Chapter 12 - Bonds

A few days later, on Floor Twenty-Four.

A pair of wereboars charged forward. Their crimson eyes burned against their dark grey coats, tusks nearly a foot long.

Alina raised her staff and cast a blast of frost. Ice formed on the beasts’ faces and forelegs, halting their charge. The creatures fought against the icy restraints, hind legs scraping the ground in vain.

“Damn it, one’s still moving!” Renji dropped his pack and sprinted forward, sword drawn.

He drove his blade into the neck of the restrained beast, twisting until it slumped against the ice. Then he spun to meet the second as it lunged.

“Renji!” Alina cried, firing another spell. A shard of ice clipped its flank but barely slowed it.

Renji sidestepped, tusks grazing his shoulder. He rammed his sword into the creature’s chest, forcing it back. Its hot breath washed over him as it staggered, rearing for another charge.

Before it could strike again, Alina unleashed a torrent of frost that engulfed its head. The boar froze mid-squeal, giving Renji the opening to plunge his blade through its heart. The beast collapsed as the ice shattered away.

He wrenched his sword free, chest heaving, as both carcasses dissolved into ash. Yellow crystals clattered onto the stone floor.

“Close one.”

Alina exhaled, lowering her staff. “Sorry—I couldn’t hold the spell long enough.”

“You bought me the opening I needed,” Renji said, stooping to collect the crystals. “That’s all that matters.”

“All right.” Alina nodded with a slight smile.

She seems less torn up about Rovan. Maybe focusing on survival and fighting monsters helped take her mind off it. She’s also more confident in combat now.

The pair had run out of food about a day ago, as the descent from Floor Twenty-One to Twenty-Four had taken longer than expected. They were both famished and exhausted, having gone eight floors without a proper break.

“An inn sounds good right about now.” Renji sheathed his sword and grabbed his pack.

He exhaled hard, wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm. “A hot meal and a warm bed sound really good right now.”

“Yes. We’ll be well fed once we get into Kole,” Alina added, hefting the bag of crystals.

They had amassed a substantial haul of crystals and loot over the past week.

***

A few hours later, the pair reached Floor Twenty-Five. The settlement—Kole—was a bustling trade city, built around a massive central market that still hummed with activity well into the evening.

After trading in their loot and crystals for coin, they found a comfortable inn and cleaned up. An hour later, they met again in the rooftop dining area, both still nursing the fatigue of their week-long descent.

Renji poked at the stew in his bowl. He didn’t want to bring up Rovan, but it needed to be addressed. They had to figure out what came next.

“What do you plan to do now, Alina?” he asked finally. “I’d assume Rovan never spoke to Sage Elith. He was probably lying the whole time.”

Alina looked down at her plate. “I’m not sure.”

“Even if he lied... if she’s truly knowledgeable, I might go see her anyway. Not like I have a better lead.”

Alina frowned. “Why are you talking like you’re going alone?”

Renji gave a small shrug. “Because I am. No one’s going to find answers for me.”

“I—I’ll come with you,” she said suddenly, her voice sharp with urgency. “This is partly my fault. I dragged you into this.”

Renji shook his head. “Alina, I’ve never blamed you. I don’t intend to start now.”

“But…”

He cut her off gently. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done. Truly. But I can’t keep troubling you—or worse, put you in danger. You’ve stayed with me for over two weeks now. I can’t ask for more.”

“My home was on Twenty,” she said quietly. “But I can’t go back. But I can still fight—at your side.”

She raised her eyes and met his gaze. Her voice grew firm.

“I’ll go with you to Forty. You’ll need a translator, too.”

“I can manage simple conversations now,” Renji countered.

“I’m coming regardless.” She leaned forward, fists clenched. “I want to. I won’t abandon you.”

Renji studied her a long moment, then exhaled. There’s no changing her mind.
“…There’s no way I can talk you out of this?”

“Nope.”

He sighed. “Alright, I give up.”

Alina smiled, shoulders relaxing. “Good. Because I’m not letting you do this alone.”

“Thanks… for sticking around,” Renji said, offering the faintest smile.

Alina blinked, staring at him for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I think… that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile,” she said, a grin forming on her face. “It’s a nice smile.”

“Is that right?” he muttered, bringing a mug to his lips to hide his face.

Have I been holding a straight face this whole time? Or just an angry one?

Alina giggled softly and went back to her meal.

Renji leaned back in his chair, the bustle of the rooftop dining hall humming around him. Above, the artificial sky shifted into twilight. A cool draft swept across the terrace, brushing his cheek—uncannily like an autumn breeze back home.

His gaze lingered on the false heavens, but his mind slipped elsewhere.
To another rooftop.
To another autumn sky.

***

Eleven years ago, a certain high school, Tokyo.

The bell chimed for lunch. Renji glanced at his smartphone. A message from Kyoko read: I made you a lunchbox today. Let’s have lunch at the rooftop garden. A smiley emoticon followed.

She doesn’t have to do that all the time. I won’t complain though—the food’s always good, Renji thought as he stood, pocketing his phone and making his way out of the classroom.

Ever since his parents had passed away during the summer, Kyoko had been making lunchboxes for him a few times a week. They would eat together on those days; other times she joined her girlfriends.

A cold breeze hit his face as he opened the stairwell door to the roof. Mother Nature’s reminder that winter was just around the corner.

“Over here, Renji-kun!” Kyoko called out from a bench to the left.

Renji walked over and sat beside her.

“Here you go.” Kyoko handed him his lunchbox.

“Thank you, Sakuragi-san,” he said, removing the lid. “Looks amazing, as usual.”

Kyoko pouted, lightly tapping his foot with her heel before snatching the lunchbox back.

“You’re still calling me by my surname.”

“Sorry… ahem.” He cleared his throat. “Kyoko.”

“Here you go.” She returned the lunchbox to his lap, a satisfied smile on her face.

Both of them clapped their hands together and, in unison, said, “Itadakimasu.” Then they tucked into the food.

After they finished eating, Renji said, “That was excellent, as always. I feel kinda bad that you do it so often though. Thank you.” He handed her the empty boxes.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just making a little more when I make my own,” she reassured him with a gentle smile as she wrapped the boxes in cloth and set them aside.

Renji pulled two small juice cartons from his jacket pocket and handed one to her—his own quiet way of returning the favour.

“Thank you,” she said, accepting it.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way. I really appreciate them, but you don’t have to keep making lunchboxes for me.”

“I don’t mind, really.”

Renji hesitated. “Rumours have been floating around… that we’re dating. You’re a pretty popular girl at school. Doesn’t it trouble you?”

“I don’t care about those.” She glanced at him while he stared ahead into blank space. “Are you bothered by them?”

“No, not really.” He shook his head.

“Then it’s all good.”

She paused for a beat, then added softly, “And besides…” Kyoko turned her face away, her voice almost a whisper. “I wouldn’t mind if those rumours were true.”

Renji’s breath caught. He found himself staring at her ponytail, the tips of her ears burning red. For the first time in months, he realised the rooftop lunch wasn’t just kindness—it was something more.

***

“Renji?” Alina’s head tilted, waving a hand in front of him. “Are you alright?”

Her voice brought his thoughts back to the inn at Kole.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about something…”

“About Level Forty?”

“No. Something else. Don’t worry about it.” Renji went back to his stew.

“I-I see.” Alina nodded.

Was he thinking of home? He would, wouldn’t he.

She decided not to probe further and stole a glance at his face one last time before returning to her meal.

***

Later that night, Renji was awoken by an unfamiliar voice calling out to him.