He was on a different level.
He effortlessly beat a monster that the other three barely could together.
He could use some types of magic and was proficient in all sorts of weapons. He moved as though he knew what monsters would do, and could even see through the labyrinth’s traps.
“—–, why do you want more partners when you’re this strong?”
Asked the mage as they camped in the dungeon. It was a question they all had.
“Why… I have things I want to protect, so I’m afraid of dying. But…”
“But?”
“I regret it a little now. Involving you in my selfish exploits.”
“Don’t worry about that boss! If you didn’t invite us, we’d be dead by the side of the road. Don’t regret it, we’re thankful!”
A large man thanked him with a fierce smile.
This man managed a company, but it was not going well, and it was suspended. He had a family as well, six children.
That alone cost a lot of money, but his company was on the verge of bankruptcy. He was out of options and close to death when the man picked him up.
So he was thankful from the heart, and would not hesitate to risk his life for him.
They were exploring with a group of seven.
They were reliable partners.
Everyone laughed, and as they shared joy and sorrow, their bond grew stronger.
They all centered around the man from Number Two’s town, and he was proud to be there.
And so, he could not accept the sight in front of him.
“Gaha, why?”
The large man’s chest was pierced, and he vomited blood. Pierced by Number Two’s Blade.
And it was definitely him holding it.
Everyone was confused, and could only watch in shock.
Their heads rejected what happened.
“Remember how I said I regretted it? I’m erasing that regret.”
The emotions on his face could not be read, it was practically blank. It was as though something was controlling him, was their faint hope.
But that could not be, anyone familiar with his skills knew that.
Complete Status Resistance. That was a rare skill he had.
He had many others, and it meant he could not be controlled.
“What are you doing!?”
“Are you crazy!?”
Two heads flew.
An archer girl and a man who used twin swords. Both joined after the large man.
They were pretty strong, but had their heads cut without any resistance, or any reaction.
“I’m not mad, I just came to.”
Blood rained and stained the area.
The smell of iron and blood filled the air, but there was no time to mind that.
“Ready your weapons!!”
Yelled the woman warrior to snap Number Two and the mage out of it.
Perhaps because of that, she was late in reacting and lost an arm, but surely the result would have been the same if she reacted.
“Guh!? Why are you doing this!? We all trusted you!”
“I told you, I came to. I realized I don’t need partners. I don’t need protection. Just just just just, need to throw myself into fighting.”
“You lunatic!”
“Ones like you who weren’t chosen wouldn’t understand. —-, stop, casting Healing Magic won’t change your fate.”
Number Two picked up the woman’s arm and tried his hardest to reattach it. But the man dismissed it as pointless.
He tried his best to control his shaking body, and yelled.
“—-! Stop it! What will you get from doing this!?”
“Atonement, for you. For wasting time and potential.”
“What!? You killed them because of that nonsense!?”
“I told you, you don’t get it. You don’t need to talk any more. I’ll at least send you off without pain.”
He swung his sword, Number Two froze as if he was thrown into a frozen wasteland, and trembled with thoughts of death.
He was not the only one, the other two trembled and their teeth noisily chattered.
They had seen him fight multiple times.
And yet, they had never seen him go all out.
They were seeing it now in the worst form.
He put his right leg forward, dropped his posture, and prepared to draw his sword.
Death.
They despaired at their unchanging fate, and strength left their bodies. They were barely standing, probably because they thought it was easier that way.
Three lives would end in a second, but something briefly happened that extended them.
“Uoooh!!!”
The large man whose heart was pierced and was thought to be down grappled with the man.
That stopped him from drawing his sword, but he would shake him off soon enough.
Perhaps knowing that, the large man looked at the three who had given up on living.
Run, run and tell what he did, he pleaded.
The three understood his wishes, and ran. It could have been instinct, but still, they did what the dying man said and ran.
“You don’t know when to die.”
“Hang with me, a little, longer.”
He used his power to pull him away, and bisected him.
Number Two caught a glimpse of it, clenched his teeth, and ran.
He was powerless, and it was all he could do.
Because of it, he could not save people important to him. In fact, he was saved.
Suddenly, the female warrior running next to him pressed his shoulder. Before he knew why, there was lightning.
He looked at her face.
Any seeker would get more and more scars. Healing Magic could heal wounds on the spot, but without it, healing was left to time.
The female warrior had a deep scar on her face, probably the kind of look that would make a regular person want to run away.
But Number Two thought it was beautiful.
Still, if she wanted it healed, he wanted to raise his arm and erase it.
She was engulfed in lightning and disappeared.
“—- guuuuu!!!”
He heard her falling behind him, but did not stop.
Either he or the mage had to survive. They had to tell someone on the surface what happened.
Yes, it just had to be one.
He gripped the iron club in his hand harder, and stopped to face the man and buy time.
But the mage thought the same thing.
“You can’t do it. I’ll stay, you go.”
“I can’t!”
“The one with the most possibilities should stay. Remember us.”
He understood that, he would only buy a second if he stayed. A healer like him could not stop someone so overwhelming.
The frustration almost made him throw up, but reality didn’t change.
The mage stopped and smiled.
Was it disrespectful to think the same about her?
The sight of her was burned into his brain as he ran.
He cursed his weakness and felt hatred towards the cause of it all, as he left her behind.
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