Volume 5 Chapter 13: Challenge
Volume 5 Chapter 13: Challenge
「Phew… this is quite nerve-wracking…」
Cattleya, with a serious expression, gazed intently at the Spirit Road that had appeared about ten meters ahead. Her hands unconsciously clenched tightly.
The numerous failed attempts by the research institute staff to breach the Spirit Realm weighed heavily on her mind.
Would this attempt finally succeed? Though she tried not to show it, Cattleya was quite anxious..
…We haven’t been able to contact the team on the other side for days now…
The situation on the other side remained unclear.
The only tangible data they had was the unstable appearance of the Spirit Road.
Worry for her companions, combined with a lack of understanding of the circumstances, fueled her unease and impatience.
As the head of the institute, she knew she had to respond with composure, but even so…
…Having someone like Axel arrive at such a moment was truly fortunate…
A former hero and an extraordinary courier with unmatched speed.
Such a person, came along with one of her former students.
What a stroke of luck, she thought.
It gave her hope.
Yet at the same time…
…What if even this doesn’t work. That thought terrifies me…
What if even he, possessing the speed rivaling the best she’d ever seen, cannot reach the other side. The very idea made her break out in a cold sweat.
Her rational mind told her they would simply have to devise another plan.
But having once felt hope, she couldn’t emotionally accept that idea so easily.
And so, holding her breath, Cattleya kept her eyes on Axel.
「Alright, let’s focus on the speed.」
He took a simple step forward.
Truly simple. So casual it seemed like he was out for a stroll.
「…Huh? Umm, aren’t you going to… prepare for a dash or something—」
Those movements were so extremely ordinary, that she just couldn’t help but mutter aloud, but before she could finish.
The sound of an explosive *boom!* reverberated.
「!?」
It was the sound of Axel kicking off the ground.
By the time Cattleya understood that, Axel had already plunged into the light.
In a time shorter than a blink, he had crossed the ten meters to the Spirit Road.
…What in the world was that acceleration…!
As Cattleya reeled from the shock, the Spirit Road’s glowing path unfolded ahead of Axel.
Naturally, a fierce headwind, strong enough to ragdoll an adult human, came rushing toward him.
The usual path that had consistently made it clear to the staff that brute strength alone was insufficient to traverse it.
But this time, the scene was entirely different.
「—!」
Axel advanced without being thrown off by the wind. Not only that, but his posture remained unwavering as he surged forward.
「What the… his speed isn’t dropping…!」
「Unbelievable. In that wind…!」
The staff exclaimed in astonishment.
By the time their voices carried over the wind to Cattleya, Axel’s figure had already shrunk into the distance.
Then, as he reached the end of the glowing road and set foot on the other side—
*Whoosh!*
The path of light vanished in an instant.
「This means… he succeeded…!!」
Axel’s figure was no longer there.
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