Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells (Light Novel) Vol. 2

by Kaoru Sinozaki

I’m sure some would start to feel compassion for the tortured faces before them. No decent man could do this. I sit and wait for countless people to die, watching them, holding their lives in my hands. I need to chase away that compassion—that mercy. Steel myself and not look away from the darkness.

  I walked around applying paralysis to the dragon knights who remained, just in case. Above the living, a gauge displaying my status effects appeared; above the dead, there was nothing. Before long, only one gauge remained.

  “To-o-ka…”

  I sighed with admiration—his Sleep gauge still had time remaining.

  “Still conscious, even with that Sleep effect weighing you down…just how strong are you, Civit Gartland?”

  There was no indication that he could move most of his body, though—he wouldn’t be getting up again. Even so, he radiated his desire to kill me, coming in waves as he drifted in and out of consciousness. I stood back and watched him.

  All that extra damage from moving during paralysis, plus the poison damage itself… He’s weak. He’s powerless now.

  Seras rushed to stand between us. Civit clawed at the ground with his armored fist.

  Is he trying to say something?

  He stared up at me with half-closed eyes.

  “Wh… Wh-what…a-are…you…?”

  I’d already given him my name—I knew Civit was asking something different.

  “I’m a hero from another world, that much is true, but I’m not your typical ‘save the world’ kinda hero.”

  I stepped around Seras to look down at him.

  “I’m just out for revenge.”

  And just like that, I sent the Strongest Man in the World to an early grave under the blackening sky, beneath the trees of the Dark Forest.

  Sogou Ayaka

  HALF A DAY’S RIDE BY HORSE and carriage north from Eno, the capital of Alion, stood a tall mountain range. It was rumored that legendary creatures known as blue dragons once lived in the ruins there. But now these Ancient Dragon Ruins stood empty, and the blue dragons had passed into myth. It was here that class 2-C found themselves.

  “Hah!”

  Sogou Ayaka’s spear pierced the monster’s heart. It spat blood and began to spasm violently, then suddenly fell still. She swiftly pulled back her spear, panting.

  “Is everyone okay?” she asked the students behind her. They were the seven “dropouts” she’d been tasked with leading, the ones who hadn’t passed the Goddess’s initiation ceremony—five girls, two boys.

  “Y-yeah…”

  “You’re amazing, Sogou-san.”

  The weapons in their hands were still clean and unblooded, and their armor shone like new. The only equipment that showed any signs of use were their shields.

  “Focus on protecting yourselves, okay? Don’t worry about killing monsters yet.”

  One of the girls was sobbing, cowering away from the dead monster.

  “I’m sorry, Ayaka-chan. My legs are shaking, I… I can’t move…”

  Ayaka smiled and gently stroked the trembling girl’s face.

  “It’s okay, Minamino-san. I’m sorry I had to bring you here.”

  Minamino Moe shook her head.

  “No,” she sobbed. “We should be thanking you. She wanted to dispose of us, and you saved us. You asked her to spare us! She told us everything.”

  I should’ve known she’d tell them. I wonder what she thought she’d get out of it. Why is she like this? We should be on the same side.

  “We’ll do our best, so—sob—we won’t be a burden to you, Ayaka-chan…” the girl sobbed.

  “It’s going to be okay. I’ll protect you from the monsters.”

  I don’t want any more of my classmates to die. I couldn’t save Mimori Touka, but I can protect these ones. As an S-class hero, I might even have the power to take down that Demon King if I really put my mind to it.

  She gripped her spear tightly.

  I’ll defeat him, then we can all go home, and…and I won’t let anybody else die. I’ll protect these seven with all my strength—they’re going to make it out alive. Kashima-san, too.

  I’m going to defeat the Demon King.

  “Suou-san,” Ayaka called out to one of the girls. Suou wore glasses and had a bob haircut. “If I can’t get to you all fast enough, can you try and slow the monsters down? Just buy everybody whatever time you can to get to safety.”

  “Yes,” said Suou Kayako in a monotone.

