Ey, back with Chapter 9.

Decided to add one or two extra sentences in this Chapter as I believed it would help you all better understand the LSS (Lightning Sword Style).

No big changes tho, so if you don't notice anything different from the last time I posted this Chapter it's not a big loss.

Anyway, that's about it.

Kay bye.

XXX

"Welcome back~!" The Goddess greeted as she rushed out of the Manor right towards the large group of people making their way into the property of the Familia.

She rushed past the men, hell bent on getting her hands on the first woman she could. Riveria dodged, as did Alicia. She tried Anakitty next, but she too managed to get out of the way, and Ais dashed past the Goddess first, so she was already safe. As such, the position of Loki's victim fell, once again, on the young Lefiya.

"A-Ah! Help...me…" The girl cried out to her comrades as the Goddess's hands touched her chest area, but unfortunately for her, no one could truly help against Loki.

All she could do was bear with it.

It was, after all, a common sight for this to happen after an expedition and something most females who joined had to go through, at least until they were powerful enough to avoid the lecherous Deity.

Once that scene had come to an end, Finn proceeded to inform his Goddess of how the Expedition went.

As expected, the Quest was a success: the Deep Floors assigned to them by the Guild had been thoroughly cleaned and the Monster number there tremendously thinned out. No serious injury had been sustained by the expedition members, nor did anyone die, naturally.

As for the gains, well, it was within what Finn had expected: roughly two hundred and eighty million Valis. For a smaller Familia it might have been an enormous amount of Valis, but for the Loki Familia, it was barely enough to cover the costs and gain a little profit.

After all, they were a large Familia with many members. Alone the equipment cost of the Executives was sky high, not to mention that of the second group consisting of their Second Class Adventurers. Add in the cost of potions, food and other necessities required for their expeditions, as well as the loan they were still paying off for their home, the Twilight Manor, and all of a sudden nigh three hundred million Valis was not quite as much as before.

Still, they had finished their Quest and pleased the Guild, as well as gained higher prices for their Magic Stones and Drop Items, so it was not all bad. Besides, Finn himself got to see his younger members brave the Deep Floors and that was more valuable to him than the financial gain.

"Well done, everyone~ I knew you could do it!" The Goddess cheered as she looked the expedition members once over. "With that said, we need to have a party-!"

"As if. You just want to drink." Riveria stepped forward, cutting the Goddess off.

"Aww, Mother is angry…" Loki said, her shoulders dropping in a playful manner. "All right, all right. Fun aside, Finn, you took a lot of our Level 2's and 3's with you, right? I've got free time today, so I'll update your Status for all of you."

"That's a good idea." Finn nodded. Indeed, the members he took with him this time around were not complete beginners, but many of them just managed to reach their current Level. An Update would be welcome as at the current moment, they could all still grow by a lot in comparison to a Level 6. "Then, everyone, store our equipment and the likes back inside and then proceed to have Loki update your Status."

He was met with a unified cheer and the expedition force proceeded to do as ordered. Finn himself made his way towards the entrance, until someone walked up to him. "Captain, a word?" Fuzen asked, his head gesturing for the garden. He wanted privacy, something quite rare indeed.

"...Of course." The Captain agreed and walked together with the boy into the garden. A couple dozen seconds later, Fuzen continued.

"Captain, was my performance during the expedition within acceptable levels?"

An intriguing question, to say the least.

After all, most other Level 2 Adventurers would rather brag about their amazing accomplishments before asking if their deeds were enough or acceptable. "Quite so, Fuzen. I was amazed at your capabilities. Though the secret to your strength is just that for me, a secret, I can see that you were not lying about your power."

"I see. Then, would you say I have contributed to the Familia, then?" Came the second question, and Finn raised an eyebrow.

What exactly does he mean-? Ahh, I did mention that before we left for the expedition, didn't I? Was he...troubled by my words? Oh my, how precious...

"Quite so, Fuzen, quite so. You have contributed fiercely and without pause. There is nothing for you to worry about."

Finn almost heard a sigh of relief from Fuzen, almost that is, before the boy stopped and turned to meet the Captain's eyes. As a Pallum, Finn was rather short, no taller than one meter and twenty centimetres. Fuzen, as a ten year old boy himself, was not much taller, however the difference was big enough that he needed to lower his gaze. "Then, Captain: before we departed you stated you wanted to observe and rank my strength. What is your opinion now, after witnessing it?"

Naturally, Finn expected the boy to ask this before long, so it wasn't a sudden question, however, it wasn't easy to answer, either. "...You are an anomaly, to say the least." Finn decided to be honest, knowing full well that misdirection would be frowned upon by the boy. Being clever with words would help him little when dealing with someone as dedicated as Fuzen. "You are a Level 2, yet you can take down Monsters even Level 4 Adventurers have some degree of trouble dealing with. Your normal fighting style is...refined, yes, but it only consists of the basic moves, however when you use one of your so-called Techniques, the...aura, so to say, around you changes. It's illogical for someone like you to exist, yet you exist nonetheless. Quite intriguing, I must say."

"...I see." The boy nodded. "I highly respect Captain Finn, so your words are indeed an honour. However, Captain Finn surely noticed other things, too."

"...Indeed." Finn nodded, crossing his arms. He had simply stood in the back lines even when the elite group first descended into the Deep Floors on their first day there. He had time to observe all of his members closely, and naturally, Fuzen was no exception. "You...had great difficulty against the Monsters down there. You were sweating and always focusing as if your life depended on it, not to mention you were the only one making full use of the short breaks. Why is that, when you can defeat Ais in a duel?"

A question Finn had longed to ask for a long time, yet even now, he was not sure Fuzen would answer it.

The boy's eyes squired just the tiniest bit, focusing on the person before him.

A couple of long seconds went by and Finn knew the look in Fuzen's eyes: he was running all possible directions the conversation could take depending on his answer in his mind. He was young, but he was most definitely not stupid in any way, shape of form. Finn had known it all along, of course. The boy's smarts was hard for someone of the Pallum's intellect to miss. He was blunt, extremely blunt and Finn had some small difficulty maintaining his composure when the boy truly said just what on his mind.

