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[Kazuma does not dignify that retort with a response. Though that frown he has might be more akin to a childish pout if one wishes to make the argument.]

Ah...[He isn't too certain he likes the idea of Ryunosuke being in somewhere like the tangled tunnels of some catacombs by himself. Even if we're more than capable of handling himself.] I was by myself up until I ran into Tanya...A friend of mine.

Tanya? I don't think I've met her. [He smiles though, glad that Kazuma seems to have made a friend outside of the people he knew.] I'm glad you weren't alone.

What happened in the jungle? [He asks, mostly curious.]

She's been on the network, that's how we started talking. Competent, well-versed. A bit serious, but--[But he liked her, was fond of her. After the stint in the jungle, maybe even a little protective.] She's a good sort...

[A frown at the question, if only because there was a lot to answer for with it.] What one could expect from a jungle, I suppose. Wild animals, unpredictable weather--flooding. There was a hunter, though his game wasn't the animals but other men. Tanya was one of his targets.

Wait, a hunter of men?! [That didn't sound like a pleasant thing in the least.] I'm sorry she became a target. What about you though? If you were there with her would you have become a target yourself?

[What if he had gotten hurt, or worse, died during that encounter? It's clear from his worried expression what he's thinking.]

I happened upon her. He had caught up with her once, she was injured. [And he couldn't leave her like that. Alone. If Ryunosuke knew him at all--and he knew him better than anyone--then he would recognize that conviction without it needing to be said.]

We kept off the pathways, in the foliage...we didn't engage, at least not unnecessarily. It wasn't Tanya's fault the game gave her bad rolls.

You two didn't... you were okay, right?

[Kazuma would tell him if he actually died, right? After what happened with Manabu and how he found out he...didn't need someone else announcing on the network that they had to kill him.]

I'm here, aren't I?

[Kazuma had yet to personally see what resulted from death here. It was only through research in the archives and word of mouth that he knew much about it at all really.]

I'm fine, Ryunosuke. I wouldn't--[He wouldn't do that to him again. Not if he could help it.] I would have told you sooner if something had happened.

Yes but... [He sighs, looking relieved. So he was okay. He didn't die in the jungle, so he didn't need to worry about how he'd come back from the dead. He'd likely wash up on the shore again... which wasn't ideal but at least he'd know where to look.]

I'm glad you're okay, then. [He rubs his face.] It sounds like it was a difficult time though. How did you get out?

[But-- There was more Ryunosuke wanted to say. Wanted to ask, maybe? Whatever lingered on Ryunosuke's mind would come up eventually. Either now or at some point when it's compounded with other concerns.]

Ah...Right. [Speaking of concerns.] We played the game. It was all about having the right rolls. [A frown. A thought.] And you? The catacombs?

A game? [That doesn't sounds pleasant at all.] Well I'm glad you managed to escape.

[There's a pause, before he shakes his head.] I managed to escape. I'm not entirely certain how I found the way out, but it wasn't an easy road to get there. [Another pause.] Being so far under ground was not... it was surreal as it was terrifying.

Mm. [A non-committal noise, one that does not leave room for additional conversation on the matter. Much as he survived the jungle and the trials that came with it, the less he relived the better.

He suspected it was about the same for his friend and the catacombs.]

Seems we both had our share of luck.

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