Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer

When Tenji heard that name, his heart started beating faster. He was feeling somewhat nervous.

The man named Mizuhashi, who was sent by the association, did indeed say "Inagaki father and son". Tenji couldn't believe his ears at first, but when he saw them appear through the door, he was very surprised.

"Excuse me."

It was Inagaki Flame who said so first.

His short black hair was combed back with wax. And his well-developed muscles, built like a professional wrestler's, were popping through his white T-shirt.

The leaning eyes and the dignified expression on his face made the atmosphere somewhat tense.

Tenji had met him once, through an introduction by Godou-san. So when he saw his face, he immediately recognized him as Inagaki Flame, a first-grade explorer.

Beside him, there was a familiar figure standing. It was Inagaki Rui.

His hair, which usually is waxed backward, was somehow flat and he had a somewhat agitated look on his face.

Rui's eyes met Tenji's as soon as he entered the hospital room, but he immediately strayed downwards in a vain attempt to look at him.

These two father and son slowly came forward to Tenji.

Tenji was just speechless at their sudden appearance and just kept looking at them in amazement.

The father, Inagaki Flame, suddenly landed on both knees on the floor of the hospital room.

"Tenji-kun, I'm sorry for my son's foolishness. Please let me apologize to you."

It was a sight to see. Tenji was unable to digest that the first-grade explorer got down on his knees for him.

After seeing that, Tenji became even more upset,

"Rui!."

"Oh, Amagi,...... I'm sorry. How can I...... be forgiven?...... No, it's simply absurd to think that I can be forgiven. We could make amends somehow. I was...... out of my...... mind. I know I can't apologize enough. But I wanted you to forgive me,...... and I can't sleep at night when I think of your face at that time."

Rui dropped tears onto the floor of the hospital room and spun words from the bottom of her heart.

Tenji could only watch the scene.

"As you see, he has done something that really shouldn't have been done by a fool. Will you somehow forgive him?"

Next, Flame turned pleading eyes to Tenji with a serious look in his eyes and slowly attached his forehead to the floor.

Seeing the situation, Tenji still couldn't speak.

How can he say the word "forgive" when he hasn't even sorted it out in his mind yet? There is no way. It was as if Rui had killed Tenji.

[We were unable to say anything to each other for about twenty seconds.]

Then Mizuhashi opened his mouth to offer a helping hand.

Amagi-Kun, Inagaki Rui can be suspected of attempted murder according to the current law. Of course, if Amagi-Kun wants to do so, we, the Association, will take him down as a criminal without mercy, even if he is the child of Inagaki flame. In that case, he will have to pay for his crime in a special juvenile reformatory."

'The special juvenile reformatory' Tenji involuntarily trembled when he heard that word.

[I wondered if it was right to make Rui, who had so much talent, pay for his sins in such a place during such an important period of his development. Such thoughts began to grow in my mind.]

Mizuhashi gulped and looked at Tenji, then continued speaking.

"However, the true intention of the association is not to make Rui Inagaki a sinner. He is a student with such a promising future that even the association recognizes him. His unique ability "Lightning Spear" is such a powerful weapon. The association was also surprised when they heard his confession. They had only heard from Mr. Hyakuse that Tenji had been "left behind," and he had no idea that he had been "sacrificed". But he went to the association with his father and confessed himself to atone for his crime. So please forgive him. This is the intention not only of me but also of the association. Well, of course, we will not force you to do so. Whether you forgive or not, Amagi, please decide, and we will follow your decision."

[Looking down at Rui, I decided to spin my true feelings.]

"I honestly don't know. Subjectively, I can say that I hate Inagaki. But if I look at the result objectively, I can understand that Inagaki's decision was correct. That's why I don't know."

Mizuhashi expressed his surprise from the bottom of his heart at Tenji's words.

"This is a surprise. Amagi, you don't hate him?"

"If you ask me if I hate him, I honestly can't not hate him. Inagaki was the one who tried to blow me up and use me as fodder for the Black Keroberos."

"So you hate him?"

