Chapter 11: Little Hero

The next two weeks passed as a routine settled over the Hestia Familia.

In the morning, Bell and Lily would train with Archer before leaving to the Dungeon while Archer would head over to assist Loki Familia.

Bell and Lily made an attempt at the eleventh floor but the spawn rate was a bit tougher to handle than the tenth floor so they retreated and Lily suggested that they not attempt it until Archer returned and Bell agreed.

While he had no trouble taking down the enemies that crowded him, Lily wasn't as fast as he was and his constant worry about her could cause him to make mistakes.

"Having a third person makes a lot of difference," Bell sighed as he and Lily took a break at the steps of the tenth floor.

"Yes," Lily nodded, her false animal ears drooping a bit to match her mood. Although she did not really need to do so any more, she still used her magic as often as possible to increase her Status. "Although Lily has been practicing shooting targets, Lily can't keep up with all the monsters like Master Bell can or shoot as quickly as Master Archer."

"It's fine, I'm the weird one after all," Bell said with a laugh. "Today's the day Loki Familia's going on an expedition, right?"

"Yes. Today means starting today we won't be seeing Master Archer for at least two weeks…"

They had thrown a small good luck party for Archer the previous night at the Hostess of Fertility and Hestia had been crying over him and constantly telling him to be safe as she drunk herself into a stupor, resulting her in being stuck in bed this morning with an irate Caster looking after her hangover and so she didn't potentially drown in her own vomit.

As last minute preparations had to be done, he spent the night at the Loki Familia Home instead of returning to the Hestia Family Home.

"I wonder what we should do for dinner from now on…" Bell sighed, thumping his head against the stone stairs he was resting his back against as Lily's ears shot up in alarm.

"Lily completely forgot about that!" She said as she held her head in her hands. "Lily has taken Master Archer's meals for granted! Lily apologizes to Master Archer!"

"Same goes for me, to be honest…can you cook, Lily?"

"Only a bit…but Lily's meals were small things that Lily isn't sure will fill Lily up anymore…since Lily was desperately trying to save up money to leave the Soma Familia, Lily's food budget was very small."

It was the same with Bell. Though they weren't necessarily extravagant, Archer's meals were warm and filling. Much better than reheated potato puffs in any case.

"…Wanna go back up a bit early, Lily?" Bell asked. "Maybe we can catch Archer on the way back."

"Yes…Lily doesn't have the motivation to continue."

With that said, the finished up the rest of their lunch and packed their belongings and started the long trek back up to the surface. However as they made their way back through the ninth floor…something seemed strange…and deathly familiar.

"Lily…does something feel off to you?" Bell asked, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"Off?" Lily asked, turning to Bell. "How so?

"We hadn't run into a single monster or Adventurer Party since we started heading back…"

Lily's eyes widen as she looked around and spoke in a whisper as well, "Now that Master Bell said it…Lily noticed it too…"

A cold creeping feeling began to creep up Bell's spine. The dungeon on that day…the day he first summoned Archer…

"Master Bell…Lily thinks we should run to the exit," she said, tugging on Bell's sleeve. "It doesn't feel-"

Before Lily could finish her sentence, a low roar echoed in the room and Bell froze on the spot. Lily continued to say something but Bell's mind wasn't there. It had suddenly returned to that day almost a month ago.

And then…it appeared from around the corner. A massive minotaur with a chipped horn placed a hand on the wall as it turned towards Bell and Lily. Bell felt someone calling his name and shaking him but it was no use. With each step the minotaur took the fear in his body grew, paralyzing every nerve and muscle in his body. Just its sheer presence shook Bell down to his very core, removing all thought and action from his mind and body.

It was only when he felt something heavy push him followed by dust and rubble being sent flying everywhere that his eyes began to focus once more. Looking down, he saw Lily's motionless body lying on top of him with blood running down her forehead. Despair took hold in his mind for a moment, thinking that his moment of weakness had cost them her life but he quickly realized that her head had been hit by some rubble and knocked her out. Her bag had been utterly destroyed though and its contents were scattered across the room.

The sight of his injured Supporter sent jolts through his body, springing it back to life and he stood up with Lily in his arms…the thought of failing to protect Lily and returning home to face Hestia, Caster and eventually Archer without her overwhelmed his fear of the monster in front of him.

The monster roared and swung its blade down at the two. Acting quickly, Bell tossed Lily as far away as he could to the side while jumping in the opposite direction as the ground split between them. He then raised his arm up and screamed, "FIREBOLT!"

