"—Ai."
"Yes, Master."
"That Specific Individual that appeared on Floor 4… did it have one?"
"Presumably."
"…Whose was it?"
"It remains unknown for now. I have confirmed it was not Takeo Samejima’s, but considering it appeared before him, it likely belongs to someone close to him—a blood relative, a close friend, or an acquaintance. Shall I investigate the owner?"
"No… I only wanted to confirm if that Irregular possessed a Fragment. There is no need to go that far."
"But there is a possibility we could recover a powerful Seed Skill. For your plan, Master, do you not need as many individuals with great power as possible?"
"Owners of Seed Skills as powerful as Obito’s don't just appear every day. I know that all too well."
"…I suppose so."
"Besides… if the owner of this Fragment truly possesses great power, they will naturally rise to prominence on their own. If their power is insignificant, searching for them is a waste of time. There is no need to investigate."
"Understood, Master."
●◯●
—I’m dreaming.
Mashiro Hinata realized it immediately.
It was a dream she had seen countless times before, enough to make her sick of it.
The location, the scenery, the time, and the situation always changed. Yet, one thing remained constant.
It was a world where human civilization had been utterly crushed, reminiscent of the finale of a zombie movie or a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It was a memory—no, a dream—of the final, desperate resistance before humanity’s total extinction.
The nation of Japan had fallen, and its cities were reduced to mountains of rubble.
People huddled together and fled in terror, trying to survive for even a moment longer.
They were hunting humans. They pursued them relentlessly to devour them, seeking the human body and the "Grown Seed" within.
Because of this, the groups of survivors rapidly dwindled.
In most of these dreams, Hinata was the one leading one of those groups.
This time was no different.
They were scavenging supplies from the ruins of supermarkets and convenience stores where precious food remained. Hinata’s group was attempting to escape the death trap of the urban center.
Suddenly, several of them leaped down from the roof of a ruined building as if lying in wait, blocking the path of Hinata and her people.
Panic set in. Terrified and disoriented, the survivors began to scatter without any leadership.
"—Compose yourselves!"
A dignified voice split the air, followed by a shower of pure, white light.
It was a slash. A magical strike imbued with the power to exorcise evil.
The overwhelming Sword Aura of light swallowed the monsters, erasing them with ease.
The survivors turned their gazes toward their savior.
Standing there was a figure clad in silver armor, holding a silver shield and a silver longsword—a Holy Knight straight out of a fairy tale.
However, the knight was a woman. Her long hair was tied in a single braid, and though her stern, dignified face was covered in dust, she was hauntingly beautiful.
The people knelt before her, pressing their hands together in prayer and offering words of gratitude.
"Mashiro-sama...!"
"Oh, thank you! Mashiro-sama!"
"The Holy Knight...!"
"The Holy Knight Maiden...!"
"Please, protect us...!"
"Lead us...!"
Their words were archaic and out of place.
Yet, the people uttering them prayed from the bottom of their hearts. They clung to her. Hinata was the strong, and they were the weak. Hinata was the protector, and they were the ones meant to be shielded.
It was always like that.
Hinata was strong. That was why, in every dream, she fought to protect others.
And the ending was always the same.
The world was ending. Humanity was defeated. There was no salvation for Hinata or anyone else in this dream.
Hinata was always killed—by an overwhelming horde of them, or by an individual among them possessing god-like power.
Time after time, she died in the middle of a battle to save others.
Acting the part of the hero to ease the people's anxiety, she never had the chance to take off the mask.
But every version of Hinata thought the same thing in her heart. She wished for one thing.
She didn't want to fight anymore. Fighting was terrifying, and the thought of dying was even worse.
In reality, Hinata had been the daughter of a prestigious family, a timid, sheltered girl. She was someone who should never have been expected to swing a sword or fight for anyone's sake.
Whether by luck or misfortune, her life was derailed the moment she awakened to great power.
Swinging a sword to protect others in an extreme situation was against her will. It was entirely, utterly against her will.
—But then... who is going to protect me?
She wanted to be protected. She wanted to be saved. With that final wish, the Hinata in the dreams would end her life. Heart pierced, head severed, or devoured alive—the variations were many, but none offered a peaceful end.
