DanMachi: It's destined to lose its self.

Kopii woke up at dawn, anxious not to be late for the Valion Tower. His heart pounded with excitement. "Where are they? Are they just playing a joke on me?" - a thought flickered through his mind as he walked alone through the streets. The square by the tower buzzed with life and energy, as always. Kopii scanned the crowd for Kanao, and the longer he waited, the more suspicious he became that this was a cruel prank played on him. But he decided to wait a little longer, believing in the adventure ahead.

Just as he was about to leave, his brow furrowing in disappointment, Kopii spotted familiar faces approaching. Kanao and someone else, probably from his team, were heading in his direction. As they drew nearer, Kopii could see the new companion more clearly. It was a young man with black, coal-like eyes and long hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a long burgundy coat, a black shirt, brown cargo pants, and dark boots. A thin strap hung across his shoulder, holding a sword, giving him a rather imposing appearance.

"Hey, kid," Kanao said, giving Kopii a barely noticeable hug. "This is my companion, Gedo."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Gedo Raishu," the young man introduced himself, his voice full of confidence, just like he was. "You don't need to introduce yourself; Kanao told me about you."

"Nice to meet you too," replied Kopii, trying to hide his distrust behind a mask of friendliness.

But he sensed the insincerity in Gedo's words. The arrogance in Gedo's eyes gave him away completely. Kopii understood at once that he was merely playing a role. But that didn't stop him.

"Let's go; we shouldn't waste time," Kanao said, interrupting the awkward silence.

"Alright, let's go," Kopii agreed, feeling that a new chapter awaited them.

They began descending into the dungeon, and Kopii felt excitement overwhelm his consciousness.

"What floor are we going down to?" he asked, trying to mask his nervousness.

After a brief silence, Kanao replied confidently: 

"We plan to go down to the tenth."

Kopii was surprised but didn't show it. Would they have enough strength? He couldn't shake the doubts, but he understood that now he had a team.

On the seventh floor, Kopii saw a new monster for the first time – killer ants. There were six of them, and they looked terrifying. Four legs, two arms, a hard exoskeleton, and powerful jaws. They used pheromones to attract their kin, and Kopii recalled the information from the guild library: "Novice killers."

As they moved forward, Kopii began assessing the skills of Kanao and Gedo – they were stronger than him, which was a comforting thought. He followed behind them, shooting with his bow, feeling his confidence grow with each successful shot.

Kopii's arrows flew true, piercing the chitinous shells of the ants, while Kanao's and Gedo's blades glittered in the dungeon's dim light, effortlessly slicing the ants to pieces. The fight was short but tense, and each blow was etched in his memory.

When the last ant fell to the ground, Kanao wiped sweat from his brow and turned to Kopii.

"Not bad, Kopii. Your shooting really helps," he nodded approvingly, and that was a pleasant sign.

Gedo merely snorted disdainfully, saying nothing. Kopii fell silent, observing him. The feeling of arrogance didn't leave Gedo's gaze, and it irritated him.

Kopii understood that he wouldn't have handled this task alone. He quickly picked up the magical stones dropped by the slain ants. They proceeded deeper, and along the way, they encountered various monsters: frogs, warrior shadows, and others.

Finally, they reached the tenth floor, but before they could venture far, they heard the sound of monsters being born. Three orcs emerged from the darkness, like treacherous shadows themselves. The darkness of the tenth floor thickened like old poison in a wound, and the air became saturated with the smell of dampness and iron—a harbinger of blood.

"Orcs…" Kopii whispered, tightening his grip on the bow, filled with determination.

Three massive figures rose before them. Green-skinned, with tusks jutting from their twisted mouths, they reached for their weapons.

"You stay back," Gedo snapped, not sparing Kopii a glance, as if he was unworthy of his attention. His long sword gleamed in the darkness, like the snarl of a predator.

Kanao moved forward first, his blade slicing through the air with the hiss of a snake. The first orc fell without even having a chance to groan. Gedo followed suit, his strikes precise and brutal—like he wasn't fighting but simply erasing enemies from the face of the dungeon.

Kopii didn't stand idle. An arrow plunged into the eye of the second orc, causing it to roar. But the third, the largest one, charged straight at him. Kopii backed away, realizing he had become the bait. The orc was huge, its muscles rippling beneath its rough skin. Kopii leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding a strike from the club that slammed into the stone wall with a crash. Debris rained down around him. He knew he couldn't survive in close combat. Arrows were his only salvation. He quickly nocked an arrow, aimed, and released. The arrow struck the orc in the shoulder but seemed to do little harm. The enraged beast continued its advance.

Suddenly, between Kopii and the orc, a whirlwind of steel erupted. It was Gedo, having finished off his opponents, coming to the rescue. His sword, like lightning, flashed in the gloom, cleaving the air. The orc growled, attempting to strike Gedo, but he dodged and delivered a crushing blow to its neck. The monster collapsed, uttering a final gasp.

Gedo looked disdainfully at Kopii and whispered, "Trash." Kopii pretended he hadn't heard. Kanao also looked down on him for a moment but quickly concealed it, as if he were embarrassed by his companion.

"Enough, it's time to head back up," Kanao said, quickening his pace.

The ascent was exhausting, each floor seeming longer than the last. Monsters, like old debts, blocked their path. Kanao and Gedo worked together seamlessly, like a well-oiled machine, cutting and smashing everything in their way. Kopii tried not to fall behind; his arrows found the vulnerable spots of the enemies, which lifted his spirits, but the tension remained.

Kopii walked behind them, pondering: "What do they need me for? I have less experience… Just for backup?" No matter how hard he searched for meaning, he felt there was a reason they needed him, that they wanted to use him. But how? The thoughts gnawed at him, and he began to doubt his decision.

With such thoughts, they climbed higher and finally reached the Valion Tower. After exiting, they headed to the guild to exchange the magical stones. Kopii mentally calculated how much he would earn, but he was paid half of what he had expected. He thanked both of them out of politeness, even though he felt heavy-hearted.

On his way home, Kopii reflected, briefly returning to the events in the dungeon: "It's nothing serious; I'll stick with them in the dungeon, and if something happens, I'll leave the team." He understood that he still hadn't found his place among them.

Entering the "Blue Apothecary," he chatted for a bit with Naaza and Miyach, trying to drown out the negative feelings, then headed upstairs to his room. Once undressed, Kopii lay on his bed, but sleep wouldn't come. He decided to take a night walk to distract himself from thoughts of his partners.

Stepping outside, Kopii inhaled the fresh night air. The city was falling asleep, yielding to silence and the soft glow of the moon. He walked down quiet streets, deciding not to think about the day's events but to simply relax. Wandering through alleys, Kopii found himself near a small park. Sitting on a bench, he gazed up at the starry sky, which shimmered with millions of distant lights, seeming to mock his thoughts from the day. Who was he to them? Just a tool? Or was there something more?

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of footsteps. A silhouette emerged from the darkness, and Kopii tensed, ready for any turn of events. But the stranger simply walked by without acknowledging him. Only a gentle gust of wind carried a fragment of a melody that the stranger hummed to himself.

Kopii rose from the bench, feeling that the night walk had done him good. His thoughts became clearer, and his anxiety receded a little. He decided to trust his intuition and see what would happen next. If he felt threatened, he would simply leave. Nothing was keeping him in this team.

Returning to his room, Kopii quickly fell asleep, hoping that tomorrow would bring him new opportunities and challenges.