The red bolts surged forward and enveloped the creature but doesn't even faze it for more than a second as it charged right through and slammed into Bell's body, sending him across the room and into the wall, his armor shattering to pieces around him.

However, by some miracle, he managed to land on his feet as he extended his hand out again and several more bolts of flame shot out at the Minotaur. He had to keep its attention on him. He can't let it turn to look at Lily for even a second. The moment it does, then it would be all over for Lily. He couldn't take another hit like that without any armor so he did everything he could to make sure he would not get hit.

A gleam of steel caught his eye and he snatched it up at as he dodged another attack the same time. It was Lily's blade, or rather the one Archer created for her the same day that Caster joined them in the Dungeon. It was a bit longer than the knife he had gotten from his Goddess but it was perfect for an offhand weapon to use to defend himself.

He realized he was just a bit faster than the minotaur. If he could keep it at a contest of speed, he might be able to wear it down and find a chance to escape with Lily afterward.

"…Master…Bell…"

A weak voice reached his ears. Lily had managed to wake up but her eyes were murky as she struggled to sit up.

"Run Lily!" He shouted as he parried the large cleaver the minotaur was holding. "Get out of here quick!"

To his horror, she just stared at him with tears in her eyes as if she wasn't able to understand the situation in front of her anymore.

He couldn't escape while Lily was here but Lily was also too disorientated to understand that she had to escape as well.

"Run! Get going! I'll be right behind you!" Bell screamed, begging her on the inside to hurry. "GET GOING NOW!"

Tears streamed down her eyes as she placed a hand on the wall to support herself and desperately tried to make her way out of the room with a wail.

That was one problem dealt with, not he just had to keep the minotaur here until he was sure Lily was far away enough. It was slight but Bell felt that the minotaur was much slower than Archer when he was sparring with them. It wasn't as though Archer or Caster ever went full throttle except perhaps Archer at the time of his summoning against the first minotaur but compared to Archer, Bell could see the minotaur's movements just a bit better.

The goal here wasn't to beat it. It was simply to not lose and…

"…The goal wasn't to beat it?" Bell repeated out loud.

Bell leaped back away from the Minotaur as it growled at him. In that instant, Caster's words from the dinner party last night struck him.

"It would be remiss for you both to rely on ether Archer or myself all the time," he had said when Bell said he was going to miss Archer while he was away. "We are ghosts. Our time has come and gone. We cannot be there to hold your hand on your Adventures. We may lead you, train you, arm you…but we cannot hold your hand as you walk down your path. Just as Arde broke out of the Soma Familia with her own strength, you both must use that same force of will and power to carve your own legend on this world."

The minotaur's slam barely misses Bell that time but the sheer force of the blow still sends him flying to the other side of the room as he rolls a bit…his head and teeth vibrating in pain.

That was right…he can't rely on that man. He can't go on Adventurers if he was hiding behind that man's back all the time. He had to fight for himself. He couldn't be saved again.

Even though he said that, he suddenly felt calm as something brushed against him.

"You definitely look like you're in over your head. Hang tight while I beat this guy."

That Hero…His Hero had arrived…and Bell was once more comforted by the sight of that man's back. He was saved…again.

But…was this all right?

Was this what he wanted? To be saved over and over by this man?

No.

He didn't want to be saved.

He couldn't allow himself to be saved again

He would never be able to catch up to him this way.

Those thoughts rushed through Bell's head as he reached up and grabbed Archer's wrist to stop him.

"Stop!"

And a red light flashed in the room.

X-x-X-x-X

— A few minutes earlier —

X-x-X-x-X

"Come on, Archer, let me see what else ya got in that noggin of yours."

"I refuse."

Archer was doing his best not to let the half-dwarf smith and Captain of the Hephaistos Familia, Tsubaki Collbrande, get to him but she was doing her damndest to keep him from just ignoring her.

Come to think of it, even though she was only a half-dwarf she was still rather tall compared to Gareth. Not to mention Mia Grand from the Hostess of Fertility was a full blooded female dwarf as well. Were the women simply taller than the men?

In any case, he should worry about the current situation since the smith hanging onto his arm had came to scout him after examining the projected weapons he had given to Loki Familia. It seemed that Gareth told Tsubaki about him when she came over to deliver the Durandal-class weapons she was making for them and she was curious about what else he could do. Not that he was willing to show anything to light her fire even more.

