Table of Contents

Color Gallery

Title Page

Copyrights and Credits

Table of Contents Page

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Goddess and the Summoning

Chapter 2: The Ruins of Disposal

Chapter 3: The Road to Annihilation

Chapter 4: Soul Eater

Chapter 5: Avenger(s)

Chapter 6: A Chance Meeting

Afterword

Newsletter

Prologue

WE WERE ON A SCHOOL TRIP when it happened.

All of Okito Academy’s class 2-C was packed on a bus that wound its way through the mountains. Some were asleep, others played with their smartphones, some stared at themselves in little makeup mirrors or just sat there looking carsick. But the ones who stood out most were all together at the back of the bus.

“The Elites,” you could call them.

“Hey Takuto, introduce me to one of your girls some time, yeah?”

“You play too loose with them, Shougo. Don’t lie so often, and I’ll think about it.”

That was Kirihara Takuto. They say God doesn’t give with both hands, but this guy was handsome, charismatic, and good at everything he tried—top stats across the board. He was the sun our whole class revolved around. One word from him, and even the air would sit up and pay attention.

“Kirihara-kun, you’re such a good guy!” a few girls squealed in response.

If Kirihara Takuto was class 2-C’s main character, then Oyamada Shougo was his loyal sidekick. Standing by Kirihara’s side at all times, Oyamada was the delinquent yin to the golden boy’s yang, and his self-proclaimed best friend. He had a rough face and a reputation for making trouble. The only positive things you could say about the guy were that he had a good physique and knew his way around a fight. If you were ranking people on how generally unpleasant they were, he’d be near the top of the list.

The Kirihara and Oyamada duo ruled over all the popular kids in class.

“Why don’t you ever, like, go for any of us, Shougo?” one of the girls asked.

“You’re all too easy!” Oyamada replied.

“Aw, c’mon,” she sighed.

“If you’re gonna be flashy, you gotta at least beat the younger Takao sister!”

“Whoa, no way, are you kidding me?! She’s, like, barely even human! How do you expect a regular girl to compete with that?!”

“Heh, I guess you don’t have much to work with, huh? She was born with a hundred-mile head start on you there!” Oyamada taunted, clearly enjoying himself. He seemed more amped up than usual—must’ve been because of the school trip.

The girl he’d been talking about, on the other hand, sat quietly. The Takao sisters, a pair of twins who always stuck together, were famously weird. The older, Takao Hijiri, was a poised, impeccable beauty, while her younger sister, Takao Itsuki, was much flashier and more outgoing. They were another impressive, high-stat pair—Hijiri was the second smartest person in class, and Itsuki came in fourth on our last test, too. They were both athletic, with figures to match, and their beauty blew the rest of the class out of the water.

As long as you can ignore how weird they are, I thought.

“This view of the mountains could be a window to expand your imagination in extraordinary directions. Take a good look out there, Itsuki,” said Hijiri.

“I see it, Aneki,” her sister replied.

No matter how long I looked out the window, it all just looked normal to me.

Is there actually anything extraordinary out there? Can the Takao twins really see something I can’t?

Or maybe just Hijiri…I don’t think I’ve ever heard Itsuki disagree with her.

“Whoa! I said her name, and she didn’t even blink! Totally ignored! Oh man, she’s so cool!” Oyamada said excitedly.

“Could you be a little quieter back there, Oyamada-kun?” a clear voice rang out through the bus.

“Huh?”

“I’m trying to read.”

That was Sogou Ayaka, our class leader. Black hair with a headband, a pale complexion, pristine black tights—she was so good-looking that rumors had even spread about her at other schools, as had a few long shot photos passed around on instant messenger.

Rumor had it she was from a super rich family—an expensive car stopped at the gates every day to pick her up after school. She was trained in martial arts, and her academic skills put her at the top of the class. She wasn’t in a club, though she showed her athleticism in gym class—she’d even sub in sometimes at sports club tournaments when they needed her.

If Kirihara Takuto was the male protagonist of this story, Sogou Ayaka was the female lead.

“Whatcha reading, Sogou?” Oyamada taunted as he snatched the book away from her. “Still reading paper books nowadays—this a manga, or what? Oh, hey, a novel.” Nobody stopped him, of course—there weren’t many people in class 2-C even capable of talking back to him. He tore off the book cover to see what was underneath.

That idiot always goes too far…

“Give it back,” Sogou shot at him.

“‘The most incredible love story you’ll read this year’…?! Ooh, I gotta check this out!”

“I-I said, give it back!”

“Are you kidding me? Our number one student reads this kinda junk? Underneath it all, Ayaka-tan, you’re just a sweet little girl who reads romance novels!”

“S-so what?!”

“Ugh, so many freaking words! I could never get through this…my eyes…they’re falling off the page…my brain cells are dying…!”

“So give it back.”

“Huh, you want it back?” Oyamada teased. “Now, what should I do~? Maybe I’ll give it back if you trade R@IN IDs with me…?”

Truth was, Oyamada had a huge crush on Sogou, but he only showed it through that old, twisted form of affection where a guy picks on a girl to get her attention.

“Oyamada-kun, just give it back to me!” said Sogou.

She clearly didn’t realize what he really wanted—I’d always figured she was a little oblivious to that kind of thing.

R@IN was an instant messaging app—the most popular in the world. But you could only talk to a person on there if they allowed it, and Oyamada wanted Sogou to open up that door.

I’d probably look really cool if I rushed to her defense right now…

But I knew that was just an idle thought. A background character like me jumping to her defense would be about as useful as a strong breeze.

Nothing. Meaningless. Worthless.

LOSER used FUTILE GESTURE. It’s not very effective…

I knew that with a guy like Oyamada, getting involved would probably just make things worse. If someone at the top of the class hierarchy like Sogou can’t face off against him, what’s a guy at the very bottom supposed to do?

She seems off today, and her face is kinda red…oh, I get it. She’s embarrassed she got caught reading romance novels, huh? Her comebacks are usually more confident than this, but I guess he got to her today…

She might actually be kinda cute.

“Oyamada, come on. Just give it back to her.”

I also feel bad for her.

“What did you just say to me?”

“Huh?”

That voice defending her…that was me.

What…? What am I doing? Why am I standing up?

“Mimori…Touka-kun, isn’t it? So, er…what’s your problem, man?” Oyamada asked, surprised. He would be surprised—a background character like me didn’t stand up to him every day. The whole atmosphere of the bus had changed—all eyes were glued to me. Sweat prickled on my forehead.

“Uh…it just looks like Sogou-san really wants you to stop, so…” I trailed off.

“You—” Oyamada started.

“Huh?”

He was shaking like Jell-O right out of the mold.

“Oooh, l-look at Mister Cool Guy over here!” he taunted, pointing at me and getting more worked up every moment. “You wanna walk the path of L-O-V-E with Sougo-san? That it? Is that what’s givin’ you the strength to be so unbelievably cool right now, Mimori-senpai?! What is this, ‘Rise of the Background Characters’?!”

“Mimori-kun…?”

Sogou turned toward me with a concerned look on her face. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one…but I hoped it was the former.

Okay, how does Mimori Touka get himself out of this one?

“Give it back to her, Shougo.” That was a lifeline from Kirihara—not even Oyamada could talk back to him.

“You’re right, Takuto. We should get to know this cool new Mimori-senpai instead, huh?” Oyamada replied.

“Leave me out of it. I don’t care about guys like him.”

“Whoa, that’s cold, man. I guess that’s the real difference between you and me—I can’t match that level of cool.”

“Do whatever you want about Mimori, just give Sogou her book back already. I don’t like it when you do stuff like this.”

Some of the other students, mostly the girls, stared longingly at Kirihara and whispered among themselves about how kind he was. Oyamada whapped Sogou on the shoulder with her novel a few times.

“Sorry ’bout that, Sogou. I got a little carried away. But you’re a nice enough person to forgive me, right?”

Sogou snatched back her book and glared at him. Oyamada held his hands over his head in surrender.

“I said I was sorry. Jeez…”

Sogou quietly put the novel back in her bag. She seemed to have lost her appetite for reading.

Sogou Ayaka wasn’t just academic and attractive—she also knew ancient martial arts, and she’d even used her skills on Oyamada once before. There was a theory going around that he’d been a little afraid of her ever since. Well, part afraid and part attracted, people said.

Kirihara put his earbuds in and started listening to music. Oyamada crashed back into his seat.

“Screw this!”

He kicked hard against the seat in front of him. Most of the students, myself included, jerked their heads back in surprise—even the tour conductor flinched. Only Kirihara, Sougo, and the Takao sisters looked unfazed.

“Hey, Yasu~?” Oyamada called out to the timid boy sitting in front of him. He leaned forward and put an arm around Yasu’s shoulder.

“Wh-what is it, Oyamada-san…?”

