"Power is born from the heart, regulated by the mind, controlled with ease, and commanded like one's own arm."
Artoria sat cross-legged quietly on a wooden board. There were no supports beneath the board. The Ancient One's requirement for Artoria was to slowly and steadily inject power into the board to make it float. Because the board was specially made by the Ancient One, the slightest fluctuation in power would result in either the board crumbling into powder or it bobbing up and down. The Ancient One's other requirement was to keep it level. If either of these two points were broken, Artoria failed. The human-shaped pits and wood chips on the ground spoke of Artoria's hard work. From lasting only a few seconds at the start to an hour now, Artoria had certainly put in a lot of sweat.
"She's good material; I didn't misjudge her."
Sitting in the room drinking tea, the Ancient One used a mirror to watch Artoria training hard. He stroked his long white beard and sighed with a smile. Then, he set the mirror aside. He also needed to find a successor to take over his position. After learning about the choice made in the other world from Artoria, this thought grew like wild weeds. Yes! He wanted to rest too! He wanted to go out and play, to visit the big shots in the Universe.
"A successor is hard to find!"
After a sigh, the Ancient One continued to savor his tea. In this world, he had yet to see his own Death or the arrival of a successor. He didn't know when he would be able to lay down his responsibilities and travel through the great wide world. For now, he could only wait patiently. Teaching Artoria was a piece of cake for him; most of his time was spent checking the Great Barrier, hoping it wouldn't have any problems.
"What should I do? My sister is ignoring me."
While Artoria was cultivating, Toni was acting like she'd lost her soul, constantly muttering about Artoria. This made the Captain, who was nearby, roll her eyes. It was the first time she'd seen such an obsessive sister-con; it was as if she couldn't live without her sister. The Captain knew Artoria had left because she had things to do, but looking at Toni, the Captain felt that Artoria's departure had a reason, and one of those reasons was definitely Toni's behavior. True, if it were her, the Captain wouldn't be able to stand it either—an older sister who wanted 'negative contact' every day would be unbearable. Most importantly, this person, despite being a woman, was incredibly lecherous and particularly fond of beautiful women. It really made one wonder if something had gone wrong during reincarnation; she should have been a man but accidentally became a woman. It was hard to imagine how many girls this person would have ruined if she were a man.
"You deserve it."
After thinking for a moment, the Captain gave Toni a disdainful look and turned to leave. She didn't want to be with this woman at all right now, fearing she'd be dragged into listening to her tearful complaints. At that point, she wouldn't be able to shake her off even if she wanted to. The way the Captain got up to leave looked very much like she was running away. Artoria, who was currently training in Kamar-Taj, didn't know about Toni's state, and even if she did, she wouldn't care. This sister's affection was truly a bit much for her to handle.
"I didn't expect a mission to come so soon. This time, I must make up for the last mistake."
When the Captain left Toni's seaside Villa and returned home, she suddenly received a communication from the organization. It meant the League of Villains had appeared again. Although she was on vacation, unlike a certain Navy Admiral who just clocked in and out, the Captain was a serious girl. She believed the failure of the last mission to assassinate the enemy leader was her fault. So, without any hesitation or mention of salary, she immediately decided to end her vacation and start the mission. She was determined to complete the mission this time and carry out the justice in her heart.
"Stevie, this mission is very fishy. You must be extra careful. Usually, after these guys finish something, they definitely go into hiding. For them to appear so soon, they must have gotten something they needed during the last mission, or something they wanted but didn't get. If it's the former, you must abandon the mission immediately and come back, because it's very likely a trap. If it's the latter, you must execute the mission even more carefully. It's very likely you already provoked them during the last mission, and their actions this time will be even more frantic. Finally, good luck, Captain."
The superior issuing the order seemed to know the Captain well. She spoke cautiously to Stevie, analyzing the dangers and suspicious aspects of the mission. She also instructed Stevie to abandon the mission and escape quickly if there was danger. The abnormality of this matter surprised even the high-level officials issuing the orders, let alone the messenger. But they had to test the villains' moves to see what they were really up to.
"Don't worry! I will."
Hearing the analysis, a look of solemnity flashed across Stevie's face. She wasn't a reckless girl who only knew how to charge forward. Back in World War II, she had led a team against Hydra's most elite forces, leaving the dark U.S. high-level officials trembling with fear. Without super-strong command abilities, let alone defeating the enemy, she and her troops would have been buried on the battlefield shortly after the unit was formed. So, she still had the judgment for certain things.
"Good luck, Captain."
Stevie's cheerful reply put the other person at ease. After wishing Stevie luck, the other party hung up. Stevie also began to prepare her combat gear. Once everything was ready, Stevie opened the electronic map and piloted her dedicated aircraft toward the destination. Her aggressive stance suggested she wanted to catch everyone in the League of Villains in one fell swoop. She didn't bring anyone else; she was executing the mission alone.
"Failed again?"
Artoria floated in mid-air, looking expressionlessly at the wooden board that had turned into wood chips. Just now, a leaf had flown past her, causing her breath to falter. Inadvertently, she put out a bit too much power, and the board shattered just like that. This meant her concentration was still not enough; a small disturbance could disrupt her breathing. Her thoughts were too cluttered. For this situation, Artoria could only start over. She didn't want to stay in this world with a sister who lusted after her body forever.
"Alright, take a break. Cultivation is about the mind and spirit; mental fatigue will make training counterproductive."
Just as Artoria was preparing another board to continue, the Ancient One's voice transmitted into her mind. Looking at the board in her hand, Artoria put it down, picked up a towel from the side, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Given her current physical strength, it was impossible to sweat from physical exertion. Only cultivation that consumed huge amounts of mental energy like this would make her look a bit tired. It wasn't physical exhaustion, but mental weariness. The Ancient One's words were timely; he seemed to know her limits better than she did. If she continued, Artoria might unconsciously faint.
"Honestly, I really envy you young people, having such energy. Back when I was young and training..."
After tidying up and changing her clothes, Artoria came before the Ancient One and unceremoniously poured herself a cup of tea. This made the Ancient One's eyelid twitch. He wasn't bothered by her rudeness, but rather pained for his tea leaves. But then again, it was his own fault; who else was going to teach this unpolished jade? While feeling pained for the tea, he also marveled at the rapid progress of Artoria's training. She would soon be able to enter the next stage. As he marveled, he began to ramble, like a Grandpa telling stories to his granddaughter. This behavior didn't make Artoria impatient; instead, she listened with interest. That was the kind of person she was—she liked listening to others and didn't like talking much herself. Artoria's personality was well-suited to being a listener. The old and the young sat by the tea table, drinking tea and chatting. From a distance, there was a faint sense of warmth.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.