(Won't) Be a Hero
Supporter
Seeing that my two fellow party members were frozen in fear, I decided that it's time to take action. "Bell! Help me pick up Viole, we don't stand a chance against a minotaur! We need to go, now!" Bell glared at the monster but didn't move a single muscle. "Bell!"
"OAAAAAAR!" The monster's roar seemed to wake Bell up from his trance as he stepped back from the monster. But he didn't do much else.
"Dammit!" As the monster rushed at us, I had no choice but to push Bell out of the way and pull Viole to the side. The monster attacked where the three of us were standing the instant that I pulled Viole, but the shockwave from the attack sent me flying into Viole's chest. A single rock hit me above my forehead but it was luckly nothing that I couldn't handle. "Ouch...Viole, are you okay?"
"Lily! Your bleeding!" Viole seemed to be awakened out of his trance as he looked at me. I didn't know what he was talking about until my right eye began to sting and blood dripped into it. "Shit, I'm sorry!" Viole ripped off his sleeve and wrapped it around my head, cleaning my eye in the process. "We're screwed. Damn! Where's Bell?!"
"Guys, get out of there! FIREBOLT!" Above us was the red monster, while Bell tried his best to shoot magic at it to distract it, the monster seemed to pay it no mind. It swung it's sword at us but Viole blocked the attack with the back of his right hand.
"AGh! Shit!" Viole block was more of a redirect, as his hands had no magic surrounding them, his hand made a loud cracking sound as it went limp as the monster's attack barely missed us. "Sorry about this Lily!" Not waiting for either me nor the minotaur to respond, Viole picked me up under his good arm and bolted near the panting Bell. "Come on, Bell!"
"No...you guys go on ahead." Viole waved his broken hand with rage, about to say something in response before the minotaur appeared once again. "Agh!" The monster hit Bell with the back of his fist, sending bell flying into the opposite wall.
"OAAARRRRRRR!" Immediately following up it's attack, the monster brought down it's sword once more on us. Is this where it ends?! At least it's with the-
"FORCE EATER!" Viole sent magic into his legs as he kicked at the attack. "Krkeh!" Even with his magic reinforcement, the sound of bones cracking was sent throughout the cave, but it was quickly drowned out by Viole's scream. "GET OUT OF MY WAAAAAAAAAY!" With his broken leg, Viole sent the monster back a good distance. "BELL RUN, NOW!" Before he could fall down, Viole used all of his remaining strength to throw me away into a wall, my backpack saving me from any damage. "Sorry Lily... but run now! Get out of here!"
"But-"
"NOW! Bell and I will be right behind you!" Even though I knew it was a lie, even though I knew that he was going to die here, I ran. I ran out of the floor, even as I heard metal crash with metal. I ran even as the image of Viole laying against a wall, broken hand and leg plagued my mind.
"Help. HELP! Please, don't let them die!" I fell onto the floor, tears distorting my vision. "Don't let my friends die..."
"Where is he?" As I looked up, the image of a distorted blond woman stood in front of me. Of course... it's you.
SSS
Capped
Bell could not win. If the monster hit him once, he was going to turn into mince meat, nothing more than another stain on the dungeon ground. Yet. here I lay. Not being able to do anything. My vision was failing me, I could barely see what was going on in front of me. All I could see was Bell dodging the best that he could against the damn being of death. The sound of metal clashing with metal and the ground breaking and crumbling was all that I could use as a crutch to keep myself awake. The pain was starting to become numb. And here I thought that I could kill a god. I never stood a chance, huh. I'm sorry that I got you into this mess, Bell. Just as the monster's attack made contact with Bell's arm, sending him skidding across the floor, a blond being suddenly stood in front of him. Standing between Bell and the monster that had destroyed us, was her. I really do owe you a lot, Ais.