  Hers was the only sword with any blood on it—she’d responded when Ayaka pinned a monster with her spear and asked if anybody wanted to deal the killing blow to level up. Only Kayako raised her hand to volunteer. In the old world, she’d seemed rather dark—Ayaka didn’t often see her talking with the others. Much like Kashima Kobato, she blended into the background—just for different reasons.

  She’s surprisingly brave. It’s almost strange that she fell into this group of dropouts.

  The rest of them kept apologizing.

  “I’m sorry I can’t be of more use, Sogou-san.”

  “I’m supposed to be the man here, but…I’m useless.”

  “I’m so, so scared…”

  “I can’t kill a living thing, I just can’t.”

  “Don’t apologize.” She smiled reassuringly. “Everybody’s different, and we all have our own way of thinking. Nobody’s good at everything.”

  I can’t assume they’ll ever be able to become like me—we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I just need to do whatever I can for them.

  “I heard there’s some kind of magic in this world that can give you power for fighting. I think you might all be able to use that skill someday, too! There are magical item things, too, so don’t feel like you have to fight. Just protect yourselves for now, and if you feel up to it, try to support me. Um, so…don’t feel bad, okay?”

  She raised her fist in the air.

  “Let’s defeat the Demon King and get home!”

  Everybody except Kayako had hopeful looks in their eyes.

  “Sogou-san…”

  “I’m so glad I’m with you…”

  “W-we’ll do whatever we can to help!”

  “Thank you, Sogou-san!”

  They’re all such kind, good people. I have to protect them.

  The Goddess had given them a task—find a meat dragon and bring back its eye.

  “Okay,” Akaya said, “we’ve just got to find that monster, right?”

  They set off through the caves, finding their way with a map the Goddess had given them. Eventually they came to a wide, cavernous area. Kayako held up her lantern to light the way.

  “Thank you, Suou-san.”

  According to the map, they should live right around here…

  “My, my, if it isn’t Ayaka.”

  A group of students came trudging in from another direction, the boy in front calling out to her as he approached.

  “Yasu-kun.”

  He had changed.

  No…maybe he’s always been like this.

  “Must be hard for you, huh?”

  “What?”

  “No need to play dumb with me. I see those hangers-on you have with you, clinging to your feet to keep from falling.” He patted her on the shoulder. “Must be tiring. It’s tough being one of the powerful.”

  Yasu gestured to the group of disinterested-looking students trailing behind him.

  “I don’t consider my friends ‘hangers-on,’” Ayaka replied.

  “Just the kind of answer I expected,” Yasu said with a shrug. “The right answer—sensible. Amazing, really. You’re beaming, Ayaka, bright as the sun. Nothing like those idiots behind you. How about it, you want to team up with me?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t think we would work well together.”

  “Ugh. They’re just using you. You’re so talented, but this…it’s such a waste. Pfah ha ha…”

  I hoped our groups might work together, but…that doesn’t seem possible.

  “Do you kno
w what the Goddess calls heroes B-class and under?” Yasu said, throwing his arms out wide to indicate his classmates behind him. “She calls them faints! You know why, right? Because they’re freakin’ background characters! Practically invisible! They’re useless. They’re nothing!”

  “That’s not true. They’re all people, with names and personalities. They’re your classmates, and—”

  At that moment, several monsters came jumping out at them from the shadows.

  “Ghaaaa—!”

  They all had golden eyes.

  “Everybody get back!” Ayaka positioned herself in front of the others and gripped her spear. Yasu’s group began to scream.

  “Y-Yasu-san!”

  “Please!”

  “Use your A-class power to save us!”

  Yasu’s eyes opened wide, filled with bloodlust. He twisted his mouth into a maniacal smile.

  “My life! Burn these foes to dust! Lævateinn!”

  Flames danced in Yasu’s eyes as fire burst from his hands, racing toward the monsters like beasts freed from their chains. The flames devoured the monsters, which let out cries of pain and died in seconds.

  Is that Yasu-kun’s unique skill…?

