We were having a great time walking together with Ooya as our guide.
Glowing rocks, giant mushrooms, claw marks.
There were many wonderful sights to see along our path, and, even though some of them were scary, each one was an incredible source of information with its own wonderful story.
That brighten up our mood a little upon our entrance into the cave.
"Alright! We just need to pass through this entrance" Our guide cheerfully informed us.
But listening to her, I grew gloomy and started feeling uneasy the closer we got.
It's common knowledge that swordsmen are vulnerable inside places where the sky is not visible.
By itself, this fact turns the room into a mysterious wonder.
Is this really a room or maybe something more?
Makes you question it's existence again.

Just getting close to the entrance made my stomach spiral.
Most swordsmen tend to feel like that in such situations.
I repeated this in my head gulping the anxiety down my throat.
That's right, everyone is like that.
Although someone would label me as a special case.
An average person, a normal student at first glance that is weirdly special.
Funny isn't it? Everyone has encountered that kind of cliche character in novels already, and I'm not proud to be one.
"Mind if I ask, Is there any other entrance to the village?"
I asked nervously hitting my fingers together.
"What's gotten into you Ran?"
"Are you feeling alright man?"
Looking at me suspiciously the girls got closer.
"What? No... I...." I tried to keep my cool.
{If they find out, that will only drag them down} Fortunately though, Ooya answered my question without asking anything else.
"There is no other entrance sadly. The people of my village scouted the cave already and they stated that every other road is blocked by boulders. What's strange though is that they seem to have been carried and placed there instead of falling naturally, that makes us Saru-Jin cautious of where we wander off"

Those were bad news.
The worst possible situation had brought up itself pushing every other possibility aside, and what's more? Like that, I'd be forced to enter that...thing...
The feeling I'd get in there... I didn't even want to imagine it.
"Oh... That's a shame..."
"If you're alright with it then let's head in" Without wasting time the Saru-Jin stepped inside the cave.
Tifa took a quick glance at me before following, leaving me outside as I braced myself.
Why can't I just stay out here god? I would seriously consider it but... I can't just leave the others now can I?
Not when Tada and Soro are still missing.
"Wait for me..." Letting a nervous sigh I followed our guide.
Whatever's about to happen let it happen.
I can't stop it anymore.

Just as stated before, I Ran Sugiyama was born with a weak body.
Since I can remember myself I was always sick.
It wasn't so bad at the beginning and even though I was getting tired quicker than most do, I was able to live like a normal kid and pretend to be a swordsman along with Pandora.
Of course, it wasn't long before my condition worsened.
Suddenly I started vomiting, feeling dizzy, and occasionally passing out from high fever.
That made my father all the more worried and gradually he forbid me from exiting the house.
I was a strange case with a unique sickness called Burn-Out Syndrome or so the doctors said.
My father always tried to avoid the topic when it was brought up in my conversations with him.
However, my mother didn't hide it.
She was more strict than him and always said everything straight up.
I think she just thought it wasn't fair for me to not know about the cause of my suffering or something along the lines.
And thus she provided me with everything she knew about it so far, as well as the fact that even a top pharmacist like her couldn't find a cure for this.

From what she explained, the symptoms were the following: It was a serious case of a disease that affects energy by burning it, and thus the name Burn-Out Syndrome.
It targeted my Saku Energy and burned it out which was the reason for me feeling tired all the time.
Without time to spare, I was sent to a hospital my family had connections to.
I guess I have my mother to thank for this.
It seems she feared that my life would be in danger after and the doctors confirmed it.
And day after day I was bedridden without being able to do anything.
I met many people there that brightened up my mood, and let me escape from the heavy atmosphere of the hospital room.
So why am I better now? That's because I met him.
It was that time when I had enough of staying in bed and decided to escape outside.
That robot of course followed me, as well as Pandora, and trying to get away from them, I accidentally tripped and fell into a nearby river.
My servant immediately jumped in as Pandora was worried about my well being.
But that's when we met. In a flash, that person jumped as well getting both us out of the water.
I don't remember what happened next, however, I was feeling great when I woke up again.
Pandora told me that he helped me.
By pressing his palm against my chest he transferred some of his energy inside or so he told her.

I don't know what happened but since then my life is not in danger anymore.
However, that feeling of uneasiness I had never got away.
After some time I learned that my sickness never got completely away. Unlike before though, the symptoms keep coming every time I am at some place where the sky is not visible.
Every time my Saku Energy, the energy of the stars is vulnerable.
Just like in this situation for example.

"Alright! Just a little bit more and we're out... wait... where is Ran?"
Listening to the monkey woman, Tifa raised an eyebrow.
"He should have been right behind me"
"Don't worry guys. I'm... right behind you."
Both of them glanced at me with concerning faces up until Tifa decided to approach me.
"What's wrong Ran? Are you feeling unwell? Perhaps we should take a break-"
"No, we should keep going... I'll be fine once we exit the cave..."
They were right, I was feeling like shit and every step I took worsened my condition.
Right after I finished talking, I started coughing up until the liquid in my stomach gushed upwards which made me throw up.
"Dude!"
"Are you alright Ran!!??"
This was enough for them to realize just how sick I felt.

"Okay, that's it! We better hurry"
With a swift step, they both got closer.
Tifa looked worried which I was thankful for, and by placing her hand on my forehead, she stated with a nervous tone.
"He's burning up"
Hearing that, Ooya gently lifted me on her back.
"Come on then. The elder of my hometown is a doctor. I'm sure he will know what to do"
And with a sprint, they headed for the exit.
{Damn it!! Damn it all!!!} Without being able to move I once again cursed myself.
I was frustrated, mad about the fact that for once more I was useless.
{Just how many more times will I drag everyone down?}
If only my body could listen to me for just one time...
I was trying to focus on the positive side of everything all this time, and that had as a result only to delay the inevitable.

I always thought that my condition didn't really matter, everyone has their ups and downs after all.
However, I was wrong.
For believing in myself, for trying to catch up to her, catch up to Pandora.
If a cave is all needed to bring me down and out of the game, then how am I supposed to go on?
How am I supposed to become the strongest swordsman?
That made me believe for one more time, that I Ran Sugiyama, am a fool.
A foolish fool always following his twisted foolish logic which always ends up in the same repeated pattern.
Damn it... Just because I set my mind on doing this... because I didn't want her effort to go to waste... I just end up needing help all the time.