Chapter 54:
There came a time when Bell Cranel thought that he would never redeem himself in the eyes of the Xenos. They had given him their trust, and he had brought them only death and ruin. His year away might have taken him away from Orario, but his thoughts had always drifted back to Wiene, Lyd, and the others. And even more depressingly, though, his thoughts would drift back to Rei and Gros. They had been his friends. They had taken him into their home at his greatest hour of need, and because of that they had died. Bell might not be able to redeem the past, but he knew that he could protect the future.
Slicing down with the Hestia Knife, Bell cut through the bone shard that Typhon had thrown at him like a knife. The large skeletal monster had all the speed of the Juggernaut, coupled with the strength of Udeaus. Thankfully, the one thing it seemed to lack was a solid defense. It had no shield or thick hide, just a skeleton and a black miasma that hid its insides. It supplemented that missing defense, though, with extremely polished technique. It was able to shoot out bone shards, while also wielding a large single-edged blade. The creature had an overwhelming might and proved that its reputation as King of the Xenos was not for show. Thankfully, Bell was not alone.
If Typhon could be described as a large spear, with an ability to thrust right through any obstacle, Asterius was a battering ram. He lacked the refined technique of the Xenos King but had overwhelming force. Every strike from his great battleaxes would cleave stone in two. Watching him, Bell knew that a single strike would cut him in half.
And what did the March Hare bring to the field? Lightning quick attacks that left his opponent reeling? No, Typhon parried the Rabbit Rush strikes easily. So, did Bell use his magic to provide strong support? Unfortunately, Bell's quick cast magic seemed to have very little effect on Typhon's bones. The only thing it had really done was show that the Xenos King lacked the magical armor that the Juggernaut had. But still, Bell Cranel needed something to do. He had tried to charge his Argonaut, but that had proven fruitless. Typhon had anticipated it and would stop him whenever he tried.
The March Hare couldn't even kill auxiliary monsters, because there weren't any. It was like the mere presence of these titanic forces had scared off everything else. So, Bell was stuck feeling as useful as a third tit. At best, he hoped he was at least being an annoyance and distraction. His only comfort was that he wasn't making things worse.
Asterius twirled his axes around before pivoting on his feet and putting his whole might into a sideways slash. His waist twisted, and his back and arms followed on through. It was like he was chopping down a great tree. The action made Typhon bring his sword up in a two-handed block. That gave Bell an opening where he leapt in to try and land a couple slashes. Hakugen bounced off the bones, as usual, but the Hestia Knife managed to cut into the spine of the monster. It leaned back and howled in pain. Bones popped out and shot off like the spines of an urchin. They practically peppered into Bell, faster than even the Iguazu. As he moved back, his daggers worked in a whirl to try and block them. Unfortunately, by his estimation, he only stopped half of them. The rest of them had stabbed into his arms and sides. Thankfully, they seemed to miss any of his vital organs and extremities.
"Well, even the great Bell Cranel bleeds then!" shouted Typon, cackling in triumph. "I remember fighting you in my dreams. Taking your arm off. But then that bitch mermaid came to save your life! This time, though, its just you!"
"NO!"
Asterius tried punching into Typhon's skull. The skeleton blocked it and jumped back. He looked over at Asterius before punching down. Just like Udeaus, he could make darky spiny bones pop out of the ground like spikes of ice. They surrounded the minotaur like a cage. Every time Asterius destroyed some, new ones popped up to take their place.
"Your attacks betray you Asterius!" shouted Typhon. "You haven't recovered from my ambush down below. Now, I will kill you both!"
Asterius started to try and hack his way out of the cage. As he did that, Typhon finally turned his full attention towards the boy named Bell Cranel. The young boy felt his legs shake. Suddenly, he was thrust back into an old memory. A minotaur that had brought him to his knees, and a deep seed of fear that had taken root.
That had been the beginning of Bell Cranel. Everything before that had just been existing. Going from day to day without any clear purpose beyond, 'Be a hero.' But that chance encounter had sparked a long fight in the young boy to conquer his fears. It had been what pushed him, even after he had faced his original enemy. To his mind, Bell Cranel had been running from fights for so long and so far. He had been afraid for so long. And suddenly he was tired of it.
