Chapter 18: The Sword that Shatters Illusions!
A moment later, after clearing away the pursuing Needle Rabbits, Luke returned to the vertical passage connecting the upper floors.
But before he could say anything, Mikoto, who had recovered a bit of strength after drinking some water, knelt directly before him.
"I am Yamato Mikoto of the Takemikazuchi Familia. Judging by your attire and this level of strength... you must be the esteemed Black Holy Swordsman, right?"
A Lv.2 adventurer active in the upper floors of the Dungeon with the junior adventurers of their Familia, habitually wears a black windbreaker, uses a pitch-black one-handed straight sword, has the quite rare black hair and black eyes, belongs to the goddess Hestia's Familia...
The various characteristics displayed by Luke, combined with his strength to easily slay a group of Needle Rabbits, almost instantly allowed Mikoto to guess his identity.
Rising from Lv.1 to Lv.2 in just half a month, simultaneously mastering a terrifying swordsmanship, there were even rumors of him single-handedly hunting a Minotaur while still Lv.1—the legendary adventurer: [Hestia's Young Blade], the Black Holy Swordsman, Luke Starr.
If it were him, perhaps he could...
"Ahem, Mikoto-san, please stand up first. And no need to be so serious, just call me Luke."
Just as he entered the vertical passage, he heard someone call out his embarrassingly over-the-top title/alias.
Luke smiled wryly and shook his head, helping Mikoto up while asking, "Judging by your appearance, Mikoto-san, did something happen in the middle floors? Otherwise, how could you end up in such a sorry state?"
"The middle floors..."
Hearing Luke mention the middle floors, Mikoto's expression became dazed for a moment.
Then she suddenly broke free from Luke's hands, knelt down again, tears starting to stream down her face.
"Please! Luke-sama! I beg you! Please save Ouka and the others!"
"...Ouka?"
Frowning and thinking for a moment, Luke was still somewhat clueless.
Looking at Mikoto prostrating on the ground, he asked puzzledly, "What Ouka? Don't rush, explain clearly."
"Yes."
Realizing her loss of composure, Mikoto quickly sat up straight, raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and continued, "Not long ago, our Familia party got trapped on the 13th floor. Only I, with the highest Agility, barely managed to escape under the cover of my other teammates... Luke-sama, if it's you, you can definitely defeat those monsters. Please save Ouka and the others!"
"No!"
However, after hearing Mikoto's request, before Luke could speak, Lili preemptively cut in, rejecting her decisively.
"The life and death of your Takemikazuchi Familia have nothing to do with us. Why should Luke-sama risk his life to save your teammates?"
Looking up at the Pallum girl with furrowed brows, an angry expression, and a displeased look, Mikoto opened her mouth but found herself somewhat speechless.
Indeed, even for an expert like Luke, rushing into the middle floors without any preparation was an extremely dangerous matter.
And the relationship between the Takemikazuchi Familia and the Hestia Familia, although there was no enmity between their respective gods, it wasn't worth putting oneself in danger to save the other party.
Thinking of this, a look of desolation and helplessness appeared in Mikoto's eyes.
She didn't resent Lili; after all, if their positions were reversed, she might very well do the same thing.
She only hated her own lack of strength, unable to rescue her teammates herself.
"Sorry, I was being presumptuous..."
Mikoto forced a bitter smile, then stood up from the ground, preparing to leave.
"Mikoto-san, please wait a moment."
However, just as she turned around, Luke suddenly stopped her.
"Luke-sama, you...!"
Vaguely guessing what Luke intended to say next, Lili's eyes widened instantly, anxiously preparing to stop him.
"Don't worry, Lili."
Walking in front of Lili, Luke raised his hand and gently ruffled her head, letting the soft chestnut hair entangle between his palm and fingers.
Then he turned his head to look at Bell standing aside, smiling, "White-haired brat, I have something for you to do. Later, take Lili back to the Familia, and tell Goddess-sama that I'll be leveling up in the Dungeon tonight and won't be back."
"Senpai, are you planning to...?"
Although Bell was naive and inexperienced, he wasn't stupid.
Hearing Luke's instructions, he immediately understood, a worried expression appearing on his face.
"Hmph, a kid is still a kid... so hesitant. How can you become a hero in the future?"
Laughing and teasing Bell, Luke then directly pushed Lili towards him.
Simultaneously, an edge he had never revealed in the Dungeon before erupted from him.
A sword pressure not even released when hunting monsters.
"Listen up, white-haired brat. A true hero never thinks about whether they can do something, but whether they should do it. Now that someone is begging for my help (the weak), then I (the strong) absolutely cannot stand by and watch. That is a true hero!"
