A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life - Chapter 22

Chapter 22   The Main Target of the Attack

“Are you okay?”

“Well, yeah. But isn’t that my line? Seicchi, haven’t you never had any training or anything? You handled yourself pretty well against those guys.”

“I did take martial arts classes seriously, and I also attended a self-defense school for a while.”

More like a self-defense class rather than a martial arts school. As a “Blessed One,” the government made me undergo some training, saying they couldn’t afford to lose me. It wasn’t for a long period — just enough to cover the basics, but enough to handle opponents like this.

“Huh, that’s kind of surprising. You don’t seem like the type who would be into that sort of thing.”

Well, it’s true that I’m not really fond of moving around that much. Besides, I’ve since quit that self-defense class and am living a regular student life now.

“Anyway, I’m glad it’s over.”

“Yeah, for sure. But I wonder if four enemies were the only ones. If there were more, things might have gotten a bit tougher.”

“Yeah.”

We still had some energy left, but we weren’t looking for a fight. If there were more enemies, it would mean they were more serious, and the battle could have been much harder.

I was confident we could win, or at least survive, but I couldn’t guarantee we’d come out unscathed. If I did get hurt… well, then Inori might have lost it.

Honestly, dealing with Inori would be more of a hassle than the enemies themselves.

So in that sense, I was grateful that the number of enemies was kept to a manageable level.

“So, what do we do now? We were actually attacked, so should we wait for the police?”

Hmm, what should we do? We were indeed attacked, and there was some collateral damage around us. I did blow the enemies away pretty dramatically.

There’d probably be some questioning or something, but if others are getting attacked too, waiting here would just waste time. In the worst-case scenario, the police might only go to the areas where fighting is still ongoing, and we’d be left waiting here for nothing.

With that in mind, it might be best to meet up with everyone else quickly and then deal with the police afterward.

“…No, wouldn’t it be better to head to the meeting point as planned? This is technically part of a school activity, so even if we need to talk to the police, it’s probably better to go through the school.”

“Oh, right. Good point. Alright, let’s go.”

So, we headed to the park, our designated rendezvous point…

“Wait! Seicchi, something looks really bad over there!”

“Damn it, here too?”

At the park where we were headed, it seemed like some sort of commotion was unfolding. We could see people fleeing from the park. We couldn’t yet see anyone fighting, but if we listened closely, we could hear the distant sounds of a battle taking place.

After hearing those sounds, Toko’s pace quickened, and I hurried to follow. Sure enough, ahead of us, several students wearing our school’s uniform were surrounded by more than ten individuals dressed like ordinary civilians.

“Seicchi! Look over there!”

Toko pointed with urgency, and I understood why right away. After all, the person she was pointing at was one of the most famous figures in our class, or even in our entire school… No, they were among the most famous in the world. Someone from a family so powerful they could rival the world’s top elite. A person with the potential to truly become globally renowned in the future — the Saint herself.

“Is that… the Saint?”

It made sense. If it were her, it would be worth checking out the school club activities schedule, and it would certainly be worth causing a commotion in a place like this. Frankly, compared to Toko’s “Hoshiguma” status, it was on a whole different level. Even I couldn’t measure up to her value.

“Maybe she’s the real target? The others could be distractions or just collateral damage.”

“Would they go that far? Well, she is of royal blood. In any case, we can figure that out later. Right now, we need to help!”

I understand her value, but I have no idea how they plan to use her. However, not helping her is not an option.

Even if it means I get injured or face life-threatening danger, I can’t just stand by and watch this happen.

“Okay!”

With a battle-hungry grin, Toko briefly slowed her pace.

“Encoe Re-enact! My body becomes like that of a demon — strong, sturdy, unmatched in power. No one can defeat me, and no one can surpass me. I have the strength to crush all my enemies!”

I wondered what she was planning to do, and even though there was still some distance, Toko began chanting to activate her skill.

“—I harbor the spirit of a demon!”

A glowing halo appeared above her head, and two horns emerged from her forehead, reaching for the sky.

“Hey, wait!”

Having transformed into a demon with her skill, Toko crouched low, then, with an explosive step, surged forward, leaving me behind.

“Gah—!”
“First one down!”

Upon reaching her enemies, Toko delivered a powerful punch to the side of the closest enemy’s head, who was nearest to the Saint.