Yasu Tomohiro was your typical high school bullying victim. He’d been marked for slaughter by Oyamada since the beginning—two years ago. Yaso had accidentally spilled Oyamada’s juice, and unluckily for him it had soaked Oyamada’s smartphone and bricked it. Yasu had snapped that it wasn’t his fault, but at the time he didn’t know who he was snapping at. Oyamada had stayed locked on ever since.

“Y-you really surprised me there…” Yasu mumbled.

“So Mimori-senpai broke rank and tried to punch above his weight class, and you’re sitting there acting like it’s got nothin’ to do with you! It pisses me off! You got somethin’ to say?! C’mon! Look me in the eyes!”

“I-I don’t have anything to say…” mumbled Yasu.

“Why’s 2-C’s trash can talking back to a real man, anyway? Shut your damn mouth!”

“…”

“Answer me!”

“O-okay…”

Do you want him to shut up, or do you want him to answer you? Oyamada’s such a weirdo…

“Give it a rest already, Oyamada. This day and age, if you go too far and he ends up killing himself, you’ll be in trouble, got it? You too, Yasu. If you’re going to jump off a bridge, don’t do it on my watch.”

That was our homeroom teacher, Zakurogi Tamotsu. He taught P.E., and he was nice to the girls, hard on the guys.

No, wait, small correction there. He’s only nice to the cute girls.

On the guys’ side, he only took interest in the top of the class hierarchy, using those guys as pawns to keep the rest of us in line. As long as we were all under control, he could ignore most of us. The way we were treated varied wildly from student to student—“equality” was a hollow concept in the 2-C classroom. The social order applied to everyone and everything. There was no escaping it.

“Roger! Backing off.”

Oyamada knew when to play dumb, back down, and follow orders. He always managed to get on the good side of adults and teachers—when he felt like it, at least—creating a little space to retreat back into if things got bad. That’s what made the net he spread around himself so toxic.

He clasped his hands together in an exaggerated gesture of apology.

“Sorry about all that, Yasu-kun~! Let’s turn over a new leaf—I’m great at that!”

He didn’t look sorry at all.

Stretching his arms and legs wide, Oyamada hurled himself back into his seat with a loud sigh.

“Mimori-senpai starts acting like the main character, and now this beautiful, sparkly school trip travel scene is ruined! What’d I do to deserve this—”

That was when it happened. No warning, just—

White light seared through the bus windows.

Chapter 1:
The Goddess and the Summoning

“YOU’RE TRYIN’ TO TELL ME we’re in another world?! What the hell?!”

Oyamada’s voice echoed around the dim, stone-carved room, which was more than big enough to hold all of class 2-C.

When I’d first opened my eyes, I found myself and my entire class here, in a room decked out in what looked like antiques, or maybe props from some medieval fantasy movie. Niches in the walls held lamps that illuminated the stone room with a warm glow.

“You have all been chosen!” a voice rang out.

“Huh?! You better tell me what’s goin’ on, right now!” Oyamada demanded, practically foaming at the mouth.

Before him stood a woman in a tiara who seemed completely unfazed by his outburst.

She’s definitely got guts.

The woman had soft skin and light gray hair, and her eyes—were they gold? Color contacts, maybe? But my eyes were especially drawn to her clothes, which were neat, immaculate…and barely there. She wore a scant robe, almost like a western Goddess you’d see in a painting…or maybe if that Goddess had been drawn by a character artist from an anime studio.

“Of course, let me explain. I am the one who summoned you here, after all,” she said. “I am the Goddess Vicius.”

Chapter 2:
The Ruins of Disposal

I’VE BEEN TOLD that my parents were terrible people. The abuse was constant, raising a child in that environment unthinkable, and I was warped by it.

“Little brat, always got that sad, nasty look in your eyes!” my father would scream at me, then kick me to the ground.

“I wish you were never born! We can’t even kill our own worthless kids? What’s wrong with this country?!” my mother would say.

After a while, I started thinking violent thoughts, too.

Someday… Someday I’m going to kill them.

Thinking back, it was probably just my survival instinct. There was a part of my brain that was sure one day they’d kill me, and wanted to get them first.

That’s what first brought out my dark side.

But one day, they both disappeared and left me alone.

Just…evaporated, I guess. My uncle and his wife became my foster parents. They’d gotten a call from my parents just before they vanished from my life forever.

“Take the kid.”

It was only when I started living with my foster parents that I realized that my life growing up wasn’t normal. My aunt and uncle were good people, so I wanted to be a good kid for them. I didn’t want to cause them any trouble—I owed them that much. Mimori Touka learned kindness from them. Before long, he became the air itself—someone harmless and easy to overlook.

But just before he was teleported into the dark ruins, something changed. He let me out.

The real Mimori Touka.

***

I opened my eyes.

I was lying on wet rock that poked into my back. I raised my head. Pitch darkness.

“So, these are the Ruins of Disposal…”

Blackness. Trapped in the deep dark. My stats…can I check them?

“Status Open.”

Vision obscured. Unable to display stats.

A monotone voice echoed the words in my head.

Okay, so I need to actually be able to see. But maybe I can use this…?

I groped in the dark until my hand hit something.

“Here it is.”

The leather pouch. My unique magic item.

I held it in both hands and ran my thumb over the crystal. I tried to remember the Goddess’s explanation.

So I need to pour mana into this thing and it’ll light up?

I thought back to what it felt like to use my skill against her and imagined pouring that power into the crystal. It began to flicker faintly in places, until the light grew and the whole thing was glowing.

Whoa, that’s awesome…it’s like I’m really using magic.

I still couldn’t see much, but in the dim light I could at least make out some of my surroundings. There was bare rock all around, and a jagged ceiling looming above. The ground was strangely bumpy and uneven.

“More of a cave than a ruin, isn’t it? Huh, what’s that…?”

I pushed myself to my feet and walked over.

“—?!”

A-a skull? Human bones?

Make that…half a skull. What happened to the other half? Something split it in two…?

My breath caught in my throat.

What could’ve done this…?

There was something incredibly dangerous lurking in these ruins.

My heart raced.

Nobody survives down here—that’s what the Goddess said. So I’m probably going to die down here, too. I talked a big game, but…I don’t know if I can make it out of here…

I felt groggy and off, like I was still waking up and the world was still coming into focus. My head was pounding now, too, beating hard on my temples, and I could feel the sweat running down my back.

Am I gonna die? Am I really gonna die here?

That thought assaulted me. The smell of death still lingered from everyone who’d been disposed of before.

Am I going to join them?

Footsteps.

Death is coming closer.

My heart is beating out of control.

Pulse racing.

Instincts screaming.

It isn’t safe here.

Survive.

You have to survive.

It was getting brighter, somehow. The skull was dyed orange by the light…

Something’s there. Behind me. Something glowing orange.

“Hfff… Grrrgh… Graaah…”

A monster.

Its reek attacked my nostrils.

I could hear something dripping…something that hissed and bubbled when it hit the stone floor.

What’s that sound…some kind of acid? What the hell is behind me…? I want to know, but if I turn around now, it’ll kill me.

My reason had slammed on the brakes, telling me that staying motionless was the smart move—but an instant later, my instincts took the wheel.

I ran…and tripped over my feet immediately.

As I fell, something huge whooshed right past my head, missing me by inches. I stumbled back to my feet and kept running, as if pushed forward by the wind of its passing.

Lucky break… Was that thing trying to hit me? Grab me?! It went right for my head!

I was sprinting at full speed, no time to look back. Every cell in my body was screaming, terrified. My teeth shook in my head.

This thing is so much stronger than me, and I can tell that it wants to kill me—I can literally feel it. Not like that Goddess—she had a presence, she was intimidating, but this thing just wants to tear me apart as soon as it can.

I realized with a shock that my pouch was still glowing—I quickly stuffed it into my uniform.

It shouldn’t be able to see me now…okay, that’s a plan. Hide in the darkness.

Please, just let me stay hidden…

I struggled to quiet my frantic panting. My lungs were empty, my legs numb.

I can’t…I can’t think straight…

No.

Don’t think—just run.

I don’t want to die.

My instincts took over completely. Tears welled up again as I stumbled forward—not of sadness or joy, but fear.

Or…? N-no…not fear. At least, that’s not all.

I choked on my tears, trying to get enough air to run. I couldn’t get a read on my own feelings—but it wasn’t the first time I felt like this today.

My foot caught on something jutting out from the floor, sending me tumbling to the ground.

F-figures…lucky I even got this far running blind.

“Haah…haah…haah…!”

I get it now…I’m not crying because I’m scared.

I turned to face the thing looming behind me.

I’m not scared.

“Screw this…”

I’m angry!

A monster stood before me—humanoid, with the head of a bull, like the Minotaur from those old Greek myths. But it was somehow more horrible than that—bloodshot golden eyes, thick orange veins crisscrossing its black-skinned, thickly muscled chest, giant horns split like a reindeer’s. There were mountainous bulges all over its body that spewed out liquid like erupting volcanoes…liquid that fizzed and spat when it dripped on the rock below.

