Chapter 2: Skills And The Past

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The next day arrived, and it was Saturday.

It’s become normal now, but unless we have some kind of plans, we all go shopping together or just hang out lazily on weekends.

I hadn’t really thought about it much before enrolling at Seishin High School, but spending time with friends isn’t bad. Unfortunately, today we can’t meet up because of my schedule.

That’s because today is the day I’m meeting Shino’s brother, Touma—as Hyuga.

Wearing the “Fool’s Mask” and activating the skill “Absolute Stealth,” I jumped out of the window.

Since the ground is crowded with people, I ran across building rooftops and walls, leaping toward my destination.

The great thing about Absolute Stealth is that it makes no sound, my weight doesn’t affect what I step on, branches don’t break under me, and even if I step on someone’s shoulder, they don’t feel a thing.

I kept running toward my destination in a trance, eventually arriving at a Japanese military facility built far from Seishin Town.

Ordinary people, and even explorers, rarely come here; there are no passersby, no homes, or buildings around.

It’s believable that this place was secretly constructed—it feels like this entire area exists solely for the facility. Yet, it’s extremely well-known across the country; practically no one hasn’t heard of it.

After all, when disasters strike, the defense forces deploy from here and respond swiftly.

Standing at the main entrance, my heart raced since it was my first time entering.

The facility is surrounded by an iron wall, and in front of me was an iron gate, faintly reminding me of the doors to Shino’s or Hina’s rooms.

Not the massive gate that could easily fit large vehicles, but a smaller door beside it opened, and a few soldiers stepped out.

“Are you Hyuga-sama?”

“Yeah. I’m Hyuga.”

“Then we’ll guide you. Please refrain from disappearing or entering buildings on your own.”

“Got it.”

It’s my own decision, but when I wear the “Fool’s Mask” as Hyuga, I avoid using polite language to maintain an air of dignity—though I’m starting to regret applying that to older people too.

Can’t exactly change it now……

Following the soldiers’ lead, I entered the facility.

Inside, the grounds stretched so wide I couldn’t see the opposite wall, and the roads, likely for vehicles, were built like a metropolitan highway.

The buildings were massive too, each one exuding a different kind of intensity from the skyscrapers in the city.

The “Fool’s Mask” gives me an all-around view, so I can see everything without looking around—pretty convenient.

Two soldiers walked ahead of me, with six following behind. I couldn’t help but notice how tense their expressions were.

A short walk away, I saw military vehicles lined up, ones I’d seen on TV before, and they drove me deeper into the facility.

After a few minutes, we arrived at a building, took an elevator up, and I was struck again by the sheer vastness of the place as I looked out over it.

But outside, there weren’t many people, just a lot of moving vehicles standing out.

《Through experience, you have acquired the skill “Surveillance.”》

Whoa!? A new skill!?

With the announcement, a bunch of small screens popped up in my omnidirectional vision.

If I weren’t wearing the mask, people might’ve looked at me weird because I was so startled.

Looking closer at the screens, they zoomed in on distant areas within my field of vision.

We stepped off the elevator, and one soldier operated something like an intercom, saying, “I’ve brought Hyuga-sama,” before Touma-san’s dignified voice replied, “Let him in,” and the door opened.

It seemed the soldiers weren’t coming in, so I entered alone.

The room had a simple layout: a luxurious desk, a sofa, and some small appliances lined up.

The aroma filling the room probably came from the coffee maker that was running.

“Glad you came, Hyuga.”

“Yeah. Quite a big place.”

“Of course. It’s a key stronghold for Japan’s defense. See that building over there?”

Touma-san pointed out the window to a dome-shaped building.

“That’s the military weapons research lab. If that got destroyed, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Japan’s done for.”

“……Is it okay to tell me that?”

“It’s the opposite, Hyuga.”

“?”

“I told you because I thought you’d be our strength if something ever happened.”

“I don’t know if I can be that strength……”

“What are you saying? I’m counting on you.”

Oh, I see…… Touma-san has high hopes for Hyuga.

“Anyway, the preparations for that thing are ready. It’ll be a long talk—hope you don’t mind?”

“Of course not.”

Sitting on the sofa, he poured some delicious-smelling coffee from the machine and handed it to me.

