I do not own Danmachi or the story made by the original author.
Thank you for your time and enjoy!
P̘̟͖̖̺͉̳̞̗̙̈́̍̊̽͆̿̎͂́͝ả̛̫̗͎͙͔̖͚͓̹͈̟̽̀͒͋̾̋͘̕͘͡ͅȉ̛̟͚̖͖͍̩̅͑̇͠n̡̠̯̱͓͍̹͉̤̝̦̪̊̈́̒̌̀̑̂̐͗̔̌͞
̻̜͔͇̤̻͚̜̥̞̈́͛̂̆̐̽̈̂̕͞
̡͕̟̙̩͚̇̅̓͆̃͡P̫͔̼͖̻͙̒͋̀̽͗̕ă̡̱͕̼͈̭͐̌̄͠͞ị̢̢̖͖͍̣̫͙̖͕̄̎̃̓̈́̑̏̆̍̄͛n̢̗̖̳̱͓̅̾͌̃̽͡
̪̺̲̹̰̏͗̎̓͂̅͢
̬̦̙̘̦̒̆̒̈͌P̢̬̪̠̮̹̲̾̅̈́̐̿͗͝A̦̩̗̮̩͎͇̟̎͋̌̀̐̐͡͝Î̛͓͖̮̣͍͉̹͇̂͛̈̒̏̉͘ͅN̡̗̮͕͉͍̠̰̼͈̯̫̏̿̎̀̓̅̄̍͑͐͛̍͜͠
Its thoughts were muddied with paranoia.
Never had the monster faced such a powerful opponent as the one it did in that one small creature. That creature was clearly not like the others, the ones who conjured songs that burned and tore through its once known impenetrable skin.
This one was far too different. No song of magic was sung and all that came was a maelstrom of unseen anger, as if for the first time the world was against it.
This was what caused it to lose its rationality, instead only to be consumed with one thing only…
To kill, to destroy the creature in its path.
It was far too injured and the only reason it survived such a brazen assault was because of a truth only it had known. This truth was an ability that it had once understood when it had killed the very first of its kind, and when it had consumed that one black object that was left undiscovered until it had arrived.
Being launched across the battlefield had resulted in many life-threatening injuries for the monster, just as those injuries had surfaced when facing the ones who wielded claws of steel and melodies that summoned frightening power. Though, when the conflicts ended and the monster emerged the victor, there was only left a plastered grin of ecstasy, as if its wounds meant nothing in the first place.
But this time it was different, that creature who wielded power like no other had inflicted so much damage that it was difficult to stand. Its jaw was ripped off, entire chunks of its flesh were scattered across the forest and whatever was left on its body was bloodied a strange black, it was almost difficult to say that it was even blood.
This monster had formed itself into the impending picture of a beast of absolute horror; it was a miracle in of itself that the monster even had the strength to move, and for a monster to even be considered with a miracle was a blasphemy in of itself.
This monster really was an irregular like no other. All it was driven on was a rage beyond anything the living had ever witnessed.
I think… I felt hot.
I was tired, but more than that I was afraid. I could feel the sun on my head and on the exposed areas of my skin; sometimes it burned while at other times I was reminded of how cold I felt. It was so strange because I knew I would run if I had the chance, but there was something stirring me to move forward and face the danger in front of me.
It was a light, a bright and white light, a flame that sought to eliminate the evil in front of it… A heroic flame.
I would move forward; It was my choice.
I didn't want to give my opponent the chance to reach me, even if I knew I would have no chance of survival, I wanted the advantage. The only way I could see the orc was the darkness and the broken path that led me to it; the rest was the noise that came from the tremors of its advancement.
And soon enough, the orc would reveal itself; that would be the moment of truth, the end of it all… my end.
The thought made my hair stand on its ends and my body paralysed by the fear that filled my lungs, and yet it was that one flame that prevented me from passing out. Tears breached my eyes and my blade rattled out of pure desperation, knowing that this was the last time I would ever do anything; it all felt so unreal…
The area in which the battle would take place was prepared and in its last stages.
The dust had settled and the sky was clearer than any other day, it was only parts of the forest that remained intact that held the darkness and whatever was hidden in it. But even that very darkness was beginning to crumble under the weight of the sun.
This was it… The battle that would decide the fate of a lonesome village was going to take place here and nobody would ever tell a tale of such a conflict.
Bell walked almost desperately as he barely tripped on each piece of debris; on his way he could feel pain shoot throughout his nerves from the fatigue that chained his legs to the floor.
But he would still move forward.
His skin began to crawl when he felt the great malevolence that oozed from the orc, he knew that the monster was there and that it was also heading right towards him.
He was right… The orc finally revealed itself and the terror that Bell was drowning in was indescribable on seeing its appearance from afar. His features went agape when he saw the orc, those injuries were not normal, and the fact that the orc had the strength to walk with those injuries was beyond terrifying, it was downright damning.
Bell's breathing was becoming erratic as he used every ounce of his own will to keep himself straight. The grip on his weapon tightened to the point his arm was rattling, he knew this feeling of despair all too well, but this time it was even more immense and there was nothing he could do to hold it back.
Those hollow eyes were staring right at him and they were becoming heavier with each step the orc took forward, the ground beneath its foot was crushed from its weight, getting closer and closer.
The orc's will to live threatened Bell's resolve, and would have crushed it if not for the one who snapped him out of the death-ensnaring trance.
"Bell, focus…" It was a voice that came out of nowhere but one the young man knew all too well of.
Bell snapped out his trance and heard the delicate jingle of a whisper in his ear, that whisper protected him and allowed him to breathe easy after realising how consumed he was by his own fear. When he focused on his ear and turned to see who it was, it was the fairy who had taken a seat on his shoulder; that same gentle warmth that radiated off of her touched Bell's cheek and granted him comfort in the midst of the chaos.
"We can defeat the monster… If you allow me to help you, it may be possible for us to defeat it…" The fairy gracefully answered Bell's unasked question.
Bell on the other hand was more confused with what the fairy had declared, because not only was she left barely able to move on her own, she too had suffered immensely when facing the orc and it was clear from the wounds that were visible on her.
To Bell, it was hard to believe that there was anything she could do despite her being a fairy… He was right, and yet here she was, speaking with almost a different tone, a different persona.
