Some say everyone is special in their own way. My way just happens to be… painfully average: grades, looks, life. If there's a talent for mediocrity, I'd be the world champion.
My name's Sato Minato, an average high schooler, right now on the path to my average apartment.
Same buzzing from the vending machines, same lights and the cracked road, this is everything I see when I come from school.
Suddenly, an explosion shattered the silence in the distance. Without thinking, Sato sprinted toward the sound.
Finally…something happened. Same classes, same crowded trains, same homework piling up on my desk. I don't ask for another world or a grand adventure, just… something to break the loop.
He approached a park, slowing down. Marble fragments and pieces of slides and swings lie scattered across the path.
Moving forward with caution, his heart began to race, his legs felt heavy as lead, yet a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Close to the park ground Sato stopped and took a quick peek from behind a wall that seemed solid enough.
I can't believe my eyes.
In front of him were two figures.
One of them looked like a black knight clad in thick armor, a red sword in hand that leaked black particles with every move.
The other… a girl in a tattered black robe, dirt clinging to every fold.
For a moment, Sato waited there, in anticipation of what would happen next.
The black knight made the first move, closing the distance with the girl in an instant. He swung from the front, but the girl dodged effortlessly.
She didn't look like she intended to fight back.
Sato kept watching, unable to look away. The clash went on like that for a while—until the wall he'd thought sturdy enough suddenly gave in, collapsing under the shockwaves of the knight's sword striking the ground.
Luckily, it didn't injure him, but on the other hand, the figures that had been fighting just a moment ago now had their eyes fixed on him.
Should I run…impossible my legs are locked in place.
Should I say something… what am I supposed to say?
"..."
Sato looked at them ready to pass out when the girl seemed to smile for a second.
She glanced at the black knight, before fixing her gaze firmly back on Sato.
For a moment, he thought he was in the middle of a race between those two, with himself as the prize. It almost made him feel special, but what came after, he wasn't ready for.
The knight lunged again when she burst into purple flames, vanishing from his sight.
Sato closed his eyes when a loud noise could be heard, like someone just hit something.
The next thing he saw, the girl was next to him clasping his hand, fingers intertwined and a big crater in the place where she stood, the knight standing next to it with the sword above the hole.
She lifted his hand gently, her lips moving in a hushed chant, murmuring words he could not understand.
Suddenly a black light flared at the back of their hands.
"What…is this?" Sato said in awe of what was happening.
Soon enough the light dissipated, what was left was just a weird symbol on his hand.
The knight seemed like it stopped in place, just glaring at the girl.
"Say, Black Knight, are you up for a second round ?"
She said this confidently but in her current state, she didn't look capable of dodging another attack.
The knight exhaled heavily once, leaving both unsure if it had been an attempt at words, but the intention was clear. He didn't want to escalate things.
In an instant he jumped high in the air and landed on a nearby house, continuing so until they couldn't see him anymore.
At that moment, it was just Sato and the strange girl, who seemed to be staring into the distance as if waiting for the man to be far enough away.
While they waited, their hands remained intertwined with Sato's palms beginning to sweat.
"Finally, he is gone" she said as she realised that their hands were still together.
Suddenly, her grip on his hand loosened and she let go, starting to wipe her hand on her robe.
Come on now, it's not that bad…
A moment of silence fell between them.
"So…"
He tried to say something when all of a sudden she covered his mouth.
"Not here. Someone could overhear. Do you have somewhere we can go?"
I don't really know what to do now. All of this feels like a scene straight out of a manga… but fine, I'll go along with it.
"M'place… we can… go… if y'want."
She took her hand from his mouth and briefly looked at it, then wiped it again against her clothes as if trying to brush away his breath.
Okay, you did that to yourself.
"Sounds good." She said, her voice suddenly bored.
They started to walk in silence. The autumn night was cold, but the person next to Sato felt even colder.
Eventually, they made it to the apartment where Sato opened the door, letting her go in first as he followed behind.
As they entered she took off her shoes, going straight into the living room where she sat down on the couch.
Meanwhile, he put down his school stuff in his room while she waited for him patiently.
