Self-Destructing Hero

I folded my school uniform neatly and placed it on the bed.

In the full-length mirror, I saw Leon, dangerously dressed in only a pair of boxers.

His pale, flawless skin was unexpectedly firm.

As an individual with a supernatural ability, Leon had been taking care of himself from a young age. So, his body was impeccable.

But such thoughts didn't matter to me right now.

Swallowing the saliva pooling in my mouth, I drew the dagger from its sheath.

"I couldn't properly test it in the bathroom earlier… Yeah, I should make sure."

Earlier, it had been less than a day since I'd taken over Leon's body, and I was still too confused to examine the ability properly. I at least understood that it worked, but could there be any hidden issues?

Supernatural ability.

One of the main settings of "Blades of Eternity," and is one of the reasons that humans, who are inevitably weaker than the monsters, had not yet perished under their ruthless onslaught.

Simply put, it's a superpower.

Supernatural abilities varied from person to person.

These supernatural powers weren't embedded in the body but in the mind.

Because of this, the fact that 'I' inhabited Leon's body might have caused some issues with his abilities.

I slowly brought the dagger to my wrist.

The blade was sharp; it had been well-maintained.

There's no personal desire behind this. I swear.

I just want to ensure that my ability hasn't changed.

Really. Right? Who wouldn't want to ensure that their ability works before rushing to abus— I mean use it to help correct evil!

"…Alright, let's do this."

I muttered, for reasons I couldn't even explain to myself, and pressed down with my fingertips.

Thunk

With barely a sound, the blade cut through my wrist.

Dark red blood trickled down my arm.

"Gah…"

It hurts!

It hurts a lot!

It stung, it burned, and tears welled up in my eyes.

It hurts… it hurts, but…

"Huh, this… feels good…"

A tingling sensation shot through me.

My legs wobbled.

Blood spilled freely from the wound.

"Oh."

I let out a sigh of regret without realizing it.

The wound healed instantly.

That's right. This is Leon's supernatural power.

Super Regeneration.

Any injury, no matter how severe, is healed, leaving the body in perfect condition.

For a minor injury like this, it healed in the blink of an eye.

This wasn't enough of a test.

I'll make a slightly deeper cut.

Thunk

I pressed the dagger deeper into my wrist this time.

Not stopping, I dragged the blade across it with force.

Sssssssh

Did I sever an artery? Blood gushed out like a spray.

"Oh, ow!"

Tears blurred my vision.

It hurts! It hurts so much!

It hurts beyond reason.

But…

"It feels… good…"

Should I try it a little more?

It'll heal soon, anyway.

The hot, red blood soaked the floor.

It's okay. Super Regeneration also replenishes lost blood.

With a shaky right hand, I made another wild slash.

Each time, my left wrist was cut up and spewed dark blood.

"Urgh… oww…"

But the pain didn't last long.

The wounds healed quickly, leaving my blood-stained left arm red but unharmed.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed on the spot.

My hair stood on end.

Wait, when did such a pool of blood form on the floor?

My legs are soaked with blood.

I'm glad I took off my uniform.

Otherwise, it would've been drenched in blood.

I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn't cooperate.

Just cutting my wrist a bit, and I'm like this── I thought, sighing, and then froze.

Yeah, all I did was make a few cuts on my wrist.

"So, why… does it feel this good…?"

Then…

What if the wounds were more severe?

For instance, a broken leg, a stab to the abdomen, or a punctured lung…

I wouldn't die.

Leon's Super Regeneration is considered top-tier amongst regeneration abilities.

But it'd still hurt.

It would hurt a lot.

Super Regeneration only heals; it doesn't eliminate pain.

And come to think of it, Leon went through a lot in the 'original story.'

Maybe because he had a regeneration ability, he was constantly put through terrible ordeals—losing limbs, sometimes even being decapitated.

He was so mercilessly treated that some readers even called him the "King of Gore."

Of course, all that pain was a blessing and reward for Leon.

But now, I am Leon.

Which means…

I'm going to suffer like that…?

Before I knew it, my mouth was filled with saliva.

A droplet escaped, and I snapped back to my senses, wiping my lips.

