Part 1
Darkness enveloped the dungeon, with only a few blue crystals embedded in the walls illuminating the damp, rocky corridors.
The air was thick, echoing with the sound of droplets falling into scattered puddles.
Haruto moved in silence, his broken katana sheathed at his side.
His mind was somewhere else.
Every step, every flicker of shadow in the distance, was drowned out by the memories that wouldn't stop haunting him.
The moment his sword split in two…
The impact of his body crashing against the arena wall…
Armonio's comment, whispered arrogantly into his ear:
"What would Melodía say if she saw you in such a pathetic state…?"
Haruto clenched his teeth.
Rage and frustration boiled in his chest.
Without warning, a creature emerged from the darkness. A level-20 Shadow Wolf lunged at him, fangs glistening with black saliva.
Haruto didn't even think.
He raised his pistol and fired without hesitation.
The gunshot echoed through the dungeon, and the creature disintegrated into a dark trail.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
His scream was raw and agonizing.
For three days, Haruto had been alone on the sixth floor of the dungeon, facing wave after wave of Shadow Wolves. He had defeated so many he'd already lost count.
"Warning! Master, your ammunition is running low. I recommend returning to the safe zone on floor five."
"Shut up!" Haruto growled, his eyes bloodshot. "I told you not to interrupt me!"
His breathing was ragged.
His mind was clouded.
"Haruto-kyun, you should calm down and rest," Kizuna's voice came, worried. "Your Kizuna links are fading…"
Before he could respond, another voice echoed from one of his pistols.
Cold. Whispering. Insistent.
"Don't let those two sway you… keep growing stronger. Keep moving forward."
Haruto gripped his weapons tighter, his gaze darkening.
A pack of ten wolves appeared before him.
He reached for his katana, but the memory of its loss struck him like an electric shock.
The moment the blade shattered in the arena…
The sound of his defeat ringing in his head…
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
He kept firing.
Again and again.
With blind fury, with raw rage, with the sole desire to destroy.
"Alert! Kizuna, we must separate the Master from those pistols. They're manipulating him!" Olivia's voice sounded alarmed.
"They're feeding on his hatred…"
But Haruto no longer heard them.
One of the wolves lunged and sank its fangs into his shoulder.
"Don't get in my way!"
He fired point-blank, blowing the creature to pieces.
Another wolf rammed into him violently, slamming him against the dungeon's rocky wall.
Fatigue was dragging him toward unconsciousness.
His vision blurred.
His arms felt heavy.
His body burned.
And yet, he raised his pistols once more.
Click. Click.
Nothing.
Click. Click. Click. Click.
The dry, empty sound of his weapons was the only reply.
He was out of ammo.
A wolf leapt at him, sinking its fangs deep into his hand. His pistol fell to the ground and vanished in a burst of glowing particles.
"Olivia… switch to magic bullets."
Nothing happened—no response from his interface, and his Kizuna link was failing.
"Olivia! What's going on…? Am I out of mana?"
"Warning! Your Kizuna links are unavailable. Kizuna abilities disabled."
Haruto didn't understand.
He didn't care.
His mind screamed that he had to keep fighting.
"You're all useless! I have to do everything myself!"
Blinded by rage, he drew his broken katana and kept fighting.
He fought until his legs gave out. Until his body stopped responding and finally, he collapsed onto the dungeon floor.
His eyes grew heavy.
Before unconsciousness fully took him, he saw a shadow approaching…
An enemy?
A savior?
Or perhaps… the end of his adventure.
His mind drifted away from reality, swallowed by the memories of his past.
*****************************************************************************
Many years ago…
"Haruto, are you still watching TV with your little friend?"
The gentle voice of his grandmother filled the room, breaking his focus.
Young Haruto turned around with a smile.
"Grandma! How was your trip to Osaka?"
She set her bag down on the table and smiled warmly at him.
"Good, as always. Luckily it was only a couple of hours, but the train ride was comfortable."
She looked around the room and raised an eyebrow.
"And where's your friend?"
Haruto shrugged.
"You mean *****? She just left a moment ago. Said she had homework to do."
"She's a good girl. You should learn from her once in a while."