This was the new page of who he was. Everything up to this moment: his new skills, the truth of his family, and his relationship with Ais, they were a prologue to a new boy. As his feet shifted and his gaze sharpened, Bell Cranel took a breath. This fight was going to be the start of a new journey, culminating in a new way forward.
And it was a not path he would take alone.
Just as the two destined foes were to cross blades, the head of a dragon sailed through the air between them. It landed with a wet and meaty thunk, rolling over slightly. It was missing large chunks of flesh, one of its eyes was gone, and large gashes cut through its cheeks. Both fighters turned towards the projectile's origin. And standing there, bloody but only slightly beaten, was Ais Wallenstein.
Even though her breathing was haggard, Bell Cranel felt his heart speed up. Her hair hung around her, like a halo. The powerful way she held herself stole his breath away. Many years later, when he would tell his children and his children's children of how he fell back in love with this woman, he would always start with this moment. Her eyes shone with a golden intensity that brought its full focus onto the King of the Xenos. And to Bell's shock and awe, the great monster seemed to wither.
"Don't touch him!" growled Ais.
She flicked her blade, casting of the blood of the formidable Cadmus Dragon. And then…she vanished. Her body flickered, and she was suddenly standing in front of Typhon. Desperate sang in the air as it pierced forward past the monster's defenses. It was only a slight shift on the monster's part that stopped it from being a fatal blow.
Bell watched her back, but he no longer felt inferior. He no longer felt that he was chasing after her shadow. He felt safe, but he also finally understood what that meant. They would protect each other now.
Asterius finally hacked his way through the bone cage and joined the two adventurers. Typhon's eyes swivelled between them before thrusting his sword into the dirt. It was like he was drawing power from the Dungeon itself. His bones sharpened. Extra skeletal hands sprouted from his back and a tail slithered into existence. He looked like a true monstrosity, creaking and groaning like some haphazardly thrown together monster puppet. Which he was, in retrospect. They all were dancing to Freya's tune after all. And for the first time in the last two years, Bell Cranel felt a burning flame of hatred for the Goddess of Beauty. After everything she had done, Bell finally felt well and truly angry. And he channelled that anger forward. Before he would fight the Queen or Orario, he had to kill the King of the Dungeon.
He started rushing forward.
With the Soldiers:
Ura cradled the love of his life in his metal arms as he ran through the battlefield. The gaping hole left in her body from Nastro's disintegrated body was bleeding too much. He knew that it was only a matter of time before she passed on to the Heavens. Thankfully, everyone who had seen her fight seemed ready to give their lives for her protection. And even then, the only reason she was still alive at all was because of the potions he had stolen from the fallen adventurers around him. But they did nothing for the bleeding. A crimson trail dogged his every step, like the grains of sand in an hourglass. He would need a miracle to save Otohime Nakamura.
That was when he almost ran face first into the healer, Cassandra. She was wreathed in the familiar calm green glow of her magic. Her partner, Daphne, stood at her side. Her baton-like weapon was out, and her eyes drifted around the battlefield. But Ura's focus was on Cassandra.
"Soul Light!"
The glow left Cassandra and descended onto Otohime. The bleeding continued, but it started to slow. Cassandra eventually closed her eyes in concentration, focusing on channelling her magic into the gaping wound.
"Leave her with Cass," said Daphne. "We need to get her to the supporter's defensive position. It looks like we're getting ready for our last stand."
Urashima frowned, not wanting to relinquish his beloved to anyone else. At Cassandra's pleading look, though, he relented. He gave her up slowly and made sure to fix the healer with the most withering glare he could muster. The message was clear, drop her and suffer the consequences. Only when she was safely secured in the healer's arms did his eyes soften.
"I thank you for the prompt spell, but how did you know?" he asked.
Cassandra looked away, so Daphne piped up. The red head wore a proud smile on her face.
"She saw it coming in one of her dreams. We knew we had to watch out for it so that we'd be ready to save the little pain in the ass princess," she replied, patting her girlfriend on the back. "Now let's get moving."
The trio started at a light jog. Around them signs of battle ebbed and flowed, but it seemed like everyone was making for the same destination. There was a solitary hill, wagons drawn in a large circle around it. The higher-level adventurers were shepherding the weaker inside. Nearby were high smiths with magic swords. As they passed through, Urashima saw Elwin and Mikoto standing at one of the breaks. They both smiled at the sight of him.
