When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword

Chapter 20 Being the best

The person named Amethyst Bangle is not a genius.

Amethyst herself knows this better than anyone else.

Being the best at everything wasn’t something she was born with, but rather, Amethyst worked in the shadows to become the best, as if there were factors influencing the outcome.

She searched for ways to run faster, learned the secrets of not losing fights, and mastered efficient study methods.

Being the best was the ultimate proof of her existence.

“If I become the best, everyone will look at me. If I become the best, everyone will be my friend. If I become the best, I won’t be alone…”

She learned that becoming the best was the best way to make friends.

So, in everything she did, Amethyst gave her best.

She made every effort to be the best in sports and studies.

To make friends… to not be alone… to avoid loneliness.

However, when it came to the “Sacred treasure,” there was no effort she could make.

The Sacred treasure bestowed at the Blessing Ceremony couldn’t be chosen or changed.

Amethyst realized this at a young age and felt immense pressure from the excessive expectations of those around her.

In the midst of such pressure, she approached the day of the Blessing Ceremony, and the result…

“Th-the [Purple Lightning Bracelet], B-rank…”

She had failed.

While it might have been an excellent result that didn’t seem like a failure to those around her, in the ceremony at that time, Amethyst’s ranking was ‘second.’

The first was Dia Carat, a crybaby who was bullied, receiving an

A-rank artifact.

People around her did their best to encourage Amethyst.

Forced compliments were squeezed out, and the shower of praise further hurt her.

She could tell they were trying too hard. It wasn’t genuine praise. To Amethyst, it was nothing but an insult.

Above all, she felt genuine disgust for her ‘second-place self,’ letting such things be said.

Perhaps she would lose her friends because of this. She felt that might happen.

With those bitter feelings, Amethyst finished the ceremony and encountered Dia on the way back.

The one who had taken the first place away from her, Dia Carat.

As they passed each other, a pitiful voice reached her ears.

“S-sorry…”

It’s unclear what intentions lay behind those words, but for Amethyst at that moment, that one word from Dia was nothing but “pity.”

Why was the crybaby who got bullied, Dia, an A-rank, while she was B-rank?

And why did she have to receive an apology from the one who took first place?

Where did she go wrong? What efforts should she have made?

Should she have tried to please the gods?

Should she have been a better child?

Or maybe, like that girl, should she have lived as a crybaby bullied by others?

She became confused about everything, and at that moment, Amethyst, accumulating frustration from the world’s unfairness, began to treat Dia harshly to vent her feelings.

After the battle with the Rust and her companions, Amethyst walked through the Seven-Colored Forest with Spinel and Lapis.

They headed in the opposite direction of the town, aiming for the depths of the forest.

“Hey, you two, make sure to keep up with me.”

As there was a slight gap between Amethyst and the two behind her, she urged them to hurry.

Spinel and Lapis then came running, their red and blue ponytails swaying, with apologetic expressions.

“S-sorry, Ame.”

“We caused trouble for you because our artifacts got broken…”

“It’s not your fault. If anything, it’s my fault for not accurately assessing the opponent’s strength. So, stop making those gloomy faces and follow me properly. If my artifact is intact, this exam is a piece of cake.”

Amethyst said this to the two and continued walking deeper into the forest.

If she considered the two behind her, she thought she should return to the town immediately.

However, Amethyst’s pride wouldn’t allow her to do that.

Giving up the adventurer exam was frustrating, but more than that, following the advice of “that guy” was humiliating and unbearable.

As a result, she decided to continue the exam.

“We have about fifty minutes left, and there are only two more dolls. Well, we can easily pass. Before Dia, for sure.”

“That’s right, Ame.”

“Among the exam participants, Amethyst is the strongest, after all.”

As they exchanged such words, the three continued searching for the exam dolls.

They looked into bushes, peeked behind big trees, and kept an eye out for small creatures that might be magical beings.

In the midst of it all, Spinel suddenly exclaimed.

“By the way, what was up with that ‘Rusty Sword User’?”

“…!”

Amethyst secretly gritted her teeth. The person she least wanted to recall right now had come up in conversation.

Feeling a discomfort like being scratched at the back of her mind, Spinel and Lapis continued the conversation unknowingly.

“Even though I thought it was a tattered, dirty artifact, it suddenly changed its appearance…”

“And that black sword, its attack power was outrageous. Once it turned into that, the guy’s atmosphere changed too…”

“…”

She didn’t like talking about that person, but indeed, the Rusty Sword User was an inexplicable presence. Despite seemingly having the lowest-ranked artifact, it changed appearance and attacked.

Moreover, there seemed to be tremendous benefits hidden within that ominous artifact, as the person’s physical abilities had dramatically increased.

What was that dreadful artifact? And who was that person?

From the moment they first confronted her, Amethyst genuinely couldn’t stand them.

“…He’s the kind of person who teams up with a crybaby Dia. That’s just not normal.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“He’s definitely a weird one.”

Spinel and Lapis laughed heartily.

Meanwhile, Amethyst wanted to wrap up the discussion about that person as soon as possible and changed the topic.

“More importantly, let’s quickly pass this exam and go back to report that we’ve become adventurers. Eventually, let’s become the most amazing adventurers and make our names known throughout the world.”

“That’s right, Ame!”

“Let’s form the strongest party together!”

Spinel and Lapis, already swinging the scythe that was halfway broken, became cheerful.

Yes, there was no time to be disturbed by someone like that person.

Someday, she would become the top adventurer, gathering more attention than anyone else. That way, she would never be alone.

Amethyst smiled to herself, unnoticed by others.

Next, she turned around to tell the two, “Let’s hurry,” but just before she could speak, she felt a “disturbance” in the space behind Spinel and Lapis.

An unnatural ripple that seemed to resemble a heat haze.

Was it an optical illusion? No…

At that moment, Amethyst felt a chill.

“Watch out, you two!”

“…!?”

In response to that voice, Spinel and Lapis instinctively kicked the ground.

Instantly, a shining blade emerged from the “disturbance” Amethyst had seen, reaching out as if to cut off Spinel and Lapis’s heads. However, thanks to their quick reaction, it only grazed their arms.

“Ugh…!”

The two winced in pain.

Amethyst, as if protecting them, stood in front of the disturbance.

What on earth was that just now? Was the ripple the work of a monster?

Then, from within that heat haze, a high-pitched voice echoed sharply.

“Nya-haha~! That was really close, nya~!”

At that moment, the spatial disturbance gradually disappeared. As if an invisible entity was gradually coming to the surface, it revealed itself in front of Amethyst and the others.

The base form resembled a human, but various features reminiscent of a monster could be seen here and there.

Thick, black fur. Two triangular ears protruding from the head. Three whiskers extending from the cheeks.

Sharp eyes gleamed yellow, staring at Amethyst and her companions with amusement.

“…a cat.”

Yes, it could be described as a ‘cat woman.’

In its right hand, a weapon resembling ‘black claws’ was attached.

Soon, the creature, like a cat licking its paw, ran its tongue over the claws and laughed.

“Hey there, purple one, you’ve got quite a keen sense. You look incredibly tasty, nya~!”

“A demon…!”

Amethyst felt a strong sense of fear towards this demon, whom she was seeing for the first time.