“I am ashamed to admit—I have no idea what happened.”
Goto, of the Labyrinth Agency’s Public Safety Division, reported the facts with a frustrated gnashing of his teeth.
An abnormal tremor had occurred in the Rank S Dungeon “Nagi Plains.”
The Labyrinth Agency, judging the cause to be in the “Snowfield Ice Mountain,” immediately dispatched several teams, including Goto, to the site.
The enemies were countless “Glacial Dragon Ice Ogres” rampaging through the snowfield.
And an unknown “Dungeon Boss.”
While maintaining maximum警戒 against these two, they entered the ice mountain, which seemed to be the Boss’s castle—
“…There wasn’t a single dragon in the ‘Snowfield Ice Mountain,’ and the Dungeon Boss was nowhere to be found. The tremor disappeared without a reason,”
“Yes. However, the advance team confirmed what appeared to be the aftermath of a battle in the underground of the ice mountain where the Dungeon Boss was thought to have been.”
“…’Appeared to be,’ meaning there’s a possibility it wasn’t a battle?”
Goto nodded. That scene, along with Torako, could only be described that way.
The ground was cracked as if carved out by lasers, and the bedrock was full of holes.
The footprints, which seemed to be from a Giant Monster charging, looked more like the aftermath of a dinosaur rampage than a battle.
And the most incomprehensible thing was—the mysterious cut marks that sliced through the labyrinth itself across multiple layers.
“Goto-kun. I’ve also checked the recorder’s records. I don’t doubt you… but is something like that even possible in a real dungeon?”
“It’s easy to answer that it’s impossible. But it actually happened.”
“Then, what do you think its true nature is?”
Asked by his superior, Goto… didn’t want to think about it, but there was only one answer.
“I believe it was an attack by someone who defeated the Dungeon Boss.”
“Not the Boss’s attack?”
“If the Boss could perform that attack, it would be unnatural for the Dungeon Boss not to be alive.”
But if that assumption was true—it meant that there was a Creature in the wild capable of single-handedly defeating a Class 8.3 Monster without the Labyrinth Agency knowing.
Moreover, the Labyrinth Agency didn’t even know if that being was human.
As someone responsible for Japan’s security, that was something that should never happen.
“…By the way, Goto-kun. What about the man your subordinates captured at the scene?”
“He’s currently being interrogated.”
The only achievement of Goto and the others was securing the man who remained at the scene.
Former Streamer group “The Numbers” Kujou Shin.
The details were unknown, but he was undoubtedly an important reference.
Currently, the person in charge is detaining him and collecting information.
If they could get even one piece of information… if possible, they wanted to identify the culprit who defeated the Boss.
A knock echoed in the ears of the two men deep in thought.
An employee bowed and whispered to the superior in a voice that Goto could also hear.
“About Kujou-san from earlier… he’s been urgently transported to the hospital.”
“…What?”
*
A little before Goto and the others’ interview—
“Please don’t be so nervous. I’m not going to eat you or anything. Rather, we are your ‘friends.’ We’re friends and comrades. …So, I’m just worried about you. Right?”
Kujou trembled with fear at the Suit Man with rat-like narrow eyes.
The place was… probably underground in a building under the jurisdiction of the Labyrinth Agency.
He was blindfolded while being guided, so he didn’t know, but he was sure based on the feeling of the elevator.
And now, the Rat Man in front of Kujou—was definitely not an ordinary person.
“Kujou-kun. I heard the reason you guys were in the dungeon. I’m truly sorry about your comrades. When I was young, I also challenged reckless Dungeon Raids. I understand how you feel. Losing comrades must be painful, right?”
“…”
“But I don’t understand what happened after that. …You encountered the Dungeon Boss. However, by the time our comrades arrived, the Dungeon Boss was nowhere to be seen. What on earth happened? It’s truly mysterious.”
The man sighed at the silent Kujou.
…Of course, he could honestly tell them about that man.
