A grim atmosphere enveloped the survivors as they limped to the regroup area right before the stairway that shall lead them to the eleventh floor, the unknown. Tetsuya could no longer muster an assuring smile to comfort those that still remained and he too, was consumed by dread. Following the obliteration of over half of Sullivan's party, it was made so that the only two survivors of that party, Kaz and Marilin, would join Tetsuya and his party to replace the two members that had mysteriously vanished following the activation of a magic trap.

Amongst those that were still alive, still over half of the original number of the team, a gloomy atmosphere prevailed. As Marsha walked around, observing the crowd, she could feel eyes staring at her. These eyes were sharp and piercing, almost as if they viewed her as being responsible for the numerous deaths. Marsha looked around, unfazed, and sighed.

"Madam," a young knight approached her. "Should we continue on?"

"Of course," Marsha responded with an authoritative glare.

"B-but," the young knight stuttered. "The casualties! The people do not want to continue on!"

"Then let them leave!" Her voice was loud as it echoed in the ruins of the ancient city. "Everyone gathered here may leave at this instant. They may keep whatever they had found, but they shall not be able to claim their award of one Gold."

Members of the expedition team looked around, avoiding making eye contact with the Flora and pretended as if nothing had occurred. They cursed underneath their breath, anxious and waiting for others to make the first move. They didn't want to be the only one nor the first one. They didn't want to be marked with the brand of a coward. A bone chilling silence cloaked the crowd, a silence as if they were all Undead creature that could no longer produce noise. No one moved, and everyone remained static, and when no one appeared to have the intent to be the first to escape, their fate was thus sealed.

"Let's continue on to the next floor then," Marsha announced on a voice audible to everyone. Then, she looked over at the young knight and spoke to him in a quiet voice. "There's somethings in this world that is best left to be unknown."

As the people got up from their brief overnight rest, they sighed with fear and trembled. They checked their weapons and prayed to the dirties. However, when one is shrouded by darkness for a prolonged period of time so deep underneath the ground, one would sometimes wonder if the Gods could even hear their cries from down here. They know the answer subconsciously. If there's Undead residing this place, then the Gods have to authority here. This place belongs to the dead. They realized that they had step foot into the abyss and that the Gods can't help them now. All that could help them achieve salvation and live to see the light from the over world is their weapons, those around them, and themselves.

The team's footsteps no longer carries any high energy, similar to how their low morale has affected them.

"Come on everyone," Tetsuya said with a forced smile after each group had separated into their own respective positions. "On this floor on, we'll be searching for the stairway down." He paused, careful to not let his voice tremble. "We won't have much problems because the knights and more experienced adventurers will be going before us, but if we do find the stairway, we are to fire a flare into the air and let the others know. Sheriel, may I count on you for that?"

"I-I'll do my best," she responded, clutching her staff tightly such that her knuckles appeared white.

"L-let's continue on then."

Tetsuya turned and stared at the dark, forbidding streets. The darkness obscured his vision, and even the light from his torch could not completely melt it away. His eyes darted from one side of the wide road to the other, praying that the wolf they had encountered would not appear once again. Anything but that.

Tetsuya took his first step forward, legs trembling but he did his best to conceal it. When he took his second, his mind suddenly was preoccupied with the fate of Azura and Loganel. He knows that he shouldn't be distracted but he just can't help it. Within his heart, Azura occupies a special spot and he feels as if there is a special bond with him and Loganel. He doesn't want either of them to be hurt—or even worse—dead. Whatever their fate may be, it filled Tetsuya with an unprecedented dread. It was something that he had never experienced before. Death was expected on this expedition, but no one thought that it would happen to them. Tetsuya never thought before how devastating it would be for his own comrades to be the ones that lost their lives.

He glanced over his shoulders at Kaz and Marilin, seeing how they no longer have any cheer in their faces. He was afraid that what would happen to them would happen to him as well. To be honest, he feels a guilt from within him. He feels guilty for once having thought thank god that wasn't someone in my party. He hated himself for it, but he can't bring himself to blame himself. He knows that anyone would have that same feeling because this is what it has come to. Everyone is now preoccupied with their own survival that what happens to others isn't any major matter to them other than a trivial news. Sure, the death of someone is always unwelcome, but if it isn't someone that you're close with, you just won't feel the same value in their death. Life isn't always equal in everyone's perspective. Someone that he treasures might not be what another person cherishes.

With a silent sigh, Tetsuya continued his walk down the forbidding road. His free hand he kept on his weapon, and his eyes darting about in anticipation of an enemy. His heart pounded as he took each step, almost drowning out his footsteps as it echoed through the vacant city road.

Suddenly, from the alleyway next to him, something lunged our and wrapped its arms around him, and caused him to drop his torch. This creature carried a heavy stench: the odor of death. It's rotten flesh felt slimy and fragile as it clawed at Tetsuya's face.

