AN: Check out my bio for Grisnir's Character Sheet.
If Cocytus's fighting style was comparable to master-crafted porcelain, then Albedo was the bull wreaking havoc in the shop that housed said porcelain. Grisnir leapt, avoiding an earth-shattering strike. He couldn't find any weak points in her defense. It was a standoff, neither party yielding an inch in the fight. They had been battling for the better half of an hour, Grisnir suffering significant damage while Albedo's energy and stamina waned. The battle would come down to Grisnir's health against her endurance.
Albedo smashed her axe into his shoulder. Grisnir's bones shaking from the blow, a massive tear in his armor. He sputtered on the floor, ducking under her next attack by an inch.
Conventional attacks shattered against her armor, forcing Grisnir to innovate on the fly. Grisnir pushed her away with a firm palm, expanding the gap between them with a backwards leap. He summoned forth strands of lightning, Albedo parrying the frail bolts with ease. He smiled, the bolts weaving past her axe and enclosing around it. Grisnir tugged, seeking to disarm her, but did not account for her power. Albedo tugged at the tangible bolts, bearing him into her attack range.
"Lord Ains would never have let a trespasser so close within his circle." Albedo aimed a strike at his head as he flung to her. "What have you done to earn his trust so quickly?"
"If you just let me catch my breath to explain..." Grisnir slipped away at the last moment, delivering a vicious kick to her head, Albedo sliding away from the impact.
"No, a simpleton like you. How could you even comprehend the inner machinations of one so great? The one who reigns above all life and death. What have you done to deserve such an audience?" She leapt, weapon hefted high.
"Lighting Prison." Grisnir expected the strike, sidestepping it and seizing Albedo's wrist in a firm grip. Tendrils of tangible lightning encased her form.
Albedo gasped at the initial shock, but broke free from the electric chains in an instant. Grisnir, surprised, took the blunt of her axe across his jaw, helmet shattering, and exposing sun-kissed skin and a human grimace. Feet planted firmly into the dirt, Grisnir grappled her wrist, a blaze of blue lightning engulfing her in cerulean agony. Albedo grit her teeth, smashing her helmet into Grisnir's, his grip loosening. Another axe strike slashed upwards, exposing his torso, sending him flying like a rag doll.
He landed on his feet, close enough to close the distance. With a powerful sprint, he cracked a cross across her jaw, causing Albedo to fumble backwards. As a follow-up, Grisnir lifted her high in the air by the neck, slamming her down and shattering the ground on impact. Without missing a beat, Albedo's legs wedged against his body, locking him down in an armbar.
"Triplet Maximize Magic: Call Greater Thunder!" Grisnir felt the bones in his arm creak, muscles tearing under the immense pressure. A storming thundercloud formed above them, three blinding bolts struck Albedo, her body convulsing from the damage he inflicted. Grisnir yanked his arm away from her vice-like grip, now loosened by the shock of his attack, stumbling onto the ground away from her.
"Look, can we just talk for a bit?" Grisnir clambered away, scrambling onto his feet into a shaky stance. He waited, watching as Albedo lay there in silence. His posture loosened once he saw her crumple further into the charred dirt, inert. Wary and in wait, Grisnir observed as her shoulders rattled upon the ground.
"Why?" Albedo asked. Her voice was low, shaking, and on the verge of breaking. "Why must I be this way?" She bit her lip, attempting to stem the flow of tears.
Grisnir no longer saw her as a threatening foe, but as a vulnerable woman, tormented by the resentments that dwelt within. Unable to find a proper response, Grisnir lowered his guard, no longer on the balls of his feet, slumping onto the floor and favoring his injured arm. An uneasy peace came over the two fighters. That malicious aura about her faded in the face of sadness.
"I want my love to be returned. To be loved the way I love him. Whatever I do, it's useless. Whatever I try, it doesn't work. I want him to be mine. But we are just so different. It frustrates me. No, I frustrate myself. I should be more accepting of the way things are, but I want more. Yet, as a servant, I cannot force my master to… What are you doing?"
Grisnir perched cross-legged, a potion bottle tilted upward into the damaged lower half of his helmet. While she talked to herself, Grisnir pulled out a healing potion to cure his wounds. He attempted to finish the potion as quickly as possible after noticing Albedo stopped. He choked on his own drink, cutting off her speech. She uncoiled herself, lifting an eyebrow, half-puzzled and half-bothered.
"Sorry! Please, continue." Grisnir gestured with his arm, inviting her to finish.
"There is nothing more I wish to say." She shook her head, letting out a sigh, standing and switching her armor out for her usual gown. "I just wish to know one thing: How could you gain the trust of the Supreme Being so quickly?"
Grisnir thought long and hard, clawing his chin and dipping his head away. He considered Ains's words earlier that day. This was a delicate matter, and delicate he was not. Instead of running headlong into it, Grisnir sought to navigate through the unfamiliar terrain.