"You scrawny bastard!" shouted Elwin, grappling Ura into a hug.
Surprisingly, the bodyguard felt himself reciprocate it. He did the same when Mikoto hugged him. And then they saw the state of their Dragon Princess.
"I feared the worst when I saw her fall from the sky," said Mikoto. "But reports claim that she got back up and took a mortal wound to kill the dragon Xenos." She looked up with a faint grin. "A tale worthy of a song." She looked around, her black hair a bouncing mess. "If only we survive long enough to sing it."
Elwin ushered him and the others in. "Go take her to the makeshift medical area. Thankfully, the supporters were able to hold onto most of their supplies."
Urashima, Cassandra, and Daphne did as they were told. Eventually, they found the Dea Saint apparently standing on her last legs. No one had ever seen the greatest healer in Orario so out of sorts. She looked like she was ready to be toppled by a stray leaf. But then she saw Otohime. She pointed at Cassandra.
"Put her with the other first-class adventurers, they're getting priority treatment."
Cassandra hustled off, depositing Otohime on a cot next to Anakitty Autumn and Raul Nord. Although they were unconscious from the fighting, the two of them had seemed to gravitate towards each other. Their bodies had twisted so that they were face to face.
"Where's Hippolyta?" asked Daphne.
Amid let out a long breath from her nose.
"Despite my strong advice against it, that Amazon mad woman has chosen to resume her position on the front lines," reported the healer commander.
Daphne arched a brow. "You let her?"
Amid's eyes narrowed. "Have you ever tried telling an amazon what to do?"
Daphne nodded, conceding the point.
While that happened, Cassandra continued to pour magical energy into Oto's wound. The bleeding had slowed enough for other healers and surgeons to jump in and assist. Even if they were about to pass out from exhaustion, they all understood the truth. None of them would be standing here now if not for Otohime Nakamura.
Daphne placed a hand on Ura's shoulder.
"We should go find the Dauntless," she said. "She'll need us more than they do."
Ura nodded, his face already resuming a business-like impassivity. Daphne knew, though, that he was barely hiding a deep concern. After all, she felt the same way.
As they made their way through the camp, they finally took in just how disparate and chaotic things were. Many adventurers had a hollow look in their eyes, as if acknowledging that this was the end. Many of them, except for the Captain of Hestia Familia. Lilliruka Arde's eyes blazed with the fire of her Goddess. When adventurers became listless, she snapped orders at them, jolting them back into action. Even now, Ura knew that she was single-handedly keeping this army alive.
"Orders, commander?" he asked.
Lili smiled at him. "At the southern position, go help the members of Takemikazuchi Familia. And Miss Daphne, go to the mages and help them organize their spellcasting. We don't have any mages commanders left with us."
They both saluted.
This battle was far from over.
The Spirit:
The spirit had wandered up through the floors with the large black minotaur. It had done so because it had felt a calling, but also because it was curious. There was some kind of longing deep within itself that it thought might be answered. Memories from when it was alive were hazy. And the only reason it remained on this mortal plane was because of the Dungeon and its own former strength. So, it rose up to the fifty-ninth floor. And what it saw gave it pause.
Because, in front of the unseen spirit was a boy. He was not the strongest there, nor the most experienced. In fact, his contribution to the battle was minimal. But still, the spirit…she felt drawn to him. Yes…that was who she was. The sight of the boy triggered memories buried deep within. The dream she had wished for before she pledged herself to her mission. And it was all for him. But now, she could do nothing but witness this boy and his struggle.
The Fighters:
The Sword Princess was helping to turn the tide of this battle. Even if she was battered and bruised from her fight with the Cadmus Dragon, her skill with the blade remained at peak form. She was duelling Typhon, her one-handed blade clashing with lightning quick strikes against his two-handed great sword. Happening at the opposite side of the clearing, jutting black spikes worked to try and impale Asterius. The black minotaur kept getting pushed back by the sheer volume of them. However, it also made it so that Typhon had to keep standing in one place, his extra arms plunged into the ground. So, while he was on the offensive against Asterius, he was full on defensive against the Sword Princess.
