Kamigami – 1

かみがみ〜最も弱き反逆者〜
Kamigami – Mottomo Yowaki Hangyakusha –
Kamigami – The Weakest Rebel

Author:真上犬太 (Masagami Inuta)

The Brave and What People Say

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Sheto stared at his prey as if he could see right through the grass.

In the green field, the rabbit’s long ears swayed and the mouth moved.
It’s small jaw nibbled as it ate the soft fruit without a care in the world. The long winter season was now over, and it was now spring.
In the warm sunlight, it focused on this blessing of nature. However, this lowering of its guard gave the perfect opening for the hunter.

His mouth twisted into a smile, and he swiftly pulled out his bow, and nocked a single arrow made crudely of wood.
The bow lowered horizontally, and while pushing his left hand forward, he pulled his right elbow towards his body. The long muzzle hovered over the shaft, and his dark, we nose fixated on his prey.

He pulled.
Strength well up, and all of his strength seemed to gather into the head of the arrow.
As if sensing the change, the rabbit’s ears moved, and it shifted its posture, leaning forward a little.
Just then, the sound of cutting wind…

“Kii!”

A short cry, and the prey fell onto the grass.
Sheto dashed forward and picked up the rabbit by the legs. It was big and heavy. Impressive fur and good meat.
It was still young. After quickly inspecting it, he swiftly tied it with some vines at his wait, and then he threw it over his shoulder.

“That should do it.”

Now he had an excuse for the others in the village. As he stood amidst the grass, Sheto sighed with relief.
He had told them that he would go hunting alone today, and so a prey of this size should be enough. Even if someone knew the ‘true reason,’ he hoped they would allow it.

Sheto walked leisurely through the field, where there was no actual path.
The breeze brushed his silver-ash fur. His pleased face was similar to that of a dog. He wore clothes woven with grass, and was equipped with a rough tool bag, quiver, bow and hatchet.

As if suddenly remembering something, he pulled out a small bag and took out its contents.
He held it up to the bright blue sky. The stone shone with a blue color that was just as clear and bright.
Deep into the mountains, there was a place where even humans did not dare step foot in. But these stones could occasionally be found at the bottom of the waters. He had gone all the way there to find the stone, as it would be used for the marital ceremony with Lu.
While a ceremony, it was nothing very complicated. The male was to make a present of something to the female. That was all. The female accepted, and they would be bound together.
Still, Sheto had wanted to give something special to Lu.

He had known Lu for a long time. Since they were children. They had raced, caught fish, and hunted birds with toy bows together. Whenever they played, Lu had always been the best.
She was the daughter of the chief, and even after realizing that she would one day choose a mate, no, even after he knew of it, Sheto continued to be with her.
And in order to be with her forever, he ran, he hunted. And he did his best to match her. No, to surpass her.

Eventually, they started to call him the best hunter in the village. And Lu showed that she was as drawn to him as he was to her.
He loved Lu. His adorably brown fuzzy Lu.

“…Hmm?”

As his mind was occupied with such sweet thoughts, Sheto suddenly crouched low. His ears twitch.
He had heard a sound.
Loud and ominous.
And the wind over the grasslands was now carrying a stench.
Black smoke rose in the distance. And at the root, he saw flashes of fire.

“…!”

He ran as if bouncing forward.
Sheto rushed through the field until he stood at the edge.
Below him, a rocky slope, and then farther down, his village.

“Ah…!”

With a narrow river in front, and a steep cliff in the back. A narrow strip of land. There, rows of crude houses, and a small watchtower.
All of it was in flames.
Even at his distance, he could feel the heat on his fur.
And he saw numerous things on the ground.
Just as he realized what they were, Sheto slid down the side of the cliff.

“…Lu!”

The more of the village that came into view, the more corpses of his friends were revealed clearly.

The heat was like that of a smithy. Everything burned and screams rose in despair.
Flames danced and stretched towards the sky before benign enveloped by black smoke.

“Lu! Where are you!”
“Sheto? Is that you!”

He turned around and saw Kai running towards him.

“Kai! Who attacked!? Where are the others!? Where’s Lu!”

