Defining trait

Orion stood in stunned silence, taken aback by his sister's impassioned outburst. Witnessing her emotional vulnerability, a side he had never seen before, initially sparked the urge to retort. However, the mention of their Grandma silenced any words that threatened to escape.

Left with no option but to listen, Orion absorbed every word his sister uttered. It proved a formidable task, hearing about the person who had sacrificed herself to save his life. Yet, he maintained unwavering focus, locking eyes with his sister.

As Lisa spoke, a heaviness settled over Orion's heart—sudden sadness, punctuated by guilt. Each word resonated, burdening his mind. Still, he persevered, his gaze unwavering.

Observing her brother, Lisa noted the trembling in his eyes, a reflection of profound emotions held within. Yet, he refused to avert his gaze, fighting against the onslaught of feelings.

In her eyes, this resilience was the defining trait of his. Orion Ablaze was a force that never yielded, neither in the face of formidable challenges nor to his own emotions.

Yet, Lisa's concern stemmed from a deep understanding—a knowledge that those who steadfastly refuse to bend are often the ones most battered by the storm, the ones with the mightiest wills endure the greatest of suffering.

It pained her to unleash such harsh words upon her cherished younger brother, a person more precious to her than life itself. But it was precisely this deep love that compelled her to deliver this stern message. No matter how adept he was at concealing it, Lisa discerned the impulsive drive within him to improve, a drive that could lead him perilously close to risking his life once again.

But if invoking guilt was the only means to shield him from himself, she would bear that burden willingly, even if it meant earning his resentment. It was a price she was prepared to pay.

With her final words hanging in the air, Lisa turned toward the exit and departed, leaving Orion alone in the room. Despite Lisa's absence, he remained rooted in stillness, his eyes trembling, reflecting the tempest of emotions raging within his heart.

He couldn't help but recall the last words of his sister; their mother passed away during his birth, so he didn't remember anything about her. But still, when someone mentioned her, a dizzy and unclear image found its way into his mind: a pale and exhausted face looking at him with the gentlest smile.

But that wasn't enough to shake him. What made him guilty was the death of his grandma. He had spent nearly four years with her. It wasn't that much time, but it wasn't that little either. She had died while performing some kind of high-level light magic to save him from his own unstable mana core. It had happened when he had tried to purify his mana core for the first time.

Orion was sad at her disappearance, ignorant of the reason behind her death. But as he grew up, he found out that he was the very reason for her demise, that he had caused one more death to stay alive himself. He had seen his grandpa staring at her photo, lost in her memories, and soon Orion's sadness had turned into guilt.

His guilt wasn't hidden from his grandfather either. No matter how well Orion hid it, his grandpa's eyes always seemed to look through him like he was an open book to him.

He had often said to Orion, "Yes, you were the reason for her death. But it was her choice to entrust the future to you. As will I, if I had to. So be sure to make it worthwhile when the time comes." His voice was gentle yet seemed cruel at the same time.

He could feel his grandpa's affection for him. But it didn't prevent him from being straightforward and blunt with Orion. Despite his age, Orion was used to such an approach; on the contrary, it suited him all too well.

Now standing in the dining room alone, it didn't take Orion too long to clear his mind again. He had come to terms with all of this long ago. But remembering those things was still painful.

Orion had promised Lisa not to attempt mana core purification, and he was adamant about keeping it. Left with no other choice, he decided to train with his sword again. He moved to the training hall and chose a thin, one-sided sword from the collection of many varieties.

Reaching the center of the hall, he began to swing his sword, changing his pattern every few minutes. Some were defensive, sometimes they were purely offensive. Changing from one style of sword art to another was flawlessly executed, evident of his mastery over multiple sword styles.

Seeing the image of Orion practicing his already mastered sword art, Lisa was astonished, watching his flawless execution of so many sword arts one after the other. She knew Orion was a man of focus; he always pushed his limits in every way possible. He was already practicing for ten continued hours. Only then did he stop his practice and went back to his room. The fellow practitioners of all those moves, she was well aware of how exhausted he must be.

Lisa contemplated beginning her own training when her thoughts were abruptly shattered by the sound of a sudden explosion, reverberating throughout the entire building.

"That idiot! Can't even keep his promise. Today, he's going to get a beating," Lisa declared in anger.