Chapter 35.

Time for author rant:

I hate this fic.

I actually came this '-' close to deleting it once again recently.

Yeah, I really hate it.

Especially because I care about it enough that I can't delete it any longer.

It's a complicated love-hate relationship.

My mouse hovered over the delete button so many times in the last couple days, I see it before my eyes even now.

But I couldn't do it any more.

I guess I put too much work into it at this point to be able to do that, even in one of my idiotic stages.

So yeah.

I f-ing hate it.

And I f-ing care about it, just as much.

Just F this fic.

For real.

End author rant:

So anyway, this is a long ass Chapter. 13k words. A bit over my usual length of 10k words.

Also, I wrote it in a single go, more or less. The first scene, until the first "XXX" was something I wrote a while back. Everything after that, I wrote in a single go. Right before posting it, in actuality.

So yeah, I did not go twice over it. And I also have no beta reader, as mentioned before.

So expect a looooot of grammar mistakes.

That's about the warning, I guess.

Oh yeah, and a lot of repeating words. Wasn't exactly in a mood to look up synonyms this time around, so I just went with what was easiest to use.

That's about it, for good.

Enjoy if you want.

XXX

The air was moist and damp, an uncomfortable feeling of their clothes sticking to their skin widespread across the members of the group.

Uncomfortable as it was, however, they cared little for it. Time and time again they have walked through those Floors, having had plenty time to get used to it's humidity and foul smell.

Their formation was closed as to operate through the narrow passage but wide enough to allow for quick deployment. Their Squad leader and only Level 5 was at the front of the group, with a line of five close-combatants behind her: the vanguard, made up of two Level 4's and three Level 3's.

A couple of steps back was the middle line: the five general Supporters with high enough Levels to help in a pinch and the two mages assigned to their squad. Further back were the four archers and two close combatants tasked with dealing with any threat coming from their rear.

Overall, a group of nineteen strong.

In any other instance a group of this strength would be overkill for the first hurdles of the Lower Floors. However, compared to usual they were not here just to complete Quests for their Familia and gain Excelia.

No, they were also here to patrol, a task the Loki Familia did not partake in very often.

However, unlike other times threats in the Dungeon arose, this time it was rather personal for the Loki Familia.

More so since their otherwise lax Deity came out and gave the order for the Dungeon to be searched and the wanted person to be found and brought back.

Alive.

Not that they would not have done so without being ordered first.

The Squad Leader stopped in her tracks and raised a hand, signalling those behind her to stop. Slowly the long-haired Amazon began to draw her kukri knifes, the footsteps from around the corner growing ever closer.

The girl's sharp Level 5 instincts made it obvious to her that whatever was approaching their position was a group of people and not a sole individual like the man they were searching for, but Finn had been very clear in his instructions: take no risks.

And Tione would follow her Captain's orders.

Noticing their Squad Leader's wariness, the rest of the group got into a defensive formation meant to supplement their Level 5's strength, bowmen and Magic users safely situated behind the vanguard and ready to assist should a fight ensure.

A couple more moments passed, the approaching steps now audible for those of lower Levels as well. And then a few seconds later a sea of gold entered their field of view.

"...Ais, is it?" The Amazon girl let out a sigh as she put her weapons away. She had hoped to stumble upon the Were-Jaguar and bring his head to the Captain to gain praise from him, but it looked like that was still not within grasp just yet. "Anything on your end?"

The blonde girl replied with a long shake of her head.

To the surprise of her Goddess and Familia members alike, the aloof side of the young girl was nowhere to be seen, having been replaced with determined expression and a burning fire visible in her eyes.

Her constant losses to the young swordsman from the Far East were no secret to Loki Familia as a whole, and knowing there was someone within the Dungeon capable of the one feat she found herself unable to pull off had changed something within the Sword Princess.

It awakened something within her which she did not realize she possessed.

A desire for challenge which matched her hate for Monsters in intensity.

A desire to test herself not against the beings of the Dungeon, but against humans like her.

"Nothing on my end. What about you, Tione?"

"Same." The Amazon shrugged. "We met earlier than expected. The meeting point is further up ahead. Few Monster encounters?"

"Yeah."

Living up to his name, Finn had come up with a detailed patrol plan which highlighted each squad's routes while calculating their pace and making sure no squad was ever too far away from each other, setting meeting points where the squads would meet at the start, halfway and at the end of their patrols, to check on each other and exchange any information they might have come across on their individual patrols.

Even more impressive, all of this was done while collaborating with the Ganesha Familia and taking over patrolling the routes they didn't have enough members for.

However, Loki Familia also could not afford to send all of their members on this manhunt, either. Only three patrols could be sent into the Dungeon, and for today those three were the squads of Ais, Tione and Bete.

