Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells Vol. 1

by Kaoru Shinozaki

  “Leave them,” the Goddess ordered.

  “But Goddess—!” one of the guards protested.

  “I don’t believe it’s wise to force those two to cooperate. They’re S-Class and A-Class heroes, after all. Be careful in your dealings with them…especially the S-Class.”

  It’s like nothing ever gets to those two…

  The Goddess turned back to me.

  “Let’s get this teleportation over with, shall we? Too-ka Mimori, do you have any last words?”

  Last words, huh?

  I felt it melt away.

  The filter I always kept up dissolved, and something I kept locked deep inside—the real Mimori Touka—welled to the surface. I’d been holding him in all this time…I lived toothless, harmless to everyone and everything. Killing myself just to get by.

  But I always knew what I was doing, deep down. The real me was always in there somewhere. One side of me tried to be a good person, but the other, more violent side was always about to break free.

  I had always kept my real self caged.

  “…”

  I’m done. Who cares anymore? Things are so bad, and yet…

  Looking down, my face twisted into a wild grin.

  I started to laugh.

  “Screw you, foul Goddess.”

  I surprised myself, but it felt…freeing.

  My classmates looked shocked. The Goddess was expressionless, thick, dark pools clouding her eyes.

  “I kept you in the dark out of compassion, but…if this is how you repay me, I’ve no reason to hold back. I have used the lowest level of the Ruins of Disposal to get rid of many strong yet unsuitable warriors over the years. Not one has emerged alive. I dispatch a scouting party to the ruins’ entrance periodically to check on a secret marker that will show me if anyone has escaped…but that marker has never been activated. No one has ever survived the ruins.”

  The Goddess smiled brightly from ear to ear.

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

  A strong, pale light consumed me.

  “Compassion?” I spat. “Yeah, right. You sure didn’t feel like answering my questions earlier.”

  I glared at the Goddess—target acquired.

  “If I ever make it back alive, you’d better be ready.”

  “If you ever make it back? Ha, you’re quite the jester! A last gasp befitting a disposable wretch.”

  I felt strange…lightheaded. My sight faded.

  I wonder if that foul Goddess can still see me.

  Too-ka Mimori, disposable hero…raised his middle finger.

  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