The blade slashed through despair.
Ouka stared dumbfounded at the black-cloaked youth dancing among the hellhounds, moving like a phantom.
Clang!
Kai's black blade spun like silk, cleaving semi-circular arcs. Every swing vibrated with brutal force, sending sonic booms echoing through the dungeon.
And the power kept rising.
The [Solo Player] buff multiplied all stats—strength, speed, stamina, spirit, constitution—by five. The increase wasn't just numbers; it transformed his very combat ability.
At that moment, Kai felt incredible. His body and sword were light, and the whole battlefield unfolded clearly in his mind. Each strike downed a hellhound.
The remaining monsters reacted quickly. A few stayed as shields while the rest charged a breath attack—scarlet flames forming in their throats.
Seeing this, Kai withdrew a few steps, then dashed forward in a black blur, breaking into their formation.
Sword ringing, he slashed relentlessly. Everywhere he passed, red-hot blood splattered like rain.
The same hellhounds that annihilated trained Level 2 adventurers couldn't even last a round.
Soon, the massacre ended.
Kai lowered his sword, blood dripping from the tip. Around him lay broken bodies. Some hellhounds were even destroyed entirely—magic stones shattered.
Ignoring the corpses, he walked over to the dazed Ouka, grabbed him, and yanked him up.
The jostling roused Chigusa in his arms, who moaned weakly from her wound.
Hearing her voice, Ouka finally focused, looking at Kai in fear and awe.
Kai took Chigusa straight from his arms and handed her to Mikoto, who stood ready.
"Take her and go. I'll come find you in Orario for payment."
"What about you?"
"Me?" Kai grinned, hand on his sword again. "Even if I wanted to run now, I couldn't."
Not that he intended to run anyway…
Mikoto clutched the unconscious Chigusa, wanting to ask more. But the priority was getting her medical help, so she nodded, then tugged on Ouka's arm.
"Kai, when you come ba—"
Crack, crack...
A chilling sound cut her off—like stone breaking from the walls.
Kai spun around. Without hesitation, he shoved Mikoto and Chigusa away and kicked Ouka in the back, sending him flying safely.
Mikoto landed clumsily but held Chigusa steady. Still, it strained her wound, making the girl whimper again.
Gently stroking Chigusa's face, Mikoto looked up to Kai, ready to scold him for being rough—but froze.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Ouka, climbing up dazedly, stared at the scene before him and echoed her thought aloud.
Before them stood countless monsters—more still crawling from the walls.
Had Kai not pushed them, they would've died instantly.
Mikoto's earlier resentment vanished into gratitude, and guilt surged up—how could she doubt him?
But neither she nor Ouka noticed a crucial detail.
The vertical shaft to the upper floors was behind them. Kai's push had knocked them away from the exit.
Now between them and safety… stood Kai and an army of monsters.
Kai had noticed. As he faced the swarm with sword in hand, he slowly retreated to Mikoto's side.
"Kai!"
Seeing him move toward them, she rushed forward—only to be silenced by his firm voice:
"When I charge, you run."
"...Run?"
She blinked, glanced between the stairs and the monsters—and realized.
Her face went pale.
Middle-floor monsters weren't just stronger—they worked together. And now, dozens were gathered.
Even a full familia squad would avoid them…
And now, just how many types of monsters had appeared here?
Mikoto couldn't even count them, but at a glance, there were definitely no fewer than ten types. Each represented a cunning and ferocious monster faction.
Although Kai's overwhelming strength had long since become deeply ingrained in people's hearts through the rumors spread throughout Orario, and although she had personally witnessed him slay monsters before, Mikoto still found it hard to believe that he could triumph against this many enemies.
Staring into Kai's pitch-black eyes, which showed no emotional fluctuation, Mikoto could hardly imagine how many monsters one must have slain to develop such a composed demeanor.
With his back to Mikoto, Kai flicked his longsword. Amidst the ringing hum of steel, he bent his spine slightly, gathering power. "In a moment, I'll count down from three. When I say one, break through. Don't hesitate, and don't look back. Got it?"
Hearing his tone, as if he were casually deciding what to have for lunch, Mikoto felt an urge to stomp her foot. She stared into Kai's dark eyes and urged, "Kai, you absolutely mustn't charge in! If you do, even you will definitely—"
"If I don't charge in and buy time for you, you're all dead. And then who's going to pay me... I didn't come all the way down to the middle floors for nothing." Still calm, Kai paused, then added, "Besides, I won't die."
Without giving Mikoto a chance to retort, he began his countdown.
"Three!"
The black sword dropped to his side, assuming a charge-ready stance.
