Now I'm six years old. Time really flies, huh?
But think about it, little kids are always under watch. I couldn't train openly.
Self-Destruct is still a no-go, and I can't just swing around creepy swords like Zarich and Tawrich.
Besides, where the heck would I even learn how to use those things?
Kendo classes won't cut it. Sigh... guess I'll have to self-teach.
Maybe I'll watch knife-fighting videos online or something...
Anyway, Self-Destruct and Verg Avesta are long-term goals. As for Senjutsu, I've focused on energy detection, and the results are promising.
My range is up to 50 meters, about on par with Kite from Hunter x Hunter.
I can now detect not just someone's presence, but their movements, energy strength, and more.
And that's how I discovered something terrifying...
There's a King living in an apartment near my house.
The first time I sensed them, I broke into a cold sweat.
My mom thought I was sick and rushed me to the hospital. (Not entirely wrong.)
Back home, I monitored the King's aura, it just barely touched the edge of my sensing range.
I'm telling you, this person could probably flatten Mt. Fuji in five seconds.
They live here, in Kuoh Town, someone with the presence to annihilate a small nation in minutes.
It must be him, Mil-tan, the most broken character in High School DxD.
A descendant of Sun Wukong and a White Dragon Emperor with demon blood. Can sneak behind a top-tier devil girl and shrug off her magic.
He's just a regular person... who's anything but regular.
Part of me wants to meet him. Part of me wants to stay far away.
I knew the Miruki anime had aired already, but this is only the second season... and she's already unlocked magical powers?
By the time the original story kicks off, she might be stronger than even peak Ddraig or Crom Cruach.
Honestly, if anyone can do it, Mil-tan can.
But say I do meet him, how?
To him, I'm just some random kid from the neighborhood.
Maybe I could run into her "by chance." He probably trains regularly, if he has a routine, I could sync up and start jogging nearby.
Would help build my own stamina, too.
...Wait. Isn't that... stalking?
Who's the stalker? → Me.
Who's being stalked? → Mil-tan.
====================
"Wait, wait! Calm down. It's just a greeting. Nothing weird!"
After that, I'll change my route or shift my schedule. I won't keep running into him.
I swear, I'm not entering the Mil-tan heroine route!
Neither of us swings that way!
It's just meeting a canon character! Like going to see an idol! (Delusional.)
Alright! I'll add his schedule to my usual Senjutsu training! (Definitely stalking.)
So, I tracked Mil-tan's aura for a week. He seems to go running twice a day, around 6 AM and 6 PM... probably.
Why "probably"? Because he stretches outside the apartment, then vanishes instantly from my detection range.
I do sense his move like a speeding car, so I'm guessing that's his version of "jogging."
Honestly, I've had to process a lot since coming to this world, but this? This is exhausting.
I was definitely going over 60 km/h, so even though my runs usually only take about 30 minutes, I'm pretty sure I'm covering a full marathon in that time.
After that, I convinced my parents to let me go running. How did I persuade them? I just said, "Some kids at kindergarten are doing it," and, "It looks kinda cool." That was it.
Well, I guess there's really no reason for parents to object when their kid says they want to exercise on their own, so they gave the okay without much fuss.
Of course, they added some conditions, like only running on the track at the big park nearby, and having a parent accompany me at least in the beginning. Which, to be honest, is pretty reasonable.
Actually, I'm kind of surprised they agreed with just that.
Since I was born in this world, I haven't really thrown tantrums or anything. At kindergarten, I was the one breaking up fights more often than not. So I think they figured, "If it's Ikki, he'll be fine."
Finally, the day of the run arrived. For some reason, I was weirdly nervous at the thought of encountering the Overlord today.
Oh, and just so you know, it's currently 5 PM. I plan to casually jog past Mil-tan right after my workout.
After all, having a little kid hanging around outside past 6 PM would be kind of weird. Plus, appearances matter. And my mom needs time to prepare dinner, too.
And so, here I am at Komaou Park! As you'd expect from a park named after the town, it's quite impressive.
It's a combo of a park and a playground, with a proper running track beside it.
Even at home, I've been keeping up with stretching and practicing the deep-breath meditation from Ittou Shura, so my base stamina aside, my lung capacity has improved. I've also gotten pretty good at sensing my muscles and blood flow throughout my body.
And if I can sense them, that means I can control them.
Maybe, like in the original Chivalry of a Failed Knight, I'll eventually be able to control even my heartbeat.
Even without using Ittou Shura actively, I've already figured out how to intentionally unleash that so-called "desperate strength" by removing my brain's limiter.
...Am I imagining things, or is my progress leaning more toward weird physical abilities than actual mystical techniques?
"Alright! Let's run!"
After some stretching, it was time to go.
Still, if I'm going to do this, I want it to actually help build endurance.
So, I decided to take a page from that certain failed knight.
One of his training routines involved running 20 km a day, combining full-speed sprints with jogging.
If you've ever tried it, you know, it's brutal. I only did it once in PE back in my previous life, and it wrecked me.
If you're a beginner, just doing 50-meter dashes followed by jogging three or four times is enough to leave you gasping, legs completely shot.
...Twenty kilometers is just nuts.
Of course, I only started today, and I just started carrying a backpack this spring, so there's no way I can go that far. For now, I'll start by figuring out my current limit.
====================
Thirty dashes later...
"Huff... huff... wheeze..."
"You okay, Ik-kun?"
"Haah... haaah... I'm... f-fine... haaa... haah..."
Yeah, I was out of breath, but mentally I was still doing fine.
Maybe it's because Ittou Shura is more exhausting overall.
What surprised me, though, was that I managed to do thirty full sprints in a row.
Why? Probably thanks to Ittou Shura again.
You don't move physically during the technique, but it's an all-out effort the entire time.
Your whole body's under constant strain, basically, it's like giving 100% effort while standing still...
Anyway, enough body analysis, time for today's main event.
It's 5:55 PM. Nice round number.
It takes about three minutes for a kid like me to walk home, so I should arrive just as he's starting to stretch.
With a mix of excitement and nervousness, I headed home. I already sensed his presence in front of the apartment using my mystical senses.
And at last, I spotted him.
A chest broad enough to deflect rifle rounds, limbs like unbreakable tree trunks, eyes sharp enough to shoot lasers, and a gothic lolita outfit that looked ready to burst at the seams.
My first thought? "That's not the same goth-loli outfit Mil-tan wore in the anime."
...Well, this is still from the second Milky season, so I guess that makes sense!!
Maybe I was just trying to escape reality for a second. I think I heard Mom gasp behind me, but I silently apologized to her in my heart.
"H-hello~ Are you out training now?" I called out.
Also, Mil-tan... still Mil-tan, even during training (magical training, apparently).
"Nyo? Good evening-nyo! Mil-tan is about to work hard to gain fantasy powers, nyo!"
You are the fantasy!
"R-right... good luck, then..."
"Nyo!! If you believe, the spirits will surely answer Mil-tan's heart, nyo!!"
Honestly, I think the spirits would run before that happened.
"Thanks for the support-nyo!! I'm off now, nyo!!!"
"BUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOORAAAAAAA!!"
...And he vanished instantly. So that's Mil-tan quality, huh.
For the record, when I got home, Mom scolded me: "It's good to be polite, but try not to talk to obviously suspicious people like that."
Yeah, fair. To a stranger, he's suspicious on a nuclear scale. Actually, probably a threat even in physical terms.
Still, I successfully made contact with my first canon character.
While my parents are accompanying me, I'll just adjust my workout time to avoid bumping into her...
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250 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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