When I first received an invitation from the Colosseum, I of course, like many others, treated it as simple spam mail.
So, I deleted it.
That is an exception made to all the newcomers. You were allowed to delete or ignore the invitation.
Until the day you decide to “Accept”.
But, no matter how many times I deleted and ignored that message, it always came back.
Again and again.
It came back on my way to school every morning.
In the restrooms.
On my way to cram school, and on my way home after that.
And finally, it was there too, just when I was about to head to bed each night.
It only showed up when I was alone.
Somehow, it just knew.
The cycle repeated itself for more than two months.
I was finally beginning to get agitated.
Whenever I tried to show somebody, it was never there.
Disappeared into nothingness, almost as if it had never existed.
Indirect methods like taking a photo failed as well.
For some strange reason, it never shows up on film.
Searching the internet for clues, I found nothing useful.
At that point, I was getting slightly angry.
If I can’t get it to stop through ordinary means, then I will get to the bottom of it directly.
That was what I thought back then.
I accepted the invitation.
Looking back, I should have never done that.
I should have just let it continue.
Ignore. Delete. Repeat.
Had I done that instead, things would be different.
And.
I wouldn’t have ended up as the mastermind behind that mass-murdering operation, six months later.
--------------
A huge Labyrinth.
A party of two.
And it just so happens that your only teammate is a pretty, highschool girl.
Sounds like every man’s dream, doesn’t it?
But, add in the fact that there is a time limit. And if you can’t find the exit before the timer reaches zero, both you and your beautiful companion dies...
Then it becomes a nightmare.
I know I, the Moderator, won’t die.
But Yuri most definitely will.
That is why I need to lead her to the exit, fast.
But right now, that is not the main focus.
First, I need to get rid of the level 100 minion in front of me.
And make up a story about how I suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
“...You are...”
Yuri began to ask, but was interrupted by me.
“Questions later. I will explain everything after I get rid of this creature.”
I refocused my attention on the monster.
One of the monster’s heads attempted to bite me, but I dodged just in time.
I have to be careful now, since I have temporarily disabled my Moderator status.
I can only use the skills I have obtained as a player.
“Turbulence: First Wave.”
A level 50 skill. Although Yuri can’t see my stats, she can still see the damage I do.
That’s why it is better to use a low level skill, and do multiple hits, rather than blast the monster away with a single strike.
I need to keep as much of a low profile as possible.
The monster received the hit head-on. Its HP bar decreased.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 3.
Shoot.
I forgot how much damage I could do with my old stats.
This isn’t good.
Yuri can see the level and HP bar of the monster. A normal player on this floor can’t possibly do this much damage in one hit.
She will-
I blocked off the next attack that the monster aimed at me with my sword. At the same time, I tilted it at an angle so that I could see what was reflected behind me.
Yuri wasn’t looking at the monster. Her attention was still on me.
...
Good.
I secretly healed the monster.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 9, 100.
“Howl: Twin Crescent.”
I swung my sword at the snake, and missed.
And missed again.
To Yuri, this would be a simple indication of the superiority of the monster.
But little does she know that the skill I used was an agility boost.
For the monster, that is.
The snake released a cloud of poisonous vapor at me.
I pretend to be unable to dodge it in time, dropping to my knees as if it had immobilized me.
But in reality, my HP only decreased by one.
“Urg...”
In a flash, Yuri was standing in front of me, her sword positioned in a defensive formation.
“Take some time to recover. I will hold it off.”
I nodded while resting one hand on the wall beside me, steadying myself.
Then, I narrowed my eyes.
“Regis: Fury of the Seven Sins.”
I uttered the cursed skill silently, directly at the monster.
A top-tier debuff. One that lowers the enemy’s stats by nearly 90%.
Yuri, of course, still had her back turned toward me, so she didn’t notice.
She raced toward her enemy, dodging the attacks of the monster.
Using the lower base of the wall as a stepping stone, she leaped into the air, bringing her sword down on one of the snake’s head.
“Resonance: Triple Strike.” she said, as she landed three consecutive blows to each of the heads.
The monster roared in pain, its heads swinging madly in all directions.
The debuff was working.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 8, 500.
“Fall back!” I shouted, as I dashed forward, charging at the monster.
Yuri leaped backwards, away from the monster.
I took her position.
“Blaze: Super Play.” I said, activating my skill.
