There were a lot of things Bell wanted to do in the dungeon. So many levels and sights to see. So many monsters to encounter and defeat. So many adventures—so many things to do. This. This was not among one them.

Screaming as he rabbitted out of a dangerous confrontation, not anything new (much to the dismay of his "masculine dignity"). Making his typical tactical retreat while holding a monster in his hands was new. He just really, really hoped that nobody would see him in such a scandalous state. If he wasn't already deemed to have a monster fetish after the Xenos incident, this would practically seal himself to that fate.

Though, he didn't have much choice in the matter. He had convinced Marie to guide him back to his familia under the guise that he would protect her. But they ran into an unforeseen mishap as the stream tightened into a crevice far too narrow for Marie to traverse. It didn't help that an aquatic monster that had been trailing them was now in hot pursuit. Having no option, Bell grabbed Marrie, hoisting her up onto land and into his arms.

Thisisforsurvival. Thisisforsurvival. Thisisforsurvival.

"This is so much fun!"

Her cheerful cry of pure delight admittedly made Bell's heart skip a beat. But he practically felt it seize altogether as soon as she pressed her cheek against his, hugging him tightly. His face flushed one of the deepest shades of red yet.

"D-D-D-DON'T CLING TO ME!"

Nevertheless, he continued to run at full sprint.

Bobbing, weaving, ducking, hurdling about the cavern, Bell followed Marie's directions. To Marie, everything became a blur as Bell's sheer speed was too overwhelming for her mind. How amazing, wonderful, awesome! She would have described this rush of adrenaline with more synonyms, but her limited vocabulary inhibited her. She could go on and on about the feeling if she could.

On the other hand, Bell had grown accustomed to his speed. It felt natural to him. He didn't feel overwhelmed; instead, he found clarity in the rush. The world seemed to slow down as his senses focused and sharpened. Every so often, a monster would come to impede their progress, but he would skillfully weave through its defenses and rush past it. He couldn't necessarily fight with Marie in his arms, but he didn't need to. The white and blue blur would be far out of sight before the monster even realized it.

From above, Bell could hear the chaos of the dungeon. At the best of times, it would emit a sound that resembled a low growl. But now, it was roaring fiercely, lashing out of spite for whoever delved into its depths.

My friends—wait for me!

He could hear the sounds of combat grow louder and louder as he pressed forward, seemingly unfazed by the chaos that he created on his own.

Left, right, left, right. Hop, skip, jump.

This was nothing new. Minus the mermaid in his hands, of course.

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.

.

Shit.

Aisha clenched her teeth as a familiar burning, stinging sensation coursed through her nerves. She had taken plenty of wounds in combat, but she couldn't remember the last time it was this serious. Even her clash with the Little Rookie weeks prior seemed tame compared to this. Fresh blood spilled from her mouth and her neck. It wasn't lethal, but that wasn't why she was worried about it. Her fingertips clawed at her wound to confirm that vines were growing from it. A dark grin flashed on her face.

Heh, where else could you find such harrowing adventures outside this god-forsaken place?

She took a moment to look around her. Everyone was fighting tooth and nail for whatever ground they could gain. They didn't have much choice in the matter. They dug their heels into the ground and pooled their blood, sweat, and tears into every strike. Their honor, no, their pride demanded they did. They made a promise; to the wounded, the hopeless, and the lost. Who would they be if they turned their backs on them now?

Aisha let out another dark chuckle. That Bell Cranel, he changed all of them, didn't he? Where was he now? What would he do if he were here? What if he came not to rescue—

She shook her head. This wasn't the time to think about him. And her Amazonian pride wouldn't allow her to concede defeat and wait for a man to rescue her. Still feeling the effects of her little sister's enchantment magic, she tightened her grip on her greatsword.

Lili scanned the battlefield. Her eyes were glossed with fear as she desperately searched for a chance, a hope of victory. But the more she looked, the more she realized how hopeless their situation was. With every monster they slew, three more would appear to take its place. And as the monsters' bodies would crumble and disperse, the mossy monstrosity would collect the crystal core and devoir it for itself. They were practically spoon-feeding this thing, strengthening and nurturing it as the battle continued.

This monster, the Moss Huge, was powerful, without a doubt. But what scared Lili the most was that it was clever. It took full advantage of the situation it was in. No, it crafted this situation. Their peril was a ploy to feed it more power. Even without the Moss' presence on the battlefield, Lili doubted that they would be able to take a stand and fend against the parade. Especially with all the injured.

She looked back at them. Where she once saw hope was now replaced with sober acceptance of the futility of their situation. Luvis especially. He had resigned himself to the cruel fate of his demise. As Lili continued to stare, she saw their eyes steel themselves. But it felt hollow, pathetic. Despite the Moss Huge's vines still festering in their wounds, they stood up and readied their weapons. Lili looked on as they let out a cry and rushed forth to join the fray.

