Bke was rushing through the tunnels, turni and right, being chased by a horde of huge ants. Deg to desd lower, Bke went down as far as 8th floor, thinking that this floor was far enough from the entrance. After killing those three guys, Bke had ged into a new pair of clothes, ed the bdes and his body from the blood, paranoid that he could somehow get reized.

  Perhaps going as far as to 8th floor was too much because Bke felt that this floor was extremely annoying. The huge ants weren’t that strong individually, but ohey died, they would attra entire hoard, which was when things would get dangerous. That was exactly what was happening right now.

  Bke kept running, panting as the ants got closer and closer each sed. Reag out into his bag, Bke produced a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it with a string. Bke turned around and threw it at the ground, killing at least 5 of the ants and rising some smoke. The explosion would probably invite more of the ants, but it gave Bke a precious sed to get some distance away from the creatures.

  Eventually, Bke finally saw some steps leading upwards as he sprinted up them, leaving the horde of aggravated ants in the dark. Finally able to take a breather, Bke slid his hand across his forehead, removing some sweat. He hated this fug pce. A dungeon? To hell with dungeons. Infinite monsters lurking around, waiting for you to rex so they ambush you.

  Bke checked his equipment. He had 3 paper bombs remaining, which was not ideal at all. He had two more kunai’s and one shuriken, along with a few crystals that he had taken from the monsters. Holding the two stolen daggers and an almost empty bag, Bke felt lost and overwhelmed.

  He mao kill those three adventurers and at that moment he felt only triumph at his success, yet now, ohe adrenaline has disappeared, Bke felt strange. He had killed three living being, all because he wao grow stronger. It was in human blood to be selfish, but was it the right way? Bke bit his lip, removing those thoughts.

  Fear is death.

  Bke was not some saint. He valued his life and his close friends life more than hundreds of strangers. It wasn’t right to kill these stranger, of course, but Bke had to do it. Depending on what kind of summos, Bke could save both the Akatsuki and his own skin.

  Bke sighed. He much preferred simply devising strategies aing the actual fighting be done by the Akatsuki. He wouldn’t even feel bad most of the time and it…retty fun, but killing people himself? That was not fun. Was Bke being hypocritical? Yeah, so what?

  Crag his tired wrist, Bke took out some beef jerky from his other little bag. It was still pretty full and, if he rationed properly, Bke should have food for at least 15 days. Trying to be quiet, Bke made his the stairs and onto the 7th floor. There were no monsters at the immediate sight.

  2 more people.

  Bke simply o find two people and ambush them. It seemed easy, but it was, in fact, pretty difficult because the dungeon was huge, especially the deeper floors. Bke tried to race his mind, trying to remember where the adventurers in Danmachi would gregate, but he barely remember anything.

  His memories of the show were shallow, too shallow. He only remember the faces of the main characters. Sighing, Bke sidered what to do. He was wasting energy by simply trying to search for someone. As Bke looked at the stairs leading downwards, Bke had an idea. Why doesn’t he just chill in this spot and wait till someone show ups?

  After all, some people would o pass through, wouldn’t they. Looking at his paper bombs, Bke decided to pnt two of them on the ground a bit further away in the corridor. If someone came and tried to pass to the 8th floor, Bke could just explode them when they were passing.

  Whilst Bke had time, he decided to sit down a for a bit. He leaned against the cave wall, looking at the gleaming crystals. Minutes passed into hours, as Bke kept waiting. Bness overwhelmed him and Bke really sidered just abandoning this spot, trying to find someone in the dungeon like before.

  In the end, Bke shrugged that idea away and decided to spend the free time training. He spread his hand, pushing chakra into his palms, creating ice that began to shift in the air. Bke trated and in a matter of a few seds, he had a Glo his hands. It looked better than his previous attempt, though Bke doubted it would work. He didn’t shoot though, as it would probably attraonster with which he didn’t want to deal right now.

  Instead, Bke put the gun away and trated on the bullets. Normally, the bullets would have gunpowder in them, but Bke didn’t have that, of course, so he used chakra. In order for it to work upon firing, Bke would o store some chakra within the bullets and then also coat the exterior of the bullet with it, so it doesn’t explode into pieces.

  That wasn’t all. Bke assumed that instead of pushing chakra into the ey of the gun, he would have to ect the trigger with the chakra inside of the bullet. All in all, it required aremely delicate chakra trol, which Bke currently didn’t have. But, well, Bke couldn’t really do anything except practise.

