I opened my eyes and realized…
I had grown.
But not in the way I expected. Instead of becoming an epically muscular, charismatic adventurer, I was still a kid. I was just a little taller, my voice was slightly deeper, and...
My hair was a mess!
Yes, this was a crisis for me. I used to have the "Cute Otaku Kid" look, but now I looked like a goose that just woke up.
"Is this a side effect of aging?" I wondered.
Just then, Eris walked in, stopped in her tracks when she saw me, looked me up and down, and then burst into laughter before running out of the room.
Eris: "LORIEN, LOOK AT YOURSELF! HAHAHA!"
Why did I even say that? She's going to tease me about this for years now.
---
Time Skip: From 5 to 10 Years Old
The past few years… were normal.
And by normal, I mean I was constantly trying to survive.
My mom trained me in magic three times a day like a drill instructor.
My dad kept trying to force me into learning the sword. "Son, you need to master swordsmanship too!" But I successfully ran away every time.
Hikaru rubbed his superiority in my face at every opportunity.
And Eris? She popped up randomly just to mock me daily.
But most importantly…
I STILL DIDN'T HAVE A SPECIAL ABILITY!
Sure, I learned silent casting early, but does that make me legendary? No! I could throw a fireball at someone's head without chanting, but what if I missed? Would a true hero miss?
At least now I was 10 years old and officially a big man!
---
Things I Learned at 10
1. Hikaru is STILL stronger than me! (I should accept this… but I won't.)
2. Eris continues to humiliate me daily. (My own sister treats me like I'm a comedian.)
3. My mom is STILL terrifying. ("Lorien, if you don't train, no dinner for you.")
And most importantly…
I STILL WASN'T SPECIAL!
I had to find something unique about myself!
But just five minutes after making this decision, guess what happened?
Hikaru challenged me.
---
The Fight with Hikaru – If I Win, I'm Cool. If I Lose, I'll Make an Excuse.
Hikaru stood in front of me, smirking with that all-knowing expression.
"Lorien, you came in second place in the last exam, but I want to see how strong you really are."
I frowned. "You're provoking me."
Hikaru shrugged. "Yes."
I frowned even more. "It's working."
Hikaru grinned. "I know."
Ugh…
This was basically a declaration of war!
Could I say no to something like this? Sure, I could… but I wouldn't! Because in my mind, everything follows anime logic!
And so, this would be one of the most epic and ridiculous battles of my life.