CH 6

“I came around to see what was burning, but why is there a human fallen over here?” I was breaking out of the town, but am now confronted by a little girl all of a sudden. A girl that looked red enough to put the evening sun to shame. Fine red hair that danced like flames, and deep crimson pupils that shone like they were on fire. And supporting that small but brilliant stature were two flaming red wings. That’s no human.

There is no way someone like her could be human. No matter how well she’s mimicked the human form, the air about her was far too alien. She was just floating there. That is all. But my instincts were screaming at me to run. She’s definitely a monster. “Fuck!” I cursed myself for letting my guard down once I left the town. Obviously, there was no guarantee that the monsters were only inside the town. I never had the leeway to be the admiring nature’s beauty. Everything I can see from here is ruled by monsters.

“You, why do look so appetizing? I am usually very particular about the meat I eat, pretty girls exclusively. But you, you look far more appetizing than any girl. I wonder why that is, it’s quite the mystery.” The girl wet her lips as she softly landed on the ground. “Moreover, how did you get so far? How did you slip through the monsters’ cage? Don’t tell me, is that fire your doing as well? If that’s the case, it would be even more incredible, colour me impressed.” She drew closer to me, step by step. Every step felt like the whisk of a whetstone across the executioner’s blade. The gulf between my Level and hers is simply too wide right now. At this rate, I’ll be eaten!

The girl continued her and casual gait and entered my range. That instant, I put strength into my legs while activating “Body Strengthening!” reinforcement magic and leaped towards the girl. Closing the distance to her in a breath I cast “Material Strengthening” and swung the strengthened knife at her white neck. She should still believe that I’m just a run-of-the-mill Level 1 human and not consider me a threat. Of course, there was no way I would have been able to kill this monster with just this one strike. She would probably evade it with ease, but that’s fine. Even if it’s only slightly, if I could manage to disturb her balance, I might just be able to jump into the ocean behind her. That was the only way I could extricate myself from this predicament. But my expectations were completely betrayed.

“…. Wha?” She didn’t try to evade it, didn’t try to defend herself, or try to counterattack me. She just stood there. Swish. Her head was severed off too easily. Blood fountained from the cleanly severed cross-section of her neck. The head spun slowly in midair, and both eyes in it were slightly opened wide. Shocked, I even forgot about running away.

Did I kill her? For just one moment, such an incredulous hope sprouted inside me. “Hahahahahahahaha!” Of course, the severed head was laughing. As if in concert with her laughter, flames erupted explosively from the body. “Shit?!!” Since my body was still in the air after my large leap forward, I couldn’t even brace myself and was sent flying by the shockwave. I immediately rolled to absorb the impact of landing and faced forward only to find a sea of flames. “Hahahahahahahaha!!” Her laughter resounded all around me like it came from everywhere and nowhere. One would believe she would be dead after being turned to charcoal and ash by her own flames. But like they possessed a will, the ash swirled in a whirlpool and formed a human shape in its centre.

“You’re really, really, really fascinating. There are such incredible things in the world, huh?” And the one who appeared from the ashes was same girl looking as she did until a little while ago. Yes, exactly the same. Not a single scratch or burn mark on her. She continued talking nonchalantly like she’d never had her head severed or been burnt to charcoal and ash.

“Looks like humans that can stand up to monsters haven’t been eradicated yet. Moreover, one who actually managed to kill me once. I don’t think I’ve been this shocked in my entire life. How does a Level 1 human have such strength?” Naturally, her sight moved to the Level crest inscribed on the back of my hand. I tried to hide it immediately, but I was a beat late. For a long breath she just stood there, eyes wide.

“You. Why has your Level increased?” I didn’t respond. I simply watched her, cursing myself for not being quick enough to hide my Level crest. “Tell me. How did your Level increase? And where did you learn the spells you cast before? I don’t get it at all. It really is fascinating, and you’re incredibly interesting. This is great! If the world didn’t have any wonders left, there would be little point in living for me. But you, I suppose you can only curse your luck for running into me.”, said the girl smiling impishly.

“I am one of the Seven Dukes of Hell, Fifi Le Birthday, the one who dies and is reborn time and again for eternity, a Phoenix. And my Level is 77.”, she announced. Even with her surrounding completely engulfed in flames, the Level crest on her chest shined through in a pale blue. The Level inscribed there was 77, just like she said.

A phoenix, I’ve heard about them before. A name assigned to one of the highest ranked monsters, purported to be an ‘Avatar of the sun’. Far above in the sky, a flaming bird, like a torus of fire going round and round the world for eternity. An immortal bird that is reborn from its ashes every time it dies.

Like the numbers show, the difference between our Levels is simply too much. A monster that I could only curse my luck for meeting right at the beginning of my adventure. “You must have had so many hopes and dreams. You must have worked really hard to reach this point. I applaud your efforts. However, …” The girl snapped her fingers, the flames surrounding her moved in concert like they possessed a will of their own and formed a cage to confine me. “…humans cannot win against monsters. You will never be able to defeat me. Your grand adventure will end here at its first step.” She smiled mischievously like she’d pulled the grandest prank in the world and began walking toward me with a cheerful gait, almost skipping with pleasure. She brought her face close to mine and said, “But, since you’re really fascinating, I shall give you two choices.”

“Choices?” I asked half in doubt and half in trepidation. “Yes, so make sure to consider them well before you choose.” She then let the silence between us stretch, enjoying the drama of it all, before stating the choices. “One, be devoured by me right here and now. Or, …” She reached through the cage and caressed my cheek. “…live on as my pet.”

◇

To sum up, the reason why Fifi the Phoenix didn’t eat the human in front of her immediately was because it was a whim. It could have also been because of the ennui of an eternal existence. ‘Rebirth by Fire.’ That is the name of the Gift possessed by a Phoenix. It is a gift that allows one to be resurrected infinitely and also a curse that does not allow one to rest even in death. She yearned for a stimulus strong enough to drive away this eternal boredom. She felt that if it’s this human, maybe he can do it. This human was clearly different from the rest of his ilk. He’s not one of those resigned to their inevitable fate under the rule of monsters. Moreover, for some reason he can use magic, weapons and has even managed to raise his Level.

He’s way too interesting. That’s why, even if it meant violating the laws of Hell, and defying her King, she felt that it would be a pity to simply kill him.

“But, since you’re really fascinating, I shall give you two choices.” Fifi gave the human his choices as she caressed his cheek through the cage. Would he choose to be eaten here or live on as her pet? These were choices only in name. In effect, he had only one option.

“Well, which do you choose?”, taunted Fifi. “There is nothing to ‘choose’ here.”, replied the human glaring. The glint in his eye made her think of a blade drenched in blood. Even in this situation the defiance in his eyes hasn’t faded a whit. It wasn’t mere defiance, she felt in her bones that he would attack if she showed the smallest gap. “Fufu… You really are fascinating.” I wonder when was the last time I’d felt this excited. A really mysterious, fascinating and stimulating human. Simply killing and eating him would be such a waste.

“Well, go on, be a good boy and use your words.”, prompted Fifi. Well, at the end of it, he has only one choice. In the first place, this is simply a lesson to teach him who his master is.

The human bowed as if he were presenting her with his head and life, and then Fifi felt a sudden impact on her breast. “Eh?” For a moment, she couldn’t understand what had happened. Before her thoughts could catch up blood began to ooze from her mouth. And then she finally noticed the knife stuck in her breast. The one tightly grasping that knife was the human in front of her. “I told you right? There is nothing to choose here.” She finally saw the intrepid smile that had appeared on his face. “I should put in proper words right? Well then, my answer is, Idiot, like I give a fuck about your choices.“