Imagination Is My Weapon(Rising of the Shield Hero Fanfic)

Chapter 19: Slimes, Theives, and a Griffon

Mirai Iwatani Level: 29

Kenta Level: 30

"Gah!" I gasp as I hit a tree, my gaze focused on the monster in front of me.

"Come on Mirai, is that the best you can do?" Kenta calls from a tree branch.

"Why don't you come down and help me?!" I dodge the griffon's attack.

"No can do, this is your fight," he snacks on some grapes.

"Kenta!" I yell as I transform my guns to shield, it rams into me I skid backward, "Are you serious?! I'm not high enough level to beat this thing!" it swats me with its front paw, I stumble to the left my side aching. Kenta lets out a long audible sigh as he jumps down firing a flame arrow toward it. It jumps back, squawks, and runs away.

"I'm useless," I comment as I glance at my scattered guns and book, "No wonder I'm not helping anyone," his hand appears in front of me.

"Don't beat yourself up," Kenta says, I slap his hand away and jump to my feet grabbing his collar.

"A griffin's stronger than I am! So why did you lure that thing to me!" I demand, his gaze narrows as he grasps my hands.

"That's exactly why," he tells me, "I knew you wouldn't win," he continues.

"What?"

"If you fight something stronger than you, you can tell just how much you need to work on so you can defeat it in the future," he tells me as he removes my hands from him, as my gaze trails toward the fleeing griffin, "Do you know what you did wrong?"

"I. . hesitated at the very start thus allowing the monster to gain the upper hand," I say.

"And?"

"I let my thoughts get the best of me," I pause, "and because of that I was unable to observe the monster's attack patterns,"

"Good job," he says flicking his tail, "You doubted your power, remember your imagination is your biggest asset. Before you engaged with the monster you could've summoned Minato and Nagisa to scout ahead and ambush the monster. Then you could've summoned Onis to fight one on one with it while you supported them from behind," he says then flicks my forehead.

"Ow! What the hell?!" I complain.

"Your biggest mistake was not using that empty head of yours," he tells me and turns around, "We're done for today, tomorrow we will find some slimes," he transforms into his bigger form, "Come on, there's a town not far from here,"

"Alright, alright I'm coming," I climb onto his back, "Why slimes?" I ask as we head toward the town.

"Because they're easy and overpopulated," he replies.

"Isn't there like porcupines or something?"

"Are you afraid of slimes?" he questions.

"Well no, but they're just so sticky and gross," I say, "Who in their right mind would like slimes? I mean sure they're kind of cute,"

"Then there isn't a problem now is there," he says, "besides you have your shield you could easily defend yourself,"

"You- oh whatever I can see that this is going nowhere," I give in.

"Relax, all you've got to do is keep what happened earlier at the back of your head while you fight," he says as he comes to a stop, "We're here," I jump off his back and look around the foggy entrance, he transforms into his human form, I glance at him, "What is it now?" he sighs, I gesture to the path before us, "Fog what about it?"