"Keres, are you okay?" Do I look like it? My mouth wouldn't let me give my snarky remark but nonetheless, a green haired elf suddenly appeared near me and began to heal me. A warm aura enveloping my entire body and I felt myself becoming whole again. I could feel the pain in my body again, before it slowly turned into warmth. "How about now?"
"Where's Lily?" Answering my question, my short supporter ran into my stomach as I shakily stood up. "I'm sorry that I threw you earlier."
Lily shook her head before tightening her hold on me. "Idiot..." My hand slowly stroked Lily's head, trying my best to calm her down.
"Thanks for saving us guys. I'll pay you back somehow." It wasn't just Riviera and Ais who came to our rescue. Tiona, Tione and Bete were here too. Of course, Bete just shook his head and kept his eyes on Ais's back the entire time. But suddenly, Ais walked away from Bell and the Minotaur. "What the hell?! What is going on? Can't you just cut the damn thing in half?"
"Don't worry Viole." Bell was the one who answered my question as Ais walked to stand next to me. "I'll...I'll kill it. I have to. It starts today, this is my first step to become a hero!" With his declaration, Bell ran towards the monster, black knife in hand. Dodging and weaving each of the monster's attacks while slashing at it's hide whenever he could. Hero...
"Man, this kid looks familiar...wait! That's the kid who Ais had to save?! HAHAHA! This is hilarious! Man, these Minotaurs really love this asshole huh?! This weakling is gonna get himself killed!" Bete's words got under my skin immediately. I had heard about what happened from Bell earlier this week. He fell in love with Ais when she saved him from a rogue minotaur last month, drenching him in blood. So this...this... it's his chance to show her that he's stronger. He's better. Bell, you really are a different bread.
"Hey Bete..." I called out at the white haired wolfman who turned to me with a smile, only for it to immediately turn into a grimace. "If you ever say something like that about Bell again, I'll crush your neck under my foot. Understood, Mutt?"
"What the hell did you just-" The sound of the monster screeching in pain interrupted the dog. Looking back at the fight, Bell was able to successfully stab his knife into the monster's sword hand. Stealing the monster's long sword, Bell danced around his opponent's violent swings. He slashed at the monster's chest three times, creating deep cuts. Some of it's blood coating Bell's face but he paid it no mind. "What the hell? How is he-"
"Bell is a lot of things. A weakling is not one of em." Bell and the Minotaur dashed at each other once more. Bell broke the long sword over it's single horn and used it as a distraction to get under its stomach. Bell stabbed his knife into it, the knife's entire blade entering it's flesh.
"FIREBOLT!" Using the knife as a conduit, Bell fired a fire spell into its body. Flames peeking out of it's open wounds. "DIE! FIREBOLT!" Bell fired the same spell into the defenseless body of the destructive monster. All it could do was spit out blood. Again, again and again until the torus of the Minotaur finally blew up into a show of blood and flesh...and then it's lower body followed by turning into a cloud of white. Bell.
In the center of the battle field, a beaten and bloody Bell stood unconscious. Knife still in hand and shirtless from the explosion of the minotaur. "Did this kid actually pass out standing up?! What the hell?!" Bete yelled as he slowly understood the reality before him. Mind down. He used firebolt so many times today, it's only natural. I was speechless. I believed in my friend, but to see a level one kill such a strange monster, I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Though it soon turned into elation.
"Khe. You really are something else, Bell." Something I could never be. A- "shut up." I whispered to myself, but from the look that Ais gave me, she caught me. Dammit. Shaking my head, I walked up to the unconscious Bell with Lily, the Loki familia following behind us. Before I made contact with him, Bete grabbed my shoulder. "Let go."
"Wait. Riviera checked his status." I wanted to yell at him but I stopped. A part of me wanted to know just how much stronger the bell was than me.
Riviera just sighed and walked up to him. "Wait. Don't!" I was too late, Riviera's eyes bulged out of her head as she began to chuckle under her breath. "..."
"All of his stats are S."
"...jeez Bell. I didn't know you were so far ahead." But I'll catch up.
