2: What is it to be a hero?

Prologue part 2 (rewritten 04/25/2024)

2: What is it to be a hero?

His Master became a hero, and Jaune didn't hesitate to follow in his footsteps.

The reality was that there was no other path to consider.

He had dreamed of being a hunter, a protector of humanity, a hero.

He had failed in his previous life, but now he had the opportunity to do it in this life.

It was simply impossible for him not to participate.

And so his heroic life began. Unlike his master, who went straight into the so-called S class, Jaune had to start from the B class.

Of course, being Bang's disciple earned him a place among the top ten in the B class from the start, but that didn't really matter.

Jaune didn't care about classes or rankings; he only cared about doing his job well.

And he did.

In addition to training, he went out patrolling every day.

His efficiency and strength made his ascent in the classes rapid.

Reaching Class A was easy, but he didn't really seek to climb.

On the other hand, he met many incredible heroes, and his teacher introduced him to other S Class heroes.

His life began to be interesting; he began to be what he never was.

He was a hero, he was admired, he was strong, he had friends, comrades!

It was as if Jaune Arc had never existed.

That realization sent a shock through his system that made him shudder for a moment.

It was all worse when he realized he couldn't remember the faces of his sisters.

He couldn't remember his parents' faces.

Jaune was now 17 years old, the age at which he died in his first life. Seventeen years was a long time.

So long that forgetting old memories when you had nothing to remind you of them was easy, too easy.

So long that focusing on the present and the future was more important than thinking about the past.

So long that he didn't know if he was still Jaune or Charanko.

But even if he wasn't who he once was, he still had much of that person.

He began to do more things he remembered doing in the past, reading more comics, playing more video games.

Trying to remember his father's advice and his mother's words, even if he had no face or voice to put to them when he remembered those words.

But he had to live his life now, right? Was thinking about the past the right thing to do? Was forgetting the past better?

He realized he didn't have time to answer such questions.

Now that he was a hero, he had many responsibilities on his shoulders besides fighting monsters.

After all, even with monsters, humanity is still too good at destroying itself.

Fighting against dark organizations was starting to lose its magic after the sixth time.

It was definitely more annoying and less fun than the comics portrayed it.

.

.

.

Wolf.

Tiger.

Demon.

Dragon.

God.

The assigned name, thanks to the Hero Association, for threat levels based on how much damage and disaster they can bring to the world.

Wolf refers to mundane threats, simple criminals with nothing special beyond being against the law. Even the weakest hero could deal with them; usually, it's the local police who handle them, leaving heroes free to deal with more serious matters.

Tiger is more complicated. If Wolf is the bottom, then Tiger is the middle, threats that can bring ruin to dozens of lives or destroy parts of a city. Usually, most heroes deal with these threats either alone or in a group. Normally, a single Class A hero is enough, but it's almost always Class B and C heroes who take care of them.

Then there's the really tough part.

Demon, an entity or organization that could destroy an entire city in an instant. Even ten Class A heroes might not be enough to deal with such threats. And only the top 10 of Class A could expect to face demon-level threats on their own.

Jaune had achieved this with great effort. Facing a demon-level threat monster on his own had been the hardest battle of his life, but he had prevailed. With many broken bones and inches from dying again, but he had done it, and thus he entered the ranks of the top 10 of Class A when he was 17 years old.

He thought he was strong now, that he could protect people without fear and face the world's dangers with confidence.

Then he looked a dragon-level threat in the face.

Dragon, an entity capable of threatening multiple cities at once. Only the top heroes of Class S can face such threats.

Maybe it was too presumptuous of him then when he decided to confront one.

He almost died again.

It wasn't a fight at all.

If his teacher hadn't arrived in time, it would have all ended for him.

In the end, he had to be saved again by someone else.

In the end, he couldn't save anyone, and two cities with over 15 million inhabitants each ended up destroyed.

In the end, he failed.

.

.

.

"More strength, you say? Don't you think you're strong enough now?" At his Master's question, Jaune couldn't help but clench his fists.

"I... I failed. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't save anyone, I couldn't fight"

"Hmm, I see" Bang looked into the eyes of his favorite disciple.

To say he was the favorite might be too much favoritism, but Bang wasn't one to lie to himself.

Charanko had grown on him ever since he first saw him so many years ago. He was the youngest disciple he had accepted since he founded his dojo and the one he had been closest to.

He wasn't the most talented, but that mattered little compared to his ability to work hard.

