The Hero With The Power of Song (Female Reader x Rise of The Shield Hero)

Episode 24: Path To An Open Mind

(Y/N): I don't think I asked, but how do I even awaken my Clear Mind?

I ask her through the silence of our walk. As we get high above the mountains and back into the Hero's training grounds, I hear her sigh.

Shirabe: You must be able to control the energy that flows through you. Your body seems to still struggle to adapt to the predicament you are in.

(Y/N): The whole being summoned in another world thing?

Shirabe: Correct.

After we walked past the clouds, Shirabe immediately jumps onto one of the floating rocks.

Shirabe: You must be willing to let your body act on it's own. Relinquish control and follow purely on your instincts.

(Y/N): That seems hard.

Mary: But you rely on your gut feeling a lot. It should be easy.

(Y/N): Okay, yeah I get it. But it isn't as easy as it seems. Yeah, I trust my gut feeling, but I also have to think about it. Usually my gut says something stupid so I have to rethink it.

Shirabe: That won't do. If you overthink, then you'll lose.

(Y/N): Your not making this seem any easier.

Shirabe: It's not. Now then, let us begin.

I sigh before jumping onto a rock and taking a stance. I stare at her for a moment before she swings her arm, causing two pink disk to fly twords me.

She never did that before. When did she learn-

I had to cut my thoughts short and jump to another rock as they sliced the previous one apart.

Shirabe: Your not focusing.

(Y/N): Sorry. It's just that I never saw you do that before.

Shirabe: You need to be focusing.

As she says that, she sends three more disk my way. I summon my weapon and armor before deflecting them. But they turn around and come back at me. I look to Shirabe and jump across the rocks twords her.

She makes five smaller ones and send them at me. I easily jump over them before deflecting one of the bigger disk. As I'm turning back to face her, I see that she's gone.

I land on a rock and quickly gaze around before finding her trying to make space between us.

I chase after her to close our distance.

I summoned my weapon and punched one of them. My knuckle grinds against the spinning blade before I'm able to punch it back at her.

When it was sent back, she just held up her hand and had the disk circle around her before sending it back at me. She then made a motion that has it split apart.

I quickly shift through my skills to see if I can do anything.

All the skills are locked... That's what I get for not using my points.

I quickly shift through the menu and grab the first available skill I could use. I don't know if this will work...but...

Is there even an explanation?

{Spear Thrusting Strike LV.1}
{Assault your opponent with a frontal strike by preforming [214+LP]. Can be charged.}

Huh? The hell? How am I supposed to do that? The hell do the numbers even mean? And what does 'LP' mean? Life points?...No, that wouldn't make sense.
.....

Go with your gut she said...alright. If this works or not...then I'm about to find out!

My gautlet glows yellow as I pull my arm back. Shirabe raise her arms and commanded the disk to fly at me from different angles. I jump off a rock and flip through the air as I evade them before continuing my pursuit. Shirabe raised her arms Infront of her and made a field of energy.

I punched the barrier. My gautlet pulled back before slamming forward, causing the field to break. I followed up by stepping forward and get her with another punch that connects to her stomach.

(Y/N): Spear Thrusting Strike!

My gautlet pulled back as my fist connected before slamming in as I thrust my arm forward. She goes flying before her back gets sent through a rock. She kept flying before a bit before she stopped herself.

I suddenly find myself breathing heavily. As I was catching my breath, I look up to see her floating twords me.

Shirabe: Impressive. Not only did you learn a new skill in the middle of combat, but you put it to use immediately.

(Y/N): Well...yeah. I had to see what it even does.

Shirabe: And you were right to do so. That was your first glimpse of Clear Mind.

(Y/N): Huh? Wait really?

Shirabe: Clear Mind isn't just about focusing on the battle, it's also about focusing on using ones own strengths and abilities to their fullest. In your case, you used them the moment you found out. In battle, you don't have time to weigh every option and plan out your attack. You need to just go with yhe first thing you think of and look for the outcome as you go.

(Y/N): Okay... I think I get it... Yeah...Yeah! I get it now!

After catching my breath, I do some stretches before looking at her. Although, she had moved from her previous position. I had quickly turned and blocked her elbow from hitting me.

Shirabe: You caught on quickly.

(Y/N): I get how it works now. I've said that I don't always trust my gut instincts, but that wasn't the problem. It was that I doubted myself. I didn't trust my gut because of it. If I look past that and just do it-

I swing at her, my fist connecting with her face as she was sent flying through the air.

(Y/N): Then I'll be able to just do it!

A spark of light comes off of my body. I take a deep breath before couching down. After waiting a few seconds, I then jumped into the air, avoiding two big disk that cut the rock to pieces.

I'm starting to understand. It's not just pushing away any doubt I have, it's going with that doubt and using it as fuel. If I just go with the flow, then mastering this Clear Mind will be easier then I thought.

As the disk approached me from my sides, I swing my arms out and shatter them.

Shirabe: Ready to continue?

(Y/N): Ready as ever!