Chapter 3:
Mikoto was conditioned to wake up early. Her routine could not be skipped. She woke up with Haruhime in their shared room since they refused to separate and got to work dressing for the morning. Haruhime put on her maid outfit, while Mikoto put on training garbs and braided her hair. They chatted idly and spent time together. Afterwards, they split for the day.
While Haruhime got the house ready, Mikoto met Ryuu at the front gate. Then, the two of them strolled through Orario to the yard behind the Hostess of Fertility. They kept training weapons there. While they warmed up, the rest of Mikoto's training partners joined them. What had started with Lunoire, Anya, and Chloe had recently added Aisha. Also, for the first time this particular morning, Asfi was in the courtyard. She played with her glasses and her outfit, clearly uncomfortable.
When Ryuu spotted her old friend, she directed Mikoto to begin sparring while she spoke to Asfi. Just as Ryuu had given the order to start, Aisha launched herself at the young lady in purple. Mikoto dodged Aisha's padao but then took a hit to her right side from Lunoire. The waitress had already backed up, her fists up in position for the next strike. Mikoto couldn't respond, though; she was busy parrying Chloe's daggers. Then she was moving to the side, trapping Anya's spear and Chloe's daggers.
Mikoto was able to trip Chloe up with her foot, sending her into Anya. Then she pivoted on her free foot, Aisha's sword slicing by her face. Mikoto used her momentum to kick Aisha across the head. The action barely registered on the level four's face but, but it gave Mikoto a chance to push off her opponent and gain some space. She returned her sword to the ready position with a roll of her wrists and shoulders. Her opponents faced her.
"Her technique's better, nyan!" said Anya.
"Managing the space and her opponents better too," added Lunoire.
"No time to get complacent though!" shouted Aisha, taking off.
The amazon swung her large blade down, Mikoto nudging the edge away with her own katana. Then she dropped one hand, grabbed her knife, and stabbed at Aisha. She buried the blade in the Amazon's side. The movement was automatic; the only reason she had the knife was that sleeping with it was a habit. Everyone stopped at the sign of bleeding, Mikoto stumbling back, tripping on her feet. She wanted to apologize, but her throat closed up, choked on memories.
"Good Yamato! Remember, you have two hands! Use them, attack always!"
The rush of battle came back to her then. The cheers of the arena drowning out what was going on around her. She saw a pair of eyes, one gold, the other blue, and her mouth felt like it was filled with sand. She felt someone grab her shoulder, but her body reacted automatically by grabbing their wrist and executing a perfect throw. The next thing Mikoto knew, Ryuu had crashed into a pile of crates, Aisha was bleeding on the floor, and the others were watching her with wary eyes. Then Mikoto felt her stomach-churning, the memories of her victims haunting her. When did her heart start beating so loud? She could feel it vibrating through her body. Any movement she saw was fuzzy. She forgot how long she was there.
Mikoto proceeded to hold her head, almost crushing it from the pressure. Then, she felt her hands trembling. She began unbraiding and braiding her hair, the repetition helping to calm her down. Her breathing regulated, and she came back to the training yard. Ryuu was crouching down in front of her, calling out her name. The elf sounded like she was in a deep well. Slowly, Mikoto tried to focus on Ryuu's voice.
Mikoto steadied and tried for a shaky smile, "I apologize for my freak out. It has been a while since I…"
If she had failed at trying to reassure the elf, she would never know. Ryuu grabbed Mikoto's hands in her own, "It's alright. Now, what do you want to do next?"
Mikoto swallowed some air, "I wish to continue training if that is ok?" When she spoke, Mikoto tasted how dry her mouth was, and then she felt how empty her stomach was, "May I have some food and water as well?"
Ryuu looked to the rest of the gathered women. They all shrugged, having done much worse as former assassins and adventurers. Lunoire walked inside to get the food and water. Aisha was already applying a healing potion to her wound; she looked at Mikoto.
"That was probably the best move you've pulled so far, Eternal Shadow. Where the hell did you learn to do that?" asked Aisha.
Mikoto stood up, brushed herself off, but she couldn't look Aisha in the eye, "Nike's Arena."
They continued training for hours afterwards. Mikoto asked her training partners if she could borrow their weapons and train with them. Everyone obliged, and she took time to practice with every weapon at her disposal.
During one of the water breaks, Aisha pulled Ryuu off to the side with Asfi.
"What in the world happened to her?" asked Aisha.
Ryuu let out a puff of air, "Her training took her to the arena of Nike. She fought a lot of people out there, all of it for her life. I see it sometimes in her training. She turns feral. She forgets the refined technique she's used to and just starts swinging. It's terrifying but also a little beautiful in its own horrific way. That killer instinct is something she tries to suppress," Ryuu puffed again, "If she could learn to meld it with her refined technique, she'd be a force of nature."
Asfi looked at Ryuu over the rim of her glasses, "What else did your familia get up to Leon?"
Ryuu met Asfi's stare, "That is a secret of my familia, which you are not entitled to."
Asfi looked away and mumbled an apology. Aisha chuckled and walked off to speak with the girl herself. Mikoto was splashing water in her face from the rain barrel in the corner.
"Shadow, you can't keep holding back," said Aisha.
Mikoto shook her head, "What I learned terrifies me. Everything I learned were killing moves."
"That's why you need to stop holding back. Use your strength, control it. The second it controls you, the bastards win," replied Aisha, "trust me, after what Ishtar did, I get it. I understand being afraid…"
Mikoto was shocked to hear that. Then she got more shocked when Aisha told her story of her time with Ishtar Familia. The disgusting practices of Ishtar and her former Captain left Mikoto feeling like she was about to puke. Instead of turning away from it, though, Aisha focused on reclaiming her body as her own. Mikoto gained a tremendous amount of respect for this amazon.
"You need to do the same. You were turned into a killer? Fine, show that you choose where your blade goes. Don't let them lock your strength away. You have technique; now merge it with your killer instinct. Become a truly dangerous fighter," finished Aisha.
Mikoto nodded at that. It could be done, but it would take time. When she returned to training, she forced herself to remember. She brought her newly acquired instincts into her routine. She felt her moves grow wilder but faster. She became more aware of every movement her opponents tried. When control slipped, she would reign herself in. Her technique sharpened, but her blows would lack decisiveness. She took many hits because of it. By the end of their session, she felt like she had gone backwards but in the right way. Mikoto was learning to process what happened. She was reclaiming her strength, and no one would take it away ever again.
In the end, she cleaned up, thanked the women for helping, and began walking home with Ryuu. The elf had kept out of the fighting, shouting advice as Mikoto took the blows. Ryuu also taught as they walked home.
"You were better at the end. Every practice before, your body has not been synced with your mind. Your sense of honour was holding you back. Mikoto, combat is combat. If you hold back in the dungeon…"
Mikoto replied, "I'm afraid of what happens. In the arena…you get backed into a corner. I held on, but others didn't. Good men and women…turned into monsters."
"And? What could you have done to change that?" asked Ryuu.
Mikoto shrugged, her eyes focused on the road. She replied, "Something…anything. I could've done…there must have been something."
Ryuu nodded, "Maybe there was, but who are you to judge yourself? Who is anyone to judge each other? You were locked in an arena and made to kill. What is left is to live, remember, and keep moving. You are not a killer Mikoto, I should know."
Ryuu pulled the young girl into a hug. It was still uncomfortable to touch other people, but she felt a sense of duty to her junior. Mikoto responded half-heartedly. When Ryuu pulled away, the young Far Eastern adventurer remained quiet. As they got closer to home, Mikoto tried to pull herself together to not worry her friends. By the looks she got when they went home, she failed.
As they sat together and ate breakfast, the others were careful not to bring up Mikoto's state. Ryuu did her fair share of distraction by telling everyone that she had met with Asfi.
"Oh, what did she have to say?" asked Hestia.
"She said she would talk to Hermes. They should try to contact you soon," replied Ryuu.
Hestia groaned, "I hate working with Hermes; he's probably going to surprise me in a back alley or something."
Ryuu shook her head, "I made it very clear that was unacceptable."
Hestia showed her appreciation with a whoop, and then she finished her breakfast. She had work to get to. Before she left, though, she made a point of grappling Mikoto into a crushing hug. The girl responded in kind; then the Goddess was out the door. The others cleaned up the table, then set to work. Ryuu took Haruhime, Elwin, and Otohime to the dungeon, Lily and Welf set to training, and Urashima left to repair his armaments. Bell stayed at the table, watching Mikoto.
"Sir Bell, please don't worry about me. I'll be ok," said Mikoto.
Bell responded with a question, "Did I ever tell you what I was thinking when I saved Weine from Loki Familia?"
Mikoto shook her head. Bell blushed and let out a long puff of air.
"I was standing in the square, and everyone's eyes were on me. Perdix had just called me a hypocrite. I was so torn on what to do. The people of Orario were shouting for me to kill Weine, to be their hero. I couldn't do it, though. Weine deserved to live. I still remember all that noise…" Bell shook his head, chasing away the bad memory, "In the end, I chose to save her. I chose to be a hypocrite, but I will be a hero too."
"That is beautiful, Bell, but what does that have to do with me becoming a killer?" replied Mikoto.
Bell scratched the back of his neck, "Well…if I'm a hypocrite for saving monsters but still a hero, why can't you be the same?" He was clearly out of his depth, but the boy did the only thing he knew. He spoke from the heart, "You feel like the people want you to be a killer, but you're don't want to hurt people. You want to be a hero too, right?"
Mikoto nodded. She wasn't looking at the floor anymore; she was looking Bell in the eye.
"Then be the hero who can stop killers. You trained to kill, so you should be one, but instead, you're a hero. You can be a hypocrite then, just like me," finished Bell. He was obviously uncomfortable and couldn't return Mikoto's gaze.
Mikoto was touched that her Captain would come and speak to her like this. So often, people saw only the boy or the hero. Underneath all that, though, was a kind person. That was the part that Mikoto chose to follow.
"Thank you, Bell," said Mikoto.
Bell noticed the drop in honorifics and smiled. He stood from the table and asked, "Would you like to train? I told Welf and Lily I would help them today. Urashima is doing maintenance on his arms."
Mikoto nodded and followed her captain out to the yard. Welf and Lily were already going at it. Welf swung his large sword in great swooping arcs. Each blow sent dirt flying. Around it, Lily used her smaller size and speed to dodge. She weaved her way around Welf's defences and then fired her arm-mounted crossbow. It was death by a thousand cuts.
The young prum never got there, though. Welf was able to connect one of his blows, and Lily was sent flying into the shrubbery. Before she could regain her feet, Welf had planted a boot on her chest. He levelled his sword at Lily and raised an eyebrow. Lily glared him down for three seconds before she threw her hands in the air.
"Fine, Lily surrenders! Mister Welf wins!" declared the little prum.
Welf lifted his boot and helped Lily off the ground. At the sound of approaching footsteps, they turned to Bell and Mikoto.
"Are you two joining us?" asked the smith.
Bell nodded, and Mikoto rolled her shoulders. She raised her hand and asked, "Would it be terrible if I practiced against all of you?"
Welf and Bell looked skeptical, but Lily was quick to nod her head, "Lily thinks that's a good idea."
The boys shared a helpless shrug before taking up positions on either side of their samurai. Mikoto held no weapons, but she didn't seem to care.
When everyone had taken their positions, Mikoto motioned to start. Welf, ever impatient, was the first to leap. As his sword came crashing down, Mikoto took one step to the side. The moment the sword made an impact, Mikoto chopped at Welf's hands. She hit just the right point to get his hands to flinch back. The next moment, she grabbed the free sword in front of her and swung it in a great arc. It came just in time to stop Bell's blades. Three levels of difference were definitely showing as Mikoto struggled to hold back the small daggers.
Mikoto didn't care, though; she had moved onto her next move. Using Bell's defensive position, she jumped and pushed off his face, dropping Welf's sword as she did. It weighed her down too much. It did little to hurt Bell, but it stunned him long enough for Mikoto to launch herself at Lily.
"Always remove your ranged enemies first. They'll sit there and strike when you've forgotten them!" roared Lord Horus in her ear.
Mikoto gave Lily one chop to the side, and the prum crumpled from abdominal pain. As she pivoted back to her remaining opponents, she could feel the heat of days gone past. She didn't let it stifle her, though. She chose to remember, to live through it. Welf had regained his sword and started swinging. The smith fought like every other brute from the arena, strength over skill. However, all he would need is one blow, so she decided not to give it to him.
His sword had a long reach, but once inside it, the weapon was useless. Ducking under the first of his swings, Mikoto pushed off the ground. She shifted her body so her shoulder was on his chest. Welf lost his balance, so Mikoto hooked a foot behind his leg. As she did that, she used her opposite hand to punch him in the temple. Attacked from the bottom and the top, Welf crumpled. Mikoto gave a quick stomp to his neck, and he was out of the fight.
Bell had stayed out of it, too shocked to join. The economic movement of her fighting, the brutality of her blows. He was reminded of the amazon twins, Tione and Tiona. However, Mikoto also had grace. Years of training in martial arts helped her body flow through combat like a dancer. Bell didn't wait around long, though. He pushed off on one foot; the other leg swung for Mikoto's midsection. The move was too fast to dodge, so she moved with it. That isn't to say that it didn't hurt a lot. Mikoto knew he was holding back, though, because it only made her grit her teeth instead of coughing up blood. So, she rolled with it and landed on her feet. Her body was still crouched, so she used it to her advantage.
She kept her body low as she went for her captain. The advantage of rolling with the hit was that she had taken Bell's knife from his leg holster. The look from Bell's face told her that he hadn't noticed. Unfortunately, stealing weapons from her opponents had become the norm.
"Remember Yamato, when you steal, you gain a weapon, and they lose one!" came the voice of Lord Horus, "The only thing you have to do is train to use every weapon!"
Knives were one of the first weapons Mikoto trained within the Arena. She couldn't match Bell's strength, so she guided his blade away, looking to create an opening. Bell kept his guard up, though. While Mikoto had an advantage in skills and tactics, Bell's overwhelming force was too much, compounded with his own training. Before she knew it, there was a punch she didn't see, and then she hit the fence at the end of the yard. The world spun for a second before she was able to pull it together.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" chanted Bell. He ran up to her, pulling out a potion vial from his leg holster. Mikoto drank it, thankful that Bell was so thoughtful and well-prepared. The potion helped her head settle, and she took Bell's hand to help her up.
"That was awesome, Mikoto! You were so slick, and your technique was awesome! I didn't even realize you took my knife!" said Bell, bouncing with excitement.
"Oh! Here's the knife back, by the way! Sorry, I know that stealing is dishonourable!" Mikoto bowed in apology.
"Lily thinks that it was the smart thing to do! Honour is important, but so is survival. Right now, we are engaged in a fight for our lives," came the voice of Lily. She had recovered enough to stand. Welf stood next to her.
"Yeah, sorry to say, but Freya isn't going to wait around and running away isn't an option this time. We try to run again; she's likely to chase us down and finish what she started," said Welf.
"So why hasn't she?" asked a new voice. It was Urashima, finished with his weapon maintenance.
Lily turned to the new voice, "It's too soon. We have only just returned, and our familia is too famous. Even Freya can't fight the whole city. That is why we must do well at the tournament, to keep our popularity up.
"And what comes next?" asked Urashima, "I have seen politics like these before. You can only be safe in the limelight for so long."
"Then we ask Ais," said Bell.
Lily nodded, "Lily is planning on going to Loki Familia. They are the only option for an alliance strong enough to stop Freya. Right now, Lady Hephaistos is our only powerful ally, and she will only protect us for so long."
Urashima tilted his head, "What about those monster people? The ones you hid within the dungeon. What were their names? The Demos?
"Xenos," corrected Bell, "We hid in the dungeon, with the Xenos, and I am never going to make them part of my problems again."
"But it wasn't enough?" added Urashima, "I'm sorry, but I'm still unclear about what happened. I want to keep milady safe, and I need to know what happened to do it. I will fight by your side, always, but I need to know that she isn't going to die."
Welf nodded, "Fair enough, pal. So no, it wasn't enough to hide with the Xenos. Freya Familia found us after Lord Hermes ratted us out and slaughtered Xenos to get to us. Most notably, a gargoyle named Gros and a siren named Ray. After that, a high-ranking member of the guild, Fels, helped us sneak out of Orario with a promise to return."
Urashima shook his head, "Which doesn't make sense to me. Why the promise to return?"
Bell spoke again, "Goddess Freya is consumed with desire. If I left for too long, she would chase after me. Then her followers would come after her, burning down the world to keep her happy. That's how she got us last time. She almost held the city hostage, saying that she would destroy everything to find me. Almost everyone was against us, and Loki Familia turned their back on us."
"So why not surrender?" Asked Urashima.
"Because it ain't right. I refuse to have my best pal be forced into fulfilling the desire of some deranged goddess," said Welf before Bell could answer. Bell looked down in shame, still guilty that his familia was in danger because of him.
"Master Bell! That is enough; pull your eyes up and look at Lily," said the prum girl. When Bell did as she said, she continued her tirade, "Master Bell will listen and understand; you are Lily's family. Lily will not abandon you no matter how many Gods and Goddesses decide to pursue you. Lily will be there and be your supporter. That is Lily's choice, and don't you dare to try to take it away from Lily!"
"What the Lil' bit said! I'm with you till the end of the line!"
"I promised you, Sir Bell, I will always be there to help you."
Bell was struck silent than by the loyalty of these people. These were the first members of his Familia. They had joined him to stop Apollo, and now they still stood beside him to stop Freya. He loved these people and treasured their friendship.
"So, you're all goddamn insane then?" asked Urashima. Everyone nodded, and he smiled.
"Then that means that I'm in good company!"
Everyone laughed then, born out of a desire to chase away their own darkness.
"One final question, though," said Urashima. After training, him, Welf and Bell were at the bathhouse.
"If this Loki Familia is supposed to be your ally, why didn't they help you back then?" asked the bodyguard.
"Ais Wallenstein, a high-ranking member of Loki Familia owed a favour to Freya. Freya cashed it in at the worst possible moment and forced her to turn her back on us. The rest of Loki Familia was forced to follow along. However, that favour's gone now, and Ais gave her word that she would help us," replied the boy in love.
"And you trust her?"
Bell nodded once, his back straight.
"I trust her with my life."
That was a lie.
At that same moment in the Twilight Manor, a girl was sitting on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. She was confused, trying to make sense of her newfound emotions. Why had she cried? She hadn't cried since her mother and father, but when she saw Bell standing there on top of the wall, something broke. She felt so horrible for what she had done. When he came to her, crying for help, she was forced to turn her back on him. She was not going to do that again. So, she had sat in her room for the past couple of days, trying to figure out how to convince Finn.
Finn, while trying to be a real hero, was still a pragmatist. There was only so much he would do in overt action. More likely, Finn would work behind the scenes to keep Hestia Familia safe. That felt wrong to Ais, though. Bell and his familia deserved allies that would stand with them for all to see. After everything that happened, Ais was ready to stand up and say she stood with Hestia Familia; she only hoped others were too.
There was a knock on her door, and Lefiya poked her head in.
"Miss Ais, the Captain wants to see you in his office. He said that he wants to talk about Bell Cranel," said the elf.
"Lefiya?" asked Ais.
"Yes, Miss Ais?"
"Are you happy that Bell is back?" asked Ais. She knew better than to believe that Lefiya really hated Bell. At most, she found him annoying, but they respected each other at the very least.
Lefiya curled her lips for a second before nodding once.
"That boy might be impertinent, but," Lefiya paused, "how do I say this? He makes me feel like I can keep hoping. I don't think that things will be ok, but he makes me think that there's always a way to keep going. If we can help, I think we should."
That one took Ais by surprise. She titled her head and Lefiya continued unbidden.
"I can think of logical reasons, like stopping Freya, but the most basic reason is…he would do the same for us."
Ais nodded. She liked that answer a lot. She stood up and followed Lefiya to Finn's office. They made small talk, as much as Ais could make small talk, and quickly found themselves at the door to the Captain's office. Lefiya knocked, and someone shouted for them to come in. When they walked inside, they found Loki, Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Tione, Tiona, and Bete lounging around. Finn motioned for Lefiya to leave, and she shut the door behind her.
"Ais, have you been able to meet with Bell Cranel yet?" asked Finn.
Ais nodded.
"See! I told you, Finn!" said Tiona.
"Thank you, Tiona. Now Ais, what did you two talk about?"
"He told me about what he's been doing, and I told him what I've been up to. I told him I was sorry, but I think he's still angry," Ais said, trailing off.
"That's understandable, lass. You turned your back on him and forced us to do the same. Then he had to rely on the Xenos, and we lost Ray," said Gareth.
Tione flinched at that. She had liked Ray and still felt indebted to her for saving the love of her life. The rest of Loki Familia was still feeling guilty about that loss too. Compound that with the feeling of not being able to help Hestia Familia, so soon after the Knossos incident, Loki Familia's mood was at an all-time low. Alicia was especially depressed about the siren and was still unable to fight any siren-type monsters.
Ais's melancholy settled even deeper, "I know. He told me about that, and he was angry at me…"
Riveria sighed, "That's what happens, Ais, but I think it'll be ok…right, Finn?"
Finn nodded, but now Ais was terribly confused. What did that mean?
Finn gave her a small smile, "I want you to help them, Ais, personally. I'm sure that they're busy with the tournament right now, but after that, they should be going on a required expedition. I want you to go with them. You're gonna guide them to meet with us in the dungeon."
Ais blinked at that. Her brow was slightly furrowed, but it screamed surprise. That got Gareth laughing very loud, "Lass, we know you're gonna help. So, you're going to be the face of helping Hestia Familia. Meanwhile, the rest of us are gonna work around, setting things up to face down Freya Familia."
Ais made a little oh with her mouth, "So I get to help Bell in public?"
Loki nodded, "Itty-bitty gets to make it clear that she's not alone, and I get a chance to take down that witch. She killed Ray-ray," Loki scowled, "I'm not letting that one stand."
"Hey, hey! Do I get to help Mr. Argonaut too?" asked Tiona.
Riveria nodded, "We were hoping you and Lefiya would both lend a hand. As far as we know, they don't have a dedicated mage, do they?"
Ais shook her head, "Their new half-elf member is a mage. His name is Elwin."
Riveria narrowed her eyes, "Elwin? Interesting name for a half-elf…still though," she turned to Tiona, "You and Lefiya will get to help out later."
"Okay!"
Ais looked at Finn, "I think you should meet with the prum girl. Bell said she's the one making the plan right now."
"If the Captain is meeting with another potential wife, then I'm coming too!" declared Tione.
Loki nodded, "I agree with Aizu! They say Lilliruka Arde is the brains in itty-bitty's Familia. She's probably got a better plan than you Finn!"
Finn took his thumb to his mouth, then nodded, "It seems my thumb agrees. Alright, I'll get working on setting up a meeting with Miss Lily. That's it, you lot, thank you!"
As the Familia filed out of the room, Ais tugged on Riveria's sleeve, "Riveria? Can I talk with you, please?"
Riveria nodded and followed Ais to her room. Ais took a seat on her bed and Riveria sat at the chair next to Ais's desk.
"What's wrong, Ais?"
Ais pouted, "How do I get Bell to be my friend again?"
Riveria allowed herself to smile. She really did love what this boy did to her daughter. She coughed to cover her joy before looking at Ais, "Well, since you can openly offer support, may I suggest getting lunch? You can talk with him about joining the expedition. Doing things like that can work," at Ais's confused stare, she sighed, "Be there for him, Ais. The same way that Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya are there for you; you need to be there for him."
Ais seemed to contemplate it for a second before nodding, "I can bring him the new potato puff flavours that he missed!"
Riveria snorted, "Sure, Ais, it's a start. Anything else?"
Ais shook her head, and Riveria left.
With that, Ais felt her heart lighter than it had been all year.
And that's another chapter! Hope you all enjoyed reading! Reading reviews and such, (thank you for the kind words by the way), I will say that Bell's growth is explained soon, as well as the real reason that Freya hasn't attacked yet. There's a lot of moving pieces, and I tried to reveal them as naturally as possible. See you next time!