Volume 2 Chapter 22 Inherited Power and a Hidden Loyalty A Gifted Girl’s Secret Life
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”—I… I received it,” I murmured, a realization, not a wish.
It must have been when I was about ten years old. I was always so terribly shy, the kind of person who could never make friends, and then, suddenly, I just knew I had been granted a Gift.
* * *
”—My great-grandfather in England passed away.”
In the very same moment I received this power, my half-English mother delivered the news: the death of my great-grandfather.
”Your hair is just like a little lamb’s! Ha ha ha! You’re going to be such a kind girl, you know!”
”Aba… G-Great-grandpa…” I stammered.
I didn’t remember much, but the faint memory of him traveling all the way to Japan just to show me affection lingered. He outright adored my wool-like, tightly curled hair—the very thing I considered my biggest flaw. Because he had loved it so much, I managed to keep going to school instead of locking myself away at home, even with that complex.
This great-grandfather, despite his advanced age, had been an Adventurer called a ‘Hero’ back in England.
Thirty years ago, Dungeons had appeared simultaneously across the world, and rumors spread of monsters pouring out from the Gates in certain countries. Though that had never happened in Japan, those countries where the monsters flooded out suffered terrible damage.
England, I learned, had been one of those places. My great-grandfather, then just a farmer, utilized a suddenly awakened Gift to annihilate the monsters. For that heroic achievement, he was titled a Hero and even awarded a decoration.
”—Inheritance.”
That was the Gift held by the man they called a ‘Hero’.
And somehow, the very moment that great-grandfather died, I was the one who inherited his Gift.
Some people know what Gift they’ve received, and some don’t, but I was one of the ones who knew.
Why? Because ‘Inheritance’ wasn’t the only Gift I was granted at that time.
Because of the sensitive nature of his Gift, it had been decided within the UK that no one should ever speak of my great-grandfather’s ability. Though I, in Japan, wasn’t officially bound by that rule, my Gifts remained a secret known only to my family until very recently.
The instant I realized I had the ‘Inheritance’ Gift, a flood of other Gifts poured into me.
’Appraisal,’ ‘Perception,’ ‘Disguise,’ ‘Reflect,’ ‘Teleportation,’ ‘Physical Resistance,’ ‘Stun Resistance,’ ‘Health,’ ‘Lend’—I was instantly granted countless abilities.
Whether it was because of that, I couldn’t be sure, but that was how I realized I had received the Gifts. The first one I used was ‘Appraisal.’ I Appraised my own Gifts and began to understand their power.
The ‘Inheritance’ Gift automatically passed on a relative’s Gifts to me upon their death, starting with relatives up to the fifth degree of kinship.
Now, at sixteen, the effect has expanded to the tenth degree of kinship. With every relative’s passing, my Gifts multiply.
’Void Cut,’ ‘Gravity Manipulation,’ ‘Sleep,’ ‘Berserker,’ ‘Magic Power Boost,’ ‘Guidance,’ ‘Mana Collection,’ ‘Borrow,’ ‘Protection,’ ‘Leap,’ ‘Hero’—the Gifts that had accumulated over six years were far more than I felt I could handle.
In my third year of middle school, I broke a fundamental rule for the very first time.
I, who was nothing special before, had been given all these Gifts. Maybe I thought that if I could protect someone, like my great-grandfather had, I could still become a hero, even with my social anxieties.
So, out of curiosity, I decided to enter a Dungeon.
Normally, only people over sixteen, those recognized by the Adventurer’s Guild, are allowed inside. But I used the ‘Disguise’ Gift to blend in and hide my presence, marching straight past the Gate management staff.
The first monster I saw was a colossal lizard. It was dozens of times larger than my body, and I was sure it would kill me the moment it looked my way.
But whether my Gifts automatically activated or not, all fear suddenly vanished.
”—I can defeat it.”
With that certainty, I used ‘Leap’ to jump, ‘Teleportation’ to dodge the flame the lizard spat, gathered magic power into my right fist with ‘Magic Power Boost,’ and, becoming a ‘Berserker,’ I punched its head with my bare hand.
The massive lizard’s head was instantly crushed. It collapsed to the ground, eventually dissolving into motes of magic dust and disappearing.
Later, I looked it up and found the Dungeon I had entered was a low-level A-Rank. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the rank system, but for me, that opponent hadn’t even been a warm-up.
When I told my parents about the Gifts, they just assumed I had inherited my great-grandfather’s strong blood. Of course, I never told them about going into a Dungeon.
