told him.
Doc's eyes widened.
—You're not from this world, of course, that's it, our biology is different. Sean, you know better than I do what's happening to you.
At that precise moment I realized that I was the only one who might have a clue as to what was happening to him.
"Give them water, and bring me something to cauterize, and also something to disinfect. I was worried about you," I ordered Doc; he quickly got everything I asked for.
I lifted Ashley's head and carefully gave her water to drink. She was indeed still conscious and took the bottle in her own hands. Her skin color returned to normal, although she was still half out of herself.
I took a piece of cloth and placed it in her mouth, then I cleaned and disinfected the numerous cuts, although they were deep, she had made sure that her arteries and organs were intact, I can clearly see this in her arms, which were by far more covered in wounds, she had tried to protect herself the whole time, once I finished the disinfection work, I proceeded to burn each wound to cauterize them.
I'd barely begun the job when Ashley came back to herself, spat out the piece of cloth, and proceeded to shout insults I didn't even know existed. It was a relief to have Mason holding her while I did my work. About three hours later, I was finished. I turned off the heat we had used to heat the cauterizing tool.
Ashley fell asleep while I was putting the bandages on her; the poor thing was really tired, and I was surprised she didn't pass out.
I covered her with a blanket and left the tent.
"Sir, can you explain what happened to you?" Doc asked, holding a small notebook and a small piece of charcoal.
—Dehydration, excessive fatigue, let's say he barely slept because he was helping me and didn't eat breakfast because there isn't enough food for breakfast, apart from that, considerable blood loss, there's no one in my country who can endure such a trot.
—But although your wounds will leave marks, they weren't deep enough for so much blood. Are you so weak?
—It's the water. It dilutes the blood components and slows clotting. She's fine. The worst she could have had was convulsions from the pain of cauterizing the wounds.
—Were the wounds serious enough to require cauterization?
—No, but she's still going to continue training whether we like it or not, whatever the case, I helped her.
"How do you know he's going to do it?" Doc put the notebook away.
"Hunch," I replied with a smile.
Azumi sat on the floor, waiting for it all to be over. Doc went to eat with Mason; the dining room was filled with energy, shouting about how invincible and strong they felt. I know the feeling very well, although I didn't expect them to be so rested in such a short time. They certainly have impressive bodies.
"I brought three bowls for everyone. Doc told me how little he knew about our new companion," Grayson said as he handed us the bowls of soup. He left one of the bowls covered, waiting for Ashley to wake up.
I sat next to Azumi and Grayson sat across from us, I quietly ate the soup.
"He's just going to teach me magic. After I finish off the fire god, I can return home," I explained.
"Can't you just come back after you learn?" Grayson asked me.
Azumi looked down.
"I'm afraid it's very risky. The matriarch even worried that I would enter the village, so she sent me a teacher. So that even if the fire god defeats me, the retaliation will only be against her," I replied.
"Cruel if you look at it that way," Grayson muttered.
Azumi looked at her plate with sadness in her eyes. She was very clear about the situation. She wasn't stupid. At this moment, it would simply be difficult for her to find an answer about her future. Training a god who isn't a god means death. So, what does winning mean? For her, it's an alliance with a god, and for Azumi, that has a different weight because gods are known for their incredible evil.
"Azumi, why did you agree to come?" I asked.
—Because the matriarch ordered it, I have no reason to doubt the orders she gives me, I trust blindly, after all it is for the good of the village.
"Even though he used you as a pawn? He sent you because you're expendable. Are you okay with that?" I asked Azumi. Grayson looked at me out of the corner of his eye, probably wondering what the hell I was doing.
—I... I already knew that, but if it's for my people it's fine...
—A stupid answer, before you told me that you became strong because you wanted to be strong enough to protect what you loved, but what's the point of protecting something if you can't enjoy it?
"Would you sacrifice your life for these people, Sean?" Azumi asked me.
-Of course.
—Then you know exactly how I feel.
—You're wrong. You don't know what I feel. However, I can easily understand what you mean, because at one point I did feel exactly the same way you do. At the end of the day, living in misery, knowing you can't do anything anymore, is worse than dying, knowing that those you fought for will see the day again.