"Wait- I don't understand-"
Bell's confusion was growing and he was unable to say what he wanted to. However, that changed when he saw the fairy smiling in his direction.
"It's okay, You don't need to fight alone."
He was puzzled and his emotions became incredibly quiet. He was stunned by the change and it wasn't making any sense to him.
"..."
It was like he was being consoled and told not to worry. But how couldn't he, it was his decision to stay and fight and he was absolutely terrified to do it; he had decided to stay alone and be brave for her and the villagers' sake.
And in spite of that choice, in the deep crevices of his mind, he was relieved. Relieved that there was someone who was willing to help him, to share the burden of his cowardice…
He was disgusted by it.
He was frustrated that his own actions revealed how scared he was, even though he had promised he would hold the monster back.
The fairy had understood the young man's dilemma. She was wiser as was her age that much older, she knew the boy very well from her time spent observing him and realised his character more than most.
Bell held onto dreams that many his age would have forgotten and to see himself not being able to live up to those dreams must have hurt him. If she was right, the boy would have been contemplating as to why he wasn't able to be like the idols he looked up to so much.
To the fairy, it was a simple answer and one that she would resolve if she were to do what she needed to in order to succeed.
"You are someone who was brave enough to risk their own life to save mine instead…" The fairy held a dignified expression when attempting to ease Bell. "You are immature and there is still so much for you to see, don't waste it for something you are not ready for…"
Bell lowered his gaze and bit his lip in response; when he heard those words he clenched his fists and tried not to show the bitterness building in his eyes. He knew it, he was a failure… But Bell did not let the fairy finish what she had to say and it resulted in him failing in keeping his composure… and not understanding her true meaning.
"You can still become stronger."
When he heard that final declaration he was left wordless by the breath he did not know he was holding. His eyes shifted to see the fairy on his shoulder, only to be left stunned by the beauty that stared back at him with complete resolve.
There were more to those words than what he could simply hear and now he knew, there was a belief. She believed in him. Bell's doubts about himself and the fairy losing in this fight never disappeared, but his thoughts settled when he felt a slither of hope embracing him.
Someone was giving him the hope that he could grow and live beyond this fight, to experience a world that did not end here. It sounded unbelievable, but if that chance was there then…
And that was what the fairy was aiming for.
For a fairy to grant their power to someone, there are certain conditions that are required to be met. These conditions were not necessarily a law that must always be followed, it was more of a test on the personal level to determine the change the future wielder is able to go through for the sake of power.
In other words, the one who approaches should have the potential to be clear in mind, to let their desires be more than just a fantasy; that desire must evolve into something even more powerful and true…
Their aspiration.
Bell had that potential; despite not possessing that quality at the moment, it was possible for that potential to bloom in the future if given the opportunity. He already had the resolve and the fairy saw it.
Now all he had to do was…
"Take my hand."
The fairy softly whispered in his ear her wish and Bell heard it as if it were the only sound in the world. He was enamoured by the one who held that voice, a voice that appeased his heart and granted him courage in the darkest moment of his life. Led by it, he carefully held out his hand to the fairy who had asked for it and gently held hers with his own.
The fairy in response placed her tiny left hand on top of Bell's and closed her eyes in thought, it was clear that she was preparing herself and it was something that Bell was able to see but was unsure of the implications of it.
In actuality, he could sense something beginning to change.
"This is the path that has been chosen… The one there is no return from."
As Bell watched in silence, he could see a sadness envelope the fairy which he wasn't able to understand. He slightly winced in pain when he felt something prick his thumb and when he saw what was the cause of it, he could only see the fairy hold a droplet of his blood that was collected from the small scrape. The droplet floated in front of her and soon enough she had let go of the hand that Bell was holding and used it to manipulate that droplet.
"Grow."
With a ruling authority that left the fairy lips, the blood drifted into the air as if gravity had failed to exist; a chrysalis of crimson formed from the one seed of droplet and intensified into a blooming crystal of light.
No longer did the droplet hold the colour of crimson but instead transformed into a colour reminiscent of the brightest kaleidoscope, the spectrum of colour was beyond the imagination of the young man who watched with absolute awe at the display before him.
Although, that moment of awe was lost when he began to see a shape beginning to manifest from the formless matter.
The fairy's magic danced melodiously with an unrecognisable orchestral beauty. What was once a majestic chain reaction of refractal hues was now condensing into something new, a weapon of the whitest shine with accents of the purest golden and green enshrouding an extraordinarily broad blade.
Once again, Bell's eyes began to sparkle with the childlike innocence of his imagination, despite the fact that the rest of his expression was numbed wonderstruck. In his mind, not even the greatest blacksmith in the world would be able to accomplish such a feat of craftsmanship, and he knew this just from one look, regardless of him not even being an amatuer of blacksmithing.
This blade that levitated before his eyes was like the brightest star, the elegance of magic radiating off of it with all the beauty of nature was trapped within its structure and fractals of white light dispersed into the air and scattered with all the magnificence any magic weapon was able to muster.
"This.. is magic…?" That was all that Bell had to say on the matter.
No more words were needed to describe the haze in which the young man's heart was in. The amount of euphoria he was in was enough to numb him to all that was around him and leave him dazed beyond what his mind could handle.
All anyone would be able to see on the battlefield was a boy who had just witnessed a miracle and was left with no strength in his limbs when facing the reality in front of him.
Nevertheless, he had to get up.
There was no time to waste when the embodiment of evil lay beyond the light he so desperately reached for. It was as if he knew what he was meant to do with the weapon, his eyes would not leave its sight, transfixed or spellbound by the connection he sensed within himself to the blade.
"Wield me."
Bell was caught off guard by the sudden words that unfathomably entered his mind, and never experiencing such a phenomena before he reacted by snapping his eyes at his surroundings, trying to find where it had come from. The words were faint, he knew it was difficult to say whether it was the fairy who had said them, but that made the situation even more frightening to the young man. All he could do was reason with his hesitancy by remembering that the fairy was there acting as his guide and helping him so that they would defeat the orc together.
However, when he glanced at the fairy he was shocked to see her current state…
Her aura was gone.
