And back, with Chapter 25.

Took me a long ass time to upload this time around, won't go into detail as to why, however.

But no, story is not dead, if that is what you were wondering.

It ain't stopping until I click on that "Completed" button once I write the last Chapter, so no worries.

Anyway, won't spoil anything regarding this Chapter this time around.

Just as the last one, however, expect it to contain some very dark scenes here and there.

With that said…

Kay bye.

XXX

Looking at the flat walls and ceiling surrounding him, Finn nodded at the achievement they had done as a Familia. It took him more than a decade, but he slowly built up his Familia, and now they were here: the Deep Floors.

Few Familia in Orario, past and present, have managed to get to the Deep Floors, and they now counted among those few. Truly, the Pallum felt the pride in his chest.

But he would not be controlled by such emotions. He could not allow himself to be, for every mistake past this point meant death. Yes indeed, since passing the stairs leading into the 51th Floor, their every step could be their last.

It was, of course, not the first time they dwelled into the Floors past the safe zone which was the 50th Floor. However, they had previously encountered unexpected difficulties on the 53th Floor and were forced to go back.

Unexpected difficulties meaning nothing else but intense sniping from the Valgang Dragons located on the 58th Floor. However, this time around, their plan was another: instead of trying to rush their way through, the Loki Familia would quickly reach the 56th Floor and then make for the outer rims of the Floor. After all, the Floors above the 58th Floor were larger than the dragon den, and they could not snipe the Adventurers if they were to keep to the very edges of the Floors above.

At least, that is what the records left behind by the Zeus and Hera Familia told. Whatever they could be fully trusted, Finn still had to see that with his own eyes. But, it was all they could use, and he decided the risks were worth the rewards.

After all, their party was stronger than ever before: Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Ais, Bete, Tiona and Tione as the front-line fighters, and Raul, Cruz, and Alicia as their Supporters.

And of course, lastly, their hired mercenary.

"All right, that's enough." The Pallum Captain said with a laugh as he and Gareth pulled the boy away from the bloody-nosed Goddess, holding his by the shoulders.

"Grrrr...I'm not done yet. One more time. Just let me headbutt her one more time!"

"Auch...Hey, if you do that again...aaahhh….I'll get sent back to Heaven...Auch…" Loki replied, still holding her broken, swollen nose as a couple of tears ran down her cheeks. "R-Riveria...heal me…"

"No." The boy ordered.

"W-What...Auch…?"

"You need to learn your lesson. You are not allowed to any healing. You'll deal with the pain until it heals on it's own."

"B-But…"

"No buts."

"B-But…."

"No."

"But...pain…"

"NO."

"Auch...you do realize...auch...I'm a Goddess...right?"

"See if I care, moron!" Fuzen shouted in anger. "If you consume any healing potion or make use of healing Magic, I'll headbutt you again!"

"...Loki...auch...sad…."

"Hmpf."

"So...what happened?" The Captain asked, unsure of what could have possible lead to this turn of events, to Fuzen being as angry as he was. One furious explanation later, he sighed, shaking his head at the so called bait Loki had used. "...Heavens, talk about reckless…"

"Making me waste my time like this...Sigh…" The boy sighed and sheathed his sword, a frown still visible on his face. "I'm leaving."

"Aww." Loki sighed, disappointed in how things turned out to be. She had been sure showing the boy her trust would yield some results, but alas, it seemed like she would need to try again-

"One million Valis."

"Huh?"

"One million Valis." Fuzen repeated, index finger lifted up. "My price. In actuality, I was going to charge a lot more, a whole lot more, but seeing how I have physically hurt your Patron Deity...well, this price will do."

"Fuzen, what are you talking about?" Finn inquired, though he had already seen through the boy's words.

"Hm? My price is just that: my price. The amount of monetary reward I wish to be given for my services. That's the price you will have to pay me if you wish for my assistance on your upcoming expedition."

"...Joining my Familia would be far easier…" The Goddess muttered under her breath.

"I am not joining anything and that's that. However, I still have a Falna engraved on my back. Thus, I can extend my services as a mercenary. Anyway, I have lost enough time. If you wish to discuss this further, Captain Finn, seek me out in the East District tonight."

"Where exactly?"

"Ask and you shall be led to me. Have a continuous good day, Loki Familia."

Suffice to say, Finn didn't need the invitation twice, and he indeed headed to find Fuzen that very night. As the boy stated, Finn simply needed to ask the first person to come his way about Fuzen's whereabouts, and he received his desired directions immediately, almost as if the civilian giving him the direction had been instructed to do so.

Interestingly enough, though it had not been malicious, Finn could feel the stares of the people on him as he walked down the streets of the East District, from both those walking past him as well as from the windows of the buildings. Had something happened? Were they suspicious of Pallums? Or perhaps, of Adventurers as a whole?

Finn couldn't say, but he felt no danger so he decided to ignore it.

Before long, he had arrived at the eastern mansion he was directed towards, an incredible sight in itself. It was easy enough for Finn to figure out how he got it: after all, he made the amount of Valis he expected to be granted upon his victory quite clear when he declared war on Altena. Nonetheless, the Pallum was quite surprised at the display of status, something he did not expect the boy ever to engage in.

A short while later, his surprise only grew as he entered the mansion and was led by a housemaid into a large room, probably the eastern equivalent of a living room, where Fuzen awaited.

In truth, the boy probably had desired to appear as a calm, collected individual, however the fifteen or so women surrounding him had made that impossible, and Fuzen appeared as if he was asking for help from the Pallum. Finn himself doubted the women's presence was because Fuzen was interested in those kind of things, seeing how he was still but a child, and coupled with the wariness all of the women had of Finn himself…

Something happened, that much was obvious. What exactly, however, Finn could not say.

As Captain of the Loki Familia, he made it his duty to be aware of all major events happening within as well as outside of Orario, yet Finn could not remember getting any reports of something happening in this part of town, except the Goddess Rati using her Arcanum to go back to Heaven.

He was also sure that said Goddess had not been killed, for Loki herself stated that she felt the Arcanum being used willingly, unlike how it kicked it when a Deity was in peril. Strange as it was, if the activation had been willingly, then Finn guessed there was nothing else to think of it. Deities were, after all, very whimsical.

However, after getting a closer look at the East District, and now at the women living in what should have been Fuzen's residence, as well as Rati Familia's home and it's close proximity to the very same East District…

Suffice to say, the Pallum now knew he needed to investigate this matter further.

In time, that is.

His reason for the visit had been to make a contract with Fuzen, and that is what the two discussed. Finn himself could hardly hold back a chuckle by the end of their discussion, in all honesty.

Even though he used the excuse of having broken Loki's nose, the boy was quite adamant in his statement: he wished for only one million Valis.

In other words, he wished to join Loki Familia on their expedition to hell in exchange for pocket money. Better yet, he even offered something in return for what he called a thank-you gift to Loki Familia being his first employer as a mercenary: ten Magic Weapons, free of charge.

How did he get his hands on something so expensive in the first place?

Apparently he asked the Goddess Hecate for the Magic Weapons the Royal Guards he fought before reaching the Queen's palace had been equipped with, a request which had been accepted without any tries at negotiations. Taking into consideration none of the Guards managed to fire more than one or two attacks before Fuzen fried them all to death, well, those Magic Weapons were in prime condition, and now served the Loki Familia.

And so, the contract had been signed: Fuzen Katsumi extended his services to the Loki Familia, and the Captain accepted.

Still, while the Pallum trusted in the boy's capabilities, he could not recklessly give him an important role, either. Thus, in the few days they had left until the expedition would be launched, he prepared tests in order to determine if Fuzen was ready for the Deep Floors.

First of all had been a stamina test, for stamina was critical in surviving the Deep Floors. From rushing through dangerous Floors to quickly avoiding sniping by Valgang Dragons all the way to running away from incredibly large groups of enemies they could not be bothered with, stamina was always of high importance.

And so, Finn had Fuzen accompany Bete into the Dungeon, where he tasked the Werewolf to rush all the way to the 25th Floor and back while keeping track of how hard Fuzen needed to push himself to keep up.