"Leave us!" they pleaded. "Go, save yourselves!"

Lili cast her eyes down, unable to look at their pathetic attempts to fend for themselves, much less for others. She thought of the words Daphne had shared with her earlier in the expedition. Lili slowly began swallowing the pill caught in the back of her throat. The dungeon was cruel. And to survive, she too had to be cruel.

She looked at an opening in the cavern, an exit. It wasn't cowardice; it was rational; it was merely survival. It wasn't unfair; Lusiv, Domul, and the others all offered themselves as sacrifices. Yet she still couldn't bring herself to move.

Tears began to spill from her eyes as she thought of the boy she so admired. He wouldn't fault her for this, would he? As she thought upon it longer, a memory flashed in her mind. She thought of the hand that extended out toward her. For the first time in her life, it was a hand that bore no malice or ego. It was kind and gentle and sincere. She thought about how warm it felt as she placed her own onto it. A sign and seal of a supporter's contract. But little did she know that it was to be the creation of a friendship. And to her, it was more than just that.

Luvis fell backward, his strength giving out beneath him. Having only one arm was making this a real pain. Huffing what could very well be the last few breaths he would take, he closed his eyes and conceded himself to an end. Suddenly, a furious lightning split through the air, vaporizing a handful of monsters in its path. Shocked, he turned to see Lili standing a few feet away from him, holding a magic dagger. The dagger in her hands shook and trembled as she held it out in front of her. Her hair and hood covered over her eyes.

No. She would not be labeled a coward, especially by him.

"He would never leave anyone behind."

She looked up, her eyes still bearing tears, but they were glossed with a steeled conviction.

"I would know because he never abandoned me!" she cried out. Her high-pitched voice oozed with hope and dreams. "And that's why I have to change! I have to follow his example!"

Tears spilled from her eyes, her passion pooling out from within her.

"So listen! I've decided! I'm not leaving any of you here to die! I refuse to give up and run away!"

Everyone looked at her, their hearts pounded against their chests, their hearts set ablaze by a newfound sense of vigor. They looked at her in utter astonishment before smiling. Hope, this was their hope.

"That's my job… Because I'm his Supporter!"

In the distance, a boy heard her cry of conviction and came to her call.

Haruhime's ears twitched. She heard something ringing in the distance. She recognized it. It sounded, bold, daring, and heroic.

"Lady Lili…" she whispered, her emerald eyes gleaming with pure joy. "He's coming."

Lili turned to her, her eyes wide.

"I can hear him," Haruhime smiled, nearly crying herself. "It's Master Bell!"

Lili turned to the trail behind her. In the distance, she could make out a pure white glow growing larger and larger, closer and closer. Echoing through the walls, she heard his voice call out her name.

"LILI!"

She could see him now, running headlong to brave the danger like the hero he was. But before she could express how happy she was to see him, her eyes narrowed to the glow in the boy's right hand. Recognizing his plan, Lili dug her magic dagger into the ground and sent a bolt of surging lightning into it, creating a sizable gash in the dungeon floor, a trench.

"Hurry! Take cover!" she ordered.

Daphne carefully placed the wounded Chigusa into the trench while Cassandra supported the weakened Haruhime. The others who were in combat swiftly disengaged from their fights and took cover as well. Being the last to jump in, Lili unraveled a Salamandar woolen cloak over them and braced for the incoming fiery blast.

Aisha was the last to withdraw, having to still fend against the Moss Huge. But after hearing Lili's warning to seek immediate cover, she parried one last time and took cover behind a rock. Before the monster could pursue her, it heard a familiar voice ring out. It turned to see the figure of a human boy that frightened it. But before it could even react to fight or flee, its entire body was engulfed by a furious blaze that swept it off its feet and pushed him back.

Bell had returned.

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Ring, ring, ring, RING. Then, "FIREBOLT!"

Four minutes. That's how long he had spent charging his attack. Admittedly, he was taken aback by how destructive his quick-cast spell had become. He had never charged it for that long before. Then again, the only place that he could test out his magic was in the dungeon.

"Hell of a test drive," Isaac said with a chuckle.

The sheer force of the blast had sent the Moss Huge flying, punching through a wall. Its stomach skid on a sizable islet in the center of one of the floor's lakes. It slowly pushed itself back up, still searing and stunned. It knew the boy was a threat, but it had grown stronger since their last fight. Did that not matter at all? It growled at the audacity of such a thing.

Bell cooly began walking forward; towards the hole, he had made. Behind him, he could hear his friends all mutter his name in astonishment. Most would have their pride beyond inflated by the sheer infatuation they spoke with. But instead, Bell took it in his stride and pressed forward, knowing full well that his bout was not even close to concluded.