The presence that enveloped her was nowhere to be seen, the protective light that granted relief to those that were touched by it had disappeared. The fairy herself had drastically weakened to the point that her own body was flinching from the soreness and cuts that she was able to endure before.
Fatigued breath escaped her as she tried to recover from a pain that who knows how much tormented her. One could almost say she was human based on her presence alone, there was no magic left and the only thing that prevented her from being mistaken for another race was her physical features.
Otherwise, her power had faded into nothingness.
"Bell, Sheathe your blade and draw the sword. Hold it and do not let go." The fairy advised.
"But what about you… You're-"
Bell wavered when he recognised the change the fairy had gone through. However, the fairy's will held strong despite not being able to barely hold her ground and abruptly prevented him from concerning himself over her any further.
"Don't worry… I've placed my magic within the blade and my power now resides within it. You heard it didn't you?"
The voice that had entered his mind which the fairy spoke of was not only her will, but it was also a wish he held within himself. It was an aspiration that he wanted to make into reality and the magic of the fairy was surfacing that deep yearning.
Things were beginning to make sense to Bell when piecing together what the fairy had intended for him… He would be a vessel for her magic, like how it was undertaken by the heroes of the Old Age.
"Yes. I can hear it."
The fear that held him was changing. His goal was becoming unclouded.
"That's good. I will be with you through that blade, my eyes will always be watching."
A bond was forming.
Their wills were harmonising and a balance was spanning to unite their minds. Their goals were different and their fears were not entirely extinguished, and yet their hearts were merging to compensate for the weaknesses of those fears.
The closer Bell was to the blade the greater the bond was, but still not complete.
"Wield me." The weapon had spoken again and the fairy's transparent voice resonated within his ears.
The last step had to be taken. Bell held out his hand. He evoked the vision of who he wanted to be and extended his reach; he stood his ground…
"I will be stronger. Today… I take my first steps towards my own adventure."
He grabbed the blade.
The monster watched as it continued to march for its enemy, but not before halting at sensing the rising force exuding from a single direction. It could not understand how this power that was not even present before was now emerging from unknown origins, yet this power was eerily familiar to it.
That small creature…
Nevertheless, it would not deter the monster from killing both the human and the creature, for the hunger that had driven it mad was beginning to dangerously expand.
However, before any of that happened a great light suddenly burst forth and blinded the monster to its inordinate rays. A heat superfluously offset the natural cold of the mountain and the entire forest, it penetrated aggressively into the wounds of the monster and induced a searing pain to subdue it to one spot. And that human was at the middle of it all, that same human that had fallen and was certain of death had managed to live somehow…
Barely able to see ahead of it, there was a great wind that was twisting itself into one single point and drawing near it streaks of light. The monster felt it all, the ground beneath it was quiet and yet whatever was above was trapped in a maelstrom of the same intentful strength that always forced it to a corner, those reviling songs of magic…
But everything came to a breaking halt, the forest in a sudden became too quiet and the monster was frenzied beyond the point of understanding its surroundings. Its rage raved the forest and demented its actions to run amok.
But that rage blinded it to the actions of the weakling who was growing in power. The monster stampeded across the battlefield and met the gaze of the human at a speed that was untraceable to the ordinary eye.
In the blink of a second… blood was shed. But the human was not the one who fell, it was the orc that howled out in terrible seething pain.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"
It was shocked, unable to believe or register what had happened and fell to the ground on its front limbs. The monster's blood poured sickly when it comprehended the human disappearing from its sight.
Where is it!?
The monster's entire front had been carved deeply and washed in its own hideously dark blood; the wound that was slashed across its torso was throbbing wildly and was enough to subdue the monster against its own will…
It needed to recover.
It needed to eat.
It was unexplainable… Something was coursing through my body and I felt a power that made me believe that anything was possible.
At first, I felt nothing. When I thought about it, I was thinking that maybe I would feel some burst of awesome power that was at my disposal… Similar in a way to how heroes were when summoning all of their strength to fight.
But I didn't feel it. I only noticed the burning and aching of my wounds and injuries.
"Strike."
I recall the fairy's will entering my mind. Those words that were meant to disappear were instead making me feel something entirely new; the only way to describe it was as if they were melting into me, dissolving into my flesh if that was any way to describe the feeling.
The great weapon in my hand reacted to the thoughts that were not mine and illuminated in shining elegance; as if it were revealing to me a choice I should take, I listened and followed its guidance.
I was sure that there was at least 20 metres between me and the orc, so I readied myself to charge at the monster. The weapon was lighter than what it should've been, it was larger than me, but I could still lift the blade as if it were a knife or maybe a wooden stick.
It felt natural despite it being weightless.
But the orc was not finished with me, despite its injuries it rose to its feet and reminded me of it its menacing height, and then rushed at me with a rage that filled my mind with terror. My heart raced helplessly and my feet were submerged into the ground; the monster's hollow eyes ensnared my will to fight back.
Still, my consciousness was ignoring that fear. I felt light, like the burdens from my shoulders were no longer there. I had probably regained my strength back, but like the blade I was almost sure that I was weightless.
Although I never noticed it until I took my first step…
I was already there.
"...?!"
His movements were so unexpected, it took time for Bell to realise what he had just done in a matter of a second; even his reaction was delayed by the speed at which he was capable of moving.
He was in a different area of the battlefield.
He stared at his weapon, it was drenched in a dark ichor that was unnatural in all aspects as it boiled and evaporated into a dark vapour, gradually diminishing its presence from the illustrious blade.
"What-"
""OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"
Despite his shock of the situation, the orc howled in agony over its gashing injury which sent tremors throughout the forest, and caught completely off guard by the emergence of the cry, Bell turned behind shocked only to see the orc on the ground vulnerable, trying to lift itself up only to fall screaming in pain. He couldn't comprehend it, not only was there blood on his weapon but the orc had ended up behind him helplessly bleeding on the dirt.
He fixedly stared at the monster until his mind had caught up with him.
"Did I do that….?-!" He pieced it together.
It wasn't that the monster had disappeared, he had passed in front of it instead and somehow slashed it all at once… Unconsciously?
"This is the power of a fairy…" Bell gawked in awe.
It should not have been possible for a human like him to be capable of such a feat, and yet he had accomplished something that was only possible for people who had been given a falna.
