Live Dungeon! Chapter 384: A Cunning Man

“Well, I hope it makes sense to you guys now,” Tsutomu said after a long session of explanations.

“…”

Back at the Clan House, he had gathered the entire Clan once again to properly talk to them about what had happened on the hundredth layer. He had chosen his words carefully so that even those born of this world could understand what he had done. He confessed, without embellishment, that after the Corroded Elder Dragon’s brain began to regenerate, he had succumbed to fear and prepared to flee… and ultimately, had fled alone.

Amy and Garm, having watched the battle unfold on Monitor #1, were not all that surprised; they had already pieced together much of his thoughts by then. Xeno and Hannah, on the other hand, wore stunned expressions, while Korinna cast a nervous glance toward Amira.

“Bullshit,” Amira muttered.

Contrary to Korinna’s expectations, however, Amira didn’t explode. She simply let those three words fall from her lips. It was such an uncharacteristically subdued response that Tsutomu, who had been bracing himself for a physical assault, could only stare at her in bewilderment.

“I wanted to believe in you,” she said. “But you betrayed me. And now, after all that, you have the nerve to sit there and say you ran? Are you just lying to piss me off?”

“It’s all true,” Tsutomu insisted. “And if I were going to lie, don’t you think I’d have come up with something a little more flattering?”

“…You could’ve taken that thing down alone, couldn’t you? If you’d gone all out from the start, you could’ve beaten it. Were you holding back for our sake?”

From what they had seen on Monitor #1, Tsutomu had spoken as if he could potentially take down the Corroded Elder Dragon solo. It wasn’t outlandish for Amira to think he had a real shot, and Amy and Garm had been harboring similar doubts.

“Ah… well,” Tsutomu began, scratching his head awkwardly.

The others watched with heavy expressions, but Tsutomu simply leaned back into the sofa and crossed his arms, speaking with a tilted head and a reluctant tone.

“That part was… just a bluff. Really, total bluff. Not that the idea was impossible, IF I could’ve stayed in there forever, but the odds weren’t even one percent. And even if I’d kept fighting, my damage output just wasn’t enough to overcome the boosted regeneration its liver gives. So no, I couldn’t have won. That’s why I tried to bluff God instead.”

“…You’d have figured out something, though. That’s what you always do,” Amira grumbled.

“You saw when I hit it with [, right?” Tsutomu countered. “It was like an ant biting an elephant. Nothing I had was going to work.”

“There ARE bugs that can kill elephants,” Diniel said mildly.

“Yeah, well, I’m NOT toxic,” Tsutomu replied. “And I don’t know any bugs that can kill an elephant by brute force alone.”

His tone was light, but his eyes scanned the room, settling briefly on the unusually quiet Amira, then flicking toward Amy and Garm.

“Look, I know I come off as shady. I get it. I’ve lied plenty of times before, like saying I had errands when I really just wanted to watch the Pedestals. And yeah, I used some pretty underhanded methods on the hundredth layer. But I’ve never lied about things that had anything to do with Explorers.”

“…That’s debatable,” Amira said under her breath.

“Amira, you’ve always been a great Attacker, even without [. But ever since you started mastering the greatsword and learning to control your skills during transformations, your growth has been phenomenal… especially after getting left off Team 1 for the ninetieth layer. You’ve pushed yourself to sync with the party, and now you’re easily among the top Attackers in terms of both skill and potential. I mean that.”

“…Tch,” Amira snorted, unimpressed. “Spare me your flattery. You left me behind and ran. That says everything; you didn’t believe in me and didn’t expect anything from me. If it had been Amy or Diniel back there, you wouldn’t have run. You would’ve stayed.”

“No, you’ve got it wrong. I ran because I didn’t want to die, that’s it. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was Amy, Garm, Diniel, or Leleia. I still would’ve run.”

“…EXCUSE ME!?” Amy gasped, then clamped a hand over her mouth, going silent.

“Liar,” Amira growled.

“I swear, it’s not a lie. I mean, if I were trying to cover for myself, wouldn’t I say the opposite? I didn’t abandon you because of your strength or lack of it; I ran because I was afraid.”

“BULLSHIT!! Don’t pretend like you’re being noble! You ran because I wasn’t good enough! I’ve got a damn unique skill and I’m still losing out as an Attacker! You gave up on me and tried to finish it yourself!”

“No, seriously–”

“Amira,” Diniel interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I hate to say it, but Tsutomu’s telling the truth. He’s just that kind of guy.”

She offered Tsutomu a resigned glance, then shook her head slowly. Leleia, having released her spirit contract, gave Tsutomu a long, scathing glare.

“True, he’s not nearly as noble as you think,” she said calmly. “He’s the kind of man who would redirect the God Eye just to keep others from seeing him at his worst. Cowardly, vile, manipulative. It’s just that he’s STILL the most competent among us. That’s all.”

