Minoru Kageno and Sora Kageno were university students, both eighteen years old.
Minoru was deeply unsatisfied with his current level of strength.
He spent his every waking moment obsessing over how to become even more powerful.
Sora, meanwhile, remained silent by his side.
Because of this obsession, Minoru began to spiral into a state of madness.
Outside of class, he did nothing but repeat the word “Magic…
Magic…” like a mantra.
Three days later, in the middle of the night, Minoru—desperate to awaken mana—began smashing his head against a giant rock.
“Magic!
I need magic!” Suddenly, a light flashed in the distance.
“It’s magic!
That’s magic!” Minoru screamed.
Sora, who had been waiting for this exact moment, bolted instantly.
He ran even faster than Minoru.
Every second counted; if he were a moment too late, he’d miss the “Isekai Truck.” “Magic!
Magic!
Here I come!” Minoru shouted deliriously.
The two burst through the bushes just as a massive truck barreled toward them.
Although Sora had started first, Minoru’s long-term physical training made him faster, and they ended up running side-by-side.
Sora leaped into the air, putting every ounce of strength into a “Rocket Headbutt” aimed directly at the truck’s grill.
He was terrified he might actually survive if he didn’t hit it hard enough.
Simultaneously, he reached out and grabbed Minoru’s arm, making sure they wouldn’t be separated during the world-leap.
A blinding white light engulfed them.
Sora felt as though he had been submerged in darkness for an eternity.
Finally, he forced his eyes open.
Lying next to him was another infant who looked exactly like him.
Sora glanced up at a middle-aged man with a balding head standing over them.
*Yes!
The reincarnation was a success!* Minoru and Sora locked eyes.
In that single gaze, they both recognized exactly who the other was.
“Claire has always wanted a little brother, and now she has two!
She’s going to be so happy!” a young woman said warmly.
“Why aren’t these two crying?” she asked, sounding puzzled.
Hearing her words, Minoru and Sora immediately burst into a synchronized, deafening wail.
At that moment, a young Claire walked into the room.
“Are these my little brothers?
Yay!
I have brothers now!” Time flew by.
Years passed in the blink of an eye, and the two reached the age of fifteen.
Minoru Kageno was now known as Cid Kagenou.
Sora Kageno was now known as Shino Kagenou.
Because they were twins, their names were similar.
Both possessed incredibly vast amounts of mana.
Cid was the elder brother, and Shino was the younger.
During the day, the two practiced swordsmanship.
To an outsider, they looked like two “mob” characters clumsily swinging sticks at each other.
In reality, every swing produced countless afterimages; they were moving so fast that normal eyes couldn’t even track the blades.
They deliberately suppressed their power to avoid making loud noises—a feat that required god-like control over their strength.
Claire walked over to them, watching their “pitiful” display.
“You two work hard, but your strength is still far too weak!” she declared.
“Both of you, attack me at once!” Claire held her wooden sword, ready.
Cid and Shino exchanged a quick look.
They charged at her from both sides.
Claire swung at Cid, hitting his sword and “sending him flying.” Then she spun around to strike Shino.
Shino “braked” hard, seemingly stumbling as he tried to find an opening, but Claire quickly parried his sword and “blew him away” as well.
In truth, in the brief moment they were near her, Cid and Shino had already exchanged three high-speed blows behind her back.
Claire didn’t suspect a thing.
“Sister, you’re too strong!” Cid shouted as he got up.
“Yeah!
Sister is amazing!” Shino added.
Claire felt a bit strange—as if something had flickered past her face several times—but since she saw nothing, she brushed it off.
“These two really aren’t making any progress, are they?” At night, Cid transformed into the “Stylish Hoodlum Slayer” to hunt bandits.
Shino originally wanted to do the same, but his luck was terrible; he could never find any.
Besides, working with Cid led to “loot distribution” issues.
Cid liked artsy treasures, while Shino didn’t care for them—money was useless in the remote Kagenou barony anyway.
So, Shino decided to “slack off” and let Cid play with the bandits alone.
However, Shino made sure to ask Cid every day if he found anything “special.” He wasn’t about to miss the chance to meet Alpha.
When night fell, Shino would cover himself in mana, using a slime bodysuit to alter his physique into that of an adult.
Wearing a black mask, he headed into the woods.
Before long, Claire arrived.
“Master!” she called out.
Since he couldn’t find bandits, Shino had decided to become his sister’s secret “Master.” On a particularly dark night, he had “kidnapped” her, given her a bit of a rough training session, and told her she had great potential and should be his disciple.
At first, Claire refused to trust this mysterious stranger.
But Shino didn’t give up; he forcibly brought her out every night for “lessons.” Over time, Claire realized he wasn’t a villain and began calling him “Master.” Shino genuinely liked Claire as a sister and decided that boosting her strength was a worthwhile endeavor.
“No physical conditioning today,” Shino said in a disguised, deep voice.
“We’ll test how much you’ve improved this month through actual combat.” “Yes, Master!
Here I come!” Claire gathered her mana and surged toward Shino with incredible speed.
Just as she closed the distance, she suddenly retreated.
Shino’s wooden sword cut through empty air.
“Good feint,” Shino noted.
Predicting an opponent’s move to cancel one’s own action and counter-attack—this was a technique Claire had “learned” from watching Shino during their daytime practice sessions.
Taking advantage of Shino’s “missed” swing, Claire circled behind him, her mana-infused sword aiming for his back.
Without looking, Shino spun his sword and blocked the strike behind his head.
“Your killing intent is too obvious!
You aren’t hiding it at all!” Shino lectured.
“A surprise attack must be devoid of bloodlust.” He spun around and swung at her.
Claire raised her sword to parry, but the impact never came.
She suddenly felt something cold against her neck.
She looked down to see Shino’s wooden sword held there; he had moved behind her instantaneously.
“I lose,” Claire sighed.
“You’ve improved compared to a month ago, but you’re still too weak!
For the next month, we focus on mana control.” Every night, Claire was pushed to her absolute limit by Shino’s training.
When she finally dragged herself back home, she would see the “mob” Shino waiting for her.
“Sister, training looks tough!
Here, have some water,” Shino would say, handing her a glass.
“Thanks, Shino,” Claire would reply, drinking it down.
“You look tired.
Let me give you a shoulder massage!” “That would be lovely.
Thank you, Shino.” As Shino massaged her shoulders, Claire could feel the exhaustion from her intense training sessions miraculously melting away.