"Master," I called him. "What exactly am I doing?"
Leo replied through his usual amused grin, "You mentioned your desire to learn the Mirage Walk, right? Well, that's what I'm teaching you. I'm showing you how to do it."
"Ah, I see," I nodded, comprehending his words. "So, I can learn it just by walking?"
There I was, merely walking in circles around him on the sandy ground, under the scorching sun in this hot desert.
"No, no, there's more to it than that," Leo said, shaking his index finger. "First, you need to exude Mana into the atmosphere around you.
"Then, slowly use that discharged Mana to distort the air around you, creating a mirage-like effect, much like the wavering air in the heat of this desert.
"That will make it appear as though there are multiple versions of you. With a little practice, you'll be able to conjure even more illusions. The best part is, it doesn't take much mana."
"Hmm," I hummed, my fingers gently pressed against my chin. "So, the first step is to release Mana into the atmosphere and then manipulate it to distort the air. Okay, got it!"
"Indeed," Leo remarked with a smile. "Unfortunately, there isn't a manual for this technique, as it is one of my original creations."
I knew that already.
Leo used the Mirage Walk when he fought against Nero in the War Of Union, and the protagonist did mention that it was an original move of the God of War.
"This is also one of my signature moves that I used to spam when I was your age, so don't go teaching it to someone else," Leo said.
"I promise I won't," I replied earnestly. "Now, tell me the story."
"...Haaa~"
Leo, who thought that I would forget about it, let out a defeated and bitter sigh when I asked him once again about his connection to the Morningstar family.
Observing his reaction, I spoke, "Master, if you don't want to share, then it's fine."
Since I can always find some other way to know about it.
"No, it's not like that. I just don't like remembering those times," Leo shook his head. "However, since you are so curious, I will tell you."
"Alright," I said, as I gradually began to exude Mana into my surroundings.
As the Mana left my body and merged with the atmosphere, I found it hard to control it effectively.
However, considering the time I spent pouring my Mana into the Beast Egg, my ability to manipulate it had strengthened.
So as I tried to use the discharged Mana to distort the air around me, and failed every time, Leo began.
"First, let me tell who I am, or rather, who I was before I became what I am now," Leo expressed. "You may not be aware, but in the Old World, prior to the influx of Mana on Earth, there were many countries and continents."
Yeah, it might be hard to believe for someone of this generation, but I come FROM that world.
"One of those nations was called Japan. My ancestors, going back generations, hailed from that land. When the Rifts appeared and the aliens invaded, and when the landmasses converged into one big supercontinent, the Asian continent, including Japan, suffered the most."
Yeah, that's also something I know.
In the novel, it was mentioned how the initial onslaught of the Demon race wreaked havoc primarily in Central and East Asia, inflicting immense damage.
And after that, as the landmasses of the world collided, merging all the continents around the Asian continent, millions of people lost their lives due to tectonic impacts.
That's one of the reasons why it's so rare to see someone of Asian heritage in this world. The majority of them were wiped out during the apocalypse.
Leo continued, "The Central Government rose to power and implemented a law that required everyone to serve in the United Military for a period of time. The Asians, who had already suffered so many losses, resisted this law. But their voices were suppressed."
Yeah, I know this too. The Government enforced their orders, disregarding the already vulnerable Asian race.
"My father, a renowned warrior in his time, had a dream. He sought to resurrect the nation of Japan. He pleaded with the Central Government, and they granted him permission to take the Western Continent and name it New Japan."
Upon hearing this, a frown etched itself onto my face.
"But that is impossible," I interjected. "The West has always been a seat of power for the Morningstar family."
"Yes," Leo affirmed with a nod. "You see, the Central Government presented a condition. To claim the West, my father, Kazuya Kurogami, had to defeat the reigning Overlord of the West at the time, Joseph Morningstar."
"I see," I responded, guessing what would've happened.
"Needless to say, my father challenged your grandfather and lost," Leo disclosed. "Desperate, my father implored the Central Government for another opportunity, but his plea was denied.
"However, since he was one of the world's most formidable fighters, the Central Government did grant him a second chance, of sorts.
"They declared that if, in the future, his heir could defeat the next Overlord of the West, our family would ascend to the position of ruling family, and the West would be renamed New Japan under our reign.
"However, there was a catch. If his heir were to fail, our family would be prohibited from making such a request again in the future. Basically, we were granted a single chance."
"Wait," I exclaimed, realizing where this story was going.
"That's when I was born. My father had high expectations for me. They believed I would fulfil his dream. However, much to his disappointment, I did not awaken a high-ranking Mana core like him.
"Meanwhile, the next heir of the Morningstar lineage was said to have awakened an ‹Immortal-3› ranked core," Leo gritted his teeth, still affected by his past.