The rock was melting.

So that was the sound I heard earlier…

It also explained the uneven rock I found when I first got here.

“Dammit…this thing’s way too fast.”

I can’t outrun it. I wonder if the Goddess could beat one of these misshapen minotaurs. Could Kirihara take it out with that blasting skill he used? The Goddess said she’d disposed of “strong but unsuitable” warriors down here…but nobody ever made it out. That monster must have killed them all.

So what chance does an E-Class like me have?

“What the hell…”

So this is it, Mimori Touka’s final moments. I wish I could at least thank my foster parents. Thank you for being so kind to me. I’d planned to say that on the day I graduated high school. I shouldn’t have waited.

Sogou Ayaka, too. I owe you my life for what you did. It isn’t close to enough, but these two words will have to do.

Thank you. Thank you for trying to help me.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The minotaur was getting closer—my time was up.

The humans who get sent here are probably its dinner. Does it just wait here for more to get teleported in?

My nails scratched at the ground.

No weapons. One glowing leather pouch. Terrible stats. Worthless skills.

I started to get to my feet, but…stopped.

Even if I run, that minotaur can run faster. At this distance, there’s no way it won’t get me, and after sprinting so long I don’t have the stamina to even try. Checkmate. It’s over.

I closed my eyes and let my mind wander.

“Get out of the way already, E-Class trash.”

“It’s a shame I don’t get to watch your miserable ass die, Mimori!”

“Leave your worldly worries behind and enter into a peaceful sleep, Mimori Too-ka…”

“A last gasp befitting a disposable wretch.”

I opened my eyes, anger welling up inside me. They’d all gotten exactly what they wanted.

I can’t go out like this… I can’t.

I bit my lip.

“I want…power.”

The minotaur roared. A clawed, muscled arm reached out to grab me.

I raised my arm, too, toward the monster. Two outstretched arms that could only meet in violence.

I knew that giant palm was coming to crush my skull.

I don’t want to die like this. I can’t give up without trying! My skill might be worthless, but…maybe I can at least get one punch in.

I don’t know if it was the bubbling anger in my gut, or my survival instinct kicking into high gear. But something in me still wanted to struggle.

My unique skill—Apply Status Effect…

“P-paralyze…”

Mimori Touka’s last stand…

I closed my eyes.

“…”

Several seconds ticked by…and still nothing happened.

Wait…my skull should be getting crushed to dust right about now, right?

My face dripped with sweat, and I shook with terror. Slowly, hesitantly, I raised my head and opened my eyes.

The minotaur was frozen in place.

“Huh…? It…actually worked?” The Goddess had told me that status effect spells barely even worked against low-level monsters…there was no way that minotaur was low level, right? It didn’t seem weak to me…and why would there be low-level monsters at all in a place used to dispose of strong warriors?

It must’ve been miraculously good luck.

But then I remembered the Goddess’s words.

“Even if you miraculously get one to stick, the effects are minor and the duration extremely short.”

I scrambled to my feet and ran.

I have to get away from this thing!

My time flat on the ground had given me some of my stamina back. I wasn’t going to let this chance go to waste. In only a few steps, I was panting hard again.

Oh man…out of breath…is it my vitality stat…? My speed…? I bet higher-level heroes could run way farther.

I covered my mouth with my hand. I had to stop breathing so loud…

Where am I, anyway?

I scanned the dark in panic, checking behind me.

I don’t see it. Did I get away?

“…”

My legs hurt—I was exhausted. I leaned forward to inspect my ankles and knees by touch.

No sprains…I don’t think. I can rest a while, right? Then I’ll start looking for a way to the surface…there’s got to be—

“Uh.”

I looked up, and froze.

How could I have been so stupid? There’s more than one of them…

That place I just came from must’ve been the minotaur’s territory. Of course if I leave it I’ll run into something else.

“Bwaa-aak! Bwaaak! Bwaaaak!”

What the hell is that…? Some kind of bird monster? A cockatrice?!

The head was birdike, with a big crest on top—or maybe a horn? Its scrawny neck shook violently. Below that, it looked like a four-armed humanoid, with jet-black skin crossed with orange veins, just like the minotaur. Instead of hands, it had massive claws.

The sounds it kept making were strange and only vaguely birdlike. Thick acid oozed from holes in its body to fizz on the ground.

One birdlike eye swiveled in its socket to stare down at me as it squalled its strange bird sounds. Something dripped from its maw—saliva? Did that mean it was hungry?

“Bwaaaa-waaaaak!” it cried, high-pitched and eerie. Its clawed arms moved like pistons as it approached.

Even one hit from those claws will probably be fatal. Can I run for it…? No, it’s no use. At least I noticed the minotaur before it was right in front of me—this thing is even faster.

I would’ve begged to fight Kirihara and the others instead—I’d face that Dragonic Buster any day of the week. Evil and cruel were no match for the pure, unadulterated bloodlust I sensed from these things.

Were they trying to kill me for food? For their own survival? Or were they just twisted creatures who didn’t have a problem with murder? No matter the reason, I could tell they wanted to kill me. The bird-head thing was just as strong as the minotaur, if not stronger. I’d jumped out of the frying pan, into the fire.

All the warriors and heroes who’d been sent here…they must have all died like this. Someone strong might be able to take out one, but the next wouldn’t be far behind. There were probably countless monsters down here. Finally, even the strongest fighter would reach the limits of their stamina and willpower.

No… I don’t want to die.

I don’t want to die…

I don’t want to die!

I unconsciously raised my hand.

So this is what it’s like to pray…

“Para…lyze.”

“Bwa—aa—aah—”

I opened my eyes, and my jaw dropped.

I guess I haven’t used up my supply of miracles yet.

“It worked…again?”

The bird-headed monster looked like it was straining, sweat trickling down its bird face. But it remained completely motionless.

Paralysis. It worked again.

Praying that those four arms didn’t suddenly jump back into motion, I slipped past the monster and ran away at a full sprint. A theory came to me, like a revelation.

It can’t be.

But…

Maybe this miracle is bigger than I realized. What if my skill worked twice because…it always works? I used a status effect on a monster twice in these supposedly unbeatable ruins. And the minotaur hasn’t come after me. Neither has bird-head. What if…the “Status Effect” skill the Goddess talked about and my ability are…completely different things? Maybe my skill always hits. Maybe it lasts a long time.

“If that’s true, then…” I turned back to the paralyzed bird-head I’d left behind.

“I might just make it out of here.”

My thoughts raced—was this really possible? Could I really make it out?

I’m getting ahead of myself. First, I need to check something.

I slipped into the shallow opening in the rock I’d found earlier. The light of the leather pouch was fading, so I poured a little more mana into it, and it started to glow faintly again.

Good—at least I can see now.

“Status open!”

Ok. Here it is.

Too-ka Mimori

Level 1

HP: +3 MP: +1 / 33

Attack: +3 Defense: +3 Vitality: +3

Speed: +3 Intelligence: +3

Title: E-Class Hero

As expected, my mana was running low. I’d used Paralyze three times—once on the Goddess, once on the minotaur, and once on bird-head…so that was 10 MP per use? The other two mana must be what I put in the leather pouch.

This is bad…I’m basically out of mana already.

I thought through everything the Goddess had told me. Maybe that wasn’t exactly true—she’d said that our listed stats were actually stat modifiers. So I’m out of extra mana…but the real amount of mana I have left depends on my natural abilities, the mana inside me that can’t be described in numbers.

But there’s no way of telling how much I have left…if it’s under ten, I still can’t use my skills again…

My only weapon, useless.

Checkmate.

Not knowing how much mana I had left to work with was stressful, but it beat being sure I was dead. Shaking off my fear, I flicked over to the skill page.

Unique Skill: Apply Status Effect / Available for use

And again.

Paralyze: Level 1 / Mana cost: 10 MP

Sleep: Level 1

Poison: Level 1

So I have to use the skill at least once to see its mana cost…?

“I’m done for.”

I held my head in my hands. It was hopeless. There was no way my mana would last until I reached the surface.

Does it regenerate over time? Maybe when I go to sleep like in an RPG? But even if it did, that’s an extra—what? Thirty mana? I’m an E-Class, I can’t count on having much natural mana inside me.

And what happens if I run out of mana? Do I pass out? That would mean using my own mana at all is risky.

Wait.

When Kirihara used his Dragonic Buster skill, he’d mentioned something about his skill level increasing…so we can level up, just like in a game.

“If I can level up high enough, maybe I can make it…” My maximum mana might increase, or the mana cost of my skills might go down.

As an E-Class, however, I’d probably grow slowly. That’s what the Goddess said, at least. S-Class heroes like Kirihara leveled up much faster. He got enough EXP to level up his unique skill after just one use, but I’d used mine three times and hadn’t leveled once.

So that’s the difference between an E-Class and an S-Class, huh? But in games, you usually only get experience when you kill the monsters…

I glanced back at my list of skills.