And then there was Bell Cranel. He decided that he would be most useful helping Asterius, so he wasted time hacking away at those black crystals. Ais's movement were too fast, and she honestly didn't seem to be in any danger. Asterius however couldn't escape every attack. The bone-like structures had already left a criss-crossing patchwork of cuts on his black hide. The minotaur seemed displeased with his arrival.
"Why are you so timid, Bell Cranel?" asked the Black Bull. "When did my rival grow so cautious?"
Bell frowned. "I'm not, I'm just choosing the best places to attack."
There was a snout that could conceivably be a snort.
"That's an excuse, Bell Cranel. And such a thing is beneath you," replied Asterius.
With a great swing, magical axe singed into life. Arcs of lightning spread out like the web of a spider. They crystals were obliterated, and an open space was left. More spikes would come soon, but for now there was peace.
"I'll be fine, now go and face your great monster, and kill him," said the Black Bull. "I want a fight with my rival. Do not let that pretender steal it from me."
Bell turned back towards the duel between Typhon and Ais. He took a deep breath and launched himself forward. As if sensing his approach, Ais let herself fall back. It broke the trance of their duel, and Typhon's sword crashed into the ground, lodged into the dirt. As the massive monster tried to pull it free, Bell got in close. As he had been running, he had charged Argonaut into his blade. It was a short charge, only five seconds, but it would be better than nothing.
When the Hestia Knife stabbed into Typhon's rib, it exploded outwards. The black miasma that seemed to exist in a permanent shroud around the monster shimmered for a second. Underneath, Bell saw that this king of the monsters did in fact have a body. It had a massive magic stone with more bones than could be counted surrounding it. But as soon as the rib exploded, it started to grow back. It was the kind of regeneration that Bell had only seen on the Black Goliath. These things just kept getting worse.
"We have to destroy the stone," said Bell, jumping back to Ais. "Any other damage we make isn't going to stick."
Ais frowned. "But to get to the stone, we have to open a space. How are we supposed to do that if the injuries always heal?"
Bell felt his eyes dart over his opponent. He tried to find and analyze any weaknesses, but none were forthcoming. Then he looked at Ais, and the way her blade hung at her side. And by his Goddess, he couldn't believe what he was looking at.
"I want you to know, you're beautiful," he blurted out. "And probably the strongest person I know. If I make an opening, can you pierce the stone?"
Ais glanced over, her face a shade of red. But then she smiled, and Bell felt that he could die happy in that moment.
"We can do it."
Bell brought his knives back into a defensive position.
The Heroes:
Back with the other first-class adventurers, the big troll Bragi was proving to be a problem. The valgang dragons had proven easy to kill after taking away their mermaid. But as soon as they had fallen, the blood troll had appeared, wielding a massive metal mace. Obviously, the weapon had been specially made for him, only strengthening the suspicion that Freya was involved in supplying this Xenos army.
The monster had already laid down five of the Ganesha contingent. If they could have thrown all their might at him, Ryuu knew that he'd be dead by now. But there were just so many monsters this deep in the Dungeon that it felt impossible.
She jumped backwards, Storm and Shadow dripping from monster blood. Her teeth were clenched in frustration, and she was forced to watch as the monster appeared almost unscathed. Tiona, Tione, and Shakti stood beside her. All of them were bloodied and sweating, their weapons hanging limply by their side. Even Tiona's magical Urga had to be tossed aside after a while. She was too low on mind. From her exhaustion, Bragi had almost landed a hit on her, but then Bete Loga had taken it instead. The wolf man was now unconscious, and the Amazons had sworn bloody vengeance and violence.
It was around that time that Finn Deimne had had enough. The change in the atmosphere was almost missed, but every hardened adventurer felt it. The air felt thicker in that moment. Ryuu felt her hair shift, and then the great troll was stumbling backwards. The Braver landed in a crouch at their feet, the head of his spear dripping red.
"Go help the others," he said. "And kill the rest of these monsters, because this one is mine."
He flickered again, disappearing and reappearing behind the beast. With a sweep of the Fortia Spear, Bragi was forced onto his back. Ryuu stood there in shock and awe. This was the skill of the Braver, Orario's only other level seven.
"He's incredible," said Tione, breath hitched.
