CHAPTER 8 : Evaluation

The next day, Ren, Mira, and Kurogane returned to the Union training room. They were already wearing their training uniforms, ready for the day that was supposedly “important.”

Inside, Daichi and Erika were already waiting.

“Eh, where’s Toma?” Mira asked while looking around.

“Yeah, I haven’t seen him since earlier,” Ren added.

Kurogane brightened immediately. “Mr. Daichi! If Toma’s missing, that means today’s training is cancelled, right?”

Daichi stared at him flatly. “What are you talking about? If someone doesn’t show up, the training gets transferred to the rest of you.”

“HEY, that’s not fair!” Ren shouted.

“For real! The one skipping is Toma, not us!” Kurogane added in panic.

Daichi shrugged. “What can I do? Those are the rules.”

“Damn it…” Kurogane grumbled.

Erika chuckled. “Relax. Toma didn’t disappear. I told him to prepare something. Oh—and today REALLY is important!”

“Huh? Again?” Kurogane looked wary. “Why now?”

“Because today… is evaluation day,” Daichi said dramatically.

“Evaluation?” Ren deflated.

“Yep,” Daichi replied. “Just think of it like a school exam, but not as serious.”

“What kind of evaluation…” Kurogane muttered with a pout.

“Relax, it’s not a math test,” Erika said with a grin.

Daichi clapped his hands. “Okay, you three follow me. Toma’s preparing something, so he’ll join later.”

The three of them exchanged looks, then followed Daichi and Erika down the corridor. Blue lights slowly lit up as they walked, as if the hallway was responding to their presence.

“This place is starting to feel like a secret lab,” Mira whispered.

“It’s always had that vibe,” Ren replied.

After a few minutes of walking, they reached a large, pitch-black metal door. In the center was a layered circular symbol, like interlocking gears.

“Welcome to… the Interlock Room,” Daichi said as he pressed a panel beside the door.

The door slid open with a heavy yet smooth krek—shhh sound. Cold air blasted out from inside.

Ren frowned. “Eyy… what kind of room is this? Looks like a sci-fi movie set.”

“Experiment room? Torture chamber?” Kurogane guessed, half hopeful, half terrified.

Erika slapped the back of his head. “What’s even inside your brain?”

The Interlock Room was filled with flowing blue light running along the walls, but their attention was immediately captured by the massive structure at the far end.

“Wait…” Ren squinted. “Is that… a torii?”

Indeed—a giant torii gate stood in the center of the room, metallic black with Elyseam symbols carved into its pillars. Unlike a normal torii, the top beam floated slightly, supported by some invisible energy. Between the pillars, the air shimmered faintly, as if the space wasn’t entirely stable.

“Why does this look so Japanese,” Kurogane muttered, walking closer. “What is this, a Shinobi shrine?”

Mira stared at it in awe. “It’s beautiful… but kind of scary.”

Daichi chuckled. “Well, that’s the real Interlock Gate.”

Erika pointed. “Those circles on the floor are just the trigger system. The torii is the actual gate.”

Ren raised a brow. “So… we go in there and teleport to a dungeon?”

“Exactly.” Daichi tapped one of the pillars—its carvings glowed with a faint blue light. “This gate is directly linked to the Union dungeon in Elyseam. As long as I activate the locks, it’ll open a stable path to a safe zone inside the dungeon.”

Kurogane hid behind Ren. “Wait—stable? Meaning it can become unstable too?!”

“If the one activating it is an idiot, sure,” Daichi replied casually.

“HEY!!”

Erika held back a laugh. “Relax. Daichi’s not gonna throw you into a broken portal.”

Mira stared at the torii for a while, torn between excitement and anxiety. “So… today’s evaluation takes place inside that dungeon?”

“That’s right,” Daichi said. “Don’t worry, this dungeon is fully managed—low-level monsters, safe traps, mapped training areas. You just need to show basic performance.”

Daichi clapped loudly. “Alright! Before we start, go grab your weapons over there.”