For now, I only wanted to protect my family in case anything happened, so I used ‘Perception’ to target them and ‘Protection’ to wrap my magic around their bodies.
From then on, I entered Dungeons alone frequently, being careful not to defeat the Boss. I gradually acquired Relics and items, storing them away in a subspace using the ‘Storage’ Gift.
A power I never asked for, obtained through my great-grandfather’s death. Yet, even with all these powerful Gifts, my personal complex hadn’t been solved.
My mother has straight, silky hair; my father’s is just a frizz ball. I seemed to have inherited my father’s hair quality entirely, having hair that looked like a perpetual explosion since I was little.
—And then I became a high school student.
Unexpectedly, my classmates were kind. The girls, especially, actively tried to talk to me, and few made fun of my hairstyle. I even made some friends, but their hair was always so neat and straight. I envied them so much.
’Frizzy,’ ‘Afro,’ ‘Bomber,’ ‘The Pacific Ocean’… Sometimes, I could still hear whispers. While I was never outright bullied, this hair felt utterly unnecessary for me to live as a young woman.
Then one day, I spotted Rindou Hibiki¹-senpai, with incredibly beautiful hair.
I instinctively whispered, ‘Beautiful,’ and the senpai turned to look at me. Embarrassed, I rushed away from the spot, fleeing the scene.
Later, she came all the way to my classroom and called me out.
Being called out by an senpai—I wondered if this was the junior-bullying I sometimes heard about, but it was nothing of the sort.
On a rooftop bench, Rindou-senpai told me she knew someone with a ‘Hair Quality Improvement’ Gift.
I automatically activated ‘Appraisal,’ instantly understanding why Rindou-senpai had spoken to me and exactly what Takanashi-senpai’s Gift could do.
That’s why I was able to trust the effect immediately, entrusting my hair, which had bothered me for years, to the senpais.
”Aba-baba-baba-baba-baba-baba-baba! ♡ Aba-baba-baba-baba-baba-baba-baba! ♡” I shrieked.
Even with all my resistance Gifts, Takanashi-senpai’s treatment was almost enough to drive me mad. The ‘Stun Resistance’ Gift prevented me from fainting, but afterward, I felt that fainting might have been the better option.
This was because I eventually realized my lower body had become thoroughly soaked.
Using the ‘Hero’ Gift, I somehow managed to suppress the overwhelming shame and hold onto my sanity.
After a total of six sessions, I awoke one morning. Shocked by the dramatic change in my hair, tears naturally streamed down my face.
No matter how many powerful Gifts I held, they couldn’t fix my deepest complex. I felt profound gratitude for the senpais who did. From that day forward, I vowed to put their protection first.
That very day, my mother took me to the salon. The stylist was stunned. Because my tightly curled hair had suddenly turned straight, my long bangs hid my face, making me look like a ghost.
”This… this is me…”
A person I barely recognized stared back from the mirror. Later, my mother looked at me, squeezed me tight, and rejoiced.
The way my class treated me also improved dramatically after my hair changed. The girls inexplicably treated me like a princess, and the boys started eagerly offering to help me with everything.
Still, my original friends treated me the same as ever. That’s why they didn’t get truly angry when I suddenly disappeared while we were hanging out.
Then, one day, the ‘Perception’ Gift I had targeted on the senpais suddenly alerted me.
One of the abilities of ‘Perception’ was to warn me when the targeted person was in danger. All four targets activated the warning simultaneously.
I was out with my friends, but knowing the senpais were in dire straits, I had to go. I left my friends right there and used ‘Teleportation’ to reach the location ‘Perception’ was pointing to.
It was inside a Dungeon. In an area covered in bizarre snowfall, a man was walking toward me.
He wore a black goat mask and pulled out a gigantic double-bladed axe called a Labrys, a Relic acquired from an S-Rank Dungeon.
After defeating the man, I tied him up, broke the frozen lake, and descended to where the senpais were.
My experience told me I was in the Dungeon’s lowest level. I saw the senpais in the background, a sight that confirmed I had arrived just in the nick of time, and I felt a wave of relief.
All that was left was to exterminate the low-level monsters.
I instantly moved near the monsters using ‘Teleportation,’ simultaneously activating ‘Magic Power Boost,’ ‘Berserker,’ and ‘Void Cut’ to completely wipe out the remaining creatures.
When I wear the mask, I feel a slight liberation from the shame of being seen by others.