Why the 25th Floor?

Because one had to navigate through a series of narrow passageways of various elevations to get to the next Floor. The narrow footholds and up and down nature of the Floor made it a good reference to the environment of the Deep Floors.

Fuzen and Bete also had a limit of six hours to come back, and were also forbidden from running past any groups of Monsters they encountered as that might result in an unwanted Pass Parade on other parties which might have been present of the Floor.

Finn was well aware that Fuzen made use of some sort of strange power which he used to go beyond his limitations as a Level 2, if his feats so far and the fact that he once performed a so-called ritual were anything to go by. However, no power except that of the Gods is absolute, and thus he wished where the secretive boy's limits were.

With that said, he did not expect the duo to be back in merely three and a half hours, neither for Bete to be drenched in sweat while Fuzen looked no worse that he might have after a casual jog around town.

Runt's pissing me off. He glued himself one step behind me and kept that distance no matter how fast I went.

That had been Bete's report, told through ragged puffs of air.

Following that, Finn went onto the next test, which was based around the boy's abilities to dodge and evade attacks as a Supporter.

After all, those who acted as Supporters were an extension of the group's ability to keep pushing forward, the Items and Potions they were entrusted to carry on their backs vital to the group's endurance and morale, both. Without those Items and Potions, going any deeper was simply suicidal, after all.

Thus, this test fell upon Riveria, the Amazon sisters, Lefiya and Alicia, all five of them tasked with accompanying Fuzen to the Upper Floors and then attacking him with both magical, long and close-range attacks, all the while the Fuzen was required to wear a Supporter backpack loaded with items which weighted roughly thrice his own body's weight.

Was this too much?

In fact, it was not.

Any one person blessed with a Falna was numerous times stronger than an unblessed person, and Supporters were often tasked with carrying heavy packs. While this burden did, indeed, hamper their speed and ability to fight, it also meant they would be protected by their comrades for exactly the same reasons.

Fuzen tried to hide his annoyance at this test, something Finn's sharp senses saw through, and instead only asked if he could hold his drawn sword during said test or not.

Being fully aware of the boy's Status and his Development Ability, the Pallum allowed him this request, for being able to evaluate the boy while he performed at his best was indeed what Finn preferred.

And so, the group of six went into the Dungeon, finding a good spot for their training on the sixth Floor.

What happened next would have broken the will of any ordinary Level 2 Adventurer.

From Tiona using her bare fists, to Tione using a borrowed spear, to Alicia firing arrows and Lefiya using Magic, attacks came flying from all sides and all ranges upon the boy as he tried to protect both himself and the backpack he was carrying.

Where every other Adventurer of his Level would have been brought down, he showed once again his skills and evaded most of the attacks.

However, he could not dodge them all.

Was it because of the backpack's weight dragging him down, or the fact that he was not allowed to attack? Or perhaps, was it because of something else entirely?

While the women tasked with testing him could not say, the boy slowly began to accumulate damage, from Tione's spear or Lefiya's weakened Arcs Ray scratching him ever so slightly. Alicia's blunted arrows, he managed to dodge. Some, he even managed to reflect back at the elf, as it was not classifying as attacking, and as far as Tiona's punches and kicks were concerned, he always managed to side-step them at the last second.

However, Riveria could see it. She had been tasked with simply observing and making sure nothing got out of hand, so she noticed it sooner than everyone else. Where the boy could keep up with Bete's speed and somehow managed not to be as exhausted as the Level 5 werewolf, he was now starting to tire.

Getting attacked from four different direction as well as with different sorts of attacks was not easy to deal with, and sweat slowly began to gather on his face. However, he held on well, maximizing his efficiency by using as little movement as possible while minimizing the damage from the attacks that were sure to hit him.

That is, until the girls changed their tactic and decided to attack in sets of two at once.

First were Tiona and Tione, both charging the would-be Supporter at the same time. Sensing their plan, Fuzen looked like he wanted to jump back, but the backpack's weight which he was not used to hindered his movement and the boy did not jump quite as far back as he initially wanted to.

Noticing him still in her reach, Tione thrust her spear towards him, the boy hastily twisting his torso and raising his arm to avoid getting hit. However, in that one moment he allowed his focus to slip, Tiona reached his position and threw a kick at him, one he was unable to dodge from his out of balance position. The kick landed on his arm, his sword flying out of his hand and the boy tumbling across the ground for a good meter or two.

He quickly got up to his feet, but Riveria noticed the sharpened focus in his eyes gone, and stepped forward to give the signal to stop.

She had been one second too late, however: Alicia fired a blunted arrow at his kneecap, the arrow hitting it's mark as the boy's focus had been scattered by the blow and his now missing sword. His balance shaken for the second time, Fuzen looked up and hissed a profanity as his eyes went wide in surprise.

Being the stubborn little boy he was, however, he would not go down without achieving at least some degree of victory: thus he slipped his left arm under the left strap and grabbed the right strap, taking the backpack off his back and in one fluid motion, hurling it towards Riveria.

A moment later, he received a face-full of Lefiya's weakened Arcs Ray, and fell flat on his back.

Though he had failed the test in itself, Fuzen nonetheless showed incredible decision-making skills as, in the face of inevitable danger, he managed to find a way to secure the group's lifeline, which were the items and potions he was entrusted with.

Obviously, this was not the favoured outcome that Finn expected as he listened to Riveria's report...but he made sure to keep in mind how the boy decided to react in that specific moment.

Two healing potions and a couple of days later, the expedition had been launched, and Finn decided to have their mercenary be part of the first group to descend into the Dungeon.

With their large numbers, descending into the Dungeon all at once would have been a logistical nightmare. Thus, Finn had split off their forces into three groups, all led by one of their Top Executives, with the first group being led by him.

Reaching the Deep Floors and successfully coming back alive was their top priority, yes, but as the Captain of his Familia, Finn had to take into consideration other factors, too. Thus, in order for their Familia as a whole to benefit from the costly expedition, their forces had to be split efficiently for the maximum amount of Excelia gained by everyone.

Finn, Ais, Fuzen and Bete were part of the first group, the group who would descend first and clear the way for those following behind them. They were also made up of mostly Level 1's with some experience behind them, as Finn wanted them to fight the most until reaching their first stop, which was the safety point 18th Floor, also known as Rivira. It was also the group with the most Executives, for their group was the first who would encounter any unexpected dangers the Dungeon might decide to throw at them.

Riveria and Tione were in charge of the second group, by far the largest, as they were charged with moving the essentials that were required for their lengthy expedition: food, spare weapons and armours, potions, tents and much more. The largest number of veterans and Second Class Adventurers had been assigned to this group, as they could not allow their essentials to be damaged by surprise Monster attacks or other likewise unexpected turns of events.

The third group was led by Gareth and Tiona, and it contained the smallest number of members, but also a good mix of veterans and promising newcomers alike. They were also the fastest group, and it was their duty to rush to the second group's aid in case something unexpected came up. This was done by positioning small groups of two people, one Second and one Third Class Adventurer, along a line between the second and third group, so that word of mouth might get quickly to Gareth in case his group's strength was needed.

This was all thought out and planned by the one man whose strategic might was acknowledged by the very Gods who walked the Earth, and whose feats now passed into the realm of legend: the Pallum's Light Finn Deimne. The Adventurer known as Braver.

Utilizing this strategy, the Loki Familia had reached their first stop, the 18th Floor, without any setbacks, injuries or fatalities.

However, they were still nowhere near their goal, which was still a couple of days away. Neither would they rest on the 18th Floor for long. As soon as all three groups arrived on their first stop, a couple of hours after their expedition had been launched, Finn gave the order for the reallocation of personnel.

Keeping on as they were would not be sound, after all, thus Finn had already planned where each of his Familia's member would be located on their long trip to the Deep Floors.

As such, they changed their respective group's members four times: once after reaching the 18th Floor, then on each safety point afterwards: the 34th, 39th and finally, on the 50th Floor. However, the distance between the groups was no longer as great as before.