However, he could never get mad at him, because he could see past the bluntness and right into the heart of the matter: the almost rude bluntness was simply a derivation of the boy trying to get his point across as quick as possible, as clearly as possible. Still, every time that so called rudeness was directed at Finn, The Pallum Captain managed to understand the meaning behind the words, and every time he noticed Fuzen taking most possibilities in how an event could turn out with his intervention in consideration, and then answer accordingly.

And that same thing was happening right now, Fuzen deciding what repercussions answering this question could have along the way.

However...not all hope is lost. If he is thinking about it, that simply means he is not sure about answering, but also not sure about keeping quiet. Things are looking up.

"...I doubt Captain Finn would ever become an enemy of the Lighting Sword Style…"

"Hm?"

"...Captain Finn, correct me if I am wrong, but you are a realist, are you not? Not some hopeless idealist or the likes?"

"...Well, it would be hard being Captain without being a realist." Finn shrugged.

"Indeed. Then, another question, if you will: does our Familia have many enemies? Uh, I mean, enemies that are strong enough to attack us or prove dangerous down the line?"

"Hm? Interesting question. So far, I can say we do not. I am not interested in making enemies without good reasons. So no, we do not have any sort of real, tangible enemy."

"...I see." Fuzen nodded, then looked over towards his sword at his hip and nodded again. "That will suffice, for now. Then back to your original question: the reason I had some difficulty against the Monsters despite being able to defeat a Level 5 Adventurer in combat is simple."

"Oh? Now I'm intrigued."

"The Lightning Sword Style was created to cut down people. Humans." Fuzen said bluntly, maintaining eye contact with his Pallum. "The Techniques I use are always fatal for people. However, Monsters come in many forms, and with many physical attributes. As such, not all Techniques work on Monsters the same. A Technique that would cleanly bisect a person in two would only cut down a leg of a Monster thrice the size of a man, and another Technique that targets the tendons to incapacitate the human enemy would only truly cut the flesh of a Monsters. To say the least, my arsenal of Techniques is highly reduced against Monsters."

"I...see." Finn simply nodded. He had already learned a lot more today than the last eleven months combined. He did not wish to push it by asking more, and lose the chance of gaining more information later.

"Mhm. Secondly, the Lightning Sword Style is meant to cut down the enemy as quickly as possible, as efficiently as possible. Prolonged fights are...Sigh...not where I excel."

"Oh. But why is that? With the Falna, your stamina should be decently high, even as a Level 2."

"...You ask a lot of me, Captain Finn." Fuzen said after a moment. It seems he did not wish to reveal anything further.

Quite the shame, really.

"...Just a bit curious, Fuzen. You don't have to answer. I never forced you to, remember?"

"...Sigh...The Lightning Sword Style requires many things to be...done correctly."

"Hm?"

"The correct mindset, the correct way to breath, the correct way to move, the correct way to tense and relax the muscles, the correct way to attack and much more. To put it shortly, each Technique I use requires a large amount of...hmmm...stamina, I suppose you could call it."

He digested the new information, and it didn't take Finn long to link everything together, also remembering Fuzen's words from back then. "...I see. Your body is limiting your own Sword Style's potential, am I right?"

"...Perceptive as always, Captain. You are indeed correct. If I had an adult body, I doubt I would still have the same problems, and neither prolonged fights nor fighting Monsters would be as...strenuous as it is at the moment. It may sound like an excuse, however I am still, physically, just ten years old. This body unfortunately has many limitations even with the Falna engraved in my being."

"I see. That's only logical."

"Quite so."

"Then, Fuzen, you asked me about my opinion regarding your strength, correct?"

"Yes."

"However, before I can give you an answer, there is one last question I would like to have answered."

"…I am listening."

"Fuzen, you have a master who taught you, correct? Your...Mistress, if I remember correctly?"

"...Indeed."

"Then, you can compare yourself to her. Tell me: at the current time, how proficient are you with your Sword Style?" The question was followed by the longest silence yet, Fuzen simply looking his Captain over, no emotion readable on his never-changing expression.

"...If...we were to rank it by Beginner, Intermediate, Expert and Master, then I would currently be at the...middle of Intermediate. I have finally completely grasped the Beginner level a while ago."

...Hey, hey, give me a break. If that ridiculous power of yours is just Intermediate level, then what kind of monster is that Mistress of yours…? Though the thought crossed his mind, Finn did not verbalize it and simply decided to nod in response. Still...this was good. Very good. "I understand. Then, my opinion is that I want you with the first group on the next expedition. That is my honest desire."

"First group...Meaning all our elite members, mostly the executives and a select few others?"

"Quite so."

"...Is that not going to show favouritism? Surely the other members of the Familia will not feel positive about a mere Level 2 joining the first group of the Loki Familia?" Fuzen asked. It was a logical thing to question in most instances, after all.

However, that hardly applied here.

"Fuzen, we are Adventurers. If anything, our profession is one where equality does not exist. Every member of our Familia has their strengths and weaknesses, based on their Skills and Abilities, as well as shortcomings. If any of them believe you have not earned the right to join me at my side during our expeditions, then I will simply have to lecture them, personally. As such, do not worry yourself about these matters."

"Hmm...Joining expeditions is not what my deal with Loki-sama is about…"

"I know."

"...However, I am not the sort of person that bites the hand that fed him. If Captain Finn himself believes there is value in having me join him on the expeditions, then...I will do so."

"Thank you, Fuzen, for understanding. Your help is going to have a large impact on our future strategies."

"I can only hope so, Captain."

A smirk flashed on the Pallum's face as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Don't be so modest now. You were planning on joining anyway, taking in consideration you told me all that about your abilities, or am I wrong?"

"...Simply foreseeing your desires and adapting to them, is all. A secondary matter, Captain, which I wished to inform you of: I will not be available for a couple of days starting today. Or, to put it better, I wanted to ask permission to be unavailable for said duration of time."

