Chapter 499: The Girl Who Chose the Sunflower Path [Part 2]

The Girl Who Chose the Sunflower Path [Part 2]

"I’ve thought it through."

Shasa looked up at Leon.

"I want to become your student. I want to learn Pretty Sister’s red flames."

Leon almost stumbled.

He stared at her.

For several seconds, he didn’t say a word.

His expression slowly turned complicated.

Somehow, this whole situation felt backwards.

Why did it feel as though he was the one who had been begging her to acknowledge him as her Teacher?

He had only offered her an opportunity.

That was all.

Yet after hearing a few words about becoming invincible among her peers, and after Selena had promised her delicious food, Shasa had apparently made up her mind.

And now she was standing in front of him with such a serious expression.

It almost looked like she had generously decided to accept his invitation.

Leon couldn’t help himself.

The corners of his lips twitched.

This girl was really something.

He had never met anyone quite like her.

Amethyst Summit Division had always been quiet.

Sometimes, it was almost too quiet.

Only a handful of people lived there. Even the Academy Premises surrounding the division often felt deserted.

It was peaceful.

Calm.

At times, perhaps a little lonely.

But if Shasa came back with them...

Leon suddenly had a strange feeling that those peaceful days were about to come to an end.

He could already imagine it.

Shasa running around the division without a care in the world.

Rias laughing at something she had done.

Selena chasing after them while desperately trying to keep everyone under control.

And himself standing somewhere in the middle of it all, wondering how his quiet life had suddenly become so lively.

A faint smile appeared on Leon’s face.

Still, beneath that amusement was something else.

Curiosity.

He had felt it from the moment he met Shasa.

There was something unusual about this girl.

Her body was far too strong.

She had never properly cultivated, yet her physical strength was astonishing.

An ordinary young man would have struggled just to keep up with her.

Shasa, however, could overwhelm someone like that without much effort.

That wasn’t normal.

Not even close.

Leon narrowed his purple eyes slightly.

Who exactly was she?

Where had that terrifying physical strength come from?

How could someone who had never properly cultivated possess such an incredible foundation?

There were simply too many questions.

But Leon had no intention of forcing the answers out of her.

Not yet.

Some mysteries needed time.

Sometimes, the truth revealed itself on its own.

All it needed was the right moment.

Leon quietly pushed those thoughts aside.

Then he looked at Shasa again.

"Okay."

His voice was calm.

"When your understanding of cultivation improves a little, I’ll give you a Cultivation Technique."

Shasa’s eyes immediately lit up.

The reaction was so obvious that Leon almost laughed.

She really was easy to read.

He continued.

"From today onward, you’re the third student of Amethyst Summit Division."

Shasa blinked.

Leon paused for a moment.

Then he added, "The name Shasa suits you better than the old nickname you used before."

His gaze softened slightly.

"But Sunflower can remain special to you."

Shasa didn’t answer right away.

She lowered her head.

Her eyes fell on herself as she quietly thought about his words.

For a moment, Leon wondered if she was struggling to let go of that old name.

Sunflower had been with her for a long time.

It wasn’t just a nickname.

It carried memories.

It carried a part of the life she had lost.

But after a brief silence, Shasa’s expression relaxed.

There was no resistance.

No sadness.

Just a quiet acceptance.

"Okay."

That was it.

Just one word.

And with that, the decision was made.

Shasa had become Leon’s student.

A new member had joined Amethyst Summit Division.

She was a girl who had wandered through the ruins of Greyhaven City.

A girl who had survived hardship with nothing but her own strength.

A girl who loved sunflowers because their golden faces reminded her of sunlight.

And now, she had decided to step into the world of cultivation.

Leon looked at her quietly.

For some reason, he had a feeling that bringing Shasa back to Amethyst Summit Division would change things.

He just didn’t know how much.

Beside him, Selena looked at Shasa and smiled softly.

Rias smiled too.

There was something strangely warm about the scene.

Shasa stood between them.

Her long blonde hair swayed gently in the afternoon breeze.

The sunlight slipped through the strands, giving them a faint golden glow.

For the first time in a long while, she looked like someone who had somewhere to go.

She had lost a lot.

Far more than someone her age should ever have been forced to endure.

Her parents were gone.

The old Hermit who had once cared for her was gone too.

She understood that.

She understood what death meant.

She knew those people weren’t coming back.

But understanding something and accepting it were two completely different things.

A person could understand death without knowing how to live with the emptiness it left behind.

Shasa was still carrying those wounds.

She simply didn’t talk about them very much.

Instead, she held on to the little things that could still make her smile.

Sunflowers.

Good food.

Pretty Sisters.

And now...

Cultivation.

A chance to become stronger.

A chance to stand among the strongest people of her generation.

A chance to finally see the world beyond Greyhaven City.

Her fingers slowly curled into fists.

The playful light in her eyes remained.

But underneath it was something else.

Determination.

She really wanted to know how far she could go.

She wanted to meet the powerful people Rias had told her about.

She wanted to see the wider world.

And more than anything, she wanted to find out whether she could truly become invincible among her peers.

Leon turned his gaze toward the road leading away from Greyhaven City.

The wind moved through the broken streets.

Dust drifted lazily across the road.

Beyond the ruined buildings, the distant grass swayed beneath the afternoon breeze.

For a brief moment, everything was strangely peaceful.

Their journey back to Amethyst Summit Division was about to begin.

And from this moment onward, Shasa was no longer alone.

She had a Teacher.

She had Fellow Sisters.

She had somewhere to return to.

A place that could, perhaps, one day become her home.

And without realizing it, she had just taken the first step onto a path that would carry her far beyond Greyhaven City.

There was no way for her to know where that path would lead.

There was no way for Leon to know either.

For now, none of that mattered.

Shasa had only one thing on her mind.

Sunflowers.

Delicious sunflowers.

And becoming invincible among her peers.