On the Upper and Middle Floors, they also had to mind other Adventurers and split up into groups to avoid overwhelming them with their numbers. After passing through the 30th Floor, however, Finn had the first group wait for the second, while the second waited until the third was in sight. From there on, they had moved while in sight of each other, while still maintaining distance just enough to avoid all of their expeditionary force getting wiped out in the case of some highly-unexpected but all the same possible scenario.

That is how, for six days, the Loki Familia had moved through the Dungeon, until they reached their destination, the safety point on the 50th Floor where the bulk of their force would be stationed as the elites would go and face the challenges which lay beyond.

However, Finn also used this march of theirs to give Fuzen his third and last test, which stretched over the many days they required to reach their final stop.

Starting from the 18th Floor, Finn asked Fuzen to summon Raiju and have the magic familiar wait on said Floor until they reached the next safety point.

Once they arrived on the 34th Floor, he requested Fuzen to call Raiju to him just like the day where he launched his attack on Altena, the day Raiju became a bolt of lighting and rose to the skies, then launched himself at incomprehensible speeds towards his Master's location and reaching said location within a matter of seconds, as the broadcast had shown the Pallum and everyone else who watched the event unfold.

This test was to be repeated two more times afterwards: from the 34th Floor to the 39th, and from the 39th to the 50th.

Finn also made sure to note down the speed with which Raiju managed to reach his Master, as well as whatever or not Fuzen was tired while moving from safety point to safety point, not to mention whatever the large distance between the summoned dragon and the Master hampered Fuzen's stamina, strength, focus, speed, reflexes or any other aspect of him as a fighter in any way, shape or form.

Once he went over all the tests and their results, as well as considering past events which involved the boy, he made up his mind and brought his plan to the attention of the other Executives.

Naturally, he already knew Riveria would be against it and that there would be no chance to change her mind. Gareth, on his part, took a long minute to consider Finn's proposal. In the end, the veteran dwarf neither said No nor Yes, instead stating that he understood where Finn was coming from, while also asking the Pallum if he was aware of all the risks. Finn nodded, and with that, Gareth sighed and nodded too.

Bete, perhaps quite unsurprisingly, was against it too, although Finn's intuition told him he spoke words he himself was not fully backing up. Tione simply stated that if Finn believed it to be the best course of action, she would take his side while also making sure the new change in their plans did not get in the Captain's way.

Ais agreed from the get-go, while Tiona, surprisingly enough, was also in agreement. Excitedly in agreement, Finn might add.

And so, taking everyone's opinions into consideration but at the same time decreeing his final verdict as Captain of their Familia, Finn decided to bring Fuzen along with the small group of elites into the Deep Floors, past the 51th Floor.

Was this a foolish move?

Yes. Yes, it was. Very much so, in fact.

Was it a reckless move, something unusual for the otherwise highly strategic and logical Finn?

Yes. It was, indeed, a reckless move.

Was he condemning the young boy to an early grave?

...Perhaps. Even with all the tests and their results, even with all the boy's previous feats: defeating a Monsters Rex, destroying the capital of a major continental power and much more, even with the boy's unusual strength and his unique Magic, Finn knew he was still not prepared for the horrors of the Deep Floors.

In all honesty, despite everything he had built himself up to be, Finn doubted he would ever be able to look Fuzen's Mistress in the eyes if the boy died on his watch.

Why?

Because he was putting at risk a promising youth all for his own gains. A youth who displayed incredible talent and willpower, and who one day very well might surpass the Braver himself, given enough time.

Because faced with two options, he decided to choose the one which acted against the boy: though he was putting Fuzen in great danger by bringing him along, the boy's presence itself boosted their own chances at survival.

The well-being of the group over the well-being of the individual.

Faced with two options, Finn decided to choose the option which benefited his Familia the most, as any Captain would do.

At least, that is the excuse he was telling himself. Finn was well aware it was nothing more than just that: an excuse.

Was he turning colder with the passing of the years, all of those choices justified simply because the boy was, currently, not part of his Familia, and thus expendable as long as his members were kept alive?

He did take all precautions he could to ensure the boy's chances at survival were as high as possible: he forbid Fuzen from engaging in battle unless absolutely necessary, he also positioned him in the very middle of their formation, and he also had the boy act as a Supporter, all the while having him carry the lightest amount of essentials on his back: the spare potions. Lastly, the boy was also allowed to keep his sword drawn in order for Fuzen to make use of all of his Skills and Abilities.

Was that, however, enough to make up for the reckless endangerment of a child's life?

...Finn couldn't say.

He also couldn't allow himself to dwell on such thoughts while so deep in the Dungeon.

He decided the boy would be their last lifeline and follow them into the bowels of Hell itself.

How exactly was the boy to act as their lifeline?

Why, by summoning Raiju to them in case the group was faced with great risk, and then having the serpentine dragon carry them all back to safety, of course.

...I'm becoming more shrewd. Is this Loki's influence? Or maybe...someone else's?...Heh.

"All right, let's do this!" The Captain shouted as he led his party through the challenges of the Dungeon, his party replying with determined shouts of their own.

They were the Loki Familia: they would face the Dungeon and live to tell the tale.

XXX

A fricking lifeline, was it? I swear, if I didn't respect that Pallum as much as I do...Sigh...Guess I should not complain, though.

Fuzen thought to himself as he kept his pace on par with that of the group, sword drawn and held in his right hand. Though he was annoyed at the Captain for treating a Disciple of the Lighting Sword Style as a simple Supporter, he would let it go this one time.

After all, he was well aware that no other Level 2 individual would ever be allowed to accompany a group of exceptional individuals on such a deep Floor of the Dungeon. For once, the lizard's existence brought some benefits to him, and he would make the most of this chance to observe, learn and memorize the Monsters found on those Floors in order to use them in imaginary training sessions once he was back on the surface.

Though they had been running for a couple hours now and were still a long distance away from their expedition's goal, Fuzen noticed a couple of things already and began to subconsciously use them as references.

Firstly, the Monsters: from the Black Rhinos to the Venom Scorpions and Silver Worms, all Monsters found on the 51th and 52th Floor they were passing through at the moment, the Monsters of the Deep Floors were not quite as...special as he had initially believed.

As a swordsman, Fuzen always set his expectations as high as possible in order to avoid underestimating his foes. When he first read about those Monsters and their toughness, he expected them to be so strong that at least two First Class Adventurers would need to fight one of them in order to win.

But that was not the case.

From the sounds produced by Bete's kicks to the sharpness echoing through the air as Ais launched her attacks and to the difference in milliseconds which Riveria's spells required to burn or freeze through the defences of the Monsters, Fuzen used all of those hints to mark, gauge and categorize which of those Monsters found within the Deep Floors he could defeat on his own.

So far, everything fell within the green zone: he could cut them all down, as well.

Could he cut them as easily as the Monsters found on previous Floors?

No, of course not. Fuzen knew he would need to coat his sword in an incredible amount of Ki and keep it as focused as possible to cut through the thick, armour-like hide of the Black Rhinos and the likewise incredible durable exoskeleton of the Venom Scorpions.

But he would be able to do it.

He could cut them down.

...And that's...slightly disappointing, in all honesty. Is there truly nothing left in the world which I cannot cut down? For the sake of the Lighting Sword Style future's, I hope that is not true…

"…! Turn left!" The Captain ordered, and both the main group as well as the vanguard, Ais and Bete, executed the order without question. A couple of moments later, another laser-like attack from the Dragons down on the 58th Floor struck through the ground, their group having avoided it by the skin of their teeth. "Take the second corridor to the left!"

Though the Top Executives and the Level 4 Supporters looked on edge, Fuzen himself was little else but annoyed at the current situation.

Firstly, it was not as hellish as Raul had called it, and secondly, the Valgang Dragons pissed him off.

