Chapter 21: Distorted Fate (1)

Due to a trap one of their classmates, Daisuke Hiyama, had activated back on the 20th floor of the labyrinth, they were all sent to the 65th floor by a mass teleportation spell.

Upon arriving on the collapsing stone bridge, a mixture of shock and panic overwhelmed many of them, though some, such as the kingdom's knights, managed to retain some semblance of composure.

However, they had no chance to ponder over their circumstances as they immediately caught sight of a mysterious young man, who also stood just above the crumbling stone tiles of the bridge.

Despite the dangerous situation, he slowly turned his head, revealing a pair of resplendent pale golden eyes, a tranquil sea of calm dwelling within.

At that moment, the world seemed to flow in slow motion, all sound vanished, left only with the sensation of their pounding hearts. Some stretched out their hands, hoping to bring the young man to safety, but….

The Bridge Under His Feet Collapsed.

"No way…"

"D-did he just die…?"

"It can't be…"

Their voices trembled, letting out words of disbelief.

Hajime Nagumo, an average boy who was deemed the weakest of the class, felt his ears ringing. He watched the mysterious young man fall to the depths of the abyss, yet no sign of struggle could be seen on his face—It was peaceful.

Didn't he realize he was going to die…?

This was pure madness.

But he was given no time to dwell on such thoughts as the Knight Commander, Meld Loggins, voice suddenly thundered across the room.

"This is the 65th floor…! You kids, STOP DAYDREAMING AND PREPARE TO RETREAT!"

He and the other knights were well aware of the extreme danger this situation presented, prompting them to act with haste. The bridge was steadily falling apart, making its way toward them, while Traum Soldiers charged at them from the rear.

The students all came back to their senses, realizing how dire things had become. Their hearts sank to the pits of their stomachs, feeling a mounting pressure coming on. They had not only just witnessed someone die right in front of them, but they were even forced to flee for their lives, lest they also end up dead.

Captain Meld immediately began barking out orders.

"Allen, take to the frontlines and assist kids to the stairs as fast as possible! Kyle, Evan, enter battle formation! Bael, stick to the rear! We have to make it out of here before the entire bridge collapses! Kouki, come with me to the front and help lead the charge, everyone's relying on you to help them escape…!"

"But Meld-san, what about that person—"

"Idiot! There's no time to worry about that! Now get out of here, I definitely won't let you kids die!"

Kouki Amanogawa, the party's resident hero, faltered slightly at the intensity of Captain Meld's gaze, ultimately deciding to follow orders and aid his fellow classmates through the horde of oncoming Traum Soldiers.

Surprisingly enough, he recognized the fact that there was nothing he could do to save the mysterious young man, thus giving up any protest he might've had.

As the deteriorating bridge gained momentum with each passing second, the students all broke out into a panic despite the knights' encouragement, while seeing the hundreds of monsters barreling toward them only further exacerbated the situation.

To make matters worse, soldiers were still being summoned through the magic circles near the stairs, multiplying the weight settling over the students' hearts by tenfold. They were thrown into disarray, failing to comprehend the sequence of events leading up to this.

Not even a moment later, the clash with the Traum Soldiers commenced, their overwhelming numbers terrified the students. With the exception of a select few, they all swung their weapons wildly, attempting to protect themselves from the onslaught.

They were forced to both run as fast as possible whilst fighting off hordes of monsters, which brought forth a sense of panic and urgency to escape before they were swallowed up by the abyss. With the crumbling bridge hot on their trails, it was a literal race against time, further increasing the students' panic.

At this, they all realized how dire their circumstances had become, giving rise to various outbursts of emotions.

"I-I gotta get the hell out of here…"

"No, no, no, I can't die like this….!

While the knights who fought alongside them attempted to lessen the Traum Soldiers' momentum, the sheer difference in number completely negated any effect their assistance might have had.

Screams resounded, students flailed about wildly, shoving each other in the hopes of pulling away safely.

Some were directly attacked by the monsters, forcing them to defend themselves as best they could. Injuries had begun to accumulate on the knights' bodies as a result of defending the students, giving their all to ensure that everyone got out alive.

Still, time wasn't on their side, the broken bridge was gradually gaining on them, adding even more pressure to this already dreadful situation. If things continued on like this, everyone, including the knights, would end up dying on this dark and dreary floor.

"You morons, did all your training fly out the window!? Get back into formation this instant!"

Despite Captain Meld and Kouki's encouragement, the students were currently incapable of banding together, thrown into panic by the never-ending onslaught. Powerful attacks were unleashed one after the other, but it didn't seem to put a dent in their numbers.

Had Heiligh's strongest knights not been there to cover for them, at least one of the students would've died by now. It was only because of their excellence that they were able to cover for the students' inexperience. But because of how taxing it was, injuries rapidly accumulated, covering them in wounds of various proportions.

As the students had realized the gravity of their own situation, despair began to color their faces. Kaori Shirasaki, the party's healer, had cast multiple spells in the hopes of calming the panicked students, but she was incapable of doing so.

"Soar Unto Heaven, O' Divine Wings — Celestial Flash!"

Kouki's voice rang out once more, sending out a blade of pure light, tearing through a line of Traum Soldiers and obliterating the enemies in its path. Those who weren't instantly destroyed were blown away by the shock, sending them tumbling to their doom in the depths below.

Yet even then, a new wave of Traum Soldiers rose to take their place, not giving any indication of their numbers decreasing. The short respite that allowed the students to feel an inkling of hope was mercilessly torn apart, sending them to the depths of despair.