"Then why are you asking?" Azumi looked up from her plate and met my gaze.
—You have to be clear about that decision, there can be no doubt in your mind. After all, you still have time to come back and have another one come.
"I consider myself one of the strongest in my village, if anyone should train you, it should be me," Azumi replied.
"If you're the strongest, I wouldn't be a pawn to waste. Did you misjudge your analysis?" Grayson critiqued.
—Maybe she didn't use the exact piece. In chess, if you want to take down the king, you have to be willing to lose something. It's not always a pawn; it could be a rook, a bishop, a knight, even the queen. Her matriarch's attitude was that of someone calculating and cold; that could be seen even in her clothes and the castle's decor. In other words, when I spoke with the matriarch of her village, we both saw much more than our words meant to convey. She sent the gunpowder for the weapon; she had to send quality gunpowder to win.
—I can't figure out if you're just crazy or a genius. You use the right words, you know about medicine, military strategy, and now you're training to kill a god. Honestly, if I weren't desperate, I don't think I'd follow you. —Grayson said.
—But it is precisely because they are desperate that I am needed here.
Azumi tried the soup for the first time. It really packed a lot of flavor for so few ingredients.
—Honestly, it didn't look good, but after trying it, it's really delicious —He thanked Azumi for his food.
"Even though it lacks meat and a lot of vegetables, I really try hard to make the food at least taste good. In the end, these moments between us may be our last. I'm glad you can at least enjoy the food." Grayson glanced around the tables behind him and smiled at the fun everyone was having.
"Tell me, Grayson, you've been a soldier for many years, not specifically a cook. If you love cooking, why are you a soldier?" I asked.
—For the same reason I love to cook. I love to cook because people's smiles bring a smile to my face, and being in the military was all about that: protecting people's smiles. Plus, in the military, I met people I consider family. —Grayson said.
"Now it's about getting them back," I said in between, without interrupting Grayson.
—Without me, there would be no one who could help them keep a smile on their faces, like Mason, who must be crying in a corner of the barracks. He thinks no one notices, but we all do.
—What happened to Mason?
—There are things that are better for that person to tell you, but let me tell you one thing, Mason is alive for one reason, revenge.
"I guess I'll find out someday. While your skills aren't far behind the Masons, you're also an incredible soldier. When you talk to me and tell me your only motivation is simply the love and happiness you receive from everyone, it reminds me that strength comes from something you love," he commented calmly.
—With that same idea, does that Mason still love something? —Azumi said.
—No, Mason has something called determination; that, in fact, is something you love, but it's also mixed with something you hate: when you love what's behind you, but hate what's in front of you. —I explained.
—Indeed, but it's a story that only those in the group know, Grayson said.
Tech was walking near us with a cloth bag full of bullets.
—It's worth noting that it's not a good idea to ask him. Tech butted into the conversation.
—Changing the subject, where did you get so many bullets in half a day? —I asked.
"Hey, magic!" Tech said, tired.
"Sure." I took a sip of soup, savoring its flavor even more, though I really think I was just swallowing how stupid my question had been.
"I'll go eat with Doc, then I'll get back to the orders, sir," Tech replied as he walked away with the bag in his hands.
Grayson finished eating, collected our empty plates, and stood up from his seat.
"Well, I have to get everything ready for dinner. By the way, Sean, thanks," Grayson said as he walked away toward the dining room.
"I see you build trust with everyone easily," Azumi commented.
Something moving was heard in the tent, we both stood up and were able to witness how Ashley had dressed in the clothes that Doc had left for her and gobbled down the soup in one bite.
"It's her fault that everyone here blindly trusts me," I told Azumi.
"I'm ready." Ashley took a few steps forward, almost losing her balance.
—Your whole body must hurt, you should rest.
"You said it yourself: if I want to keep my hair as an emblem of fear, I have to become a nightmare. If it's harder for me than for everyone else, that's fine, because I'll become better than everyone else," Ashley replied, while putting her hair in a ponytail so it wouldn't bother her.
Azumi, for her part, smiled.
"I told you so," I muttered.