Those damned lizards sure are cocky, aren't they? I want to slice them up so bad...But I can't break off from the group, that would go against my contract...As for Raiju…

The leech himself had been left behind on the 50th Floor with the main force at Finn's own request. Strange enough as it seemed to some of the less experienced members, Fuzen understood why Finn asked for this: with all their elite members and experienced Level 4's gone, the camp only had the strength of mostly Level 3's and a couple Level 4's to rely on as well as the Magic Swords Fuzen gave Finn for free. Thus, Raiju's extraordinary power and large area of effect attacks was acting as assurance for both those who remained behind and those who dwelled deeper into the Dungeon, alike. Worst case scenario, Fuzen could simply summon him to their aid in a matter of seconds.

Though it is annoying that I need the full chant in order to summon him...As I expected, you truly are useless, aren't you?

Hey, now, my Master, I'll have you know it was only because of me that Master survived Altena. I'm also keeping this camp full of weaklings safe, am I not?

Oh ho, grew arrogant enough to talk back to me, did you? How about I keep you away from my Ki for a week or two, huh?

Please don't, you sadistic Master. I'll literally shrivel down to resemble a twig…

Yes. Yes, you will.

Naturally, Fuzen did not tell Finn nor any of the Loki Familia members that he could communicate with Raiju via telepathy, nor the fact that he could share his sense of sight and hearing with the dragon, and thus had dual-awareness, always being aware both his immediate surroundings as well as those of the leech

Those were two of the greatest secrets of his he could not allow anyone to know, for they allowed him to always have an upper hand over his foes and potential future foes alike.

If only it wasn't this mentally straining...Sigh...Guess I shouldn't complain, tho-

Zzzzz… Zzzzz...Hehe… Zzzzz.

...Master, the freeloader's snoring is getting louder.

Yeah, you don't say. I'm hearing it, all right. It's my mind, after all. And you are just as much of a freeloader as her, you stupid lizard.

Hey now, how can you say that, my Master? Aren't we two halves of the same coin, sharing even our minds and senses in a perfect harmony befitting one such as yourself and his split-off fragment, unlike the short freeloader?

"...I'll fricking slice you up and deep-fry you for that disgusting comparison…"

"Did you say something?" Alicia, the closest to him, asked.

"Nothing. Focus."

"R-Right."

It was quite boring, in all honesty. Being given such a minor role was not easy to deal with for Fuzen, who would have much rather jumped forward into the vanguard and help with clearing the way, but he knew his Ki would not last if he were to do battle. After all, summoning Raiju to him left a sizeable dent in his Ki pool, and the lizard himself used his Ki to unleash his attacks and keep the camp safe from groups of Monsters which slipped past his group on their descent.

Now that his Magic Attribute has been unlocked, he could thankfully call upon his Mind as well to help with the summoning of Raiju or lend it to the lizard to attack with, but it was still but a shallow pond of energy compared to the lake that was his Ki pool.

Fuzen also had little time to experiment exactly what the difference between the two different energy sources were, and he could also not allow himself to start experimenting in earnest while on such a dangerous, high-risk expedition. Thus, he would only call upon his Ki for the moment, and use his Mind only as a last resort.

He had plans, however: he would experiment and note down the differences all the while continuing to increase his Magic Attribute. This way he hoped that one day he could use only his Mind for any actions related to the lizard, while keeping his Ki for himself.

A man could hope, at the very least. Though, with how life had recently been for him, Fuzen could not bring himself to be overly motivated by such optimistic ideas.

The half of his pool which the lizard used for his birth was gone for good. As hair-pulling and eye-scratching infuriating as it was, that much was a fact set in stone. For now, he was weaker thanks to that, but perhaps one day soon he could enlarge his Ki pool yet again with another awakening, and then at the very least he should be back to square one.

He would have loved to make use of Riveria's vast knowledge on magic-related matters during his future experimentation in order to figure out if having two...three different energies flowing through one's body was even safe, but...he couldn't do it.

Letting the High-Elf in on such secrets would be far more foolish. After all, this knowledge could probably be used against him. He didn't know exactly how, but he was sure the mask-wearing people all around him could turn this into knowledge against him.

With his war on Altena and the civilian casualties which resulted from his attacks, not to mention with the purge he started inside Orario, Fuzen knew he already had many enemies just waiting for a chance, for a slip on his part, to attack him. If Loki Familia, or any Familia for that matter, decided to turn against him, too, he needed all the advantages he could use.

Thus, as much as he was in need of guidance, now perhaps more than ever before, he could not ask for help. He would need to figure everything out on his own, somehow.

...Nothing new there, I guess.

"We are almost at the stairs to the 53th Floor! Keep this pace up!"

"Yes, sir!"

Oh, geez. How long was I lost in thought? We already made it here?

My Master, you've been gone longer than one hour now, pondering so intensely on your thoughts. It ain't safe, you know?

You keep your slimy opinions to yourself, lizard. I can be focused even while I am not.

...Geez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the pillow. Ever since that event back then, I'd guess.

Shut the frick up, I'll cut you! Don't remind me of that draw ever fricking again, asshole!

Draw, he says…

The Successor of the Lighting Sword Style knows no defeat! I came back, you hear? Thus, it was not a loss: it's a fricking draw! A. DRAW!

Ok, ok, I got it, my Master. Make sure you don't pop a vein or something…

Then shut up and focus on your own duties.

Kay, kay…

With a sigh, Fuzen focused his mind and pushed on, keeping up with the rest of the group.

XXX

"*Puff*...*Puff*...Ahhh...We...We made it…" Raul muttered through ragged hisses of breath as he fell on his hands and knees, as did the other two Level 4's of the group. They had just slain the last Monster which attacked them, and thus allowed themselves this moment of respite.

After nine hours of constant running and fighting, coming close to death more than just a couple of times, the group managed to reach their goal: the outer rims of the 56th Floor.

Luckily enough for them, it seemed the notes left by the Zeus Familia were true, and because this Floor was larger than the 58th Floor, the Dragons could not snipe them on the outer rims, as they were beyond the Monsters ability to sense them.

This trip was by far the hardest on the Level 4 Supporters, who had to go above and beyond to simply keep up with the rest of the group, not to mention the instances where they had to fight as well all the while carrying their backpacks. So far, they had lucked out and only needed to join the fray three times, but who knew how many more times they would need to do so?

"That was the last of them." Finn stated as he looked over their surroundings once, spotting no further enemies for the time being. "We will rest here for fifteen minutes. Bete, Ais, keep watch. Supporters, check how much of everything we still have left after that marathon, then report back to me."

Hearing the long awaited words from the Captain, the group sighed as one and relaxed, at least, as much as one could relax so Deep into the Dungeon.

"Here." Walking up to the exhausted Cruz, Fuzen took out a stamina potion and extended it to the Chienthrope.

"T-Thanks."

"Mhm. Nord-sama, do you require one as well?"

"Y-Yes, please…" Raul nodded. Though not as exhausted as the other Second Class Adventurers, his Status being the highest when compared to theirs, Raul was nonetheless tired from all the running they had done.

It wasn't just him, either: except for the three pillars of their Familia, everyone else was in an out of breath shape.

"Here you go. Forestlight-sama, are you in need of potions?"

"Yes, a stamina one, please."

"Here. Does anyone else require potions?"

One by one, the werewolf, the twins and the golden-haired princess walked up to him, each in need of another sort of potion. Tiona had been by far the most injured so far, as her recklessness during combat allowed for two hits to make it past her defense, both of them hitting her abdomen.

"...You need to fight more focused, Tiona-sama. You do understand that mistakes in this depth of the Dungeon could spell your termination, do you not?"

"I-I know, alright? Geez…"

"For your own sake, I hope you do. Now, it seems the mid-tier healing potion worked, from my perspective. How are you feeling? Is it alright or should we use another one, just in case?"

"Hmm…" The Amazon girl got up to her feet and stretched a couple of times, checking if the wound was fully healed. "Nah, seems alright."

"I see. I am glad to hear this. Then, Deimne-sama, with this everyone's wounds have been healed, and everyone used a stamina potion to make up for the lost energy on the way here."

"Mhm. Then, you can take a short break, too."

"I am fine."

"Yes." Cruz voiced from his sitting position, his eyes narrowing at the boy. "Why are you fine? We ran for literal hours until now."