Right now, Archer was walking alongside the top Adventurers of Loki Familia alongside ten of Hephaistos Familia smiths as part of the vanguard for the expedition.

"Hey Finn," Archer called out to the front. "Is it really all right for me to be in the Vangaurd?"

"You can keep up with Tiona, right?" Finn called back with a smile. "I'm sure you'll be able to keep up with the rest of us."

"He better or he'll just be monster chow," the werewolf Bete Loga added. "I don't wanna have ta be picking up after him."

"There it is! Bete's stupid ego is raring up again!" Tiona narrowed her eyes at the werewolf's pompous grin. "Is it even possible for you to be nice, Bete? Do you get some kinda thrill looking down on everyone else? I hate people like that!"

"You got it all wrong! You actually think I like looking down on bottom-feeders? Don't make me laugh! All I do is call it like I see it," Bete responded with a snort.

"Forget about him, Archer," Tiona said as she slowed her pace to match his.

Archer simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

"It's fine," Archer said. "As my Captain might say, it's the weakest dogs that bark the loudest after all."

"Huh?"

Bete stopped and wheeled around toward Archer.

"You wanna try that again?" Bete asked, his face right in front of Archer's.

"That I am looking at someone who used to be too weak to protect anything and now hates looking at people and things that remind him of that time," Archer said. "If you want to encourage people to grow, there are are better ways than yapping like that."

"What the hell do you know?" Bete said with a scowl before he and Archer quickly looked back to the front.

"Sounds like a group of four?" Tsubaki noted as she and Tiona looked around the two white haired men as well.

"Are they running from something?" Tiona asked. "Hey! What's going on!?"

Tiona's shout caused the other party to stop in surprise, having been too worked up at the thing that they were running from to realize that they had nearly ran into a larger group.

"What's the matter?" Bete asked as he walked up toward them with a sneer. "Bite off more than you could chew? Have to ditch a Supporter or two to get away?"

"There was a Minotaur, you moron!"

"…Hah?"

"That walking Bull Monster was prowling on the the Upper Floors!"

The one who looked like the leader of the party shouted at Bete who looked rather flabbergasted at the response.

"…Did we miss one?" Bete asked turning around toward Finn and Riveria.

"That's not possible," Riveria said. "If we had, the Guild would have reported a massive amount of casualties amongst the Low Class Adventurers."

"My apologies, but can you tell us a bit more about it?" Finn asked.

"S-sure…" the leader nodded. "We were exploring the Dungeon, same as always, when we saw it! In one of the passageways between the rooms. He was…attacking some kid with white hair! We'd have done something, but one howl from that beast and-"

"Archer!" Tiona shouted but the man had already slipped his arm out of Tsubaki's grip and was blasting his way through the Dungeon corridors.

Fifth Floor. Sixth Floor. Seventh Floor. Eight Floor.

Bell was on none of them. They hadn't been able to break through to the Eleventh Floor yet so that meant that he should be on the Ninth. Sure enough, as soon as he touched down on the Ninth Floor, he could hear the sound of fighting echoing through all the chambers.

"Archer."

The Sword Princess had caught up to him.

"This is a Hestia Familia matter," he said. "You don't need to help."

"I want to," came the curt reply as she looked around before gasping.

Archer wheeled around just in time to see a bloody Lily crawling out of a corridor.

"Master…Archer…!" She cried out as she tried reaching out to him.

Ais managed to get to her first as she carefully lifted Lily up.

"Lily, are you all right?" Archer asked quickly as he kneeled down beside her. "Where's Bell?"

"Master Bell is…" Lily began, pointing back down the path she came from. "Over in room E-16 and…"

She stopped speaking as a large imposing figure came out of the shadows.

A massive Boaz wearing no armor except for a single plate of metal covering his heart holding a massive cleaver was standing in their way.

"I see…" Archer said, standing up and stepping forward. "Goddess of Love…Freya Familia…" Not just this situation but Monsterphilia's as well. "Caster's nose was right on the money."

"The one with the Soul of Rusted Iron…" Ottarl, Captain of Freya Familia and the only Level 7 Adventurer in Orario. "I challenge you."

Ottarl then took hold of the bag slung over his shoulder and tore it with his fingers, allowing a multitude of weapons to fall from it onto the ground.

"…Have I done something to offend?" Archer asked, magic swirling within his body as he took in each and every blade on the ground while Ottarl picked up the largest of them and pulled it from its sheath.

"You are in a Familia outside of mine," Ottarl said simply. "Is that not enough a reason for me to kill you?"