He pointed to the right side of the Interlock: a long rack filled with practice weapons—swords, staves, augment gloves, and support gear.

Ren, Mira, and Kurogane walked toward it, still glancing nervously at the torii.

They reached the rack… and froze.

Sure, the rack was there.

But the contents?

Awful.

Training swords that should’ve been shiny?
Dull.

Shields?
Dented on three sides.

Magic staves?
Cheap wood with cracked tips.

Ren picked up a sword. He slid it lightly against the rack—
it scratched instantly.

“Bro… is this a sword or a metal spoon?” he said in disbelief.

Mira grabbed a magic staff, raised it—and the tip broke off immediately.

“HEY!! I just picked it up!!” she yelled.

Kurogane lifted a tiny shield full of holes. “Whoever made this had beef with the world…”

Ren shook his head. “This is middle-school budget weaponry… not Union gear.”

Mira sighed. “No Toma, trash-tier equipment… I can already see our fate.”

Kurogane took a deep breath. “Why do important days always happen at the worst time? Are we cursed?”

Ren patted both their shoulders. “Come on. Pick the stuff that won’t kill us instantly.”

After a few minutes:

Ren grabbed the dull sword that was at least still shaped like a sword.
Mira reluctantly took a backup staff—shorter, but intact.
Kurogane chose a light sword and the least-dented shield.

They returned to Daichi with expressions that screamed “why is life like this.”

Daichi simply smiled, clearly having planned this.
“Alright, ready? Good. The first evaluation always uses low-standard equipment.”

“LOW STANDARD?? THIS IS ROCK BOTTOM!” Kurogane protested.

Daichi ignored him. He placed his hand on the torii pillar, channeling mana.

The torii vibrated softly.

FWOOM.

Black smoke began pouring out from the center—darker than before, like ink dissolving in fog.

Ren stepped back. “Uh… is it supposed to look like that? That’s normal, right?”

“Normal… for an evaluation dungeon,” Daichi said calmly.

Kurogane hugged his sword and shield. “I—I’m not ready. We’re weaponless, Tomaless… this is literally the start of a horror movie.”

Mira took a deep breath. “We can’t run, and fake fainting won’t work. Daichi knows.”

Ren nodded in defeat. “Well… at least we die together.”

“STOP SAYING THAT!!” Kurogane shrieked.

Daichi gestured toward the gate. “Inside.”

They straightened up, gathering what remained of their courage.

“1… 2… 3!” Ren called out, and all three stepped into the torii.

Black smoke swallowed them like thick fog. The air felt cold and heavy, almost suffocating.

Then—

Tap.

Their feet hit cold stone.

Darkness.

A long, narrow cave, like a natural tunnel untouched by sunlight.

No monsters.
No movement.
Just water drops… and their own breathing echoing.

Ren whispered, “This is just the beginning, right…?”

Kurogane gulped loudly.
“I hate evaluations…”

They stood still for several seconds, letting their eyes adjust to the cave’s darkness.

Kurogane gripped his sword tightly. “I… I feel like this is the wrong place. The evaluation should be somewhere brighter, right? Right??”

Ren glanced at Mira, whose hands were trembling slightly on her staff. “Mir, please don’t turn off the light spell. I’m serious.”

“I won’t. I don’t want darkness either…” Mira whispered back.

They walked slowly. Very slowly.

Every step echoed too loudly in the tight corridor.

“Why do they make dungeons shaped like tunnels? This is not beginner-friendly,” Ren muttered.

Kurogane sighed. “I told you… this is the start of a horror film. Just waiting for a jumpscare—”

TAP TAP TAP TAP.

A small sound deeper inside.

“AH—!” Kurogane instantly jumped behind Ren.

Ren barely stopped himself from jumping too. “Wait! It’s just… a rat. Look.”

A small rat ran past their feet and disappeared into a crack.

Mira closed her eyes briefly. “Okay… okay… it’s just a rat. Rats are fine. Rats are cute.”

“Rats are NOT cute,” Kurogane protested.