"Hmm?" Fuzen raised an eyebrow as he looked around at the group, noticing everyone staring at him expectedly. "Why you ask…? I mean, it was nothing all that hard, was it…?"

"...Not that hard…? Fuzen-kun, we three are Level 4 and still exhausted from all that. I would say it was pretty hard." Alicia responded to his question, and the boy gave a nod.

"I see, so this categorizes as something hard. I understand. Then, I suppose my answer to Bussell-sama's question would be: Origin."

"Origin, you say?"

"Well...yes. I trained hard for a whole year before being accepted as a Disciple of the Lighting Sword Style. Without a Falna, that is. No point in borrowing divinity for that which is possible with mortality, after all."

"...If not even our descent here counts as something hard in your eyes, then I'm kinda scared to ask, but...what sort of training did you went through?" Tione asked after listening in on the conversation going on a short distance away from her, and Fuzen turned to look at her.

"Well...Running for fourteen consecutive days in a marathon around the main island of my homeland while my trainer rode behind me on horseback and whipped my back every time I was slowing down, for once. With that counting among the trials which act as the early foundation of my strength...well, running for nine or so hours is not that bad, in all honestly."

A moment of silence followed, a moment where everyone present gazed at the boy trying to figure out if he was perhaps hoping to get a laugh out of them. Alas, Fuzen's expression matched his no-nonsense personality, and thus they understood he was not joking around.

"F-Fourteen days…?"

"Yes."

"...Still, surely you don't mean consecutively as in…"

"Hm? No, I mean it just as you hear it: fourteen days of consecutive running."

"But...what about eating?"

"You can eat while you run, can you not?"

"And...drinking?"

"You can also drink while you run, can you not?"

"...Sleeping?"

"Sleep is for the weak." Fuzen stated sternly. "Also, you can likewise sleep while you run."

"S-Somehow, I find it hard to imagine. Surely you would need a break every now and then, no?" Alicia questioned next, her inquiry managing to get a tilt of the head out of Fuzen.

"Obviously, yes." He replied. "It's not like the horse my trainer rode on could go on forever. He required a couple of hours of rest every day. So we did stop at certain locations every now and then."

"Then it's not consecutive, is it?"

"Hm? Ah, I see. You believe I was resting during these hours. I was not. In fact, I was ordered to run in circle around the resting area until the horse and my trainer were well-rested. Then we moved on."

"...Just...what kind of childhood did you have, Fuzen…?" Raul asked a couple of moments later.

Comically enough, Fuzen simply shrugged at the question. "A normal one?"

"No, no, no. There isn't anything normal about that, child!"

"It isn't? I see…"

The rest of the group simply chuckled at his lack of common sense. Without any intent and perhaps without even realizing it, Fuzen's presence had managed to ease everyone else's nervousness by just a tiny bit, his never-changing personality a ray of normalcy to be found in the ever-changing madness which was the Dungeon.

Their minds now slightly less on edge, the break continued as the Supporters counted everything they brought with them, reporting every item and potion type and their remaining number to the Captain, who used this knowledge to figure out how much longer they would be able to explore the Floor until they needed to make their way back.

"...Still, shame about all these Drop Items." Gareth said as he looked down at the Drop Items from the group of Monsters they slayed just before deciding on taking a breath. "Would make us a pretty penny. No room to spare for them, tho."

Indeed, even Finn himself knew this. Drop Items from these Floors could be sold for a high price, and that money could go to pay for the expenses of the expedition. However, they could not allow themselves to be slowed down by their weight and bulk. After all, only their Supporters carried backpacks, and those were already filled with items essential to their survival.

"...Hmm. I reckon we can take them all back, if Captain wishes for this." Fuzen spoke up after a moment of thought, gaining the full attention of the Pallum Captain.

"Do you have a plan, Fuzen?"

"I suppose?"

"Explain." The Captain stated as he crossed his arms.

"As long as we are here, on the outer rims of this Floor, the lizards down below won't snipe us, right?"

"Correct."

"And the goal of this expedition is to explore this Floor, right?"

"Again, correct."

"Then, as we continue on with exploration and encounter Monsters, we ca pile all the Drop Items in a corner, all along the way. Then when it's time to go back, I'll summon my lizard and we can trace back our route, picking up every pile of Drop Items along the way and storing it atop Raiju. As long as we are not unfortunate enough to count a gravely-injured among us which we would need to bring back to camp quickly, we can execute this plan slowly and securely."

Finn's eyebrows raised in surprise: it was a good, solid plan, one which he had failed to think off. Why exactly? Finn couldn't say. Was it because he lacked Fuzen's child-like, simple ingenuity? Or was it because he still failed to think of the serpentine dragon as a real, tangible ally?

"Hahaha!" The dwarf laughed heartily as he noticed the Pallum's honest surprise at the suggestion. "He got one on you, Finn!"

"Hmhm, he did indeed...Good thinking, Fuzen. I like it. We will go with that, then."

"I am glad to have been helpful, Deimne-sama." Fuzen replied with a bow of his head, then looked down and met the Pallum's eyes again. "With that said, I would have another suggestion to make. Of course, the end decision lies solely with you."

"...I'm listening."

"Would you perhaps prefer to explore this Floor without the interference of those pesky lizards down below?"

"...Oh, you've got my attention now, that's for sure…"

XXX

"[Then, are you ready?]" He asked as they both stood in front of the entrance for no specific reason.

"[Of course, my lord.]"

"[...Very well, then. Follow me.]"

With a nod, the boy took the lead and opened the door, stepping inside the shop, the other man following just a couple of steps behind him. "...Good day, Teasanare-sama." Fuzen greeted the silver-haired doctor behind the counter, once again amazed at the fact that, despite her Familia being as recognized as it was, he never seemed to have to wait in line, as there were never other customers around when he decided to come to the shop.

...Huh. Almost as if someone is writing the scenario or something…

"Welcome, Fuzen-kun." She nodded once at the boy, then looked over to his side, at the tall man twice Fuzen's size. He was tall and lean, with black eyes and short, spiky black hair. Overall, his appearances were truly unremarkable, save for the sharp, steely look in his eyes and the fact that he was armless. "And welcome to you too, Kato-san."

"Mhm."

"[...You will set your personality aside and show respect to her, Kato.]" Fuzen stated in their native language, the man flinching slightly at the boy's cold tone.

"T-Thank you for your kind greeting, Teasanare-sama."

"Mhm." Fuzen gave a quick nod to his subordinate, then turned to face the doctor again. "Forgive me if this may seem rushed, but may I ask if the custom-made item we requested is done?"

"It is." Amid replied with a smile. "We have made it according to the measurements, so I guarantee there will be no problems. I am ready to being the procedure at any time."

"I see. I am glad to hear so. Then…" Fuzen reached for the pocket inside his clothes, and procured a check which he laid on the counter. "The second half of the payment. How long would the procedure take?"

"Not long. Everything has already been prepared, so at most, half an hour."

"I see. Then if it were possible, I ask that you begin the procedure now. I shall wait."

"Understood. Then, Kato-san, if you would follow me…"

"[...My lord, leaving you alone is…]"

"[You are literally one hundred years too early to worry about me. Go.]"

"[...Understood, my lord.]" Kato replied with a deep nod. "Then please, lead the way."

"Of course."

Wasting no more time, Amid led Kato to a room behind the shop after calling another member of the Dian Cecht to take over the counter. Fuzen meanwhile walked over to a chair on the side and sat down, taking this time to ponder on his thoughts.

He remembered the first day Kato appeared before him from the shadows, two days after he began his work in the East District.

Hard not to remember, too: he almost cut his head off, after all.

The former shinobi had witnessed Fuzen's feats during the brief conflict with Altena, and had been left in great awe at the might he saw. Having been a resident of the East District himself, Kato quickly learned of Fuzen's involvement as well as the boy's roots from the gossip of those Fuzen contacted, and decided to appear before him and offer his services, as well as his allegiance.