"Two!"
A fierce sword intent howled around him. The pressure alone swept up the dust from the ground in a circle.
"One!"
He looked up, fixing his eyes on the nearest bear-type monster. Kai took a step forward, unleashing over 60 points of strength in an instant. With a thunderous sound underfoot, his body blurred into afterimages. His right hand gripped the longsword and slashed upward, the black glint flashing in front of the bear monster. In the same motion, the blade came crashing down, drawing a reversed U-shaped arc in the air.
Blood burst out.
Compared to the bear monster's massive several-meter-tall frame, the longsword looked no different from a child's toy. But now, it had become a deadly weapon, brutally slicing open its belly as blood and guts spilled across the ground.
The whole maneuver—dashing, striking, slaying—happened faster than a blink. With over 60 points in both agility and strength, combined with his own self-developed nameless sword technique born through relentless slaughter, Kai had reached his peak in that single moment.
Boom—
Not until Kai withdrew his sword did the bear monster's enormous body collapse, crashing into the ground with a deafening thud that shook the middle floor.
"Mikoto, what are you standing there for?"
In the pause as he pulled back, Kai glanced at the frozen Mikoto and the equally stunned Ouka, his brows furrowed. "Run! Don't look back!"
Awakened by his sharp voice, Mikoto no longer hesitated. She cradled Chigusa in her arms, grabbed Ouka by the sleeve, and dashed toward the floor's vertical shaft.
Along the way, monsters occasionally jumped out to block them, but each one was instantly cut down by Kai's sword.
At first, when the first monster leapt out, Mikoto instinctively remained on guard. But after seeing that blur of black sweep through with sword intent and leave behind only a headless corpse, and after it repeated several times, she gave up her defenses entirely and focused on escaping with Chigusa.
Even though they didn't have Kai's terrifying 60 attributes, as Lv.2 adventurers, Mikoto and Ouka weren't slow. They soon reached the shaft's entrance.
Once they entered the vertical shaft, they'd be able to return to the relative safety of the upper floors…
Staring at the shaft entrance's cold tone, Mikoto found it strangely lovely for the first time.
Perhaps relieved by her narrow escape, she looked back, wanting to check on Kai.
However...
"Roar—!"
What filled her vision was a giant, gaping maw rushing straight at her.
…Eh?
What was going on?
This had to be a joke. They had clearly already entered… No, wait, she hadn't entered the shaft yet?
—Damn! She had let her guard down!
Several thoughts flashed through her mind as Mikoto tried to retreat and avoid the monster's bite, but with Chigusa in her arms, her movements were slowed.
I'm sorry, Kai… I've wasted your efforts...
Just then—
"Idiot! I told you not to look back!"
A black shadow darted over like lightning, spinning midair as if performing acrobatics. Using his waist as a pivot, Kai's entire body twisted and dragged his black longsword across the pouncing monster.
"Rip—!"
The blade slice through the creature's body instantly, a gush of steaming blood spraying from its severed arteries.
Kai rotated midair, turned 180 degrees, and landed in front of Mikoto. Just as his feet touched the ground, blood splashed onto his face, trickling down to stain his lips.
He gave Mikoto a reproachful glance but said nothing. With a sweep of his sword, he turned and charged back into the monster horde.
"Mikoto! Are you okay?!"
Finally recovering, Ouka rushed over in concern.
"I'm fine."
Looking a bit disappointed at the man whose height towered over Kai's, Mikoto gave one last glance at the black swordsman darting between the monsters. Her gaze was conflicted. Then, shaking her head, she stepped into the vertical shaft.
Hearing the fading footsteps of Mikoto and Ouka behind him, Kai grinned and stopped guarding the shaft entrance. He turned and charged deeper into the floor.
His battle had only just begun.
…
Hestia hadn't slept well last night.
Because the most important member of her Familia, Kai, hadn't come home.
Though Bell had said he was grinding all night in the dungeon, Hestia couldn't shake a strange feeling in her chest.
Besides… when Bell told her Kai wouldn't return that night, Lili's expression was also strange.
That growing unease left Hestia restless. So, at dawn, she waited in the church, hoping to see that familiar figure walk through the door as always.
Knock knock knock—
But what came instead was a knock.
A mortal here to pray?
Ever since Kai had hired people to restore the church, it had drawn lots of visitors for prayer and confession.
Leaping off the altar, Hestia ran to open the door, but instead of a praying mortal, it was a male god—Takemikazuchi.
"Hestia…"
Seeing her, Takemikazuchi's face darkened. "I've come to apologize."
[How's the Translation and story?]