Joint Practical Training (4): Descent into the Abyss
Right after Gramos's charge brought the dungeon ceiling crashing down.
Rumble rumble rumble...
Sierra and Edric barely regained their senses amid the rising dust.
"Ah... damn... what the hell was that..."
"Sierra? You there?"
"Edric...?"
Sierra clutched her dizzy head, having rolled across the floor from the impact. Edric pushed through the dust toward her.
"Edric, wh-where are Emil and Chris?"
She urgently asked the approaching boy about their companions.
"This isn't the time! Sierra! We gotta go—now!"
Ignoring her, Edric grabbed her wrist.
"Wha? E-Edric!"
"Run! That thing might come after us again!"
"But those two—!"
"They're on the other side! There's nothing we can do right now! Let's get out and fetch the professors!"
"......"
Then why not just use the bracelet if it's that urgent?
Sierra was about to say as much when she noticed her bare wrist.
Oh... lost it, huh.
It must have shattered or fallen off in the impact. But Edric still had his bracelet on.
If Edric uses his bracelet to get out now...
Then he could alert the professors faster.
Tatata!
"Just a bit more...! Turn that corner and we're almost—!"
But instead of using it, Edric just sprinted toward the light.
"......"
Why wasn't he using it? The reason was obvious.
Using the bracelet meant disqualification—no points.
"U-um...! Edric...!"
"What—?!"
Sierra cautiously called out to Edric, who was gripping her wrist and running desperately.
Use your bracelet and get out fast. Then bring the professors.
That's what she meant to say.
"......"
But she hesitated for a moment.
If I make Edric forfeit his practical score because of me...
Would she have given up her score in a situation like this?
"......"
Sierra pondered briefly. And then—
"Edric—!"
"What!!"
She concluded she would have used the bracelet.
"Get out with your bracelet right now—! Or I'll use it...!!"
That was when it happened.
Rumble rumble rumble—
A vibration like the one from the ceiling collapse echoed through the cave.
"Wh-what...?!"
"Shit! What now—?!"
The two, who had been running, sensed something off and stopped.
And no sooner had they halted than—
Crack... craaaack...
"Huh...?"
"Oh no..."
Cracks began spiderwebbing across the floor beneath their feet.
"Run—! Just keep running no matter what—!!"
"O-okay!"
At Edric's signal, Sierra followed behind him as they bolted.
No time to talk about bracelets now. Edric had let go of her wrist to focus solely on running.
As they fled blindly—
"Yes—! Just around that corner and we're—!"
Edric shouted while glancing at the map in his haste.
Crraaaash!!
The cracked floor gave way.
"Huh...?"
"Ah...!"
The hole spread with terrifying speed, the shockwave reaching the fleeing pair.
And Sierra, who was behind—
Wobble—
She was caught in it and tumbled into the pit.
I have to grab his hand...
Even as she fell, Sierra reached out.
She could still make it. The collapse had stopped right in front of Edric.
If he reached out, she could grab it.
But.
"Nngh...!"
Edric froze, face pale with fear.
Craaaash!!
Another massive dust cloud enveloped them.
Edric shielded his face with both arms and ducked his head.
And after a moment.
As the dust settled—
"Th-this is..."
Edric stared at the pit where Sierra had fallen, his face ashen.
I could have grabbed her.
The thought flashed through his mind.
But he hadn't.
Why? The answer came quickly when he asked himself.
He didn't know where Emil and Chris were.
If Sierra vanished here too—
Everyone who knew about his pathetic showing earlier would be gone.
That momentary selfish urge had frozen him.
"Gotta... get the professors...!!"
Snapping out of it, Edric bolted toward the dungeon exit, face drained of color.
He didn't truly wish death on the three, after all.
"Anyone—help!!"
Edric ran desperately, calling for people.
◇◇◇
I ran blindly.
Arms, legs, back, chest, stomach, waist.
Even my neck and face.
My body was covered in big and small wounds, bruises, and hairline fractures.
But I kept running.
Throb, throb...!
My whole body screamed in protest.
You're alive now—stop and rest!
But I ran.
Nothing else filled my head but running.
Sierra...!
Why was I running so desperately?
Why was my heart pounding like this?
I couldn't understand.
Was it just guilt because Sierra got caught up in something unrelated to my plans?
Running to save her out of responsibility?
There were plenty of unharmed professors and students who could rescue her.
Why me, specifically?
When my body was already wrecked and I might not even help.
"Here...!"
But I ran to her anyway.
And I arrived.
A massive pit.
The floor that had collapsed from Gramos's charge moments ago.
The bottom was probably the dungeon's sub-level.
A zone with even more dangerous monsters than the upper layer.
No guarantee Sierra was even alive down there.
But.
Crumble crumble...
I hurled myself into the pit without hesitation, sliding down the steep wall amid kicking up dust until I hit bottom.
I pulled out the emergency scroll from my pocket.
Tore it in one go.
Zing...
The light magic inscribed on it activated, illuminating the path.
Please...!
