A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life - Chapter 67

Chapter 67   Thoughts of Kujou Sakura

——◆◇◆◇——

“Starting today, we have new companions joining our training! Some of you may have seen their faces or spoken with them before, but take this opportunity to grow even closer.”

The eventful first day came to an end, and now it was the second day.

Unlike yesterday, where I was suddenly thrown into one-on-one training with Tenma, today I had gathered with everyone else at the training grounds. It looks like our training is about to begin… though we’ll be going our separate ways soon enough after this.

It’s only for a week, but I’ll do my best in this training. Otherwise, coming all this way would be pointless, and enduring Tenma’s grueling training would lose its meaning.

But just as I was fired up with determination…

“…Why are you here?”

“I was about to ask you the exact same thing.”

To my surprise, the person participating was Kujou. Toudou, her attendant, was also there, though both of them were looking at us with slight frowns.

Apparently, just as Tenma said, they were here as new trainees. But why her? Shouldn’t she be able to train at her own home? And isn’t she busy with all sorts of responsibilities?

Once Tenma finished introducing them, the trainees dispersed to focus on their respective tasks. The only ones left were me, Inori, Tenma, and Kujou.

But man, this is awkward. It would have been better if Toudou had stayed with us, but she’s not a “Blessed One.” Unlike us, she’ll be following the general training menu with the others.

“…We have a connection to this place since we trained here in the past, and Kiriya invited us.”

“I just… thought I should train a little.”

“I see.”

“That’s right.”

“…”
“…”

Are we really going to train together like this?

——◆◇◆◇——

The day before summer vacation began, Kujou Sakura had returned to her home on the Japanese mainland instead of staying at school. Other students, too, could return home during the summer vacation if they submitted a request. However, most would typically relax for at least a day before heading back.

The reason Sakura didn’t follow this common practice and returned immediately after the closing ceremony was because her schedule was already packed, even during summer vacation.

While other students had more flexible timelines, Sakura, being part of the imperial bloodline, was naturally burdened with a busier itinerary.

One might wonder if Sakura, who was on the verge of summer vacation, felt any frustration or dissatisfaction about her situation. Of course, she did.

However, having been raised as a “good girl,” Sakura had never been one to voice complaints or act selfishly. She had simply followed her parents’ words without protest.

This time was no different. She wanted to rebel. She wanted to overturn everything.

But now was not the time. Acting recklessly at this moment would yield no results and would only lead to even more restrictions in her life.

It was precisely because she understood this that Sakura didn’t resist. Instead, she had been preparing to change her situation. However… things weren’t going as smoothly as she hoped.

No, the preparations themselves were progressing well. If things continued as they were, Sakura could achieve some degree of freedom in about ten years. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be enough.

At first, she was content with that plan. But then she discovered an unexpected “power,” and her ambitions grew.

That “power” was the sibling pair, Sahara Seiji and Sahara Inori. Sakura was convinced that if those two cooperated with her, she could accelerate her plans by several years. That’s why she had taken action… but so far, she hadn’t received a positive response.

She sighed, deciding that she would have to patiently close the distance between them and gradually earn their trust. But this thought only caused her mind to drift back to Seiji.

A Blessed One. Sakura herself was one, and it wasn’t her first time seeing someone else’s blessing in action. Yet, for some reason, the image of Seiji wielding his blessing remained vividly etched in her mind.

Sakura’s wish was “to defeat monsters and protect everyone.” However, she had failed to fulfill that wish.

The circumstances had been bad. The timing had been poor. There had been many reasons for her failure.

But a wish granted by a god isn’t something one can simply rationalize away.

And because of the defeat she felt in being unable to accomplish what Seiji had done, Sakura couldn’t forget the image of him from that moment.

I lost. I was useless. If only I had that kind of power… I…

“Haah… No, this won’t do. I have to pull myself together.”

Sakura realized her thoughts were beginning to spiral into negativity and muttered to herself in an attempt to reset her mindset.

But despite being alone in her room, there was someone who had overheard her quiet words.

“Sakura? Is something wrong?”

Toudou Hikari, Sakura’s childhood friend and bodyguard, had returned home alongside her right after the closing ceremony.

Although, in Hikari’s case, “home” didn’t exactly mean her own house.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Really? Hmm… but you kind of look like you’re worrying about something.”

“It’s really nothing.”

“If you say so… but if something comes up, let me know, okay? If there’s anything I can do, I’ll help. And even if there isn’t, I’ll still do something to help!”

“…Thank you, Hikari.”

Sakura didn’t think it was something she should share with someone else, nor did she see any reason to burden others with unnecessary worry. So, she brushed it off. However, contrary to Sakura’s intentions, Hikari furrowed her brows in concern.

Seeing the expression she had caused with her evasiveness, Sakura reconsidered. Maybe she should share at least a little. After a brief moment of hesitation, she spoke.

“…Hikari, you saw Sahara-san’s power—the Blessing—the other day, didn’t you?”

“Hmm? Oh, you mean the brother, right? Yeah, I saw it. That thing where tons of hands came out, right? What about it?”

“What did you think of it?”

“What did I think…? Hmm, well, I guess I just thought, ‘Oh, so he’s a Blessed One, huh?’ That’s about it.”

“I see…”

For Hikari, who fought merely to survive and had no particular wish grand enough to become a Blessed One, that was probably all it meant to her.

But Sakura was different. She had a wish—to defeat monsters. To protect others.

And yet, she couldn’t save anyone in the end.

But even if she voiced those feelings, Hikari wouldn’t truly understand why Sakura was so troubled.

Hikari was one of Sakura’s few close friends—perhaps her only true friend. Yet, she couldn’t be a real understanding companion. After all, Hikari wasn’t a Blessed One. There was no way she could understand the struggles and burdens that came with it.

Understanding this, Sakura chose not to say anything more and instead shifted the conversation away.

“Hey, have you ever thought about wanting a Blessing?”

“Nope, never. I mean, knowing what you’ve been through because of it, how could I ever wish for something like that?”

“…I see.”

“When you think about it, those two are pretty incredible, huh? They’ve been through a lot.”

Hearing her only close friend praise those who had achieved something Sakura herself could not, a dull ache spread deep in her chest.

“And their incantations, too. I don’t remember every word, but it was something like, ‘I want to save someone,’ right? To gain a Blessing with such a wish… they’re such good people, aren’t they?”

“…Yes. They’re nothing like me.”

Sakura was a Blessed One, but she hadn’t become one through a pure, heartfelt wish. The Kujou family had needed a Blessed One for their own purposes. So, they had subjected all their children to harsh training and an education so intense it bordered on brainwashing.

The result of that was Kujou Sakura. Unlike Seiji, who had obtained his Blessing through a genuine desire to save someone, Sakura had been conditioned—forced to believe she had to save others, that she had to defeat demonic creatures. It was less a wish and more an obsessive compulsion drilled into her through years of relentless pressure.

Even though Sakura had become a Blessed One, she knew her wish wasn’t pure—it was twisted from the very beginning. Because of this, she felt a wall between herself and the other Blessed Ones.

A wall—no, it was inferiority.

If it had been anyone else, Sakura might not have paid as much attention to it. Or, if their paths hadn’t crossed so closely, it might not have bothered her at all.

But Seiji and Inori were her age. They attended the same school.

And unlike her, they had become Blessed Ones through genuine, heartfelt wishes. She couldn’t stop herself from comparing their paths to her own.

Before she realized it, words had slipped from her lips.

“…Huh? Did you say something?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

But she knew that if she voiced those feelings out loud, it would only cause Hikari to worry even more. So, she smiled and brushed it off.