"We should listen to him," said Shakti. "If anyone can handle this beast, it's the Braver."
The four split then, reinforcing the other positions of the circle. And while they fought, Ryuu kept one on eye on Finn's battle. With his small size juxtaposed against the large troll, Ryuu was reminded of the tale of David and Goliath. Except in this instance, the roles were backwards. The pallum was the Goliath. His technique was poetry in motion, every thrust and sweep perfectly timed.
For sure, Finn was fast. But unlike Allen, whose main asset was his speed with the spear, Finn's strength lied in his perfection. Every thrust of the weapon's bladed end was perfectly timed; every smack with the polearm's butt was perfectly placed. And Finn himself seemed to be exactly where he needed to be, when he needed to be. He was an artist, his spear a brush, and his paint was blood.
As she watched him, Otohime's voice came to the elf.
"You know, people always assume that since the spear is the easiest to learn, it's the worst weapon out there. But they don't realise what it means to use one of these things. Sure, anyone can be good with a spear, but only the great know how to get the most out of it."
Finn extended himself, standing upright, into a full stab. He twisted with his waist, his feet pivoting along the floor. Bragi was forced to raise his mace into a blocking motion, but the large troll still stumbled backwards. There was a moment of silence, and Ryuu was able to watch as what must have been a first-class weapon break in two. An unseeable crack blossomed outward, and like a thin plank of wood when faced with a bright axe, it shattered, split into two. The troll looked down dumbly. Its face in muted shock.
"And to think, I haven't had to use any magic," said Finn, cocksure grin on his face.
Standing nearby, Tione squealed.
The Diplomat:
The monster that had been running itself ragged through the Dungeon knew that it was getting close. It had only survived this long because it had faced no obstacles. The war raging below had practically drained the Dungeon of all monsters. All that was left were its leftovers. So, the Xenos was able to continue its mission.
It had not broken free from its restraints on the surface. Instead, it had been let go by a little dragon. She had smiled at him and said that he would do what was right. Unfortunately, she and the other Xenos said that they couldn't go with him, that they were working on a special project for Fels, but that was ok. This would be his responsibility. It was something only he could do.
Sherkan had shifted into running on all fours, his liger paws helping him zoom through the tunnel at a breakneck speed. The Dungeon's natural obstacles did little to slow him down, and soon he saw his destination in sight. It was the tunnel to the fiftieth floor.
He barrelled on through, and his enhanced senses were already starting to pick up the signs of battle. The smell of blood, the sounds of screams, and the feeling of the Earth. The vibrations of mortals and monsters clashing against each other, stuck in some horrible dirge. Alone, there was not much Sherkan could do. But he had to try something. It was a human that had saved his life, and he was not going to look away in the face of such kindness.
His eyes searched for the highest peak in the cavern. With a moment's glance, he saw a cliff towering over the others. The remains of some kind of defensive fortification sat in its place, but it had been abandoned. As he reached the top, he tried to find where the Adventurers were.
That was when he saw their small and feeble surviving base camp. They fought fiercely, but Sherkan knew that it would soon be over for them. The attacks from the mind-controlled monsters were too great, and all the strongest adventurers had probably been taken out by the Sun Seekers executives. Thankfully, Sherkan didn't see the executives around either, so it must have been an equal trade.
Sherkan also saw the other Sun Seekers, scattered about. While many still lived, there were some faces he did not see. However, this only served to strengthen his resolve. He had to do something to protect his people. Sherkan drew himself up to his full height, and he roared.
It was the kind of sound that only a great cat like himself could make. It reverberated around the cavern of the fiftieth floor. The Sun Seekers paused in their assault, and so did the monsters that they controlled. Many of them recognized Sherkan, shouting in joy at his apparent survival. The adventurers also paused, many of them running around and trying to do what they could to reinforce their position.
"All of you, listen to me!" shouted Sherkan.
He jumped from his perch on the cliff. With as much confidence as he could muster, he strode through the sea of Xenos-controlled monsters, towards his people.
"This has to stop," said Sherkan. "If we kill them all today, that makes us no better than them!"
"They killed us first!" shouted a Xenos he could not see. "Then they came marching down here to exterminate us!"
