"Huff... huff, huff..." Huomu panted heavily.
"Amazing..." Qiji watched the scene, a little startled, and praised him instinctively.
Releasing Heart Essence on its own to deal damage without first awakening an Echo-
Qiji knew better than anyone how difficult that was.
He had thought Huomu would need at least some time to get a foot in the door, but he hadn't expected...
This guy had done it in just one day...
Was this what you'd expect from the [protagonist]?
Huomu stared blankly at the burning dummy in front of him, scarcely able to believe it.
He had actually done it?
Just like that?
It wasn't until he heard Qiji say "amazing" that he suddenly came back to his senses. His face lit up with joy, but his eyes grew hot, and he actually burst into tears of joy.
At this moment, Huomu could hardly put his gratitude to Qiji into words.
On the first day of school, when everyone had doubted him, Qiji had believed in him.
During the practical assessment, when everyone had been certain he was the weakest, Qiji had told him he could do it.
And now, it was Qiji again...
It could be said that without Qiji-
With no direction and no hope, he might have stopped struggling and jumped off the rooftop on the day he first set foot there.
As the son of a sinner, he had experienced far too much indifference and felt far too much malice growing up, and that was why...
That was why!
Huomu understood all the more just how precious every bit of kindness Qiji had shown him was!
Now, even if Qiji wanted his life, he probably wouldn't hesitate for a second.
Setsuna, standing nearby, was stunned to see Huomu actually pull off that so-called [Flame Fist].
After all, the training dummy Huomu was using was as tough as a second-tier opponent...
That meant this guy had just taken down a second-tier opponent in one punch...
Amazing, absolutely amazing!
Of course, the one Setsuna found amazing wasn't Huomu, but Qiji, who had turned the ordinary into the extraordinary!
Qiji... he really is a super genius... not just at fighting, but even at teaching...
Setsuna could no longer put her shock into words.
Huomu, whose aptitude was only F-rank, whom everyone regarded as the weakest, and who wasn't particularly bright, had actually undergone such an astonishing transformation in just one day under Qiji's guidance!
It was a miracle in the history of teaching!
And now that Huomu had successfully pulled off [Flame Fist], Setsuna finally had a clear answer to the question that had puzzled her all day.
That was right, the textbook was wrong!
Qiji was right, even when he went against the authorities!!!
What surprised Setsuna even more was that, as she understood it-
Many geniuses were held back by their own exceptional talent, finding it hard to understand the difficulties ordinary people faced, and were therefore not good at teaching others.
But Qiji wasn't like that!
Not only could he teach, he was also exceptionally good at hyping people up and providing emotional support!
Just now, when Huomu had nearly given up, Qiji had reignited his fighting spirit with those powerful words.
And when Huomu successfully pulled off [Flame Fist], Qiji had immediately offered him generous praise!
"Amazing" and the like would have been one thing coming from someone else.
But who was Qiji?
The greatest genius in the history of the City of Kindling!
No matter how brilliant someone was, they seemed ordinary next to him.
Yet Qiji, of all people, had genuinely praised Huomu.
Powerful, handsome, kind, good at understanding others, and so good at providing emotional support...
Looking at the masked boy standing tall before her, Setsuna felt for a moment that it was almost unreal.
In this world...
Did such a "perfect" person really exist?
Standing beside Qiji, Setsuna even felt ashamed of herself.
She wasn't good enough, didn't work hard enough, and wasn't strong enough.
I have to become a better version of myself...
Setsuna secretly clenched her fist and made up her mind.
Only by becoming better, good enough, exceptionally good!
Would she be worthy... of standing beside Qiji.
At that thought, Setsuna hesitated no longer. She walked up to another training dummy and took her stance.
Even Huomu could do it, so she definitely could too!
Now that she had seen a true genius like Qiji, she couldn't lose to an idiot like Huomu, who was just like her!
Repeat...
All she had to do was repeat it, right?
A thousand times or ten thousand times, she would do it.
She would do it all!
So let her throw a punch like that too!
Let her earn Qiji's praise too!
Come on, Setsuna!
Don't lose again!
Facing Huomu, who was crying tears of joy and too excited to speak coherently, Qiji understood exactly how he felt.
He waited patiently for a moment, until Huomu's breathing had settled somewhat and his emotions were no longer so out of control. Only then did he put his little scheme into action and say:
"Huomu, that was great!
You did really well!
But now isn't the time to relax.
Come on, try throwing another punch!
While the feeling of that last punch hasn't completely faded, try to find and repeat that state!
Reinforce it and make it second nature!"
Qiji's voice carried encouragement and anticipation.
Of course, mixed into that anticipation was a little bit of his own "self-interest."
The punch had come so suddenly that Qiji had been too busy being shocked.
He hadn't had time to see exactly how Huomu had mobilized his Heart Essence, triggered the resonance, and finally unleashed [Flame Fist].
That wouldn't do!
Qiji was anxious.
Because-
He wanted to use [Flame Fist] too!
Knowing the plot, Qiji understood the upper limits of Flame Fist better than anyone!
Once mastered, a basic attack was as powerful as the ultimate moves unleashed by other Echoers.
Not to mention, Qiji's physical strength had already reached max!
It complemented Flame Fist perfectly; one plus one was far greater than two!
And the special effects were impressive too. Every punch landed with impact, and every punch burst into flame. It was the romance every man longed for!
So-
He had to master Flame Fist immediately!
Chapter 51: He's so good at this!
"Come on, throw another punch."
"Yes!"
Huomu, who already trusted Qiji wholeheartedly, now treated his words as gospel.
At once, he walked over to a brand-new training dummy and took his punching stance again.
He closed his eyes and tried hard to recall that marvelous sensation from before: "heat in his heart," "his will burning," and "his Heart Essence resonating with his body."
He steadied his breathing and focused his mind.
Then he snapped his eyes open, gave a low shout, and punched!
"Ha!"
But-
This time, when his fist struck the dummy, the flames he expected didn't appear.
Only at the instant his fist made contact did a tiny flame flicker, so small it would have gone unnoticed without a close look, followed by a thin wisp of white smoke...
"Huh...?"
Huomu looked at his fist, then at the dummy, stunned.
"That's not right... again!"
Thinking he hadn't quite recaptured the feeling, he immediately adjusted himself, took a deep breath, focused, and threw a second punch!
The result was even worse.
Even the faint little flame was gone...
"How could this be?" Huomu began to panic.
So he threw a third punch, then a fourth, then a fifth, one after another.
His fists whistled through the air, making the dummy sway slightly.
But no matter how hard Huomu tried, that earlier [Flame Fist], which had felt as though his whole body were burning, that [Flame Fist] which had seemed capable of burning everything to ashes, failed to appear again.
"Wh-what?!!"
Huomu clutched his head and wailed in confusion.
"Why? Why, why?!"
"I could do it just now!"
Huomu hurriedly looked to Qiji as if asking for help.