The Choice That Changes Everything
— You almost died, you idiot…
Liora lowered her bow.
— But he didn’t die.
Daichi stared at his own hand.
Trembling.
But steady.
Erza approached.
Watching everyone.
— Horrible.
Silence.
— Disorganized.
More silence.
Then—
— But they survived.
She turned her back.
— That’s more than I expected.
Daichi looked at the group.
Wounded.
Tired.
But alive.
— We… did it.
He murmured.
And for the first time…
I wasn’t alone.
The walk back was silent.
Erza walked ahead.
With the enormous snake coiled around her shoulders.
As if it were nothing.
Behind her…
Daichi, Kaito, Liora, and Toma followed.
Wounded.
Tired.
But alive.
When they arrived at the village…
People began to notice.
— They’re back!
— And they brought something…!
The buzz grew.
Until it turned into a surprise.
Then…
Applause.
Some timid.
Others louder.
— They did it…
— They're just newbies…
Daichi was speechless.
It wasn’t a victory.
But… it wasn’t a defeat either.
Erza ignored it all.
She headed straight to the back of the tavern.
— Come on.
The snake was thrown to the floor.
Heavy.
Lifeless.
— Pay attention.
Erza pulled out a blade.
— This is worth more dead than alive.
She made a precise cut.
— Skin.
— Flesh.
— Bones.
— Everything has a use.
She began to remove the skin.
With skill.
Without wasting anything.
The four watched.
Intently.
— You’ll learn too.
She handed him a knife.
— Daichi.
He hesitated.
But it worked.
— Cut here.
She pointed.
— Without tearing it.
— If it gets ruined… it loses its value.
Daichi took a deep breath.
And he tried.
He missed.
The blade slipped.
— Tsk.
— Steady your hand.
He tried again.
Slower.
More carefully.
This time…
It worked.
After a while…
The skin was separated.
The meat was clean.
Organized.
Erza then picked up the creature’s head.
And placed it before them.
— Now…
She made a gesture.
One of the employees brought a book.
Large.
Old.
Heavy.
Erza opened it.
— This here…
She turned a few pages.
— That's what keeps you alive.
A drawing of a pyramid.
With marked levels.
— The monsters are classified by rank.
She pointed to the base.
— Rank D.
— Common animals.
— Some are still dangerous.
— Wild rabbits.
— Deer.
— Wild boars.
— Small snakes.
She looked at them.
— Even these can kill someone who’s unprepared.
She leveled up.
— Rank C.
— What you guys faced today.
The group fell silent.
— Faster.
— Stronger.
— More aggressive.
— They’re not just animals anymore.
Kaito crossed his arms.
— So that was… an intermediate form?
Erza looked at him.
— That’s enough to kill even experienced people.
Silence.
She leveled up again.
— Rank B.
— Like the bear.
— High resistance.
— Thick skin.
— Deadly attacks.
— Needs strength… or strategy.
Toma swallowed hard.
— So that… was worse than today?
— Much worse.
Erza turned another page.
— Rank A.
The air seemed to grow heavy.
— Avoid it.
— It’s that simple.
She partially closed the book.
— They’ve already destroyed entire groups.
— Some…
She paused.
— They cannot be defeated without proper preparation.
Liora watched everything closely.
— And the last one?
Erza didn’t answer right away.
He turned to the last page.
— Rank S.
Silence.
— They’ve already destroyed entire villages.
No one said a word.
Daichi looked at the pyramid.
Then…
At his own hands.
— And we…
His voice was low.
— Where are we?
Erza closed the book.
— You guys?
She looked at the group.
— Not even at the beginning yet.
Silence.
Heavy.
But real.
She turned her back.
— Rest.
— Because from now on…
She looked over her shoulder.
— You know how weak you really are.
A month has passed.
And nothing was the same as before.
Dagan was training with Bank.
Shield against shield.
Heavy impacts.
Learning to hold the line.
Rub, even though he was injured, guided the newbies.
Correcting posture.
Movement.
Breathing.
Erza…
She was relentless.
She trained everyone.
Without exception.
Without rest.
Liora stood out.
Fast.
Smart.
Her mind was always one step ahead.
And her aim…
Almost perfect.
Kaito and Daichi fought together.
Always.
As rivals.
Like brothers.
They faced off.
They pushed each other to be better.
Well…
It changed.
Quieter.
More alert.
He moved better in the shadows.
And Erza…
She watched.
Without saying a word.
But… satisfied.
The village was stronger.
Better prepared.
More alive.
Until that day.
A carriage stopped at the entrance to the village.
The sound of the wheels echoed.
Heavy.
All too familiar.
Daichi sensed it.
Instantly.
His body froze.
— …Again.
Erza was already there.
The cold stare.
Fixed on the entrance.
The nobleman came down.
Well-dressed.
Arrogant smile.
As if he were above everyone there.
— Citizens of Miura…
His voice echoed through the village.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Daichi clenched his fists.
The memories came flooding back.
The girl.
The screams.
That day.
— This time…
The nobleman continued.
— I need a boy.
Some villagers exchanged glances.
Uncomfortable.
— My mansion is… infested.
He paused briefly.
— Rats.
— My soldiers are busy with greater threats.
His smile returned.
— And I can’t waste important men on that sort of task.
Whispers spread.
Low.
Restless.
Daichi stepped forward.
— I’ll go.
The silence deepened.
Erza turned around immediately.
— No.
— I’ll go.
Daichi looked at her.
— I can do it.
— It’s not about whether you can do it.
Her voice cut through the air.
— It’s about not being stupid.
His gaze hardened.
— I have to go.
Erza stepped closer.
Getting really close.
— You don’t know who you’re dealing with.
— I know enough.
The reply came firmly.
More firmly than ever.
He looked away for a second.
— And if I’m not…
His voice dropped.
— I’ll never know.
Erza fell silent.
Watching.
Analyzing.
— There’s more to this… isn’t there?
She asked.
Daichi didn’t answer.
But he didn't back down either.
The silence between them grew heavy.
Thick.
Erza sighed.
Annoyed.
— Tsk…
She turned her face away for a moment.
