I wonder, would you be my hope?

Haru: We've been walking for a long time, where is that raid? 

Akane: Oh, don't be a crybaby... Of course, we'll walk a lot. You want to see the results of your training, so we need to find a raid where no one else is there. 

Haru: Alright then... Thinking about it, with all those guilds around, it's going to be tough. 

Akane: It's not too difficult if you know a lot about this world, like me. 

Haru: How long have you been here? 

Akane: I stopped counting a long time ago. 

Haru: I see. 

Akane: We've arrived. 

Haru looks and finds a huge mountain in front of them. 

Haru: What do you mean by "we've arrived"? 

Akane creates an entrance in the middle of the mountain. 

Haru: Amazing... Is this like secret missions in games? You usually get a rare reward after. 

Akane: (As I thought, you're just clueless.) Yes, yes, just be careful... A snake rushes towards Akane, but she pushed a rock, crushing it. 

Haru: What was that... I barely saw it. 

Akane: Well, that's why you're here. 

Haru: But... I thought I'd fight a golem giant or a monster like that. 

Akane: Have you seen golems already? 

Haru: Yes... I met Ryo there. 

Akane: It's good you didn't go any further than that. 

A large lizard appears. 

Akane: Here it is, just what you wished for. 

Haru rushes and stabs the lizard with his sword, but it gets stuck in its thick skin. 

Haru: Damn, its skin is too thick and tough. 

Akane: Retreat quickly. 

The lizard pushes Haru with its tail. 

Akane: Is this what you've been learning all this time? 

Haru: It's not like that... This lizard is too strong... I expected a weaker raid or something. 

Akane: You're here to improve your weak points, not to kill weak monsters... Now, use everything you've learned and kill that lizard. 

Haru: Alright. 

Haru places his hand on his heart, takes a deep breath, then exhales, so his aura surrounded his body. 

Akane: (I know this move helps him a bit, but how long will he keep doing it... He can just put his body in the aura without these preliminaries.) 

Haru kicks the lizard in its face. 

Akane: Good hit. 

Haru landed and the lizard tried to grab him again, but he kept jumping around it and bounced off the mountain wall. 

Akane: (Alright, he's fully focused now.) 

The lizard tried to hit Haru with its tail, but he avoided it, grabbed his sword, and tried to stab it, but to no avail... Haru repeatedly stabbed the same spot, causing the lizard to shake violently. 

Akane: (Not bad after all.) 

More lizards and snakes have started appearing. 

Akane: (Let's see how he deals with this.) 

Haru took out his sword and waved it in front of the big lizard. 

One of the snakes bited him on the arm. 

Haru struggled to remove it and threw it away. 

Haru: Akane... I can't keep going... 

Akane: Don't lose your focus. 

Haru: Can we go now? 

Akane: Of course not, we just got in here... I'll give you a minute to catch your breath, then we'll continue. 

Haru: I'm really feeling bad. 

Akane: That's because it's your first real test... We still have more to do, maybe we'll find the leader of this mountain or something similar... You should be thankful I didn't ask you to collect these bodies... Surely, they'll fetch a good price in the market. 

Haru started regulating his breathing: Alright, let's continue. 

Akane: That's the spirit, my student. 

Haru and Akane continued walking: There are many paths in this mountain... Which one should we take? 

Akane: We'll make one for ourselves. 

Haru: What? 

Akane creates a winding path downward. 

Haru: Why are we going downwards? 

Akane: We're in a mountain, of course we'll go downwards. 

Haru: I won't argue with you about this, I've never been in a mountain before. 

Akane: Well done ... Sometimes silence is better than talking. 

A huge worm attacks Haru from behind, causing him to crash into the wall. 

Akane: This will be wonderful for a soup. 

Haru took out his dagger and turned, stabbing the worm tearing it apart: Can you stop mentioning cooking ingredients... How can I eat this food again? 

Akane: You're still affected by your previous life. 

Haru turned his back to Akane: Can you also heal me... You haven't healed me since we entered here... And I'm sure this attack made me bleed. 

Akane: You tore your shirt too... Wait, it seems you really need treatment. 

Haru: Is it that serious? 

Akane places her hand on Haru's back: Not anymore. 

Haru shudders: Your hands are too cold... Hurry, please. 

Akane: Alright, I'm done. 

Akane continued making the winding path downward. 

Haru: Do we really have to continue... The light is fading... And no one will come here anyway, we can go and come back tomorrow. 

Akane: Stop! 

Haru: What - what's wrong? 

Akane: We've arrived. 

Haru looked down and found a vast space: Who dug this before us? 

Akane: There must be many creatures here, and this is their home. 

Haru: So, should we go back? 

Akane: Sadly, you're right this time. 

Haru: Yes. 

Akane pushed Haru downward. 

Haru falls on his back and writhes in pain. 

Haru: (I can't catch my breath... I can't speak.) 

Akane: Don't take this personally, Haru... I won't cling to false hope like you do... You won't be like Hotaru, even though you resemble him, and you won't abandon me because I saved you... So, you have to face it the hard way. 

Haru: Wh-what are you saying? 

Akane: All this, and I haven't even mentioned how mysterious you are... You survived one of the famous criminals of the Black Pyramid, and you have a dagger from the girl of the Dragon's Claws... Is this just luck... by the way, the tattoo on your arm doesn't mean you joined the Black Pyramid... they made you their slave, that's all. 

Haru: Ryo, that bastard. 

Lizards and snakes approach Haru. 

Haru tried to get up, but the pain accumulated on him. 

Haru remembered the snake bites and lizard strikes. 

Haru: Akane, you shouldn't do this. 

Haru's pulse increases as the lizards and snakes get closer and closer. 

Akane turned her back to Haru: In the womb of suffering, hope is born... Would you be my hope? 

Haru: Akanee!!!