Data shows that men have better stamina than women.
But as far as I know, there isn't that big of a difference between me and Ayanokouji-senpai.
That belief stems from the confidence and conviction gained from training ever since I was small.
But I now clearly understand that it was far too naive of me.
Ayanokouji-senpai hasn't been the least tired these recent days.
He's always at about 50-60 percent and clears every obstacle like nothing.
He's easily surpassing me, climbing the towering cliffs.
If this goes on, I won't manage to follow him.
I have to avoid falling too far back no matter what.
Fearing that everything would end, I forcibly made up my mind.
"What are you doing?"
"Don't... mind me. I will, catch up to you, at my own pace...!"
If I stopped climbing and fell down from here, that would mean I amounted to just that.
I fervently stretched my arm and grabbed onto the rocky surface.
While my mind was brimming with willpower, my hands were screaming at their limits.
"Retiring will be the least of your worries if you fall from here."
Whether I retired or not wasn't that important to me.
It was whether I could catch up to him or not. Everything depended on that.
I focused on my arms and legs when suddenly he came back to me.
"Grab on."
Seeing how desperate I was, he held out his hand.
"N-no, I won't have it. Since one of the conditions for following you was that you wouldn't help me... Don't mind me and go on, please."
Even though climbing here was so dangerous, he went down to me without a worry.
He's always collected and there are so many things I don't know about it. As expected, this person isn't normal.
From what he brazenly did during the fight with Housen to this.
"It would leave a bad aftertaste if I went ahead and you hurt yourself. It would be one thing if you asked me for it, but I'm offering this kindness of my own accord. Don't mind it."
"But...!"
"We're wasting time as we speak. Am I right?"
I no longer had any places I could escape to.
The more I resisted, the more I realised how much I wasted his precious time.
"...Yes."
I couldn't hide my frustration as I took his hand.
"Senpai... have you ever climbed before?"
"No, this is the first time I'm moving up like this."
"Is that so..."
He raised me along with my heavy backpack up.
This person really possesses unfathomable abilities after all.
I wonder if I'm even able to cross blades with him...
No, that's not important.
He's definitely—definitely a person I have to defeat.
And then I must drag out that person.
That's why I came to this school in the first place.
It's the only goal I have.