  Yasu’s group began to shower him with praise.

  “Y-you’re awesome! I knew you could do it, Yasu-san!”

  “Amazing! Incredible!”

  “Those flames are stronger than anything the other heroes can do, I just know it!”

  “I’ll follow you anywhere!”

  Their faces were emotionless as they spoke. Just flattery—nothing more.

  Yasu laughed to himself , looking down at his hands.

  “Oh my… I didn’t intend to show you that just yet.”

  Ayaka’s group split off from Yasu’s and continued through the ruins.

  He thinks anybody below him is worthless. He’s changing. We all are.

  Soon they came into an area slick with blood, monster corpses strewn around haphazardly. They were a little off the beaten path now—they’d heard a commotion and came to investigate.

  Did Kirihara’s group do this?

  It was then that Ayaka saw two girls in the shadows—the Takao sisters. The younger, Itsuki, was on her knees with the older, Hijiri, rubbing her back. It was clear that Itsuki had just been sick.

  “Are you all right?” asked Hijiri.

  “Sorry, Aneki, it’ s just…seeing all the corpses, I really don’t feel so good…”

  “It’s fine. You’re a product of the modern Japanese society in which you were raised, after all. Your reaction to such stimuli is entirely expected.”

  “How do you do it, Aneki?”

  “I have simply shut down the creative part of my brain to resolve the issue. All mental problems are made up of illusions created by our imaginations, after all.”

  “It’s hard for me. I don’t get what you’re saying at all, but, like…you’re amazing, Aneki.”

  “That said, I cannot shut out the smell of these corpses. I must simply recategorize the smell of death as a biological phenomenon—the smell of bacteria and microbes doing their work on the bodies. In a way, it’s hardly the smell of death at all.”

  “Sorry, I really don’t get it.”

  “That’s quite all right.”

  A third of the monsters around them were burned to a crisp—the rest seemed like they’d each been entirely split in two by a single clean blow.

  Did they do this with their abilities? That means…I’m the only S-class who hasn’t gotten their unique skill yet.

  Ayaka had leveled up, of course, but hadn’t unlocked her unique skill.

  “We’ve got our meat dragon eye—I believe we’ve completed our mission here,” said Hijiri, lifting a small sack off the ground.

  The Goddess told us we’d need one eye between five of us… We’re a party of eight, meaning we have to find at least two.

  “Incidentally—you can come over and talk to us, you know, Sogou-san?” Hijiri said without turning her head. “We don’t bite.”

  Ayaka walked out of the shadows.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to intrude. We heard monster screams, so we came to investigate.”

  Hijiri looked at the students milling around behind Ayaka.

  “It seems you’ve made some friends.”

  The two sisters walked over and stopped when they reached Ayaka.

  “Are you all right?” Hijiri asked.

  “M-me?”

  “Yes.”

  Ayaka smiled nervously. She never would have expected Takao Hijiri to be worried about her.

  “I-I’m doing the best I can.”

  “You don’t seem so good.”

  “Huh?”

  “You won’t look me in the eye.”

  “Oh…”

  “You should learn to take better care of yourself, you know,” said Hijiri as she walked away. Itsuki hesitated a moment, still looking a little sick as she patted Ayaka on the shoulder.

  “Like…don’t be so hard on yourself, class rep.”

  “Th-thanks.”

  “Aneki actually likes you, y’know. I can tell.”

  “What?”

  “Come, Itsuki,” called Hijiri. Itsuki went running after her.

  “Hijiri-san, do you really…?” Ayaka called after her.

  “I hardly see any reason to deny it.”

  With that, the Takao sisters rushed off into the darkness once more. Ayaka’s group followed, doubling back in the direction they had come, but saw no more signs of them.

  “There’s an area where the meat dragons definitely live just up ahead…” said Ayaka, putting away her map. Thanks to the corpses those sisters left behind, she’d gotten a look at the real thing.

  Bigger than I expected, but with the reach on my spear, I should be able to keep one at bay…

  After walking a little longer, they came out into the main area of the cave. This was where the Goddess had promised they could find their bounty.

