“You seem to be struggling. However, you can be proud; hardly anyone of our age can accomplish this much.”
“I don’t care!”

(He’s moving very little. Like a frightened small animal… It seems the difference in our abilities is taking a mental toll on him.)

(The “Master” had said he desired the youngest blood of the Elemental family. And then, the experiment with the “fruit” that will lead humanity to a new existence… I heard it was a big role, but this is rather anticlimactic.)

(No, perhaps I have just become too strong… With this, I can even bring down the one who was called the strongest hero.)

She continues to deflect his relentless fists like a clear stream, devoted to defense. However, she soon realizes it’s almost time for the tea party. Anxious, she clenches her fists and throws a punch with minimal movement to avoid tearing her dress.

“Fighting me head-on! Interesting!”
“Ugh, time is…”

Destruction meets destruction as their fists collide. The impact generates a gust of wind that shakes the surrounding area, and a faint roar reaches Croco’s ears.

“Even though I’m holding back! To be able to fight me head-on is impressive, isn’t it? Very well! I will show you a bit of my real strength!”
“――!”
“Explosive Hail!”
(TL/N: Bakuretsu Hyou.)
The temperature of the atmosphere drops in an instant. Cold air emanates from Michael’s fist, drawing everything in towards the center. With a cracking sound, Candy’s dress freezes, and her well-groomed hair becomes disheveled. Then, an explosive icy fist plunges into her abdomen.

“Lady!”

Candy is thrown several meters and falls to the ground. Her dress is soiled with dirt, and there’s a slight trace of blood from her mouth.

“Mi…Miss, you…”

Croco rushes to her fallen figure and notices something. Her usually bright orange hair is gradually turning red. Similarly, her orange eyes are also shifting to red, flashing between the original color and the new shade.

(This is bad. Lady is… Lady is… losing it…)

“Croco… What time was my tea party appointment?”
“Well, it’s past that time. And you are quite dirty now, so if you need to change and clean up, you won’t…”
“Oh, so I won’t make it in time, is that what you mean?”
“Uh, well…”
“Yes, that’s what you mean… For now, I’m going to break that guy’s molars.”

She slowly gets up, grinding her teeth, and stands. Then, she readies herself again, facing Michael, who is smirking at her, and takes a step forward.

(Still fighting, it’s futile—!)

A roaring sound rings out, and a fist that surpasses incredible speed is aimed at his face—no, it had already reached. By the time he realized it, he was unconsciously defending himself. If he hadn’t, he might have died.

“…Don’t mess with me! You, bastard!!”

But the defense was momentary; her fist had disappeared again. Then, it had already reached his abdomen.

“—!!”

He felt a burning sensation. However, she hadn’t done anything special. It was just an illusion in his abdomen caused by the sheer impact and speed. Feeling as though all the oxygen had been blown away from his body in an instant, he was sent flying.

(It’s… impossible! No, I’m stronger. I’ve already analyzed her movements, experienced her speed. If I can surpass her in the next move—)

(—No need to hold back)

“Explosive Hailstorm!”

Once again, ice concentrates in his fist. It steals the heat from the surroundings and begins to freeze everything as if stopping time itself. It was different from before.

His fist sparkled and shone, entirely dyed in pure white. He aimed it down to strike her.

Meanwhile, she was… aiming her fist in the same way.

(What, what is this!?)

A feeling that his own heat was being stolen away, centered around her, attacked him. Surely not―― he looked at her hand to see it dyed in pure white, just like his own.

“Such a monkey trick! If I see it once, I can imitate it!!”

The completely identical fists clashed. However, there was no deadlock. Michael’s original fist, using the technique, broke, as if ice had cracked.

(My technique was, in an instant―― moreover, even better than mine――)

With that, he was entirely enveloped in ice. Candy, who had been in a furious state, finally withdrew her fist. She immediately melted the ice, at least saving Michael’s life with provisional treatment.

“Young lady?”
“Ah, this is the worst. I can’t make it to the tea party, and I canceled without notice… I’m definitely going to be hated by Dan-sama. I shouldn’t live anymore.”
“I don’t think it’s like that, but…”
As the two were talking, the sound of footsteps, crushing the frozen ground, approached crisply.
“Is this… your doing?”
“Dan-sama… W-well, yes, I suppose.”
“…I see, well, I was watching for the most part.”
“What!?”
“For now, I’ll take this man with me.”
“Y-yes…”

Dan, a male student, took Michael and left for somewhere. Watching his back, Candy sighed once again.

“Ahhhh, it’s overrrrr!!”
“Young lady!?”
“I was keeping up a demure image! He saw my true self!”
“Young lady, you do have quite a foul mouth, after all… How you’ve managed to hide it until now…”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
“There, there…”

During the fight, Croco embraced Candy, who was screaming, having heard all the things she had said, like “I’ll break his back teeth for starters” and various other comments, and patted her head, saying “there, there.”

+-+

I took on a new position as a part-time lecturer. Six days a week I’m training disciples, and on the seventh day, I work hard compiling information on their training progress. To think I would add even more to my workload…
Well, it can’t be helped. It’s really just part-time, after all. Even if I do it, it’s only about once every fourteen or twenty-eight days.

“Hero-kun, just because you’re popular doesn’t mean you can make a move on the students, you know?”
“…Yeah.”

Sakura said something like this, but… I’m not popular in the first place. Moreover, I would never do such a thing.

“If she’s not a student, I think it’s okay to make a move…”

Ah, yes. Are you that worried about me making a move? Damn, just because you’re a bit of a good guy and popular, don’t get ahead of yourself!
When I entered the classroom, everyone was dumbfounded. Like, “What? Hero Dan is a part-time lecturer!?” Candy and Alfred are in the same classroom. What if those two connect the dots and find out about me?

Candy winks at me, but… could it be that she’s already noticed and is trying to pressure me?
Then, she invites me to have tea after school. Has she found out? She might want to talk to me alone to figure out what’s going on.
I’m worrying about this when I realize it’s already after school. While waiting at a deserted meeting place, I hear a roaring sound. Intrigued, I go to see what it is, and find Candy’s hair has turned red.

Moreover, she’s fighting with a male student, completely overwhelming him with her incredible physical abilities.

Uh, um… I never taught her anything like that… What’s with her red hair? When did she learn those ice-like fists? I definitely didn’t teach her anything that dangerous…
Eh, what? Do I even need to be here? If left alone, she might just become a hero on her own…

For now, let’s take this nearly frozen guy to the infirmary.

I guess I should give some guidance as a student, but I can’t imagine Candy resorting to violence without reason. Also, her choice of words is concerning. What happened to her usual prim and proper demeanor?
Hmm, I suppose I should talk to her later as a teacher.