From thin air, Kagari appeared at the first floor of the dungeon.
Her right hand reached out for Rin and, in the process, she lost her balance and fell. Kagari was surprised for a moment, but upon analyzing what had happened, she realized that this was the result of Rin's unique skill. She didn't ask too many questions, got up, and turned back to the path leading down to lower floors.
"That stupid idiot..."
Kagari clenched her hand into a fist, punching the wall in anger. She took a deep breath and, after a few inhales and exhales, regained her composure and took a step forward.
"Stupid Rin... I'm his partner. I can't just leave him alone facing adversity."
Kagari knew that Rin's actions were meant to save her. That monster's level was extremely high, and facing it alone was like jumping into a pit of death. She couldn't abandon him. Leaving him would make her no different from the people who had abandoned her in the past.
Kagari thought about those memories, about Shina leaving her behind. Her mind became clear, her eyes filled with determination as she transitioned from walking to running. There was no time for second thoughts; Kagari had decided to save Rin.
"At least face the monster with me... That way, we'll have a better chance of winning, right?"
Although Kagari had never seen Rin fight all-out alone before and had no idea of his true strength since he kept it a secret, she trusted him more than anyone else right now. However, a sense of uncertainty weighed on her chest.
Believing in Rin was important. It showed that Kagari had faith in his strength. But what if things turned sour? It might be negative thinking, but in a world where adventurers constantly met their end in a labyrinth called dungeons, the possibility that this might be the last time she'd see Rin was very high.
Of course, she doesn't want that. Rin is the only one who accepts her. She cannot turn her back to the boy that rescues her from her loneliness.
If there was a way for Kagari to save or help him, she wanted to do her best.
They had been running aimlessly through the dungeon earlier, and Kagari didn't remember on which floor Rin and the headless knight were currently located. But if she kept running down, she would eventually hear the battle cries or feel the ominous aura released by the headless knight.
Kagari tripped over a pointed stone on the floor and tumbled down, rolling. Her backpack was destroyed in the process, with the tent, pillows, and cooking utensils scattering on the ground.
"Ugh, why now..." Kagari get up and rubs her head for a second.
Kagari took off her backpack, leaving her scattered items behind, and continued her sprint. She was so focused on her goal that she ignored her injuries, not even bothering to heal herself.
"Faster... Faster... Faster..."
The earth rumbled once again.
Kagari paused for a second, turned around, and followed the epicenter. The epicenter was likely where the headless knight was.
The shaking of the ground felt like a ray of hope to Kagari. If the earth was still rumbling, it meant that Rin and the monster were still in the midst of their battle.
"Rin!"
Kagari yelled, but her voice didn't reach the boy she sought. She reached a room filled with a group of adventurers, all of them busy fighting off a horde of goblins.
"So many of them... I don't have enough MP anymore to fight. Staying in the dungeon for days was a bad idea."
"Don't blame me. You're the one who consumed all of our MP potions. You even forgot to buy escape cards."
The adventurers were pointing fingers at each other, their expressions filled with despair. Without MP, they couldn't use their skills, rendering them basically useless in this situation. They couldn't even run away since they were surrounded.
"This can't be... I was supposed to be great. I'm talented, and everything is supposed to be in my favor. This can't be happening!"
Desperation filled the adventurer named Gerald as he swung his sword at the goblins in his attack zone. He had some knowledge of sword arts and was quite decent, managing to cut down a few goblins. However, it was evident that he was losing energy. His breaths were heavy, and abnormal drops of sweat slid from his forehead to his chin.
"This can't be... I can't let myself die here." Gerald muttered.
"Rain of ice shards!"
Sharp-tipped ice rained down on the goblins, penetrating their heads. With one critical hit, the monsters disappeared into black fog.
"W-We're saved..."
The adventurers with Gerald muttered their relief.
"We're saved by..." Gerald turned his head and saw a beautiful woman passing by. "A goddess."
His words didn't reach the girl.
Kagari looked around and examined the surroundings.
"I don't remember being in this place... I guess I'll take another route," Kagari said.
"Wait... Wait, lady..." Gerald wants to know her name but…
"You can collect the magic stones for yourselves. I'm in a hurry."
Kagari left after confirming that she was on the wrong path. She wasn't even paying attention to Gerald.
Kagari continued running, and after reaching the fifth floor, she spotted shards of ice from the ice wall she had created earlier. This meant that if she continued down the tunnel in front of her, she would arrive at the location where Rin and the headless knight were.
But her journey wouldn't be easy. A group of orcs and goblins had appeared ahead.
"Stop blocking my path! You ugly bastards!"
♦♦♦♦♦
Amidst the battle.
A metallic clash of swords erupted like a tempest. Rin's face contorted with rage as he unleashed a furious swing, pouring every ounce of his strength into his blade. In a whirlwind of determination, he aimed for the headless knight.
But the headless knight, a specter of swiftness, reacted with lightning speed. His own sword shot up to meet Rin's, a flawless parry that sent sparks flying as their blades collided. Rin's sword, humming with deadly intent, recoiled from the impact, creating a momentary vulnerability in his defense.
The broadsword wielded by the knight emitted a blood-red glow, accompanied by a strong gust of wind that threw Rin off balance.
"Wind blast!"
Just before the sword could strike him, Rin cast wind magic to shift his body slightly, narrowly dodging the blade. The broadsword was wide enough to serve as a foothold, and Rin used it to rush upwards and then bounce off it.
"Cutter!"
His slash left a crack in the knight's armor. Rin was disappointed that it didn't penetrate deeply, so he quickly retreated, taking three long steps back to safety.
"How am I supposed to kill this piece of…?"
Rin reached for a small bottle of MP potion in his pouch and immediately replenished his MP. His sword began to emit a blue hue as he channeled MP into it, releasing a sharp projectile with a slash.
"Blade of Judgment!"
The path traced by the blade was torn open, making it the strongest skill in Rin's current arsenal. Rin clicked his tongue as he saw the shadow of the headless knight emerging from the cloud of smoke.
"Even that is not enough…"
Now it was the headless knight's turn. Similar to Rin's skill "Blade of Judgment," the knight channeled MP into his sword and released a projectile that carved through the surrounding area. Pillars of rock and walls were sliced open, and the earth trembled. Both of them fell to a lower floor.
Rin landed in what seemed to be a shallow lake, with the headless knight already in front of him, brandishing his sword overhead.
Clang!
Rin immediately raised his sword to catch the falling broadsword with his own. Their blades created sparks as they exerted their full force, but Rin found himself overpowered. His arm trembled, veins popping out.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Rin screamed as he pushed with all his might. However, his sword began to crack under the immense force.
Before his sword could snap completely, Rin rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the devastating slash. Panic enveloped him as he gazed fearfully at the terrifying headless knight, realizing he had lost his sword.