Chapter 1 — The Useless One
The sun dipped low behind the hills as the wind whispered through the countryside trees. Kaito Arisaka sat on the edge of the wooden porch, chin resting on his knees, eyes hollow. Behind him, the sound of birds chirping and a kettle boiling on the stove meant little. His world had already gone quiet.
He had come here—to his grandmother's home in the countryside—not for vacation, but to escape. Escape the silent stares of his classmates. Escape the achievements of his friend, Renji, whose combat Skill "Strick" had already made him a top candidate for Hero University. Escape the empty looks of teachers who pretended not to pity him.
> "You're not worthless," his grandmother had told him that morning. "You just haven't found the place where you shine."
Kaito had only smiled.
---
Two Weeks Earlier
> "You again, Arisaka?"
"Damn, I forgot you even had a Skill. What was it again—'Google Translate'?"
The class burst into laughter. Kaito didn't reply. He just opened his notebook and started writing, trying to ignore the weight in his chest.
Instruction.
That was his Skill. It offered strategic advice to others. Helped them refine their power, locate weaknesses in enemies, and even recommended team formations or counters—but only if the people around him had real Skills to begin with.
It wasn't offensive. It wasn't flashy. It was support-only. And in a world where heroes were icons, and combat ability meant everything, support skills were seen as baggage.
Even his best friend, Renji Nakamura, was evolving. His Skill, Strick, let him channel high-speed, needle-like energy strikes through any medium—air, ground, even shadows. Teachers praised him. Recruiters contacted him.
Kaito was proud of him… and also, quietly breaking inside.
---
Present Day
The porch creaked as someone walked out. It was his younger sister, Miyu Arisaka, holding a tray with two rice balls and a glass of cold milk.
> "You didn't eat lunch again," she said.
Kaito looked away.
> "Not hungry."
> "That's a lie."
She sat beside him, handing him a rice ball.
> "You always get like this. You look out at the sky like you're waiting for someone to pull you into it."
Kaito gave her a tired smile.
> "What if the sky never answers?"
> "Then I'll pull you up instead," she said with a shrug. "I'm younger but stronger, after all."
Kaito laughed for the first time in days.
> "Thanks, Miyu."
---
The Next Morning
"Are you sure you want to stay an extra day?" their father asked, checking the trunk.
> "Yeah," Kaito nodded. "I need more time to think. Grandma said she could use help fixing the garden."
His mother smiled gently, brushing his hair from his eyes.
> "Alright. Just promise you'll text when you're heading home."
> "I will."
Miyu rolled her eyes from the backseat.
> "Don't forget us just because you're turning into a country boy."
Kaito raised a brow.
> "Says the girl stealing rice balls every night."
> "Shh! Grandma has ears everywhere."
They all laughed. The car pulled away, leaving Kaito waving until they disappeared around the hill.
---
That Evening — News Broadcast
The television flickered on:
> "Gate activity has spiked near Route 27. Heroes are engaged in battle with multiple demonic entities. Civilian casualties are being reported. Avoid the area if possible."
Kaito's heart stopped.
Route 27… that's the highway home.
> "Grandma—I have to go. Now."
> "Kaito? What's—"
But he was already running.
---
Crash Site
Black smoke. A burned-overpass. Sirens howling in the distance.
The car—his family's car—was there. Crushed. Mangled metal twisted around a flaming tree. Hero units were still battling creatures on the other side of the field—red-eyed beasts, snarling and clawed, trying to escape into the city.
Kaito ran straight toward the wreckage, ignoring the shouting heroes.
> "Dad!? Mom!? Miyu?!"
He found them.
His father was slumped over the wheel. Still. Lifeless. His mother, half-conscious, had shielded Miyu with her body. She wasn't moving either.
Only Miyu's fingers twitched.
> "Hang on—please hang on—!"
Kaito tried to move the debris but couldn't. He activated Instruction in desperation. A window blinked before his eyes:
> Skill: Instruction
Support-type. No offensive function detected.
User Rank: F
Enemy proximity: 8 threats. Rank B to A.
Recommendation: Retreat.
> "Shut up," Kaito hissed. "Tell me how to save them!"
But Instruction had no answer.
Then—a figure stepped forward. Tall. Cloaked. A shining silver gauntlet on one arm. The man said nothing, only reached out and lifted the debris with a single hand, then gently picked up Miyu.
> "Take her to the evac truck—sector three!" a Hero shouted.
The stranger obeyed, disappearing before Kaito could say a word.
---
Hospital Waiting Room
Time blurred. Kaito sat still, his clothes still soaked in blood and smoke.
> "She's alive," a doctor finally said. "But she'll need time to recover."
Kaito nodded silently.
He turned on the television. A breaking headline scrolled across the screen.
> "BREAKING: Legendary Hero Arashi Kazehaya confirmed dead in the Heavenly Realm."
"Since his death, the frequency of Hell Gates has surged. The Hero Association struggles to respond."
The world was collapsing. And Kaito couldn't even protect his own family.
He clenched his fists, head lowered.
> "What's the point… of a Skill that can't save anyone?"
Then—his mind flared with light.
---
Awakening
> [Emotional Trigger Reached]
[Core Skill Evolution: INSTRUCTION]
[New Skills Acquired…]
—Successor (SSS Rank)
—Blood Heir (SS Rank)
A deep, echoing voice whispered in his soul:
> "You were born not to fight alone…
But to carry the legacy of those who do."
Kaito's eyes widened.
He was no longer just the useless one.
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End of Chapter 1
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