Archer didn't answer as his expression darkened.

"I don't have time for you…" Archer said as his trusted bow and a black twisted arrow appeared in his hands. "I'll break through even if I have to kill you."

"Archer?" Ais spoke as she carefully set Lily on the side of the corridor and stood up as well.

"Kill me?" Ottarl asked. "You?"

"…No, probably not…" Archer admitted as he nocked his arrow and he pulled back the string of his bow. "But I can still give you a scare."

And like that, he released the arrow.

"Hound of the Red Plains: Hrunting!"

And then, in front of the eyes of those present, the impossible occurred.

The arrow was launched forward at over supersonic speeds. The walls of the dungeon around them cracked and the stalactites and stalagmites shattered from the sheer force of its travel speed. But the one who held the title of "World's Strongest" did not flinch as the black sword turned arrow flew close. With an almost lazy swing of his blade, the arrow was knocked aside with nary a second glance, sending it spinning toward a wall…only for the projectile to shoot right back at the Boaz.

Seeing this, Ottarl leaned back to dodge, just as it came close, causing it to slip pass him harmlessly and make impossibly sharp turns to round itself back toward him.

Then, with a mighty roar, Ottarl swung his blade at the arrow, causing it to explode in front of him and covered the corridor with smoke.

No sooner had it been done did a flash of white and gold appear by his shoulder, clearing the smoke with a burst of wind. With a massive diagonal cut, Ais slashed at the man but hit nothing but the flat of Ottarl's blade. One moment Ottarl had struck the arrow coming from behind and in the next his blade was already at his back to defend against Ais's speed.

Then with another strike, Ottarl sent Ais flying back down the corridor. Ais landed on her feet, sliding to a stop in front of Archer.

"Well?" Archer asked as the slightly singed Ottar dusted himself off. "Did that scare you?"

"…There will not be a second time," Ottarl said simply as he flicked off a crack in the metal plate above his chest.

"I would be disappointed in the rank of 'Level 7' if there was one…" Archer said as his favored blades, Kanshou and Bakuya appeared in his hands.

However, Archer had no time to be playing around here. He had to get to Bell as soon as possible.

"Archer," Ais said. "I'll try to give you an opening…go save your Familia."

"Sorry, Sword Princess," Archer said as he charged forward straight at Ottarl. "I leave the rest to you."

"Right!" Ais nodded as she followed right behind him before blasting forward past him in another burst of wind. "TEMPEST!"

Ais struck high while Archer struck low. However, each blow was being blocked by Ottarl's pure swordsmanship backed by no other magic other than the grace he received from his beloved goddess Freya.

Then as Ais suddenly retreated, Ottarl saw something strange. He saw his own blade, the one currently in his hands, swinging toward his own face. Raising his blade, he blocked it but was sent backward from the strength of the blow…his own strength.

Looking up, he saw Archer holding what looked like an exact copy of the blade in the other man's hands.

"…Curious…" Ottar said, looking down at his sword as if to make sure he was still holding onto it. But that was all he could say as Ais and Archer renewed their assault.

With a roar, Archer's strikes with the copy of Ottarl's swords changed target away from Ottarl himself to the dungeon floor, sending up a cloud of smoke.

Ottarl stepped back and swung his blade to his left in a powerful strike, clearing all the smoke in the area in an instant…but his blade cut nothing but the floor as Archer was gone, leaving only Lily and Ais in the area.

"Illusion? No…he was there…" Ottarl muttered as he turned around to look behind him. "… failed, huh?"

"Oh? Fancy meeting you here, Ottarl."

Turning back, Ottarl saw the rest of Loki Familias executives minus Gareth lining up behind Ais who was still pointing her blade at Ottarl while Riveria was taking care of the injured Pallum.

"…Heh, did you actually get him, Ais?" The werewolf asked with a smirk.

"No…" Ais replied, shaking her head. "Archer did."

"…He what?"

Seeing that he failed his objective, Ottarl didn't say anything and instead just dropped his blade where it was and moved to leave.

"…Is there some reason your master trying to destroy a new Familia?" Finn asked when Ottarl walked passed them.

"No," came the reply. "I acted on my own."

And with that, the Boaz left as quickly as he arrived.

"Where is Archer?" Finn asked once he was sure Ottarl left.

"I…think he continued down the path," Ais said, indicating the path Lily pointed at earlier.

"Then we better hurry," Finn said. "Riveria?"

