Dungeon

We’re heading toward the dungeon and stepping inside. Ren speaks.

“I believe we’ll clear this dungeon quickly, as long as nothing goes wrong.”

“I think the same,” I reply.

I wonder what kind of dungeon this is. D-rank dungeons usually contain goblins or skeletons. We’ll understand better based on the first creature we encounter. If it’s a skeleton, that means it’s more dangerous. But it doesn’t matter to me. Once we reach the Dungeon Boss Room, I’ll kill the ones I suspect of being Overseers. Itachi… I definitely suspect him. But if there’s some kind of distraction behind me, I might have a chance.

We keep walking deeper into the dungeon. I glance slightly at Itachi. His eyes are staring directly into mine. I feel like I’ve already given up my soul. I quickly look away. The first creature appears. It’s a skeleton— but one of the higher-tier ones. A Skeleton King. They’re usually found in D-rank dungeons, and rarely in E-rank ones. Doesn’t make much difference.

Ren speaks.

“Surprising. A Skeleton King in a place like this.”

Ren pushes the Skeleton King back with a sword strike. Souta and Sakura hold the Skeleton King in place using magic. At the same time, Ren and Kaori leap behind the Skeleton King and slash from both sides.

“You coordinated very well. I’m impressed,” I say.

“Thank you, little lady,” Kaori replies.

That attack style... it’s not normal. I need to be careful. Everyone’s acting really cautious. No one is speaking much. It feels strange.

Suddenly, a hand touches my shoulder from behind. I flinch. It’s Itachi.

“Wondering why no one’s talking?”

“Y-yeah— wait a second, how did you know that?”

“I can tell. The reason is this: Stellizer deaths have increased recently. People think humans are responsible. So everyone’s only focused on staying alive. You should too. I doubt you want to die at such a young age, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

“I see.”

If I don’t kill Itachi when he lowers his guard, this mission will fail.

We encounter six more Skeleton Kings.

“This time it’s six of them. Interesting,” says Ren. Then he adds, “Everyone, take on one each. You can handle it, right?”

“No need to doubt us,” Sakura replies.

Ren quickly charges at one of the Skeleton Kings. He feints a sword strike. As the Skeleton King flinches back, Ren’s sword slices through its head. It disappears.

Kaori, with incredibly fast and agile moves, confuses the Skeleton King. She kicks it in the chest, then grabs its head and slams it to the ground, shattering it. That’s... a bit too brutal, isn’t it?

Sakura casts a fire spell, burning the Skeleton King to ashes. Souta clasps his hands together, raising his index fingers.

“Flaming Seal!”

Flames rise from the Skeleton King’s feet to its head, forming a spherical prison. The Skeleton King gets trapped inside. Souta crushes the orb with his hands.

I rush toward my Skeleton King, form a flaming sword, and slice its head off.

Itachi appears behind the Skeleton King, kicks it in the back, shattering its spine, then grabs its head and crushes it with his hand.

Everyone looks on, shocked.

Suddenly, another Skeleton King leaps at Itachi from behind.

“Itachi! Behi—”

A sword pierces through Itachi’s back and impales the Skeleton King. Itachi glances over his shoulder. He grabs the Skeleton King and tosses it aside. The sword vanishes. Everyone can only watch.

“Damn,” says Souta.

We return to formation and continue walking. Ren breaks the silence.

“It’s strange seeing so few monsters in a D-rank dungeon. It almost felt like a C-rank.”

“Maybe all the magic power is concentrated in the Dungeon Boss,” says Itachi.

“You might be right… That’s terrifying.”

In front of us stands the boss room—a massive door, confirming that the Dungeon Boss awaits inside.