DanMachi: It's destined to lose its self.

Kopii got out of bed and, walking to the window, threw it open. The usual hustle and bustle of the cityscape hit him in the face. The sun, like a red-hot disk, hung high in the sky. Kopii looked away, sighed, and thoughts, like uninvited guests, flooded in, tormenting his consciousness with betrayal. His fingers gripped the window frame so tightly that the wood creaked plaintively.

"Gedo and Kanaou…" Kopii whispered, squeezing the frame even tighter. They had mocked him just for daring to leave their team. He remembered their faces, the malicious taunts, the bullying, the beatings, the despair they had plunged him into. And the more he remembered, the stronger his hatred burned, the deeper his mind plunged into the abyss of wanting them to experience the same pain he had.

"Oh…" Kopii breathed out, realizing that he needed to calm down, banish these thoughts, so as not to do something stupid. He unclenched his hand, looked at his palm, riddled with splinters, and pulled them out one by one. Casting another glance at the noisy city, he closed the window and sat down on the bed.

Need to calm down.

Need to calm down.

Like a mantra, Kopii repeated. After a few minutes of struggling with himself, his mind cleared. He began to reflect, weighing all the pros and cons. One thing became clear: revenge would not be easy, but he had a significant advantage – they probably thought he was dead. Kopii leaned back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. After lying there for a few minutes, he realized that he would not be able to prove their betrayal so that the guild would punish them, because everything that happens in the dungeon remains there, beyond control.

Suddenly, it dawned on him: what if they had been plotting from the very beginning, from their first meeting? Then it becomes clear where they got the flask of Killer Ant enzymes. From the very beginning, they saw him as just a tool to be used. How could he have been so naive and believed them? Anger began to overwhelm Kopii again, but he quickly pulled himself together.

After much deliberation, Kopii decided to postpone revenge. He had more important things to do than waste time on the likes of them. To take revenge, he would either have to wait for them to descend into the dungeon and attack, or track them down in the city, learn their habits, and make them pay for everything they had done. But Kopii didn't want to waste valuable time on that. He needed to become stronger so that a similar situation would not happen again.

Kopii got out of bed. Further idleness would only slow his progress. Rest is important for growth, but the day has already been wasted, it's time to act. He has a lot to do. All the equipment was left in the dungeon, which means he needs to buy new equipment.

Kopii decided to abandon the mask. Instead, he would simply grow his hair to hide his identity.

"That's a perfect plan! Ha-ha!"

But then it dawned on him that hair doesn't grow that fast. And this idea had to be abandoned. Kopii smiled at his own foolishness. Decided, this question will wait, the main thing now is new equipment. If Gedo and Kanaou saw him, they wouldn't be able to do anything to him, but he could to them. For now.

Kopii left his room, went downstairs, asked Naaza for money, and leaving "Blue Pharmacy", headed to the guild to buy a bow and everything he needed. The road to the guild was calm. Entering inside, Kopii decided to talk to his assistant. Finding her, he approached.

"Hello, Roza."

She turned and looked him in the eye.

"Hello, Kopii-san," she said distantly. Before Kopii could speak, she preempted him:

"How is your descent into the dungeon going, Kopii-san?"

"Everything is fine, I reached the 10th floor and I'm not going any deeper yet."

"That's a very reasonable decision, Kopii-san. There is no need to rush and soberly assess your strength. I noticed that today you are alone, without a team."

"Yes, I left it."

"Why?" Roza looked at him questioningly.

"Well, how to say… We just didn't get along, that's all. Nothing serious."

"I see. Don't go down so deep alone, it's very dangerous, Kopii-san. You are still a beginner, you shouldn't rush," she paused and added: "What are your plans, Kopii-san? Will you be looking for a new team?"

"To be honest, I don't know what I'm going to do next. But you're probably right, you can't get far without a team. I only got to the 10th floor thanks to the team. I'll probably try to find a new one to go even lower."

Kopii wasn't going to look for a new team, he was saying this so she wouldn't worry.

"Well, okay, I won't distract you from your work. Bye."

"Goodbye, Kopii-san."

Soon Kopii bought everything he needed most: a bow and arrows. Leaving the guild, he didn't know what to do. Looking around, he realized that, apart from training and descending into the dungeon, he had no occupation. Walks around the city no longer brought the same pleasure.

He wandered aimlessly through the streets.

Miyah watched Kopii heading to the guild, because he doesn't go anywhere else. He watched until Kopii's silhouette dissolved into the crowd. Then he went down to Naaza to talk about Kopii's rapid growth.

"How are you, Naaza?" Miyah asked.

Naaza looked up at him:

"We have a few customers, as always, Miyah-sama."

"I see, I see… But even so, it's good that we have regular customers."

"Yes, Miyah-sama, it's better than nothing."

Miyah paused before saying:

"You know, Naaza, I wanted to talk to you about Kopii. More precisely, about his very rapid growth."

"Growth? And how fast is his growth, Miyah-sama?"

"I calculated, he can reach the 2nd level approximately next month."

"Next month!.." Naaza exclaimed in surprise, waving her tail more frequently. "Isn't that good?"

"No, it's very good. I'm happy for Kopii. But you understand, if he raises the level… You remember why the gods descended to earth."

"Yes, Miyah-sama, to dispel boredom or just for fun. Roughly speaking."

"Yes, Naaza, that's right. It was always boring there. But that's not the point now. You probably already understood. You remember what happened when Aiz Wallenstein leveled up in a year, setting a new record?"

Naaza nodded. Miyah continued:

"He will be talked about in every corner of Orario, he will be the center of attention. And some gods may suspect that I used my power to help Kopii. Chaos will begin. Kopii will be envied by all those who have been raising one level for years, and here he is surpassed by a boy from a family of low rank."

"I understand, Miyah-sama."

"But, you know, the main thing is that we can't change it in any way. We can't hide it. But the most important thing I wanted to ask is, why do you think his stats are growing so fast?"

"I don't know, Miyah-sama."

"I don't know for sure either, but there is an assumption that it is somehow related to his skill."

"With skill?"

"Yes, I think so."

After talking a little more with Naaza, Miyah left. He hadn't gone far when he was surrounded by girls. Miyah laughed, completely forgetting what he was thinking about.

Returning to "Blue Pharmacy", Kopii noticed the familiar picture: Miyah was surrounded by girls. "He will distribute potions for free again," Kopii thought, entering inside. He went to his room, receiving the purchased at the counter. Undressed, Kopii lay down on the bed.

After leaving the guild, he became interested in how he got into "Blue Pharmacy". After a short search, he found information that he was given a ride. Having learned this, he asked himself another question: who helped him and healed his wounds, because they were serious?

"It must be a strong healer or mage who possesses healing magic, or perhaps a healing skill. What were they doing on such a small floor? Maybe they went higher? Or was it a newbie? He must know me, otherwise how did he know that I was from Miyah's Familia?"

There were more and more questions, but there were no answers. The more he thought, the more confused he became from ignorance.