I pushed through the rubble of fallen rocks and pressed forward.
Toward the spot Edric had described where Sierra fell.
Just praying she was alive.
"Kieeeek—!"
"Hiss...!"
Soon, monsters blocked my path.
"Get out of my way...!"
I bared my teeth and pointed my sword at them.
◇◇◇
"Nng... ugh..."
Sierra opened her eyes.
"Ow, it hurts..."
The intense pain shooting from her back snapped her awake the moment her eyes opened. She scanned her surroundings.
"Ah... I fell..."
This is bad. That was her first thought.
No bracelet... and my leg...
The pain started at her back and throbbed fiercely at her ankle.
It looked swollen red—probably broken.
No escaping with the bracelet, and she couldn't move on her own.
Drip...
"Eek...!"
A noise nearby made her yelp softly.
"......"
She stared in the direction of the sound, holding still.
A monster? It was the dungeon sub-level—monsters wouldn't be surprising.
"......"
But no more sounds followed.
Probably just something snapping in the rubble.
Scary...
Terror soon washed over Sierra.
Fallen into the dungeon's depths from a collapse.
Lost her escape bracelet, leg injured so she couldn't move.
Dark all around, monsters could appear anytime.
Or another collapse could bury her alive.
Edric... yeah, Edric must have gone to get the professors...
Sierra clung to thoughts of her surviving companions above to steady herself.
"......"
But.
"Sniff... ugh, what is this... sob..."
Tears finally burst out.
She wiped the falling tears with trembling hands and bowed her head.
No matter how she tried to calm down, it was terrifying.
"Hurry... someone, hurry..."
Thoughts of death flooded her mind, and she prayed desperately for rescue.
And then.
Drip...!
"Eek...!"
Another noise.
"......"
Like before, rubble crumbling? She stopped crying, held her breath, and peered toward the sound.
But nothing visible in the darkness.
Then.
Drip...!
"Kyaaah—!"
Another sound, and Sierra screamed, ducking her head.
Something was there.
This was definitely from something moving.
A monster, she thought.
"Si... Sierra..."
"......Huh?"
But the voice that followed was completely unexpected.
A raspy, cracked voice—but one she'd definitely heard before.
"Sierra...!"
It drew closer.
Drip... drip...!
"Sierra...! Pant, you okay...? Stay there...?"
As if hearing her scream, the voice called more urgently.
Only then did Sierra realize who it was.
"Emil—!! Here, I'm here...! Sob, I'm right here—!"
"......Good... you're safe."
Emil muttered in relief upon hearing her.
And then.
Riiip...!
Something tore.
Zing—
Light magic soon lit up the space before them.
"Sierra..."
"Waaah...! You came...! Sob, thank you, thank you Emil...!"
Tension melted away at Emil's appearance, tears pouring from Sierra.
She reached out desperately toward him.
Grab—
Emil took her outstretched hand.
"......Huh?"
Then Sierra sensed something off.
"Emil...?"
The grip felt weak.
And above all, his hand was rough, trembling.
A sticky liquid—not water—coated it, and soon the metallic stench of blood hit her nose.
"Sierra... your leg's hurt."
Emil, drawing near, immediately checked her condition.
But Sierra ignored him, blurting out in alarm.
"Hurt? Emil, what about you..."
Emil's state was on another level of wrecked compared to hers.
"Can you hold on? Put your arm around my shoulder for now..."
But he brushed off his own state and hurried to support her.
"E-Emil...! Are you okay? What happened..."
"Don't worry about it. Let's get out first. I'm tougher than I look."
"......"
And somehow, Emil hoisted her onto his back.
He started retracing the path he'd taken to get there.
Tougher than he looks? No way...
His back trembled violently against her.
But the arms holding her legs gripped with all their might, firm and unyielding.
The moment she was on his back, Sierra realized.
Emil wasn't holding on by raw strength.
He was enduring through sheer willpower in a state where collapsing wouldn't be surprising.
"Emil...! I'm fine, really—you let me support you..."
"You barely let me piggyback you earlier. You're in bad shape too. Just stay quiet and hold on."
"But..."
Step, step...
Emil moved his legs powerfully, as if to say not to worry.
Body covered in wounds and shaking, yet refusing to fall.
"Emil..."
Against his stubbornness, Sierra gave up and buried her face in his shoulder.
"Thank you..."
"Huh...?"
"For coming to save me... thank you, Emil."
"......"
She finally voiced the gratitude she'd forgotten in her shock at first seeing him.
As Emil carried her along the path—
Not a few monster corpses littered the way.
He ended up like this just to find me...
Why go this far? The question mixed with gratitude.
Thanks to Emil, she escaped that terrifying moment quickly.
As they walked—
"See? Told you."
"......Huh?"
Emil broke the silence with a light tone.
His voice carried a sense of relief compared to before.
"I'm not that weak."
"......"
He glanced back at her with a playful grin.
"......What the heck, seriously."
Sierra let go of her worries and chuckled along with him.
"Still a total idiot, though."