"Oh, and why is that?" Finn asked, now truly intrigued. So far, ever since he joined the Familia, Fuzen kept to a very strict schedule. However, now all of a sudden he informed he would be unavailable.

"I believe I informed you already, Captain. I wish to perform a...ritual, for a lack of better words. A ritual which will make me stronger."

Theoretically that is. I mean, the ritual does work but I have never performed it alone.

Naturally, those thoughts would remain only that, thoughts, for Fuzen knew that if the Captain was aware of the risks involved, he would actively try and stop him.

That could not be allowed.

"Most intriguing. Then, what do you require for this so called ritual of yours?"

"Nothing, Captain, except to be left alone. I will need to go through a several days period of fasting while meditating to purify my body of impurities found in food, and then proceed with the ritual, which will take two or three days. I will be seen around the Manor during the fasting time, but during the ritual I will be locked up in my room. As such, I wanted to inform you I will be unavailable for the next seven to eight days or so. Also, I cannot be interrupted once the ritual starts. That would be...bad."

A ritual which can make one stronger...What an intriguing thing. I wonder if said ritual can be applied to the other members? "I see. Fuzen, are there any risks involved in this ritual of yours?"

"...Not as long as one is walking down the path of the Lightning Sword Style and has mastery over it's basics." Came the somehow delayed reply.

So in other words, we cannot have the other members proceed with it, as well...What a shame... "Most unfortunate. Very well then, Fuzen, I shall inform the others of your leave. Proceed as you know best."

"Your blessing is much appreciated, Captain. Then, I shall do just that. I will start today."

With a nod, the young boy walked away and into the Manor. Many things needed to be done, and many steps to be taken.

Correctly, that is.

Hachiman-sama. Mistress. I shall take one more step on my path. Whatever it will lead me to grasp the Heavens or fall into Hell...Well, that is to yet to be seen…

XXX

A new sunrise, and with it, the start of a new work day. The girl woke up early, and it could be said she was the first to reach her workplace, as she, in actuality, lived there. It couldn't be helped.

After all, her social status was not quite the best.

Still, it was enough for the girl.

Having raised from her bed, the girl dressed herself in her training attire, and grabbing her wooden sword headed towards the backyard of her workplace. It was a small, garden-like space with a fence. Not spacious by any means, but just enough for training.

She raised her wooden sword, a piece of fine work by itself, and began her usual training striking at air in quick succession. Naturally, she had no enemy to speak of, and her co-workers complained she was too harsh and no longer engaged in sparring with her, but nonetheless the girl decided to simply engage in mental training.

Slacking off was not an option, after all.

Closing her eyes, she visualized a group of enemies, second-class adventurers, in front of her. The first three enemies lunged at her, sword, spear and war-hammer respectively. She avoided the downwards attack from the war-hammer with a side-step and then the spear thrust by ducking low and lunging her sword at the spearman, the tip of her wooden sword striking his solar plexus. He was not dead, not yet anyway, but he would be out for a while. Enemies with range needed to be taken out first, after all.

Behind the group of three close-combatants was an archer, readying an arrow. She dashed forward, but stopped mid-way as a slash came at her from the left and she jumped back to avoid it. The swordsman was quick, almost as quick as her. She would not be able to take down the archer until she dealt with him.

She rolled to the side again and avoided a horizontal strike from the war-hammer. She found herself in a bad position: the war-hammer wielding enemy was close to her, and the swordsman was defending the archer. The spearman was also slowly getting up.

If I'm in a pinch...I just need to get out of it. The girl steeled herself and continued her mental combat.

It was not an easy aspect to train.

A beginner would not be able to scale power correctly, and they would naturally believe themselves stronger than they actually were. Mental training meant one needed to be a veteran and to have survived many battles against a myriad of enemies. It is why the girl could proceed with this sort of training while also keeping herself sharp and fit for battle.

After all, she was, despite her circumstances, still-

"Ryuu, get your ass in here!" The thunderous yell broke the girl's concentration, and she opened her eyes again. In-between the half-opened door to the backyard stood her boss, probably having just woken up herself.

"Mama Mia, good morning." The elf bowed slightly and lowered her wooden sword. That was it for the morning training, she guessed.

"Yeah, yeah. Go take a bath and get ready. We open in half an hour." The older woman waved a lazy hand and headed back inside.

Ryuu followed soon, and made straight for the bathroom to take a quick bath. Though she had no physical enemies facing her while training, calculating all the attacks while maintaining awareness of her surroundings was nonetheless a strenuous task, and few could do it without sweating.

Ryuu herself was unfortunately not among those few.

The elf girl was nothing if not efficient, however, and she finished cleaning up in record time, proceeding to put on the Hostess of Fertility's uniform on. She had rather disliked the attire in the beginning, however with time she simply got used to it, and the feeling of embarrassment was no longer as troubling as before.

Once that was done, she headed downstairs to the pub. Mama Mia was already there, as were most of the kitchen staff. Knowing they would open up soon Ryuu began to prepared the pub, setting the chairs down and wiping the tables clean. By now it was almost an...subconscious activity, one she did without much thinking.

Over three years already...Ryuu thought to herself while working. I've been working here for three years now. So much has changed, and at the same time, so little did.

She had once been a well-known Adventurer, though most people would never guess, with her waitress uniform and so on. Many things happened which led her to be where she was currently. Over the years, she managed to...dampen the thoughts towards her previous life. She would never forget it, of course, as that would be a disservice to her former comrades and friends.

However, she thought less of the past.

At least, until that night.

That boy...Ryuu trailed off, remembering the young, child-like Adventurer of the Loki Familia. He had misinterpreted many things on that night. Probably a sign of his young innocence. However, he had made a strong impression on Ryuu who had observed from afar.

Truly, even the stoic elf girl barely contained her laughter at his reaction on that day, however it was what happened before his...artistic escape that caught her attention.