Despite the fear, they kept moving, staying close together. Sometimes there were faint scratches on the walls, drops of water hitting puddles, and each time it happened, the three of them instinctively huddled tighter like a panicked trio.

After about two minutes, the tunnel widened.

They entered a larger space.

“What… is this?” Ren whispered.

It was a wider room, like an old storage area. Large wooden boxes were scattered around, some half-broken, covered in moss and weeds. The air smelled musty.

Mira raised her staff higher to illuminate more. “We… should check a bit? Evaluations include observation, right?”

Ren nodded. “Yeah. Quick check only. And don’t open any suspicious boxes.”

Kurogane slowly closed a box he had just started opening. “Oh. So don’t open stuff. Got it.”

They examined the room.

Old boxes, thick dust, moss… nothing strange.

No monsters.
No traps.
Just an empty room.

Ren let out a relieved breath. “Looks like it’s just an old storage room.”

“See?” Kurogane relaxed a bit. “The evaluation is basically a light walk. This is probably just a transit—”

“Uuuuhh… guys…” Mira’s voice trembled.

Ren and Kurogane turned immediately.

Mira stood frozen, face pale, one hand covering her mouth, the other pointing at an open box.

“Mir?” Ren hurried over. “What is it?”

Kurogane followed. “Is it a rat? Or a spi—”

But the moment they saw what was inside the box, both of them froze as well.

Inside, something was lying there.

Mira covered her mouth, her body bending slightly as her breath hitched.
“Oh God… I… I can’t look at that…”

Ren quickly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away from the box.
“Mir, back up. Don’t look. Seriously, don’t.”

Kurogane stumbled backward and almost fell from panic.
“What kind of evaluation is this?! We literally just got weapons from the trash, and now we’re seeing THIS?! This isn’t training, this is… this is… criminal activity!”

Ren scanned the room with a tense, wary look.
“Sssst! Don’t yell, someone might… hear.”

Kurogane lowered his voice, but it still burst out like fireworks.
“OF COURSE I’M PANICKING!! There’s a human head in the box!! A head! With a whole face!!! This is insane!!!”

Mira shut her eyes, trembling.
“I… I thought the smell earlier was just musty… but now… I can smell old blood… oh God…”

Ren took a long breath, trying to stay calm even though his face had gone pale.
“We need to… check if it’s real.”

“ARE YOU CRAZY?!” Kurogane protested loudly, though the suppressed volume made him sound like an angry cat.

“I’m not saying we touch it or anything,” Ren replied. “Just… see if it’s real or some kind of evaluation dummy.”

“Dummy? Ren, those are organs. What kind of dummy has organs?!”

Mira pulled away slightly from Ren’s grip.
“Ren… don’t go near it. Seriously. Don’t.”

Ren swallowed hard.
“I’m not saying we touch it—just from afar—really afar!”

Slowly, he stepped half a step closer, keeping his distance. Mira’s staff cast a faint, trembling light across the room, making the shadows of the organs shift as the glow flickered.

All three of them shuddered at the same time.

Ren angled his view from the side.
“Its eyes… they’re still open. The expression looks… startled.”

Kurogane immediately turned away, covering his ears.
“Stop. Stop. I’m gonna have nightmares for a week.”

Mira swallowed again, fighting the urge to gag.
“If this is real… it means something… or someone in here did this.”

Kurogane snapped his head toward her.
“DON’T SAY THAT, MIRA!!”

Ren slowly raised a hand toward Kurogane, signaling him to stay quiet.
“Shh… listen.”

The three of them held their breath.

Silence.

Then… drip—drip—
A sound like water falling from the ceiling into a puddle.

But now it sounded different—
Heavier.
More rhythmic.

Ren stiffened.
“That… isn’t water. Listen carefully.”

Mira gripped her staff—now trembling, either from her hand or from magic reacting to fear.
“That’s… footsteps?”

Kurogane instantly pressed himself between Ren and Mira like a terrified stray cat.
“Ren… Mira… can we please go back? Or pretend to faint? Daichi might feel bad for us.”