"Master Bell!"

Lili called out his name before throwing a potion at him. He caught it without barely batting an eye.

"Thank you," he replied with a smile.

Popping open the cork with his thumb, he drank the liquid the vial contained.

"Ughhh," Isaac shuttered. "I have no idea how you can drink that stuff with such a straight face."

Bell thought back to the first time he drank a potion. He had certainly gotten used to its strange taste. It wasn't all that bad. Kind of.

Slouching against the wall, Aisha flashed the boy a smile. It wasn't the typical seductive one she would usually flash him. (It was either to tease him or because she was "hungry for rabbit" or perhaps both. He would rather not think about it).

"I hate to have to sit this one out. But it's up to you, Bell Cranel."

The boy nodded to her. She let out a content sigh as she let her body relax. About damn time he showed up. Oh, well. Better late than never.

Bell approached the opening he had made and looked down. The Moss Huge stared back at him, its eyes alight with anger. Bell met its gaze with a steely determination. Sliding down the ridge, he began hopping onto a small path of rocks toward the island. They seemed perfectly placed by the dungeon for this very battle. Unsheathing Hakugen, he took a stance against the Moss Huge. It too did the same. They stared at one another, poised, studying one another.

This would be their final fight. One of them was going to die. Above, a droplet hung onto the tip of a stalactite for a brief moment, before loosening its grip and falling downward.

Falling, falling, falling, splat.

"Begin."

The two rushed forward toward each other. Steel met moss as the monster's fist clashed with the boy's knife. Damn, it had gotten a lot stronger since their last encounter. Bell parried two more attacks before deciding it best not to needlessly waste energy blocking such powerful blows. Instead, he wisely began to shift his body weight and dodge. Behind the pair, the others had begun to flock to see the boy do battle.

"Hey," Daphne spoke up. "Isn't anybody going down there to help him?"

Aisha shook her head.

"Don't bother. If that monster shoots more of those seeds and infects whoever goes to help, they'll only be a problem for Bell Cranel."

Her logic was sound, but it still didn't sit right with Daphne.

"What about shooting some arrows, or using that Level Boost from earlier? There has to be a way to help!"

She could be cold at times, but she wasn't cruel.

"Leaving the Little Rookie to fight that enchanted monster by himself is too cruel…"

"W—wait, Daphne," Cassandra spoke up. "Look closer."

Daphne looked to see Bell gaining ground against the Moss Huge. Flipping, strafing, hopping, weaving, the boy barely even had a scratch on him. He had begun incorporating swift strikes with his dodges. Whenever the monster would swing at him, he would perfectly evade the blow and return it in full. The others could only stare in further astonishment at the boy. The monster had grown in strength, but so too had he. His body and mind had grown accustomed to his absurd growth as an adventurer. It was as if the training wheels his mind had set for his body were taken off. Now, his mind and body worked in tandem with one another. Both were focused purely on the defeat of the monster that stood before them.

Bell let out a cry as he continued to hack into the Moss Huge. Growing more agitated and desperate, the monstrosity let the roots of its body burrow itself into the ground before springing up to catch the boy off guard. However, he easily slashed away the roots without barely batting an eye. The Moss Huge let out an irate, muffled moan and aimed its seeds at him. They spewed out its body with sickly intent. But once again, the boy parried its attack, effortlessly slicing through the threat. They may have been but a blur to most others, but they were far slower than the Iguazu birds he had previously slain.

Strike, strike, strike, strike!

With every hit Bell landed on the Moss Huge, memories flashed in his mind of his most formidable rival. The black bull, Asterius. Compared to his raw power, the Moss Huge felt like but a mere goblin on the early floors.

Memories of their fight continued to flash in his mind. With it came the heartache he felt when he had lost. But the taste of bitter defeat of the past now only fueled his newfound dream.

"I want to beat him!" he declared in his mind. "I want to win! The next time we fight!"

"Good, you remembered what I told you earlier," Isaac said with a smile. "Now, keep chasing that dream."

Bell's back began to grow warmer. The insignia of the Hestia Familia illuminated itself. The symbol of the hearth and the flame grew brighter till it shone through his shirt and armor. His Falna shared the same luminous glow of his Argonaut ability.

Letting out another battle cry, Bell quickened and bolstered his attacks. Becoming a blur, he hacked more and more roots off the Moss Huge. Furious, the monster extended its tentacle-like second mouth to gnash and infect the boy. But yet again, he swiftly dodged the incoming attack and mercilessly countered, slashing away at the appendage.

Trying to land just a single hit on the boy, the Moss Huge extended its hand out, only to be met with the same futility it felt before as he dodged it completely. Beyond vexed and nearing its wit's end, it sprouted roots from its shoulder and thrust it toward its foe. Bell was barely fazed by the new series of attacks as he sprinted along the walls, his raw speed being far too much for the Moss Huge to keep up.