He believed Chloe's pervert aptitude was caused by mistreatment at her workplace, and he immediately took action, confronting Mama Mia herself...Ryuu did not know the Level of said boy, however she knew he was strong, even though he was very young. The way he moved, the way he kept aware of his surroundings, the way he talked to Mama Mia...Maybe it was because they were similar, but Ryuu knew deep down the boy was strong. And she knew, based on her own image of him, that he could scale other people's strength, as well.

He knew Mama Mia was stronger than him. Yet, he did not falter, nor did he flinch. He confronted her without hesitation…

It was that which drew Ryuu's attention.

He reminded her much of her former Familia and her former comrades. Always ready to step forward, not flinching, not stepping back, confronting those stronger than them clad only in iron resolve.

Little nowadays managed to remind her of her former Familia and the extraordinary people which stepped up to face the darkness which plagued Orario a couple of years ago, when she was still an Adventurer and counted herself among them. However, that boy managed to do just that.

What would Alise have to say about that boy? Lyra would no doubt find some way to make fun of him...And Kaguya would probably even scold him, despite being a stranger, for acting without thinking and standing up to someone leagues above him…

Without realizing it, Ryuu had stopped from her work and a faint smile curved her lips. Luckily, few people were around to see her do it. Lady Astrea...what would she say about that boy?

It had been over one week since the incident when the boy ran away from the pub thanks to Chloe's less than socially acceptable preferences. Yet, she thought often about him. His actions, though brief, were very brave and resonated with something inside of her.

Ryuu wanted to meet him again and ask him a question which a certain evil God asked of her, a few years back.

She wanted to ask him:

"...What is justice?"

XXX

She was happy.

Extremely so, to say the least. After the expedition five days ago, she had found out from Loki that she had breached the wall that stood in her way. Truly, a joyous moment for her.

Level 3 had been reached.

Lefiya couldn't actually believe it at first.

Level 3, after only two years of having reached Level 2. Naturally, mages could Level Up a bit faster than other Adventurers, as their Magic took out whole hordes of Monsters in one Spell and the Excelia gained backed up their actions. However, it was still a very quick rise through Levels.

She was truly happy and proud of her achievement. However…

Loki praised her.

Finn praised her.

Gareth praised her.

Riveria, too, praised her.

The Amazon twins did as well.

And lastly, the Sword Princess herself, her idol, praised her with a smile.

However, his words still echoed in her mind.

Good. A testimony of your growth, to be sure. However, the higher you climb, the deeper you can fall. I worry about that greatly for you, so...remember it.

Fuzen had been his usual self when she informed him of her Level Up.

Lefiya did not even know why she rushed to tell him, in all honestly. Naturally, she had been very grateful to him for training her prior as well as during the expedition. He certainly played a part in her growth, no doubt about it.

However, they hardly knew each other.

And still, the second person she sought out to inform of her achievement after Ais had not been her mentor Riveria, or her Captain Finn, or even her Amazon friends. It had been the eastern boy himself.

And she did not understand why.

She admired his...unusual strength, that was a given. He proved his worth and skill many times over during their short team-up while on the expedition. However, they were just a step above strangers. She knew nothing of him, and he probably knew nothing of her.

And still, she sought him out, wanting him to know of her Level Up. Of her achievements.

...But why did I do it? It had been five days since and she still asked herself this question while at the same time, pondering on his words. The higher you climb, the deeper you can fall…? She quickly shook her head in disapproval at her thoughts. No. Though brief, he had proven a good mentor while training me, and he thought me many things. It's probably some kind of...test? Words of wisdom? Whatever it is, I need to figure it out on my own.

At the current moment Lefiya was within the Twilight Manor. She had just returned the night before from a quick trip into the Dungeon with the second team led by Raul, and she had since slept a lot.

The sun was high up in the sky, as it was already noon.

She had just eaten her late breakfast and was wandering about.

"...I wonder…"

A new idea popping in her mind, Lefiya made her way to the back yard in search of her former, brief mentor. She knew he was there last night when she returned, but surely he was not still there-

"Nam. Myo. Ho. Renge."

"…" Lefiya stopped in her tracks at the corner of the building, now simply watching the boy from afar. He was still in the exact same spot as the day before, and probably the day before that, as well. He did not stand motionlessly, however, as he repeated the same body movements while chanting the same, four words.

Fuzen slowly rotated his arms in a circle and took a slow sliding step forward, the circle complete. "Nam." Next he slowly raised his arms before bringing them both palm down to his midriff, taking yet another step forward as the action was brought to completion. "Myo." Next he extended both arms in front of him and brought them both to his chest as he moved another step forward, the move completed as both hands reached his chest. "Ho." From the last position he followed up by holding his left palm downwards, while his right one faced up, and slowly moving them apart down and up and he make another sliding step into the next position. "Renge."

And then, he repeated, same words, same movements, same breathing, same rhythm, and lastly, same technique. For the young elf girl watching him from afar, it was almost entrancing. His movements, his...pattern, was so beautiful and rhythmic, it almost left after-images behind him.

There was also a testimony of how much he repeated the same thing: an octagon had taken form in the grass, perfect lines following his movements as he traced his steps over and over again on the same lines.

For how long he had been doing this, Lefiya did not know.

However, she was aware of his tenacity, and taking in consideration he was still practicing when she left a day earlier for the Dungeon…

He's...meditating, while also moving. So this is why Lady Riveria wanted me to learn from him. He's...probably the most focused member within our Familia despite not being a mage…

Lefiya continued watching her comrade and his peerless form. In her mind, many questions were forming: What was this strange dance, this strange ritual? What did those words mean? Why did he have to say them? How could he show such incredible concentration despite being only ten years old?

I...want to know.

Suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder and it was simply through sheer luck the young girl did not scream at the sudden touch. Looking over her shoulder, Lefiya was met with a pair of emerald green eyes. "L-Lady Riveria."

"Lefiya. Do not disturb Fuzen."

"I-I wasn't! I was just...watching."

"...Nonetheless, you need to allow him space for now." Riveria said with a sigh. Unknown to Lefiya herself, the High Elf already had to deal with a blonde swordswoman and an energetic Amazon whom both tried to disturb Fuzen from his ritual, as Fuzen himself had called it.