Ren inhaled sharply.
“If those are really footsteps… we need to be ready.”

“But we only have trash weapons!” Kurogane cried, nearly in tears.

“Well, we don’t have any other choice,” Ren muttered bitterly.

They automatically moved into a tight formation: Mira in the middle with her staff, Ren and Kurogane on either side with their pathetic swords.

The blue glow from Mira’s staff flickered, making the room suddenly feel so much smaller.

Ren stared toward the entrance corridor.
“If something shows up… don’t split. Don’t run off alone. And don’t—”

TAP.

Footsteps echoed from the darkness of the corridor.

Kurogane shivered.
“Ren… that’s really close… who… who’s here?”

The corridor stayed dark.
No figure.
No shadow.

Only that unnatural stillness.

Mira whispered,
“What is this place really…”

Ren answered without looking back, voice low and razor-sharp,
“This isn’t a normal training dungeon.”

And for the first time since they entered…

None of them were joking.

The footsteps grew closer. Heavy, slow, but with a steady rhythm—like something that didn’t tire even while carrying a massive weight. Ren quickly turned to Mira and Kurogane.

“Quick, hide!” he whispered.

The three of them quietly hurried behind a pile of wooden crates scattered in the corner of the interlock room.

“What’s the point of forming up if we end up hiding anyway, you dumbass,”
Mira muttered.

“T-this is a special case…” Ren whispered back.

Dust rose, almost making Mira cough, but Ren pressed a finger to her lips.

“Don’t make a sound,” he whispered even softer.

Behind the crates, Ren rushed to outline a plan in a voice barely above a breath.

“Mira… in a bit, use your staff and flash the brightest light you can. Blind it.”

Mira nodded nervously.
“O-Okay…”

“Kurogane,” Ren continued, “when it’s distracted, you ram it with your shield as hard as you can.”

Kurogane swallowed hard, face pale.
“C-Can I… even do that?”

“You have to,” Ren said, though his own voice trembled.

“And you?” Mira asked.

“I’ll teleport behind it… and end it fast.”

They all nodded, even though fear was written clearly on their faces. Meanwhile, the footsteps grew louder—heavier, more oppressive, as if shaking the floor with each impact.

Kurogane kept muttering, clutching his shield,
“Oh no… oh no… please don’t be huge… please don’t be huge…”

“Quiet… it’s close,” Ren hissed.

The crates vibrated slightly with each thudding step. The air grew colder, stale, and a faint metallic smell began to fill the room—
the smell of flesh.

Suddenly, the footsteps entered the room.

Ren raised his hand to signal Mira.

But when Ren and Mira peeked out to time their move…

They froze.

Mira’s eyes widened, and Ren felt his whole body lose strength for a moment.

The source of the footsteps was not a xentra.
Not a human.
Not an animal.

In the center of the room stood a monster—
a swollen, grotesque body made of stitched-together human parts.
Arms sewn into arms, mismatched legs, a chest plastered with lifeless human faces. Some fingers twitched on their own as if still alive.
And on its back hung an upside-down human head, eyes open, staring blankly toward them.

The monster exhaled a heavy breath—
a sound like a collapsing wall.

Kurogane tightened his grip on his shield until it shook.
Mira clapped both hands over her mouth to stop a scream.
Ren… forgot to give the signal.

Because the creature slowly turned toward them.

And one of the faces on its chest…
smiled.

The monster suddenly charged.

Not a normal run—its body moved unnaturally, disgustingly, as if every joint was forced to bend the wrong way. Its arms hit the floor, legs kicked sideways, its head rotated 180 degrees as its torso lunged forward.

It was fast.
Very fast.

Ren jumped in panic.
“RUN!!!”

Mira squeaked and rammed into Ren as they all turned to flee.
Kurogane—who hadn’t even seen the full creature yet—screamed the loudest.

“AAAAAAAHHH WHAT IS THAT THING—!!”

They sprinted out of the room, weaving between crates. The monster roared, the ground trembling with each impact of its flesh-heavy body.

