Suteko Ni Narimashita 26

As I walked, I found myself wrestling with a question: Why was I looking for Hylo? 

He was a dubious character. I had no obligation to help him. His poverty wasn’t my fault, and I could’ve easily walked away.

And yet, when I was on the verge of doing just that, a sense of restlessness overtook me. I couldn’t pinpoint the feeling, but it was undeniably uncomfortable.

I soon located Hylo.

Upon exiting the slums, I was immediately met with a commotion. 

I turned toward the back alley, where a crowd had gathered.

Their eyes were curious, contemptuous, and resentful, and some even relished Hylo’s plight. He was slumped against the wall, encircled by adults. His limbs hung limply, and his face was noticeably swollen.

“I hope you’ve learned your lesson,” said one of the three adults standing before Hylo, his hands visibly stained with Hylo’s blood.

“Sir, that’s not enough! These kids are like vermin!” one of his associates chimed in.

“Cut off his hand! That’ll teach him!” another exclaimed.

“Isn’t this enough?” the man with blood-stained hands sighed, looking at his companions.

What on earth was happening?

I scanned the crowd, catching fragments of their murmured conversations.

“Did that kid try to steal something?”

“Isn’t he one of those slum kids?”

“Did you hear about the recent incidents? Those slum dwellers are bad news.”

“Well, he’s from the slums. He had it coming. It’s practically divine punishment.”

I listened and pieced it together. 

Just as he’d said, Hylo had tried to pickpocket someone and had been caught and beaten for it. 

It was his fault. I had no reason to step in, no obligation to help him.

I knew that, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Anger swelled within me, an emotion I couldn’t ignore.

My gaze settled on the adults surrounding Hylo. Two burly men stood out, but the man beating Hylo was especially striking. 

With shoulder-length blond hair, he looked elegant at first glance, his appearance further refined by a fur-collared cloak. But his eyes were sharp, predatory.

“Guess I can’t go against my employer’s wishes,” he said, a smirk stretching across his face. 

He raised his leg, aiming a roundhouse kick at Hylo’s battered head.

Then, without warning, he stopped.

Not because he had second thoughts, nor because of any intervention from the crowd or Hylo.

“What the…?”

Both he and I were shocked.

I had deflected his kick using telekinesis.

What had I just done? I had decided to walk away, to leave Hylo to his fate. He hadn’t asked for my help; I owed him nothing.

And yet, I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.

I deactivated my telekinesis and channeled my fighting spirit while sprinting towards Hylo. 

In one fluid motion, I scooped him up and retreated, putting distance between us and the onlookers. A plume of dust rose in our wake.

“What did you just do, kid?” The blond man, Reshid, scowled at me.

One of the men behind him seemed to recognize me. 

“Wait, aren’t you that kid from before? What are you doing here?”

It seemed he was one of the guys Nyxie had knocked out previously.

“Reshid, get him too! The boss will be pleased if you do!”

Upon hearing this, Reshid cracked his knuckles and advanced. 

“Sorry, kid, but you’ll have to foot my bar tab tonight.”

He grinned, already savoring the drinks he’d be having later. 

At that moment, amidst my confusion, I found my reason to help Hylo—I couldn’t stand the look on Reshid’s face.

I’d been warned a few days ago not to draw attention to myself in the slums. So I opted for the only sensible choice—I fled.

At least he’d have fewer drinks to celebrate with tonight.

I kicked off the alley wall and, holding Hylo in my arms, vaulted from wall to wall until I reached the rooftop. Sure, it might not have been delightful for the people living below, but I needed the break.

And so, I ran along the rooftops, returning to the slums. They weren’t far off now.

I darted across the rooftops, confident no one could keep pace with me. At least, that’s what I thought until I heard Reshid’s voice.

“Heh, you’re surprisingly quick.”

Somehow, Reshid was hot on my heels. His aura shone brightly; he was channeling his fighting spirit.

To put distance between us, I veered to the side. But Reshid was faster. His kick flew towards me, and I barely blocked it with my knee. Even so, the force of the impact sent me crashing to the ground.

Clutching Hylo tightly, I hit the ground with a thud. Thankfully, no one else was chasing us. 

Hylo let out a weak groan, but I couldn’t focus on that just yet.

“You’re pretty good, especially while carrying someone,” Reshid said, landing gracefully.

He was right; his speed had surpassed my expectations, all thanks to his use of fighting spirit. 

And holding Hylo was slowing me down.

In my moment of indecision, Reshid closed the gap. 

His foot swung towards my face, and I blocked it with my arms. A jolt of numbness spread through them from the sheer force of his fighting spirit.

“Using fighting spirit at your age, huh? Impressive,” he said, grinning instead of launching another attack.

I found his enjoyment of the situation revolting.

“Hey, they’re over here!”

The two men who had been trailing us finally caught up.

I found myself surrounded once more. However, fewer in number than the last encounter with Nyxie, the presence of Reshid alone made this situation far more daunting.

“Heh heh, you’re cornered now, kid,” one of the men taunted as he inched closer. 

“With Reshid ‘The Hound’ here, you’re done for.”

“The Hound? Is he an adventurer?” I asked, curious about the moniker.

High-ranking adventurers often earned secondary titles. 

I wondered if that was the case with Reshid.

“Do you even need to ask? The man never fails a mission and never lets his prey escape!” the man boasted.

“I’m just a diligent guy who does the dirty work,” Reshid interjected, his voice dripping with self-assurance.

“Sounds terrifying,” I said, though my fighting spirit remained unshaken. 

I despised him more than I initially thought.

“From now on, you can say goodbye to that name,” I told him.

“What?” Reshid looked puzzled.

I did not explain. My options for escape had dwindled to zero, and it was clear that talking wouldn’t resolve the situation. 

So, fighting was my only recourse.

I kicked up a cloud of sand, aiming it at the men’s faces to momentarily obstruct their vision. 

In that brief window, I lunged at the man on my right, covering the five-meter distance effortlessly, thanks to my Fighting Spirit.

“Wha—!?”

With a resounding thud, he was sent flying backward. I could tell he was still breathing, so he’d live.

His companion gawked at his airborne friend, momentarily disoriented. Seizing the opportunity, I swept his legs from under him and delivered a back fist to his jaw. I could hear his bones creaking before he crumpled to the ground, defeated.

That left just Reshid.

“Amazing,” he admitted, bracing himself for the inevitable confrontation.

“That was pretty impressive! What the hell are you?”

He chuckled as he drew a dagger from his cloak, gripping it in his other hand.

“But it’s still not enou—”

“It’s plenty,” I interrupted.

As Reshid was about to speak, I aimed a kick at the hand gripping his dagger, sending it flying through the air. Then, I thrust the heel of my palm into his abdomen multiple times.

“Guh…ugh…”

Doubled over, Reshid retched, unable to maintain his previous composure.

“Looks like your prey has escaped,” I told him.

As if on cue, the dagger he’d been holding fell beside his head, grazing him as it landed.

It was over.

***

Carrying Hylo on my back, I walked briskly down the street. On the surface, I may have appeared calm, but inwardly, I was a bundle of nerves.

I did it.

Despite being warned against it, I’ve defeated my adversaries. 

I left them there, trusting that someone would come to their aid. But that fight would likely only fuel more rumors about me.

That day marked the first time I’d fought alone. 

My feelings were a mix of exhilaration and regret—though perhaps the regret weighed a bit heavier.