Ashley left the store with a smile and determination. As soon as everyone in the dining room saw her, shouts of joy were heard. Doc tried to get her to sit down, taking her arm, although this caused Ashley to become irritated with pain and yell at the poor guy.
-Yeah...
I signaled for him to follow me, grabbed the plate, and looked for Mason. The next step was to jump trees as fast as possible. Of course, after seeing Mason's brutality, I had to do something. These people had so much energy in such a short time. Ashley, on the other hand, kept going through the motions through determination and youth.
I put the plates next to everyone else's and just before Mason called everyone over, I gestured for him to come over.
—Mason, at this rate, Ashley's going to hurt herself. You're adapting the training well for your people, but Ashley and I have different anatomy. We don't have the stamina you guys have. Even now, Ashley could pass out from the pain.
"What do you want me to do? Stop him from going?" Mason raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
—If you're going to throw something at her, make sure it doesn't kill her. If you're going to make them fall out of trees on purpose, catch her in mid-air or make sure she lands safely. If you maintain the illusion that she's doing it like everyone else, all the better.
—How did you know I was going to knock them out of the trees?
—I wrote you to do whatever you could to make his training almost impossible. After what you did at the river, I was expecting another attempted mass murder.
—Understood, I'll be watching her. I don't want to kill her, I'm just following orders, Mason replied.
"Though it does bring a smile to your face when you see them suffering at your hands, asshole," added Rango, who had been spying on us for a while.
"Just be careful." I turned my back on them and waved goodbye as I headed back to my new training ground.
—Calm down, Cap, I'll make sure Mason doesn't kill anyone —Rango mocked.
Mason yelled at everyone to get back to training.
"That man looks very... Disturbed..." Azumi muttered, referring to Mason.
—Yeah, he's a good guy... I thought—I noticed the regret in his eyes about Ashley.
Our walk was pretty silent.
Once we arrived we continued the training, although it made the task much more complicated for me, now I had to discover the shape of the stone without seeing it.
It felt strange, blindfolded, honing that newly discovered sense. We spent hours working until I got it right. That feeling of being able to draw around me without seeing grew a little stronger.
—Now I'm going to make it much more difficult for you —Azumi took a stone, and in her other hand, little by little, another similar stone formed.
I gave him an incredulous look.
"Hey, how do I do it?" I asked, grabbing a rock from the ground.
—Feel the stone with your hand, concentrate on the stone, its surface and its texture, categorize everything you can feel about the stone, now feel that same thing in your other hand, try to transfer that feeling to your other hand, —Azumi explained.
Through the eyes of Frost Valdergarth
We were jumping through the trees, our feet and hands almost bare, running from branch to branch from the treetops. Mason had a slingshot in his hands, and he was using it to attack anyone who stayed behind. Once again, we were forced to sing, though that didn't bother me; it was somehow comforting, reminding me that I wasn't alone.
Ashley managed to hold her own in front of everyone, even though she had blisters on her feet and hands. Rango had explained to us that Ashley is weaker than us because she's from another world, and she'd end up dead in training at this rate. That's why we had fabrics with holes and tears on purpose, without Ashley knowing.
Not telling her is something I can understand, after seeing what happened at the river. She's not going to say she can't do it. We didn't have time for her to delay either. We already knew it would be harder for her. She's always more tired than everyone else and takes longer to recover, but she was tough. Her being here means to all of us that we don't have to be behind her; we have to outdo her.
I'm already excited. I want to see the enemy's eyes when I end his life. I want to see my parents' eyes once more. I want to fight so that this moment remains a stain in the past.
So even though it became harder to jump and the skin was peeling off my hands and feet, I didn't stop, neither I nor anyone else.
Some fell from the trees, but they were not allowed to complain about their pain, they quickly got up and climbed the trees again.
Through the eyes of Sean Dorvin
It was my thirteenth attempt, all I managed to do was create dust, the silence allows me to hear the voices I have buried in my head.
Guilt, anger, revenge, all those feelings were repeated in the voices of those with whom I once shared a battlefield, those I once loved.
It will be difficult, I have to kill a damn bastard, who is called god and if I am not strong enough, I will fail my promise, many will die and I will betray those who sacrificed themselves for me.
