Posius stepped out of his room, eager to put his idea into action immediately. But the silent city beyond the window reminded him that now was hardly the right time. Fatigue washed over him all at once, and he decided to get some fresh air before turning in for the night.
Since the First Squad was off duty the next day, their floor was unusually quiet. Most of the members had already gone home.
As he walked through the empty corridor, he noticed lights still shining in one of the rooms.
Someone was using the training room.
He glanced at his watch.
12:30 a.m.
There was no reason anyone should still be training at this hour. Nobody in the First Squad was that obsessive.
Assuming someone had simply forgotten to turn off the lights, Posius walked over. But as he approached, he realized someone really was inside.
It was Tia.
Posius pushed the door open. Tia didn't seem to notice him at all, continuing to pound the punching bag without pause.
"Why are you still here this late?"
His question received no response. Tia kept training as if he didn't exist.
Being ignored didn't bother Posius. Instead, he remembered something one of the academy instructors had once said.
"Overtraining puts too much strain on your body. It'll only hurt your progress."
"I'm used to it."
Just as he'd expected—bringing up training was the only way to get Tia to answer.
For Posius, it felt like he'd finally found the instruction manual for communicating with her.
Rather than forcing a conversation, he simply stood there and watched.
"When you throw a kick, you should allocate a little Force to your supporting leg."
"I can dodge."
"I'm sure you can. But demons don't always attack from one direction."
Tia stopped and looked at her captain.
"What should I do?"
"Try allocating a little closer to the sole of your foot. You're right—you can dodge attacks from most angles. But a demon could attack from directly beneath you. Reinforcing your footing won't just make you more stable; it'll also help you detect unseen attacks sooner."
"No one ever taught me that before."
"Of course not. Fighting demons isn't something you learn from books. Some things can only be learned on the battlefield. You've already been there once. Even if you were only providing support from the rear, I'm sure you noticed."
"Anything else?"
"I've got a better way to find your weaknesses. Want to try it?"
"What way?"
It was the first time Posius had ever seen genuine curiosity in Tia's eyes.
He placed a hand on top of her head.
She immediately recoiled.
"Relax. I'm only going to use my Concept."
The suspicion in her eyes only grew stronger.
"Trust me, Tia. I won't hurt you."
She stared at him for several long seconds before finally giving a slow nod.
"Heroic Link."
A gentle stream of Force flowed from Posius's hand into Tia's body, spreading through her like the warmth of spring.
"What did you do?"
Feeling the exhaustion leave her body, replaced by vitality unlike anything she had ever experienced, Tia's expression finally changed.
"Do you know what my Concept is?"
"Concept: Leon."
"That's only its name. Do you know what it actually does?"
"No."
"Concept: Leon belongs to heroes. Heroes inspire those around them. They charge into battle first and lead everyone to victory."
"I don't understand."
"In simple terms, anyone who receives my Force experiences a tremendous increase in both the quantity of their Force and their control over it."
Tia carefully examined her body.
Just as Posius had described, it felt as though endless Force was surging from within her. The circulation of Force through her body had become faster and smoother.
For the first time in her life, she felt capable of accomplishing anything.
She threw a punch at the punching bag.
The rope snapped instantly, sending the entire bag flying across the room.
"You concentrated too much Force into your fist. It certainly increases destructive power, but if you distribute some into your forearm and shoulder, you can achieve the same result while spending much less Force."
Tia followed his advice, throwing several punches into the air.
She quickly realized he was right.
"You keep training. If I notice anything, I'll tell you immediately."
Posius made no attempt to push the conversation any further.
Building trust would take time.
He decided to start with the only thing she truly cared about—combat.
Sitting off to the side, he quietly observed every movement she made.
Because Tia was receiving his Concept, he could clearly sense the flow of Force within her body.
It was remarkably smooth. Whenever she directed Force to a specific part of her body, it happened swiftly and without hesitation.
Only someone who had undergone an enormous amount of training could achieve such mastery.
As captain, Posius was confident that aside from her lack of battlefield experience, her overall ability already surpassed more than half of the squad.
With Heroic Link supporting her, Tia continued training for over another hour.
By the time she finally decided to stop, it was nearly two in the morning.
Posius withdrew his Concept.
The instant he did, all the accumulated exhaustion crashed down upon her.
Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed directly into the arms Posius had already prepared to catch her.
"You need to remember this. My Concept is a double-edged sword for all of you. You'll gain more Force, but once it ends, all of the physical fatigue you've been suppressing will hit you at once. On the battlefield, that's fatal."
"If I'm ever killed, run as far away as you can. I'll keep Heroic Link active until the very moment I lose consciousness."
Tia gave no reply.
Whether she had actually listened, Posius couldn't tell.
She took a deep breath before forcing herself back to her feet.
"Want me to walk you back?"
"No."
"At least say thank you. One-on-one coaching from the captain doesn't come around very often."
He had only meant it as a joke.
To his surprise, Tia turned around with complete seriousness.
"Thank you."
"...Oh. You're welcome. Get some rest."
Posius watched as she slowly walked away with weary steps.
"I wonder if we've gotten just a little closer..."
He asked the empty hallway.
Naturally, no one answered.
ns216.73.217.139da2
and then Add to home screen.