As far as Fuzen understood, he was a shinobi who once, roughly fourteen or so years ago, worked for a feudal lord of the Far East. His lord had also been influential enough to get one of the few Deities located in the Far East to bless Kato with a Falna, allowing the now thirty-five years old man to make use of the superhuman strength that came with the divine blessing, as well as the ability to gain Skills and Abilities.

With this advantage, his name became feared among all of his lord's enemies, and he quickly became one of the few shinobi whose name was whispered around the Imperial Court.

But in the end, a shinobi is just a tool, and a tool is expendable.

It was because of this that his lord decided Kato to have passed his usefulness, and hired even stronger individuals to take him out. Through a plot by his own lord, Kato was pulled into a trap while his guard was down, and the hired, blessed mercenaries attacked.

He managed to survive and flee, but at the cost of both of his arms. Once his wounds had been taken care of by an underground doctor, Kato set out to find the Deity who blessed him, and once in front of him, offered the God all the money he had in exchange for having his Falna removed.

Apparently, he wanted to get away from the life of darkness he once led, and thus, after his former Deity selfishly decided to simply unlock the Falna and make it capable of conversion instead of removing it, Kato got onto the first ship that headed west and made for Orario, leaving his homeland behind.

That is the story he told Fuzen.

...So then, what's his end game, I wonder…? Fuzen asked himself as he tried to figure out what Kato was playing at. He had been betrayed before, by his own lord no less, so why had he taken a knee in front of Fuzen without even meeting him once before?

Fuzen could not understand.

Is he looking to take vengeance for the betrayal he experienced before by pledging himself to me, then cutting me down when I least expect it? Hmm...

Cutting him down in his sleep, or making use of his wealth for his own goals. Those were the two reasons Fuzen could come up with as to why the man threw himself at his feet so willingly.

Both reasons were highly welcomed by the boy himself.

If he tried to make use of Fuzen's wealth and then run away, that means he would have a reason to hunt the man and kill him. Tracking down a shinobi who could erase his presence except his Ki would make for a great learning experience, one from which he could learn a lot, Fuzen was sure of that.

And if he tried to kill him in his sleep? Unfortunately for the shinobi, he could remain conscious even during sleep, thus tracking down the man by his Ki signature alone. If he ever grew cocky enough to think of raising his weapon at him, Fuzen would cut him down without hesitation. After all, a highly trained shinobi would make for a fine step on his ever-growing stair to his goal.

"...Yes. Either way, no problems. Mhm."

Now prepared for both of the probable scenarios, Fuzen sat back in his seat and simply waited. Within twenty minutes, Amid and Kato returned, and Fuzen rose back to his feet, his eyes immediately falling upon the man's right side.

"...How is it?"

"It is...strange, my Lord." The man replied as he slowly lifted his prosthetic right arm, clenching and unclenching his fingers a couple of times. "It is strange to feel this mechanic arm as if it were my old one...but, it is not an undesired sensation, my Lord."

"I see. Then, everything is working?"

"I guarantee it." Amid replied from behind Kato, a faint smile on her lips. "As I mentioned before, this type of prosthetic makes use of Magic, and it's main components have been built by no other than Perseus herself with the use of her Mystery Skill. Luckily enough, there were also no complication during the attachment process. Though it may feel numb for a couple of days, with time you should have a complete sense of touch in this arm, just like you would with an organic limb."

"That is...amazing." Kato stated as he looked at his new appendage. Naturally, he was already well aware of the theoretical explanation behind such limbs, but to actually be able to feel the difference, it was something entirely different from simply being told about it.

"It is, indeed. And you will have plenty of time to learn more. For now, we should get going. Teasanare-sama, is there something else we need to tackle following the procedure?"

"No, Fuzen-kun. We already went over the order and the procedure, and you also paid. That concludes this order."

"I see. Then, we should be on our way-"

"Ah, wait. One last matter."

"...I am listening."

"About my next visit regarding the...victims, living at your residence…"

"Ah, that. You may come whenever you so desire. Even if I am not home, I notified my housemaids to allow you entrance be it dawn or dusk."

"You don't have to go that far…"

"It is fine. Your presence, I...I do not...dislike it."

"...O-Oh. I see. Thank you…"

"Mhm." Fuzen nodded. "I will make sure to have some chamomile tea in storage for your arrival."

"Oh my. How did you know I like chamomile tea?"

I smelled it on your breath the last time we met.

Though Fuzen wanted to keep true to his no-lie ideology, something kept him from speaking those words. He felt as if something very bad would happen if he were to be honest this time around and say the words that crossed his mind.

Trusting his guts, he turned away from the silver-haired girl and made for the door, Kato just a few steps behind him. "...An educated guess. Have a continuous good day, Teasanare-sama."

And with that, the two were out of the pharmacy, Kato simply following his lord's slightly rushed pace. "[...I wish to once again offer you my gratitude, my lord. Not only have you accepted me when I had such a large disability, but you even paid for this expensive prosthetic arm...Truly, I am forever in your debt, my lord…]"

"...[Hmm? Think nothing of it. Reward and punishment should be distributed accordingly to success and failure. You have done well while I was away on the expedition. The arm if your reward for a job well done. All is as it should be.]"

"[With all due respect, my lord...I wish you to understand than no other lord follows the same mindset as you, my lord.]"

"[Then they are fools.]" Fuzen shot back without any hesitation. "[Alas, I do not care about such foolishness. I follow my own rules and mindset, not anyone else's.]"

"[…! Yes, my lord!]"

The hell does he sound so motivated all of a sudden…?

"[...Anyway, you need to understand that I am not a kind individual. I have the power and wealth to get you as many limbs as you would require. Yet even then, I only ordered for your right arm to be created. Why? Because despite the results you brought, I am not yet certain you are deserving of such generosity. Prove yourself worthy to me, however, and reward and punishment will be distributed accordingly. Do you understand?]"

"[Yes, my lord! I, Kato, shall work tirelessly for my lord's sake and bring even greater results forth in your name!]"

...Ok, now you're just breaking character for no comprehensible reason at all...The hell's going on here…?

"[I-I see. Mhm. Very well. Then, I have another task for you.]"

"[Anything, my lord!]"

"[Take a couple of days off and focus on getting used to your new prosthetic.]"

"[B-But my lord, I can still work-!]"

"[Do you...believe that was a request, or an order? Choose your answer wisely, Kato.]"

"[…! I understand, my lord! I shall take a couple of days off and focus on getting used to my new arm!]"

"[Yes, you will. Afterwards, I want you to use your unique set of skills and keep watch for promising individuals.]"

"[Promising individuals, my lord?]"

"[Yes. I have and will continue to gain new enemies who will work against me. Build me an information web. One small enough that I can easily pin down any possible traitors quickly, but one still large enough to cover most walls found within Orario. Do you understand?]"

"[Ohhh! Yes, my lord!]"

"[Mhm. Work together with Yamamoto. I left him in charge of all financial matters. If you require funds, then go to him. I shall inform him of the exact amount you are entitled to for the first six months soon. There is no time limit on this task, but…]"

"[I fully understand, my lord! I shall be thorough and swift in my duties!]"

"[Good. Now, go. I wish to walk alone and gather my thoughts.]"

"[Yes, my lord. I shall contact you again soon…]" Mere moments after his reply, Kato's presence simply vanished from behind Fuzen, the boy only feeling his Ki as it jumped forward from shadow to shadow, until it was out of his sensorial area of effect.

That's one pain in the butt gone. Now, I have waved a bit of weakness in his face, entrusting him with such a delicate matter. Which of the two reasons will he try to use now, I wonder? Will he use this new chance to gather like-minded individuals to try and kill me in my sleep, or will he try to run away now that he has gained one prosthetic arm which cost me dozens of millions of Valis? Hmm, I truly wonder…

XXX

His walk having come to an end, Fuzen made his way back to his residence, the sun by now long gone beyond the horizon, the midnight blue of the night slowly enveloping the skies like a calm, star-punctured blanket.