“C’mon, some of that’s a little bit TOO harsh,” Tsutomu said with a faint smile, “But, well, you’re not wrong. And Amy and Garm probably figured out why I ran, even before I said anything.”

“…”

The two in question glanced away, feeling awkward and unwilling to meet Tsutomu’s gaze. Then, facing Amira again, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, Tsutomu slowly lowered himself to a crouch before her.

“I meant what I said before: I really am sorry I ran. I regret leaving you behind like that. But being alone on that layer gave me time to reflect, and I’ve changed how I think about death. I won’t say I’ll never run again, but… I don’t want to. That last act, when I went back in, was to prove that to myself. Not because I thought I could win alone. So next time we go back… I want to fight alongside you. I want your help, Amira.”

Tsutomu bowed his head deeply.

For a moment, Amira stared down at him. There was something almost nostalgic about the way he looked from this angle. Her eyes brimmed again, and she bit her lip to stop the tears from falling.

Then she reached out, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him close.

“…Next time,” she muttered.

“Y-yeah?”

“If you leave me behind again, I’ll kill you myself.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to make sure you don’t have to,” Tsutomu said with a wry grin.

“…Idiot!”

“Gah–!?”

Amira punctuated her reply with a sharp headbutt to his forehead, then stepped back, leaving Tsutomu clutching his head in agony. As he knelt there, groaning and pressing a palm to his throbbing brow to cast [ and check whether the pain had drawn blood, Amira finally allowed herself a smile, free of tension, clean and genuine.

Amy rushed over at once, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Hey, hey! What about me?” she said.

“Huh? About what?”

“My evaluation! Like the one you gave Amira just now!”

“Oh, okay…” Tsutomu paused, then nodded, slipping back into his thoughtful tone. “Well, Amy, there was a time you were hitting a wall as an Attacker. But even then, you never complained and kept following my guidance without wavering. Thanks to that, you’ve grown into one of the most efficient Dualbladers when it comes to skill rotation. Combine that with your natural combat instincts, and you’ve really come into your own. And let’s not forget, your idol activities are still bringing in massive income, which has been a huge help in keeping the Clan running. Because of you, I haven’t had to waste time worrying about funding.”

“Aww, stop it!”

Though she tried to act modest, nodding with a knowing smile, the way her white-furred tail stood tall and swayed behind her betrayed just how delighted she truly was.

Tsutomu finished casting [ and stood up… only to find himself locking eyes with a visibly fidgeting Garm.

“Right… Garm. You’ve really carved your own path as a Tank. You’ve studied the movements of others like Bittman, and you’ve discussed evasive Tanking styles with Hannah, Rara, and Riri. Out of everyone, you’ve probably gone through the most trial and error, adapting what works and discarding what doesn’t. That’s what’s made you into such a versatile Tank. And personally, I trust you the most because we’ve been working together the longest.”

“…Even so,” Garm said quietly, “I failed to protect you.”

“That situation was impossible; it was a critical hit. You couldn’t have known.”

“…But even after I fell, you kept fighting. And you technically didn’t lose in the end. I want to be the kind of Tank who can make that possible.”

Letting Tsutomu face the hundredth layer alone remained a bitter failure in Garm’s eyes. And seeing Tsutomu brush it off so easily only deepened that sting. His declaration carried a resolve and a trace of frustration he couldn’t quite suppress.

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Daryl, like a dog straining against the command to wait before eating, had his tail wagging, and his eyes pleading.

But then, another voice called out,

“Tsutomu…”

It was Diniel; with that, Tsutomu deliberately avoided eye contact and turned to her.

“You said earlier you would’ve abandoned anyone. That includes me. So I have every right to rebuke you,” she said, her long hair now let down.

“It was hypothetical,” Tsutomu muttered, rubbing his aching forehead. “You don’t actually have that right. Also… seriously, Amira? You really didn’t hold back with that headbutt, huh?”

“Idiot,” Amira scoffed. “If I were serious, your skull would be in pieces. You should be grateful I held back.”

“Sure, sure. Go cry somewhere else, will you?”

“…You know, now I really think I should’ve killed you!”

“Garm, Amy. You two handle her!”

“…Tch,” Leleia clicked her tongue sharply, like a woman watching her romantic rival scoring points ahead of her.

Daryl, still wagging his tail and mistaking all of this as his cue to shine, remained frozen in hopeful expectation.

Tsutomu, meanwhile, avoided both their gazes entirely. He cast another [ on himself and calmly left the rapidly escalating situation in the capable, if exasperated, hands of Garm and Amy, who now had to wrangle the seething force of nature that was Amira, poised to leap at him again at any second.