“Can you drink it?”

I’d never tried, but I figured I probably could.

“Yeah.”

I brought the coffee close to the mask’s mouth area.

When the steaming coffee touched the mask, I could drink it with the same sensation as usual.

It was my first time eating or drinking with the mask on—quite an experience.

At that moment, several screens appeared in my vision, showing 《You are being monitored》 from devices around the room.

“You can drink with the mask on……?”

“Yeah. More importantly, what are those devices?”

“Hm? Oh, surveillance devices. They constantly monitor my body temperature. If something’s off with me, other soldiers come running. It’s not about suspecting you—it’s just to keep me, the general, safe.”

“I see. Sorry for sounding suspicious.”

“You noticed them well, huh? Even though you were facing forward the whole time.”

“I’ve got a skill for spotting things.”

“……I see.”

Touma-san set his coffee on the table, pulled some documents from underneath, and handed them to me.

I took them and peeked inside.

“First off, I’ll explain skills from my perspective. The fact that humanity gained the power called ‘levels’ is, surprisingly, pretty recent—about five hundred years ago.”

If you asked me whether five hundred years is long or short, I’d say long. After all, a human lifespan is said to be a hundred years, but I know reality isn’t that simple.

Even counting a hundred years as one generation, five generations feels unimaginably distant.

“Before levels existed, humans were fragile beings who developed by using tools. But for some reason, we were granted ‘power.’”

“Granted……?”

“Yeah. What happens when the weak gain great power…… and humans being arrogant creatures. Naturally, they grew at a pace that wiped out everything around them. In response, dungeons appeared in the world, and a being called the ‘Goddess,’ who hadn’t shown herself for ages, emerged, or so it’s said.”

Goddess, dungeons, levels…… huh.

“I got a bit off track, but we were given levels and could become stronger. That power is said to have two aspects. One is physical enhancement. It’s common knowledge now that as your level rises, your physical abilities improve. They’ve even twisted that into games with ‘stats’ and numbers, what irony.”

I don’t play games often, but I know about levels and stats. The protagonist defeats monsters, levels up, their stats rise, and they can easily beat monsters they couldn’t before. That’s the thrill many enjoy…… but since I’m Level 0, it always felt off to me, and I never got into it.

“There’s another power. That’s——‘skills.’”

“Skills……”

“When your level rises, you gain skills. Their effects are immense, turning into incredible power. You’ve probably experienced it too, Hyuga—that mask is a skill, right? By learning and using skills, you can do things you couldn’t before. It’s more than physical enhancement—it’s like gaining a power close to a god’s.”

Touma-san pulled something else from under the table.

In his hand was a crystal emitting a dazzling red light.

“This is famous as a crystal that measures potential—everyone knows it. But what it really means by ‘potential’ hasn’t been made public.”

“What it really means……?”

“This——is a device that measures the strength of skills you can gain as your level rises. I have a special skill called ‘Blessing of the Wind God.’ It’s S-rank, of course. Kamui Akari, another general like me, also has S-rank potential. So the higher our levels go, the stronger the skills we can gain, and we can become far stronger than others.”

The documents he handed me say the same.

There are various types of skills—like ‘Strength Boost,’ with an advanced version called ‘Strength Boost (Intermediate)’—allowing you to gain great strength without changing your appearance.

There are also magic and attack skills, with countless variations of lower and higher-tier skills, and those with higher potential are said to gain stronger ones.

But they still can’t figure out who gets what skill, or at what level they’ll awaken them.

Some judged as A-rank potential only got A-rank equivalent skills at Level 50, while others could use them by Level 10.

As I read through, I found a line that caught my attention.

“……‘However, we humans cannot visually perceive or recognize skills’……?”

“Yeah.”

But I can recognize when I gain a skill, and with the skill “Skill List,” I can check what skills I have. Does that mean few people even get “Skill List”?

“Hyuga. This might be hard to answer, but…… can you recognize your skills?”

“……Yeah. I can. But isn’t it the same for you? You mentioned ‘Blessing of the Wind God,’ so……”

“That’s on the next page.”

I read the second document.