"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Haruto puffed his cheeks in fake annoyance. "So, how'd it go?"
His grandmother smiled, satisfied.
"Good. I managed to get a replica of the heavy cruiser Takao. It'll arrive in a few days."
Then, she placed a long package on the table.
"And I brought you a present, too…"
Haruto's eyes widened with excitement.
"For me? But it's not even my birthday yet…"
"I know. But I wanted to bring you something special."
Without waiting another second, Haruto tore through the wrapping paper impatiently, revealing a black wooden box.
When he opened it, his eyes sparkled with awe.
Inside rested a beautiful katana, sheathed in ebony, adorned with delicate sakura engravings along the scabbard.
"Wow… it's so beautiful…" he whispered, sliding the blade just slightly to admire its gleaming edge.
"It wasn't easy to find," his grandmother said with a nostalgic smile. "It's an old katana. Though it never saw war, its craftsmanship is exquisite."
Haruto carefully closed the box and rushed to hug her tightly.
"Thank you so much, Grandma!"
His grandmother chuckled softly, brushing his hair with her hand.
"I'm glad you like it. The moment I saw it, I immediately thought of my dear grandson. Even if you never use it, it's a lovely antique."
Haruto looked up at her with determination.
"I promise I'll treasure it forever—as a family heirloom."
She laughed again.
"Hahaha, don't be so dramatic. Come on, how about we grab something to eat at the harbor's shopping district?"
"Yes, Grandma!"
*****************************************************************************
Back to the present…
That memory remained etched in his mind.
Maybe it hadn't been some great event, or an epic promise.
But to Haruto, Sakuragiri wasn't just a sword.
It was his bond with the memories of his grandmother.
And now… it was broken.
Haruto felt as if he were floating in an empty space, where darkness reigned and no sound could reach him.
He opened his eyes.
The dungeon was gone… all that surrounded him was darkness and solitude.
It felt like the day he first met Kizuna. Except this time, the little one wasn't there to pull him out of the dark.
"Where am I…?" he whispered.
No answer.
"Kizuna…? Olivia…?"
Nothing.
Only the absolute silence of the void.
A chilling thought crossed his mind.
"Am I… dead?"
He stretched out his hand, watching as its outline faded into the endless dark.
"But this feels so real… Is this the end?"
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
"I guess I deserve it."
He let his emotions consume him.
He let the anger devour him.
He let defeat blind him.
"Thalindra wasn't at fault…" he murmured, remembering how he'd yelled at the dwarf for failing to repair his katana.
"I got mad at Rina and Simmone for nothing. They didn't break my sword."
"But most of all… I failed Yuna."
His heart sank at that last confession.
It proved his father had been right.
That humans were impulsive, weak, unpredictable beings.
"Girls… I'm so sorry…"
His voice faded into the vast emptiness.
But then, a woman's voice broke through his melancholy thoughts.
"What matters is reflecting on your actions. No one's perfect, you know?"
Haruto blinked.
A voice he didn't recognize. Yet… it didn't sound hostile.
"Who's there? Whose voice is that? Am I dreaming?"
A light, teasing laugh echoed through the darkness.
"I know I'm beautiful, but calling me a dream might be a bit too vain, don't you think?"
And then, a faint glimmer of light shattered the void.
Before him stood a woman with long jet-black hair, her very presence radiating elegance and mystery.
Her large blue hat matched perfectly with her dark attire, giving her the aura of a seasoned sorceress.
Her eyes watched him, glinting with wit and amusement.
"Who are you…? Where are we…? Are you real?"
The woman smiled with an enigmatic air, tilting her head slightly.
"Oh, darling… I'm far more real than you could ever imagine."
She stepped forward, and with a simple motion of her hand, the void around them began to twist and ripple, as though reality itself responded to her will.
"Right now, we're in the 'Dreaming Void'—the space between life and death…"
She stopped in front of him, and with a faint smile, her next words fell with undeniable weight.
"So if you want to live… you'd better cooperate."
Silence once again enveloped him.
Haruto stood still, staring at the mysterious woman before him, uncertain if his adventure… or his judgment… had finally come to an end.