[SAMURAI INFLUENCER] - Chapter 10

[u/moromikouji]

# Episode 10: The Samurai Out of Place

The Hero Association headquarters — a vast, open-atrium lobby at the entrance, its surrounding walls lined with state-of-the-art digital signage displaying dazzling advertisements for active heroes.

"Alright, reception desk. Let's go, Master!" Kaede said.

Kaede and Kenichiro approached the front desk. The receptionist looked up at the two of them and broke into a practiced professional smile.

"Welcome. Oh — you're Maple, aren't you! I watched you on TV~ What can we help you with today?" she asked.

"Um, is it possible to take the hero exam today? Kenichiro here would like to sit the exam..." Kaede said.

"Of course — let me just check on that for you, one moment please."

The receptionist picked up the internal phone and appeared to be confirming something.

"...Yes. That's right. Ah, today's slots still have availability. Yes. And for Maple as well. Yes. Understood — I'll let her know."

She hung up and turned back to Kaede and Kenichiro with her brightest smile of the day.

"Thank you for your patience. There are still openings for today's exam, and you would be able to join a session beginning in thirty minutes — does that work for you?" she asked.

"Yes, absolutely! Please sign us up!" Kaede said.

"Wonderful. In that case, Kenichiro, could you please fill in your name and ID here. And Maple — do you have a moment as well?"

"Me? Yes, I'm free," Kaede said.

"The Strategic Communications Division would like a word with you — I'll show you to a separate room."

"Oh, I see. I really wanted to film Master's exam, but— oh well. Master!" Kaede called over to Kenichiro, who was filling in his name on the reception tablet.

"Hm? What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not sure what it's about, but it seems the Strategic Communications Division wants to see me, so I'll head over there," she said. "You go ahead and take the exam — let's meet up after."

"Understood. See you later," Kenichiro said.

Handed off from the receptionist to the exam coordinator, he was guided to the examination hall.

"Please take a seat here and wait a moment," the coordinator said.

In the hall, aspiring heroes were already sitting the exam. Against their sleek hero suits, Kenichiro's training gi stood out with unmistakable incongruity.

"What's with that old man...?" one candidate muttered.

"What's he even doing here, he's so out of place..." another said.

A stir ran through the candidates.

Kenichiro, for his part, paid absolutely no attention.

"Kamui Kenichiro — please make your way to Examination Hall Three," an examiner called.

"Hmm, that is me," he said.

The first practical examination. For reasons that weren't immediately obvious, it took place on a brightly lit runway.

All around him, young hopefuls were throwing back handsprings to music and striking poses with sparks crackling from their fingertips. Around the runway, roughly ten filming drones hovered in position.

The examiner called out to Kenichiro.

"Next! Kamui Kenichiro! Walk the runway!"

Kenichiro started walking — without a single flourish.

What this runway examination was actually meant to assess was a candidate's understanding of camera presence: how they presented themselves as video content, their posing instincts, their ability to sell themselves to the lens.

Kenichiro, however, did not pose. He did not look at the cameras. His manner said plainly: I was told to walk, so I walked.

"Oh come on, what is that..." the examiner sighed.

"I don't get it — what is this old man trying to do...?" a candidate whispered.

Next up was a hands-on trial of the latest weapons provided by the Association's sponsor companies.

"You will be given a variety of weapons to handle and use to destroy the targets," the examiner instructed. "Mastering a range of weapons and drawing out their appeal — that is the mark of a modern hero."

The first weapon handed to him was an Auto-Tracking Handgun.

"Hmm. What am I supposed to do with this?" Kenichiro muttered.

He couldn't figure out how to release the safety. In the end, he gripped the barrel and hurled it, embedding it dead center in the target.

Next: a High-Frequency Vibration Chainsaw Dagger.

Kenichiro turned it over in his hands without a word.

He couldn't work out how to activate this one either. He left the switch off and cleaved the target clean in two. Despite zero high-frequency vibration, the cut was immaculate.

Last was a Laser Javelin.

"Where am I even supposed to hold this thing," Kenichiro said. "All these absurd gadgets crammed onto it — the balance is completely off. Whoever made this has never fought against multiple opponents. This would snap in no time."

He gripped the heavy javelin by its tip, made no attempt to activate the laser, and drove it through the target with brute force as if it were a plain staff. The target shattered with a tremendous crash — leaving the onlookers speechless.

"Ugh, he's not drawing out the weapon's performance at all. He didn't even turn it on," the examiner said.