"Was it us they wanted to kill, or the masters that we serve?" asked Sherkan.
"We serve no masters!" shouted another.
"Then why do we call Typhon our king? Why do we continue to do as he commands, fighting his battles, when he can't even seem to show up?" replied the liger. He looked toward the adventurers. "I cannot say that I like these people, but I can say that I am tired of fighting." For a brief moment, his eyes met with a pair of amethyst. "And I can say that I have met those that are merciful and as tired of fighting as I am." He turned back to his people. "I say, that both sides have been too quick too fighting. We have been too quick to point fingers, without realising that nothing has changed." He reached out a hand in either direction. "So, I say that we talk." He looked uneasily at increasingly restless sea of monsters. "But first, we deal with these monsters that do not belong."
The other Xenos seemed hesitant, but open to the proposal. Their control collars shined, and the great horde of monsters turned in on itself. Withing minutes, almost all of them were dead. The rest were quickly disposed of by Xenos and Adventurers alike. Soon, both sides were left staring at each other across the battle-hacked plain.
A prum walked forward, flanked on either side by adventurers. Sherkan recognized the ones that walked with her. One was the smith with the easy smile, and the other was the warrior he had faced before. She nodded slightly, an acknowledgement of her thanks and gratitude. He was also aware of the fox girl's eyes on him, slightly narrowed.
"You want to talk, that's fair," said the prum. "Lili can't speak for everyone and all of Orario, but Lili can speak for Lili's Captain, and Lili knows that he would want to hear you out."
The Sun Seekers looked uneasy, with most of them only just realising that they had gotten rid of the large wall of monsters between them and the adventurers.
"We've killed some of you today, and you've killed some of us," added the smith. "Now, none of these things make it equal, but we can all agree that things won't get better if we get back to that. I can personally promise that if anyone from our side that breaks this truce, they are going to regret it, right Hippolyta?"
Sherkan followed the smith's gaze to where a dark-skinned woman with a massive sword stood. Her face held a hidden anger as she nodded. Even as she stood there, covered in wounds, Sherkan recognized her as the most dangerous thing here. No one would cross her.
"Break the truce, and you deal with me," she said. She gave a dark grin. "And then you'll have to deal with Bell Cranel and his elven companion."
All the rebellious adventurers became sufficiently quelled. Sherkan looked back at his own people. He saw that some of them were definitely still angry.
"As far as I'm aware, all our leaders are dead, captured, or soon to be dead. Which means that there's nothing to stop Lyd from coming down here to smack some sense into the lot of you!" he roared.
That caused the Sun Seekers to settle. After all, Lyd was still a well-known and respected figure. Even if they had sided with Typhon, the lizardman held influence over these people. Seeing their calm, Sherkan turned back to the adventurers. Slowly, he lowered himself onto the grass.
"Now, what conditions would you put forward?" he asked.
The pallum followed suit. Even if she seemed small, she held herself well, and Sherkan respected her for that.
"Typhon has to die, and its already happening, there's nothing to be done about it," she said.
Sherkan shrugged. "He was a bit of an ass anyway. Personally, I followed the others, like Frei and Horra. But you have to promise that the rest of us our free to go and be left alone. We won't cause trouble for you, but you can't cause trouble for us."
The pallum considered it before sighing. "I can promise that now, but what happens in a generation? In three or four lifetimes? Eventually, new adventurers will come, and they will not know who you are. And then we'll start killing each other again. And that would defeat the purpose of this." She slapped the turf. "We have to make something permanent." She grinned ruefully. "But for that to happen, we'll have to wait for the others."
Sherkan nodded. "So, for now, my kin will go elsewhere, ready to hide and go deeper. I will stay and bargain with you, little one."
The pallum nodded.
The Leaders:
Bragi was dead. Finn Deimne had broken the monster, killed it, and then proceeded to kill everything else. After that was done, the party decided that it was time to start making their way deeper. Well, that was the plan for some of them at least.
"I'll be taking my Familia's fighters back to camp," said Shakti. "We'll probably be needed for the fighting, and most of us need some kind of healing." She nodded at Bete Loga. "We'll take him to." She looked at Tsubaki and narrowed her eyes. "And I'll drag you back if I have to, you damn smith. No going down further to hunt for precious metals, you're injured enough as it is."