It was the first time I had shown this much power in front of people. But I knew I couldn’t reveal any more, so I used the ‘Sleep’ Gift to lull everyone present into a pleasant slumber.
Afterward, I stunned the non-Guild employee at the Gate entrance, tying them up alongside the suspicious man from the Dungeon. I then used ‘Teleportation’ to move the people who had been on the lowest floor out of the Dungeon.
* * *
Even so, my true identity was somehow discovered.
Hidou-senpai called me out and requested my cooperation going forward. It was to be a secret alliance dedicated to protecting Takanashi-senpai and the others.
In the end, my Gift was exposed, but the senpais are genuinely good people, so I agreed to the arrangement.
”Aba… aba-baaa…” I hummed in quiet bliss.
My greatest happiness now, as I protect the senpais from the shadows, is having Takanashi-senpai stroke my head.
Perhaps it’s the aftereffect of the ‘Hair Quality Improvement,’ but my head feels drawn to him, and it’s so comforting. That’s why these regular head strokes have become a thing.
Sometimes I even fall asleep on his lap, but Takanashi-senpai is always gentle and never gets angry. I’m completely immersed in his kindness, and that’s why I’m so determined to protect these people forever.
* * *
Then, one day, I saw an unusual flow of Magic Power surrounding both Takanashi-senpai and Hidou-senpai’s bodies.
[Status: hypnotic]
They mentioned having visited Hidou-senpai’s house. Following that conversation, I was invited there, too.
”—Oh, Kirino-chan. Did you make another friend? You’ve brought home a truly adorable girl today.”
The moment I saw Hidou-senpai’s mother, I understood everything.
I couldn’t figure out what she was planning or how she was using her Gift, but I couldn’t just stand there.
She didn’t seem like the kind of person who would act purely out of malice towards her own family.
Using the excuse of needing the restroom, I slipped into a certain room.
”Oh, is something the matter? You’re Asami-chan, I believe.” she inquired.
”Aba… Yes, I am,” I stammered.
My social awkwardness took over, leaving me a total mess, but I had to speak.
”Using the power of your Gift on Takanashi-senpai and Hidou-senpai… I don’t think it’s right.”
”—What?!”
Hidou-senpai’s mother’s expression changed dramatically, as if she hadn’t expected to hear such a thing.
”—I, Imp – Sexual Demon-chan!?” she blurted.
Suddenly, a small monster appeared before my eyes.
”What is it? What’s going on? I thought you said you didn’t need me today—Wait! Why can this girl see me!?” the small creature observed.
”Eh!?”
The small, winged demon is apparently invisible to normal eyes, but I saw its form clearly. And by using ‘Appraisal,’ I immediately grasped the full extent of her Gift’s ability.
”Aba-baa… I like the senpais. So… things need to be done properly… a clear boundary…” I mumbled, my voice tight.
”But! I… I was…” Hidou-senpai’s mother wailed, clutching her chest with a look of agony.
”I’ve been… I’ve been abandoning my life as a woman for so long… But I endured, I endured, and so…! My husband is always busy and rarely comes home… so this isn’t even about using the Gift’s power—!” she choked out.
”Takanashi-senpai… has a girlfriend. Someone… who isn’t Hidou-senpai…” I whispered.
”Huh…” she breathed.
She looked genuinely unaware. I don’t know all the details either, but I had to tell her what I had seen and what I knew. I believed that doing so would ultimately lead to the happiness of the senpais.
”I… I don’t know what you should do… B-but… the senpais… they need a proper boundary… Aba…”
”Hey, Kasumi². Just so you know, this girl’s completely immune to my ability. Guess you should just give up,” the small demon observed cynically.
”…”
The floating monster seemed to observe me, realizing it couldn’t win. It was right; mental abilities like Lust Enhancement and hypnotic, or status effects like poison and paralysis, simply don’t work on me.
”The senpais… they’re kind… So, if you just talk to them… in the end… they’ll forgive you… probably,” I assured her.
”Ah… ah…”
I had made Hidou-senpai’s mother cry. I hadn’t meant to go that far, and I felt a pang of guilt.
I didn’t know what else to do, but there was one last thing I needed to say, so I offered one final piece of advice.
”You should… talk to people… about your problems.”
Just as the senpais had solved my problem, they had the power to help her. Even if she had done something wrong, I believed they would ultimately forgive her.
After I spoke, I quietly left the room.
”—Asami-chan. You took a while.” Hidou-senpai noted.
”A-Aba… I’m sorry,” I muttered.