"No, no… I may be Leon, but I'm not him. I wouldn't enjoy that kind of pain. Right?"

This was just a test of my ability, not something I wanted to do.

I even kept saying it hurt, didn't I?

I'm not planning to become some perverted, masochistic guy like Leon.

A sensible person knows how to control such urges.

And I am a very sensible person.

So, self-harming like this stops here.

"…"

Hmm.

But thinking about it… maybe a little wouldn't hurt?

This is… yeah.

This is just like masturbation.

Everyone does a bit of masturbation, right?

It's a happy time. Right, yes.

To Leon, this ability is a tool for releasing tension.

Since I'm Leon now, a few minor cuts shouldn't be a problem, right? It should be fine.

It's just about honing the ability.

The more I use it, the stronger it becomes.

Just like muscles grow stronger the more they're pushed to their limits.

With my Super Regeneration, each time I heal, I get a bit stronger.

"Oh well, guess I have no choice?"

Ugh, how annoying.

I'm no masochist, but here I am, repeating self-harm.

But to enhance my ability, I really don't have a choice.

It can't be helped. Oh well!

I nodded decisively.

Looking down at my left arm, now fully healed and without a single scar, I prepared for what came next.

"The test is done, so now it's time to enhance the ability… hehe."

It's still early.

Not even time for dinner.

Then what should a student of the Academy do in such a free moment?

Naturally, training in supernatural abilities, right?

We're the heroes of the future.

Those who'll protect the world from the monsters beyond.

"Heh, heheh… so I don't have a choice. I have to do it."

I raised the dagger high.

Swallowing the saliva pooling in my mouth with anticipation, I swung down.

Thunk!

Blood spurted.

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Cleaning up the aftermath was a nightmare.

If someone had entered the room, they might have fainted on the spot.

The floor was soaked deeply with blood, enough to make it look like a mass-murder scene.

I ended up skipping dinner to clean the room.

I let out a deep sigh, leaning against the chair.

"Ugh, how exhausting…"

My hands trembled from scrubbing so hard.

But oddly enough, I'd enjoyed it and ended up even scrubbing harder.

Super Regeneration heals all physical strains.

Thanks to that, my body, despite the rigorous cleaning, felt perfectly fine.

But even with an intact body, the mental fatigue made me feel weary.

I am currently in a state of sage-like clarity.

Please don't disturb me.

I am contemplating the truths of the world.

After that round of, let's call it "Masturbation"—no, training—I felt mentally sharper.

Earlier in the classroom, confusion clouded my thoughts.

But in this sage-like state, it was different.

"I have to get close to Elsia, even if it's not ideal."

On the off chance—though improbable—that something went wrong, I had to figure out how to deal with Elsia.

Leon in the original story had been madly in love with her, ready to give her his heart (figuratively) and soul.

I worried that I, too, might end up feeling the same way.

They say that the mind follows the body.

Though I'm mentally a girl, living as Leon might eventually change things about me.

But now isn't the time to dwell on that.

Leon is a hero.

Therefore, I must connect with Elsia.

In "Blades of Eternity," "relationship" was an essential element.

It was practically the story's core.

Elsia's journey was long and grueling, but relationships, especially with male leads, propped her up and pushed her forward.

If even one supporting male lead were to be missing, Elsia would eventually crumble.

That cannot happen.

"Blades of Eternity" isn't such a peaceful world.

One wrong step could mean plunging into a post-apocalyptic disaster.

Both the pain and the task of saving the world falls on Elsia's shoulders.

So, whether I like it or not, as a "hero," I must connect with her.

But it doesn't mean we have to be lovers. We won't have to, right?

Just forming a solid bond as allies should be enough, right?

It's not like she only has Leon to support her.

There are also other people who help Leon throughout this arduous journey.

"Okay, let's stay positive."

I don't know why I became Leon, but to survive—and to save the world—I'll give it my all.

Rumble

My stomach growled.

Oh, right, I didn't eat anything because I was busy cleaning.

Rubbing my growling stomach, I winced slightly.

"Being really hungry… it actually hurts, huh?"

I'll eat in a little while.

Not because of the pain… but because I have other tasks to do, yeah.