Luckily for the easterner boy Finn himself had had the foresight to predict this and assigned Riveria to keep such disturbances away from him.

"I...understand." Lefiya nodded.

"Good." Riveria said and stepped to the side so her apprentice could head back the way she came.

...Still…The High Elf looked back, towards the young boy still practicing his movements. To repeat the same thing for five days straight, while fasting and only using meditation to rest...Just what happened in his life to make him this disciplined?

XXX

"...Renge." He finished his chant and brought his palms together, closing his eyes. "...It is done." Fuzen exhaled and looked up towards the sky: it was a starry night, with the moon shining it's light over the never-sleeping Dungeon City.

He had finished his preparations, and his inner energy was aligned. Most people would not know, but humans lived in constant chaos, at least as far as the inner part was concerned: eating, walking, talking, laughing, crying, fighting, sleeping, a person experienced many things in a single day, and as such, their inner side was always in a chaotic state, never the same, always fluctuating.

Naturally, Fuzen was not any different.

As a swordsman and Adventurer both, his inner strength was rarely aligned and calm. Still, his training and meditations at least helped him control his inner chaos better, and as such, Fuzen himself only needed five days to align his energy.

Chaotic people like Tiona and Bete, however, would need over two weeks of fasting and preparations to reach the same calm and serene state Fuzen himself had just managed to achieve.

"...Now, the ritual follows." Fuzen muttered and already made his way to his room. Once inside, he walked up to his small wardrobe and from inside took out a small, metal case. He opened it and six, hair-thin needles were revealed.

Fuzen placed them on his table, and took off all his clothes. The part he liked the least was up next.

...No. I cannot allow myself negative thoughts. It is a step, like all the others.

Naturally, the needles were very special, both as far as the material and crafting procedure were concerned. They were very thin, but also durable and flexible. If one held one of those needles and let it fall tip first into the floor, it would go through, stopping only at the hub.

And those needles, too, were important for his ritual.

Fuzen grabbed all six of the needles, and proceeded to sit in a meditative position, legs crossed, on the floor.

He took the first needle, and inserted it carefully at the base of his spine. "I am."

He took the second needle, and inserted it between his navel and his genitals. "I feel."

He took the third needle, and inserted it into his solar plexus. "I do."

He took the fourth needle, and inserted it into his chest. "I love."

He took the fifth needle, and inserted it into his throat. "I speak."

He took the sixth needle, by far the trickiest, and slowly inserted it between his eyebrows. "I see."

For the seventh place, there was no physical location on his body, for the seventh was located outside the body and he would activate it with his mind, and the six others would activate as a follow-up to that.

Fuzen rested his hands on his knees, and his fingers touched the tips of the opposite hand. He closed his eyes, ready to activate his last, seventh Ki point. "...I know."

One of the major secrets of the strength of the Lighting Sword Style came from something which, by default, every single living being had: in the large empire close to his homeland it was called chakra. In the Indan Empire far away from them, it was called prana. In the Far East, his homeland, it had a much easier name to pronounce: Ki. The unseen life force of living beings, which few can ever tap into, in no small part due to their own lack of knowledge of this energy even existing.

It is powerful and something which the Lighting Sword Style is built around, as the exalted Founder herself was said to shape the Style around the usage of Ki, and not the other way around. However, in it's natural form, even if awakened within a person, the quantity of natural Ki an individual could use can never reach a significant amount. The most one such person could do would be to direct the Ki energy towards a superficial cut to help close the wound faster, or channel it to their eyes to see better for a couple of moments.

It is because of this limitation that the Founder herself was said to have grasped the true Lightning Sword Style only in her last remaining years of life. Her whole life, she had sought methods through which she could use her Ki efficiently, and after more than eighty years of searching, training and meditating, the Founder had found her answer and completed the Lighting Sword Style.

With that knowledge, individuals who followed in her shadow, like Fuzen and his Mistress, could shave off a lot of time in achieving higher states of being, however, they still needed to go through the critical parts which would add to their foundation on which their strength could grow.

And among those critical parts was the forced opening of the major Ki points in the body.

He had experienced this procedure two times before: once when he began his training as a Disciple of the Lighting Sword Style, and the second time when he finished his first few years of basic training and was deemed strong enough to withstand a second awakening.

Both times, he had experienced great pain and misery, and only through sheer willpower had Fuzen managed to avoid begging his God and Mistress for the blade and to be released from the torment.

However, the previous two times could not even compare to what he was experiencing at the moment.

I'm burning from the inside! Something is wrong, my Ki is going out of control! It's pouring out too fast!

It was hard to describe, as if the sharp tips of a hundred spears slowly pierced through his body from the inner most part of his core towards the outside, cutting everything in their path while the Ki points flared up with unfocused pulses. This had not happened before, but it could not be allowed to continue lest his own life force would kill him.

Inside his mouth blood began to gather, and he felt it slowly dripping down his lips.

I need to find the irregularity fast! Is it Vishudda, my throat ki point after all?!

A few years ago, before his second ritual, Fuzen had received a Ki imbued cut on his throat, which could have proven fatal. Luckily, he survived the ordeal, however that specific Ki point had been forever damaged and unable to ever be fully healed. It was a bitter memory and a reminder that he could never, in this life, ever reach his full potential.

No, it can't be! It acted the same way during the second awakening ritual! Something else is wrong, but what?!

He coughed and blood dripped over his chest and the floor beneath him. It wasn't just the Throat Ki point, all the others Ki points flared up as well, and the pain ever increased.

I'm losing my focus! I need to focus! Don't try to find the irregularity anymore, focus on enduring!

He remembered the wisdom from the journals of the Founder and knew trying to find something wrong while still in the process of awakening was foolish. All a mortal man could do in such a situation was to bite through the pain and endure.

I can only focus on the seventh Ki point, and hope that the other six will calm down as I focus! Pain is an illusion, I simply need to both ignore and endure it!