She stayed quiet, giving no sign she wanted to speak, so he decided to break the ice… or in this case, the iceberg.
"So…who are you?"
Upon hearing this, she looked at Sato, her eyes narrowing almost to a glare. She scanned him from head to toe, then let out a sigh.
Is she disappointed or something, I can't tell.
"Irina."
That was everything she said, her name, nothing else.
"Ok, Irina, what are you?"
For a moment she looked at Sato and then away.
"A hero."
Okay, okay, we're getting somewhere. But hero my ass, what is that attitude? She's already starting to tick me off.
"Alright, Irina. You're a hero… can you tell me more about yourself?"
I feel like I am talking to an infant.
The tension began to rise as he waited in anticipation for an answer.
"No."
I swear one of my veins is gonna pop!
Look here you antisocial ice queen,even if you can probably snap my neck in two, I am this close to stop being reasonable…
Telling her all of this will most likely bring me death, so for the last time…
"Look Irina, if you don't tell me anything, I will not know what everything I have just seen is about, so, if you can tell me…"
A long sigh slipped from her lips. Was it defeat, or just boredom? He couldn't tell, but he chose to count it as a victory.
"Here's what happened: your world was chosen by The Grand Bell to appear. Because of that, Nexus sent one hundred heroes to fight for it… Are you happy now?"
That statement alone left him with more questions than answers.
…From what she described, all I can think about is a battle royal, but what is Nexus?
"Well…"
Sato was quickly interrupted by her.
"If you want to know more about Nexus, forget about it."
"But why?"
"Rules."
"What rules?"
"Rules that must be kept, anything else?" She asked, checking her manicure.
Some duct tape for your mouth would be nice…wish I could say that out loud.
"So what else can you tell me?"
"The fact that you are not needed anymore" She said coldly.
For a moment, Sato was at a loss for words.
Did I hear that right?
"What do you mean by that?"
"It means what it means, I needed you just to boost my powers a little to scare that knight away, now that everything is over you are no longer useful."
What does she mean by 'boosting her power'? Was that what happened when she grabbed my hand?…Fuck it, I can't think straight after hearing that…
With a frustrated hand to his forehead, he recalled the blinding light… and the mark it left on the back of his hand.
"The mark, the mark is what raised your power, in that case it must be some kind of contract, right?"
Irina was taken aback by that statement.
"I see. So you've got a brain after all. Too bad it means nothing in your case."
"And why is that?"
Did she really have to insult me?
Irina hesitated briefly, maybe because she was afraid to say too much, but at last she said what she wanted.
"That's because you have barely any mana."
Mana… you can always hear about it in novels and fantasy movies, but is it really real? I was looking for something interesting in this blank life, but I never expected something like this.
If mana is the problem, then I should be able to train it in some way or another, at least I hope it's possible.
"You say that the reason why I am useless is because I don't have enough mana, in that case help me increase it, this way we both will benefit from it."
A chuckle could be heard coming from her.
"Help you increase it, that is funny…"
Suddenly her tone became serious.
"Listen here, everyone is born with a certain amount of mana in this world, in your case, you have basically none, do you get it? I am not looking for a weak exis."
Those words hit Sato hard, making him avoid her gaze and look down at the floor.
How can this be? I know I've never had talent, I've never been good at anything, but now, even with this opportunity in front of me, I'm still not enough…
Sato shook his head then, in an instant, slapped both of his cheeks…
Irina seemed to be surprised by his reaction.
You decided to not make this easy world, very well then, bring it on. I am gonna take this challenge, even if it means sacrificing all of me, I will change my life.
He got up from the sofa, now standing in front of her with his hand on his chest.
"In that case, I will train to become a good…exis for you, I will do anything in my powers to keep this promise if you give me a chance."
Irina buried her face in her hand seeing how he didn't understand anything from what she just said but at the same time she came up with an idea.
If he is willing to do all of this, I guess I can entertain him for a while, he gets the satisfaction of me being his hero and I get a place to stay and some time to look for someone with more potential.
"Very well then, I will give you a chance" she said with a fake smile.