Shizuku Yaegashi, the swordswoman, and Ryutaro Sakagami, a man with a large build who also had the job of 'Monk', fought alongside Kouki, cutting through wave after wave in an attempt to quell the rising chaos. They were strongest and most composed among the students, allowing them to secure more ground for everyone else as they advanced.

Even then, it was barely enough to keep them ahead of the falling bridge. Captain Meld watched on in frustration, unable to keep the disorderly party in line. Some of them had even split away from the group, separated by walls of bones. No matter what they did, the Traum Soldiers seemed to keep coming, swarming them endlessly.

"Everyone, you need to calm down and work together! That's the only way we'll all make it out of here alive!"

Although Kouki's charismatic speech would've usually won over the entire class by now, at this current moment, only a few students truly rallied. While they had indeed gotten closer to the stairs, their safety still wasn't guaranteed at this juncture.

Amid the chaos, Hajime Nagumo, who'd been attempting to help another student, was suddenly pushed into the range of a Traum Soldiers attack, its sword held aloft. Noticing this, a look of horror and disbelief painted his expression, knowing he could do nothing to stop his momentum forward.

Then—

*SPLIGHHH!*

"GUAH!"

The monster's sword skewered him, embedding itself into his chest. However, the devil's luck seemed to be with him, as the wound was mere inches away from his heart.

Hajime looked down in pain and confusion, his vision blurring, barely able to make out the hilt of the sword dripping with blood. He couldn't help but question how things had come to this.

Alongside his fellow classmates, he had fought through countless Traum Soldiers, or rather, assisted others in their attacks due to his pitifully weak strength. He thought back to the ominous sensation he'd been feeling ever since arriving in the labyrinth, gradually putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"KUGH…!"

Blood bubbled up from his throat, spilling out through his mouth in large quantities. He could no longer hold onto his fleeting consciousness, the pain and despair clouding his heart only amplified the effects, ultimately leading him to blacking out.

"NAGUMO-KUN!!"

Just then, Kaori Shirasaki's voice resounded, momentarily drawing the attention of those nearby. She rushed over immediately upon seeing Hajime's plight, her face deathly pale. Disregarding all incoming attacks, she raced past, her expression warped in panic.

"K-Kaori…!"

Shizuku ran after her best friend, worry gripped at her heart as she provided cover for Kaori, shielding her from the monsters who tried to capitalize on such unguarded prey.

The Traum Soldier who stabbed Hajime finally pulled its sword free from his chest, followed by a wide spray of blood. Anyone who saw this scene would've no doubt believed he was a goner for sure. Raising its sword once more, the monster prepared to finish him off, but was swiftly interrupted by Shizuku's attack, sending its skull flying.

Kaori sighed in relief after stabilizing his condition, realizing he wasn't in any immediate danger. Pulling his arm around her shoulder, she hefted him up, carrying his unconscious body with an unseen amount of strength. Shizuku couldn't help but shake her head in exasperation, continuing onward in their arduous march toward the stairs.

However—

"Eriri!"

A small girl with brown hair and brown eyes, Suzu Taniguchi, screamed at the top of her lungs, gazing worriedly at her fellow back liner and best friend; Eri Nakamura. She was currently isolated from the rest of the party and surrounded on all sides by Traum Soldiers, seconds away from being cast into the depths by the collapsing bridge.

"S-Suzu…!"

Seeing this, Suzu hurriedly cast a barrier, defending Eri from their assault as she ran at full speed, quickly making her way to Eri's side. No matter the circumstances, Suzu refused to leave her one and only best friend behind. Together, they narrowly managed to drive the soldiers away, though the stone tiles beneath their feet were crumbling fast, causing Eri to lose her footing.

She slipped, her body tilted back at an angle, the cold darkness of the abyss located directly behind her.

But—

"I got you!"

Suzu grabbed onto her arm, pulling her upright, with a triumphant smile as she looked at Eri's relieved expression. Still, that also resulted in Suzu losing her balance, thus instantly swapping them in position. This entire time, they were forced to move continuously, lest they both end up falling.

And yet, upon seeing more Traum Soldiers rushing in, Eri made a show of rescuing Suzu.

However—

"E-Eriri…?"

Suzu called out in confusion, feeling Eri's grip slowly loosening. Looking up, her body suddenly went stiff, not from the sight of Traum Soldiers, but from her supposed best friend's impossibly cold gaze. She couldn't help but wonder if they were really the same person, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew this was the true Eri Nakamura.

At that moment, her body felt light, released from Eri's grasp as she fell weightlessly. Suzu's mind went blank, her eyes wandering to the other students, who also happened to catch a glimpse at her sudden fall, then back to her 'best friend', a girl with short black hair kept in a bob and wore black glasses.

This seemingly calm, quiet girl who looked like nothing more than a school's librarian was actually capable of committing such sinister acts, wearing an expression unbefitting of an ordinary teenage girl.

Eri's previously cold gaze was now replaced by 'genuine' panic, stretching her hand out toward Suzu as she fell into the endless darkness below. Helpless, Eri continued backing away, slowly regrouping with the others who eventually neared the stairs at the end of the bridge.

While Suzu, staring up at the vanishing light above with dull eyes, was completely engulfed by darkness.

The best friend who she thought she knew the most had ended up betraying her at the worst possible moment, mercilessly casting her into the depths of the abyss.

Just before everything around her went black, she could only utter a single word in a hoarse tone.

"Why…?"

----------------------------------

Authors Words:

This chapter gave me a lot of trouble, so I hope those who are enjoying this story will forgive me for the late post.

But don't forget--Leave me your power stones, they give me more stamina.

Although I do write this story for fun, I also love to see others enjoying it as well.

So....Spread Your Love(Cringe)

A-anyways, just do as I tell you...!

(Leave A Review If You're Enjoying It!)