  “Wh-what is this place…?” one of Ayaka’s group said with a quavering voice.

  The cavern looked like a slaughterhouse—more gruesome corpses lay strewn throughout than even the Takao Sisters had managed to kill.

  “Can’t eat this freakin’ lizard meat, can we?! I’m getting hungry, man!”

  It was Oyamada Shougo, emerging from one of the cavern’s many exits, covered from head to toe in blood that pretty clearly wasn’t his own.

  “Shougo, you’re so badass! ♪”

  “Like a bloodthirsty barbarian, yeah!”

  “I bet you’re, like, even eviler than the Demon King already!”

  Kirihara’s group. Ayaka couldn’t say she was surprised.

  “Shut up! I’m an A-class, so don’t talk to me like that, y’hear?! You want a bullet in your back or what?!” he shouted at the girls.

  “So scary~! ♪ You’re a total villain!”

  “How ’bout I kill the Demon King and take his place?! Oh man, that’s a great idea!”

  He wiped the blood off his greatsword and kicked a monster corpse, sending it across the cavern floor.

  “I’m, like, not leveling up so much anymore! Where’s the challenge, seriously?! You feel me, Ayaka?!”

  He suddenly turned toward her.

  “What’s the point in us elites being here, killing small-fry monsters and babysitting these faints?! Why’re you dragging all those weakling warriors around anyway, Sogou-senpai?! You got stuck with all the ones that didn’t work out? That’s freakin’ hilarious~!”

  “Y—!” Ayaka started to reply but thought better of it.

  He’s trying to get a rise out of me—I can’t give him what he wants.

  “Let’s go, everyone.”

  She ignored Oyamada and led them through the cavern, wary that he might jump them at any time.

  I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if he attacked us with his weapon. I have to be ready for anything.

  “Pgyeeeeeh—! Ghe! Gheeh!”

  Ay
aka trembled at the sound of the monster’s screams.

  No…it’s not just that. Something’s being dragged this way…

  The sound of footsteps echoed through the ruins. Whatever it was, it was coming from the opposite side of the cavern.

  “Ah—”

  It was Kirihara Takuto, holding his bloody katana in one hand and dragging a wailing monster by the other.

  “Uh?!”

  Moe put both hands over her mouth in shock—even Kirihara’s group looked taken aback. Only Oyamada was laughing. All the golden-eyed monster’s limbs had been cut clean off, but what was left of it writhed and struggled as Kirihara dragged it into the cavern.

  “Cry for me,” he said quietly. “Scream.”

  He thrust his katana into the monster’s wounds and it started wailing again.

  “Call them here.” The screams echoed through the ruins. “All of them.”

  It was a terrifying spectacle to behold.

  “T-Takuto?” The girls in Kirihara’s group looked repulsed by what he was doing.

  “Aren’t you, like, g-going a bit far?”

  “Yeah, totally.”

  “She’s right! I’m kinda, like, turned off right now—”

  “What does it matter?” he replied coldly.

  “Huh? I mean…”

  “What does it matter if I treat the monsters like this? Who cares?”

  “Well, I just… I mean, I guess I don’t, but…”

  The girls looked at Oyamada for help, clearly unsettled by what was happening. The monster continued to struggle, screaming and thrashing violently on the ground.

  “Hey, Takuto!”

  “What is it, Shougo?”

  “You… You’re just too freakin’ smart, man!”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

  “But, like, look around.”

  “What?”

  “For real, though. Do you see any monsters comin’ our way?”

  He’s right. The only sound in the cavern was the wailing of the monster at Kirihara’s feet, its echoes reverberating through the chamber.

  “Ugh… Worthless.”

  He held his blade to the creature’s neck.

  “Gh… Ghe…?!”

  “All of them. Worthless.”

  He slit the monster’s throat, sending blood spurting out onto the ground.

  “I’ve gotten too strong, it seems.” He blankly wiped the blood off his katana. “I’m tired of fighting weaklings.”