At the corridor, they didn’t stop running.
The pounding footsteps behind them grew louder… closer… closer.

Ren glanced back.
“It’s still following us! Keep running! FASTER!”

The corridor split into several directions.

“Left!”
“Right!”
“Wait—which one is correct?!” Mira cried, almost sobbing.

“NO TIME! YOU TWO GO RIGHT, I’LL TAKE LEFT!” Ren shouted.

“NO!!” Mira yelled. “We don’t have to—”

But the sound of dragging flesh and cracking bones grew deafening. The monster’s shadow crawled into view from the far end.

“SPLIT UP!! NOW!!” Ren snapped.

Mira bit her lip hard, and Kurogane—terrified to the point his knees nearly buckled—finally nodded frantically.

“Okay! Okay! Okay! Let’s split!”

They scattered, footsteps echoing chaotically down the branching halls.

But strangely…

The monster immediately chased Kurogane.

“WHY ME?! WHAT DID I DO WRONGGGG?!!” Kurogane wailed, crying mid-run.

Ren yelled from afar,
“I DON’T KNOW!! MAYBE IT HATES COWARDS!!”

“That makes me MORE scared!!”

Kurogane ran as fast as his legs could carry him, panting, eyes wet with panic. The corridor darkened as he rushed through rows of metal doors.
Then he spotted a storage room with the door slightly ajar.

“YES—THIS ONE!!”

He slipped inside and quietly closed the door, not daring to slam it.
The room was filled with old, rusty lockers.
He crawled quickly and found an empty locker big enough for him.

Without thinking, he climbed in, pulling the door from inside and leaving a tiny gap to breathe.

Kurogane trembled violently.
Cold sweat drenched his forehead and hair.
He clamped both hands over his mouth, forcing himself silent.

“Don’t… don’t come here… please God don’t come here…” he whispered shakily.

He shut his eyes.

And then he heard it.

Tek… tek… tek…

Footsteps—
or whatever counted as footsteps for that monster—
moving slowly down the hall outside the room.

Kurogane held his breath.

Tek… tek…

The steps entered the room.

His heart nearly stopped.

Sniff… sniff… sniff…

Something was smelling the air.

Right in front of the locker he was hiding in.

Kurogane squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, biting his lip, forcing back a sob.

“…don’t… don’t… don’t…”

The locker door vibrated slightly—
as if something was touching it from the outside.

Kurogane felt his whole body freeze.
His breath caught in his throat.
He didn’t dare close—or open—his eyes.

Then…

Tap…

Tap… tap…

The monster slowly moved away. Its footsteps echoed through the room, then faded back into the hallway.

Silence.

Kurogane waited. Each passing second felt like it was drilling into his bones.

After making completely sure it was gone, he slowly opened the locker door.
The rusty hinge creaked kriiik—and he immediately froze again.

He waited.

No response.

Carefully, he stepped out, moving inch by inch, like any sound he made could trigger instant death. Cold sweat dripped from his chin. He held his breath every time his foot touched the ground.

“Almost… out…” he whispered.

And just when he reached the doorway—

A sound.

A woman’s voice. Gentle, soft… but clear.

The voice echoed again, now clearer… more real… more familiar.

“…Kurogane… where are you…?”

Kurogane, halfway through the exit, stopped dead.

His body locked up.
His breath vanished.

That voice—

He knew that voice.

“…no… impossible…” he whispered, shaking—not just with fear, but something deeper: panic, shock, old wounds tearing open.

He slowly turned toward the corner of the room, where the silhouette of the woman stood.

Faint light from the hallway outlined her shape—shoulder-length hair, small frame, fragile posture.

Kurogane’s eyes widened until they looked ready to burst.

“…A… A-Azane…?”

The word slipped out of him without conscious thought. A reflex—something buried deep in a very dark memory suddenly dragged back to the surface.

His voice cracked.
“A-Azane… i-is that… you…?”

The shadowy woman lifted her head slightly, revealing the outline of her face hidden in darkness.