"Well, from what I gathered, the Supreme Beings, Ains included, well… I'm basically like them." Grisnir said, his tone shaky, sounding unsure.
"And what do you mean by that?" Albedo narrowed her eyes. To compare oneself to the apex of her mountain, was borderline blasphemous.
"What I mean to say is, the Supreme Beings were gods, entities you worshipped. We could say the same for myself. I and Ains are similar in that regard. "
"I do not understand. You do not seem all that remarkable compared to Lord Ains. Nor do you possess his intelligence." Albedo said, tilting her head, eyebrows furrowing in genuine confusion.
"Well, to tell you the truth. Intelligence isn't a common trait among us. I am more of a fighter than anything. Or was. My body wasn't what it used to be. Injuries have kept me from it for some time now." He shrugged. The latter half of his statement was unintentional. But, looking back at it, it was plausible and fit his narrative.
"I see." Albedo said, still showing her confused stare. "That could explain why he has taken such a quick liking to you."
"To sum it all up: I guess Ains saw the similarities in our situation. He stayed behind like I did. I just don't have my guild with me."
She was silent now. Grisnir considered it a substantial breakthrough. That hostile intent was no longer there. He also considered the fact that she was no longer brandishing her axe at him, something he was thankful for. Letting out a sigh, he continued.
"And another thing. I could sense darkness dwelling within you when we fought. Call it a warrior's intuition. Not the usual darkness that many here already possess. I meant something that could hinder you and your performance. You weren't fighting at your best. I could tell when we sparred. Some frustration, stress, something like that. You don't need to confirm. The way you move, act, and fight are enough for me to know."
Albedo gasped, eyes widening. How much could Ains, the highest of all supreme ones, see if someone like Grisnir noticed? She glanced away, eyebrows knitting into a frown.
"The best advice I can give you is, do not live in the future. Appreciate the present. Plan for the future, yes, but do not live in it. What you think will happen shouldn't affect what is happening. The same goes for people as well. Appreciate what they give now as opposed to focusing on what they can give in the future. Once you do so, I think the negative feelings you feel will go away." Grisnir rose from his seated position, wiping the dirt off his legs, and turning away. Just before he could leave, Aura and Mare stood in front of him.
"Hey, hey what's the big idea here? Battering our floor for the second time?" Aura's eye twitched, lips pressed into a frown. The young elf clenched her fist. Her younger brother peered at Grisnir from behind her.
"Don't look at me." Grisnir pointed to Albedo. "She had some things that needed resolving."
Albedo stood there, her eyes removed as she stared up to the sky, paying the two elves and their sudden arrival no mind. She had a pondering expression, an arm clutching the other as she remained silent. Her axe lay deserted on the earth as she dwelled within her own thoughts.
"Albedo!? What the hell happened?" Aura moved past Grisnir, rushing towards the succubus. Mare was swift to follow, only a half step behind his older sister before a hand on his shoulder halted his advance.
"W-what is it?" His face flushed a shade shy of red. It was Grisnir who peered down at him.
"Hey, you got a spa I can use around here? I've only been to a few places in this tomb. I don't want to spend half the day walking around and looking for it."
"Yeah, it's on the 9th floor. If you get lost there, some maids should be able to help you find it." The young elf gave a slow nod, eyes shying away from Grisnir and taking a step back. "I have to go now. I don't want my sister to leave me behind."
"Alright, thanks, kid. Be seeing you." He bowed, ruffling Mare's hair before disappearing from sight. Once on the 9th floor, locating the baths took little effort. All Grisnir had to do was ask a maid to take him there.
"So much better than what we had in our guild." Grisnir said, no longer in his armor and drenched in the serene waters of a hot spring. His limbs waded around the waters, a delighted smile adorning his face.
"This new body was what I was missing back home. I wish I came here sooner." He would continue sauntering about the resort, bathing and reclining to ease the strain in his body.
The rest of the day sped by in a productive rush. Grisnir made himself familiar with his new environment, exploring every floor except the 8th and interacting with many of the guardians in each one. He was quick to note the prominent personalities of the tomb with an emphasis on the floor guardians and the Pleiades. One such situation involved him sputtering about a web Entoma had created, wriggling in fear as the web harmlessly surrounded him, much to her annoyance.
"Oh goodness! They have trapped me. This is it, isn't it? I'm gonna die!"
"My, you are an obnoxious guest." Entoma helped free Grisnir and, as payment, he helped the arachnid set up more webs along the crevices of the other floors.
Once the day concluded, Grisnir collapsed onto his mattress, taking off all his clothes before doing so. He was spent. The combination of walking, sparring, and studying the Tomb's layout taking a toll on his energy reserves. As sleep overcame his form, Grisnir dreamt of what the next day would bring. He shifted against the blankets, shutting his eyes and falling asleep.