Seeing the perfect opening, Bell launched himself off the wall toward the Moss Huge, slicing off its right arm. Before the pain could even register it, Bell used his momentum to bounce off the ground and severed the other arm. The Moss Huge let out an agonizing roar as it writhed at the loss of its limbs.

"Incredible!"

"Kickass!"

Smiles and cheers came from the expedition members as they witnessed the spectacle. But they were cut short as the monstrosity soon after regenerated its limbs and curated its wounds.

"Hrm. It can still regenerate?" Isaac asked with a hint of gall in his tone."You'll need to finish it in one strike."

Bell nodded in agreement.

Unsheathing his Hestia knife, Bell took a stance and crossed his arms, forming an 'X'. Closing his eyes, he uttered a single word that had become so synonymous with him.

"Firebolt."

The flames of his magic burst forth from the palm of his hand and swirled around him. They created a sphere of pure and intense fire around the boy. Both party members and Moss Huge could only stare in wonder as the sphere swelled before shrinking—the flames now latched firmly onto the knife. They swirled and flared and danced around the blade. So tantalizing, so alluring—so dangerous.

With the knife set ablaze, the hieroglyphics etched into the blade began to glow as though the knife was alive.

"Goddess," Bell whispered. Her face flashed in his mind as he remembered the name she had told him of. That name was now the source of his strength. "I'm going to borrow that name of yours."

This attack, this magic, the defeat of this tyrannical monster. It would be done in her name.

Vesta.

"Playing with fire, are we?" Isaac asked—his smile becoming all teeth. "Do you still trust me?"

Bell nodded without hesitation. Suddenly, he felt a newfound heat rush from his heart. The heat was so intense; Bell felt droplets of sweat forming on his neck. Suddenly, it shot through his chest to his shoulder. Bell looked to see streaks of sapphire flames spiraling down his arm to his fingertips.

"Then, how about we try putting a bit more power into that fire?"

Sensing its impending doom, the Moss Huge tried to flee for the sake of its survival. In desperation, it turned to retreat, but before it could take another step, Welf swung one of his magic swords imbued with ice aimed at the water around the island.

"HIYO!" he roared.

As he swung, crystals bloomed from the water's surface, creating a wall of pure ice that trapped the Moss Huge. Behind it, its certain death loomed.

"You're not going anywhere," Welf called with a cocky grin. The Moss Huge could only bellow at him, pitifully cursing him. It turned to face the boy, the heat coming from him still rising.

"Let's end this."

Bell switched stances and pivoted his body, positioning the blazing blade behind him. The fervent heat on the knife made it look as though it were shaking in the boy's hand; as if he was struggling to contain its fury.

"Agro Vesta."

Having no other choice, the Moss Huge let out one final roar as it charged toward Bell. The boy accepted the challenge and sprinted forward to meet it head-on. The flames from the blade trailed behind him as he heroically rushed at his foe. He let out one last cry as he spun and swung with all his might.

The split second before steel met moss, Isaac whispered aloud.

"Infernum."

In one singular moment, everything was still. Then, came the fire, then the heat.

BOOM!

A beautiful, ferocious explosion of blue and orange burst from the Moss Huge's body. They swirled around one another, entangling and entwining themselves in a fervid dance of fierce heat. Together, they incinerated their target. Vine and root became ash as the Moss Huge crumbled away. Bell did not turn. He did not need to. He knew he was victorious.

Having no further need to linger, the orange flames wisped away into the air. Strangely, the blue flames continued to dance in the air and on the boy's arm for a few more moments before retracting themselves back into his chest. Stunned, Bell placed a hand on his chest, feeling the warmth within him. He smiled.

"Thanks again, Isaac,"

Isaac didn't reply for a moment.

"Thank you for trusting me," he replied quietly.

Bell turned and smiled as his familia and friends let out a triumphant cheer. Much to their relief, the vines that were sprouting from their bodies had crumbled away with their master. Healed, Chigusa weakly stirred before reawakening. Aisha pulled the last strands of vines from her wound and wiped the blood from her lips. She looked at the boy with gratitude. It never does get boring around him, does it?

"Master Bell!"

No longer able to contain her excitement, Lili jumped down and ran towards Bell. Welf and Haruhime followed suit. Before Bell could run to meet them, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to see Marie propping up a chunk of ice. She beamed at him once again.

"Thank you, Bell."

He made a promise to her. And he more than fulfilled it.

"I love you!"

She winked and placed a finger on her lips. Their relationship would be their little secret to keep to themselves. She waved one last goodbye before she dove back under the water. Bell smiled warmly as he turned to hug everyone.

Finally, he returned.