“Poison, huh?” That was the only one that looked like it did any damage.

Or maybe the other heroes left some weapons behind that I could use? If I found a sword or something, I could use it to kill the paralyzed monsters.

As a regular person my stats weren’t great to begin with, and my E-Class stat modifiers clearly sucked. But if I could find a decent weapon, there might be a chance. I had to hope that other heroes were allowed weapons, same as the Goddess giving me my shoddy little pouch.

I stuck my head out of my hiding place and looked back towards bird-head.

“I wonder how long this paralysis thing is gonna last? I should go back and check.” I’d get some important information that way. If the monster was still paralyzed when I got there, that meant the spell had a pretty long duration. That would make standing there with a weapon and hacking at it until it died a more realistic plan.

But if I get back and the monster’s not there anymore…

“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

I could see a small light at the end of the tunnel—I started to walk towards it.

Take the risk. Just be prepared for the worst.

Maybe this was a bad idea. It might’ve been smarter to keep pushing on toward the surface, but…I wanted to know. I’d run frantically the moment I realized the paralysis had stuck, so I wasn’t even sure how far I’d have to backtrack. Maybe it was hiding in the darkness, just waiting for a chance to strike.

My eyes were starting to adjust to the dark, and I could see dim shapes in the blackness. There, on the ground—

“An axe?”

Did some past hero drop this?

I’d been moving so fast that I must’ve run right past it. I picked it up—it felt heavy in my hands.

I wonder if it’s still sharp.

There was one MP left on my stat modifier. I considered feeding it into the leather pouch to light it up enough to check the stats on the axe, but no…not just yet. Bird-head’s creepy orange veins glowed enough that I’d be able to see when I got close.

I held it in one hand and kept walking. My chest hurt. My throat was dry.

That bird…it’s still out there somewhere in the darkness…

Finally, I caught a glimpse of the orange glow. As I drew closer, I realized it was still paralyzed right where I’d left it.

Unless it’s just faking it…trying to lure me in.

“Bwa-aa-aak!”

It clearly still wanted me dead. I’d done something to it, and now it couldn’t move—it seemed to at least understand that. That thick acid still oozed from the holes in its body.

So the paralysis doesn’t stop all bodily functions, then. I guess if it worked like that, it’d be essentially an instant kill…huh, what’s that? A gauge?

There was a yellow gauge hovering just above its head, looking exactly like something out of a video game. If the yellow bar measured the effect duration like I guessed, it was about half over.

I stepped away from the monster, grabbed a stone off the ground, and pitched it as hard as I could at its back.

Klunk!

It made contact, but that wasn’t the sound you’d expect to hear from a stone hitting skin…it must have had very hard skin, at least. I hid and peeked back out at the monster—luckily, it was still frozen in place. I’d played RPGs back in my world where a status effect wore off when the character took damage, but luckily it didn’t seem to work like that here. I could do whatever I wanted to the enemy until the gauge ran out.

“Yes!” Without even noticing I did a little fist-pump of triumph in the air.

I stepped out from my hiding place and inspected my axe in the orange glow of the monster. It looked like it was in pretty good shape, not chipped or anything.

“Eat this, bird-head!”

I raised the axe above my head with both hands. I figured I’d start with the limbs—I swung it down hard like a lumberjack at one of its arms.

Klank!

The impact sent a shockwave through my arms—a dull, heavy pain followed as I let the axe drop from my fingers. The monster looked exactly the same.

It’s no use. It’s just too tough.

Catching my breath, I looked down at the axe where it had landed. There was a long crack in the blade now.

“Oh…”

Before I could reach down to pick it up, I saw that it had landed in a pool of bird-head’s acid—the axe blade had already begun to melt, the acid eating through the metal way faster than it had the stone floor. The weapon was totally useless to me now.

“What am I supposed to do? Is this thing even beatable…?”

What if I jam a blade into one of those holes? No… It’d just melt away.

There’s only one thing I can think of that might work.

I’d have to use my own mana—the mana I couldn’t see—to cast Poison on bird-head. I walked over slowly and raised my arm. Target acquired.

“Haah…”

Deep breath. Stay calm.

“P-poison…”

The monster’s whole body seemed to blur, then turn purple. Translucent purple foam started to form on the creature’s body, like little soap bubbles all over its skin that popped and melted away into the air.

So this is the poison effect…I did it. It worked. Other than that one failed attack on the foul Goddess, I’ve had a 100% hit rate.

The paralysis had left bird-head frozen in an odd half-standing position. The yellow gauge had drained more, but there was no other change—I’d expected a purple gauge to appear next to the yellow one.

“…”

I’d been lucky again—casting poison on a monster could’ve overwritten paralysis, but thankfully, the effects stacked.

Okay, combo complete. The paralysis-poison one-two punch. I can do this…!

It was exhilarating.

Now all I have to do is wait. Wait…and pray. And if the monster dies from the poison damage, maybe I’ll level up.

I could only hope that it would die from poison—I’d played games where poison effects couldn’t deal the final blow, they’d just bring a monster down to 1 HP and you’d need to physically finish them off.

What kind of damage is poison, anyway? Is it a fixed amount, or does it scale with the strength of the monster? Does it deal a certain amount every tick, or a percentage of the enemy’s health? That could really affect how useful it’s going to be…

“Bwaaak… Bwaak… Bwah…” The creature’s cries grew weaker and weaker.

So is it a fixed amount of damage, or a percentage?

It could be an incredibly high amount of fixed damage.

Whatever kind of damage it was doing, the monster was clearly getting weaker. Sweat dripped down my forehead as my mouth turned up in a manic grin, a mix of joy and hope.

“I might be able to kill them.”

Every last monster.

I sat cross-legged on the ground and waited for the monster to die. The yellow bar of the gauge got shorter and shorter as bird-head weakened under the poison’s effects. I kept my eyes glued to that gauge, knowing that the moment it ran out, the paralysis would wear off.

I have to stack it again before it runs out…

Stack it again before it runs out…

Stack it again before it runs out…

I muttered it to myself over and over like they were the real magic words.

“Speaking of magic…”

I’d been so caught up thinking about poison and paralysis that I’d forgotten all about my mana. I opened my stats screen.

MP: +0/33

My stat modifier for mana was spent.

What’s gonna happen if I keep using my skills…?

Dizziness and lightheadedness, then eventually passing out—that kind of thing happened all the time in manga when a character used too much mental energy.

I have to avoid that at all costs. Being unconscious in a place like this would be a death sentence.

I looked bird-head straight in its bulging eyes.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. You tried to kill me, right? And I can still sense how badly you want to rip me to shreds.”

You tried to kill me. I’m trying to kill you. It’s just survival.

Serves you right.

Die.

Die.

Die.

I could feel my time in the dark changing me—driving me out of my mind. I could feel this place chipping away at my compassion and reason.

Murder is wrong. I know that…but if I don’t murder this thing, it’ll kill me. I have to kill to stay alive. Senseless murder is evil, I know that…but this is different. I have a good reason for taking a life here. Survival of the fittest.

Kill or die.

But…what do I mean by “here”? These ruins? This world?

I shook my head. Who’d care about philosophy at a time like this? I only needed to focus on one thing—making sure the monster in front of me died.

“…”

I waited a long time, watching in silence and praying for this creature’s death.

This could really start messing with my head.

I got to my feet, grabbing a sharp rock off the floor as I stood, and tried to crush the bird’s eye with it. It didn’t work. Its eye was covered with a thin, hard layer of mucus.

More time passed. The gauge was almost empty.

Paralyze is about to wear off… Time to use it again.

“Paralyze.”

Error: Duplicate skill—cannot apply twice.

“Huh…?”

It won’t stack?

Oh…it’ll probably only work once the first effect wears off. I’ll need to target it with another Paralyze as soon as it gets free of the first one.

I…I’d better be fast. This thing might charge at me as soon as it can move.

I raised my arm.

Almost…time…

The yellow gauge disappeared.

“Bwaaaaak!”

“Paralyze!”

The monster began spinning its arms, testing its new freedom.

“It…didn’t work?”

That can’t be…

“No…”

Am I out of mana?

Error: Duplicate skill—cannot apply to the same target twice.

No, it’s not that! I can’t paralyze the same target twice! Even after the effect wears off, I can’t reapply the same effect.

I took a step back. The monster took one heavy step towards me. The purple poison bubbles were still active—that much was clear—but the situation was dire.

Paralyze isn’t going to work anymore… What do I do? Wait…stay calm. I have another skill.

“S-s-sleep!”

“B-bwak?”

The monster staggered back, its eyes falling closed immediately. Its lumbering black body swayed and fell forward with a loud crash.

“It worked…?” This time, a blue gauge appeared over the monster’s head. Using a different skill was possible, at least.

Sweat rolled down my face as I drew a shaky breath.

I can do this.

If I alternated using sleep and paralysis, I could keep the combo going for as long as my mana held out.

