The Heroic Tale of the Weakest Ability User ~The F-Ranker with the Dual Pistols~ - Chapter 1: Episode 7.1

Yesterday, I won a rank battle against an A-rank opponent, but in exchange, I lost my right arm.

Now, I’m struggling to prepare breakfast with my left hand, which I’m still not used to.

As soon as I finished cooking, the girl I rescued from drowning yesterday woke up.

“Eh…? Where… am I…?”

Sitting on the bed, she glanced around like a small, cautious squirrel.

Then, as if recalling something, she curled up and began trembling violently, overwhelmed with fear.

She shook like a mistreated animal, rejecting everything around her.

Noticing the noise, I quickly set down the food and rushed to her bedside.

“Good morning. I mean you no harm. I’ll say it again—I won’t hurt you.”

I knelt before her, speaking gently while meeting her eyes.

Did she understand that she was safe?

Her wrists bore numerous scars, as if she had been tortured—some were old, some were fresh.

The painful-looking wounds made my heart ache.

Now that I got a closer look at her face, I noticed how striking she was. She has sharp eyes and symmetrical features.

She was beyond the level of girls in fashion magazines—so perfectly composed that she seemed like a princess from a fairy tale.

Yet, exhaustion weighed heavily on her expression.

She needed safety and rest immediately.

“I… I was kidnapped… and then, from a plane… I-I fell… I was so scared…”

Her voice was weak and desperate.

That alone told me how much she had endured.

“You did well. You fought so hard, but you don’t have to anymore. You’re safe here.”

I gently held her right hand.

It was small and slightly cold—so fragile that I wanted to protect it.

Tears formed in her eyes, tracing slow trails down her cheeks before falling onto the bed.

Then, as if the dam had burst, she broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

Her cries mixed with gasping breaths, and she kept wiping her tears away with her sleeves.

I stop holding her hand and gently rub her back.

Then, I embrace her. Strongly, tightly, warmly.

Her emotional wounds run deep.

I hold her until she finally stops crying.

Judging by her expensive-looking clothes, she might be from a wealthy family.

Usually, the homes of the rich have tight security.

There’s no way she could have been kidnapped unless the culprits were highly skilled—or had abilities.

It might be safer to hide her here rather than make any reckless moves.

Yesterday, I actually tried taking her to the school infirmary.

But since she wasn’t registered at ESP Academy, they refused to treat her.

So I had no choice but to let her sleep in my room.

As I think about it, I realize—

I want her to stay with me.

Because I’ve completely fallen in love with her at first sight.

“I made breakfast. Want to eat?”

I try to read her mood as I invite her to eat.

She probably hasn’t had anything since yesterday.

“I… I don’t feel like eating… S-sorry…”

She murmurs in a lifeless voice, avoiding my gaze.

There’s nothing I can do right now, but she needs food.

“It’s just tofu this morning. Just one bite, okay?”

I should probably make her eat, even if I have to insist.

Every Wednesday morning, I always eat tofu. It’s a routine.

“…O-okay. I’ll eat the tofu.”

She stammers but agrees, holding out her hands.

“I can’t sit up… Can you help me?”

“It’s fine, I’ll bring it here. You can stay in bed.”

There’s no need for her to force herself.

Out of habit, I reach out with my right hand—

“Y-your right arm… D-did you lose it because you saved me?”

Her voice trembles as she asks, her face turning pale.

She must have associated my missing arm with the moment I rescued her.

“Oh, this? Nah, I lost it in a duel yesterday. But the painkillers are working, so I’m fine.”

I scratch my head and reassure her.

Thanks to yesterday’s treatment, my severed arm has been closed up with skin, though it’s not fully healed yet.

“You need to go to a hospital… That’s not fine at all.”

She looks at me with concern.

Oh, right. I snuck out of the hospital yesterday.

I should probably go back and check on my missing arm.

“Thanks for worrying about me. But really, I’m fine.”

Out of habit, I pat her head like I do with Yuu.

“Uh… um… yeah…”

She lowered her gaze, avoiding eye contact.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t asked for your name yet. I’m Task Sabe.”

“…I’m Mai Kurumochi… Can you tell me where we are?”

She spoke in a hushed voice, curling up slightly. As she took in the view of my room, she asked again.

“This is my home. Pretty nice, right?”

I spread my arms dramatically, introducing my space with a hint of pride.

My home is a container-sized, six-tatami-mat room.

As soon as you open the door, the small kitchen is to the left.

Straight ahead, there’s an old 16-inch CRT TV from a decade ago, a decent-sized bookshelf, and a tiny table in the corner with a laptop on it.

And right across from that table is the bed where she’s lying.

My laptop isn’t something I could afford with my rank’s limited benefits. Instead, I salvaged and repaired a junked one collected at the end of the month.

For internet, I’m piggybacking off a wired connection from the neighboring B-rank apartment.

The speed is slow, but I make do.

“It’s small, but… it feels cozy.”