The Rat Man before his eyes clearly had an unusual aura. It was easy to imagine what would happen if he remained silent.
But, what if this situation was a farce set up by that Salaryman?
Come to think of it, a man with that much power could be connected to the Labyrinth Agency behind the scenes.
And to frame him, he was deliberately trying to determine if he was lying by approaching him in a threatening manner…
Kujou, who had completely fallen into suspicion, bit his lip and endured. But,
“Have you ever felt that this world is unfair?”
“…Eh?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I also heard from your mother. I heard that you were once a very talented and gifted person. …Unfortunately, you weren’t blessed with the right circumstances. You didn’t meet anyone who understood you, you were struck by misfortune, and I heard you started challenging dungeons.”
“Excuse me,” the Rat Man said, taking out a cigarette from his chest pocket.
Before Kujou could be amazed that there were still people who smoked these days, the man took a delicious puff and exhaled smoke.
White smoke filled the small room—and Kujou felt strange.
A strange feeling of floating.
Like the fluffy sensation when you drink alcohol….
“It seems you’ve had a lot of hardships since then. The team you joined when you were young immediately collapsed. You were forced to take on the heavy responsibility as the leader of ‘The Numbers’ and were treated terribly. You must have had a lot of hardships, right? I understand. The hardships of a leader, that’s unfair.”
“…!”
“Subordinates only say selfish things. They want this, they want that. They only assert their own rights without considering the party’s circumstances, and they don’t fulfill their obligations properly. Despite desperately trying to bring such people together, you get scolded by incompetent superiors.”
“I can’t stand it,” the man said with a laugh, and Kujou looked at the man for the first time.
An obsequious rat face—but when he looked closely, he was giving Kujou a friendly smile.
“The Labyrinth Agency is just a government office after all. I’m troubled and irritated by inflexible subordinates and superiors. I’ve been thinking about retiring recently. …I was wondering what to do with my future when you appeared.”
The man took another puff of his cigarette.
Dense smoke filled the air, and while being lured by the sweet scent, Kujou nodded blankly.
Ah. This person understands my hardships…
He understands me, who worked hard as a leader.
He understands me, who has talent but was abandoned due to the prejudices of those around me…
“That’s right. No one understands me…”
“That must have been very painful. It’s a tragedy and misfortune that no one understands your hardships. …But you’re not satisfied with ending up like this, are you? Especially the upper echelons of the Labyrinth Agency, they really want to know what happened on the scene. I’ve heard that they’ll use somewhat forceful methods if you don’t talk.”
Kujou’s face twitched with a shiver. So, it was as he thought….
“But, I don’t want to use such methods. In the first place, you’re just a ‘victim’ who got caught up in it.”
“…A victim?”
“That’s right. The man who was left behind at that tragic scene. I’m not a detective, but I can tell that you were made a scapegoat. …You were just used. It’s not your fault. So, if you tell the truth properly, the Labyrinth Agency promises to protect you.”
“Protect…”
“You have a criminal record, but that’s just youthful folly. If you want, I’ll explain the situation and take over the reissuance of your Hunter License. After all, there aren’t many people I feel so close to on first meeting.”
So he said, and the man with rat-like narrowed eyes smiled affably.
…Protection. Victim. That’s right.
Come to think of it, Kujou was a complete victim.
The unreasonable dismissal from the office, the malicious Salaryman who was like a hit-and-run.
In the first place, the reason Kujou entered the “Snowfield Ice Mountain” was because Miroku had ulterior motives and was persuaded by Hazaki to make a comeback.
In other words, it’s not my fault.
If it’s not my fault, what’s wrong with revealing the truth…?
—He thought that promises didn’t matter anymore.
He would confess everything here and receive the protection of the Labyrinth Agency. On top of that, he would have the Labyrinth Agency capture that Salaryman.
Fortunately, the Rat Man in front of him seemed trustworthy. No, he was the true comrade and the one and only existence.