"I have her," Riveria nodded as she picked up Lily in her arms and they ran down the path as well.

When they got there, they saw Archer…standing still with his arms crossed as he watched a white haired boy fight the Minotaur on his own.

"Master Archer?" Lily spoke up. "What are you doing? Hurry and save Master Bell!"

"I can't," Archer said simply. "He told me not to interfere. So I can't."

"…Can't…or won't?" Riveria asked as Archer looked over his shoulder at her, his hands shaking as they rested in his arms.

"Both. That boy is having an Adventure right now. I can't hold his hand during it even if I want to. This is a Hestia Familia matter but…I'd appreciate it if you respect his wishes too."

As he said that, Bell shouted "FIREBOLT!'

Four bolts hit the Minotaur dead on and blocked Bell from view, allowing Bell to get in close. The minotaur swung the blade down blindly at Bell who jumped and brought Lily's dagger up to meet the blade. The dagger shattered upon impact but as it dissolved into light, Bell was able to redirect the force of the blow into his other arm as he slammed the Heestia Knife into the monster's exposed wrist, bringing it down to the ground and with a bloody twist, the minotaur's wrist shattered and was no longer capable of holding the blade in its hand.

With only its bloody roar as a warning, Bell pulled the knife out and retreated as the minotaur swung at him with its empty hand. It tried to stand up but in doing so, dropped its blade which Bell quickly too advantage of. Switching the knife to his off-hand, Bell grabbed the massive blade in his right hand and swung it at the recovering minotaur, cleaving a massive wound in its chest before spinning his wrist and bringing it back for a second cut before stepping back and slashing it once more across the face as he did.

Both fighters then staggered away at each other and stared each other down before they both roared and charged each other. It looked as though he was attempting a suicidal charge but at the final instant, Bell brought the massive blade down on the Minotaur's horn, forcing the Minotaur off balance but at the same time shattering the unmaintained blade. He then got in close and underneath the Minotaur to jab the Hestia knife into one of its open wounds as deep as it would go.

"FIREBOLT!"

A shock wave rocked the Minotaur's body.

The beast's chest expanded suddenly, as if something deep within had exploded, releasing scarlet flames from the wounds made by the shattered weapon. The Minotaur's bloodshot eyes opened as wide as it realized what was happening.

"FIREBOLT!"

One more blast erupted inside the Minotaur's body.

No matter how tough the outside of its body was, the inside of its body was just as soft and weak as any other living creature.

"FIREBOLT!"

Another cast of the spell and the minotaur's body inflated like a massive balloon before exploding in a ball of fire and white ash. Bell's body that had been standing next to the explosion remained relatively unharmed but his shirt and gloves had been burned away, exposing the entirety of the falna on his back for all to see except for the magic and skill slots. All that was left was a half-naked Bell standing rim-rod straight, having passed out on his feet.

"Mind Down…" Riveria noted.

"Tch…that reckless idiot…" Archer cursed as he finally moved his body.

"Bell…Bell!" Lily cried as she followed Archer toward Bell.

Archer carefully picked Bell's unconscious body up in his arms and glanced down at his left hand where two clear lines could be seen while a third seemed to have faded away.

Archer made a sour face before turning back to look at Finn and the others.

"I apologize…but I have to take my Family home," Archer said, lowering his head toward Finn.

"That's fine," Finn said with a wry smile. "But do you mind letting us know his name first?"

"Bell Cranel…" Archer said with his own smile. "Just some stupid kid who dreams of becoming a hero."

Finn chuckled at that.

"Do you still plan on coming with us on the expedition?" Finn asked. "I won't blame you if you change your mind. With your help on the equipment we won't be running out any time soon so I can say you did more than enough already."

"…If possible I still want to go but I think I need a day or two to make sure this idiot's okay," Archer said, indicating Bell.

"That's fine," Finn said looking around. "Tiona."

"Yes?" the Amazon asked as she turned to her captain.

"You mind sticking around for a bit? Archer will need a guide down to the Fiftieth Floor where we'll make camp."

"No problem!" Tiona nodded as she walked over to Archer and the others and looked down at Lily. "Hey are you okay to walk?"

"Y-yes…Miss Adventurer," Lily nodded. "Lily is fine…"

"That's great to hear!"

"Thank you, Finn," Archer said, bowing slightly.

"Like I said, it's no problem. Your Familia comes first after all."

Archer nodded as he made his way back up to the surface with Tiona and Lily following after them.