Through his burning throat Fuzen inhaled and exhaled and tried to calm down. He had only begun the ritual some couple of minutes ago and already he was covered in cold sweat while his damaged Throat Ki point spiralled out of control. Worse yet was the fact that he needed to endure for some two days until everything he collected so far could be solidified inside him and used as another foundation of his strength.

But, in the end, it didn't matter.

Pain.

Torture.

Failure.

Death.

Hell itself.

None of it mattered.

Even if the earth would crack open and shallow him, or the skies rained fire down on him.

Even if he had to fight endless battles, or endure hell itself.

Even if his own Ki tried to kill him, and even if injuries long past got in his way.

Even if the whole world stood in his way, and even if he had to fight it all by himself.

Even if he needed to crawl, and even if he had to walk over a bridge made of the corpses he left in his wake.

No matter what, no matter the cost and no matter the struggle, his end goal remained the same.

And he would reach it even if he had to do it equipped with only his bare teeth.

I will...grasp...the Heavens…

XXX

It had been three days since Fuzen locked himself up in his room. Finn was getting slightly worried: the boy himself said his so called ritual would only take three days, at the most. It was noon now, and Finn had decided to go and check on him.

He had inquired a lot about the ritual and knew he promised to not disturb the boy until he himself came out of the room.

As such, Finn decided to only slightly open the door, and peak inside.

"...Hm?" Somewhere deep inside, Finn had not been surprised to see Fuzen was not in his room. Nonetheless, he stepped inside and looked around.

For starters, his sword was missing from it's stand.

However, unlike last time, there was no letter. Finn was confident Fuzen learned his lesson and did not simply go out into the Dungeon again all by himself facing a Floor he never faced before. And even if he somehow did get excited about his so called power up, he would have left a note.

With that said, Finn let out a sigh of relief. Though he was still wondering where his swordsman could be, he at least knew he wasn't doing something stupid.

Turning back, Finn was just about to leave the small room when he noticed something and stopped again. It was faint, but he could still smell it with his enhanced sense of smell.

Blood.

He looked around the room and then noticed a large stain of wetness on the wooden floor. It had been meticulously cleaned, but it persisted. Blood was hard to get out of things, especially wood which could absorb it.

"...No risks, was it?" Finn laughed lightly, his lips curving upwards. "Ohh, we are going to have a long discussion when you return about lying to your Captain…"

XXX

Her break was over, and the silver haired girl had once again taken her place behind the counter.

There were no customers at the moment so she decided to take out a book from behind the counter and began reading it. Unsurprisingly enough, it was a book about medicine.

Surgery, to be precise.

Few things in the world could not be healed with a potion, elixir or healing magic, however those few things existed, and she wanted to know about them. Prosthetics were one such example.

Sure enough, some people believed that prosthetics simply needed to be shaped in the form of a limb, the doctor would hold it near the missing limb and it would somehow magically glue itself to the person and start functioning again.

Oh course, that was not the case.

Many things needed to be done for a prosthetic to function like a limb: it needed to be crafted with magic at it's core, then tests needed to be run, the patient needed to go through surgery to attack the limb to the nerves, then-

"G...d ...ay."

"Kyaa!" Amid jumped back and only through some miracle did she not bump into the many potions and other substances held within fragile containers on display on the wall behind her. She looked beyond the counter and was met with Fuzen's hazel eyes, only the part of his body above the middle of his chest visible, the rest of his body hidden by the counter.

W-When did he enter the shop? Why didn't I hear him? Amid questioned as she looked at the boy with big, wide eyes. Few things could take the girl by surprise, but a customer simply appearing out of thin air before her was definitely one of them.

"...S...ry."

"W-What?"

"S...ry."

"O-Oh, you were apologizing." She stated after just barely understanding it the second time, and Fuzen nodded. "Really now...Don't just pop out of nowhere, Fuzen-kun."

"…El...ir…?"

"H-Huh?" She asked again. For some reasons, Fuzen's voice was very coarse and quiet today, even more so than usual. In fact, he spoke so softly it was barely more than a hushed whisper.

"El...ix...ir?"

"…? Ah, yes. The Elixir." Fuzen nodded again, and so did she. "It is done. I brewed it myself, and just finished a couple of days ago. I was waiting for you."

"So...rry. Exp...ed...ition…" This time around, he pushed himself a bit more and his words came out slightly louder.

"...Oh, an expedition. I see. Uhh...If you don't mind me asking...why is your voice so coarse?" As a Doctor, Amid immediately noticed something was wrong the moment Fuzen began to talk. Almost like a patient who just had his thyroid removed and was having trouble speaking after the operation.

"...Do...n't wo...rry. It's...heal...ing…."

She did not believe that.

It sounded graver than that. However...she could also not push the matter. A Doctor had no power over the patient if the patient refused any offer of help. She also knew that Riveria's healing magic was very potent, so in case that his problem was indeed as grave as she believed, a High Potion or Riveria's Magic could help. "...I see. Then please, wait a moment while I bring the Elixir."

"Box…?"

"Hm?"

"Trans...port...ation. Sending… it back...to the Far East…"

She understood now, he was sending it back to his friend in the Far East so he was asking if she could wrap it up securely in a box or the likes. Smart thinking. "I'll see what I can find." Fuzen nodded and she proceeded to the back room of the shop where she stored the Elixir.

Looking around, Amid found an old belt pouch she used on the rare occasions she went into the Dungeons. It was old, sure, but most Adventurer pouches were reinforced so that the potions or items inside would be safe, even if the user was hit with a blunt object over said pouch.

It would do nicely.

She returned to the counter and placed both the vial containing the elixir and the pouch on the table. "Here it is. The Elixir which I brewed from the Drop Item you brought me."

Fuzen nodded, and from the bag flung over his shoulder he took out a letter and placed it on the counter, grabbing a pen from the inside of his shirt. "Ins...truc...tions…?"

Amid proceeded to tell him about how the Elixir was to be taken and the daily dosage, all the while observing Fuzen write on the back of the letter in strange symbols. She knew they were the writing of the Far East, however she could not make head or tail of it.