Naturally, he did not use the streets to reach his residence, for that would mean getting jumped by countless people, all of them gathering around him in a circle for some reasons he did not comprehend. Thus, Fuzen used the roofs to quickly move on without getting spotted by the people of the East District.

However, this extra step did not would save himself all of the pain in the butt. It simply meant he avoided the greater bulk of it. And yet, once he arrived home and slid the entrance door open…

"[Ah, Young Master!]"

"[The Young Master is back!]"

"[Welcome back!]"

One by one, the women he saved from a life of harlotry popped out of nowhere and surrounded him to the point he had to consciously keep himself from drawing his sword and getting in a fighting position.

This is...so very...tiring…

"[...I am home. Has anything happened while I was gone?]" He asked, trying to keep his calm demeanour the dominant one.

"[Nothing has happened thanks to Young Master's efforts!]"

The hell does that even mean…?

"[I see.]" In truth, all he was seeing were multiple pairs of breasts barely half a meter away from his face. "[That is...good to know.]"

"[Yes, Young Master!]"

"[Young Master, dinner is ready! We all helped make it!]"

"[...I see. Have you prepared the portions for the ones on the second Floor?]"

A short moment of silence later, the women exchanged a group nod. "[Young Master, we can take care of that-]"

"[Enough.]" Fuzen stated with a raised palm, not about to go with their wishes. "[I will not be ordered around in mine own residence. I will take care of it. All you may start eating dinner without me.]" With that, he walked past the group of women and made for the kitchen, where indeed six trays of food were set aside on a table.

Picking the first tray up, Fuzen made for the central stairway and went up to the second Floor, an action he would need to repeat five more times afterwards.

...A food elevator would come in handy right about now. I should make arrangements for one to be built…

Reaching the first room on the second floor, Fuzen set the food tray down on the floor as he kneeled, making his presence known. "[Nanao, it is Fuzen. I am coming in now.]" With that he slid the door open and grabbed the tray again, walking inside the dimly lit room.

The occupant of the room, Nanao, a woman of twenty-two years of age, was sitting motionlessly on the edge of her western-style bed, beds Fuzen bought and placed throughout the rooms in order to allow the women some degree of extra comfort.

As Fuzen walked inside, she looked up at his approach with blank, empty eyes. For once, Fuzen tended to agree to the saying that the eyes were the window to the soul. Five years of forced prostitution tended to do that to people, after all.

"[...Young Master.]"

"[I have brought food. The others made it.]"

"[...I am...not hungry…]"

"[I see.]" He nodded once, walking over to the chair and pushing it with his leg until it stopped before Nanao, then taking a seat on it. "[I do not care.]"

"…"

Placing the tray on his lap, Fuzen grabbed a spoonful of miso soup and held it close to Nanao's mouth. "[Eat.]"

"[...Young Master, I- Gah?!]" Sensing the woman's hesitation and knowing he had five more to take care of, Fuzen went out of his character and tickled Nanao's side with his free hand. Then, as the woman opened her mouth and he saw his opening, he showed the spoon past her lips, forcing her to drink the soup, one way or another.

"[I don't take kindly to disobedience in my home. You should know that much already.]"

"[...Y-Yes…]"

"[...Is it good? The miso soup?]"

"[...Yes. It is.]"

"[I see. That is good to know. Then…]" He placed the tray on her lap, holding the spoon with the handle to her. "[You should finish it before it gets cold, right?]"

"[...Right.]"

"[Mhm. Leave the tray and dishes on the table, I will come back later for them.]" With the first one taken care of, Fuzen made for the door, guessing the woman would want some privacy while eating.

"[...Thank you.]"

Hearing the whispered words just before sliding the door closed, he looked through the narrow gap at the woman. He did not reply to her words, simply staring at her as he slowly closed the door, remaining like that for a couple of moments.

Then he nodded, and went downstairs again to grab the second tray of food.

The second and third occupants of the second floor had been, to varying degrees, the same as Nanao, but overall needed little push from Fuzen to accept their meals. The fourth occupant was asleep: he would need to check on her again before going to sleep himself. The fifth occupant, also the youngest of the six at seventeen of age, was far more willing to accept the food, and if Fuzen knew her well enough by now, she would ask for seconds once he went to check on her again.

As for the sixth occupant...Fuzen himself needed a couple of moments to collect himself before stepping inside her room.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale…

"[...Yua. It is Fuzen. I am coming in.]" He made his presence known, then opened the door and stepped inside, immediately feeling the temperature difference. The room was at least a couple of degrees warmer than the hallway outside. It was what Amid had advised for this woman, and what he told Riko, Yamamoto's former waitress now turned his full-time housemaid, to be mindful of.

"[ Young Master. Always a pleasure to see you.]" The woman laying inside the bed replied with her coarse voice, barely above a whisper.

"[...I brought you dinner.]"

"[Thank you, Young Master, and sorry for the trouble.]"

"[...If it was troubling, I would not be doing it. I am not that nice, after all.]"

The woman chuckled lightly, and Fuzen's eye immediately began to twitch in response. "[Of course, Young Master.]"

"[...I'll help you up.]" He stated as he placed the tray on the table near her bed, turning to face the woman.

Yua was the oldest of all the residents of his home, at twenty-seven years of age. Looking at her, one could guess that once, she had been a stunning beauty, but that was all gone. Now, she was little more than skin and bone, her skin dry and shrivelled, her cheeks hollow and lips chapped. What Fuzen guessed had once been a beautiful sea of jet black hair now resembled little else but a broom, all of her hair's shine and softness a long-lost memory. Her voice, too, was coarse and hurtful to the ears thanks to the years spent screaming in agony.

Yes, she was just another victim of the Goddess Rati's carnal indulgences, where no limits existed as long as the Goddess got her kick out of it. She was also the only one to have survived Fuzen's wrathful onslaught, as she was locked in a smaller torture chamber than the larger one where Fuzen slaughtered everyone, aggressor and victim alike, save for the Goddess herself.

"[I can manage, Young Master, you don't have to bother. If you could only lift the pillow up?]" Yua replied as she pulled the blanket down from her torso and used her twig-like arms to push herself up from the bed into a sitting position.

Fuzen simply nodded to her request, and lifted her pillow up, Yua then leaning back into it, stretching her legs back up into the warmth of the blanket one at a time. Once she was ready, Fuzen grabbed the tray and placed it on her lap, then grabbing the stool inside the room and sitting by her side. "[Do you require assistance?]"

"[No, Young Master. Thank you. I can manage, I think.]" Yua replied with a chuckle and slowly reached for the spoon on the tray, needing a couple of tries until she managed to grab it stably enough without the spoon falling out of her grip. "[...Oh. This soup is amazing.]"

"[...The others prepared today's dinner.]"

"[Hehe...I see. They are all sweet girls.]"

*Twitch*

"[...The rice seems a bit of an overkill, however.]"

"[Why is that, Young Master? It looks delicious.]"

"[You don't have any molars left.]" Fuzen replied bluntly.

"[Hehe, I still have two left, Young Master. The rice won't escape me. Hehehe.]"

*Twitch* *Twitch*

"[...I see.]" Fuzen nodded, following Yua's movements with his eyes, back and forth, back and forth, over and over again, until she was done with the soup, then switched over to the rice.

Then, surprisingly, after taking the first bite, a tear ran down her cheek, Fuzen raising an eyebrow at the confusing sight before him.

"[...I apologize. It reminds me of the rice my mother prepared. Slightly too salty and too overcooked, but easy to chew…]"

"…"

"[Thank you, Young Master.]"

"[...I didn't prepare the rice.]"

"[No. But it is because of you that I can enjoy something like this again. That is why...thank you. Truly, thank you…]"

*Twitch*

Just my luck.

A whore who lies to herself and tries to grasp at strength she will never achieve.

A whore who believes herself to be still human, despite the taint oozing off her every pore.

"...Sigh…"

"[Hm? Is something wrong, Young Master?]" Yua asked as she noticed the short sigh Fuzen let out just before he stood up and looked at her, slowly raising his hand...then pointing at her lap.

"[Do you...desire a second helping?]"