Okay, next I need to check whether I can put paralysis back on it before sleep wears off. Poison’s still working—maybe it’s a whole different system from the other status effect skills?

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. I was sweating heavily.

Am I sweating this much because I’m using my own mana…?

I looked down at the bird-headed monster. It seemed like it was still getting weaker. Purple bubbles still grew and popped on its skin.

Paralyze, Poison and Sleep… Those three skills are going to get me out of here.

I was still panting hard. But after a moment the sound of my breathing got strange…

“Huh?”

That’s not me!

I turned.

“Grrrgh!”

“Aah!”

It was the minotaur. Its paralysis spell had worn off, so it must’ve come looking for me, golden eyes narrowed in rage. The minotaur closed in on me.

I can’t use the same skill on the same target twice in a row, so…

“S-sleep!”

“Graah…?”

The minotaur collapsed with a thud. A blue gauge appeared above its head.

I was panting even harder, and I’d started to feel lightheaded.

This isn’t good. So, what now? Do I use my own mana to poison this mino-guy?

“I don’t really have a choice…”

I looked down at the collapsed bull-headed monster, my heart empty.

Kill the enemy. No compassion. Not for this thing that was about to—what’s that sound?

Heavy footsteps, and the hiss of melting rock.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

All around me, specks of gold and ropey orange lines of light appeared out of the darkness.

“Bwaaak! Bwaak! Bwaaa-aaak!”

“Grrrraaaagh!”

A chorus of minotaur and bird-head sounds rang in my ears.

I guess the minotaur brought some friends.

“Gimme a break…how many more of these things are there?”

Sweat ran down my face and soaked the collar of my uniform. I smiled, mind racing in strange directions to escape the reality of what was happening.

That acid stuff is melting the floor—is the point to make it bumpy so it’s hard to run away?

Minotaurs in front of me, bird-heads behind—I was cornered. I was out of the MP I could use safely, and my stats were too pathetic to count on. I stared up at the ceiling.

Isn’t this the part of the story where somebody swoops in and saves me at the last moment? Some super strong hero who’s still alive down here should be coming to my rescue—a real warrior living in these caves in secret.

Of course not.

I tried my best. I did everything I could, didn’t I? If this were a manga, I’d be one of the characters who dies in the prologue.

Air.

E-Class.

Disposable hero.

“I hope you die in an unsightly and pitiful way, Too-ka Mimori.”

That foul Goddess.

“Wh-what the hell…”

I backed up against the rock wall and clenched my fists.

Nobody’s coming to save me. Nobody cares enough about a background character like me to even try. That’s why I have to save myself. Don’t rely on anyone. Don’t expect anything of them. Don’t cling to them. The hero you were dreaming about isn’t coming to save you—he’s already here. You have to become him.

I’ll annihilate every single one of them.

Background character? E-Class? Rock bottom? Sure, bring it on. I’ll survive in the harshest conditions, resist and rise up like a weed. I’ll bet everything on my own capabilities. I’ll keep going until I use my status effects on every last one of you, or my MP runs out. Whichever comes first.

My eyes darted left and right. I raised both hands and took aim at the first monsters in the horde.

“P-paralyze!”

“Bwaah—”

The first monster in front of me stopped dead in its tracks.

Paralysis successful.

I felt dizzy, light-headed, but stood firm. Sweat rolled down my cheeks.

“Haah…haah…ha ha ha haa! Come and get it!”

I smirked at the horde before me. It was time for survival of the fittest.

“Let’s do this.”

Chapter 3:
The Road to Annihilation

“PARALYZE, PARALYZE, Paralyze, Paralyze, Paralyze, Para-lyze!”

That was, what, eight of them? I felt strangely giddy. The paralyzed bodies around me became shields protecting me from the rest, buying me time to fire off more skills before the still-mobile monsters could break through.

“Paralyze!”

“Uh…whoa…” It felt like my blood was being pulled out of my body through the top of my head.

I probably don’t have much mana left. This is bad… I-I’m going to pass out… How many more of them are there…?

“Bwaaak!”

Another bird-head… I steeled myself and raised my arm once more.

“Paralyze!”

“Bwaa—”

It froze, but that moment I stumbled to the side, my world turning white. I tried to stay focused on the monsters around me…

“What the hell…”

Reinforcements had arrived, marching into my field of vision. Five more, coming from all directions…and even more beyond them?

This was really, really bad.

“…”

I don’t quite know why, but…I began to laugh.

“Heh, if this is how you’re gonna play it, then…”

I’ll use every last drop.

I could barely stay on my feet. My mind was fading, grasping onto consciousness through sheer force of will.

“C’mon, come and get me…!”

Every last drop.

“I’ll stop fighting when I drop dead! Paralyze! Paralyze! Paralyze! Paralyze! Pa…ra…”

I felt something snap inside me. My body swayed dangerously.

I guess that was the end of the MP.

My legs wouldn’t hold me up. I could feel my consciousness being sucked under.

“I guess my mind gave out first…heh…no, wait…I can…one more…if this is the end…then…one more…”

I raised my trembling hand.

Last one…

“I’ll…show them…what a background character can do… Mimori Tou-”

My last moment alive…

“Bwa! Bwaaanng…”

What was that? Sounded like…a monster’s last cry of agony before it…died…

Level up!

Instantly, my energy returned. My mind cleared, vivid and focused.

Level 1 → Level 258

Wh-what was that? What just happened?

“Paralyze!”

Why?

The leaping minotaur froze in mid-air.

“Paralyze! Paralyze! Paralyze—!”

Why did my level increase?

“Oh.”

I spared a glance for the original bird-head, lying face down. The first monster I’d poisoned had finally breathed its last.

I remembered the hooded figure saying that I would grow slowly, that I’d need a ton of experience to level up. So the monsters in the Ruins of Disposal must provide an enormous EXP gain.

You’re probably not meant to be able to kill them at all.

When I first encountered the minotaur and bird-head, they’d both moved slowly and deliberately. They’d underestimated me and paid the price. If they’d recognized me as a threat right off, they could’ve killed me before I had a single chance to use my skills. But they let their guards down, sure that I was too weak to worry about.

Trash like that wouldn’t even take ten percent of my strength to crush.

Does my MP regenerate when I level up? Do I only get half back, or a full bar? Do I only gain the new mana from my stat modifier?

If I keep targeting these monsters—keep leveling up, then…

“I can keep fighting! Paralyze!”

I can do this. By the skin of my teeth…I’m gonna pull this off!

“Paralyze! Paralyze! Paralyze!”

Skill level up!

Level 1 → Level 2

Nice, that’s probably for Paralyze.

It seemed that skill EXP and level EXP were separate, and I had to use a skill a certain number of times to level it up…? Even after my level shot up, I didn’t seem to gain any new skills—I had no way to figure out how to get more of them.

“First, I need to focus on getting out of here…!”

Using my mana was totally intuitive, luckily. And as I looked out at the monsters, another revelation struck me.

“Whoa, no way… I can already do that…?”

Multiple targets.

A triangle mark appeared above the heads of all the monsters in my field of view. I raised my arm…

“Paralyze.”

They stopped in unison. Paralysis successful.

Maybe the Goddess is the only one my skills can’t affect.

Since I was sent to the ruins, they hadn’t failed me yet—a 100% success rate.

I laughed menacingly.

“So there it is. If just one gave me that much EXP…if I kill every single one, I’ll be drowning in it! Hah!”

While the other monsters were shoving their way through the paralyzed crowd, I used another skill on the motionless creatures spread out before me.

“Poison, Poison, Poison, Poison, Poison, Poison, Poison, Poison—”

Skill level up!

Level 1 → Level 2

These monsters just look like walking, oozing experience points to me now.

I backed up to the wall and sank to sit on the floor. Monsters lay motionless in front of me, slowly having their lives drained away by the poison.

“How many of these things were living down here…?”

The paralyzed creatures formed a disorganized semi-circle around me. New monsters pushed the others out of their way, acid erupting from the holes in their bodies.

Fresh prey.

The eyes of the frozen, sickly, bubbling things pierced me as I watched.

“As soon as I can move again, I’m going to murder you,” they seemed to say.

“Just try it,” I said, glaring right back. “I’ll kill you before you get the chance.”

My skin felt tight, tingling.

For some reason, the monsters’ murderous looks filled me with a strange sense of relief. Maybe all this hate aimed at me made it easier to kill them without mercy.

I couldn’t look them in the eyes for too long—keeping an eye on their gauges was more important. And maybe this was a chance to learn something new about my skills—I had a lot of theories to test out.

Does the poison deal the same damage every time, or is it somewhat random?

I couldn’t test that now—I needed to stay focused and prepared to cast Sleep if it was needed.

Huh…I still haven’t checked if I can stack paralysis and sleep on the same target. That would be good to know now. But first, I’d better check how much MP I have left.

“Status Open.”

