DanMachi: It's destined to lose its self.

Kopii woke up with a heavy sense of foreboding. Today was the day he would sever the ties that bound him to this team of losers. They were dragging him down; their minds were clouded by a greedy thirst for wealth. None of them aspired to greatness, none burned with the desire to be the best. Yes, he too descended into the dungeons for money, but he understood that it was merely a means to an end, not an end in itself, not a dream.

He got out of bed, donned his armor, and felt the familiar weight of his weapon. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly recalled his half-mask, which had become part of his identity. With plenty of time until the meeting, Kopii decided to indulge in his morning ritual—a run. Afterwards, he headed towards the Valioth Tower.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, they finally arrived. As always, they regarded him with condescending looks filled with superiority. Geddo and Kanao approached, and not wanting to waste any time, Kopii blurted out the speech he had prepared the night before:

"I'm leaving the team."

A stunned silence fell in response to his words. Kopii noticed the flash of anger in Kanao's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and gestured for Geddo to remain silent.

"Alright, Kopii, that's your choice, and we respect it," Kanao said with a strained smile. "But before you go, let's take one last trip to the dungeons together. Like old friends."

Kopii saw nothing wrong with this. It did not change his plans, and he agreed:

"Fine, Kanao."

He moved forward, trying to ignore the hostile glances Geddo and Kanao cast his way. At first, their eyes were filled with arrogance and rage, but then a predatory smirk crossed their faces. They followed Kopii into the Valioth Tower and then into the dark depths of the dungeons.

As they descended, Kopii found himself again behind them. Since their encounter, no one had spoken. Why? What had caused them to fall silent? This silence was suspicious. Usually, throughout the two weeks they had worked together, they had never stopped talking. And suddenly, as if on cue, they had gone quiet. Having descended further, Kanao broke the silence:

"Why did you decide to leave, Kopii?"

He was walking ahead, not even turning to face him.

Kopii had been waiting for this question. He had already concocted a story in his mind, picking out the right words.

"You know, there are only two workers at Miyaha's apothecary—me and Naaza," he began.

"Yes, we know," Kanao replied.

"It's hard for her to manage alone, and I've decided to help her for a while. It could take a few months. That's why I decided to leave the team, to support my family."

"I see, Kopii," Kanao responded curtly. During their brief conversation, neither of them had looked at him. And Geddo remained silent, which troubled Kopii even more.

Time dragged painfully slowly. They descended to the seventh floor. They were ambushed by killer ants. There were only a few, and they quickly dispatched them. When Kopii began collecting the magical stones, Geddo and Kanao just watched him as they always did. Soon they faced more killer ants, even fewer than the first time. After their victory, Kopii approached to gather the loot.

He bent down to pick up a magical stone and, out of the corner of his eye, noticed Geddo preparing to strike. Kopii managed to dodge, springing to the side. Geddo's sword whistled through the air, slicing the silence. Kopii sprang to his feet and looked at Geddo. "Where's Kanao?" — a thought flickered through his mind. At that moment, he felt a blow to his head, causing him to lose his balance. Everything swirled before his eyes. Kopii staggered but managed to stay upright. Turning around, he saw Kanao grinning at him. He held a stone in his hand. Even in this state, Kopii tried to leap back, but Geddo blocked his path.

He quickly closed the distance and punched Kopii in the gut. Kopii bent over in pain as if pierced by a dagger. The air was knocked from his lungs, and he gasped for breath. Everything darkened before his eyes, and the world around him spun. Geddo seized on his weakness, delivering another blow, this time to his jaw. Kopii flew backwards, tripped over a stone, and crashed to the ground.

He tried to get up, but Geddo was already looming over him, raining down punches. Kopii shielded himself with his arms, trying to protect himself, but the blows were too fierce, and he felt his bones cracking under the onslaught. Kanao stood by, watching with a cold, calculating smile on his face. In his eyes burned malice and satisfaction.

Geddo pinned Kopii to the floor. He heard Kanao approaching him.

"Kopii, Kopii, do you want to fight to the end?" Kanao mockingly said. "Ah-ha-ha, what a pitiful sight. Let's see how long you can resist. But first… what's hidden behind this mask?"

Kopii could do nothing; he helplessly watched as Kanao's hand reached for his face to tear off the half-mask. But before a moment passed, Kanao kicked him hard in the head. Kopii felt blood gushing from his nose; his head spun.

Before he could regain his senses, someone grabbed his hair, followed by another blow to his face. "It hurts, it hurts," — Kopii thought, tears ready to spill over. Through the pain, Kopii heard Kanao's furious tirade:

"How dare you lie to me, you worthless piece of trash?!" Kanao grabbed Kopii's hair and relentlessly kneed him in the face, repeating the same phrases:

"You are trash."

"You are a pathetic parody."

"You will understand on your own skin that you've deceived the wrong person."

Kanao was about to continue the beating, but Geddo stopped him:

"You'll kill him… that would be too merciful for him."

Kanao paused and looked at Geddo.

"Yes, Geddo, you're right."

They both grinned predatorily. Kopii could hear nothing of their conversation; only pain pulsed in his head. His entire face had turned into a bloody mess; tears streamed from his eyes that he could no longer hold back. "Why, why, why?" — Kopii couldn't understand what he had done to deserve this. He just wanted to earn money and become stronger. He had never wished harm to anyone.

He couldn't even fight back. All his training turned out to be useless. All his experience meant nothing. He had never faced this in life, when his life belonged not to him, but to someone else.

"A-a-a…" — Kopii screamed from the pain as they began to break his leg. He breathed heavily, choking on his tears.

"PLEASE STOP, PLEASE!" — Kopii begged.

But they didn't stop; they continued.

"A-a-a-a-a-a! IT HURTS SO MUCH, STOP!"

"Shut up!" — Geddo roared, striking him in the face with such force that Kopii's teeth flew out. Through the pain and tears, Kopii managed to say:

"Why… ah…" — It was hard for him to speak, but Kopii continued. "What did I do to deserve this?"

In response, he heard only their laughter. Kopii couldn't understand what was so funny about what he had said.

"WHY?! A-a-a-a-a!" — Kopii couldn't finish, as Kanao struck him again on his broken leg. His leg had become a useless piece of flesh. They continued to mock and laugh at him, but then Kanao spoke:

"You ungrateful piece of trash! We took you into the team, helped you, and you rejected it and even dared to lie to us! You know, Kopii, no one would have accepted you into the team if it weren't for us. Who needs a worthless piece of trash like you, especially from the pathetic Miyaha family? Miyaha are just failures. I understand why everyone left, because he's a trash god. Oh-ha-ha-ha, he's just like you, just a loser. How is your captain doing, that trash from that family? Oh right, I remembered—Naaza! Do you know why she didn't leave? Just because she's a stinking whore. She must have been glowing with happiness when Miyaha took a loan for her. She must have been thrilled that someone paid attention to her, like whores who are happy that someone sees a person in them." — Kanao grabbed Kopii by the hair, lifted his head, and whispered in his ear: "But she will always remain a whore, used as a sperm bank. Oh-ha-ha-ha!"

He flung Kopii onto the dungeon floor.

Kopii didn't want to hear insults directed at his family, those who believed in him, who gave him a home he had never had, those he could call family. But no matter how angry Kopii got over these words, he could do nothing. His nose and leg were broken. In his mind, beyond the pain, there was only one thought: "Why is the world so unfair to me?"