The remaining three squads headed by Gareth, Tiona and

"Same for us. The lack of presence might be thanks to the Ganesha patrols. Anyway, let's go to the meeting point together and check on Bete's squad."

Ais nodded and the two groups pushed forward together, their destination still a short distance away.

XXX

It was incredible to him, to say the least.

Walking down the streets of the city within the city Seiji did not fail to notice the change in the East District's overall mood.

Where once cheerfulness emanated from every shop, vendor and group of people walking him by, now the sombreness was almost palpable on his skin. It had become a silent district as it had been for the last six days. Since the day of that unseen battle in the Dungeon.

It was incredible to him, indeed.

How much a single person could influence others, without even wanting to.

The events which had taken place within the East District remained secret to most people, but Seiji knew of them thanks to his friend's housemaid, Riko, who went into great details about her Master's feats. The clean-up he had performed, and the plan to save every single person who had been sold or wrongly indebted to those Familia who used the East District for their own profit.

Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

Everyone who was still alive and could be saved.

In truth it did not surprise or shock him. Seiji had known for the longest time just how incredible his friend was. Despite being a stone-faced midget he was capable of things unfathomable to ordinary people, of pushing forward no matter the hardships along the way.

So indeed, the fact that the thousands of people living in the District had kept his actions a secret to protect him from the ire of Orario's laws was not really surprising.

Well, maybe a little bit.

People who did not live by a warrior's code keeping this sort of secret...It showed just how much they appreciated his actions. They must have lived in fear and darkness for a long time, Seiji pondered.

I dunno about his reasons, but he certainly did something which reminds me of the old Fuzen.

He thought to himself as he reached the part of the District he had come here for and walked past the open wooden double-gate, being greeted by the tall structure which was his friend's private home.

...Past tense. I just hope I can get through to him this time.

A couple of the female residents of the mansion working in the garden turned to look at him as he walked down the front path leading to the entrance, all of them giving him a nod before returning to their respective work: pulling out weeds, caring for the flowers, clearing out the fallen leaves.

They cared deeply for his friend. He doubted someone as obnoxious as Fuzen realized this, and he doubted he would understand it even if he were to try and explain it to him. He was a stone-faced midget for a reason, after all.

But, given enough time, he would come to realize this on his own. He was dumb in his own smart way, but he wasn't an idiot by any means.

"Sorry for intruding." The boy belonging to the Miach Familia called out as he slid the entrance door open and stepped inside, taking off his boots after the first two steps. While he did that the hired live-in housemaid appeared before him. "Ah, good day, Riko."

"And good day to you too, Seiji."

They greeted each other with a bow deserving of the Far East, both of them understanding the other's importance to the person they both shared a connection to. "Any changes?" The boy asked first, but his question was only met with a slight shake of the head.

"Not as of now, no."

"Hmm. Too soon, is it...?"

"Mhm."

"I'll go speak to him now, if that's ok."

"Of course. I take it you already know the way."

He gave the housemaid a nod and began his walk up to the upper floors of the mansion, to the second floor where his room was located. He had come here daily for the last four days so he knew the way well, confusing as the large building was.

To his own shame, however, he knew not how useful his visit would be.

For whole years of his earlier childhood Fuzen had supported him all throughout his hardships, always being there for him. He did not always extend a helping hand: after all, they were both warriors accepted by Hachiman. But he had always been there to pull him up whenever Seiji felt he could no longer stand up.

'Is that the extent of your strength?' He would ask him with that annoying blank look on his face which Seiji, in all honesty, despised with a passion.

But no matter how much he despised it, Seiji could not deny the fact that Fuzen had believed in him far more than he himself had believed in himself. Hell, he would go as far as to say the shorty was disappointed when he experienced such self-doubts.

So then, what is it I can do for him right now…?

Reaching the second floor Seiji took a left after the stairs and then a right before coming to stand before a sliding door. At the foot of the door stood a tray with food, still warm if he steam from the soup and rice was anything to go by.

Seiji was slightly jealous, in all honesty.

But more than that he was worried. For the last couple of days he had visited there was always a tray of food exactly in that spot, all of them untouched by the one they were intended for.

They were both blessed so of course they could survive longer than the average person without food or water, but the fact his ever diligent Fuzen no longer cared about being about being in peak condition at all times worried him greatly

This really is too much…

Grabbing the food tray Seiji took a moment to collect himself before he slid the door open with no regards for permission to enter. "Heyo! I'm Seiji and you know it!"

Obviously he did not step within the room carelessly. First he had to scan the floor and find a path through the multitude of broken glass and shards in front of the door.

He had not been the only one to visit Fuzen, after all.

His own Familia had done that regularly, but each of their visits had been met with a glass or vase being thrown against the wall or door, Fuzen's silent way of telling them to leave him alone. Besides that there were pillows, the canvases he used for painting as well as a chair all spread out in front of him.

Only Seiji was met with no such hostility and allowed to step inside.

