Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 103: Fisu’s Choice

Episode 103: Fisu’s Choice

“Alright… one more… yes! The twentieth one!”

While Fuwa Katsu was battling the Mecha God, Fisu Mogusaru was stacking stones.  

If she got too close to the battlefield, she might become a target of long-range snipers. So she had no choice but to kill time by stacking stones.  

In front of her now stood a tower of twenty stones, balanced with remarkable precision.  

Any further additions would require extreme care.  

“!”

Despite her seemingly relaxed activity, she remained vigilant of her surroundings.  

She had heightened her usual use of [Master Keen] to react to even the slightest sounds.  

That’s why she noticed him—the man flying overhead.  

“That’s… the Demon Cult’s…”

Her exceptional eyesight caught the figure clearly.  

She quickly hid behind a rock, but the man from the Demon Cult flew on without noticing her below.  

“That direction… isn’t that where Katsu’s fighting?”

She didn’t know what the fanatic’s goal was, but she couldn’t ignore it.  

Fisu dashed through the rocky terrain, chasing after him.  

Leaping nimbly over the treacherous path, she arrived in just a few minutes at a vantage point where she could see the open battlefield.  

She paused and scanned the scene.

(That’s… a Sovereign Beast? And it’s not the “Colossus” either!)  

Just at that moment, the man summoned a skeletal Sovereign Beast. 

Fisu witnessed the book in his hand glow as a beast materialized in the air.

Katsu, who had just leaped at it, was swatted down by the massive arm formed from a tangle of limbs.  

Then, two more Sovereign Beasts were summoned, and Katsu was forced to fight one against three.  

(I didn’t expect this… The Demon Cult can command Sovereign Beasts? This is way too unfair.)

From the lack of a giant figure, she assumed the “Colossus” had already been defeated. That was good—it meant fewer enemies.  

However, whether there were four or three, a Sovereign Beast was not something one person could defeat alone.  

Indeed, Fisu’s keen eyes saw Katsu in a dire situation.  

He was being attacked by a dragon. And even when he managed to evade, the skeletal beast targeted him. Meanwhile, a shadow figure assaulted him from behind.  

If this continued, he would surely lose. That’s what she thought.  

“I… I…”

At that moment, Fisu had two choices.  

To act or not to act.  

While she couldn’t directly aid him in battle, she could target the man from the Demon Cult controlling the Sovereign Beasts.

But that was a very dangerous move.  

If she chose not to act, there was still a chance that Katsu could turn the tide and win. 

Fisu knew his strength well. If she stayed hidden, she could remain safe without taking any risks.  

And even if he lost…  

It wouldn’t matter.

Even if Fuwa Katsu were to fall, as long as she stayed hidden, no harm would come to her.  

Escaping the Goronomea Mountains alone would be dangerous, but it was far less perilous than attacking the Demon Cult member.  

Thus, the safest option was to remain in hiding—  

“I don’t want that.”

To Fisu, Katsu was her savior, the one who had rescued her life.  

He was her mentor, who had listened to her selfish requests and trained her.  

In the past few weeks, he had become her friend, someone she spent time with.  

Ever since losing her parents, Fisu had avoided connecting with others as much as possible. Katsu was perhaps the only person she could truly call a friend.  

She couldn’t abandon someone like that.  

“…..”

Yet, her legs refused to move.  

Flashing through her mind were memories of her parents’ final moments. Stepping into danger meant losing her life. If she didn’t want to die, she couldn’t take that step forward.  

This ingrained belief bound her in place.

As she stood frozen, a memory of an old conversation resurfaced.  

—

『——I like to fight.』

It was something Katsu had said after they had defeated the “Earth Splitter” and were eating its meat.  

It was his response to Fisu’s earlier question, “Why are you so determined to get stronger?”  

『It’s not just that I want to raise my <Level> by defeating Sovereign Beasts—I also just like fighting strong opponents. And to win against strong foes, I need to be strong too. That’s why I’m always analyzing the materials from Grand Beasts. Basically, I fight because I want to.』

She had responded with, “That’s so strange.”  

To Fisu, who avoided danger at all costs, it seemed bizarre to voluntarily jump into it.

『That’s true. You shouldn’t do dangerous things, especially if it’ll make the people around you sad if you die. But, well, I’m strong. I can do reckless things and still be here in one piece.』

With a playful gesture, Katsu had moved his eight spider-like limbs (?), then his expression became a bit more serious.

『You have strength too, Fisu. Right now, you’re as skilled as a High-rank adventurer. So, when we get back to town, maybe you can start living a little more freely… you know, live how you want. I mean, it’s not easy to put into words, but… maybe you don’t have to hold yourself back so much.』

—

Blinking once, Fisu brought her mind back to the present.

“Live how I want to, huh…”

She echoed the words she had recalled.

Back then, she had dismissed them, but now, she found herself drawn to the idea.  

There was a time when she heard about rare magical minerals and thought, “I want to dig some up myself !” 