In most cases, Hinata was brutally murdered—and then, she would wake up.
Upon waking, she would never remember the dream. It was just a story that vanished the moment she opened her eyes.
A dream that couldn't be remembered had no meaning or value. It couldn't exert even the slightest influence on Hinata's life—ordinarily.
Nevertheless, ever since these dreams began, a specific desire had taken root in Hinata's heart, its origin unknown to her. The dreams were exerting a powerful influence on her subconscious.
—I want someone to protect me.
—I want someone who will protect me.
—My very own knight, who will put me first and risk his life for me.
That was likely the reason.
When she became an Explorer and first saw her Status and the List of Obtainable Skills, Hinata felt an urge akin to an obsession. I must not become strong, she thought.
Because the skills listed there were unbelievable.
Beginner Healing Magic, Increased Damage with Bladed Weapons, Fighting Spirit, Sword Aura, Magic Sword, Reduced Damage with Armor, Reduced Damage with Shield, Iron Wall, Light Magic, Holy Magic, Holy Wall.
Despite the fact that she had never even held a wooden sword, she had skills for weapons and armor. Furthermore, there were high-tier skills like Fighting Spirit, Sword Aura, Magic Sword, and Iron Wall, all displayed despite her not meeting the prerequisites.
She realized immediately that this was abnormal.
Hinata felt a chilling fear.
—I must never let anyone know about this.
It was a vague but certain conviction.
That was why she chose Beginner Healing Magic—to ensure her build wouldn't allow her to fight on the front lines. She refused to acquire any skill necessary for a vanguard.
She could have quit being an Explorer entirely, but she feared being powerless even more. She had a premonition that such a path would lead to a terrible future. So, she continued.
However, Hinata never consciously understood the reason for her choices.
After all, she forgot her dreams the moment she woke up.
—Or so it was supposed to be.
Today, Hinata woke from her sleep once more.
But this day was different.
"Wait... was I... having a dream?"
On this day, Hinata did not forget. Not only that, she suddenly remembered the countless other dreams she had seen before.
Though she found it strange, she dismissed them as mere dreams and began her usual morning routine.
Today was the day she was going shopping with her party member, Takeo.
...Unfortunately, it was a practical errand, not a romantic date.
"Hum-hum-hum~♪"
Even so, just thinking about Takeo made Hinata's spirits lift.
As she remembered the dreams on this particular day, she vaguely realized the reason for her feelings.
She recalled their time in the dungeon, the conversations they had before entering the Monster Room, and the way he had literally risked his life to save her when Matsuda and Aoyama attacked.
"...Ah, I see."
She understood now.
The reason she was so excited to see him was because Takeo Samejima was the man who could become her very own knight.
She already knew Takeo Samejima was the kind of man who would risk his life for others.
Now, all that remained...
"...was to make sure Takeo-kun cherishes me more than his family, more than anyone—to make me the most important person in his world."
Hinata felt giddy. Her heart raced with excitement.
Something she had craved for a lifetime was finally within her reach. And to obtain it, she wouldn't hesitate to use any means necessary.
"Hum-hum-hum~♪"
In her one-bedroom apartment in Tokyo, which she had rented to live alone for university, a tablet on the table played a video. It was an endless loop of a clip she had edited herself.
'I will definitely protect Hinata-san.'
'Please believe in me! I'm serious!'
'I'll protect you! I'll risk my life!'
'I won't let a single scratch get on Hinata-san! I'll protect Hinata-san even if it costs me my life!'
She had clipped these moments from her own DungeonTube videos. She hadn't made the edit public, but lately, she kept it playing constantly.
"Okay. Um... I have everything, right?"
Having finished her grooming, Hinata prepared to leave for the meeting place.
Just before stepping out, she turned back toward the room and whispered a greeting.
"I'm off—Takeo-kun."
Inside the room, the walls and ceiling were covered in countless photos of Takeo Samejima, captured from various videos and printed out. They watched over Hinata as she left.
—Unintentionally, Takeo’s words and actions had landed a critical hit on Hinata’s heart...