The World of Ash is Colored by God's Eyes ~Only I can see the status, and I'll rise from the weakest to the strongest~ Volume 2 Chapter 1

  Chapter 1: Prologue  

The weakest version of myself—no, let’s take this chance to set things straight.  

The old me, the weakest of all, passed through the trials of the gods and set foot on the path to becoming the strongest.  

In the Trial of Strength, I defeated an enemy equal to my own power, clinging to life on the brink of death.  

In the Trial of Wisdom, I used my wits, swearing loyalty to the gods before a mountain of fallen challengers’ corpses, and emerged victorious.  

In the Trial of Heart, I sacrificed my life for the one I cherished most.  

Through these countless trials, I gained a power that lets me see the status of others—  

The Eye of the Gods.  

With this status window visible only to me, I’m charging full speed from the weakest toward the strongest.  

That said, I’m still a work in progress.  

“Come on, bring it! I’m ready anytime!!”  

With my current strength, there’s no way I could beat the muscle-bound man standing before me, decked out in a Hawaiian shirt.  

This is the sprawling garden of the Ryūenji estate.  

Towering over me is an S-rank conqueror with mana exceeding 100,000—the current president of the Japan Dungeon Association, Ryūenji Keitora.  

One of the top five powerhouses in this country.  

I’ve been training under him for the past few days, and I’d love to land at least one successful hit.  

“Today, I’m definitely going to land a blow on you, President!”  

“Hahaha! Come at me! Give it everything you’ve got!!”  

Gripping a real sword in my hands, I trust in the President and launch my attack.  

I sprint across the ground.  

In an instant, I surpass the fastest speed ever recorded by a human—faster than a car, rocketing forward like a missile.  

I swing my sword downward, but that massive body bends like a willow branch, dodging my strike with an almost unimaginable maneuver.  

“Whoopsie! What’s the matter? I’m just a seventy-something old geezer, you know?”  

“That’s not the kind of move a seventy-year-old should be pulling off!!”  

My attacks keep coming, but he evades them all—damn it! That dodging is just ridiculous!  

He toys with me, effortlessly sidestepping my every move.  

One moment, he deflects my sword with a single finger; the next, he flicks my forehead from behind.  

That flick sends me flying with devastating force—it hurts like hell…  

After a brief exchange of offense and defense, I find myself fully immersed in the fight.

Without realizing it, my focus sharpens—  

“Oh? Looks like you’re getting serious early today, Ash.”  

My eyes flare with a golden glow.  

“The Eye of the Gods… Quite the grandiose name.”  

The power I gained from passing the gods’ trials—my eyes shining gold with divine sight.  

It lets me see everything, from ability stats to mana, piercing through all supernatural strength.  

As the power activates, I formulate a battle plan.  

I hide my sword behind my back and charge at the President.  

“…Still… that’s a good look in your eyes… pure and honest.”  

The President plants his feet, striking a stance reminiscent of karate.  

Mana surges forth, shaking the air and rustling the grass around us.  

“Haaaah!!”  

I raise my sword and swing it straight down toward the President.  

He tracks my movement, his gaze fixed on where my sword should be in my hands.  

“!?”  

But there’s no sword to be seen.  

“An illusion!?”  

One of my skills—manipulating light refraction to temporarily render a specific spot invisible, creating a phantom image.  

The President knows this trick. Seeing no sword in my hands, he deduces I’ve made it invisible.  

Without hesitation, he raises an arm clad in mana-forged steel to block the unseen blade.  

The invisible sword should clash against his right arm.  

But it doesn’t happen.  

“What!? A double feint!?”  

The sword is indeed invisible.  

But I’m not holding it after making it disappear—I’ve tucked it into my waistband.  

Given the vast gap in our mana, this invisible strike would only work for a split second.  

The President would see through it in an instant. But that one moment is all I need.  

Just one fleeting instant to make him think I’m wielding the sword with both hands.  

As he braces to catch the attack, a tiny opening appears. The phantom sword swings down—but since there’s no blade, it naturally misses.  

I feign the swing, then drop low in front of him.  

My right hand grips the real, hidden sword at my waist.  

“Hraaaah!!”  

A slash with every ounce of my strength.  

“Not bad…”  

The blade strikes—straight into the President’s side… but it won’t budge!  

It’s too tough. Just how dense is his mana…?  

“Wahaha! You hit me! If our mana were equal, this match would’ve been my loss…”  

The President laughs, his massive hand reaching over to ruffle my hair.  

“You’ve grown a lot in such a short time, Ash.”  

“It’s all thanks to your guidance, President! Though I only managed to land a hit by tricking you.”  

“Hahaha! That’s some fine ambition!”  

His big hand messes up my hair again.  

I can’t help but feel genuinely happy.  

“But in that final moment, you hesitated.”  

“…You noticed, huh?”  

He’s right. At the very last second, I worried my attack might actually hurt him.  

That hesitation dulled my movements.  

I know full well that even at my strongest, I couldn’t scratch him, but swinging a blade at someone—it’s instinct kicking in, holding me back.  

“I see… That’s fine. It’s only natural. But, Ash, the world you’re stepping into isn’t normal. Power begets power and summons more power. You’ll face life-or-death stakes. If you can’t kill, you won’t survive.”  

“…Yeah… I know.”  

“Still, here’s a piece of advice from an old man. Protecting something and killing someone—they’re two sides of the same coin. You’ve got dreams to chase and people to shield. That means you need to be ready to kill, to cut down your enemies. This is a bloody world. I’ve seen too many lives lost—full of pretty words but unable to protect anything. And you’ve chosen to step into that world.”  

“…”  

I’ve killed someone.  

I took down Faux Veyne of the Godslayer Cult, an enemy who tried to assassinate the President’s granddaughter, Ryuenji Aya.  

Back then, all I could think about was saving her. But it was still my first time taking a life.  

The President must’ve sensed my lingering unease, offering me this guidance.  

He’s surely walked this path himself. He has killed before, too.  

If I face another enemy I have to kill, can I do it?  

Could I kill someone who isn’t truly evil, but stands as my foe?  

As I start to feel a bit down, the President continues, his tone gentle.  

“But, Ash, there’s one thing you must never forget.”  

“…What’s that?”  

“No matter how many you kill, hold fast to your conviction—something you’d give anything to protect. When you’re lost or broken, it’s the only pillar that’ll hold you up. Do you have that?”  

“My…”  

It hits me.  

The thing I’d stake my life to protect.  

“Nagi…”  

I’ll save Nagi. I’ll cure her AMS.  

To make that happen, I’d become a villain if I had to.  

That’s my reason to fight—the goal I will achieve.  

Every time I’ve faced death—the Trial of Strength, the fight with the Lesser Knight, even against Faux Veyne—that thought pulled me through.  

“…President Keitora, do you have something you want to protect?”  

“Me? Of course. I’ve lived in this country for seventy years, fighting since the days when mana didn’t even exist. Even now, it’s the same. I want to protect everyone living in this nation—and that includes you.”  

The President flashes a wide grin, and I can’t help but smile back.  

“I don’t have your kind of resolve, President, but…”  

I lift my head slowly, meeting his gaze with determination.  

“I’ve got something I’d protect with this life of mine.”  

The President gives a small, warm smile.  

“Good. Now, let’s hit the bath—you’ve gotta wash off all that sweat!”  

“Yes, sir!”