Tsubaki just grinned and gave her a roguish wink. The Captain of Ganesha Familia rolled her eyes, but blushed all the same.
Riveria walked forward. "I'll come with you. After all, I'm afraid that I'm in no position to fight." She looked down the tunnel to where Ais had gone. "Even if I worry for her, I'm afraid that there isn't much that I can do." She turned her head back towards the way up. "And I worry what my idiot brother has gotten up to in my absence."
Gareth nodded, pulling on his beard. "Aye, there's some truth to that." He looked to his Captain. "It'll be up to you and the young'uns to save the lad and the lass."
"I'm going with Finn," declared Tione, surprising no one.
"I go where she goes!" shouted Tiona, face serious.
"I dare any of you to try and keep me from my friend," said Ryuu.
Gareth let out a boisterous laugh. He slapped the elf on the back, making her stumble forward. Mirth danced in his eyes.
"You have Alise's fire," he said. "And you carry her spirit, and that is good."
Lefiya stood in the middle of the two groups, torn about who to go with. On the one hand, her closest friend was probably fighting for her life. Not to mention that annoying boy, who she had grown fond of over these past months. But on the other hand, there was Elwin, and it was no certain thing that he wouldn't die. After all, he had done it before. Sensing her troubles Riveria smiled.
"Go with the others, I think they'll need a mage with them. I'll look after Elwin," said the High Elf.
Lefiya said her thanks. She walked to Finn and the others. With a nod, they started making their way down to the next floor. They were going to bring Ais Wallenstein and Bell Cranel back with them or die trying. As the sound of their footsteps disappeared, Gareth turned towards Riveria.
"You know, if that damn pallum could've killed all those monsters so quickly, why he didn't do it when this all started?" he asked.
Riveria snorted. "He probably thought that we wouldn't know where to place our feet without his tactical brilliance telling us how to do it." She smiled. "Or he was waiting in reserve, for when we would need him the most."
She turned to Shakti. "Lead the way, Captain."
The group of first-class adventurers began their climb back up.
The Boy:
Bell had been feeling fine, until Ais had been hit. The two of them had been trading spots the entire duel. They hadn't found an opening yet, but Bell was confident that they were close. And since Asterius had broken the bone pillars, he had been able joined them. The three were a constant onslaught of movement and force. Unfortunately, Typhon knew how to target the weakest link.
Bell's inexperience meant that his battle sense was not as strong as the others. He was aware of the battlefield for sure, but not in the same way that a hardened adventurer like Ais was. So, when Typhon used his black crystals to launch an attack from the back, Bell didn't feel it coming. But Ais did. The Sword Princess shoved him out of the way, taking the hit herself. Her body was pierced multiple times. Airiel exploded outwards in response; the black spikes obliterated into dust, but the damage was done. Ais's body fell to the ground, bloody and mangled.
Bell grabbed her, cradling her head. Her breathing was faint, but she was still alive. Still awake, she tried to smile for him.
"You can finish this Bell, and then you'll take me home," she said. "This time, you'll get to save me."
She passed out in the next moment. Bell was left staring at her body. A sense of horror crept up on him.
For a year, Bell had thought that he had fallen out of love with Ais Wallenstein. He pretended that her betrayal had crushed his feelings for her, and that he would not love her again. But then he had come back, and he had gotten to the know true Ais Wallenstein. The embers of his feelings had kindled into life again. But it was seeing her like this, hurt because of his mistake, that it finally snapped into place. He loved Ais Wallenstein. And seeing this great adventurer brought low in the depths of this Hell, because of his weakness, was a blow that would break him. His vision turned blurry, and tears fell to the ground. Around him, Typhon and Asterius continued their dull, but that faded from senses. The only thing in front of him was her. And the pain he had caused.
"Please Ais, please wake up!"
He lowered his head to hers. She was still alive, but unless he somehow made it all the way back to the others with her body, then she would die. And Typhon was not going to just let him go.
"What am I supposed to do?" asked the boy, scared and alone.