"Be careful, Bell. You may feel this will go on forever but there is only so much that you can do with how much I was able to spare..."
The fairy was merged with the young man's mind as she hid in his coat. She was no longer able to protect herself and was warning him through means of the magic she was manipulating from the blade. Bell was using magic with a limited source and was unsure of how much longer they would last with the temporary bond that they had formed, because she too was also startled by Bell's feat.
His senses were sharpened, he was physically weak but tempered with magic, and yet for all that, he had managed to perform something that even she could not do without using a majority of her magic, he had penetrated the savage orc's defenses with a single attack.
"How?- Perhaps his body is…" The fairy speculated and was close to a conclusion.
It was a possibility of the lower world that came from the unity of both humanity and the children of the gods…
Goblins lay battered and bleeding on the ground beneath the monster's gaze, the fairy had killed many of them but some had managed to survive, or at least what was still remained intact on them. The monster that was unable to stand had formed a grin. The flesh and blood of the goblins had enticed and lured the monster.
A wicked smile formed in the blood it drowned in, and the reason would throw anyone into panic…
The monster was regenerating.
And the human that had stopped in his assault was a fool who had failed to notice.
When it realised their presence, it began to drink and partake of them.
The monster would devour while bellowing a wretched howl.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUU!"
I shuddered when hearing the roar of the orc and snapped out the shock I was in.
The orc was still alive after all of that, but now there was a chance to defeat it and courage seemed to fill my soul despite my instincts screaming to run away.
I swirled my body around only to see a ravaging beast already within my range ready to strike. But somehow, I managed to see the oncoming attack and by a decision that wasn't mine was able to use the luminescent greatsword as a shield to protect me from the oncoming razor claws.
Sparks flew on on impact, I was sent flying across the forest with trees pummeling my back and rolling deliriously on the ground. Coughing from the collision, I readied myself for the oncoming throbbing, but was taken aback when I barely felt anything.
"…."
This must also be because the fairy…
The blessing of her magic… I was beginning to understand this power that was lended to me. The responsibility was now weighing more than ever, and the burning flame that resided in me was flaring.
"Get up!"
I couldn't afford to give the wicked orc its way with me. I needed to remember my training, the will to stand was something I had to act on. The orc did not stop after that one attack, the ground trembled and a malevolent bloodthirst filled the air.
"OOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"
Determination drove me to take my stand and fight once again, I raised the fairy's weapon above my shoulders and charged at the monster with all I had.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Unlike the last time where he never had control, Bell was able to grasp where he was heading and struck the monster with all he had. Collisions of screeching echoes scattered the air as both blade and claws collided in complete impact.
Blasts of air were released through each strike with the origin of each being different.
One was of pure strength while the other was of elevated magic.
Neither ceased to back down, but the force that arose from the accumulated strength of the orc was overwhelming the magic that was limited to Bell, he began to feel the aching pain of his arms as they instantly reached their limits.
This time, the orc was prepared for the unexpected attack and was even holding the advantage over the human. No longer taken aback by the sudden power of the human, the orc revealed more of its strength in a frenzy and rushed its head in to savagely bite his head off.
Bell without thinking ducked to avoid the teeth drenched in blood and in a spiral arc of light twisted his weapon into an upward slash to take advantage of the orc's remorseless height.
However, the orc in its fury chased the human and closed the distance that gave Bell the opportunity to slice its stomach open. Despite the momentum Bell had accumulated in his attack, it was rendered useless when it was physically not enough to penetrate the abnormally thick skin.
The fairy in that moment considered a horrifying truth…
"It's regenerating… Bell! Distance yourself right now!"
Barely able to sound her first statement, she yelled at Bell when she regained her voice, trying to warn him of the impending danger.
A sudden panic spread across the young man's features when he heard the fairy's plea and dread began to creep on him when he saw that there was not a single scratch on the beast… In desperation he used the stampeding body of the orc to launch himself away and create a good amount of distance to find the room to breathe.
"Wait, what do you mean regenerating?!"
"Look, the injuries I inflicted… are gone."
The fairy herself found it unbelievable that there was a monster that was able to heal itself within a couple of minutes of receiving them, it was not possible for a creature on the surface.
A wall of despair towered in front of Bell.
When he found some room to pay attention to the dark orc, he could see the chunks that were missing were already gone, the pink deep scars of the past that had covered the monster's skin were all that was left, and the attempt of the monster to bite his head off had finally reeled the threat of the situation.
If Bell had not doged that attack, if he hadn't read the situation correctly then he would have died headless. In other words, he survived the abnormal attack on sheer luck.
"... That was close." A cold sweat sheened his skin when coming to terms with his carelessness.
"I have to pay more attention, I don't stand a chance thinking this is any easier now than it was before!"
He wasn't able to unleash the same level of ability he had displayed on his first try, the orc's impenetrable defences shattered any reason to believe that any normal attack was going to work.
It had to be done in one decisive blow. Bell observed the orc's movements and tried to find any weaknesses. The monster had demonstrated its overwhelming ferocity which led to the only conclusion Bell could muster.
"It's stronger and faster than me! But, it's reckless…"
This was a battle of frightening power versus skill and experience.
Magic began to flow into his surroundings that enticed the greatsword he held to become even stronger; filled with light, the blade buzzed beamingly and a current of heat encircled Bell.
He concentrated on the orc while the fairy dealt with the magic that he was subconsciously exuding; there was no chance he could take to lose sight of the battle when trails of stone and dust ravaged through the air.
The orc was primal in its attacks and yet unpredictable because of how aggressive it was, the fear of losing its life was lost in its madness which made it difficult for it to even withdraw for a moment of opportunity.
The orc turned to race towards its target and charge straight through, Bell took the initiative to prepare his stance and clenched his teeth for the oncoming onslaught. He trembled at the frightful existence that approached him but would not hinder, there was no more time for him to think and only used the experience he held in the decisive clash.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"
The orc howled as it raised both its arms in a turn of events and used the momentum it had built up to smash the ground, building a shockwave that not only created cracks in the surface but completely annihilated the even grounds of the forest.
"Urgh!?"