At the same time, I performed another skill on the monster.
Purge: Last Light. The ultimate buff.
The monster was now at 300% its original stats.
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My first attack hit its mark. But now, the damage will be drastically lower.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 7, 200.
“Switch.” Yuri said, as we swapped positions.
I triggered Regis again.
She dealt one hit after the other, dancing out of the way just as the monster retaliated, taking little damage along the way.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 6, 000.
“Switch!” I said, as we alternated again.
I activated Purge.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 3, 750.
“Switch.”
We took turns attacking, leaving no gaps within our formation.
Debuff.
HP: 2, 800.
Buff.
HP: 1, 600.
Debuff and buff again. All the way until the monster hissed for one last time, and laid in a crumpled heap.
[Three-headed Snake]
HP: 0.
Status: Defeated.
Remaining monsters on the floor: 39.
Time remaining: 59:36
We both let out a sigh of relief at the same time, for different reasons.
The first obstacle has been eliminated, but, it was only the beginning-
“So, are you going to explain what just happened?”
Yuri asked, interrupting my thoughts.
She wants an explanation. Of how I suddenly appeared in front of her, and possibly, of the link between my appearance and the insanely high-level monster.
But, what should I tell her?
Teleportation magic?
No, that doesn’t explain why I was here in the first place.
From the start, she knew she was the only one on this floor. No one was there with her at the entrance.
Arrival from another entry point?
No, that is highly unlikely. If I say that, she will just doubt me more.
Then, the best answer here would be...
“I don’t belong on this floor.”
The truth. With a twist to it, that is.
“Then, why are you here?”
I returned my sword to its sheath. Then, I calmly walked up to the corpse of the monster.
“This monster...what level is it?
“100.”
“That’s right. Level 100. Have you wondered why and how something of that level is on a lower level floor like this?”
She redirected her gaze to the defeated creature. I continued.
“Honestly, I don’t know either. But, I feel it is related to the cause of my sudden transfer to this floor. “
Yuri looked unsure of where I was going with this, but listened to me nevertheless.
“Five minutes ago, I was on Floor 32.”
“Floor 32...so you are saying that you have been here before?”
“Yes. But, back then, the highest level monster I encountered was only level 60.”
“In essence, this Labyrinth is no longer the same. And you, at the same time, ended up here again.”
...
She wasn’t falling for anything I’ve said.
Well, that was expected.
I "sighed".
“I don’t think you believe anything I’ve told you at this point. But, I can’t offer any other explanation. Whether the appearance of the high-level monster is linked to my sudden shift in location or not, it is your choice what to believe.”
“...”
“There is no way I can prove what I’ve said, but, I will let you decide. Will you trust my words, and find the exit together with me?”
There, I extended one hand, offering her my support.
I could tell what she was thinking.
After all, she only had two options here.
Option one, she accepts my invitation, and team up with me to increase her own chances of survival.
Option two, she declines my invitation, and faces whatever she finds on her way, alone.
That’s right.
She never had to believe my story.
All she had to know was that she was in a dangerous situation.
And, I made sure to remind her of that.
The rest, as unbelieve as it may seem, will then become the truth.
At least for Yuri, that is.
Because in this situation where her fate lingers on the bridge between life and death...
Her human nature will force her to seek for a safety zone.
Her mind will want to believe in me.
She took my hand.
“My name is Akimori Yuri. Level 46 Warrior. Nice to meet you.”
I smiled.
“My name is Kurose Mikage. Level 61 Warrior. Let’s try our best to find the exit, together.”
Yuri nodded. Then, she tapped the empty space in front of her, opening her system menu.
System Notice: Player [Akimori Yuri] has sent you a request to join her party.
[Accept] or [Decline].
“Accept.” I said, as the system acknowledged my choice.
I had predicted that this was going to happen.
So, I was already prepared for it.
System Notice: Player [Kurose Mikage] has joined the party.
Current number of players in the party: 2.
[1] Akimori Yuri- Level 46, Warrior.
[2] Kurose Mikage- Level 61, Warrior.
Yuri turned her golden gaze toward me.
Shall we go, she asked wordlessly.
Yes, we should. But, not just yet.
“Before we go, why don’t we quickly establish a strategy?...If you don’t mind, would you like to hear what I had in mind?”
She nodded for me to go on.
I smiled again.
“Well, first, I need to confirm something. And that is...”
Floor Three- End.