Kai’s brown fur was burned in different spots, and his face was contorted with fear as he shook his head.

“I don’t know! Fire came down out of nowhere, and the village burned! The other fled! You should hurry!”
“Understood!”

Sheto started to run immediately.
It was the rule for when they were under attack.
All of your food and valuables were to be thrown outside.
Burn your houses, and amidst the chaos, send the women and children to the safe house.
Those who could fight would lure away the attacker before running away themselves.
As long as they did this, then at least half of the population should survive.

Greedy goblins could be stopped with money, and orcs with food. As for large ogres or tough trolls, they could be slowed down with fire.
It was even more simple if it was humans. After doing what they could, they would run in different directions before entering the dangerous rocky mountains.

A thunderous sound that reached the pit of Sheto’s stomach shook him out of his thoughts.
Something was wrong. Houses were burning. That was fine. But it was the way they were burning.
The rule was that you were supposed to light the pillar in the back of the house, so that it would take longer to spread.
But the houses were all burning from the roof. In other words, they had been attacked from the outside.

“We can’t go this way! The fire is blocking the path!”
“It is too steep here! To the river!”

He heard someone’s voice. However, the hiding place was a cave in the mountains. Going to the river would just take them farther away.

“No! Don’t go to the river! Go around the fire and to the mountain!”
“We can’t! There is fire blocking the way! To the river first…”

He looked back and saw that the path he had just come from was burning bright red. It wasn’t just the houses, but there were walls of flames on empty paths as well.

“Fire…wall?”

Just as he said it, Sheto felt a chill go up his spine, even as he stood in the blazing heat. He had heard about them a long time ago. Those users of magic.
They could control water and wind. Call down thunder, and make fire dance.

“Don’t go to the river! It’s a trap!”

Block the escape route so that everyone gathered in a single place. It was like hunting deer. The attack must be part of such a plan.

“It’s a trap! Don’t go to the river!”

He shouted and ran.
But what else could be done? If they could not go to the river? If this fire was magic, there was little they could do.

“No…no… The river…”

He coughed as the world burned around him. And there was a bling flash of light, and he closed his eyes.
Before he knew it, flames had surrounded and overwhelmed the world. Red walls and a black roof. Nothing felt real.

“Everyone…the river is…”

He felt lightheaded. They needed water to beat fire. But not the river.
The what?
As he thought desperately, he saw a jar.

“Wa…ter…”

There might be some inside. He could pour it over himself and escape.
He thought as he approached. That was when he saw someone leaning against it. And water poured around him.

“…Kai?”

He only recognised him now because they had grown up together.
Like a fallen dog, his back broken and opened so that bones and entrails were exposed.
The attack must have been powerful. Even his eyes and tongue were drooping out. What had looked like water was actually blood.

Next to the corpse of his old friend, there was another body that was cut in half.
And then yet another next to a house that was now charcoal.
A corpse under the laundry line.
Numerous corpses near the furnace where they cooked and worked metal.
They had all been mercilessly killed.

Some had all four limbs severed, while others were crushed into a pulp. Others were riddled with holes, as if attacked by some kind of magic.
There were corpses who had been attacked in the back. These were mostly women trying to flee while carrying their children.

“Ah…”

Sheto shuddered.
It was a small village, and so he knew most of them.
However, in spite of the massacre, there were shocking few footprints. If humans had come here to exterminate them, then aside from the sorcerers, surely there would be armored soldiers as well.
But he only saw four footprints of that kind.

(What is…this…)

As Sheto looked in confusion one of the burning houses crumbled.

“AAAAAAH!”

Sparks and debris fell over him.

“Woah!”

He had to get away.
He desperately brushed it off and was about to run.

“St-stop. Don’t come any closer!”

Sheto stopped at the voice that came from behind the wall of fire.
He could not mistake it.

“Lu!”

He shouted and ran. His heart was filled with both relief and fear.
She was still alive. However, he had heard the terror of death in her voice.
Lu was being attacked. And by something she could not win again.
After all, they were the weakest in the world.

“Lu!”