“…Kurogane…”

She stepped closer.

Her footsteps soft… slow… almost like she was walking on water.

Kurogane couldn’t move; he was trapped between fear, nostalgia, and trauma crushing his chest like a stone.

When she reached him—kneeling in front of him—she leaned down… and both her hands, cold but gentle, cupped the sides of his head. Her fingers touched his temples and jaw.

Kurogane flinched, but couldn’t resist.

“Don’t…” he whispered weakly. “Azane… don’t force me…”

The woman tilted his head upward, making him face her completely.

Her face—

Beautiful.

Too beautiful.

Exactly as he remembered.

Pale skin, glowing blue eyes like the moon, thin lips that once smiled warmly at him. No wounds, no monster features. No death.

That was what made it even more terrifying.

“…Why did you leave me, Kurogane…?”

Azane’s voice was so achingly familiar it felt like it tore his chest open from the inside.

“I-I… I…”
Tears slipped down Kurogane’s cheeks.

“Don’t ask me that again…”

Azane looked down at him with eyes filled with sadness—
or perfectly mimicking it.

“You promised me… that if I saved you… you’d stay with me…
So why did you leave…?”

Kurogane held his breath.

Years Ago – Kurogane at Age 19

But his body… his face… his mannerisms…

He already looked like a burned-out 35-year-old man who’d given up on life.

Dark eye bags. Messy hair. Sunken cheeks. A skinny body with broad, stressed shoulders. He didn’t look like a teenager—he looked like a man who had failed life repeatedly.

In his hand, he held a phone with a cracked screen.

He stared at the only thing that made him feel like he still belonged somewhere:

A group chat named “Dumb Kuds.”

Last messages:

Ren: Yo you guys free? I wanna show the girl I’m talking to.
Mira: As if. Probably paid or something, right Kurogane?
Toma: Kuro, coming to the net café tomorrow? I want a rematch. Don’t run.

Kurogane smiled a little.

Not a happy smile.

A hollow one.

“Sorry… everyone…”

His voice broke.

He turned off the phone.

The night air was cold.
City lights flickered faintly.

Kurogane stood in the middle of a bridge, looking down at the black water below.

“I’m tired… I’m done…”

He climbed onto the railing.

One foot dangled in the air.

He closed his eyes.

“I’m nobody… useless… unwanted…”

He prepared to jump.

But—

A girl’s voice.

“…What are you… doing…?”

Kurogane’s eyes snapped open.

At the end of the bridge, stood a girl in an oversized white hoodie. Shoulder-length dark blue hair that reflected the lamp lights like polished sapphire. Bright blue eyes staring at him in fear.

Kurogane froze.

She walked toward him slowly.

“…don’t do that,” she whispered.
“I don’t want to see you die.”

Kurogane swallowed hard. “Who… are you…?”

She stopped a few steps away, tears forming in her glowing blue eyes.

“My name is… Azane.”

Flashback breaks—like glass shattering.

Kurogane gasped and returned to the dungeon storage room, dark and cold.
Azane still held his face. Her blue eyes glowed brighter.

“I saved you back then…”
Her tone was soft but sharp.

“But in the end… you still left me.”

Kurogane shook violently.
“Azane… it wasn’t my fault… I—”

She leaned in closer.

“Then why did you leave, Kurogane?”

Her eyes blazed with unnatural light.

“…why did you let me die?”

Kurogane fell to his knees, tears streaming down.

“A-Azane… please… don’t do this…”

Azane stared without blinking.

“Kurogane,”
she whispered, beautifully… yet deadly.

“…come with me. Don’t leave me again.”

She moved even closer.
Her cold breath brushed his skin.
Her pale hands slid behind his head, pulling him toward her.

Her glowing blue eyes brightened—no longer human, like a lamp burning inside her skull.

Her face tilted…

Their noses nearly touched…

Her lips inches away—

And just before they met—

“DIE YOU UGLY BITCH!!!”

B A G H!!!

