Kura didn't sleep that night.
He lay in his bedroll, staring at the chamber's dark ceiling, replaying Daisuke's words. I could do it right now. One push.
Should he tell someone? Mira? Captain Reynard? But what would he say? "Daisuke threatened me in a dark corner"? It would sound like paranoia. Daisuke was a valued member of the expedition, level 7, fighting hard for humanity's survival. Who would believe he'd murder another student over jealousy?
Besides, who was Kura? The weakest member of the entire summoned class. Level 2 with stats barely above baseline human. If it came down to his word against Daisuke's...
Morning came with no answers.
The expedition broke camp and descended to floor nine. The atmosphere changed immediately—the air was thicker, harder to breathe. The walls seemed to pulse with a faint red glow, and the temperature fluctuated wildly between freezing and oppressive heat.
"Environmental effects," Mira explained. "The deeper floors mess with natural laws. Stay close."
The monsters on floor nine were a significant jump in difficulty. Armored lizards with acid spit. Shadow wraiths that could phase through physical attacks. A massive scorpion variant with paralytic venom.
But Sakurai's group handled them. They were level 8 now, experienced, working as a unit. Fujimoto's tactical analysis, Yamamoto's spear work, Daisuke's berserk fury—they cut through encounters that would have killed them weeks ago.
During a rest period, Shirayuki approached Kura. She looked tired—healing this many people through constant battles was draining even her massive mana reserves.
"How are you holding up?" she asked, settling down beside him.
"Fine. You?"
"Exhausted." She smiled wearily. "But we're almost done. One more floor, then we head back up." She noticed his expression. "You look worried. Is something wrong?"
Kura almost told her. Almost said, Daisuke threatened to kill me. I think he's serious.
But what would that accomplish? She'd be horrified, would confront Daisuke, and things would escalate. Maybe make it worse.
"Just tired," he lied.
Shirayuki studied his face for a moment, then reached into her pack and pulled out a small wrapped package. "I made this earlier. It's just onigiri, but I thought you might be hungry."
She'd made food for him. Specifically for him.
"Thank you," Kura said, taking it.
"When we get back," Shirayuki said quietly, "I'd like to talk to you. About... things. Is that okay?"
Her cheeks were slightly pink. She wasn't meeting his eyes.
"Of course."
"Good." She smiled—soft and genuine and hopeful. "I'll look forward to it."
She stood and walked back toward Kobayashi, leaving Kura holding the onigiri and trying to process what had just happened.
When we get back, she wants to talk. About things.
Thirty feet away, Daisuke stood watching. His face was pale. His hands were shaking.
He'd seen everything. The smile. The food. The promise to talk when they returned.
And something in his expression... shifted.
Kura felt ice flood his veins.
Whatever restraint Daisuke had been clinging to—it just broke.
* * *
They descended to floor ten.
The chamber they entered was massive—easily two hundred feet across, with a ceiling lost in shadow. Ancient pillars lined the walls, covered in runes that pulsed with sickly red light.
"I don't like this," Darius muttered, gripping his massive sword. "This feels wrong."
"Agreed," Mira said. "Everyone stay alert. This might be—"
The floor lit up.
Not with the golden light of the summoning circle, but with angry red lines that spread like cracks across the stone. Geometric patterns emerged, complex and malevolent.
"Trap!" Mira shouted. "Everyone back to—"
The red light flared, and sections of floor began to collapse.
Not everywhere. Just specific areas—circular sections about twenty feet across, opening like trapdoors triggered in sequence. Students and adventurers scrambled for stable ground as the chamber turned into a deadly maze of falling sections.
"To the entrance!" Mira roared. "Move!"
Chaos erupted. People ran in all directions, trying to reach stable ground. A knight fell through one section with a scream that was cut off by impact far below. Fujimoto created ice bridges, Yamamoto pulled people back from crumbling edges.
Kura ran, his inferior stats making him slower than everyone else. The floor crumbled behind him in a cascade. He was ten feet from stable ground when he saw it—
Daisuke was ahead of him. On stable ground. Standing still.
Watching.
Their eyes met, and Kura understood.
This was it. This was the moment.
"Daisuke!" Kura reached out, hoping—
Daisuke's eyes were cold. Dead. He'd made his decision.
He took one step forward—not to help, but to position himself.
Then he moved.
It looked like he was trying to grab Kura, trying to pull him to safety. That's what anyone watching would see. His hand reached out, his expression shifted to alarm—
And he pushed.
Not hard. Just a touch. Just enough.
Just as the floor beneath Kura gave way.
Kura's eyes locked with Daisuke's for one crystal-clear second. He saw it there—not rage, not even hatred. Just cold certainty. The decision of someone who'd justified murder to himself so thoroughly it no longer even registered as wrong.
Then Kura was falling.
Into darkness.
Into the abyss.
Into nothing.