Bell tried to evade the chaotic attack that he was sure he had prepared for but was instead led entirely defenceless, he lost his balance and the flying debris that had been trapped within the floor now burst forth at full speed threatening to shred anything in its path.
The orc persisted in its ravage bombardment and following it grabbed for the human, it took hold. Bell's leg was caught with an agonising grip and the orc raised the human towards its head with a wicked snarl ready to consume the exposed weakling.
Bell went into overdrive and the gears of his mind began to formulate a way to escape as his world flipped upside down; the orc rapidly plunged for the kill.
"BELL!"
Within a second of the end, Bell used the fairy's weapon hanging from his arms and thrust the blade within the orc's mouth. The jaws of the monster clenched as they sought to devour but were met with unbreakable metal, its teeth meshed to destroy the blade as metal resounded to creak within the ears of Bell.
The orc in its seething rage clenched its jaws even harder, the sheer strength of its madness frightened Bell to push the broadsword even further, it would not budge. The width of the weapon's sharp ends only granted time that Bell could use to his advantage in his restraints.
He released the weapon of the fairy and reached for the knife and shortsword holstered in their sheaths. Magic that had kept him from failing had released the great screams that were held within the depths of his wounds once he let go of the fairy weapon and unbearable weakness embraced him with all its essence.
But his will endured.
The orc bellowed ferociously and Bell's resolve awoke from hidden determination.
Using all his being, Bell revealed his gifted blades from their protectors and rose to strike the monster. He hooked his arm to the orc's overgrown tusks and with everything he had lifted himself to strike.
His right hand firmly gripped the knife and he mustered all his strength to push his torso midair with the arm that held the shortsword.
For a moment, for just a brief moment…
Eyes of hollow black met deep crimson; both were flamed by something powerful but for differing purpose…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The cry of an adventurer was let loose from the young man as he plunged both blades into the eyes of the orc.
"UUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!?"
Bell still did not let go. Using both his hands he grabbed the hilt of the shortsword and twisted it, reassuring himself of the damage he skewered the blade deeper into the orcs skull.
However, this attempt only lasted a few seconds before Bell could no longer keep his hold, his fatigue was choking his consciousness and the last thing he strove for was to reach for the fairy's weapon that had been liberated of the monster's jaws, laying on the ground.
The orc screamed bewildered
The blade through unsaid command gravitated towards his hanging hand and reached him.
Primal insanity raved the orc to go berserk, slamming the human straight to the ground with a thundering crash.
"GAH-!"
The ground caved in a bomb of dust and gravel. Bell spat blood, the impact forced him to rebound as torrents of electric torment raced his back and ruptured through the rest of his body.
The orc enraged then threw the human, and like a bullet, Bell was sent flying beyond the forest lining into dense forestation.
Screams of agony filled the air as the orc cried torment.
-]:[-
When Bell came to recollect himself, he was in the dark lying in the dirt as the pain of the impact resulted in a cough that caused him to vomit. If he hadn't gripped the fairy's weapon in time then he was sure that he was dead beyond a doubt.
Bell's back was fractured and bruised beyond simple healing and it was only the intense magic of the fairy that protected him and withheld the pain. If he let go of the greatsword now then he was sure that he would collapse and eventually die.
"Bell! Bell!..."
The fairy called for him but his ears rang, the back of Bell's head had also been struck severly and he almost blacked out, his sight was unfocused and disoriented.
But him recalling the reality that the orc was able to regenerate had sparked his drive to find a place to lean on. The unnatural lightness of his body made it easier for him to move and drag himself as he grasped the fairy's blade with everything he had.
His back stabbed his nerves and his consciousness dragged itself to fight back the urge to pass out. Taking a few calm breaths, he steadied himself and resolved to use the tree and the sword as a crutch to stand.
One could ask why he was in such a hurry, but the answer was clear…
"I am sorry for putting you through this…" A strained and saddened voice spoke.
Bell turned his gaze to his shoulder to see the small fairy tightly holding onto his collar as she tried to cover for her injuries. If anything, Bell could hear the faint sniffles of the fairy barely holding her tears.
"..." He clutched his head in pain and tried to regain his focus until he felt something warm slithering from his forehead all the way to his eye. Blood was dripping from his cheek as crimson dyed his hair.
Bell stumbled to his feet as his mind adjusted itself from the fading dizziness.
"I don't know if now would be the right time to say this but… thank you."
"..." The fairy silently gave ear to his words since she could not bring herself to say anything, waiting for what he would say.
Fairies were mysterious creatures, they lived long lives and were known to be more mischievous and frightened, to run away from danger. But here was this one fairy that was brave and kind to a fault, a fairy that was more concerned with his life rather than escaping away from all of this… She was a truly special fairy.
"I'm happy that I was able to help you… So, don't worry about me… I am fine." He then expressed a very gentle smile, genuine and bright.
His strained and exhausted situation did not prevent him from standing.
Bell never expected to last this long, he never expected for a fairy to ever appear before him. He was given the resolve to fight when he was escaping in fear, it was a miracle that he was given a second chance.
Like a real life fairytale…
Both he and the fairy had considerable wounds even though it was more serious for Bell. They were barely managing as they balanced on the boundaries of death, they could both feel they were near the end.
However, the promise he made and the welfare of the villagers made Bell want to see a future where they would not die from the threat in front of them.
"...I will defeat the monster, win so that no one else has to cry… I will win so that I can protect them!"
The fairy caught his eyes as they gazed beyond the forest darkness, desperate eyes watched as they were gripped by a single path, a path that won against the monster. The fairy cherished the words of the young man before her; a strengthened tenacity seemed to fill her heart, her spirit had been strengthened by Bell's goodwill.
"Let's go, Bell." She too returned a hopeful smile, wiping away at her teary eyes.
Their linked bond allowed both to understand what they both wanted, their fears and worries flooded each other's mind like it was their own… They wanted to turn each of their frowns into an unworrying smile.
Great screams were all that lingered in the forthcoming conflict. The two opposers walked the path that they had chosen for themselves.
The orc staggered in one place. No longer able to see the light, its mind was left in darkness and was paranoid as ruinous blood rushed and spurted out of where it could once see. The world had vanished from its grasp and now the wretched reality of its blindness had left the orc vulnerable; it screamed and miserably attempted to revive the sight that left it.