Too-ka Mimori

Level 258

HP: +774 MP: +8194 / 8514

Attack: +774 Defense: +774 Vitality: +774

Speed: +774 Intelligence: +774

Title: E-Class Hero

Well, my stat modifiers had definitely gotten better.

3 times 258 is 774…so they’re multiplied by my level.

And since my starting MP value was actually decent, my mana was much higher—a huge relief, since my mana was my only lifeline down here.

So, did the MP I used on skills recover when I leveled up?

I didn’t know what to make of the other stat modifiers, though. If Oyamada’s vitality was +500 at level 1, maybe mine weren’t as good as they looked.

Well, at least I feel like I got some stamina back after leveling up.

“Grraa…nngh…”

Somewhere, a minotaur breathed its last.

Level up!

Level 258 → Level 277

I waited a while longer. Another minotaur gasped and wheezed out its final breath—then another, then another…

Level up!

Level 277 → Level 321

More time passed. Other than the first bird-head I’d poisoned, only minotaurs had died so far—the bird-headed monsters must’ve had a lot more HP.

“Bwaaak! Bwa…”

“Oh?”

Finally, it happened.

Level up!

Level 321 → Level 395

“Looks like the bird-head ones give better EXP.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t see any detailed information about experience points on my stat display. There was no “this much EXP to the next level” marker like you see in a lot of games.

It sucks to play a stamina-based game and not get to use all your mana before a level-up. It feels like a waste if you’re going to be back at full MP at the next level anyway. Huh…maybe knowing what it’s like to be poor made me more sensitive to this stuff.

“Anyway…”

I opened my stats to check my mana.

MP: +13035 / 13035

Completely restored, like I thought. My skills cost 10 MP to use, so I can use them 1303 times. And there are still monsters alive here—once they die, I should level up again. If I can stack effects on all of them…

“I could farm them for skill experience.”

I locked on to one of the bird-headed monsters and raised my hand.

“Sleep.”

It didn’t fall since it was still paralyzed where it stood, but its eyes closed.

“It works. Sleep and Paralyze stack.”

Two gauges were now displayed above the monster, yellow and blue—Paralyze and Sleep. Now even when the Paralyze gauge wore off, I wouldn’t need to reapply sleep right away. That moment of risk when the monsters could move around was gone—my combo was flawless. The Poison effect continued to bubble.

Now I can farm them for skill experience with all this excess mana. With the amount of EXP they’re giving out, I should level up at least a few more times.

No need to hold back, then…

“Sleep! Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep—”

I walked around to each paralyzed monster, stacking the effect on them.

“Sleep, Sleep—”

Skill Level Up!

Level 1 → Level 2

There it is. Now Sleep is level 2 as well.

The monsters around me croaked their last, one after another.

Level up!

Level 395 → Level 501

“That’s about all the Sleep I can stack…”

Looking at the numbers, I was sadly letting a large amount of mana go to waste. But considering I almost died when I ran out of MP earlier, I couldn’t complain too much about having extra.

The minotaurs outside my protective paralyzed circle glared at me one more time, then a few turned and withdrew into the caves.

“Did they give up on killing me…?”

Suddenly, the bird-headed monsters all opened their mouths wide as if in fear.

“B-bwaaaaak!”

In one motion, they flocked together and ran, their four arms flapping like wings against the rock.

“Bwaa-kk!”

They thought they were getting an easy meal, but then their buddies were frozen in place, turned purple and sickly, and eventually died. Makes sense that they’d realize this human is too risky to fight.

They might be monsters in the Ruins of Disposal, but they’re still living things, then—they value their lives.

I gazed after the retreating horde.

“What do I do now?” I asked myself. “Chase them down and kill them?”

No, not now. Not that I’m feeling particularly compassionate or anything…but my goal is to reach the surface, and I’ve probably leveled up enough for that. Next, I need to explore and get my bearings.

Standing up slowly, I looked in the direction the mintoaurs had fled. I hadn’t been able to properly search the place where I was first teleported in—there might’ve been something useful there. I’d only seen that one half-skull before the minotaur’s attack distracted me from searching for loot.

“No harm in going to check.” There could be all kinds of stuff left by those other discarded warriors.

I can’t let my guard down, though—a surprise attack or an ambush could finish me off before I get a chance to use any of my status effects. Without them, those monsters could probably kill me in a single hit. That Goddess has probably sent S-Class heroes down here before, so I doubt my E-Class stats will do me any good, even after gaining all those levels.

So I always need to make the first move. I can’t get hit, no matter what. That’s all I need to focus on—not getting hit.

I made it back to my starting point, still organizing my thoughts. I raised my illuminated pouch.

Right now, darkness is more dangerous to me than light—even if it attracts their attention, I can’t hit what I can’t see.

Well…as long as nothing down here has a projectile weapon.

“I don’t see anything useful down here…”

I did find a bunch of human bones half-dissolved by acid, probably killed by a minotaur. There were a few weapons, but they’d mostly been ruined by the acid, too—they’d just be dead weight I’d have to carry.

“Guess this is it. Hunh.”

I’d managed to find a black overcoat on one of the skeletons and a rusted-but-intact shortsword. I gratefully wrapped the warm coat around my shoulders to shut out the cold of the cave; then I took the shortsword from its leather scabbard and checked the blade. I wasn’t sure it’d be much use, but it looked functional enough, so I jammed it into my leather pouch. I had to hold the pouch in my left hand to keep my right free for skills. I’d found that they only worked if I locked onto a target by pointing at it, so I needed the free hand.

It was hard to imagine the shortsword hurting one of those monsters, but maybe it would come in handy for defense? The reverberation when I’d tried to cut bird-head’s monstrously tough hide had traumatized me a little.

Soon I caught sight of the magic circle carved into the rocks that I’d arrived on.

“This magic circle thing…I doubt I can use it, right?” I had to assume that only the foul Goddess could make them work, otherwise prisoners would always just go right back through.

“…”

I wonder what my classmates are doing now… No. Don’t think about them. Think about all the danger you’re in. About how to survive, and how to get to the surface, any way you can.

I started a more thorough search of the cave, even returning to the battlefield I’d just left. The mountain of monster corpses remained, of course, untouched.

“Now that I see them all laid out like this…there sure are a lot of them.” It felt like the battle had happened in a past life. I peered forward into the cave the bird-heads had retreated through.

“Time to try a new direction.”

I came out of the tunnel into a wide open cavern, too large to illuminate with my leather pouch. The ceiling was high, with jagged stalactites hanging down like you’d see in a limestone cave.

Grrrgh…grrr…

I was trying to ignore it, but my stomach won’t let me…I’m starving. Thirsty, too. I haven’t eaten since before I got on the bus.

Sprinting around escaping monsters and battling them to the death really worked up a sweat. I’d lost a lot of liquid. I’d kept an eye open for a puddle or water source on the way here, but no luck yet.

First obstacle: monsters…cleared. Next up: food and water.

Monsters were one thing, but food and water were a more fundamental problem.

“Nothing I can do but keep going…”

Do those monsters eat and drink? Maybe I can find their food source.

I walked slowly through the expanding dark.

Chapter 4:
Soul Eater

The Runaway

SHE MADE HER WAY cautiously through the forest, searching for a hiding place. She needed to find somewhere safe enough to finally get some rest.

Glancing downward, she saw her reflection in a puddle of water at her feet. Not her true reflection—she usually changed her face with the power of the spirits, hoping to throw off her pursuers. She’d been a bit too relaxed during her bath earlier, allowing her disguise to wear off, but she used her powers to put it back on as soon as she realized her mistake. She shut her eyes, frustrated at her own sloppiness.

I may have escaped those hunters for the time being, but there is always the danger that someone will recognize me. Even deep in the forest, I cannot be sure that no one is watching. I must learn from my mistake and make sure it never happens again…

She remembered well the failure that sent her on the run. She hadn’t been careful enough—she’d avoided trouble for so long that her guard had started to drop. She’d stopped in a village, and in a tiny lapse she let her disguise slip and someone saw her true face. Unfortunately, that person turned out to be one of a four-man mercenary squad, renowned throughout the continent for their fighting skills. They were clearly adversaries to avoid fighting head-on. She’d changed her face again and fled the village, doing everything she could to throw them off her trail. Her body and clothes were harder to disguise, though—her shapeshifting ability was limited to her head. Clothes were one thing, but the distinguishing features of her body were impossible to hide.

Getting away from these four mercenaries was going to take a lot more than just disguising her face, she’d feared.

Her fears had turned out to be well-founded—the mercenaries hunted her relentlessly through every twist and turn she tried to throw in their way. Finally, just yesterday, she’d managed to lose them in the forest. She was far off track from where she’d intended to travel, but at least the mercenary problem was solved.

She reached into her breast pocket to check the money inside.

I am unsure how much longer this will last me…

Then she grasped the charms around her neck.

Living like this in the forest forever…might not be so bad.

She walked on cautiously, all her senses straining to catch anything dangerous.

If I find a safe spot, I wonder if I should just stay here—

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted—there was something up ahead.