  He spent at least three hours experimenting with the bullets, but not using up too much chakra in case someone appears. And, indeed, he was right, but not pletely. A group of adventurers appeared from 8th floor. As Bke was sittihe entrao the 8th floor, he was just barely a meter away from them.

  However, that was not the reason which made Bke almost choke on his beef jerky. The adventurers which appeared were those that even Bke, with his shallow memory, reized. Ais aeam…Loki familia. Bele, a half wolf, half human. Finn, the captain and a small swordsman. The green haired mage and two sisters, whose names Bke couldn’t remember. In the middle stood Ais, a golden haired woman with an absent expression on her face.

  And, now, all of them were staring at Bke. Bke wao bury himself as their eyes sed him, whilst Bke’s mind was rag with thoughts. He hid the ice gun behind his back, standing up as he stared back at the approag group. They were iing him as they passed through and Bke wished they would have just passed, but, of course, they didn’t.

  “Are you a solo adventurer?” Finn, the shortie, approached Bke, clearly sing him from head to toe. His eyes were narrowed, his hand on the bde. The other members of the team were also giving Bke hard stares, as Bke realized that they were slowly, but surely surrounding him against the wall.

  “Yes, you are right.” Bke answered in an instanarrowing his eyes too. “I would prefer if you kept some distance from me, adventurers. I don’t feel fortable.”

  Finn clearly didn’t listen to the sed part of Bke’s words. Ais, still having her absent look, took one more step forward. Bke’s grip over his faulty gun tightened, as he ied their equipment. He wouldn’t be able to win against them. Hell, he would probably wouldn’t be able to run away. Bke’s heart tightened.

  “What Familia are you from?”

  Bke’s mind raced. He didn’t remember any of the familias except the Loki one. Bke sought for an answer within his brain, trying to produce a good ao not be suspicious, he said the first thing that came to his mind. “I am from Dionysus familia.”

  “Dionysus?” Bete snarled, exging gnces with all of his team members. The green haired mage was clearly frowning, as Finn took over the versation. “Do you know anything about the three adventurers killed on the sed floor?”

  Bke felt like there was a lump in his throat. He hesitated for a sed, which was noticed by all of the members. Bke shrugged. “I have no idea what you are talking about, but I am sorry su awful thing happened. doleo their families.”

  This time no one answered. The tension in the air became even sharper and Bke felt like he was going to suffocate. Bke was ready to sprint down the corridor as soon as any of them moved. Bke saw them reag out for their ons, but Finn raised a hand. “Okay, we are not going to disturb you any longer. If you hear anything, then just submit a cim to the Loki Familia.”

  Bke rexed slightly. “Yeah, I will do that if I hear anything. Have a good adventure?”

  Finn hough his teammates and Ais especially were still frowning. They began to walk away and Bke calmed his trembling hand. He had almost been caught. He was—

  Before Bke could react, a kided on his face, sending him flying against the other side of the cave wall. The kick was so powerful that Bke stopped feeling half of his face. His nose was broken, his ears was ringing. He felt disoriented, but Bke came to his feet heless, rising his eyes just to see another kick flying towards his face.

  Promptly, Bke ducked, but as soon as he did that, a knee ected with his nose, sending him tumbling away agaihe wall hard. Bke clutched at his face, his nose bleeding profusely. His face was numb, thoughts not going straight. Once he raised his eyes, he saw Bete standing in front of him. Behind him, the remaining Loki familia have already sheaved their ons.

  “You will e with us back to the city, where you will be interrogated. In case we were wrong that you were the murderer, you will receive a moary pensation.” Finn stated. Bke’s eye were blurry. “But I very much doubt we were.”

  Before Bete could nd another hit on Bke, he nodded relutly. Bete clearly enjoyed beating Bke up, but Finn raised a hand, indig to stop the abuse. However, as soon as he did that, Bke snarled. “Go to hell.”

  And then the pce exploded. The Loki familia were standing some distance away from paper bombs, but the explosion owerful enough to force all of them on their knees. Bke aimed the Glo his hands at Bete, who was momentarily distracted, and fired three times in quick succession.

  Two bullets flew in random dires, but the third one pierced right through Bete’s thigh, f him to grasp onto his leg in pain. Bke fired one more time and the on in his hand suddenly exploded, no bullets ing out whatsoever.

  Without a halt, Bke rose to his feet and rushed dowairs towards the 8th floor. He trolled his chakra, creating a e that begun to run alongside him. Then, Bke grabbed his two daggers, hearing quick steps following him from upstairs. Pushing chakra into his feet, Bke began to run along the wall. The sight of numerous ants appeared before him, for they haven’t left since Bke skirmished the pce before.

