My Unique Skill [Gacha] Will Save the World - Episode 10: Ayane Kazaki

Episode 10: Ayane Kazaki 

(Note: Special for this chapter, dialogues through speaker or faraway voice is in ‘……’.)

“Ka-Kazaki-sama!” 

“It’s been a while, Yanase-san.”

(That person… was the player who was in charge during yesterday’s stampede, right?)

The person who called out to them was Ayane. She greeted Aoba before shifting her gaze toward Rindou.

“…Um, who are you?”

“I’m Ayane Kazaki, an A-rank player. And you are?”

“I’m Rindou Amachi. I came today to register as a player.”

“Eh! …Could it be, did you awaken during yesterday’s stampede?”

“Yes, I did… Is there a problem?”

Ayane looked surprised and thoughtful, which made Rindou feel uneasy.

“No, no problem. It’s just… I was temporarily assigned to lead the operation yesterday. I made sure to keep track of all the players around. But I didn’t know about you at all, so I was curious.”

“………You knew about all of them? That’s impressive.”

“It’s only natural for someone in charge to do so. And… you don’t have to use formal language. I think you’re probably older than me.”

When Ayane said this, Rindou let out a small chuckle and nodded. It was as if the tension had left his shoulders.

“…Alright, that makes things easier. Thanks.”

“I don’t like being respected just because of my rank either. So this works for me.”

Having gotten more comfortable with each other, Rindou decided to clarify Ayane’s earlier statement.

“So, what do you mean by there’s no need for compensation for this sword?”

“That’s because………. the owner of this sword has passed away.”

“Ah… I see. So, this is now an heirloom.”

As Rindou placed the broken sword on the reception desk, both Ayane and Aoba looked grim.

“But it’s a good thing this heirloom is being returned. In most cases, it would just be left there and stolen.”

“I didn’t know that, but that’s awful.”

“Players often wear expensive equipment, so there are people trying to profit by selling it through black markets.”

“Even though ordinary people aren’t allowed to trade items, those kinds of routes exist?”

“The guild is working on cracking down on it. But it’s going to take time to fully understand the extent.”

As Rindou and Ayane continued talking, Aoba joined the conversation and mentioned the player registration process.

“Also, Amachi-sama. We’ll begin your rank assessment now, but I need to check if you have time? The interview about yesterday might took longer than expected, so I just wanted to confirm—”

“That’s fine. The interview is necessary.”

“Ah, thank you~!”

“Yanase-san, your sales smile is slipping.”

It might have been overthinking, but Rindou was pleased by Aoba’s consideration. And he returned her smile warmly.

“Well then, let’s move to the third floor underground training room. Based on your performance there, we’ll assess your rank.”

“Hey, Yanase-san. Can I watch the rank assessment too?”

“Eh? You want to watch, Ayane?”

Rindou couldn’t believe an A-rank player would ask to watch. So he double-checked.

“I’m curious about how much power you have after awakening just yesterday. Of course, if you’d prefer I didn’t, I can back off.”

“…No, I don’t mind. But as a senior player, it would help me if you could watch my fighting style and give some advice.”

“If that’s the case, it’s no trouble at all.”

“Got it. If you both agree, watching is fine. I’ll guide you.”

With that, Rindou moved to the staff elevator with Aoba’s guidance. They headed for the training room on the third floor underground.

Once they arrived, Rindou went into the training room while Ayane and Aoba went to the management room.

“…So, this is the training room. It’s pretty spacious, and the ceiling’s high. And what’s that clunky mannequin in the center?”

As Rindou surveyed the training room, Aoba’s voice came through the speaker.

‘Amachi-sama will now participate in multiple mock monster battles.’

“…Mock monsters?”

‘The mock monsters will attack. But don’t worry, it won’t be fatal. You can relax.’

‘Just be careful, though. You will feel pain if you get injured.’

As Ayane’s voice echoed from the management room, Rindou nodded with a wry smile.

‘First, we’ll start with a Goblin.’

Aoba’s voice came again, and the clunky mannequin in the center of the room suddenly moved. It transformed into a Goblin in an instant.

“W-What is this?!”

‘I’ll explain later, Rindou-san! The Goblin is attacking, fight back!’

Surprised, Rindou barely had time to react before the Goblin mannequin lunged at him.