But in its delirium, it had ignored the arrivals that gave everything to end its existence…
*SLASH-*
Deranged, it turned on instinct and attacked in the direction of the hostility. There was nothing there.
*SLASH!-*
Its eyes unbearably burned as no chance was given to regenerate.
*SLASH- SLASH!*
The oncoming onslaught was like fire, it penetrated into its skin but not so deep that it reached any vital parts of its body. There was a heat present in the air that raged and roared as it was led to one direction, gravitating towards the individuals who were responsible for it.
The human…
That small creature!
It was them!
It would not stop. Unable to see caused the orc to attack and the pain to grow even more than the previous strike.
"I will win!" The human declared.
The orc could not comprehend what was being said; all it could hear was the voices that pierced its ears and fumed its anger. It thrashed and swung its claws, confused and bewildered.
The end would not come, slash upon slash the orc's defence was being torn to shreds, the blood that was leaving its wounds was bubbling and evaporating into a black mist. In desperation, the orc slammed the ground with its bulging limbs resulting in a massive quake.
The ground cracked and crumbled under the weight of the ferocity left unleashed, and the ones that were once advantageous had lost their ground.
Silence imprisoned the battle…
The few seconds of that unrelentless silence had pierced the darkness, light had barely returned to its eyes, those very eyes that swallowed the brilliance of the world, the orc was desperate for it.
Yet, realising its wounds, something had… changed.
The orc was pushed to its limits and no longer did it have any fodder to feed itself off. Its body had been showered with its own blackening blood that melted into its skin. There was this urge, stronger and more dangerous than its own will.
It was like its sense of self was rotting away; there was some want, a presence that was there… It could feel it. A sadistic glee was frowned upon the orc; the emergence was shadowing its desire…
What is this?
In the distance, the groans of a human and metal grating against rock were all that defied the silence that was now broken. The orc's attention had been drawn towards it, still its clouded vision considerably obscured the origin of that noise.
"...Haa…. Haaa..." The human gasped for breath.
He was drawing closer and the orc roared in anger, but the human did not respond to its display of devastating howl.
The orc was driven by a deep seething hatred.
k̷̟̋̅͆̓̐͝i̶͉̞͇͓̊̀̋͌l̸̢̡͙͈̜̥̀l̸̯͆̐̀̀̉͘͝,...
I was close, so close; everything around me was beginning to seem brighter.
My hands were shivering from exhaustion but I would never let go of the blade, my one and last chance. My breathing was ragged to the point where I was attempting to take entire gulps of air, but seeing the orc which had been brought to its knees just gave me that one last push.
I held my ground and took advantage of its blindness and attacked, the monster would not fall. I was able to tell that the monster was attempting to do the same, it was searching for me, trying to notice my presence all while flailing from the injury I left in its eyes.
Pain was all that was left in my arms and the few hits that I managed to land had submitted them to failure for a few moments. The greatsword's tip dropped to the ground but my hands would not let go.
Move… just keep moving. Don't stop…
I was no longer able to stand straight without exhaustion stabbing me back down, all I could do was drag the blade with my body and loosen my aching arms to give them time to breathe.
But this was a mistake because the orc had managed to figure out where I was. The blade continued to grate wearily against the floor as I felt like I had a few more moves left in me..
"...Haa…. Haaa…" Every gruelling action I was taking was punishing to the point where I would imagine myself falling and eventually collapsing…
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
But it was fear that kept me awake.
The orc released a cry like Bell had never heard before, one that sheared his ears to the point where he was forcefully using the strength remaining in one hand to contain the pain. His head throbbed and was threatening to split apart by just how sharp it was.
"?!-"
However, the monster rushed to chase after him as if it had read his thoughts; adrenaline ran through his limbs as he garnered the strength to strike.
"I need to finish this!"
The fairy's greatsword buzzed melodiously in the catastrophe and prepared itself to strike. The handle was radiating with heat that gave comfort to his strained hands, he raised his weapon with the remaining strength that he had saved.
"Grh…!"
It was here. Shadowing over him was the orc's dominating figure, powerful and threatening, where it was the only thing left in his way.
"Break through it!"
Bell let everything loose. The orc rose above his head to slam its massive figure on top of him but his legs carried him to reach it first and release an upward thrust centered to one point on its body it had left exposed.
Darkness loomed over as the blade reached the orc's bulging stomach, a strong impact left the monster to bow in submission of the attack, however it still did not pierce through. It wanted to endure the small hope of the fairy.
Despite that, the orc's defence was failing as Bell strove to further impale its thick skin. Everything had to be focused to one point, the momentum of his charge, the life that was left saved in this body; every ounce of force and will that he could muster.
"HYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
And…
It broke through.
Bones cracked and muscles ripped as blood gushing and dripping were all that resonated in the air.
The great defence that withstood the blow had been penetrated at the colossal orc's chest and it was a blow that was enough to send a wave of stillness throughout the deafening conflict. The blade shined glaringly as if in celebration of the young man's accomplishments.
"Kkhhee!-"
The orc let out a halting screech, it leaned on its limbs until it fell to its knees. It tried to reach for the weapon impaled through its chest, the sudden loss of air left it to choke and attempt to survive instead.
But its hatred would not cease and its bloodied claws wretchedly extended for the human.
Bell was unmoving, his hands locked firmly as he maintained his position with the strength of his arms. His eyes were transfixed on the blade that ran through the monster.
On the other hand, the orc was unable to reach the human and its thickly drenched arms only landed themselves on the greatsword. Light burned the innards of the orc and the pain inadvertently was both paralysing and forcefully torturing the orc.
In absolute anguish it attempted to remove the blade.
"AAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAEEEEEEEE!" The monster was bent on escaping its doom.
It instinctively concluded to remove the very thing that wished to end its existence, the blade it recognised as the ruin of all monsters…
Using its rage, it held the blade that burned and melted its hands and began to extract it from its centre. The overwhelming lifelessness and density of its bones made it difficult for the blade to even budge.
Life was volantly draining from the monster and there was nothing it could do to regain its strength. It was painfully dying as it retched a loadful of ichorous blood, many of it showering over its enemy in a burning sting.
Bell was not able to defend against the stinging torment, instead it only fueled his concentration to keep his ground.
