Eclexis (5)
Selena knew Aster would attack Frondier.
Last night, Frondier had told her in advance.
"Aster will probably attack me."
"......What?"
At first, Selena didn't understand what Frondier was talking about.
She had predicted that Aster would come this way, but attack Frondier?
Selena asked.
"When you say 'probably,' what are the chances?"
"About 90%."
He calls that 'probably.' This guy.
"Why would Mr. Aster attack?"
"Well, I'm going to lead him to it, but...."
Frondier gave a wry smile.
"Aster hates me."
"......What?"
Frondier often said strange things, but this time it was beyond strange, it was incomprehensible.
"Mr. Aster hates you? He didn't seem like that."
In fact, wasn't Aster the one who respected Frondier the most? Frondier would know that too. It was Frondier himself who made himself a wall for Aster to overcome and spurred his growth.
"I know Aster thinks highly of me, but the truth is, Aster's in a lot of stress."
"Stress?"
"Selena, what was the hardest training you've ever done?"
"......It was enduring torture."
"......No, not something painful and hard, something difficult."
Selena tilted her head at that.
`
"......It was still cutting off the Mana flow with a needle. You have to hit a moving target's vital point quite accurately."
Most of the enemies hit by Selena's needles collapse like puppets with their strings cut. That's because Selena reads her opponent's Mana flow and cuts it off. Once she hits them properly, they are definitely incapacitated, and if she's not careful, they die of shock.
Frondier nodded and asked.
"Then, what do you think would happen if that technique still didn't work?"
"That would be incredibly...... Ah."
That's when Selena realized it.
What kind of stress Aster was under right now.
"Aster and I are in the same year, and we've known each other since our first year. Our images were polar opposites, though. And now we've both graduated and are doing our own thing."
In other words, at least two years have passed.
During that time, Aster has never been convinced that he has surpassed Frondier.
"People get tired of challenging themselves to a task with a clear goal after two years. And Aster doesn't even know how skilled I am. He doesn't know if he's stronger or weaker than me."
Aster fights Frondier's ghost.
He fights an opponent he must be stronger than, an opponent he must lose to.
'This is similar to Elodie's trauma. Especially in that he's an opponent he can't beat.'
Elodie's trauma that she saw in her dream. That must be how Aster sees Frondier.
Selena blinked in surprise.
"......I never thought of that. He never showed any sign of it."
"Well, Aster is strong, kind, sincere, righteous, handsome..."
"That last part is totally irrelevant."
"And a little crazy."
"......That's the important part."
On the surface, Aster is a very flat character.
From a game's point of view, it's a very natural story. Aster is the main character that the player controls.
But a world that is not a game. From the point of view of reality, Aster is rather creepy.
Flat characters are only allowed in games.
He does not succumb to countless obstacles, pain, and adversity, does not become lazy, does not become defiled, and does not fear. He does not show weakness and stands tall, leading everyone.
A character who is not invaded by all that is evil, but is filled only with all that is good.
This is usually called 'flat,' and that's why it's a person who shouldn't exist in reality.
'In that sense, Aster is said to be crazy, but that can't last forever.'
Of course, if Frondier had heard how Aster talked when he was dealing with enemies, he would have thought about 'goodness' again, but he hadn't seen it yet.
"Then we need to prepare in advance and stop Mr. Aster?"
"No, we need to make him go all out. He won't try to kill me even if he attacks me."
"......Is this really a good plan?"
"What's so good about it? It's about getting beaten up anyway."
And this part is trickier than you might think.
The reason Aster won't try to kill Frondier is, of course, because he's a friend and comrade, but ultimately it's because he's Aster Evans.
To get Aster to go all out, there needs to be a good reason.
"Are you trying to make Mr. Aster angry?"
"No, it's pointless to try to manipulate Aster's emotions. Whether it's anger or anything else."
Frondier affirmed.
It is impossible to change Aster's emotions.
Frondier had done such things often, but it was useless against Aster.
"The only way Aster will go all out is if he 'needs' to."
"'Needs' to?"
"First of all, it has to be a situation where Aster himself has to go all out."
This is the basic premise. Aster fights according to the opponent's skill level, no matter who the opponent is.
When Frondier spoke the next words, his face was a little sad.
"He has to confirm me as an enemy."
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