A blunt object—just a broken, crappy sword—smashed Azane’s head from the side.

The bridge illusion shattered like glass.

The dark cave snapped back into reality.

“Azane” collapsed with a heavy BLUGHHH, her body melting back into a disgusting, obese monster made from rotting human flesh. Her once-beautiful face deformed into a blob like melted clay.

Ren stood, panting hard, gripping the broken sword dripping with black slime.

“ARE YOU INSANE, BRO? YOU WERE ABOUT TO KISS THAT THING?!” he yelled.

Kurogane scrambled backward on his hands, pale and trembling.

“T-that was A-Azane…” he stuttered.

“Azane? Who the hell is that?! Forget it, HELP ME KILL THIS FAT DEMON!”

Kurogane couldn’t reply—still stuck halfway inside the illusion.

Suddenly, a swarm of sewer rats rushed into the room.

“WHAT THE— EW EW EW!!” Ren gagged.

Mira burst through the door behind them.

“Guys!! I found new friends! They told me you were here— WAIT THE MONSTER’S HERE?!”

“Yeah, and YOU brought rats. You are a rat,” Ren snapped.

“SCREW YOU!”

RRAAAUGHHH

The monster roared as it started to stand again.

“H-holy shit…” Mira whispered.

Ren swallowed. “D-don’t panic. I knocked it down earlier, that means we CAN kill it.”

The monster rose fully, screaming so loud the walls vibrated.

Ren stepped forward.
“Okay… Mira, Plan B.”

Mira blinked. “Which one is Plan B?”

“No idea.”

“You little—!!!”

Ren charged first, not even raising his broken sword high—he knew it wouldn’t cut anything. Instead he rammed the monster with his whole body, yelling:

“COME AT ME YOU GIANT MEATBALL!!!”

The sword hit its chest.
Didn’t cut.
Didn’t pierce.

But it pushed the monster, slamming it into the cave wall.

“Mira! Do something!!”

Mira gulped, raised her crappy staff, and screamed:

“Rats! ATTAAAACK!!!”

The sewer rats screeched and leapt onto the monster, swarming its legs and climbing its body. They gnawed and clawed anything soft.

The monster growled, stumbling backward.

SHRRAAAUGH!!

One of its fused arms swung wildly, smashing into the wall and spraying rotten gore.

Ren seized the opening and stabbed his broken sword into its side.

Barely stabbed in—but enough to make the monster writhe.

Ren:
“TAKE THAT—!!! Uh… a little.”

The monster clawed toward Ren with worm-like fingers.

He rolled away.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE HANDS?!”

Mira kept commanding the rats, who clung desperately to the monster’s back.

“GOOD!! BITE HARDER!! I know it tastes gross but I believe in you!! …Okay maybe I don’t but DO IT ANYWAY!!”

The monster spun violently, flinging rats into the walls.

Mira screamed, “MY BABIES!!”

Two rats fainted.
Three kept biting.
The rest retreated to her feet.

Ren’s sword was bending, nearly useless.

And meanwhile—

Kurogane still hadn’t moved.

His breath trembled. His pupils were unfocused.

Azane’s words still echoed in his skull.

“Why did you leave me, Kurogane?”
“Don’t leave me again…”

He held his head with both hands, the room spinning.

Sometimes it looked like a dungeon.
Sometimes… the bridge.

Ren yelled without looking at him:

“KUROGANE!!! IF YOU DON’T MOVE, WE’RE ALL DEAD!!!”

Kurogane couldn’t answer.
Sweat dripped from his chin.
His chest tightened painfully.

Mira cried, “K-Kurogane! Ren’s in danger!! Please—!!”

The monster turned fully toward Ren.

Its massive arm swung.

Ren lifted his broken sword to block—but it wouldn’t hold.

“KUROGANE!!!!”

Finally—

Kurogane’s eyes shifted.

Fear still filled them.

But something else—
the need to protect—
finally outweighed it.

His heart slammed against his ribs.