Hearing Luke's words, feeling the stinging sensation on his skin as if threatened by a blade, Bell took a deep breath.
Fierce hot blood surged through his veins.
Then, he clenched his right fist and forcefully knocked on his chest plate, making thudding sounds.
"Yes, Senpai! I understand!"
"Bell Cranel! What the heck did you understand?! Luke-sama, you absolutely must not..."
However, unlike Bell, hearing Luke's words, Lili instantly remembered the time a month ago when she was rescued by Luke from the shadow of the Soma Familia.
Her eyes immediately turned red.
Gazing at Lili, who looked like she was about to cry, Luke suddenly burst into laughter, carefree laughter.
"Lili, this isn't like your usual self. The Lili I know is a child who, despite being mischievous and money-grubbing, can always show a smile anytime, anywhere."
Hearing Luke's laughter, Lili only felt a stuffiness in her chest.
The tears welling up in her eyes flowed directly down her cheeks.
"Luke-sama..."
"Alright, Bell, take Lili away from here."
"Yes, Senpai!"
Just as Lili wanted to say more, a hand grabbed the back of her collar.
Then, an irresistible force came, and after a dizzying spin, she had landed in Bell's arms, being carried away up the vertical passage.
"Bell! What are you doing! Let me go quickly, we can't let Luke-sama enter the middle floors... Let go!"
Having hunted monsters with Luke in the Dungeon for half a month, although the simple-minded Bell hadn't noticed, Lili had discovered the fact that monsters became exceptionally excited on the floors where Luke appeared.
That's why she was so resistant to letting Luke enter the middle floors.
However, even with Lili struggling with all her might, Bell remained unmoved, locking her shoulders tightly with both hands, quickly running up several floors.
Seeing that they were about to leave the Dungeon, Lili's face turned deathly pale, and her gaze towards Bell became filled with icy coldness.
"Bell Cranel, I'll ask you one more time, are you letting go or not?"
"...Sorry."
Meeting Lili's gaze, Bell hesitated slightly, but ultimately shook his head.
"This, is Senpai's heroic tale."
...
Watching Bell leave with Lili, Luke couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Although he had persuaded Bell using excuses like being a hero, his reason for deciding to stay behind and enter the middle floors to rescue the trapped Takemikazuchi Familia adventurer party was actually more practical.
[13.5:59:38]
At the top of the light blue screen visible only to him, a line of blood-red numbers continuously decreased.
Unknowingly, a month and a half had passed since he first arrived in this Labyrinth City.
Although the progress of lighting up the Job Skill tree was smooth, and even his adventurer level had risen to Lv.2, the thought of the mission designated by the system as a 'trial' filled Luke's heart with uncertainty.
With his current level, was he really strong enough to handle the trial mission?
No, not enough... I can still become stronger, I need to become stronger!
And right now, the quickest way to become stronger laid out before Luke was to raise his adventurer level.
From Lv.2, ascend to Lv.3!
But the experience points the upper-floor monsters could provide him were almost negligible now.
And the strength of the middle-floor monsters was too high; even under the full buff state of [Solo Player], he didn't dare enter easily.
Therefore, Luke had actually been hesitating for several days whether to take the risk and try grinding monsters in the middle floors.
And this hesitation, with the constantly approaching countdown of the trial mission, became increasingly shaky.
It could be said that Mikoto's appearance was actually the last straw that broke the camel's back, finally allowing Luke to harden his heart and decide to step into the middle floors.
"Hoo..."
Slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air, Luke turned to look at the girl behind him and chuckled lightly, "However, Mikoto-san, if you want to hire me, the price isn't low, you know."
"Yes!"
With a grateful expression, Mikoto replied without hesitation, "As long as Luke-sama can rescue Ouka and the others, Takemikazuchi-sama will surely satisfy your request. He is a true War God!"
"The beck and call of a War God? That's indeed quite a tempting reward..."
His gaze shifted from Mikoto, turning towards the monster corridor outside the vertical passage.
Luke slowly spoke, "Then lead the way, Mikoto-san."
...
Gray rocks were scattered everywhere within the passage.
The surrounding walls, floor, and ceiling were all composed of bedrock.
Within the space resembling a natural cave, drifted slightly moist air.
Compared to the narrow monster corridors of the upper levels, these passages were much wider, even suitable to be called plazas or courtyards.
And this was the entire landscape of the Dungeon's 13th floor—the [Middle Floors], also known as the [First Line].