"Get it off!" Tetsuya shouted, pushing the creature away with his left hand that was protected by the shield-gauntlet that he had equipped. The creature twisted its neck, snapping it, and bit down on the gauntlet. Its saliva covered the shiny metal and slid down the gauntlet until it dripped onto the ground.

Seeing the sudden attack, Kaz, with his catlike reflexes, came to Tetsuya's aid. He grabbed hold of the creature by its arm, and flung it to the side and off of Tetsuya. He heard the sound of flesh and muscle ripping, and when he looked at what he still held in his hand, he was shook when he realized that it was the arm of that monster. It was ripped right off of the Undead's body due to the decaying flesh and muscles no longer processing strength to stay attached to each other. A slimy brown fluid oozed out of the severed arm and onto the ground. Kaz looked over at the Undead monster he had flung away from Tetsuya, and he realized that from its right shoulder, where he had torn its arm off, the creature also secreted the brown thick fluid.

Tetsuya didn't wait to give any further commands. Instead, he ran towards the creature, drew his blade, and pinned the monster on his ground by stepping on its torso. To his surprise, his foot didn't stop when it made contact with the decaying flesh of the monster. Rather, the meat and bones sort of just gave way and was pushed to the side as his entire boot penetrated the creature's torso, causing him to almost slip as the bottom of his shoe made contact with what appears to be the Undead's organs. These organs, brown with age, had a soft almost jelly like feel as his foot stepped down on it. They exploded as the pressure exerted on them reached a certain threshold and the explosion caused whatever was contained within to move outwards, resulting in most of the disgusting filth to cover Tetsuya's boots and pant legs.

Tetsuya grimaced from disgust, but he didn't falter. He raised his blade, the holy blade Exflage, in the air and drove it into the Undead's empty brain, ending its life there.

"Are you alright?" Juliana walked up behind him, a worried look on her face.

Tetsuya however, wasn't in the best of mood. He could feel something move up in his stomach, burning up his esophagus as it threatened to burst out of his mouth. He moved away from Juliana just in time before he threw up whatever breakfast he had had that morning. The others around him could only watch in silence.

"You need some water?" Sheriel offered him her canteen.

Tetsuya shook his head as he wiped his mouth with the back of one hand. A feeling of dread pulsed throughout his veins.

"What is that?" Marilin asked.

"A Ghoul or a Zombie probably." Kaz covered his nose in order to hide his acute senses from the stench.

"Tetsuya," Sheriel asked, "are you alright."

"..." Tetsuya didn't say anything, but his breathing was deep. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he struggled to maintain a standing position. He looked down at the ground, and saw his gut covered boots and pant legs. He felt a severe sense of frustration from within him as he eyed the filth with an intense glare of hatred.

"I'll help you wash it off when we get to camp," Sheriel comforted him.

"It's not that," Tetsuya said in a quiet voice. "I'm...I'm tired of this."

"Tetsuya?" Sheriel took a step back from him. She had never seen him like this before in all the time she has spent with him. The Tetsuya that she knew was confident, warm, and friendly. He was always positive and was the best leader that one could hope for. He never showed signs of weakness and was always perfect.

But now, the Tetsuya before her appeared weak and shriveled. His face appeared pale from fatigue and in his eyes, some tears had began to form.

"I'm not even supposed to be here!" Tetsuya cried. "I was supposed to be finishing up school and living my comfortable life. Why the hell was I summoned into this living hell of a world? I was supposed to have a casual and peaceful life! I never asked to be summoned into this place. I never wanted to be no goddamn summoned hero!"

"..." Everyone else was silent as they watched their leader break down before them. Their determination was wavering, and they no longer knows what to do.

"Compared to someone like me," Tetsuya continued on, but this time, in a quieter voice, "he's more fit for this position. He's always calm like nothing fazes him, and he's way stronger than me too."

"You're strong too," Sheriel forced out despite her fear.

"I'm not," Tetsuya answered. "I'm weak; I'm pathetic; I'm a loser in my old world. People shun me away from them, people never wanted to be friends with me because of who I am! What kind of name is Tetsuya in a western society? I don't look like I should have that name but why did I get this name? You see me for who I am now? I'm a pathetic loser that is despised everywhere I go. This persona you see of me is just an act!"

"You're wrong," Sheriel gently placed her hands on Tetsuya's face. "You're not weak. You're the strongest person I know of," she whispered in a quiet and comforting voice. "You are a hero," she continued and proceeded to take Tetsuya into her arms, hugging him. "You're the one who came to my aid when I was being cornered by those of my former party. You're the one who offered to take me in and help me. You showed me what true companionship was when you did your best to find a way to bring Loganel back and how you cared for everyone in our party. You're my hero."

Tetsuya's hateful glare softened as he felt the kindness and warmth of Sheriel's embrace.

"I'm sorry," he whispered through his tears.

Author's Note:

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