There was a time when she heard that a famous theater troupe had come to a nearby town and thought, “I’d like to go see them !” 

But every time, she remembered the death of my parents. She was worried about the risks and hesitated.  

“But now, I…”

Fisu clenched her hand tightly. In her grip was the double-edged battle axe that had become as familiar as an old companion over the past few weeks.  

Her body was filled with heat from the immense strength coursing through her fist.  

The first step forward came almost effortlessly.  

(The best chance is the first strike…!)  

She focused on her target, the man from the Demon Cult. He was standing on the cliff of the neighboring mountain.  

His attention was directed toward the battlefield, and he hadn’t noticed Fisu yet.  

No matter how softly she kicked off the ground, sound would still follow. Assassination was impossible.  

Thus, the moment she reached the threshold where her footsteps might be heard—fifty meters away—she sprinted at full speed.  

“!?!”  

The sound of her armored boots kicking off the rocks made the man flinch, his shoulder jerking in response. Now, there were only forty meters left.  

He scrambled to move, twisting his waist and turning his head toward the noise. Thirty meters remained.  

He recoiled in fear at the sight of the rapidly approaching girl, stepping back. Twenty meters left.  

Just as he gathered strength in his legs to leap away, he began to manipulate his |Mana| to cast a defensive spell. Ten meters.  

“Haaah!”  

“[Book Wall]!”  

Just before Fisu’s axe could cleave the man, a gigantic book, nearly two meters in height, appeared as a shield.  

Though her axe shattered the book with one powerful swing, it bought the man enough time to dodge to the side, leaving only a shallow cut in his robe.  

“My, my, what is this? A bandit, perhaps? It’s dangerous here with the Sovereign Beasts fighting nearby. I’d advise you to leave quickly.”  

“Fighting beasts? You’re a terrible liar. I saw you summon them from that book. All the beasts over there are under your control.”  

Relieved that he didn’t seem to recognize her, Fisu retorted calmly.  

The man narrowed one eye at her words.  

“All of them…? Well, more importantly… you saw me summon them, did you? How careless of me.”  

The man shook his head, as if expressing “Oh well.” 

“However, now that you know so much, I can’t let you leave alive. You will have to die here.”  

The man’s |Mana| surged.  

Fisu swung her axe into the ground, sending shards of rock flying. But the debris was intercepted by a Grand Beast that had appeared at the man’s side.  

“You seem somewhat skilled, but you’ve picked the wrong opponent this time. I don’t usually boast about my rank, but I’ll make an exception for you. My rank is Fourth Class, a level comparable to the heroes that the common folk revere.”

(Note: Pretty sure the guy had mentioned he’s Fourth Class before. I’m not sure in which chapter or if I misremember it. But still, not like to boast my ass)  

“That doesn’t matter.”  

Fisu exhaled softly, tightening her focus and steeling her muscles.  

Now that she had decided to fight, the only thing to consider was how to defeat her enemy.  

Besides, the man’s claim was flawed.  

Rank and strength weren’t necessarily connected. Fisu knew this better than anyone, and her suspicions had been confirmed in their earlier encounter.  

(Now is the real test. I will repay the debt I owe for being trained…!)  

And thus, the battle between Fisu and the Demon Cult’s Book Bishop, Molten, began.  

◆ ◆ ◆

“That’s… Fisu, isn’t it?”

While dodging the attacks of the Sovereign Beasts, I glanced toward the distant fight between two figures.  

I couldn’t see their faces clearly, but based on the armor and weapon, it had to be Fisu.  

“I’d hoped she’d stay hidden… but if she takes out that Demon Cult guy, we won’t have anything to worry about after this.”  

I speculated about her motivation.  

For a moment, I wondered if she was doing it out of concern for me, aiming to take down the leader. But that seemed a bit too self-centered.  

Even after the battle started, the movements of the Sovereign Beasts hadn’t slowed. It suggested that the man wasn’t directly commanding them.  

The beasts were probably capable of making decisions on their own once orders were given.  

“(Looks like Fisu is holding her own over there, maybe even doing better than that.)”  

Though I knew how strong Fisu was, I was still worried.  

After all, the man from the Demon Cult was controlling Sovereign Beasts, making him a dangerous foe.  

However, since all of the Sovereign Beasts had been directed at me, the man was only using Grand Beasts against Fisu.  

At least she wouldn’t be overwhelmed.  

“(Alright, I better focus on my side of the fight. [Jump]!)”  

The Dragon’s tail lashed out in a wide sweep. 

I leaped to avoid it, soaring into the air.  

The Sovereign Beasts below me looked up, trying to predict my landing spot.  

But their eyes widened in shock at what they saw next.  

Ahead of their gaze, on the side of my body, was a huge alloy club imbued with dense |Mana|.

“(Now, let’s see the fruits of my time spent in the mines. Time to go big—[Thousand Blade Genesis]!)”

Using my body as a shield to keep the blades from hitting Fisu’s side, a deluge of knives rained down, fiercer than any storm.