"I don't understand that. If you look at it objectively, Inagaki's actions are rather correct. If I were in Inagaki's position, I wouldn't necessarily do so. Everyone's life is an important thing in the world."

Tenji said, and the flame looked up.

"I thought I was being too forward, Amagi, but I dare to say this. What I love the most is Rui's life. Even if I, the father, were to die, I would only want to protect Rui. That's why I want to tell you, Amagi, please don't break this relationship between father and son. I know it's absurd, but I value Rui the most in the world."

The eyes of the flame were the eyes of a parent.

[I'd forgotten about them recently, but those eyes were the eyes of a parent protecting the child.]

[I naturally compare myself to flame in front of me]

For Tenji, his sister, Amagi Maharu, was his first and foremost priority. Especially since the two of them had been living alone for the past year, and Maharu was everything to Tenji.

The way Tenji grows up, the way he is so full of joy, anger and

sorrow, the way she steals her brother's food and eats it without hesitation, everything is the meaning of Tenji's life.

[I'm aware that I'm a bit of a sister idiot, but if I was flame and Maharu was Rui, what would I do?]

He just thought of that.

Naturally, Tenji had an answer in his mind.

"I can't say anything when you put it like that, Flame-san is a cheater."

"Even if it's unfair, I want to protect Rui."

"I understand, I forgive Inagaki. However--"

He didn't expect conditions on it, and for a brief moment, the flames showed signs of agitation.

Mizuhashi also said, "What?" He was unintentionally letting out a voice.

"I can pay you any amount of money......."

"I don't care about the money. Instead,...... next time, Flame-san, will you dive in the dungeon with me?"

"Oh, it's me?"

Flame sounded bare as if it had been written completely backward.

"Yes, give me the chance to learn. I want to see and learn how a first grade explorer explores dungeons with my own eyes. How about it?"

"Oh, I promise I'll dive the dungeon as many times as you want, whenever you want."

"You won't forget that, okay?"

"Yeah, I promise."

"Oh, and. Inagaki, let's go together too."

"Oh, me too? But......"

"Let me tackle you this time, right in front of the monster. It's not cool to get beaten up, and this is just a little payback."

"Oh, yeah. Of course I'll do anything I can to help."

When the problem was solved, Mr. Mizuhashi vigorously got up from his chair and clapped his hands vigorously and vainly.

His face was radiant as if he had seen something good.

"Bravo! This is just perfect! Inagaki Flame, we just had a sub-dungeon that the Association couldn't handle! How about it? That way, you can show off your skills as a first-grade explorer and also fulfill Tenji-kun's request! It's a case of killing two birds with one stone!"

Inagaki Flame glared at Mizuhashi, but he let out a sigh and replied.

"Fine, you can learn something from me as an explorer in that sub-dungeon. Rui also has a good opportunity, know how strong your parents are."

Flame delivered a fist bone to the back of Rui's head with all its might and headed towards Tenji again.

"Thank you Tenji-kun. I'll be in touch with you again, and I'll train Rui from the bottom of my heart before then."

"Yes, you'll have to train me too"

With those final words, Inagaki and his son left the hospital room, bowing their heads repeatedly.

Then, as if Mizuhashi remembered, he clapped his hands.

"Ah, but what the heck,....... you're currently under investigation, so you'll have to wait a month before you can enter the sub-dungeon. Is that okay?"

"Yes, anything to see a first grade explorer in combat up close is fine by me."

'Well, today is a really good day! I've solved all the work that's been piling up! Come on, I want to go home like this today."

Mizuhashi, who had been in a mysterious good mood the whole time, left the hospital room skipping.

The three remaining members of the association behind him looked troubled, but they quickly regained their composure and turned to Tenji.

"Tenji-kun. I know you're a little tired, but we don't have much time either, so may we begin measuring your abilities?"

"Yes, please."

"Then, since we're renting out the exercise facility next door, let's take some quick measurements there."

And so Tenji took his calling and went to his first ability test.

The ability measurement determines Tenji's explorer grade.