Azane’s illusion whispered:

“…Come back to me…”

But Ren’s very real scream drowned it out:

“MIRA AND I ARE GONNA DIE, IDIOT!!!”

Something inside him snapped.

His grip tightened on his shield until his knuckles turned white.

His legs trembled—

But he moved.

One step.

Another.

Another.

Then he ran—

Despite shaking.
Despite suffocating breath.
Kurogane raised his shield with both hands.

“REN—!!! MOVE!!!”

Ren turned, eyes wide with joy and relief.

“FINALLY!!!”

Kurogane leapt forward, shield high, just as the monster swung.

And—

DOOOOOOG!!!

The impact thundered through the cave.

Ren stumbled backward.

Mira gasped, nearly losing control of her rats.

The monster pushed harder, its fleshy mass pressing against the shield.

Kurogane nearly flew back—
his knees trembled—
his arms burned—

But he held.

He bared his teeth and roared back:

“YOU FAT PIECE OF SHIIIIIT—!!!”

With his free hand, he grabbed a coin.

“Fine… if I have to gamble…”

He shoved the coin into his glowing skill panel.

“…then I’ll gamble EVERYTHING!!”

The GAMBLE SKILL wheel spun wildly.

cling—cling—cling—cling—cling—

The monster kept pushing, cracking the floor under Kurogane’s feet.

“Come on come on come on—”

Then—

DING! DING!

He glanced at the result.

His eyes widened.

“GRENADE?!”

He exhaled shakily.
“Oh thank god it’s not a banana or a sandal.”

He grabbed the grenade, pulled the pin.

“DIE, YOU EXPIRING JELLYFISH!!!”

He shoved it straight into the monster’s mouth.

The monster barely reacted before—

KAAAAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOM!!!

White light filled the room.
The blast hurled Kurogane across the chamber.

BRAAAAK!!!

He crashed into the stone wall.

Dust rained down.

Ren screamed his name.

Mira curled around her rats.

When the smoke faded—

Half the monster’s head was gone.
Its jaw destroyed, purple fluid dripping.
It swayed—

And collapsed.

Silence.

Until—

“WOOOOOO!!! THAT WAS INSANE!!!” Mira screamed.

Ren stared at Kurogane, jaw hanging.

“BRO— HOW?! YOU REALLY GOT A GRENADE?!”

Kurogane raised a trembling thumbs up.

“…that’s gamble… I guess…”

They were all exhausted, but elated.

Ren helped pull Kurogane up.

“DUDE— WE ACTUALLY WON!!”

Mira slapped his shield.
“Holy crap, Kurogane!! It exploded IN ITS MOUTH!!”

Kurogane shrugged weakly.
“Yeah… if it didn’t work I’d be minced meat.”

They laughed.
Even the rats squeaked, circling Kurogane’s feet proudly.

“Alright, alright,” Ren clapped his hands, “Let’s get out before some—”

Then—

BLUP—BLUP—KRRRCK—KRUUUUUK—

The sound of twisting flesh.

A wet, sick growl.

The floor vibrated.

All three froze.

“…new item?” Mira whispered.

Ren gulped.
“That’s not an item drop.”

The exploded corpse suddenly bulged.

“W-woi…”

Kurogane stepped back.

CRAAAAK!!!

Something ripped out from inside the corpse.

An arm—longer than human.
Gray-green skin.
Veins.
Slime.

Then shoulders.

Then a head—

Not human.
Not like the previous monster.

A humanoid figure climbed out of the carcass.

Skin tight against bones, impossibly thin.
Deep eye sockets holding two glowing white points.
A mouth torn up to its ears, lined with tiny sharp teeth.

It rose to its full towering height.

Ren whispered:

“…what the hell is that…”

The humanoid’s neck cracked as it twisted toward them.

And then—

In a voice like broken glass—

“K…wo…ro…ga…ne…”

Note :
“I’m sorry…
I failed to defeat the boss called ‘Tasks & Responsibilities.’
The cooldown lasted more than 5 days.
Thanks for staying—you're the author’s moral support team.”