“We’ll Definitely Come Back to Save You!” — It’s Been Three Years Since I Was Left in the Most Difficult Dungeon, Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive...? - 2

Chapter 2: Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive?

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

In a dark, sealed-off space, fierce sword clashes and bursts of magic erupted. This was the S-Rank dungeon “Niflheim”—also known as the “Den of Calamity,” a cursed labyrinth where vicious monsters swarmed.

“Uooooooooooo!!!”

I stood before a comrade who had fallen onto the dungeon’s deepest floor, on the verge of being devoured, and blocked the monster’s attack with the greatsword in my hand.

“Are you okay, Eishia!?”

“…A-Athos-san…”

Behind me, Eishia—the rare saintess and healer of our party—dragged herself upright using her staff. Her platinum hair and habit were stained with blood and mud.

“Please wait… I’ll heal you now…!”

“I’m fine! Focus on supporting Ripley instead!”

Just before I blocked the attack, I had seen out of the corner of my eye the red-haired fighter, Ripley, lost her clash with a monster and slammed into the wall. Her pride and joy—her legs, once hailed as “lightspeed”—had already lost their shine after so many battles.

“…Tch, mind your own business… Athos… You’re in worse shape than me… I’m still… fine…”

She usually barked complaints with a strong tone, but her hoarse voice and vacant eyes betrayed just how close to the edge she was.

“…! EX-Heal!”

The magic Eishia cast enveloped Ripley’s collapsed body, restoring her life and the light in her legs. As expected of Eishia. She might be a little airheaded at times, but when it counted, she always knew what needed to be prioritized.

“…No good, I… I’m out of magic power…”

A different monster bared its fangs at Eishia, who was barely standing on trembling legs—but it was frozen solid in an instant.

“Icicle Terra…”

At the rear of the party, our wizard Midi had already unleashed dozens of top-tier spells. She finished her final incantation and collapsed to the ground.

“…Out of magic power… Completely empty… Can’t go on…”

Midi lay motionless, her white bangs brushing the ground. With her magic power depleted, our party’s firepower plummeted, and the monsters surged forward with greater momentum.

Damn it. At this rate, we’ll be wiped out. What should we do…?

“—Athos, another one is coming your way!”

That warning came from Wurfe, the eldest in the party and a blond-haired knight. Just as he said, the monsters turned and swarmed toward me all at once. Surrounded, I was quickly cut off from the rest of the party.

“GRRRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!”

“Damn it! Like hell I’m dying here!”

Clang! Clang!

I swung my beloved sword with all my might to block the attacks. From the other side of the wall of monster flesh, I could hear the panicked voices of my comrades.

“We can’t hold out anymore! We have to run while we still can!”

“W-Wait! Athos-san is still… He’s still fighting the monsters…!”

“Exactly! Are you saying we should just abandon him!?”

“How the hell are we supposed to save him in this situation!? Right now, all the monsters are focused on him. If we’re going to run, this is our only chance!”

“But… But then Athos-san will…!”

Eishia’s tearful voice reached my ears. I forced out every last ounce of strength from my exhausted body and shouted with everything I had.

“GO, YOU GUYS! I’LL BE FINE! I WILL SURVIVE! SO YOU ALL MAKE SURE TO STAY ALIVETOO!”

“…We’re going. We’re pulling out!”

Between the gaps in the attacking monsters, I caught a glimpse of Wurfe turning his back and retreating. Ripley, biting her lip, carried the collapsed Midi and followed him.

Yeah… This was the right call.

I focused on fending off the onslaught of monsters like a raging storm. With my legs pinned to the ground, I couldn’t dodge on reaction anymore. I bet everything on foresight and intuition to buy as much time as I could for the others to escape.

“—Please wait for us!”

A ringing, bell-like voice echoed through the dungeon. I looked up to see Eishia standing before the staircase that led upward, tears streaming down her face as her amber eyes stared straight at me.

“We will come back for you…! So please… Please don’t die!!!”

Leaving those words behind, Eishia turned and ran with everything she had.

“—Yeah! I’ll be waiting!!!”

I watched her retreating back grow distant and clenched my fists with the power welling up from deep inside.

So…She will come back for me…

“—Then there’s no way I’m dying now!”

I will survive. No matter how many days, months—no, even years. I will survive.

Saved by the hope she left me with, I summoned every ounce of willpower and stood tall, facing the monsters. So that I could one day grasp the hand that would surely come to save me—!

　*　*　*

“—So yeah, that’s what happened… It’s been exactly three years since then.”

I thought to myself,

“…Isn’t it about time for help to arrive?”

I recalled the promise from long ago while lounging cross-legged on the throne deep within the dungeon’s innermost sanctum—once ruled by the boss monster.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー