A/N: Alright so this chapter is going to be short like I'm talking we're just above 1,600 words but I wanted this to be a set up chapter since the next one is going to be the final chapter for this arc. Everything in this chapter is meant to set up chapter 6.

Again, I feel this chapter could have been better, specifically the romance between Asfi and Bell but it is what it is.

Next on our agenda, people have asked if I was going to put some lemon. Short answer, nah, I'm not going to do that (not in this story at least). I will reference that something did happen but not go into details.

Finally, I've been getting asked to do some other fanfics and I'm going to basically do some for most of the danmachi waifus. Some will have an actual story and then some I might just write as one-shots, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I am planning another fanfic where its basically danmachi but I change a lot of chracter and their roles and overall it'll be an entirely new take on the danmachi story we all love. Once I have it figured out more I'll give more details, just note that there isn't going to be any Hestia and Lili (I'm not including them what so ever).

Anyways, enjoy the new chapter of Diamonds and Rust.

I woke up with the morning sun gleaming through the curtains of the window. I felt as if I had the best dream in the world last night with Asfi and I being in it. I wanted to fall back asleep and return to that dream, though that dream was actually reality.

I turned over in bed and felt a familiar soft sensation on my hand, followed by a familiar soft moan.

"Geez Bell, you really like my breasts, don't you?"

I instantly started to turn a bright red as the realization hit me that my dream wasn't a dream and that Asfi and I actually slept together. There she was, the beauty with sky blue hair and ocean blue eyes, laying next to me in bed, completely naked on top of that.

"A-Asfi! I'm sorry I didn't realize you were there!"

"Don't worry, it didn't bother me. In fact, I don't mind if you touch every once in a while. It makes me happy."

She started to blush and trail off about half way through her sentence, which in turn made me blush even harder. I felt like I was about to pass out from the heat. It was weird to see this side of Asfi. I've gotten so used to seeing her act as a Familia captain - stoic, brave and serious. What I was seeing now was the real Asfi, not captain Asfi. Seeing her act so much like a girl just felt so different, but she was just a normal person like I was.

I didn't know how I should respond. This was the first time I've ever been in a situation like this.

Asfi reached over to the table next to her side of the bed we were sharing and grabbed her glasses and put them on. After a few minutes of her hugging on me and returning her embrace, we finally decided that it was time to get out of bed and start our day.

My plan for today was to set some traps out in the surrounding woods. Going to the village and back was fun since it was with Asfi but it was very time consuming and took up a whole day. At least this way we wouldn't have to do that and we could spend more time at home.

I got dressed and collected my things to go out for the day.

Before I left, Asfi came up to me and gave me a farewell kiss. I returned her kiss as I held her in my arms for a moment.

"Don't go out too far. Your injuries are still healing and I don't want to see you come home hurt."

"Don't worry. I know these woods like the back of my hand and I promise that I'll be safe."

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you, Bell."

"I'll be home soon. I love you, Asfi."

"I love you too, Bell."

Asfi gave me a gentle smile and a wave as I headed out into the forest.

The forest wasn't anything special. It was just a normal forest that I used to play in when I was younger, that was how I knew to maneuver it so well.

I explored the familiar trails as memories of me playing with my Grandpa came back to me. It was then that I remembered that there should be a fort that we built nearby. Though it shouldn't really be called a fort since it was basically sticks being balanced between two trees, but nonetheless I remember my Grandpa spending all day collecting sticks with me to build it.

Those were the days I didn't have a care in the world. Maybe now those days would return.

After some time passed of me wandering through the woods I finally found the fort that I remembered.

It was run down and it looked like some animal made it its home now. I climbed a nearby tree to see what animal had been nesting in it. It wasn't long before a fox emerged, following it were some baby foxes.

I sighed as another memory came back to me, though a more recent memory.

Seeing those foxes reminded me of Haruhime. I felt bad for leaving her, I promised her that I would protect her but now I can't keep that promise. I can, however, keep that promise with Asfi. I swore to her that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. Quietly, I left the foxes den and set traps far away so they wouldn't get caught in one of them.

Once the twilight started to make its way across the sky and that was my que to start heading back home. Once the house was in view I also saw Asfi waiting for me by the door with open arms.

For the next month, every few days I would go hunting for Asfi and myself. Some days she would even join me and we would leave some food for those foxes I found.

However, this day I was on my own and an overhanging sense of dread filled the air. As I walked my usual path through the forest it felt like someone was watching me, it wasn't an animal following me but it felt like it was a person and their murderous intent just kept growing with each step I took.

When I arrived at the fox den to give them food, what I saw almost made me sick.

Blood painted the trees and the ground. The foxes themselves laid brutally killed in their home. They had slash marks all over them and it even looked as if there were bite marks like something was desperate enough and tried to eat them.

Something wasn't right.

If an animal did this then the bite marks would be much different and chances are the foxes would have been taken somewhere else. Then the slash marks looked like it was done with some kind of blade instead of claws. Whatever happened here it wasn't done by another animal, it was done by a person.

I tried to look further into what had happened but the sight was so sickening I felt like I was about to lose my breakfast right then and there. The stench was overwhelming that I had to walk away from it for a moment.

Trying my best not to get sick, I decided that I should make a grave for them. I remembered back to when Haruhime and Mikoto were teaching me about eastern culture. Foxes can be seen as something of good fortune, but if they were ever harmed, killed or disrespected in some way, then it was taken as a bad omen.

After I finished with the grave, I said my goodbyes to the foxes and started my trek back home earlier than usual. As I walked back I noticed that whoever was following me had vanished and storm clouds started to hang low over the sky.

'I should hurry. If I come home soaking wet Asfi will get mad at me again.' I thought to myself.

When the house was in view my stomach dropped. There was an eerie quiet in the air and the door to the cabin was opened about halfway. I knew Asfi and she wasn't careless enough to do something like that.

I got the same feeling as I did when I was at the fox den. Something was wrong.

I ran as fast as I could as the rain started to beat down on me. The wind started to howl like some wild animal ready to attack. I basically kicked down the door.

"ASFI!"

I saw her, but she was unconscious laying on the floor. Then I saw him, the reason I've felt uneasy all day. Standing above Asfi was Allen.

"Looks like you've finally decided to show up, brat. Now we can let the fun begin."