"Is...that...all?" Fuzen asked once again after Amid was done, and following her nod he proceeded to put the letter back in the bag before taking out a large pouch of Valis and placing it before her. "Ten...High Po...tions, and twenty...low-tier ones."

That was not a small amount of potions he desired. Was he planning on sending it to the Far East, as well? Still, the customer made his order and Amid proceeded to ready his order. "Oh, by the way, you don't need to pay. And before you disagree: the quantity of Elixir I made from the Amphisbaena Liver turned out to exceed my expectations."

"…"

"With that said, the item you gifted me will bring a large sum of income to my Familia, and as such, I will cover the cost of these potions for you."

"…"

The boy was still not convinced, and Amid actually felt this was one of the habits where they clicked together. After all, she herself rarely made such suggestions. However, it was not every day that a customer decided to gift you a Drop Item, from a Monster Rex no less, simply because of a discount said customer got once.

It was also because of his actions that time that Amid wished to make a request of him, but she would do it the next time he visited. "That is acceptable for you, is it not? We will get our money from the gift you gave me, and in return, you could send this money back home as well."

Fuzen looked down at the floor, and pondered for a few moments on her words. With a nod, he thanked Amid with a bow, and proceeded to place the bag of Valis back inside his bag, as well as the potions. "Thank...you."

"Don't worry about it. Then, I take it that is all?" He nodded again, and flinging his bag over his shoulder made for the exit. "Thank you for your patronage."

XXX

Everything hurt.

Quite literally, everything.

He had just somehow managed to bring the ritual to completion at dusk, and usually one or two days of absolute rest were needed. Still, he knew that the ship which took the sea route to the Far East and back was due to leave today from Melen. If he missed this ship, he could wait another three weeks before it would come back and he wanted to send the Elixir back home as fast and as soon as possible.

Still, even he could not simply mask the incredible pain his body was experiencing. After all, forcefully enlarging the Ki points was not something which a human body should ever be used to. People went on with their lives utilizing only the bare minimum of their Ki, and that only instinctively.

If there were people who actually used their Ki, it was mostly only old people, and even then they only used it passively to increase their longevity.

However, the Lighting Sword Style used the individual's Ki behind most of their movements and strikes, and as such, a Disciple always had to train to increase the quantity and quality of their Ki.

Few people knew of this, however many Disciples of the Lightning Sword Style throughout the years went unsung and unknown, and that was simply because they could not endure their Ki points being forcefully activated, and… simply died.

The two most recent inaugurations were no exception, either. During the time of his Mistress's ritual, there had been two other individuals who desired to walk the path of the Lighting Sword Style. Unfortunately, only his Mistress survived, and the other two died in agony.

His own inauguration had been the same, and he guessed all the other before him were no different. For every Disciple that survived the inauguration, nine others would fail and die.

Such is the path of power...

There was no reason for him to continue pondering on that thought.

He too had resolved himself, and he knew very well he could have died just in order to have a right at the starting line of the path of power. He did not die, and that was the end of it.

Shaking his mind off any unnecessary thoughts, Fuzen proceeded to the gate which led outside the city towards Melen, which was just some three kilometres away. After his ritual had been completed, Fuzen took a quick bath and proceeded to the Guild where he asked for permission to leave the city.

It was not a secret that the Guild, in charge of the Dungeon and thus in charge of the most powerful city in the world, liked to have their Adventurers close-by for any emergency which might arise. Usually one had to register themselves for leave at least two days before said day, however, that was mostly for the Second and First Class Adventurers. Fuzen himself as a Level 2 was not seen quite as important for the defence of the city, and thus, despite the Guild employees annoyance at his last second request, he gained permission within two hours.

He showed his letter from the Guild at the gate guards and proceeded on towards Melen, the port city.

The trip did not take long, not even fifteen minutes. Now overflowing with Ki, Fuzen's every action was enhanced beyond his usual self. Though he kept himself focused within the city to avoid bumping into anyone, he let go of his limitations while on the straight path towards Melen, and every single step he took was almost like a dash in itself, propelling him forward the same distance as five of his usual steps.

He remembered this surge of power from his previous rituals, however, this time around the quantity of Ki he managed to unlock through his Ki points was...amazing, to say the least.

Granted, his body still screamed in pain as it was still unused to this sort of power, but that he could just ignore. Simple physical pain could not even compare to his Ki points being forcefully activated and enlarged by none other than himself.

I am so much faster now...My sight has been enhanced as well. I can now see such fine details on the grass, the flowers, everything in the distance with perfect clarity...My previous two awakenings, even if combined together, could not compare to this…

He truly felt like a new person, at least, capabilities-wise. Though it was not recommended right after the ritual, he wanted to train and to swing his sword while backing it up with his newly acquired state of being.

In a way, a Ki awakening, like the ritual he just went through, felt much more vivid than a simple Level up.

A Level Up was the strengthening of an individual, that much was true.

However, a Ki awakening was slightly different.

At it's core, it's primary boon was still the process of strengthening, however in place of an individual, it rather enhanced the life-form, in this case, Fuzen himself.

To put it another way: if an individual who was blessed by a Deity with a Falna left that Deity's Familia, their Falna would disappear, and with it, all the Skills and Abilities they gained until that point. Said Skills and Abilities were not completely erased, mind you, but rather, they were locked deep within the respective individual. Upon receiving another blessing from a Deity, that individual's potential was unlocked again and they would regain their former strength, Skills and Abilities.

In contrast, a Ki awakening did not involve a Falna in any sort of way, and it's boons would remain with the individual even if they grew old or left the side of a God and were without Falna. After all, it was the awakening of a living being, to the mysterious and still widely unknown force known in his homeland as Ki.

Naturally, unlike a Level Up from a God, a Ki awakening was an unpleasant, hellish experience, and the loss of life was, more often than not, a much more realistic certainty than surviving the procedure. It was also a much more painstakingly slow process, though this matter could be somehow covered by using a God's Falna.

