A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life - Chapter 11

Chapter 11   Weapon Selection

“…Inori sure has a sharp tongue, doesn’t she?”

Deciding it would be best to stay away from Kujou and her group for the time being, we moved away. Even after all that commotion, Kiriya wasn’t the least bit hesitant to follow us.

“She’s normally a good kid if nothing’s wrong. But, she has her own wish…”

“Her wish… for everyone to be happy and smiling, right?”

“You remember that well. It’s impressive you caught that from just one mention, especially since it wasn’t even shouted.”

I couldn’t help but be genuinely impressed that he remembered such a thing in the heat of the moment after hearing it just once.

“Well, I was standing pretty close by. But yeah, if she got her ‘blessing’ from such a kind wish, it makes sense she’d get angry if someone was about to get hurt.”

“Not just anyone… but yeah, something like that.”

Inori’s wish—her ‘blessing’ isn’t just about simple physical enhancement; it comes with some conditions. If the people she wants to protect—her “everyone”—aren’t around, she can’t use her full power.

But that “everyone” isn’t literal. To Inori, the “everyone” she wants to protect is her family, and to her, I’m the only family she has left.

That’s why Inori got so furious when I was in danger. Because to her, I’m the last of her “everyone” that matters.

“But wait… didn’t you say you guys weren’t ‘Blessed Ones’?”

“No, I just said I’m not a special scholarship student. I never said anything about Inori.”

“…I see how it is. Damn, you got me.”

Kiriya let out a bitter laugh, exhaling deeply.

“Still, now that you’ve figured out who the second special scholarship student is, and you’ve become friends with her, isn’t that a win for you?”

After saying that, I wondered if I was being a bit mean. I mean, implying that his newfound friendship involved house politics could easily be taken as sarcasm.

“Well, it’s nice to have something to report back home, but imagine how it feels to have to sell out a friend, even if it’s to your parents.”

But Kiriya didn’t seem bothered by it, just shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah, that’s a bummer. You could still walk away from any trouble, you know?”

“You’re joking, right? We’ve just become friends. I’m not backing out because of some trouble or family matters. It’s my life, I’m going to live it how I want.”

“Well, if you need help, just say the word. I’m willing to help out, at least a bit.”

“Really? Then, I’ll count on you when the time comes.”

We both had our secrets and circumstances. But even so, we decided to reaffirm our friendship, knowing full well what we were getting into.

“Still, this seems like it’s going to get complicated… what do you think?”

“…Nah, I think it’ll be fine. From any angle, she was in the wrong. There may have been a bit of provocation, but Toudou’s use of a skill in that situation was completely out of line. They wouldn’t risk embarrassing themselves further. Actually, they might even issue a formal apology later.”

“With a request to keep the scandal quiet, right?”

For a moment, I wondered who Toudou was, but it was probably the name of that bodyguard student.

But now that I think about it, it makes sense. People hate having their scandals spread, and if they’re people of power, that’s even more true. If they were to attack out of spite after such an incident with so many witnesses, it could become a huge scandal.

If their opponent had been a regular person, there might have been a chance of that happening. But now that Inori has been revealed as a “Blessed One,” there’s no way they could keep it under wraps. They’d have to hesitate before making a move.

“Brother, are you hurt?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking if you’re hurt?”

I sighed in relief, realizing I didn’t need to worry about what Kujou and her group might do next. Inori then asked me, looking concerned.

But it was Inori who deflected the other person’s “blessing,” so she should be the one we’re worried about getting hurt.

“I’m fine, you know my abilities.”

I know Inori wouldn’t die from an attack of that level. But still, I’m worried. I’m your big brother, and you’re my “little sister,” after all.

“Even so, you’re my little sister. Of course, I’m worried.”

“A siscon and a brocon, huh…”

As I was talking with Inori, Kiriya chimed in from the side with something rude. How am I a siscon, exactly?

“I’m not.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

But my denial and Inori’s agreement with Kiriya’s words overlapped, and we ended up looking at each other.

“…”

Well, whatever. It doesn’t matter how others see us. To me, we’re just a normal brother and sister, and that fact—that she’s my precious sister—doesn’t change.

——◆◇◆◇——

“Today, you’ll be choosing the weapons you will use.”

It had been a few days since we acquired our skills, and today, it seemed we would be selecting our equipment for actual combat. We had been brought to the equipment storage room.

“You all obtained your skills a week ago, and by now, you should have a general understanding of their capabilities. Choose weapons that match your skills.”

I see. Even though this is a school for fighting monsters, so far, the only combat-related class we had was martial arts. I guess that makes sense. If we chose weapons before knowing our skills and ended up with something that didn’t suit us, we’d have to pick different weapons and start training all over again. That would be inefficient, so it’s more logical to choose our weapons after learning our skills.