XXX

Sigh...This is all so tiring…

Fuzen sighed as he leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and letting the gentle if slightly cool night's breeze run over his skin, the sensation managing to calm down his nerves if only by a little.

Once his house chores were finished, he had brewed himself a cup of tea and went to his room on the second floor, taking a seat on the balcony. From there, he could see a great deal of the East District and it's myriad of lights which jumped to live as soon as the dark of night fell over the city, as well as a sizeable portion of his garden.

...What to do next, I wonder…?

He knew for sure that increasing his influence in the East District would benefit him in the long run, but in all honesty, he was lost.

"...How do I grasp the Heavens…?"

To grasp the Heavens in the correct way he would need to do certain things in very specific ways, with no room for failure. What happened in Altena, for example, was not helpful for him to grasp the Heavens in the least. Of course, winning that war did boost certain parts of his goal, but it had not been a required step.

As for becoming the most influential person in the East District, well, this course of action had been mostly done in order to gain the benefits that came with achieving control of this part of Orario, but once again, it was not a step on his path towards his goal.

His greatest problem, however, was that he was not aware what his next step was supposed to be. He knew, theoretically, what was required, but he knew not which practical action would lead to the theoretical goal.

Even in his anger back then, he was aware of this lack of knowledge, and thus why he quickly extended his services to the Loki Familia in exchange for what the equivalent of pocket money for both him and the Loki Familia.

He had hoped seeing the Deep Floors with his own eyes would help in some way, in any way, truly.

But it had not.

Neither the Floors nor it's Monsters had proven to be anything exceptional, in his opinion. The First Class Adventurers of Loki Familia could conquer them, and so could he if he was to unleash the full power of the Lighting Sword Style.

Could he conquer those Floors on his own?

...No.

He was still lacking for such a feat.

But he could survive in them, at least as long as any one First Class Adventurer, if not even more than them.

It...was not the next step towards hi goal, he understood that much.

His thought then drifted off to his Level.

Quite so, before the whole problem with Altena and the weasel started, he had focused his efforts on raising his Level to make up for the lost Ki caused by the birth of Raiju.

However…

Doing that would be contradictory to some of his past claims.

A while ago, on the top of the Babel, he told Loki that one of the reasons he could not join their large and powerful Familia was because of merit.

He needed merit to further his own goals, and if he joined the Loki Familia, at least half of his merit would always be attributed to them.

He has the Level 6's to back him up, of course he managed that feat.

He has that many high Level individuals as comrades, of course he would survive through that ordeal.

He is part of the strongest Familia, of course…

That is what would shroud his achievements if he were to join a large Familia, and he could not allow that. For the sake of the Lighting Sword Style, every single one of his merits from now on needed to be gained solely for the Lightning Sword Style.

That is why a Level-Up was, after a long period of thought, also out of the equation. While a Level 3 was nothing too special when compared to a Level 6 or 7, they were nonetheless rare and possessed strength most people could not even imagine. Strength to which the merit of his future feats would be attributed to.

That would not do, either.

All the merit needed to go solely to his Sword Style.

Not to his Level.

Not to some strong Familia.

Only to his Sword Style.

He's a user of the Lighting Sword Style, so of course he managed to pull through that absolutely impossible challenge which everyone else until now failed.

That is the reaction he needed the population of the known world to have of him in order to pass the current step on his path and go towards the next.

"...But how can I manage something like that…?"

Fuzen sighed, leaning even further into the chair.

He was truly at the ends of his wits. Battling Altena and all other countries of the continent would prove easier than coming to an answer to his question.

...Sigh...What else…? Perhaps...slaying that Black menace?

Fuzen focused on the newest part of him, still asleep even at the current time. He focused, more so than he was required for anything else, and slowly but surely, he began to fall into a trance of sorts, his sight jumping to another time, and another location.

A brown-haired swordsman.

A golden-haired woman.

And before them, a winged dragon of jet black scales, it's wingspan wide enough to engulf half the skies, it roar so thunderous it skinned the earth of it's grass and split the clouds apart.

Then lastly, a small girl of long, golden hair and golden, tear-stained eyes, running as fast as she could towards the two adults, calling their names in desperation, before…

And that was it.

From there on, the memory ended abruptly, sending him back to the present.

Another sigh escaped his lips, and Fuzen looked at his hand. "...Aria." With that word said, the wind began to gather in his palm, slowly taking the shape of a wind tornado.

He gazed at it for a couple of seconds, feeling sick to his stomach at what that simple, mini tornado meant for him.

"...Hypocrisy. Tsk…" A wave of the hand later, the tornado had been dispelled, and Fuzen gazed up at the sky again.

The Black Dragon. Would cutting that lizard down help me in my goals, I wonder…? I did get that Tenmashin Skill a while ago, didn't I? Should make me more effective against flying lizards...Hmm…

Then again, I don't have any clue where that asshole Monster is, nor does anyone else. Searching for it would take an incredible amount of time, as well...Sigh. Guess this is out of the question…

"So then, what…? What should I do…?"

Eyes focused on the twinkling stars above his head, Fuzen began to doze off as he still pondered on that question, first wile dozing off, then even during his sleep.

He stayed like that for a couple of minutes, sleeping soundly with only the raising of his chest as hint that he was still alive.

Then his eyes shot wide open, wider than ever before in fact, and he jumped to his feet. "...That's it. I got it...Finally...Raiju!"

"Gahhh-?! What?! Altena again?!" The lizard woke up and flew out of his basket at the feet of Fuzen's bed, looking around in a state of half-awakening.

"Let's go!" Fuzen ordered from the balcony.

Raiju on his part took a moment to fully wake up, then Fuzen's thoughts began to overlap with his own knowledge and the dragon was left with his mouth agape. "...No. That's too reckless, Master!"

"Shut up, nobody asked your opinion!"

"You'll die! One hundred percent!"

"No I won't! Now shut the fuck up! Let's go!"

Using his willpower to pacify the lizard, Fuzen had him transform to his mid-size form, then flew on his back towards his destination. Within the minute they had arrived at the tower which was his destination, and Fuzen kicked the windows wide open before jumping into the room.

"W-What? What's going on?!" Loki shouted as her torso jumped up from the bed, her eyes wide open in confusion.

"One year, give or take." The boy spoke as he lifted one finger to face level.

"W-What?"

"I said one year, give or take." Fuzen repeated. "Let me join your Familia, and in one year, I will make it so that both I, as well as the Loki Familia as a whole, will both gain merit beyond what you would otherwise think impossible."

"…"

"Finally, I have came to an answer, one where I can gain my own merit while still being part of your Familia without sharing any said merit with you, while also allowing you in on some."

"Really?! Whoa! Nice going, lil' Fuzen!" Loki cheered him as she got out of bed and clapped her hands, walking towards the young boy which now stood in the middle of her circular room.

"Indeed."

"Yes, truly nice work! However…" Loki then grabbed Fuzen's right arm, and turned her back towards him. Following that, using strength Fuzen thought impossible from someone of her size, she threw Fuzen over her shoulder right into the stone wall in front of them. "Don't just burst into a lady's room in the middle of the night, you jerk!"

...Auch?

A couple of weeks later, Fuzen Katsumi would use his wealth to have the Goibniu Familia build an art gallery in the 6th District of Orario.

XXX

And that's about it.

Jesus F-ing Christ, I have to say, that expedition sucked the life out of me. Make it an expedition, but at the same time, don't. Make Fuzen a part of it, but at the same time, don't give him a major role. I couldn't just Finn become a retard and allow a Level 2 boy to be part of the vanguard after all, that would be too...out of character for someone as clever as Finn. Thus, I ended up with the idea that Fuzen's role is a Supporter, as well as their "lifeline", as they could all ride Raiju to safely get back to camp in case something bad happens.

What did you think of that reason? Good? Bad? Stupid? Genius?

Leave me some reviews regarding that. And regarding the Chapter as a whole, for that matter.

If you were wondering what else happened on that expedition, I will use flashbacks in future Chapters to show you all exactly what transpired.

Anyway, that's about it from me this time around.

Kay bye.