The Indomitable Human Spirit

Four months after I earned the achievement [Houtarou: The Mightiest Disciple] , something remarkable happened. On the day my physical stats — agility, strength, and endurance — finally reached rank (F), I realized I had crossed another significant threshold. It wasn't just a number in the system; it was validation that my body had achieved a level only dreamt of by ordinary people.

[Pinnacle of Human Potential]

[Achievement Requirement: All three physical attributes must reach rank F.]

[Description: Half a ton in deadlifts, a 100-meter dash in 9.5 seconds, the ability to comfortably run a marathon, and a punch with over a ton of force. You have reached the peak of human strength, but your journey is just beginning.]

[Reward: Pure Eyes – Jogan.]

Unlike the "Jogan" from one of the worst anime sequels I remember, my Pure Eyes were far more practical — and, because of that, infinitely more useful, given that my power was still like that of an amoeba compared to the true heavyweights of this world... like Akeno's father, for example.

The Pure Eyes were a unique mutation that allowed me to see things normally hidden from the human eye. These eyes, constantly active and not dependent on magical energy, granted me the ability to perceive things that usually required magical energy or specialized spells to be seen. Barriers, normally invisible, became clear as day. I could see through illusions, identify spirits, and detect non-physical entities that hadn't fully manifested in reality. But the most useful aspect of these eyes? Their ability to perceive different kinds of energy — from the mana saturating the air to the magical energy flowing through both humans and supernatural beings.

So, how did my mother and Baraqiel miss such an obvious mutation? I have two theories. The first is that maybe they did notice but, for whatever reason, decided not to interfere. But that sounds far-fetched and out of character, especially for Baraqiel, who would never allow any hidden supernatural entity to remain close to his daughter. The second — and far more plausible — explanation is that my Pure Eyes were so subtle they flew under the radar. Since they didn't consume magical energy, they were nearly impossible to detect. Plus, my eyes didn't undergo any drastic transformation after the Jogan awakened — aside from becoming a slightly more vivid shade of green. But even that was such a minor change, it wasn't enough to raise any red flags about something supernatural, unexplainable, or dangerous.

Seriously, there are actual scientific names for some of these conditions! If that's the case, I've got questions for my mom, because most of them are real diseases! I fumed internally.

Getting angry at my mother was pointless — it was like banging your head against a brick wall, except you're just a regular person. No benefits, only pain and disappointment. So, let's leave that aside and get back to the Jogan.

Thanks to this new ability, I finally understood what Akeno really was — a half-blood. Her magical energy, while similar to a human's, had several distinct differences, no doubt inherited from her father. It was denser, more intense, and hotter, and seemed to flow toward specific points. The largest concentration of this energy gathered around her back, right at her shoulder blades. Observing the way her energy moved, I had a hypothesis: if her father really was that Baraqiel, then that's where her wings were hidden.

I nearly lost it the first time I saw Akeno's dad watching over her at the park... I'd never seen so much magical energy in my life — so hot, so bright, and so overwhelming. I mentally shuddered at the memory.

Luckily, it didn't throw me off during my sparring session with Tomoe.

It sparked an interesting thought: how exactly does human magical energy differ from that of other supernatural beings? And I'm not even talking about demons, yokai, vampires, or gods — beings I've yet to meet and, frankly, hope to avoid for as long as possible. All these creatures have their own distinct forms of energy, unique to their race. But what really caught my attention was the shared magical energy between humans, angels, and fallen angels. And this isn't just from my observations—I haven't encountered any angels myself — but from what I've read in magical encyclopedias. These three races share the same type of energy, likely because they are considered the "true" children of the Biblical God.

"Of course, every family has its black sheep — ours just happens to be the fallen angels — but even so, they've retained their place in the 'big family.'"

However, just like in any family, where every sibling has their own quirks, the magical energy of humans, angels, and fallen angels differs in subtle but significant ways. Take Baraqiel's magical energy, for example. It had a completely different "structure" — if that's the right word — compared to my mother's, Tomoe's, or Shuri's. His energy felt more "corrosive," hotter, and brighter. I suspect that's the "Light" attribute unique to angels and fallen angels. Meanwhile, the energy of the women I mentioned earlier was softer, each with its own "flavor," "texture," and "color." These subtle differences confirm what I've read in witchcraft textbooks — human magical energy isn't uniform either. It varies from person to person, like different shades of the same fabric — slightly distinct, but undeniably related.

But that wasn't even the most fascinating part. What really intrigued me was the origin of this energy and how it exists within a magician's body. The key point is this: every being possesses energy that originates from something called an "Aura," which, in turn, is an emanation of the soul, a crystallization of its essence. But that's a topic for another time. The Aura is the source of all forms of energy, existing within both living and non-living entities alike.

Inside the body of every living being, a unique type of energy flows: demons have demonic energy, angels and fallen angels possess magical energy imbued with the Light attribute, humans wield "neutral" magical energy, gods use divine energy, yokai are able to manipulate their own youki, vampires tap into Vitae, and so on. There are countless varieties of energy in this world, and each species "uses" whatever is naturally accessible to them. Interestingly, there's no law that says a person can't wield more than one type of energy simultaneously. In theory, someone could master both life energy and magical energy, or perhaps demonic and life energy. The only real limitation is that demons can't wield the Light attribute energy that angels and fallen angels have, and likewise, the "winged ones" can't tap into the "power of imagination" that demons possess.

Now, let's get to the good stuff. In everyday life, humans are blissfully unaware of the magical energy coursing through them. The reason is pretty straightforward: magical energy is far more subtle by nature than blood, and the "channels" it moves through are much finer than blood vessels. This energy originates from the heart, which is why the heart is so significant in the supernatural world and why it's often at the center of various magical rituals. The more magical energy someone possesses, the easier it is to sense. As the pathways for this energy become more developed, controlling it becomes much simpler. Only when your energy flow reaches the level of a "high-speed highway" can you even begin to consider yourself competent in magic.

Supernatural beings, on the other hand, are born with a natural sensitivity to energy. It's a kind of innate talent, reflected in their much larger reserves of energy compared to most humans. Take Tomoe, for example — her magical reserves are much greater than Akeno's, though of course, she's older. Still, considering the lineage of my "childhood friend," that's impressive. Then there's my mom — an entirely different monster. Her magical reserves are only three or four times smaller than Baraqiel's, and the first time I sensed her energy, it was suffocating.

Despite reaching rank (E-) in magical power recently, I was still behind Akeno in raw energy reserves. But in terms of control? I was a step ahead. Still, that wasn't enough. If rank (F) represented the peak of human potential, rank (E-) was just the bare minimum required to call yourself a legitimate player in the Low-Class of the supernatural world. And in front of me were even higher tiers: the Middle-Class, for whom I was probably just an amusing little creature. After that came the High-Class — beings capable of wiping out mountains or entire cities. And that still wasn't the ceiling.

Beyond them was the Ultimate-Class — beings like Baraqiel, the vice-governor of the fallen angels, who could devastate an entire country. But even that wasn't the pinnacle. Above them stood the Special-Class — the most powerful entities in this world, with strength so absurd it bordered on the surreal. Destroying continents or obliterating entire planets? What kind of madness is that? Yet here I am, living in a world where such beings roam the earth!

As I lay there, staring up at the clear blue sky after Tomoe knocked the air out of me yet again, I came to a harsh realization: even compared to her, I was still just a kid… And damn, that pisses me off.