He had worked harder than anyone else to be able to help others, to be a hero.

Remembering his own past, he couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. There was so much difference between them, but that was okay; that was what made him appreciate Charanko even more.

Someone like his disciple deserved strength more than others who would only misuse it.

Making a decision, he looked at his disciple before speaking.

"Follow me"

.

.

.

Gousei Kohou: Awakening Breath

"Breathe, take your body beyond all possible limits and unleash all the hidden strength within you and beyond temporarily. This comes with a great cost in exchange for using power beyond your body. Do not use this technique unless absolutely necessary. Using it too many times can bring health problems in the future if you're not careful"

Bakushin Kaihō-ken: Exploding Heart Release Fist

"I absolutely dislike this martial art. To me, it represents everything wrong from my past, all my mistakes... But even if I don't like it, its strength is undeniable. If power is what you seek, then only this martial art has the capacity to unleash incomparable destructive power." Bang sighed, looking at the scroll where one of his greatest failures was depicted.

A martial art he used incorrectly.

One that led him down the wrong path.

But now, this technique could be used for something better, in the hands of someone more suitable.

"Your training in these two techniques begins now"

Jaune nodded solemnly, his eyes shining with an unmatched flame of will.

.

.

.

It was difficult, much more difficult than anything he had ever done before. The training he underwent in the past year surpassed any other in terms of effort and difficulty.

His bones broke, his muscles tore, and every nerve in his body seemed to scream in pain.

But he didn't stop. He didn't pause or relent even once. If he wanted strength, if he wanted power, if he wanted to be a hero again, then he needed this.

He needed to surpass any limit.

And so he did.

Looking at the corpse of the dragon-level threat monster in front of him, he couldn't help but feel blank.

He had done it. He had surpassed that barrier that even lower-ranked Class S heroes couldn't.

He had killed a dragon-level threat monster.

But even so, even having won...

He couldn't save anyone again.

The city burned, buildings had collapsed, and there was nothing left but misery.

He should have known. How foolish he was to assume that having the strength to face a dragon-level threat monster was enough to change anything.

And even if the monster was dead? What did it matter when it took an entire city with it?

What was he lacking? What was needed to achieve his goal?

Jaune couldn't find that answer even when he became a Class S hero.

.

.

.

"The Senpū Tetsuzan-ken is not an easy martial art to learn, young Charanko. Are you sure this is what you're looking for?" Bomb looked at the young student of his younger brother, his eyes studying every part of him attentively.

"I have studied all the martial arts my master has learned. I have mastered many others, I have combined some, but no matter what I do, I still can't find the strength I seek. I keep failing to save others. The Senpū Tetsuzan-ken is the most lethal martial art there is. If even with it I can't achieve my dream, then I don't know what else to do"

Bomb thought about it seriously. His brother's student was clearly lost in his search. It seemed he had fallen into a dark path. He supposed that as his master's brother, it was his duty to help the young man out of that darkness.

"Very well, I will teach you. But what you're looking for is something you won't find simply by gaining power"

.

.

.

Bomb was right; Jaune didn't find what he was looking for by learning the deadliest martial art that existed.

But Bomb managed to teach him a truth he had ignored.

You can't save everyone.

No matter how strong you are, how polished your technique is, or how much effort you put into it.

Someone will always get hurt.

You can't save everyone.

It was with this cold understanding that he began his return to his master's dojo.

He didn't like it. It wasn't what he wanted. It wasn't the truth he expected.

But it was the truth.

All his triumphs, all his successes, and his meteoric rise in the hero association had blinded him.

But now he could see again, and although he didn't like it, he managed to accept it.

...

Who was he kidding? Of course, he didn't accept it!

He refused to! What sense was there in being a hero if he didn't seek to help as many people as he could?

And so what if he couldn't save everyone? Then he would save as many as he could!

It was as simple as that.

He just had to keep trying. He just had to keep striving.

So, he put his faith in his comrades in the association. He couldn't save everyone, but if they worked together, then maybe they could save more people.

There's strength in numbers, right?

Perhaps he should start taking some lower-ranked heroes under his wing and help them become stronger. He had never been a leader or had a team, but he supposed he could give it a try.

Of course, that was when Garou decided to destroy Bang's dojo.

.

.

.

.

.

Disclaimer: English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes there may be.

originally posted in the nsfw section of questionable questing (rewritten 04/25/2024)