A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life

Chapter 64 Future Challenges

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“You’re just way too strong…”

We fought for quite a while, but in the end, Inori and I couldn’t defeat Tenma.

I think we pushed him pretty far. It was two against one, and I’m pretty sure we did a decent job.

But beyond this point, it would’ve turned into a real fight to the death, and more importantly, I was at my limit. My arms had been crushed so many times that I couldn’t even feel them anymore, and fighting any further was simply impossible. The battle had come to an end.

“What are you saying? I was at my limit as well. It was an excellent training session.”
“Limit? You barely took any real hits!”
“That’s not true. My entire body is covered in bruises. I’m just putting on a brave face.”
“Yeah, sure… It doesn’t look that way at all.”

While saying this, Tenma extended his arm towards me. And now that I looked closely, I could see some faint bruises forming. Should I heal them? …No, it’s probably fine. He’ll recover on his own. I know he doesn’t have any healing abilities, but with this guy, it just feels like he’ll somehow heal anyway.

Besides, if it’s really necessary, the Kamiarizuki family will handle it.

“Now then, about you two… Seiji, your issue is simple: you’re not used to using your ability.”
“Well, yeah… That makes sense. I’ve barely used it until now.”

This time, I went all out, using my ability to produce hundreds of arms, but I couldn’t control them all perfectly.

When you think about it, it’s obvious. Even humans struggle to perfectly control the two arms they naturally have.

While rough, sweeping control is fine for cornering an opponent, moving hundreds—no, even dozens—of arms smoothly is incredibly difficult.

Still, I managed to use them well enough to set traps and restrict movement, so I think I deserve a little credit.

“Indeed. But that won’t cut it moving forward. The ability to produce countless arms can be an extremely powerful skill if mastered. However, humans aren’t naturally equipped to control numerous arms. Humans have only two. Right now, while your movements aren’t bad, you’re focusing too much on controlling your arms, and your body movements are suffering as a result. You must learn to move freely, even while controlling those arms in combat.”
“Yes, sir.”

I already knew that, but hearing it directly from someone far stronger than me makes it clear what I need to work on.

“Next is Inori… I don’t have much to say about you. Your martial arts forms are solid, and your output is excellent. In a pure test of strength, I wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”
“Yet you managed to deflect everything I threw at you.”
“Well, of course. Who do you think taught you those forms? No matter how fast or strong you are, if I already know your form, I can easily counter it.”

That makes perfect sense. The foundation of Inori’s fighting style was learned here at Kamiarizuki. And the man standing before us, Tenma, is the former head of the family.

Inori might be frustrated that she couldn’t land a solid hit, but Tenma knows every form and every countermeasure inside and out.

“More importantly, there’s a bigger issue. You act too much to protect Seiji.”

At those words, Inori frowned deeply, and without meaning to, I found myself frowning as well.

But Tenma wasn’t wrong. Inori had indeed prioritized protecting me throughout the fight.

“Well, that’s my ‘wish’, so it can’t be helped.”

Inori’s wish is “I want my family to keep smiling,” and protecting her ‘family’ is at the core of her actions.

Because of that, whenever I’m in danger, she’ll drop everything to come and protect me.

“I understand that. However, you must realize that such actions can sometimes endanger Seiji instead. Don’t just focus on immediate results or short-term gains—think about what will ultimately benefit Seiji in the long run. If you do that, you’ll be able to act without leaning too heavily towards simply protecting him, even in the heat of battle.”
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Good. That’s all I ask. Protecting someone doesn’t always mean directly shielding them.”

Inori didn’t seem entirely convinced, but perhaps she thought it was at least worth considering. Satisfied with her response, Tenma gave a firm nod.

“Well then, let’s head back. The sun is setting, and the others should be finishing their training around this time.”

Phew, finally. I didn’t expect to be thrown straight into training the moment we arrived here, but today’s experience was genuinely valuable. It wasn’t a waste, nor do I have anything to complain about. But wow, the exhaustion is something else.

But tonight, all that’s left is to rest and maybe get to know the other trainees better.

Thinking about it like that, there’s a bit of a special vibe to this, like a school field trip. It’s kind of exciting.

Alright, let’s head back—wait, huh? How do we get back from here?

When I came here, Tenma practically dragged me along, so I didn’t exactly walk a proper path. I have no clue where we are.

I think I have a rough idea of the direction, but we’re in the middle of the mountains. If I wander aimlessly, I’ll probably get lost.

So… does that mean I’m going to have to be carried back like a piece of luggage again?