“Those whose crystal glows red have S-rank potential. It’s distinctly different from A-rank to F-rank potential. That difference is what’s called a ‘Blessing.’ It’s not even clear if it’s a skill.”

Unlike skills gained from leveling up for A-rank to F-rank potentials, S-rank potential skills come with a “Blessing.”

Hina has the “Blessing of the Ice God,” and Touma-san has the “Blessing of the Wind God.”

“With our Blessings, we heard a voice when the power awakened. The sensation of the voice differs for each of us, so…… it’s thought that Blessings have a will. Me, Akari, my sister, and Akari’s sister—we all felt that voice and will.”

“A will in a skill……?”

“Yeah. That’s why it’s unclear if Blessings are even skills. On top of that, in the hundred years this research has been conducted, few S-rank potential individuals have appeared. Our current era has the most S-rank potentials ever—and most of them are tied to the Kamui family. Whether that’s a miracle or a curse, it’s hard to say.”

A curse…… huh. For Akari-san, it’s Hina; for Touma-san, it’s Shino. Their S-rank potential is so powerful it prevents them from living normally. From the perspective of a normal life, it might as well be a curse.

“It’s an undeniable fact that this crystal turns red and grants the strongest skills. Even if Blessings have a will, we can call it the power of a skill. That’s the essence of skills. Any questions?”

“I get most of it. But why doesn’t everyone know about skills? And why are skills classified information?”

“Yeah. I’ll explain that now.”

Touma-san took a deep breath.

I flipped to the third document.

“First, about humans as creatures. I mentioned earlier, but unfortunately, humans are selfish beings. They can’t resist testing power once they have it. Not everyone, but most who gain power act that way. Right now, the world only knows the term ‘level.’ It’s spread that leveling up enhances physical abilities or grants special powers—just vague information given to everyone.”

It’s true that leveling up boosts physical abilities—it’s vague info. It’s not quantified like in games, so there’s no comparison, just a hazy sense of getting stronger.

“But if someone knew they had a skill? They’d—”

“Want to use it.”

“Exactly. Skills can be powerful. If someone realized they could control wind, they’d test what they could do with it—not just to defeat monsters. They might manipulate nature to inconvenience people, blow away someone they dislike, or even flip a girl’s skirt as a childish prank. The possibilities are endless.”

“So by keeping it vague, you’ve ingrained that it’s a power to fight monsters……”

“Yeah. Everyone can recognize levels because they hear the Goddess’s voice. They know leveling up makes them stronger. But how much stronger isn’t clear. That vagueness keeps people from getting too arrogant.”

The third document lists the research and results on this.

“Think it’s strange?”

“Yeah. If not everyone acts that way, couldn’t you convince or suppress them? Won’t that work?”

Humans are intelligent beings. I believe we support each other. I was scorned by many in Eran Town, but my sister and mom were always by my side.

I never resented anyone or thought, “Why me?” Because…… I had something they didn’t: a loving mom and sister.

“Look at the fourth page.”

I peered at the fourth document.

What was written there—was beyond anything I could’ve imagined.

“Three hundred years ago, the government spread knowledge of skills. What happened was factional conflicts. Not just prefectures, but every city and town—those who could recognize skills wielded power to subjugate others. Some even formed organizations to crack down on such people. As a result, Japan was engulfed in war.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing……”

If something that huge happened, it’d be in textbooks, and nowadays, some info would’ve leaked online. Yet, I’ve never heard a whisper of it.

“……That’s because it led to a century of purges. By a being with immense power. We call him ‘Shin.’ He supposedly said not to call him a god because he isn’t one.”

“Shin……?”

The fourth page mentions a person named just “Shin.” Said to have godlike strength and incredible abilities. That ability was—

“The power to overwrite memories……?”

“He said it’s not ‘memories’ but ‘events’ he overwrites, usable only once every hundred years. He also claimed he’s the one who introduced the concept of ‘skills’ to Japan.”

“Once every hundred years…… If he overwrote it a second time, that means……”

“Yeah. At the very least, this Shin has lived a long time. He might still be alive, watching us from somewhere…… Hey, Hyuga.”

“?”

“Honestly, I thought you might be Shin. But I’m certain now—you’re not him.”