He was the true understander who finally understood and acknowledged my hardships—
“I saw it. The mountain-like Creature that appeared in the deepest part of the dungeon, that ma—guh.”
Just as Kujou stood up and was about to tell everything,
He felt something strange around his neck.
Suddenly, he felt like someone was strangling him, and his vision swayed.
“What’s wrong? Kujou-kun?”
“…kuh, geh… that, that, o… huma… a, aah…?”
That man. That man was.
Kujou was about to say his name, but his voice wouldn’t come out against his will.
No, that’s not it. It’s not that he couldn’t make a sound.
He couldn’t breathe at all.
“Guh… Guh… I’m… dying… Help me…”
“What is this…? Some kind of Unique Skill!? Damn it, he’s got a recovery Skill, hurry!”
As the Rat-man roared, Kujou lost consciousness and fell from his chair.
His mind hazy, he still struggled to utter that man’s name—but the more he tried to shape the sound, the more he felt like a Creature was strangling him from the depths of hell, and Kujou writhed.
He writhed, gasped, and then realized.
That contract from back then.
That thing that had been emitting an eerie Magical Power, could it be…?
An unknown Skill that Kujou didn’t know about…?
If that were the case. Kujou… could it be?
For the rest of his life, he wouldn’t even be allowed to open his mouth about the incident, as that man commanded.
What’s more, he wouldn’t be allowed to enter Dungeons in the future.
More than anything, that promise with that man—
Based on his values, would he be “forced” to live an upright life?
“Ah… Ah…!”
The moment he realized, tears welled up in Kujou’s eyes.
He wondered if he would never be able to escape that man for the rest of his life—his instincts, not his reason, trembled in terror, tightening around Kujou’s heart.
Now, he understood.
Kujou had made a contract with that man.
For life. As long as he lived, he wouldn’t be able to enter Dungeons in the future… moreover.
Based on that man’s values, he wouldn’t be able to defy social norms—
Which meant.
His life would be bound, he would suffer eternally, and based on the “uprightness” that had been forcibly thrust upon him, he would always…
Always be forced to live his life seriously, didn’t it mean that?
For example—being forced to stop at red lights.
Being forced to treat people kindly.
Not even being allowed to speak ill of his parents, living healthily and peacefully, with no deviation from the rules of society whatsoever.
Living cheerfully as a sound member of society… such an utterly, utterly boring life.
Like, for example, that one person who’s always in school.
Like a Class Representative who’s too serious and has no redeeming qualities.
It’s the right way to live, but it’s a life full of pain, constantly trying to please others and enduring everything, forcibly fitting the mold of a human being called Kujou Shin—and being buried alive to end his life.
Naturally, he would never again enter a barbaric place like a Dungeon.
His path as a Streamer would be closed off… even before that, he wouldn’t even be allowed to stand out in society.
A life that was neither poison nor Medicine to society.
…That was. That couldn’t be.
Just living, wasn’t that hell…?
“Ah, ah…”
And if he was forced to live seriously—Kujou wouldn’t even be allowed to die now.
Suicide was an extremely unserious act, and it would go against that man’s values.
In other words, he was already—
He could never escape again….
As he saw the staff rushing over, Kujou’s consciousness fell into the abyss.
What would become of him now?
His mother would be pleased with Kujou’s serious attitude.
His father wouldn’t say anything, but he would be relieved in his heart.
From now on, Kujou would work earnestly at his part-time job, make a reasonably good impression on others he had no interest in, but because he couldn’t reveal his true feelings, he wouldn’t be able to form deep relationships with anyone.
He would grow old without being either poison or Medicine, and live a peaceful life.
There—the will of the man called Kujou Shin, would not exist.
…Ah. Why is it always me who has to go through this?
As he struggled as if drowning, Kujou reached out his hand, shedding tears as he felt his consciousness fading away.
Ah. Why is the world so unfair—
It’s too unreasonable, he thought.