This was a miserable deadlock between the monster and the human; one that was near the end. It was a struggle to determine who would fall last.
All they needed to do was hold.
Verging on death was the monster who sought to devour.
Its consciousness was collapsing and the world was fleeting.
A memory from the time it was once born into the world; it was the abyss where it all started.
The fear, the hunger, the delightful slaughter.
And the desire… its glutinous demand, it wanted everything.
It would have everything and now never will it have anything. It was all their fault.
The monster could no longer breathe, drowning in its own blood as it deservingly suffocated from existence.
And yet, a great evil persisted…
Before its death, the light was lost and the monster's will was corrupted fully. The monster suffered; from it surfaced something alive…
What was left was the seed of malice.
The Malevolent Orc was dead..
"Let go."
That was what his heart told him.
The will of the fairy, the greatsword also communed to him, asking him to rest. He had done enough. The monster was right in front of him, but he could not bring himself to completely believe that this was the end of the orc.
It was the end and that much was certain.
Still… he refused.
The monster, its skin was tearing itself apart as the blackest of blood was slithering its way out, spoils of ichor fell until it cascaded. It was altogether disintegrating into ash. Its skin cracked and crumbled into grey at an incredibly slow rate.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
It screamed and shook the air maliciously.
The blade impaled in the monster was left to fall from the flesh it was once stuck in. The fairy was left horrified by the presence before her… This was the evil that she was so frightened of; Bell could feel that fear through what binded them, it coursed through his nerves as he understood and was witness to what the fairy was seeing through him.
The monster had shifted like a puppet on strings, a beast that was the embodiment of catastrophe had suddenly been transformed into a malevolent evil fighting for survival.
Threads of blood were overflowing from the ruptures that were smeared across the floor, but unlike flowing blood escaped the confines of nature and reached for what was in its grasp.
Bell lifted his arms, the dreadful sight of ichor was all that was in front of him.
Worst of all… The fairy's greatsword, it was beginning to disappear, returning what little magic was left to the fairy who gave it.
The fairy was left speechless.
The only thing that raced in Bell's heart were the waves of malice that went to drown the forest in submission. Even so, he raised his battered-self and gripped the fairy's greatsword firmly. A chain of thoughts tried linking themselves together to form something to work, but nothing would.
Bell was left with nothing. He was sure he would die when the magic he was relying on was lost and-
"No." He searched even deeper within himself.
The greatsword in his hand responded to the will of its wielder, entirely drenched in black fluid that was boiling on its surface and then vaporising…
"Wait…"
He observed his skin to see that there were burns all over but did not have the same severity of damage as the other things around him, perhaps the fairy's magic was protecting him like it did the blade?
It was as if reality had hit him, a thread of an idea was spinning in his mind as he scanned his eyes towards the ground. The rubble beneath him and all that had been touched by the monster's disastrous blood had been left to burn and melt, like the blood in of itself was an acid…
…That's why the blade was so effortlessly freed despite it being lodged in the orc before.
The monster was…
"That's it!"
At the same time the fairy also understood what Bell was conceiving.
"I see… The orc's insides are melting…"
It did not matter how resilient the monster was or how strong its natural physicality made it be, something was wrong with its blood and it was affecting the monster's insides.
"Yes." It all made sense to Bell despite how insane it was.
But what was not making sense to them was how the orc was still moving. The process of its skin turning to dust was now even more apparent, it was completely visible. It was a sign that it should be dead.
Suddenly, the monster swayed its arms in fluid-like motion, completely different from its previous attacks and used its ichor appendages to whip the ground, pummeling it instantly and sending a bomb of rubble into the air.
Bell jumped out of the way of the attack but was found to have been met with an instant barrage of random strikes. It was out of control, this was now just a display of feral instinct, one that emerged in the most crucial of times.
Bell again doged the incoming barrage by stepping back, he prepared himself for the monster to chase him but found to see that it remained unmoving to one spot.
"Wh- It doesn't matter! It's all or nothing!"
Bell's mastery of magic was near nothing; however it was his drive that was translated to the fairy. They gave their all in manifesting the single strike they would end this with. A blast of heat and wind razed the air as it battled rigorously against the monster's dominant presence, the greatsword buzzed mightily as it shined white blindingly.
The will of the world surrounded the blade as magic coursed through Bell's entire being. The world now sought justice, the wish of the world to destroy the beast had placed itself on the shoulders of the awe-inspiring unity of two individuals who desired to protect what they cared for.
His heart beat pounding.
Raw manifested power rushed through Bell to the point where his already strained body could no longer withstand the onslaught of magic output. The vessels in his body were burstfully crying as blood slit through the thin areas of his skin. If not then it would ripple from the corners of mouth, tracing a distasteful aching throat.
With the fairy's greatsword in hand, Bell sprinted towards the beast.
"EEEEAEEEEE?!" The monster shrieked at the power it sensed from the human.
Whips of fluid black targeted the danger and threw themselves at the young man like spears, and each was filled with the desire to skewer while others were like blades or claws ready to devour.
Bell used his everything to dodge the assault; the tendrils came close to his body trying to rip him into pieces.
The prey evaded them by the graze of his skin dodging and turning; it was not enough. The monster's relentlessness left no place to be safe for the slightest moment of thought, it was madness in the merciless pressure of the fight.
But Bell sought for the end.
"Deeper, even further…"
The greatsword whispered to him the key, access to the fairy's knowledge and unyielding will clashed and meshed greater.
A small but strong vessel that withholds great magic can unleash an absolute outcome.
Magic was rapidly tearing through his body; his mind was sharper, his body was enrichingly nourished, the greatsword cried of untamable light as its time was near.
Bell's movement flared into existence as in the next instant he had disappeared.
The monster was lost in its euphoria as it didn't realise until the last moments of what had happened. It sensed something vast, not in front where it should have been but from above.
A powerful silence fell wrathful.
The monster witnessed in fear the light deeming to devour it instead.
The moment he connected, the monster's head exploded into specks of raining flesh and blood.
His throat hurt so badly that he wasn't able to let out a rageful cry… The blade honed and the monster was splitted in two down to the shoulder. Chunks of flesh rained and catastrophic winds tore the trees from their resting roots as Bell forced his way to cleave the monster entire.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
The greatsword had reached the core that shockingly cried a horrifying shriek, a scarce mass of solid black had cracked like stone.
"?!..."
…It would have shattered, if not for the blade dispersing into a form that was lost and unreachable.
"..."
A warm light had vanished from his hands as Bell realised the monster was still not dead. The fairy was also at her ends, the glow of her magic had returned to her barely enough to keep her alive. They both watched as they were losing consciousness and both desired only one thing in return for their rest.
"... Please.. Just disappear…"
Bell's back dropped as the weapon that mended his body was no more. He was so tired, his gaze drifting to the sky as his head fell from exhaustion; the last thing that the boy and the fairy saw were the great clouds enriched by a dimming sun.
-]:[-
The monster persisted without its head and halved torso towards the body that lay beneath it, the threads of black ichor reaching out only for its vessel to collapse into ash. It reached again only for the same to happen for the other arm. Slowly, the body of the orc crumbled before even its blood had boiled and dissipated into thin air.
It was the end.
…
The only thing left was an abysmal black stone that fell near the human with a sudden smack.
Epilogue: To A Tale's End
I… I hear someone laugh in the distance.
It was a boy who was waiting for someone to play with him. The boy ran in a field of aged golden grass as he conveyed himself as one of the great heroes who would save the world; a familiar face of light flew by as the boy then chased and called out to the light only for it to escape.
The sun shone white and the sky was washed with majestic shades of blue.
Was this a memory? It was a dream where I was seeing myself.
There was something in my hands and I saw what it was, a black object, like a hazy dark cloud. No, it was an immeasurable void that pulled at my soul and swallowed any semblance of light.
Memories resurfaced as it reminded me of the monster responsible for it. Without thinking I crushed the stone in my hand, it burned and scorched into my skin, leaving me to withstand the pain alone.
Yet at that moment… I felt at peace.
I could still hear the child laugh in the distance, this time seeing me and calling for me to come and play in his imaginary game.
But I couldn't bring myself to. I knew for sure that I had changed somehow, I wouldn't see the dream I aspired towards be the same as it ever was; I was growing past my child self.
I would be a fool for believing I could succeed when all I had to do was just "let it happen."
With each step the child was further, the field I remembered was washed away by pure white.
The child had understood and left to dream on his own; he would always be there when all else failed and remind me of the beginning of everything.
I was happy.
The forest was silent. There was no longer the clanking of weapons colliding with each other or the screams of a young man who was doing everything he could to fight off the monsters from destroying a lonesome village in the mountains, there was an absolute silence.
A star filled sky along with a great moon lit the world underneath.
The battle had ended and yet the young man had yet to awaken, although the fairy had awoken from her slumber to see the end result.
She was weakened incredibly to the point where it was difficult to see a few steps ahead of her. The overload of magic had resulted in the body to collapse not only from exhaustion but also from considerable damage.
Both suffered dearly, it would take years for the restoration of their senses… at least in normal circumstances.
The fairy's very nature allowed her to use magic at a grand scale with little consequence, and Bell… he was healing better than normal. It was a first for the fairy to see such a result; it may have been because of how her magic was being used on him… It did not matter as long as he was okay.
The fairy used the traces of magic she had left to protect them and provide shelter. A dome of leaf and wood was called upon by order and a fire was set to give the young man warmth; the fairy also sat near the fire twinging at the wounds she received. The leaves bristled and blossomed as they were instructed to heal the ones in its embrace, the scent of sweetness had loosened their nerves.
Out of the corner of her eye, Bell let a gentle smile grace his exhausted self.
"I hope it is a lovely dream… !-" A sudden ease washed over her contemplation as she saw the boy attempt to wake from his slumber.
A sliver of eye peeked through to see a fairy of white and used what little strength he had to call out to her.
"Aine…"
"Rest, Bell. I will wait for you, so do not worry… alright? " A blush hidden gently by a smile graced the fairy at the call of her true name, he should not have known were it not for their growing connection.
"To know my name is not fair of you…"
Bell heard the assuring chime and once again drifted to sleep, unable to convey what he wished to say.
HELLO EVERYONE!
Oh man has it been a while, and I am finally excited to say that I have finished the first arc of the fanfiction I had decided to set on creating.
It definitely feels like a weight off my shoulders completing this, oh and the ideas I have for the future…. I am excited to see where this goes!
SO, now that I have relieved myself I would like to share some of the thoughts and outside knowledge I have regarding this chapter and lore of the story.
In my previous notes I did say I would reveal how strong the orc was and I intend to hint at its strength. The orc itself was able to grow stronger at a rapid pace when compared to the dungeon, so if this orc was in the Dungeon then it would have definitely grown even stronger than Ottar whether or not it was able to survive and remain hidden for a couple weeks. That is just how overpowered this monster's capabilities were.
However, the orc was born outside the dungeon meaning it would take a long time for it to grow as strong as it did as monsters outside the dungeon were considerably weaker and were of lesser quality when being consumed, for now though, I would say that the orc would be around a mid level 5 that would even give Ais a very difficult time by herself (When she was a level 5 obviously). I will later reveal when the orc had appeared to the outside world as it has its own story that I have only touched on in the previous chapters
Now, it is important that you realise that this is a very crucial arc for who Bell will be in the future, this is an event that expands his character at a much earlier stage of his life when compared to the light novels (With what I believe to be a "smack of reality.") since he was so close to death. It's basically going to be something that will always be at the back of his mind, sort of like a trauma in a sense, but only for a bit since he will grow out of it in the eventual long run.
As for the fight itself, the reason it's so long is because of the future events I wish to build from this point forward so I ask that everyone is patient. I mean this fight was difficult to write since I had no reference to a monster that attacks with pure savagery in the danmachi light novels since the fights are more against monsters that are either special or just smart in general.
The battles in the future will likely be shorter unless it is a major part of the story.
And that's it for now I think!
I really hope a lot of you readers comment and discuss some of the things you found in this chapter, and if it's not a spoiler then I would be willing to reveal more details of the story depending on the questions you ask.
Please let me know if there are any criticisms as I do improve these chapters for a worthwhile second read.
Anyway, thank you for your time and I hope to see everyone in the next chapter!
-Odyssey7