With her sudden appearance, it was as if time froze — both the Saint and her enemies stopped moving. The only ones still in motion were Toko, who had charged in, and me.

Perhaps thinking this was her chance to take down as many enemies as possible, Toko charged at another frozen enemy and aimed another punch straight at their face, just like before.

“Another student!?”

Seeing the fallen students, it seemed the attackers had already completed most of their plan, with only dealing with the Saint remaining. The attackers probably thought it was all over. Until now, they had seemed somewhat complacent, but when the second of their group was taken down, they finally realized the situation and began moving in a flurry.

“Damn, I was just starting to have some fun. Can you not interrupt?”

“Hoshiguma-san!?”

Despite being surrounded, Toko stared down the attackers with a confident air. However, the Saint was genuinely shocked by her sudden appearance, her eyes widening as she raised her voice.

“How are you doing? No injuries, right?”

“Uh, yes, I’m fine. I’ve healed the injuries of the others too.”

“Great. Then, let’s finish them off!”

With that, Toko crouched down again, preparing to charge forward.

The first time, they had been caught off guard by the surprise attack, so they took the blow head-on. But this time, expecting it and facing a direct attack, the enemy managed to brace themselves, and although Toko’s attack pushed them back, it was ultimately blocked.

“Even if reinforcements have arrived, it’s just one student! Don’t be afraid—kill the Saint!”

“Kill her? You think I’d let that happen?”

Though Toko had joined the fight, the attackers still saw her as just a student and readied their weapons, intent on attacking the Saint again.

However, with Toko as reinforcement, both the Saint and the surrounding students seemed to regain some hope. They got back on their feet and readied their weapons.

Still, while the Saint’s skill might have healed their injuries, it did not erase their fatigue. The students, though standing, appeared unsteady and in poor condition.

Seeing this, one of the attackers, assuming it would be easy to bring them down again, charged at the students without waiting for his companions.

But I wasn’t going to let that happen.

After Toko ran ahead, I didn’t immediately follow. Instead, I hid in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. And now, that opportunity had come.

I extended my blessed “hand” low to the ground, reaching to grab the attacker’s leg just as he was about to strike the students.

Caught off guard, the attacker stumbled, losing his balance. Seizing the moment, one of the students swung their weapon at the attacker.

For an attacker to be struck down by a student who was practically at death’s door was clearly unexpected. The attackers stiffened their resolve and faced the students, who also stood ready, tense, weapons at the ready.

Toko was still fighting, but she was being held off effectively by several enemies at once.

If we didn’t lose focus, we could defeat them.

That must have been their thought process. This time, the attackers moved all at once to finally bring down the students.

But my role remained unchanged. I continued to manipulate the outstretched arm, interfering with the enemies. It was all I could do, but it was enough.

The students, despite being exhausted, were warriors trained to fight monsters and demons. While the first-year students might not be as experienced, there were likely second- and third-year students among them. If that was the case, they could hold their ground.

My assumption proved correct. The students didn’t miss the small openings I created and managed to fight the enemy on even terms. But still, it was only “even.” They weren’t overpowering them.

If things continued like this, the students might end up at a disadvantage. I could solve the problem quickly by fully utilizing my blessing, but doing so would mean giving up my “ordinary” life. But accepting the loss of those before me… that was not an option.

“Damn it, what’s happening here!?”

“Look at the ground! There’s a hard-to-see arm extending near our feet. Don’t get grabbed!”

“An arm? Seicchi, you’re doing great!”

While I was debating whether to get directly involved, the attackers finally noticed what was happening and pointed in my direction, shouting. The students seemed confused, not understanding the situation, but despite being in the middle of a fight, Toko glanced at me with a delighted expression.

“That’s him! Aim for that student!”

“So, they’ve figured it out. Well, with something this conspicuous, it was bound to happen.”

With a glowing halo above my head, there was no way I could stay hidden, even if I tried to keep to the shadows. Now that my position was exposed, there was no point in staying put.

Deciding this, I dashed out from my hiding spot, running towards the enemy and slipping past them to reach Toko. At the same time, I extended my “hand” towards the enemies she was fighting, hindering his movements.

“What the—!?”

“I told you, stop getting in the way!”

Toko didn’t waste a moment. The instant the enemies were immobilized, she hit and kicked them, taking each one down with a single blow.

“Seicchi!”

Finally, Toko, catching her breath, ran over to me with a bright smile, and we managed to regroup.