Once they were gone Bete turned to Riveria.

"You saw them…right?" Bete asked. "His Status."

Riveria didn't say anything as she turned to look at the Werewolf.

"It's not fair if you're the only one who knows what they are!" He shouted, feelings that he didn't quite understand bubbling up to the surface. "That Familia of theirs is completely crazy. First a Level 1 made that bastard Ottarl bleed and now another killed a Minotaur by himself!"

Riveria sighed before speaking.

"S."

"Huh?"

"All of his abilities were S."

As Ais, Finn, Bete and Tione stared at her incredulously, Riveria chuckled softly to herself.

It wasn't the entire truth after all. Certainly…Strength, Defense, Dexterity…those were all S. But Magic and Agility?

SS rank.

"To think something like that exists…" the High Elf muttered, covering her smile with her hand. "This world is full of wonder."

X-x-X-x-X

"…To think that mongrel would do something as foolish as that…"

Caster let out a long sigh as he looked toward Archer who was standing with his arms folded behind his back across from Caster's desk.

In order to stop Archer from saving him once again, Bell had forced him aside with a Command Spell, one of the three absolute commands a Master could give to a Servant to force them into submission or to power them up and achieve victory.

"And to top it all off…the one pulling this nonsense is one of the Top Three Familia…" Caster let out another long suffering sigh. "This is why Goddesses of Love are…"

His voice trailed off as he sat back up straight.

"What of the Goddess and Arde?"

"They're watching over Bell as he sleeps," Archer replied, glancing out the window toward Babel Tower in the distance. "I let the Amazon Tiona Hiryute stay in one of the empty rooms so she can act as my guide back to the Expedition. Last I saw, she was talking to Hestia and describing the fight to her."

"That is fine," Caster said as he waved his hand. "What matters now is what do we do about this blatant attack on our Familia."

"You're going to strike at Freya Familia?" Archer asked, eyebrow raised.

"When the King's kingdom is attacked," Caster said as he pulled out a small container holding what looked like several pills, separated into two different portions with a different color in each portion. A single shake of the container and one of the pills fell out into his open palm. "He must seek Retribution."

"Restricted as you are…you won't last long against Ottarl," Archer pointed out.

"That deluded fool never strays too far from his goddess," Caster said popping the pill into his mouth. "He will not be where we are going."

Archer's eyes narrowed as the golden king's form began to change.

X-x-X-x-X

Llayd was standing guard at the front gates of the Freya Familia Home, also known as Folkvangr, when he spotted something in the shadows.

"Halt!" He called out, spear raised, only to lower it slightly when a small blonde boy stepped out with his hands up. "A kid?"

"Sorry mister!" The boy said, lowering his head. "I just heard that the world's strongest Familia lived here and I wanted to see it for myself…"

"Geez kid…it's almost midnight," Llayd said with a sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "You shouldn't sneak out of your room so late. Your parents would be worried about you."

"…I don't have parents."

Llayd bit back a curse as he winced and turned his head away from the boy. It wasn't particularly a unique tale. Lots of kids get abandoned in this city. Some thrown away by prostitutes, some abandoned by people who just weren't ready to have one…others left behind when their parents didn't come home from the Dungeon. It was the same story one could find anywhere amongst a rather distressing number of the child population in the city.

"I'm…sorry to hear that kid…" Llayd said as he crouched down so he was eye level with the boy. "Look…come again in the afternoon and I'll see if I can't get you a tour, okay?"

"Gee Mister…that's so nice of you," the boy said with a bright toothy smile before his red eyes became sharp as knives. "It's a shame your Goddess is little more than a two-bit whore though."

"Wha-!?"

Before Llayd could react, a blade shot out from out of nowhere and embedded itself into his legs, rendering him immobile as he fell to the ground.

"Now then…let's see here…" the boy said as the guard started screaming in pain.

The boy then tossed up a ball of light and in the next instance, something that looked like a twisted white drill whistled through the air and smashed into the gate, blasting it open. The earth shook as stone and wood and bodies were sent flying into the sky as the boy walked into enemy territory with a smile like he was going on a field trip.

"Let the fun times begin~" the boy said happily as golden portals appeared around him with massive blades of all makes and sizes poked out of them.

The blades shot out in every direction with the intent on causing as much havoc and destruction as possible rather to strike at anything particular. Balls of light were also shot into the air to be used as signals for someone in the distance to shoot explosive projectiles at the large temple.

"It will truly be a night to remember~"