My Unique Skill [Gacha] Will Save the World - Episode 3: Awakening

Episode 3: Awakening

“Hah, hah, hah… Damn it!”

Rindou leaped at the armored monster while wielding the sword. But the blow was so heavy that the sword snapped halfway through.

Whether the sword was cheap and already worn out, or if Rindou simply wasn’t skilled enough, or perhaps all of those factors combined. He couldn’t tell at all.

In any case, Rindou was left with no options. And as he tried to draw the monster’s attention, he ended up fleeing. His attempt to fight back failed.

“But, I succeeded in drawing the armored monster’s attention! Haha, I did it! I saved that girl!”

He hadn’t expected to defeat the armored monster from the start. His goal was simply to separate the girl from it.

Now, his only priority was to survive. Rindou entered an alley, turning corners several times. He was hoping to shake the monster off. But—

“Hah, hah… No way. A dead end?”

In that moment, Rindou spun around in haste.

He couldn’t hear the footsteps anymore. He told himself that he must have lost the monster by now.

(…It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s… fine… fine, fine, it’s fine, it’s fine…)

Clang. Clang.

“…….It’s not fine.”

Rindou was certain. He was trapped.

No matter how hard he tried, as a non-player, he couldn’t defeat a monster.

Even though he admired players, the truth was, he was just an ordinary person. Helping that girl now felt like nothing more than self-satisfaction.

If he had just run away, he wouldn’t have left Kyouka behind alone.

“…That’s right, Kyouka. I can’t die leaving Kyouka behind.”

With that thought, Rindou tightened his grip on the broken sword.

Since it had snapped halfway, it was light enough to swing with one hand.

He took deep breaths to steady himself and looked back at the corner he had just run around.

“…Kohhhh…”

“…It’s here. The armored monster.”

Rindou glared at the armored monster as it appeared from the corner. But its appearance was far different from when he had first seen it.

(Why is it in such bad shape? Could it have been attacked by a player? If so, it should’ve targeted the player, not me.)

Some monsters, once they lock onto a target, will relentlessly chase it unless they’re on the brink of death.

Rindou hadn’t thought he’d be the one to get caught by one of those monsters. But now, with the state the armored monster was in, he felt that perhaps he could fight it.

“Let’s see who’s stronger, you in tatters, or me, an ordinary guy with a broken sword!”

“Ohhh… HooOooh!!”

The armored monster clanged its armor as it raised its sword. But its steps were unsteady.

In terms of range, the monster clearly had the advantage. After all, Rindou’s sword was broken.

However, in a narrow alley, things were different.

As the armored monster swung its sword in a downward slash, the tip hit the wall. It caused its momentum to slow.

Rindou didn’t miss the opening. With the last of his strength, he charged forward and drove the broken sword into the gap in the monster’s armor. He was aiming at the wounds caused by the previous player’s attacks.

“Uoooooohhhh!!!”

“OoooHoooOohh!!!”

——Swish!

Rindou’s sword struck first. And despite the monster’s efforts, it couldn’t block the blow in time.

Originally, monsters were invulnerable to even modern weapons. But with the advent of skill-based equipment, players’ gear had improved. And now even ordinary people could defeat a monster under the right circumstances.

The armored monster was already battered and weakened. It was then struck by a sword forged from those very skills—this was how Rindou managed to defeat it.

…No, it wasn’t just that. Rindou’s refusal to give up on becoming a player, his relentless effort, was likely the main reason he was able to succeed.

“Hah, hah, hah… did… did I really do it? An ordinary guy like me…”

He had never intended to die. But even now, he couldn’t believe that someone like him, an ordinary person, had actually defeated a monster.

He stood frozen for a moment. He was unable to process what had happened. He then slowly turned around and stared at the still, unmoving armored monster lying on the ground.

“………I really did defeat it.”

It was then that Rindou finally began to realize that he had truly defeated the monster.

[Skill [Gacha] has activated.]

“…Huh?”

A window appeared right in front of Rindou’s eyes, a notification that only players were supposed to be able to see.