Overall, the two possibilities were both helpful in their own right, but Fuzen knew a Level Up was slightly less helpful to a person than a Ki awakening.

At least, as far as one would share Fuzen's exact goal.

I really want to train...I'll do it as soon as I'm done with sending the package to Hachiman-sama.

Fuzen resolved himself and walked even faster towards the port city.

Once at the docks, he looked around and luckily, saw the ship which made trips between the Far East and Melen still anchored there. He knew the Captain well, as he sent regular packages back home every single time the Captain arrived back in Melen.

This time around, his package was much larger however: besides the letter which he wrote to his former God about his achievements and accomplishments, as well as surviving his third awakening, there was also the Elixir which should help his friend finally get back on his feet, the many healing potions, rare herbs, tea, as well as more...womanly things, like a new hair brush for his Mistress, a large sum of money and then finally, winter clothes.

Orario was a multi-cultural city, and some easterners also opened up shop within the Dungeon City. Good clothes were very expensive back home, as his homeland was poor and not quite as civilized as Orario or other countries. However, with his earnings from the Dungeon, he could buy very good clothes, and even in the fashion of his homeland.

He only hoped his former God and his Mistress would like them.

He would need to pay a lot of money to the Captain for his large package, however, it was money well spent. Fuzen had been sceptical at first, as the pirate-like Captain did not instil trust in him, however Hachiman had sent back letters thanking for the items and money received, so Fuzen learned that his sea-faring acquaintance was, indeed, trustworthy and that his package would arrive at it's destination.

And so, he proceeded to find the Captain and go on with the payment.

XXX

His return to the Twilight Manor was not an enjoyable one.

Finn had asked most members to send Fuzen to see him as soon as he returned, and then he proceeded to lecture the young boy about lying to him about the ritual and it's risks. Fuzen could not say much in return, as they were all Lighting Style Sword secrets and thus simply had to endure the long hour of scolding from the Captain.

He had not even lied...not...really…

Ok, he did lie.

The risk of dying was indeed present with each awakening, however even the Founder's journals spoke of how a Disciple who survived his first, and also most dangerous, awakening would have a good chance of surviving all those that were to come afterwards except for the last ones.

The reason why Fuzen's latest awakening was so chaotic was not known to the boy. It could be his forever damaged throat Ki point, or something else entirely.

But even so, even if his risk was higher than that of other Disciples, it was still a part of the path he decided to walk. Though he respected his current Familia greatly, his deal with Loki before his joining also gave him the right to do whatever he desired, as long as it counted as training toward his growth.

Thus, in his mind, gambling with his life was within acceptable boundaries as dictated by his deal with the Goddess herself.

It was a pain in the backside that he could not go into detail with his Captain, but he survived the scolding, apologized even though in his mind, there was no reason to and then proceeded to go on with his day.

Which meant training.

A lot of training, a course of action even his former strict God would not look kindly on.

But he wanted to test his new limits, and there was no way he would wait a day or two until he could do so.

So, grabbing his training sword and going to his usual spot, Fuzen started right off the bat with sword practice skipping over his usual meditation.

He could feel and notice the difference immediately: his movements were more...fluid, more powerful, quicker and sharper. Each Technique he practiced felt much, much easier to execute and it was less draining on him, as his Ki quantity increased exponentially.

The Lightning Sword Style was composed of many...jumps, in between forms and states of being. Continuous Ki usage was not valid, as it could drain even a Master-class Disciple quickly and leave them defenceless.

Ki was powerful, but it was used up quickly.

As such, the core of the Sword Style was focus, and perception.

Minimal movements, maximum efficiency.

Foreseeing the opponents next ten moves, and moving in the best and quickest way to break through their strategy.

At it's core, a Disciple of the Lightning Sword Style needed to have the nerves and discipline necessary to watch as the opponent moved towards them, ever closing the distance, and remain unflinching as a mountain even as the opponent's attack was just about to take off their heads. Then, at the last moment, when the opponent has already though he won and was at his weakest, use maximum power output to overcome the speed, strength and difference in power to win.

It was not a Style which jumped from ten percent to twenty, and then fifty and so on. From zero, to the highest point possible within a fraction of a second, and back. It was not a Style which focused on flashiness, nor on prolonging the fight.

It was a martial school dedicated to the weak by the weak, so of course flashiness had no importance over efficiency.

Overall, it had two ways it could be used: use the Technique best suited for the moment to win within a second, or if the opponent was too strong, chain multiple Techniques as fast as possible to open the way forward and cut down the foe.

Fuzen had great difficulty with the second option, as was shown to him again in his duel with Ais. He had won, but he had to sacrifice an arm for it. His shoulder had been useless for many days after that duel.

One of the reasons for his less than optimal usage of the second option was his lack of Ki. Not the overall lack of it, mind you, but rather the quantity.

He had a very small pool of Ki he could use.

If he had to scale an individual's pool from one to ten, one being the smallest and ten being the largest, well…

He would not even come close to seven.

However, with his third awakening he felt as if that pool was twice...no, perhaps even three times as big as before. Either he had managed to enlarge his Ki points much farther than he originally thought, or his new lifestyle as an Adventurer somehow had some subtle effect on his Ki pool getting this big.

He could not say, but he was pleased with this turn of events.

By now, it was night again, and though he did not continuously use Techniques which needed to be imbued with Ki he nonetheless felt less fatigued than usual. His strikes were faster, and Fuzen actually needed to adjust his senses to match his new-found speed and reflexes.

It is...truly different. As if I have been born anew, for the third time. I can even spread Ki all throughout my body for a very short time, in contrast to how I localized it's usage before. I need to read the Founder's journals again, and see what her third awakening was like. This feels slightly like too much gain, in all honesty-

"Argh!"

A sharp pain spread through his arm and he let his sword fall to the ground as he grabbed his wrist with gritted teeth.

Unfocused from the pain that should not have been present, Fuzen failed to notice a single streak of electricity running along the edge of his sword.

XXX