“……Yeah. I’m definitely not Shin. I only learned about this history and skills today.”

“I see…… Then I’ll continue. Shin’s power erased the concept of ‘skills’ from us. Instead of erasing the facts, he had a certain family pass them down to keep it hidden from the government. That family is the ‘Hiiragi.’ They reign behind Japan’s scenes as a critical house even the government can’t touch. With the power Shin gave them, defiance means instant suppression.”

“A family like that exists……”

“Hyuga, you’re already on their radar.”

“The price for this info, huh……”

“Exactly. Why didn’t they spread skills worldwide? Why erase them not just from Japan but the world? Only Shin could do that. Don’t speak of it.”

“Yeah. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

I stared at the name “Shin.”

“Shin…… Why did he make people aware of skills? Why purge them a century later?”

“Who knows? Even the Hiiragi family wasn’t told. But it was definitely Shin’s experiment. To me, he seems like a rare mass murderer…… but I think he had a reason. Otherwise, he’d have watched Japan fall without purging it. So I thought.”

Touma-san raised his index finger.

“What if Shin was just a human?”

“Just…… a human?”

“Too strong to confide in anyone, he acted alone, messed up, and thought, ‘Oops, sorry!’ That’s my guess. Akari laughed at me when I told her! Haha!”

Alone with his troubles…… huh.

“……But that might not be entirely wrong. If Shin were some special being, he could’ve made the world more peaceful.”

“Heh. You think so too, Hyuga? We get along well! Unlike that jerk who’s messing with my sister!”

Messing with!? W-Wait, does that mean……

Touma-san’s expression shifted from a smile to something serious.

“Hey, Hyuga.”

“?”

“You said you can recognize skills, right? I’ve got a question.”

Touma-san looked at me with a straight face.

“Do you have a skill that can weaken someone else’s skills?”

“Weaken…… No, unfortunately, I don’t.”

“I see……”

“Do you want to weaken someone?”

“……Yeah. It’s not your concern, Hyuga, but there’s a reason I’m a general in Japan.”

He took a locket pendant from his neck, opened it, and showed it to me.

Inside was—a little girl with a beaming smile.

Even as a child, Shino’s features were unmistakable—it was clearly her younger self.

“My sister, Shino. Without her, I…… would’ve hated the world. I might’ve killed tons of people and destroyed this country by now.”

“That much……”

“The Kagura family’s had its share of issues. But Shino saved me. I’ve devoted everything to protecting this country to protect her. That won’t change. But…… things have shifted a bit. A bad influence has gotten to my sister.”

A bad influence……

“Because of him…… Shino’s getting stronger every day. The stronger she gets, the stronger her Blessing becomes. Her Blessing made her hearing so sharp she picks up every sound in the city.”

“How does she manage daily life?”

“She wears earplugs that block all sound. She can’t talk to people normally and lives in a special soundproof room at home. Until now, she could manage somehow…… but because of him, Shino’s gotten stronger…… She says it’s fun being with him. I can’t stop her—I’ve made her hold back for so long. So I want her to live more easily. If her Blessing’s power weakened, her hearing might lessen too. If you’ve got any way to help, Hyuga, I’m begging you……”

Touma-san bowed deeply.

Shino’s hearing issue…… It’s something I’ve been thinking about too.

They’ve made stronger earplugs with the Kamui family now, but until they were finished, she couldn’t step outside her room.

—But is weakening her Blessing really the answer?

I have a skill called “Absolute Ice Seal.”

I gained it the day I first met Hina’s parents and our master.

I don’t know exactly why, but I couldn’t bring myself to think using it to stop Hina’s Absolute Ice was right.

I know both Shino and Hina suffer because of their Blessings. Yet, I felt like this power I have wouldn’t help them.

“……I get what you’re saying, General Kagura. But let me say one thing. Weakening her Blessing might make life easier, sure. But…… I think that’s wrong.”

“Wrong……?”

“I don’t have a clear reason. But Blessings have a will, right? If an outside force suppresses it…… what happens to the Blessing? To its will?”

“But! Because of their Blessings, Shino and Hinata-chan are……!”

“Even so. I’ve got no proof, but………… I feel like doing that might make her life fade away too.”