  Bke’s head was fuzzy, his nose bleeding and his chakra depleting. He run like he was on steroids, dodging the ants, jumping on their heads to propel himself further, when, suddenly, he felt ess surrounding him. He gnced back, seeing the green haired elf pointed her hands at him, a cold blizzard flying towards him. “Wynn Fimbulvetr”

  The ants began to slow dow Bke felt…okay. He and his e tio run, whilst the mage was stupefied. Bke had an ice Kekkei Genkai. Of course the ice wouldn’t work on him. As soon as he was at an interse, Bke and his e dispersed, going to different dires.

  Bke anting, but he was trying to run at the best of his abilities. His eyesight was getting worse and his face was still numb, but Bke kept running. He couldn’t hear people following him because of the ringing in his ears, but Bke was sure that they were, in fact, following him.

  He crossed another interse. As soon as he did that, however, a huge dog jumped on him. Bke was so trated on what was happening behind him that he didn’t mao dodge in time. He raised his hand as the dog bit into it, immediately ripping a huge k of his meat.

  Bke grabbed his dagger, rushed forward and stabbed the monster in the abdomehen raised the creature, pressed it against the wall and twisted the bde, effectively killing it. Without even taking the crystal that fell, Bke rushed through the corridor, the sensation in his right hand disappearing.

  Bke’s vision was getting worse and worse. He gnced back, seeing that he was leaving a trail of blood behind. And then he saw her, rushing towards at inprehensible speed. Bke took out the st paper bomb from his bag, pnting it on the ground as he stopped, taking out his two daggers.

  As soon as he stopped, Ais was already upon him. Bke mao block the first strike from her bde, but then it turned into a age of attacks. Her bde began to make little cuts all around his body. Despite Bke’s tough skin, Ais on was slig it without any difficulty.

  Bke jumped back, threw the stolen dagger at her, which she dodged by dug. It didn’t stop her advance whatsoever and she disappeared, reappearing behind Bke. He didn’t see anything, but felt the pain on his chest. There was a deep cut right across his chest, not hindered by the mail, which forced Bke to fall on his knees.

  His vision was gettiremely blurry and he felt so weak. He wao lie down and close his eyes. He wao do to that more than anything in the world. He was weak, too weak! He couldn’t do anything against Ais. Heck, he could barely see her attacks. It was done. He was done.

  No. To hell with giving up.

  Bke pushed on whatever power remained in him, pushing chakra into his palm and creating a Glock. Turning around, Bke shot at Ais, missing pletely, but f her to step away. The bullets were fast and, despite the fact that they were flying at random dires, they could kill Ais.

  “Step away!” Bke shouted, his voice creaking. She didn’t and Bke ighe paper bomb that he stationed on the ground. As soon as the explosion resounded, Bke fired at the woman again, missing. He fired again and immediately rushed towards the smoke. He saw Ais running at him, but Bke fired again. This time the bullet came close to her head, but she didn’t stop heless.

  Bke jumped into the smoke, promptly finding a hole in the dungeon floor. He jumped into it, twisting his body and grabbing onto the 8th flround to propel himself against the ceiling of 9th floor. Pushing chakra into his feet, Bke sprihrough the ceiling, leaving the small hole behind.

  Bke tio run, his entire body bleeding, blood dripping from above and onto the dungeon ground. He felt like he was about to pass out at every instance, but he kept going. Kept pushing. He couldn’t give up now.

  -

  Ais stood he hole in the ground, about to jump in, when a hand grasped her shoulder. Finn stood behind her, alongside with the green haired mage. She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t go in alone, Ais. Remember, we are still in a dungeon.”

  “But he is going to run away.”

  “He is not that strong and he is bleeding severely. Pursuing him alone is dangerous as he will attract a lot of monsters. Let’s meet up with the rest of the group and then we go down together.” Finn said, looking at the hole. “That man has a lot of tricks. Those paper explosives are dangerous and his strange on is powerful too. Evee got ihough, the man will not go down too far in the dungeon if he mao survive. But we will catch him, Ais, don’t worry about that.”

  Ais nodded, sheathing her bde.

  Finn rexed. “Let’s patch up Bete’s leg first. Bete remembers his smell so we will find him eventually, especially if he doesn’t tend to his injuries.”

  Ais didn’t say anything as she stored down into the hole that was beginning to close up.