Red hands of fire waved between him and Lu.
Still, Sheto ran.
As the houses burned like volcanoes, he saw a small gap. Big enough that he might be able to go through. He covered his face with his arms and jumped through.

“Aggh!”

His fur and skin burned. The red flames licked up his arm as if to envelope his entire body.

“Graaaaghhh!”

He pressed the arm against his body, heard the sizzling sounds and felt the pain. But he ignored it and continued to run.

“Lu!”

He couldn’t hear her. No matter how many times he called, there was no answer.
But he should be going in the right direction. He believed it and ran. Through the tunnel of fire that seemed like it would not end. Though his fur and tail burned.
Finally, he was through, and the world was cold again.

“Huh…?”

It was hard to believe that it had been so hot a moment ago. He was still surrounded by fire, but it was no longer as close to him.
Sheto realized he was in front of the chief’s house.
It was a little better than the other houses, but would still be considered shabby.
And around it were fallen comrades with bows or hatchets in their hands.
They were the ones who the villagers considered to be strong.

“Oh…”

In this place which reeked of blood, stood four figures. Even the shortest one was at least two heads taller than Sheto.
They all wielded weapons as they stood around something.
Two bloody clumps on the ground.
When Sheto recognized one of them, he shouted in despair as he raised his bow.

“Bastards! What did you do!”

They all turned to him.

“Ah, there are still more of them.”

Said the youngest human.
He wore armor that looked like it was made of blue augite. It was decorated in small precious stones, and had patterns made from golden lines. The gauntlets and boots were also impressive, and shone as if polished.
He was holding a longsword in one hand.
His hair was short and black, and his eyes were a similar color. His face was flat, and his skin was closer to a light yellow rather than white.

“I suppose it came to look for those who haven’t escaped yet.”

Said another one as he stepped forward. He was wearing a helmet, so Sheto could not see his expression. But the low voice and marks on the armor suggested he was a knight.

“How unfortunate. Let’s kill it here.”
“It is the only one left. And it looks half dead?”
“There is no need to show mercy. It is a monster.”

Said a woman who wore a cape over her armor. She had long, platinum blonde hair, and you could see she had a shapely figure under the metal. She held a silver staff in one hand. And while she had an appearance that would surely attract human males, she now narrowed her eyebrows with disgust.

“Even one left can be the cause of trouble. Their mere existence is a blight. Killing them is justice. It is true mercy.”
“Showing pity towards monsters? You sometimes act quite strangely. Is that how things are in your world?”

Said the fourth, who had long red hair and a cape. She wore travelers clothes and held a long staff. She appeared to be a sorcerer. She was not as pretty as the other one.

“No, I’ve hunted many monsters…virtually… So I won’t complain now. But seeing it alive and talking…”
“Well, shall we do it for you then?”
“No.”

The young man shrugged his shoulders. Then he held up sword and laughed.

“Acquiring experience is the basics of any game.”

While holding his bow, Sheto was stunned.
They were talking as if he was not a threat. Not only that, but the young man did not even try to protect himself as he walked carelessly towards him.
Indeed, they were weak. But this man was not wearing a helmet. His head and neck was exposed.

“St-stop!”
“It will be better if you don’t resist. It will just prolong the suffering.”
“Don’t come any closer!”

Woosh.
The arrow whistled through the air. He had aimed for the spot between the man’s eyes.

“Oh! That was close.”

It didn’t pierce him.
Something hard had blocked it, and it fell to the ground.

“Not bad for being the weakest.”
“Kobolds or not, a monster is a monster. It is best to not underestimate them too much.”

While they talked casually, the man continued to approach.
On feet so light that it seemed like his armor did not weigh much.

“Wh…what…what are you!?”

The fear caused his knees to give in.
His tail lay on the ground.
Without even being able to get a proper look at the dead body of his beloved behind the man, the young Kobold called Sheto looked up in despair.

“My name is Koji Itsumi.”

The sword tip went up, like a bird flying in the sky.

“I’m a Hero who was called to this world, so that I might defeat the Demon King who will destroy it.”

And then the blade swung down.

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