As Bell Cranel started to give into despair, a warm breeze covered him like a blanket. It was like a pair of arms had encircled him. Faintly, as if it was a mirage, he saw a face. It was a pair of mismatched eyes, green and gold, and a smile deep from his memory. The face pulled itself close, kissing the crown of his head. The smell of perfume invaded his nostrils, and again a memory was tickled. He felt his body settle and took a deep breath. And he knew then that he was never alone. The feeling faded, but Bell felt his heartbeat calm. He put his thoughts in order. If Typhon would stop him from getting Ais to safety, he would just have to kill Typhon.
Ais Wallenstein had saved him before, now he would save her.
And then, when they were both healed, he would tell her how much she meant to them. The thought filled him with happiness. And down in the Dungeon, deep in the heart of despair, the boy smiled and laughed.
The Aunt:
The spirt could feel itself fading. That seemingly small act of providing comfort had drained the rest of her strength. But she remembered now. Her name was Alfia, and that boy was the nephew she abandoned so many years ago.
Looking at him now, she felt a kind of pride. It was a feeling she had forgotten after the horrors she had committed. She could only wish that she had been around for him more. But these were the consequences of her life and actions. Slowly, her spirit began to drift back to the surface.
"Meteria, your boy has grown into a remarkable man."
She faded then, finally going to the Heavens. Soon, she would be reunited with her sister.
The Goddess:
The Goddess of the Hearth felt it. Sitting in the Twilight Manor, she could feel the spirit of her first follower. Clutch at her heart, she smiled at her blessings. Hestia knew that there wasn't a deity alive as lucky as she was. No one else had a child like her.
The Hero:
Bell began charging Argonaut again. And just like he anticipated, Typhon started to target him. More specifically, it targeted the Hestia Knife, whose brilliant glow was filling the clearing of their battle.
"Asterius!" shouted Bell. "Restrain him!"
The black bull jumped backwards and lowered himself to the ground. He pulled himself back, like an arrow on a bow. Then, he charged. Each hoof beat shook the land to its core, his horns shining with a splendour never before seen in the Dungeon. He did not roar, he did not shout, but he let his rage and anger become a part of this great attack. He barrelled towards his prey, and he revelled in the feeling of battle and an all-out attack. He drew close, and despite Typhon's best effort, Asterius's horns pierced the King of the Xenos, the two monsters pinned together. Arms reaching around him, Asterius grappled with the larger creature.
Typhon tried to grow more bones, extending them outwards and stabbing into the great minotaur. Anything to escape this stranglehold But Asterius only laughed in response.
"You coward!" shouted the minotaur.
That was when Bell jumped forward, Hestia Knife held aloft with his left hand. He stabbed downwards. And Typhon knew that he only had a second. The skeleton hardened the bones around his magic stone to a degree that rivalled orichalcum. The black knife came down, and a concussive explosion rang out, stunning every fighter.
Looking down, though, Typhon saw that he was safe. The black knife had not pierced his stone. Moreover, the minotaur had been knocked aside, sprawled on the ground. And the boy….
Typhon looked to where the boy had been blown, right into a rock. He was sitting there, slouched over, breathing hard. His knife was nowhere to be seen, and his left hand was a broken mess. The King of the Xenos pulled himself up and gave a horrible laugh.
"I've won boy! And now, you die!"
He stumbled forward, so intent on killing his prey that he did not take the time to heal his shattered rib cage. In Typhon's mind, there was only one thing left to do, kill Bell Cranel. Then, he would kill Asterius and take both their corpses and parade them in front of those damnable adventurers. He would break their so-called alliance, and the world would be his.
"And then…I will see the Sun."
He stood over Bell Cranel and raised his black sword high.
"Any final words?"
Slowly, Bell raised his head.
"It's when your enemy thinks that they've won, that they're at their most vulnerable."
With the speed of lightning, Bell Cranel drew his hidden dagger. It was the very same one that he had found in the dessert, a gift from his father to his mother. And with that same speed, in a single motion, he stabbed Typhon right through the chest. There was a moment of quiet as the two stared at each other, both shocked at this outcome. But then the sound of cracking broke their peace. The magic stone exploded instantly, and the King of the Xenos staggered back. In the sockets of his eyes, Bell felt a rage that would go unparalleled in any lifetime to. Standing still with his head held high, the King of the Xenos turned to dust.
Bell Cranel turned to Ais Wallenstein and started crawling towards her with his one good arm.