That can only mean...
"As you may have guessed, it was your father, Reynold Morningstar," Leo disclosed. "Since I didn't stand up to my father's standards, he disowned me as his heir. Instead, he adopted one of my cousins, who possessed an ‹Immortal-2› ranked core, and appointed him as his successor, instead of me, his own son."
"After experiencing bouts of severe depression at such a tender age, I eventually stopped caring about my father. When the time came for my military education, I stole his money and enrolled here at the Global Academy. It was here that I encountered your father."
As Leo continued recounting his story, I listened intently. None of this information was ever mentioned in the novel so I didn't know about any of this.
"Your father was a few years older than me, and back then he was the King of the academy. I hated him. He was the reason my own father never loved me.
"After I won the King's Tournament, I couldn't bear it any longer. I challenged him to a duel. I wanted to make him suffer." Leo let out a sigh.
"Did you win?" I asked eagerly.
Leo's face twisted with bitterness as he shook his head. "No, I lost. I was heartbroken.
"Since the day it was revealed that I possessed an average rank potential, I poured everything into my training to bridge the gap between myself and those fortunate enough to be gifted with high-ranked Mana cores by the heavens.
"But hard work doesn't always pay off. Sometimes... No, most of the time, you give your all and still end up on the losing side."
"Did you give up then?" I inquired further, my curiosity growing.
"I would have if it weren't for your father. Reynold came to me and told me not to quit. He was like those heroes you read about in stories and fairy tales, radiating with such brilliance that it blinds you. But my hatred for him only grew. I thought he pitied me.
"I pushed myself even harder, challenging the strongest opponents I could find, day in and day out. Sometimes I won and other times I lost. But my stubbornness to never stay down caught the attention of a certain man. He approached me and offered to become my master.
"He told me that if I trained under him, I might never reach the heights that Reynold would achieve, but I could still become stronger than most. It wasn't exactly what I had hoped for, but I accepted his offer. I wanted to grow stronger, after all. As for surpassing Reynold, I decided to figure that out later.
"So this man, my master, took me to his dojo, where there were other disciples. And among them, the most powerful individual I had ever encountered, second only to Reynold himself, was a girl named Yennefer. She was a master of spellcasting but also had impressive sword skills."
"Wait," I interjected, interrupting Leo's narrative. "Did you just say Yennefer? But that's..."
"Your mother, yes," Leo nodded. "Naturally, like everyone else in the dojo, she became my primary target. I had to defeat her before I could even think about challenging Reynold.
"I faced her in numerous duels, and I was defeated each time. However, as we continued to train together we gradually became friends.
"We spent countless days together, training in the morning, stealing moments during classes, and sometimes gazing at the beauty of the night sky while laying on the grass field.
"She was the most remarkable person I knew. She also shined so brightly, yet it never blinded me. Instead, it inspired me to work harder.
"She taught me so many things, and my master also helped me a lot to grow. But I eventually reached my potential wall. I couldn't grow stronger. Everyone said that it was only natural and that I had known a day like this would come, but I wasn't satisfied. I still hadn't defeated Reynold.
"One day, frustrated, I challenged Reynold once again. I lost, obviously. The next day, I challenged him again, and the day after that. Slowly, it became a daily routine for me to challenge him.
"Surprisingly, I started enjoying those battles. And Reynold, in his own way, helped me greatly.
"Although I couldn't grow my mana core any further, he helped me refine my martial arts to an unbelievable degree. As we fought daily, we grew closer and our interactions extended beyond training sessions. I stopped trying to kill him eventually.
"I even brought him to our dojo, where we trained together. Yennefer would occasionally join us, and the three of us formed a tight-knit bond. Those years were the most cherished and fulfilling of my life. I loved that time.
"But alas, all things must come to an end. Both Yennefer and Reynold happened to be of the same age, older than me, and because of that, they were drafted into the military before I was.
"I was sad but I didn't show it. I asked them to wait for me. My academic years flew by in the blink of an eye, and upon graduating, I was eager to reunite with my dear friends. However, upon meeting them, I discovered that Reynold had proposed to Yennefer."
A heavy silence enveloped us as I instantly understood where this story was headed.
After a brief pause, Leo finally spoke up. "I never realized the depth of my love for that girl until that moment. And now, she was with my best friend... It was a realization that came too late, trivial as it may seem. All I could do was genuinely be happy for them.
"I buried my own feelings deep within my heart and served alongside them in the United Military. After our frontline duty, Reynold and Yennefer exchanged vows and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They honored me by appointing me as her and all their future children's godfather.
"For several years, I dedicated myself to overseeing the Morningstar personal military unit… But being so close to them was agonizing. The way they shined together… burned me."