But that's why I can't give up. On the contrary, that's why I must give it my all. I have to remember what I hate, what I love, and why I'm doing this. I fight because I swore to. I myself said I wouldn't allow anyone to come before peace, that I would destroy evil even if I had to kill them one by one.
I gritted my teeth and closed my fists even tighter than before, I felt the rock with my fingers, and I concentrated on the rock, feeling even the cracks in the rock, everything I could feel I mentally drew on my hand, I reconstructed it in my hand, piece by piece, for a moment I could feel a faint thread of energy coming off the rock, once I felt it I didn't forget the feeling and I played it over and over again in my mind.
I opened my eyes and the palms of my hands to see my results, I had done it, a rock exactly like the one I was holding in my left hand, resting in my right hand.
"That's a fast learner, though you'd expect that from someone who aspires to kill a god," Azumi said in surprise.
"I thought I was taking too long." I looked at my creation curiously.
"Are you taking too long? You're making great strides. Keep in mind that this is basic magic control; later comes learning how to use it to fight. But now you have to do it without the rock in your hand. I want you to repeat what you just did. To do that, I want you to do the same thing while saying a word. You have to associate a word with the feeling. That will allow you to create attacks easily," he explained.
-Understood.
I repeated the same thing a couple of times, this time shouting "rock." It wasn't difficult to duplicate the rock anymore. I was quickly able to get rid of the rock in my left hand. And I could create rocks at will.
—Perfect, now I'm going to give you different objects and you have to duplicate them quickly.
She gave me a knife, and I focused on what I felt when I duplicated the rock. I repeated it, and I quickly managed to duplicate the knife. Unconsciously, I started snapping my finger, and every time Azumi gave me something to duplicate, I repeated this trick.
"Stop, look what you just did, you just associated your duplication yourself," Azumi pointed out.
—You mean my snap?
—Use your memory and snap your fingers, duplicate the knife several times.
I refocused, remembered what the knife felt like, snapped my fingers and that made me remember much better what it felt like to duplicate an object, in fact by snapping my fingers, it became extremely easy for me to remember, I duplicated the knife five times dropping the knives I created.
"You learned the art of duplication quickly," Azumi added.
—I have to say that… —I couldn't finish the sentence, I felt my legs give out and I fell to the ground, I was totally exhausted.
"Relax, that's because you used up your magic reserves yourself. You need to rest," Azumi advised. I stood back up, ignoring her advice.
"So, when my magic runs out before the fire god's, I'll have lost. Do you understand? I can't stop training, even if my magic is low and it tires me out, because this will happen during my fight, and I have to learn to fight with that in mind," I explained.
—You might faint at this rate.
I didn't have to say any more words, she nodded and leaned back against a tree.
"For your next lesson, you have to pick up one of the knives you created. You know how to feel the knife without touching it, now you have to imagine picking it up." She closed her eyes and rested against the tree; she knew I would be late.
I returned to the darkness of my mind, I could feel myself lifting the knife, but it didn't move, it required a lot of strength, while I felt myself lifting it, I used my own hands, I recreated the scene with my body, from the outside it seemed that I had become completely stiff with my hands outstretched, as if I was trying to lift the air.
But really, every inch I could lift my hands represented it, it was hard to breathe and I felt the weight of the knife multiplied in my hands.
"Now that was pretty fast," Azumi said.
Azumi's voice made me open my eyes, and I realized that all my efforts had been worth it. The knife was now floating in the air at the height of my head. I could feel that I was the one holding it. Using my hands helped me focus on moving the knife, making it spin and move all around. Little by little, I stopped feeling so heavy, although I felt even more tired than before.
"Now the other four knives, lift them up," Azumi repeated.
I lifted the knives without much effort. I realized that once I feel things, and remember the feeling, it's easy for me to repeat it. Although now I felt heavier because there were more knives and I was even more tired, it was no longer a task that seemed impossible.
I threw all the knives towards a tree, unnailed them with magic and repeated the action.
—This is incredible!