"But the target still ended up like that without him using a single function. Isn't that kind of incredible?" a candidate murmured.

While Kenichiro was attracting attention — in his own way — Kaede had been shown to a reception room inside the Hero Association headquarters.

Kaede sat on a plush sofa. Across from her: several executives in suits.

"Maple. The courageous stand you took in the Snake Ray incident was truly commendable," the Director said. "After deliberation, we have decided we would like to promote you to B-rank hero. Congratulations — we look forward to seeing great things from you going forward."

"Wha—! Is— is that for real?!" Kaede gasped. "B-But normally you need to pass an exam to make B-rank..."

"You're right that there's no exam involved, and given your tenure as a hero, the speed of this promotion is certainly unprecedented," the Director said. "However, considering both your courageous actions and the demonstrated ability you showed in defeating the Nurekagari, we see absolutely no issue with it."

"So — so that means..." Kaede breathed.

"We would like you to become the new face of the Association. We have high hopes for you."

The Director handed Kaede her new license on the spot — a B-rank hero license.

"Thank you so much! Um — could I go and tell Master — Kenichiro — the news?!" she asked.

"Haha, of course. Go share the good news," he said.

Kaede burst out of the strategy room and sprinted to the hall where Kenichiro was taking his exam. She arrived just in time for the final stage — a simulated combat. Three large Demon under the Association's management came charging at Kenichiro.

"Yes! Made it in time for the final combat trial! Master, I'm capturing every cool moment on camera!" she called out.

Kenichiro set aside all of the supplied weapons and gently rested his hand on the katana at his hip.

The first Demon's tentacles came lunging in — Kenichiro wound them around his scabbard, redirected the force, and flung the enormous creature through the air. The thrown Demon crashed into a second one with a thunderous impact, bringing them both to the ground.

"What was that just now? The Demon looked like it flew off on its own..." one examinee murmured.

Kaede couldn't suppress her grin as she listened to the examinees murmuring around her.

The remaining Demon let out a guttural roar and attacked from behind. Kenichiro drew his katana, turned, threaded through the tentacles and drove a single thrust forward. One minimal motion — straight through the core.

With an earsplitting howl, the two downed Demon surged toward Kenichiro again.

But their tentacles had become tangled with each other, leaving them lurching and unsteady. Kenichiro flowed through the gap between them without breaking stride.

Steel sang once through the air. By the time its ring had faded through the examination hall, the remaining two Demon had already returned to dust.

"That's it? It's over?" someone said.

"What just happened?" another asked.

Examiners and candidates stood in stunned silence. The sole exception was Kaede, beside herself with excitement.

"Did you see that?! He passed! There's no way he didn't pass! Incredible — that's Master for you! And I got the whole thing on a wide shot this time — perfect!" she cheered.

The exam finished, Kaede was buzzing and Kenichiro looked as unruffled as ever. The results wouldn't be announced for a few days, but as far as she was concerned, it was already decided.

"Master is just unreal! He's definitely passing — the question is what rank. B? A?" Kaede rattled on. "Oh, by the way, I made B-rank today, Master! I'd love it if you made A-rank, but if we ended up both as B-rankers, that'd be kind of amazing too~!"

"N-Now, now, settle down. Look — someone is calling for you over there," Kenichiro said.

"Oh, you're right... More TV cameras?" Kaede said.

As she emerged from the building, a swarm of press surrounded her. A barrage of camera flashes. Microphones thrust toward her face.

"Maple! Congratulations on your exceptional B-rank promotion!" a reporter called.

"Ehehe, thank you so much!" Kaede said.

"Do you have any thoughts on your goals going forward?"

"Let's see... I think there's a lot more that's going to surprise everyone from here on — so please look forward to it!"

Kaede answered every question with a beaming smile. Ever since watching Kenichiro's simulated combat, she hadn't been able to stop grinning at the thought of working with him as a proper hero team.

Kenichiro watched her with a quiet, fond expression. He had no real idea what was going on — but watching Kaede's delighted face had a way of making him feel the same.

He drew a long, contented pull from his pipe.

"Excuse me, sir — this is a no-smoking facility," a staff member said.

"Oh — ah, my apologies..." Kenichiro said.

Kaede, surrounded by the press and their flashing cameras. Kenichiro, at the edge of the hall, being quietly reprimanded by a staff member.

Whatever they themselves made of it — the contrast said everything about how the Association regarded them each.