She crept on, threading her way through the trees until she reached a clearing.

Ruins…?

She looked at them with cautious optimism.

Perhaps there are hidden rooms…even a safe place to sleep.

Deciding to investigate further, she stepped carefully toward the ruins.

Chapter 5:
Avenger(s)

Sogou Ayaka

SOGOU AYAKA walked cautiously through the forest in the Southwest corner of the kingdom, keeping her eyes peeled for threats. She’d been in this new world for several days now, and she was still getting used to her new life.

Branches snapped in the underbrush nearby. She quickly jumped to attention and raised her long spear.

“Grrr… Graarh!”

It was a mouth-dog.

The creature’s mouth was large, deformed, and lined with gleaming, crooked teeth. Its eyes flashed gold. Sogou had never seen anything like it before…it had never been clearer to her how far from home she was.

The dog monster took a step forward.

“Do you…want to fight?” she asked, directed as much to herself as to the monster.

“Grrh…!”

It bared its fangs.

“Where’d you run off to…?! Freakin’ dog!” Oyamada Shougo’s voice called out from nearby, and the rustling of leaves got louder and louder as he approached. He jumped out of the brush, swinging his greatsword.

When it saw Oyamada, the dog turned tail and dashed off in the opposite direction. Ayaka froze—at this distance, she knew she’d be able to cut it off, but…

“That one’s mine, Sogou! Stay outta my way! Only the Elites get the good prey, got it?!”

Oyamada clearly didn’t want her help.

“Well, I guess I could let you have it if you came with me and joined our group! Think it over, huh? You gotta think about your future!”

Leaving these condescending words hanging in the air, Oyamada disappeared into the brush. Ayaka was alone again. She checked her surroundings—not a sound to be heard—then finally let herself relax a little, and sighed.

The heroes of 2-C were working on their combat skills in a training area prepared for them on the outskirts of the kingdom. A towering stone wall surrounded an area of the forest, and then ferocious monsters, matched to their current strength, were added for them to fight.

Saving the world from evil, huh?

Ayaka sat down on a nearby rock and gripped her spear tightly. It had been several days since the Goddess first made them kill those monsters in the castle. She’d wanted them to get used to killing living things, she said. Ayaka had slept through that part, though.

By the time she woke up, the initiation ceremony was over. Some students didn’t pass the trial—no matter how hard they’d tried, they couldn’t kill their monster. Some were paralyzed, others nauseous, crying, catatonic or confused.

Of course they were.

Everyone in 2-C grew up in a peaceful world. Just the concept of taking a life with your own hands was completely foreign to them. Sogou was no exception to that, either.

When she regained consciousness, she’d gone to see the Goddess, who filled her in on what she’d missed.

To Sogou’s horror, the Goddess explained that any who couldn’t go through with their first kill soon would be disposed of.

“It is a true shame,” the Goddess began, “but it is necessary, Sogou-san. I am afraid any dropouts will have to walk the same path as our unfortunate friend Too-ka Mimori-san.”

The Goddess also briefly told her of Mimori Touka’s last moments among them. His final words sounded strange to her—not like the Mimori Touka she knew.

She…she hadn’t been able to save him.

“I am so sorry, Sougo-san. It pains me to have to do this, but these are the laws of the Kingdom of Alion, and they are absolute. I am truly sorry…but there’s nothing I can do,” the Goddess had said, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ayaka knew what she was trying to do.

“If I may speak freely, Goddess…”

“Yes? Speak as freely as you please.”

“I don’t like the way you do things. Not one bit.”

“Hmm~? What do you mean by that?”

“You throw the weak away when they stop being useful to you. It’s horrible.”

“Ah. I suppose that’s one way of looking at it~! You know, for a Goddess I am actually a generous spirit. I can even be persuaded on occasion! And yet…those who cannot fulfil their heroic roles in this world are not long for it…”

“My rank…S-Class. That means something here.”

“Oh, of course! It makes you quite important!”

Ayaka had no choice. She gave the Goddess what she wanted.

“I’ll fight for you…but the heroes who couldn’t pass your initiation ceremony are under my protection. I’ll join your side as long as you let them all stay here.”

“How wonderful and courageous of you! It is a fine thing when an S-Class hero stands up for her ideals. You may have some reservations, but you are willing to put them aside to save the world!”

“Yes, I am.”

“How delightful~! Let us shake on it, then, to celebrate our newfound friendship! Oh, and although I believe it was necessary in the moment, I am rather sorry for punching you in the stomach~!”

Ayaka took the Goddess’s hand. It was cold as ice.

Cold hands, warm heart? Not likely.

I know I’m still confused…it’s only been three days, and I don’t really understand anything…

But I have to do this. I have to save them.

In Ayaka’s opinion, the students who hadn’t passed the initiation ceremony were some of the kindest people in class. She’d heard that Zakurogi had taken on a leadership role among them, though he was also struggling to adjust to their new reality.

At one point, when he’d tried to reassert himself as a leader and authority figure, Oyamada had given a vicious takedown.

“Ha! You really think I’m gonna accept a D-Class hero as my teacher? You can tell me to respect you, but it’s not like you can back it up! Oh, by the way…sorry, but our group’s gonna have to pass on you! How ’bout you go see if they need help washing dishes in the castle kitchens, Zakurogi-kun? Might be a better use of your skills!”

Ayaka had scolded Oyamada for going too far and tried to counter with something to encourage their teacher, but he just brushed past her, stumbling out of the room in shock. Since then, he seemed like a broken man.

“I have to be stronger…” she’d heard him mutter under his breath.

They’d been allowed to take whatever weapons they liked from the castle. Kirihara chose a katana, Oyamada a greatsword, Hijiri a longsword, Itsuki a rapier, and Yasu two swords to dual-wield. Swords were apparently common in this world, though they were originally brought here by summoned heroes from the past.

Ayaka had immediately gone for a spear, the weapon she was most accustomed to wielding. Her grandmother was a master of the “Kisou” style of ancient martial arts, and even after she met her wealthy husband, she continued teaching. Ayaka had been her student since she was very young. “Kisou” wasn’t only spear-work—it also had techniques for times when your opponent was too close for a spear—but for most combat it was her favorite weapon.

Ayaka had studied and trained hard every day, and the lessons were her beloved routine. She’d train every night, then shower and read before bed.

Now, all that seemed so far away.

I never imagined I’d be using these techniques in a real life-or-death situation… I can’t be satisfied with my pathetic accomplishments so far. An S-Class hero needs S-Class results, otherwise all the dropout students will be in danger. They’ll end up like Mimori-kun…

Discarding the weak…that was wrong, no matter if anyone tried to convince her otherwise. The term Noblesse oblige came to mind. The strong have a duty to protect the weak—an obligation.

First, she had to kill some monsters and “level up.” Apparently, killing monsters would give you “experience points,” which were a kind of energy, perhaps? Kill strong monsters and you’d become powerful, too.

“Status open.”

Ayaka Sogou

Level 1

HP: +700 MP: +300

Attack: +1300 Defense: +300 Vitality: +500

Speed: +700 <+500> Intelligence: +700

Title: S-Class Hero

The Goddess said that these stat things will increase as we level up.

Summoned heroes were the only ones in this world with this “levels” and “experience” framework applied to them—regular people and monsters couldn’t do things like check their stats.

Ayaka lightly ran her fingertips over her earrings—the bonus to her “Speed” stat was tied to them, her unique item. They’d been told that most of those special items were just raw stat boosts, and hers were no exception—she did feel a little faster than before, she thought.

Experience points…

Killing another person wouldn’t give you experience or make you level up. Ayaka supposed that made sense—you wouldn’t want heroes going on murderous rampages across the kingdom, killing the people they were meant to protect. She shook her head at the disturbing image.

Instead, they had to stick to killing monsters to level up. The monsters apparently came in a few different types, and the ones that gave the most EXP had golden eyes. Unsurprisingly, they were also the strongest and hardest to kill.

Let me see, what else…

She opened her skill list, already getting used to the flicking motions required.

The words Unique Skill were displayed in grey, as they always were.

Will I be able to use magic spells someday?

She hadn’t killed a single monster yet, and was still stuck at level 1.

Can I really do it…? No, I don’t have a choice. I couldn’t save Mimori Touka, but…I have to save the others. I won’t let that Goddess take anyone else. I’ll protect the powerless so that Mimori Touka didn’t die in vain.

I need to find another one of those monster things.

Ayaka got back to her feet and began to walk.

She wasn’t wearing her uniform anymore. In its place was an outfit right out of a fantasy movie—flashy armor that accentuated her figure a bit more than she was comfortable with. It was beautiful and elaborate…and Ayaka had spent last night carefully adding fabric to the more over-exposed areas.

“This kind of armor gives a real advantage against enemies of the opposite sex,” the Goddess had told her. “It also makes it easier for the mana to flow through your body! We spared no expense designing the most useful and attractive S-Class equipment!”