SSS
Lily and I were stuck dragging Bell back outside, as the Loki familia had to get back to their exhibition. Little did I know, Bell lived in the same abandoned district that Lily had a hideout in. But the biggest surprise was who was waiting for us. As I entered an abandoned church with Bell slung on my back, a familiar black haired woman sat at one of the pews. "Wait.. you're the croquette girl."
"BELL!" Ignoring me, the woman somehow stole Bell off of me and was cradling him on the ground. I began to explain what had happened in the dungeon and that his wounds were already healed but he still lay unconscious. Mind down took a while to recover from. As I explained that to the woman she let out a sigh. "Thank god. But how dare you?!" She pointed an accusatory finger at me. "Aren't you his teammate?! Why didn't you save my little Bell?!" She's more energetic in her free time, eh?
"Well, Bell wouldn't have forgiven me if I did. He wanted to do it on his own and it isn't my place to stop him." Before the short woman could yell at me again I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I still think I messed up. I promise I won't ever let this happen again. If Bell ever ends up like this again, I'll be in a body bag."
"Sir Viole!" Lily punched the back of my head.
"What? I'm not saying that it will happen! Just that's how much I will try to protect you guys." I still got another punch. "OW! I'm hurt too, you know?" Our little bit seemed to calm the woman down as she began to giggle. "Sorry miss."
"Don't worry. Please don't get yourself killed either." The woman gave me a smile before picking up Bell in a bridal carry. "I'll take it from here. Thank you for helping my child. If you ever need anything, please tell me. I, Hestia, will do all I can to help Bell's friends." Hmm? THIS is Hestia?! No wonder Loki hates her! She's-
"Ow! Why?!"
"You looked like you were thinking something that was going to piss me off." Lily looked at me with quite possibly the most disgusted face I've ever seen in my entire life. "Apologize to all women!"
"Sorry..."
SSS
I couldn't sleep. The fight was replaying in my mind over and over again, the thoughts of what would have happened if I was in Bell's position flashing as well. I saw every attack that would have killed me. A swing at Bell's head that he effortlessly dodged lopped off my head. The charge that won him the fight would have cost me my right arm. No matter what I thought of, every time I played my own version of the fight, I saw myself either dying or winning with a missing limb or two. "I need to get stronger." I whispered to myself, finally calming myself down. I looked over at the bed across the room to see Lily's sleeping face. She looked at peace and happy. I have to protect her. I have to protect everyone. I can't let myself fail again!
This was the second time that I failed to save the people I care about. I only got lucky that Bell was strong enough. Hell, even if Bell wasn't, Ais would have saved us anyway. "I need more power." A surge of pain went through my head as I grasped it. 'Damn." That pain that I felt was nothing more than my emotions getting the better of me. It happened today, it happened when I fought Ais, and when I woke up to see my family dead and gone. Rage, Pain, Fear and... Was this what that person who Ais knew felt? I'll ask her when she comes back. I shook my head and the pain went away.
When I finally let sleep take hold of me, I saw the same dream that I was used to. The colors that represented my family, my enemy and my world. Only at the end of the dream, I saw something new. There stood a single short person standing ahead of me, far out of arm's reach and with a glint of white. As I ran towards them they seemed to be getting farther and farther away without moving a muscle. After running for so long, I fell. But before I could reach the ground, the figure caught me and laid me in their lap. This feeling... My eyes began to get heavy, even when I tried my best to keep them open and focus on the person comforting me. Just before I fell into sleep once more, they brought their lips to my ears and whispered. "I love you, I love you. I love you, my pride. I always will."
I shot my eyes open and noticed that I was in the same position as I was when I fell asleep. Sitting on a recliner, facing Lily's sleeping body. The sun was slowly rising behind the blinds. "Huh?" Confusion enveloped me as I recalled the strange ending. "Who is that?" But for some reason, the confusion quickly dissipated and I got ready for my day. Putting the strange dream behind me.