No Cost too Great(is what I tell myself every night)

Chapter 2: Uncertain Steps

I... I don't remember how it started. As far back as I can remember, it's what I always wanted to be. Like how everybody dreams of being a hero when they're a kid. That's what I wanted to be.

But what made me different from the other kids is that this desire wasn't just a temporary phase. It kept burning inside me, deep, deep into my heart. That flame never died, didn't even flicker out for a moment. It kept me driving forward relentlessly, mastering every skill I needed to be stronger.

I experimented with being on both sides of the conflict. While growing up, the playground was an excellent place to hold such tests. How Should I go about fulfilling my passion? I've played the role of the outspoken hero who denounced and protected all from evil, and the villain who had no good justification for the sins he committed on the innocent, but none of them felt right to me. I wouldn't be satisfied with my life by being either of the two. There was another path I had to take.

At school I was obnoxiously average- never conspicuous, utterly harmless, Background Character A. But behind that mask of mediocrity, I devoted everything to my training. Even after everyone else around me began growing up, forgetting their dreams of heroism and power. It felt... jarring, initially, spending so much of my time by myself, but it was a small price to pay. Especially when there was one to help insp-...

...

...

...

I kept going, knowing that inevitably, there would come a time where I would be forced to face the reality of my humanity. None of these skills would matter in the end. I could master all forms of martial arts, but I would never come close to the overwhelming power you see in all those stories. The best I will ever be able to do is beat a couple of loosely organized delinquents. However, if, for example, I ever found myself on the opposite side of a firing squad, that would be the end of my life... Well, maybe if I truly did become the greatest martial artist in the world, I may be able to take on a few of them before I succumb to their superior firepower, but that's besides the point. So what if I did? What if a nuclear missile fell from the sky? No, no matter how much I tone my muscles, sharpen my skills, and hone my mind, the only option there would be for me is to vaporize with my surroundings. That is the tragedy of being human...

Ha, I almost find it a bit pathetic. Worrying about such scenarios, when it was a truck that ended my life...

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"MAGIC!"

Smack

"MAGIC!"

Smack

Minoru Kageno did not relent as he shouted the same thing in almost a sort of delirium, slamming his face into a large boulder within the forest between every shout. It was midnight once again, which to him, meant training time. After the horrific failure that took place during his latest show as the Stylish Ruffian Slayer, it was apparent he wasn't pushing himself hard enough.

"MAGIC!"

Smack

That was not all, besides trying to redeem himself from his subpar performance, Minoru was undergoing this 'training' for another important reason.

"MAGIC!"

Smack

Magic, of course! That will be the path to unstoppable power, magic! While he has no regrets about the physical conditioning he has put himself through over these past couple years, he is ashamed that he could not come to such a simple conclusion sooner. If he had started this earlier, he likely would have been closer to awakening magical abilities.