I wonder if she was telling the truth. This is just so embarrassing…

Ayaka hated feeling exposed—that was why she always wore black tights with her uniform. She had to admit, though, that her ordinary school uniform wouldn’t provide much defense against monster claws. The armor had some sort of magical protection from the Goddess on it, apparently. Right now, it was vital to her defense.

I’ll have to grin and bear it for the time being.

She kept walking, a little dejectedly.

Heroes, are we?

The word still didn’t sit right with her. Get called a hero, and it’s like you have no choice but to work up some bravery and go off to fight evil. But she didn’t feel very heroic.

Hero…that word’s just a magic spell she cast on us to stop us from running away.

To Ayaka, it felt like a curse.

She stopped and readied her spear, sensing something close by.

“Haah, Haah… Oh! S-Sogou-san!”

“Kashima-san…?”

She’s a member of Ikusaba Asagi’s group, I think. We’ve all been neatly separated into groups already, haven’t we…? Factions, just like in the classroom. Some things never change.

“What’s wrong?”

“I-I was told to give you a message…!” Kashima choked out, still panting.

“Catch your breath, then tell me. I’ll wait, I promise.”

“Sorry… Th-thank you…”

Kashima Kobato has always been one of our quieter classmates, but if she’s here…

Kobato must have passed the Goddess’s initiation ceremony.

She doesn’t look like she’d hurt a fly…maybe Ikusaba-san did something to get her through it.

I…don’t trust Ikusaba Asahi. She always seems like she’s up to something.

Kobato’s breathing slowed enough for her to speak.

“Um… Th-there’s a really strong cow-man monster that got mixed in with the others by mistake… One of the people at the castle told me and… M-maybe we should all head back…” she panted.

Kobato isn’t in great shape, and she’s timid…but she still came out here to warn me.

“Did you really run all this way just to tell me? Thank you, Kashima-san.”

“Y-yes… B-because we need you, Sogou-san. You have to live…”

Ayaka just stared at her. It sounded like Kashima didn’t think that she herself was needed at all.

Chapter 6:
A Chance Meeting

The Runaway

THE ELF’S IRREGULAR PANTING echoed softly through the quiet forest.

“Haah… Haah… Haah… Haah…!”

She ran headlong through the deep foliage, avoiding the roads. She’d started running full speed when she heard a twig snap somewhere nearby. The slim lines of her body made it easy to avoid snapping twigs or being snared by branches as she sprinted along.

“…”

She slowed her pace.

I think…I’ve lost them for the moment…?

She no longer felt like her pursuers were breathing down her neck, but she knew that they hadn’t given up. This was just how they did things—they wanted to enjoy the hunt. They’d let you know they were following, then suddenly disappear. Once you thought you’d shaken them, they’d be back on your trail.

I shouldn’t have bathed in the river earlier. I’m lucky they didn’t ambush me there. If they had…

A shiver ran down her spine. Unfortunately, the ruins she’d stumbled upon were no help—she’d discovered what looked like an entrance but had no idea how to get inside. After leaving the ruins, she’d encountered the four hunters again and had to flee. And now, there was a different path presented to her.

Should I really keep running? Maybe it’s time to fight.

She ducked behind a tree trunk and readied an attack. Her pursuers were of heroic blood, descendants of the Heroes from Another World who had once saved this world. The children of those heroes had talents and strength far surpassing the average warrior.

According to rumor, even with their great strength, the descendants couldn’t compare to the real heroes who’d fought against evil in times of old. Still, they were much more formidable than the enemies she normally had to face. The descendants of heroes lived in kingdoms all across the continent, and were an important part of the militaries of countries who couldn’t summon heroes of their own.

Her mind raced as she hesitated on what to do next. She might’ve been able to take them in single combat, but all four at once…

She let out a tired sigh.

I don’t think I can throw them off for good…so they leave me no choice. I’ll have to equip my spirit armor.

It’s time to put an end to this chase.

If she couldn’t run, she would have to fight, even if the odds weren’t in her favor. She called out to the spirits within her.

I summon you, armor of spirit… I dedicate myself to your service. Protect me, as I have sworn myself to you…

She silently mouthed the names of the spirits to herself.

Silfigzea, Ferillbanger, Willozega…

Three rays of light enveloped her body—the light green of the spirit of wind, the blue of the spirit of ice, and the pure white of the spirit of light.

When the lights faded, she was clad in armor, a sword at her side. A manifestation of the spirits’ power, her spirit armor made her look like a holy knight from days of old—many had assumed her to be one in the past. She drew the sword at her hip and strengthened it with ice.

With a frozen crack, blue veins crawled up the blade.

She pulled down her helmet’s visor.

All right…I’m ready.

Her visor covered both her eyes completely, but the wind told her where to go. Using her senses this way was extremely taxing, but it allowed her to read her opponents’ movements and positions far more accurately than she could with sight alone. It gave her an impressive advantage in combat.

She lightly touched her fingertips to her eyelids.

Those four heroic-blooded bounty hunters—known to some as “The White Walkers,” to others as “Holy Watchers”…

“Fang”—Zarash Finebird.

“The Demon Bizzare”—Ashura.

“Super Pressure”—Jiobain Sengai.

“The God Sword”—Maggots Playdin.

She let her hands drop. Her body and mind were both weary from long days on the run. She closed her eyes in the dark behind her visor.

I’ve heard the stories…there isn’t a mercenary out there who doesn’t know their reputation. They’re strong and dangerous.

Even in her limited run-ins with the four of them, she’d been able to tell that they were strong, but…she also got the impression that they weren’t yet using their full abilities. It felt like they were testing her, getting a feel for her abilities before moving in for real.

I can’t let them capture me…

If she kept running, she’d only tire herself out and be in worse shape to face them when the time came.

I have to fight them while I still have the strength.

She gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands.

I’ll cut them down right here…!

She waited silently for their approach, focusing her senses until they were sharp as a knife.

She wiped a bead of sweat from her immaculate white cheek.

Long moments passed.

They haven’t attacked yet…? They must be plotting something.

A chill ran down her spine like the blade of her icy sword had been pressed against it.

They’re finally getting serious. No more hide-and-seek, no more games…

Now, they’re ready to hunt.

She put a hand to her mouth. A strange uncertainty welled up inside her.

She felt sick—overwhlemed by inexplicable nausea. Her head spun. It was like her mind was twisting itself in knots.

Wh-what is this feeling?

She couldn’t tell whether her pursuers were strong or weak, her understanding turning to dust.

Have the enemies I’ve been fighting always felt this…strange? Can I really stand up to them? Perhaps it was wrong to run from the beginning.

There was a rustling sound, and she jumped to attention. Gripping her sword tightly, she leaped toward the noise.

No! Wait…?!

It was a feint. She felt a presence in the brush behind her.

“Paralyze.”

Wh-who is that? Not one of the four hunters…I don’t feel that unbridled strength that I would from standing near them. It’s strange…this person isn’t nearly as strong as the bounty hunters, but…the spirits are afraid of them. I feel the presence of a monster, too…? N-no, no time to think about that now…

“I…I c-can’t m…ove…? Wh-wh…at is…th-this…?!” She strained to speak against the strange heaviness that had overtaken her.

“Hunh. You tried to attack me, but…there’s something different about you. I don’t think you actually wanted to kill me.”

It was a boy’s voice.

What is he talking about?

“You don’t seem like those four guys I just met. I thought maybe we could talk. I stopped you from moving for now—just some insurance on my end.”

“Wh…at d-do you…wan…t fr…om…me…?” she croaked, struggling with every word.

“Well, to be honest, I’m kinda lost. If you know the area, I’d like to be directed to the nearest town. Also, I’m not from around here, and there’s a lot I don’t know. I want as much information as you can give me.”

Her mind froze.

He isn’t lying…?

The spirit of wind, which could detect truth and falsehood, told her that his statement was mostly true. From the way the spirit was acting, it seemed confident in its reading, too. He didn’t seem to want to hurt her.

Is he really just lost, or…?

And there was one other detail that gripped her thoughts.

“Those four guys I just met…”

I can’t feel the presence of the bounty hunters anywhere in the forest.

Where did they go? What happened to the White Walkers?

Afterword

APOLOGIES FOR THE LONG TITLE—this is Kaoru Shinozaki.

The “Status Effect Skills” I mention throughout this book are an important part of the story, but personally what I’d really like you to focus on are the characters themselves. My goal is to create a story and a world in which my characters can grow and shine in their own ways, and I hope that you fall for them.

I want to thank my editor, O-sama, who put so much passion into this work, and KWKM-sama, who drew the illustrations. Every time he sent me a new picture, it helped me build a stronger image of these characters in my mind, and it was an honor to have him agree to illustrate this volume. Thank you to everyone who has read and followed this work online—your support is what helped us bring it to print. Thank you very much for reading my book—I hope more than anything that it has been a happy experience for you.

—Kaoru Shinozaki