A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life - Chapter 69

Chapter 69   Last Day of Training

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“—Ahh, I’m so tired!”

“That’s unusual. You, getting this tired? I mean, it’s training, sure, but regular conditioning wouldn’t wear you out that much, right?”

“Yeah, but this time I had my blessing sealed, weights strapped all over my body, and, unlike the others, attacks kept flying at me even while I was doing other tasks! They didn’t hurt enough to cause injuries, but they still stung, so I couldn’t just ignore them. Dodging them needlessly wore me out.”

“Good job. Well, it’s just a week, so hang in there.”

“What about you, big brother? What were you doing?”

“Me? After basic conditioning, I did… a marathon with my blessing activated, I guess?”

“Why do you sound unsure?”

“Well, it wasn’t just running like a marathon. I climbed cliffs too. The focus was mainly on getting used to using my ‘hand’ in action. Then there was sparring.”

“Oh, I did sparring too. Actually, that was the main focus of my training.”

They hadn’t expected Kujou to show up, but even so, nothing particularly notable happened, and the training progressed smoothly.

Initially, they thought the training would be exclusively for blessing holders, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. Today’s session involved mingling with others.

Today’s task involved running through the mountains while using their blessings. The goal seemed to be strengthening the duration and control of their blessings, as well as basic physical conditioning. Others were doing similar training, which was a relief—being the only one using abilities might have felt isolating.

Though there were differences from past training sessions, it was clear this would be useful in the long run. …Not that understanding this made it any less grueling.

“By the way, Kujou-san was here too.”

Since Kujou’s blessing specializes in long-range attacks, she often trains separately from the group. Today, however, she wasn’t with them. The same was true for Inori.

Inori is in a league of her own. Even without using her blessing, she could easily handle training that others found grueling. It made sense that Inori’s regimen was different, but apparently, Kujou was with her this time.

From what Inori mentioned about the training, it sounded like Kujou was firing arrows while Inori was doing her own tasks. Just imagining it made the intensity of the session clear.

“Oh, and speaking of, that girl—Toudou Hikari—she kept glancing over here like she had something to say. Do you know anything about that?”

“Toudou, huh. I haven’t heard of anything specific… You didn’t get into a fight, did you?”

Toudou is likely serving as Kujou’s bodyguard, so it’s not unusual for her to be close by. That part is fine, but still…

Although it’s an issue that’s already been resolved, there was once a dispute between Inori and Toudou. Inori harbors no hard feelings—she truly doesn’t think anything of it. But the same can’t be said for Toudou. Even at school, she rarely talks to Inori. Actually, does she even speak to her at all? She only responds when absolutely necessary, like during required communications or in situations where a nod suffices.

Knowing how the two usually behave, I can’t help but feel a little concerned about how they’ll manage spending time together in this somewhat isolated environment.

“I won’t start anything! Do you really think I’m that childish?”

“You’re still a kid. At the very least, I don’t think either of us is as grown-up as we like to think.”

Physically and mentally, we’re still kids. Especially Inori.

In terms of intense experiences, both Inori and I probably have more than most. It’s fair to say our way of thinking is more adult-like than that of other kids. The same goes for our intelligence.

But when it comes to emotional maturity, neither Inori nor I are anywhere close to being adults. There’s no way I’d call us grown-ups.

“In terms of intelligence and physical abilities, we’ve probably already surpassed adults, though.”

“Being human isn’t just about strength or skills. What truly defines us as human is the heart. Without that growth, you’re still a child, no matter how much time passes.”

Even if it’s a doll or a robot, as long as it has emotions and acts with a sense of self, I’d consider it a person. On the flip side, if someone has the body of an adult but a childish heart, I’d still see them as a kid—a brat.

In short, it all comes down to the state of the heart.

“The heart, huh.”

“That said, I think you’ve grown a lot compared to before.”

It’s true. Compared to the early days, Inori has grown significantly. She’s reached a point where she could live independently in human society without any issues.

Thinking about it like that, it’s hard not to feel a bit sentimental.

“—Brother.”

As I was reminiscing, Inori suddenly called out to me. Her tone was unusual, different from her usual self.

“Have I been doing a good job as your little sister?”

It’s a strange thing for a sister to ask her brother.

But I understand the meaning behind her words. Knowing that, I answer without hesitation. There’s only ever been one answer for me from the very start.

“…Being a sister isn’t something you have to ‘do well.’ You just need to be yourself. Don’t overthink it—just live however you want, and that’s enough.”

No matter what anyone says, Sahara Inori is my sister.

Even if the country doesn’t acknowledge it, even if our parents don’t accept it, that much will never change.

——◆◇◆◇——

About a week has passed since then. Aside from the first day, I spent the rest of the week running through the mountains, climbing cliffs with other trainees, and occasionally getting “kidnapped” by Tenma. However, today marks the final day of this routine.

Over the past week, while I didn’t make any close friends, I did form casual connections—people I’d exchange greetings with when we crossed paths. Knowing it’s all coming to an end feels a little bittersweet. I’ll still see people like Koujo, but not as often or in a setting where we can talk like we did here.

That said, it’s not like I was deeply attached. Life will simply return to normal, and losing these encounters won’t leave a significant void. Still, on this last day, it feels like more people are inclined to strike up conversations with us.

What’s been on my mind, though, is today’s training. It’s the final day, yet I can’t imagine someone like Tenma wrapping things up with a simple routine session. It feels inevitable that he has some sort of special test or challenge planned for the occasion.

My suspicion was confirmed when, after breakfast, I was changing into my training gear, and Tenma approached me with a slightly mischievous grin. Sure enough, he had something troublesome to ask of me.

It was so much of a hassle that I wanted to refuse outright, but Tenma’s persistent nature won me over, and in the end, I reluctantly agreed.

After sorting out the details, we trudged along behind an enthusiastic Tenma as he led the way. Our destination was the training ground. Though we were heading there later than usual, it couldn’t be helped after being roped into Tenma’s plans.

Feeling slightly gloomy, we made our way forward and eventually met up with Inori, who was already waiting for us. After regrouping, we continued to the training ground together.

By the time we arrived, all the other students had already gathered and were neatly lined up, waiting—not for us, but for Tenma.

It wasn’t unusual for Tenma to address everyone like this, but the fact that we were standing behind him seemed to grab everyone’s attention. The gathered students appeared more focused than usual, likely curious about what was going on.

“Everyone, you’ve done well up until now. Today, we’re going to do something a little special!”

At Tenma’s sudden announcement, the trainees exchanged confused glances and murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.

Ignoring the growing commotion, Tenma turned toward us, placing his hands on our shoulders and pushing us forward as he spoke.

“Alright, Seiji, and Inori—you two are up.”

“…So, we’re really doing this. Sigh.”
“Is Koujo-san not being called for this?”
“Who knows?”

Now that Inori mentioned it, Koujo’s absence from this event was a bit curious. She’s a fellow “Blessed,” just like us, and would seem like a natural fit for whatever Tenma had planned. Yet, there was no time to dwell on it as Tenma began addressing the gathered trainees.

“By now, through this week of training, you’ve all seen the abilities of these two firsthand. This is what it means to be ‘Blessed.’ A power unlike your own skills—a true miracle. Some of you may have come to accept this truth, while others might not fully grasp its significance. And that’s understandable. The true value of such power can only be understood when faced directly.

“Therefore, today, you’ll each have the opportunity to fight against them.”

That’s right. This was the event Tenma had asked us to participate in.

In simple terms, it was us versus the other trainees.