"You're incredible. A child who's normally the fastest to learn magic takes months to achieve what you just accomplished. The smartest and most blessed achieve it in weeks, but you did it in less than a day. I think you've hit the nail on the head with understanding magic. You even tied levitation to your hands, which is very clever. You concentrate very well and remember the feeling correctly. You just need practice and one thing before you can start learning techniques," he explained as he walked around me.
"What am I missing?" I asked.
—Using your own magic to strengthen yourself, make yourself faster, be able to see further, basically increase your abilities.
—I think I know what I have to do.
I used my medical knowledge, visualized the blood coursing through my veins, and accelerated the flow, squeezing and inflating my heart using my magic. My heart didn't hurt, and I felt warmth in my veins. I resolved the shortness of breath, feeling my lungs fill more than normal. Although keeping everything in was difficult, and even my body felt strange about it, I used my own magic to form rock scabs on my fists.
—I think I understand. Feeling magic, using what you feel to create something—there's something even deeper behind that. Basically, it's like our energy coming together to create something or do something, but I still haven't figured out the depth of it. At least I clearly understand the basics. I feel like it's like learning to speak: once you know how to speak, everything makes sense based on the words you use. It's the same with magic. Can you explain more about that?
"I understand what you're saying. You understand the concept of self-improvement well, but there's still more to it. However, that's as far as my knowledge on this topic goes," he replied.
My jump, my speed and even my strength were superior.
Although I feel extremely tired, I don't feel short of breath. I've gotten used to my heart beating so fast; my whole body is working faster, just like hunger.
There came a point where I could no longer keep running around, my body felt extremely heavy, and I couldn't keep improving continuously, the rock scabs on my fists ended up falling off my skin.
—If this can be learned, wouldn't it be wise to have my soldiers learn this?
"You have stupid amounts of magic, even if you're not a complete god, but even though you're nowhere near a god, I'm telling you, you have a lot more magic than a normal person who hasn't been a warrior since childhood, and that's like a muscle; you have to train it to grow. I don't think you have much time for that." Azumi crossed her arms.
—But if we train everyone with magic, it should be easy to finish off the enemy.
"Unless you're as strong as a god, bullets will be enough to kill you, that's why those weapons were created, to kill the powerful with practicality," Azumi explained.
—But your people don't use firearms, am I wrong?
—We have them, but there are warriors like me who refuse to use them. I want to reach the level where bullets can no longer kill me.
—So, how do you increase magic? How does it feel?
—By spending your magic to produce even more magic. It's exactly like when you train a muscle, you have to put yourself under stress. You feel it when you have more magic, you can visualize from further away, you do things with less effort, etc.
—Okay, I understand.
—Do you think they'll attack first?
—Why wouldn't they? would be a better question... But it's time to go back. —Look at the sky; night had already fallen.
We headed to the base, I felt extremely tired, the soldiers had already returned to the base and were resting.
"We don't have many places to sleep. You can sleep in my tent, it's the one with the most privacy," I offered to Azumi.
—I feel more comfortable sleeping in a tree, thank you.
"What do you think of sleeping in a tree as comfortable?" I asked.
—I like rough surfaces, and I can sharpen my claws.
Azumi showed me her nails, which although they look totally normal for a person, something told me they were as hard as a real cat's.
—Go ahead, I won't stop you, see you tomorrow.
Azumi climbed one of the trees at the edge of the camp and I lost sight of her among the leaves.
I entered the tent and found another hammock set up. Ashley had her entire upper body bandaged and was resting in the hammock. I found a plate of food with a note on it.
Doc had left the note. He gave Ashley dinner, even though she refused, and wrote that I should eat too. They can eat less than us and be fine on one meal a day, but he doesn't want us to be weak. He also put the hammock in my tent so Ashley would have more privacy and space. After all, not only was she working harder than the others, she'd been teaching a select group of people how to be spies, as I'd instructed.
I looked at the clock; fortunately, in this world, they all follow the same 24-hour schedule. I had arrived at midnight. Ashley had been with the boys from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m., where I found her. She would then return to training from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Then she trained her group from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., as I instructed.
This woman has a willpower that impresses me. She was undoubtedly trying even harder than me, and that sank into my mind. I have to become even stronger, until I can shatter the heavens. I can't step on her dreams. I ate and rested with that thought in mind.