Touma-san’s eyes widened.

I want to make their lives easier right now too.

Shino might not be ready yet, but I could seal Hina’s power. But that’s something I mustn’t do.

My skill “Absolute Ice Seal”…… It’s pleading with me more than anyone not to do it.

“……I never thought of it that way. For some reason, when you say it, Hyuga, it feels like it might really happen.”

“I’d be glad if you think so. So we should look for another way. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll help.”

“……Thanks, Hyuga.”

We stood and shook hands.

His thick hand carried a strong resolve to protect Shino, a feeling only an older brother with a sister could understand.

“By the way, Hyuga. I haven’t mentioned this yet, but those who grow strong regardless of potential can recognize their skills. We call them—Transcenders.”

“Transcendents……”

“In Japan, there are—just two Transcendents. Even Akari and I haven’t reached that level.”

“Only two……”

“Three, counting you!”

I can’t believe I’d be there when even Touma-san and the others haven’t reached it.

The day I stopped those two, I barely managed it—if I didn’t have the “Magic Stone Δ,” it would’ve been really dangerous.

“I don’t think so…… Ehem. Anyway, General Kagura, how was that material you wanted the other day?”

“Oh! Thanks to that material, the soldiers’ uniforms got a huge upgrade! On behalf of the military—no, the country—let me thank you. Thank you!”

“Y-yeah. Do you still need more materials?”

“Of course! I’ll buy as much as you’ve got! Did you get more!?”

“More than last time, but……”

“Awesome! Sell it all at your price! This’ll save my subordinates’ lives and get distributed to troops nationwide!”

“Yeah.”

Those dungeon monsters aren’t that strong, but their materials are sturdy. If this can save even a few lives, I’m happy.

The magic stone…… I’ll keep quiet about that.

I took out all the materials from the monsters I’d defeated up until the giant bear fight.

“Whoa!? That’s several times more than last time!”

“Too much?”

“Not enough! Sell me more when you get it.”

“Yeah.”

“The potential crystal alone didn’t match last time’s haul…… Including this, maybe about fifteen billion yen?”

Fifteen billion yen!?!?

T-Touma-san!? You got the digits wrong right!? Even millions would be way too much!?

“N-No, they’re not tough monsters. I’d be happy if it’s used for good, so no payment’s fine.”

“I can’t let that—”

“Then how about this? I don’t want money, but I might want info or rare stuff later. If you’ve got materials that are hard to get but not essential, trade those for it. I’ll leave the materials now and settle later.”

“……Got it. Thanks so much, Hyuga. Then take this first.”

Touma-san pulled a small box from his desk drawer and handed it to me.

“What’s this?”

Opening it, I found a tiny white stone the size of a pinky nail inside.

“It’s a material from a certain monster. Rare in Japan, but I think you could take down that monster easily, Hyuga. Sorry it’s all I can give right now.”

“No, don’t worry about it. Is it okay to give me something so valuable?”

“Of course! Sadly, Japan doesn’t have craftsmen who can process it. It might come in handy for you someday. It’d just gather dust with me! Hahaha!”

“Then I’ll take it. I’ll bring more materials when I get them.”

“Good. Looking forward to it.”

We shook hands again and left the room together.

Heading down the elevator like when I arrived, I caught sight of a figure with fiery red hair from behind.

“Yo! Akari!”

“Looks like your talk’s done.”

“Yeah. And guess what? Hyuga got more of that material for us.”

Akari-san showed a small hint of surprise and stepped in front of me.

“As a representative of the nation, I offer my gratitude.”

She extended her right hand, and I shook it back.

The hand of someone carrying Japan’s weight was small and warm, like Hina’s or Shino’s.

“Akari, I gave him the White Dragon Stone as thanks. That’s fine, right?”

“I see. That stone’s with Hyuga now…… Even that might not match all this material.”

“This guy wouldn’t take money anyway. It’s not something money can settle…… Well, that’s just how it is.”

“Understood.”

I felt glad to see Akari-san after a while.

I’d heard from her uncle that, though not far from the Kamui family, she’s too busy to come home often.

Maybe Akari-san made time to meet Hyuga.

Fate

Active Skill

Passive Skill