”No, I’m not angry. But about the future…” he stated, turning the conversation to what he wanted to discuss privately in his room.
It was about the recent kidnapping case involving the Adventurer Guild staff. The credit for the rescue had been attributed to Hidou-senpai, and he planned to use this opportunity to register as an Adventurer.
”Won’t you become an Adventurer with me, Asami-chan? I’ve already spoken to my grandfather about it,” he offered.
”Aba…”
”We won’t reveal your real name. Your Gifts won’t be Appraised. Only my grandfather and I will know your true identity.”
If my Gifts became widely known, the consequences could be catastrophic. Becoming an Adventurer would increase my visibility and draw attention, possibly ruining my peaceful life.
”It’s to protect Hirose-kun and the others. By showing that we are strong, we can establish a kind of deterrent.”
I can enter Dungeons without being registered, but doing so had accidentally caused Bosses to be defeated and Dungeons to disappear suddenly.
If that’s the case, then registering as an Adventurer and correctly challenging Dungeons—while also giving Hidou-senpai a chance to train—and my identity would remain largely secret. Then—
”Aba… I understand,” I conceded.
”Thank you! Then let’s form a Guild! We should think of a name together today!” he exclaimed, thrilled.
”Aba-baba-baa…” I murmured, surprised by how fast things were moving, now forming a Guild with Hidou-senpai. But if it meant protecting the senpais, then it was the right choice.
If this Inheritance Gift, this power too great for me, could be of service, I would watch over the senpais, now and forever.
—
Summary:
Young Asami, burdened by a powerful, inherited Gift from her ‘Hero’ great-grandfather, struggles with deep social anxiety and an explosive hair complex. After a life-changing Gift from an senpai fixes her hair, her devotion shifts entirely to protecting her kind senpais. This loyalty is tested when she discovers another senpai’s mother using a secretive hypnotic Gift in desperation. Forced to confront the hidden desires of the adult world, Asami uses her overwhelming inherited powers to intervene, leading to a secret Adventurer alliance with Hidou-senpai, all to maintain their safety and the illusion of her own simple life. The scene is a tense climax of urban fantasy power and emotional complexity.
—
Character Insight:
Asami Yaginuma’s immense power is a source of anxiety, not confidence, making her hair complex and social awkwardness her core struggle. Her Gift of ‘Inheritance,’ which grants her countless combat and utility abilities, is completely secondary to her emotional need for acceptance and her fierce, almost obsessive, loyalty to the senpais who solved her most profound issue. Her use of the Berserker Gift is a visible representation of her inner suppression and desire to act like a true hero, yet she immediately defaults to a shy ‘Aba…’ when back in a social setting, highlighting the deep internal conflict between her Gifted and mundane lives.
—
Behind the Scene:
The confrontation in Hidou-senpai’s house establishes the moral stakes in the story’s Gifted world: not all ‘antagonists’ are Dungeon monsters, but often people acting from a place of emotional desperation. The introduction of the ‘Imp’ creature, only visible to Asami, immediately showcases the unique breadth of her Appraisal and Perception Gifts, confirming her status as an overwhelmingly powerful, yet emotionally naive, protagonist. Her decision to become an Adventurer is a necessary plot step to address the side-effect of her uncontrolled power (Dungeon collapse) while still serving her primary, self-imposed mission of protecting her friends.
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T/L:
1 Rindou Hibiki is the full name of the senior girl mentioned, serving as a character anchor. ↩
2 Kasumi is the name of Hidou’s mother. Asami calls her ‘Hidou-senpai’s mother’ in most of the chapter, but the Imp calls her by her given name. ↩
Notes:
• Rindou Hibiki – Hirose’s cheerful, bold classmate who is the first to request his Beauty skill. Hibiki (F, pink bob hair, 158cm, F-cup) is outgoing, expressive about her interests, and quickly becomes Hirose’s girlfriend after an explicitly intimate scene. Her reactions help set the adult tone of the story.
• Kirino – Strikingly beautiful with blue long hair (F, 168cm), Kirino is gifted with ice magic and feels isolated because of her appearance. Hirose’s Beauty skill helps her improve her self-image and social comfort, directly affecting Kirino’s relationship with her family and classmates.
• Kasumi – Kirino’s mother (F, 41yo, navy medium hair, H-cup, 165cm), so attractive and youthful she’s mistaken for Kirino’s sister. Kasumi’s presence adds complexity to family and beauty dynamics, and she shares scenes reflecting the story’s focus on transformation and relationships.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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