The air was no longer filled with the faint, lingering smell of blood from the upper floors, replaced instead by the body odor of beasts, like a lair.
Stepping out of the vertical passage and into the spacious floor, Luke immediately placed his hand on his sword hilt.
Simultaneously, his mind became highly focused, his gaze constantly scanning the surroundings.
Back again, the middle floors...
Right after he ascended to Lv.2, he had once entered this floor alone.
The overwhelming intensity of the high-strength monsters, in just one round, made him, with all stats stacked close to 60 points, feel somewhat unsustainable.
"Luke-sama, please follow me this way."
Following Luke into the middle floors, Mikoto immediately turned into a rock path on the left.
Looking at the familiar scenery flashing past, her heart couldn't help but tighten.
Ouka, Chigusa, and everyone... you must be safe!
...
"—Captain!"
The man's heart-wrenching roar vibrated Kashima Ouka's eardrums, raising goosebumps on his back.
The one roaring was a tall, sturdy man holding a heavy tower shield.
However, at this moment, the tower shield in his hand was glowing dark red—the light of melting metal.
The man's arm touching the tower shield sizzled like steak on a frying pan, but he merely roared, not withdrawing his arm.
"Kamikawa, let go... If you don't let go soon, you won't be able to keep your hand!"
Seeing the man's facial features contorted and ferocious due to his arm being roasted alive, Kashima Ouka—belonging to the Takemikazuchi Familia, the captain of this adventurer party—finally broke down.
"Fujino and Yoshizawa are already dead. Chigusa... she's injured like this now..."
In a tone of complete resignation, Ouka spoke while stroking a girl half-leaning in his arms.
The girl looked quite petite, one eye covered by her bangs.
The other exposed eye was shrouded in a thick, inescapable gloom, staring straight at Ouka's face, her gaze filled with attachment, reluctance, and apology.
On the girl's body, a rough stone axe was deeply embedded in her shoulder.
A large amount of blood flowed out, dyeing the originally bright silver armor blood-red.
Such a severe injury, perhaps only the girl's rapidly rising and falling chest served as proof that she was still alive.
"Chigusa..."
His gaze met the girl's.
Ouka's heart felt pierced by something sharp, intensely painful.
Tears flowed uncontrollably, blurring his vision.
"Hey, Kamikawa..."
Letting the tears flow, crying like he did when waking up startled from a nightmare as a child, Ouka looked up at the man standing protectively in front of him and Chigusa, his voice choked with sobs, "Give up... Really, it's enough."
"Captain, sorry, this is the only thing I cannot obey your command on."
Although his facial features were distorted by the searing pain in his arm, the man named Kamikawa spoke with a voice as steady as usual.
He gazed deeply at Ouka and Chigusa for a moment.
As he turned back, his strong arms suddenly pushed forward, shoving the thick tower shield away.
Instantly, intense scorching airflow spread outwards, revealing what was behind the shield.
It was a dozen or so large black hounds, as big as calves.
Their crimson, vicious eyes stared greedily this way, sparks occasionally shooting out from between their clamped canine teeth.
The evil monsters of the middle floors, Hellhounds that breathe scorching breath.
"Captain, run ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Wielding the tower shield, as wide as a door panel, like a weapon, Kamikawa leaped towards the menacing Hellhounds, simultaneously letting out the last sound of his life.
It was the hope that his life could be exchanged for the possibility of his teammates' escape.
However...
"Kamikawa..."
Staring blankly as the man's tall, sturdy body was torn apart by the Hellhounds, the merciless flames burning him into blackened residue, Kashima Ouka didn't even move.
He just watched like this, watching while shedding cowardly tears.
Ending like this wouldn't be so bad, right?
At least one person escaped earlier... Live well, Mikoto...
And just as Ouka thought this, closed his eyes, ready to welcome death...
"...That's quite an unsightly look. Although I'm in no position to criticize, is this really the person you asked me to save?"
—The voice of a strange man entered his ears.
"Ouka—! Chigusa—! You're alright, that's great... Luke-sama, please save them."
Then came the familiar voice of a girl—Yamato Mikoto's voice.
But hadn't she already escaped? Why did she come back?
Thinking she could just find someone random to save the day?
What kind of joke is this!
Fujino, Yoshizawa, all dead, just to create a chance for her to escape.
Now even Kamikawa is dead.
Why did she come back!
Intense anger even dispersed Ouka's dejection, causing him to open his eyes.
The next moment...
"Buzz—!"
Pitch-black sword light, seeming to come from beyond the heavens, filled his vision, shattering the words of blame and questioning welling up in his throat into nothingness.
...
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