“But, picking a weapon…”

Even so, being told to suddenly choose a weapon when you’ve never held a proper one before is pretty overwhelming. The closest things I’ve ever held to a weapon are a wooden sword from a souvenir shop or a bamboo sword from gym class. Maybe a kitchen knife, if that counts? Anyway, the only “weapons” I’ve ever handled are of that level.

But here, there’s a wide variety of weapons: swords, spears, katanas, axes, guns, bows—even chakrams, whips, and blow darts. There’s practically everything you could imagine.

It’s only natural to feel lost when asked to pick one from all these options, right?

“If you’ve never used one, just pick something up and try it out,” Kiriya said, coming up beside me as I was staring at the weapons on display.

“What, have you already decided?”

“Of course. My skill is for the ‘sword.’ Well, technically, a katana.”

Kiriya said this while patting the katana at his waist. Right, his family is known for their swordsmanship. So this choice makes perfect sense for him.

“Ah, that’s right. But, hey, maybe you could use a spear or something.”

I think Kiriya’s skill allows him to “wrap a blade around rod-like objects.” If that’s the case, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a sword; even a plain staff might work.

“Even so, I’ve been learning with a sword since I was a kid, so it’s better for me. Plus, using my skill on something that already has a blade improves its sharpness and durability.”

“Oh, you’ve really tested out your skill, huh?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Anyway, Seiji, is there any weapon you’re interested in?”

“Not really. I think katanas look cool, but I’m not sure if I could handle one properly.”

As a Japanese person, there’s a certain fascination with katanas. But I’ve also heard they’re difficult to handle. As a complete novice, I’d need considerable effort and time to become competent enough to fight monsters with one. I definitely wouldn’t become combat-ready just by a little practice.

“Well, you could always go with a double-edged sword.”

“They’re less likely to break if you handle them roughly compared to katanas, so they’re probably better for beginners.”

I agreed. Western swords are easier for beginners compared to katanas. Their blades are thicker, they have edges on both sides, and they’re straight, making the techniques for cutting simpler than with a katana.

So, I decided on a double-edged sword as my main weapon, but I still needed to choose a secondary weapon. Apparently, everyone should learn to use at least two types of weapons to be ready for different situations.

“As for the secondary… a dagger should be fine.”

“But for someone who’s never held a weapon before, choosing a second one is a bit much. If I try learning two weapons at once, I’ll probably end up being mediocre with both. It’s probably safer to pick something that doesn’t require much skill.”

“That’s pretty half-hearted, you know.”

“What’s the point of using a complicated weapon if you can’t master it? With a dagger, at least, I might be able to rely on instinct.”

Besides, a sword and a dagger are a common combination, right? At least, that’s what I’ve seen in games and such.

Also… based on my ability, a dagger seems like a good match. Not just a dagger, but other small weapons too.

“Aren’t you going to choose anything, Inori?”

After deciding on my weapons, I looked around. Inori stood a little away from the weapon rack, deep in thought.

“Brother… wouldn’t I be stronger just punching things than using a weapon? So, even if I’m told to choose a weapon, I just don’t see the point.”

Now that she mentions it, she has a point. In Inori’s case, she’s already strong and durable, so she doesn’t really need a weapon. In fact, using a weapon might even weaken her because she’d have to worry about breaking it. If she tried swinging a sword with her full strength, she’d probably snap it in half in an instant.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense for you. You could just pick a random sword or something.”

“Hmm… yeah… oh! Then I’ll take this one… and that one too.”

Inori chose a sword as tall as a person with a blade that looked several times thicker than a normal one, and a plain handgun.

“Hey, I said to pick something random, but isn’t that a bit too random?”

I get the sword. It’s more like a heavy piece of metal than a regular blade, but with Inori’s strength, she could probably swing it around with ease.

But the handgun? That seems a little too random. It really looks like she just grabbed it as an afterthought.

“But I can’t do any long-range attacks, right? So having a gun would be useful, wouldn’t it?”

“Maybe, but it probably won’t work against monsters.”

“It’s not like it would have no effect at all. It could at least distract them or draw their attention. Besides, our enemies aren’t just monsters.”

…Well, she has a point. Even if it’s not very effective against monsters, it could still do the job of injuring or killing a human—like a demon.

Considering that, Inori’s choice isn’t wrong.

However, this school is mainly about fighting monsters. Yet, her first choice of weapon seems more suited for fighting other beings. It made me realize what Inori was thinking when she chose her weapons.

“—It looks like everyone has chosen their weapons. From now on, you will attend classes with the instructors assigned to your weapon types. Also, even though you have chosen your weapons, carrying them outside of class is prohibited. If you have your own personal weapons, not the school’s equipment, make sure they are properly stored.”

And so, about two weeks after enrollment, we finally began classes and felt like we belonged in a school meant to train warriors.