Seeing the passage where the Blade Demon abandoned us, despair washed over me. But along with it, a slow, burning anger began to rise.

"Damn it... I'm not dying here... I refuse to die in a place like this!"

"Baba, let’s go! The path the Blade Demon took is clearer now—fewer Fire Lizards!"

"Y-yeah... you’re right! Hamada! Everyone! We're making it back alive!"

"Y-yes! Let’s go! Don't look back, just run!"

We threw ourselves into the path the Blade Demon had cleared, dodging fireballs flying from the sides, blocking and deflecting with our swords. I ran that 20 meters, heedless of the screams of friends falling behind us.

When we finally reached the passage leading to the exit, there were barely 50 of us left.

Nearly 20 didn’t make it... Tanabe, Suzuki, Mita... maybe they’re just too injured to move. If I go back now, I might be able to save them. But if I throw myself into that horde of Fire Lizards... would I survive? No... if I had that kind of power, I would’ve shielded them all from the start.

If only I were stronger… Because I’m weak, the only way to survive is to sacrifice my friends...

"Akutsu, we have no other choice. This is the only way we, the weak, can make it."

"...I understand."

Baba looks as tormented as I am. It’s not just me; everyone feels the pain of losing comrades we’ve fought beside for nearly six months.

We paused to catch our breath and check on those burned in the last fight, confirming they could still walk before we continued toward the exit. My face stings—probably burned when I blocked that fireball with my sword. I can even smell burning metal from my melted armor. My arm’s burned, too, but not so badly that I can’t move it.

"Akutsu, up ahead, it should be a path with a lot of side alleys."

"Right. We’ll have to sprint through. No point in fighting; we wouldn’t win."

Damn it!

We’re barely at level 10, so why the hell are there level-50 monsters roaming around here?

This place has no sense of level balance!

We reached the passage with side alleys, formed up in two lines with Baba and me in front, and ran as fast as we could.

"Agh!"

"Ugh!"

"Help...!"

"Run! Don’t look back! I'm sorry, everyone!"

Just as expected, Velociraptors burst out from the side alleys, ambushing and taking down one ally after another.

One lunged at me from the right, but I crouched and slashed at its legs, causing it to stumble.

Tough beast!

"Hamada!"

"Akutsu, keep moving! Don’t look back!"

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"Akutsu, go on! Get—guh!"

"HAMADA!"

"Akutsu, forward!"

I saw Hamada, who had been right behind me, dragged down and bitten through the neck by a Velociraptor.

The sight shocked me, freezing me in place—until Baba shouted that another raptor was charging from the front.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! How dare you kill Hamada! He was... he was... Come on then, you wannabe dinosaur!"

I raised my sword, yelling defiantly at the raptor coming head-on.

Hamada was a far more diligent guy than I ever was.

He’d been bullied by his boss at work, blamed relentlessly for every mistake.

But Hamada didn’t run; he took it all to heart, and the stress broke him, made him afraid to work.

He wasn’t like me, someone who avoided unpleasant things at all costs.

Hamada was trying, fighting to overcome his fears. It only took him three years to get back up! That’s how hard it was for him!

So what if he was a NEET? Did he hurt anyone by it? People called him a failure, but he was a hundred times better than those who blamed others for their own faults.

He just needed a break after his heart broke from working so hard. That’s all.

And Baba... he had just lost his wife and newborn baby in an accident and needed three years to find peace again.

It’s natural—losing loved ones hurts and making him depressed!

Why should anyone have to explain that?

As for me, sure, I avoided working. I slept when I wanted, read my favorite novels, watched anime, went out when I felt like it.

Yeah, it was good.

But I knew I’d have to work again someday, once the money ran out.

So I lived a little while I could!

Isn’t that fine?

Four years out of forty isn’t much.

If being a NEET is so awful, then the one who should be dead here isn’t Hamada or Baba—it’s me!

"Come on! Kill me if you think this country doesn’t need a NEET like me!"

"Akutsu—!"

"Keyee!"

"Baba!"

While I taunted the raptor in front of me, another raptor appeared behind it, ready to pounce.

But Baba body-slammed it, pinning it against the wall with his massive sword as a shield.

"Akutsu! Don’t rush toward death! Just... go! Take a side path and go..."

"Keyee!"

"Baba, watch out—whoa! Damn it!"

As I tried to help Baba, the Velociraptor in front lunged at me. I barely dodged, diving to the side.

"Only think of yourself! Everyone else escaped down the side path! Urgh... this is goodbye! If you survive, avenge us all! Take revenge for everyone! Gaaaah!"

"Baba! Ugh! Agh... damn you!"

Baba was impaled by the claws of the raptor he was pinning, and in my moment of distraction, the other raptor managed to bite deep into my left shoulder, tossing me against the wall.

The raptor that had torn my shoulder staggered from the collision with the wall. Charging headfirst?

No way a monster this reckless could set a trap. Maybe it’s the dungeon itself manipulating them?

Pushing through the pain, I rose, sidestepped, and thrust my sword toward the raptor’s flank.

But my blade couldn’t pierce its tough hide; instead, I crashed into it, and we both tumbled into a side path.

Now’s my chance!

"Keyee!"

"Keyeekyee!"

I scrambled to my feet, grabbed my sword, and prepared to attack.

But I caught sight of two more Velociraptors peering down at me.

Realizing I’d lost the advantage, I dashed further down the narrow path.

One raptor was momentarily blocked by the one that had just risen in front of it, but the passage was wide enough for two raptors to run side by side. I ran with everything I had.

As I found narrower paths, I managed to shake off two of the three raptors. But the one I’d toppled wouldn’t give up, relentlessly chasing me.

"Damn it... is this the end?"

"Keyee!"

The last path led to a dead end. It was narrow, barely wide enough for a single raptor.

If it charged, I couldn’t dodge to the side. My only hope was to crouch at the last second and aim for its throat.

Resigned, I raised my battered sword, ready for a final showdown with the Velociraptor.

Not that I thought I could win; I’d probably be impaled by those razor-sharp claws before I could even swing.

"You persistent lizard freak! Fine, I’ll take you down! Watch as a NEET’s life ends in style!"

Hamada, Baba, Tanabe, Suzuki, Mita, Nishina, Wada... Sorry I couldn’t avenge you all.

If anyone else survived, please... someday... avenge us all.

"Keyee!"

Standing with my back against the wall, I crouched as the raptor lunged. My foot struck something.

Click!

In that instant, the ground beneath me and the raptor lit up.

A violent tremor and a crushing weight smashed me into the floor.

"Ugh! Gah! Ah... what the hell... ugh...!”

I tried to steady myself despite the pain.

Then I remembered the raptor. I looked up and saw it struggling to rise a few meters away...

"Huh?! W-where is this...? And those scales...? Don’t tell me...!"

"Keyee..."

In the massive chamber, light streaming from the walls highlighted a giant dragon, its scales glistening black.

The dragon was asleep, curled up, its huge mouth lined with sharp fangs resting on the floor.

Seeing this overwhelming creature, the raptor and I froze, utterly paralyzed by fear.