Sliding the door closed behind him and jumping over the items obscuring his way Seiji slowly made his way towards the far end of the room. Despite the eastern architecture of the mansion most rooms actually had western beds for their occupants, something Fuzen apparently did not mind enough to change.

And that is where his friend was, as well.

In a fetal position and covered by his bed's sheets. Same as any day before.

"Bro, you gotta eat something." He said as he placed the tray on the table besides the bed. "Those nice ladies went through the trouble of preparing all of this for you, it's kinda dishonourable not to eat it, dont'cha thing?"

Letting his greatsword lean against the wall Seiji walked back to the bed and took a seat on it's edge. Looking over his shoulder at his friend hidden beneath the sheets, Seiji could notice no response. But he knew Fuzen was not asleep. He was listening, but not responding.

"Hahaha, I'm gonna leave you eating my dust before you know it if you keep at it, bro! Your hard-earned skills will get rusty if you continue sulking like this any longer."

He had tried multiple approaches over the last couple of days, always trying to reignite his friend's fire and remind him of what he set out to achieve. But…

"Whatever"

No matter what approach he tried, the results were always roughly the same.

Seiji was not glad that the fight in the Dungeon between Fuzen and the Were-Jaguar happened. Far from it, of course. But, the event itself did help him understand something.

He had no idea what made Fuzen tick.

They've know each other their whole lives, but confined to his bed as he had been, Seiji missed out on the big event's in his friend's life. The people of the village they grew in kept their distance from him of fear whatever disease he had spreading to them, and their former God Hachiman was the very definition of tight-lipped. As for Fuzen's Mistress, well...that was a story for another time.

Tried as he might have, the last couple of days proved that no matter what he said, it would never get through. Thus one option remained. "...Say, bro. Is there nothing...I can do for you?" And that was to ask directly.

"...Go make potions."

Heh, of course he'd say that…

What would anyone else think of this response?

That he was trying to change the subject? That he was trying to deny reality? Or anything else?

They might think that, sure. They would also be wrong.

His reply showed that he was in fact not denying what had happened, nor that he tried to change the subject.

'There is a great threat in the Dungeon so it would be best if you focus on making Potions as it's your Familia's main source of income and you do not go anywhere near the Dungeon for the foreseeable future.'

That's roughly how Seiji would put it regarding the meaning of Fuzen's short reply. The true meaning behind the words most people would fail to grasp.

The day he visited him at the Dian Cecht Pharmacy had been no different, either. Fuzen stopped him from going to the Dungeon and said that he had a Quest for him. Seiji believed him and went over to his house to wait.

Only on the next day did he figure out that was simply Fuzen's way of keeping him away from the Dungeon, the Dungeon where he, who was many times stronger that Seiji, had lost and almost died, as well.

"...Hahaha, it's fine, isn't it? You said it yourself how that Were-Jaguar will probably not target low Level individuals like me on the Upper Floors. Seiji ain't kicking the bucket anytime soon, hahaha!"

Seiji wondered how many people would be able to see past the asshole and look at the selfless person behind that strict facade.

Would his Familia be able to tell the difference with time? Would the people of this District his friend took under his wing be able to see him clearly someday?

He could not say.

All he could say was that for now, he was the only one who knew Fuzen Katsumi the most.

And that despite that fact, he had no idea how he could finally help him at the moment.

It made Seiji feel no small amount of shame.

The reason he kept on fighting despite no hope in sight had been the midget asshole. The reason he got cured of his affliction was the same. As was the reason he was finally able to travel and pursuit his aspiration.

The reason he got to meet Naaza, too.

It was all on the stone-faced shorty who was now hurt.

The shorty he could not help at all.

In truth Seiji had been spending a lot of time during the last six days thinking of ways he could help. He went for his regular Dungeon dives to provide his Familia with money and prevent them from going into the red, but besides that his time had been used to think about how he could help.

But despite all that, he could not think of anything.

What is it...that I can do right now…?

XXX

Haa!

Haah!

Haah!

His spear tightly held in one hand, he ran as fast as he could and even faster.

It wasn't an option after all: he had to run faster.

Suffice to say, the path to his destination was not going to be an easy one. Already Monsters were starting to appear before him, ready to engage him.

In truth Monsters on these Floors were not truly dangerous for a Level 4 like him, granted they were not in large numbers and he could take his time to fight safely. However he needed to push through and reach his destination as fast as possible.

The first group of enemies to attack him were Lamia. Usually they were mostly found on the 27th Floor, however they could be encountered here on the 29th Floor as well. Those encountered deeper than their usual spawning point were obviously a stronger version.

He could take them all on if he stopped in his tracks and used the narrow hallway to his advantage to pick them off one by one. But that would mean he'd be required to stop in place.

'Go you stupid scrub!'

His Squad Leader's words echoed in his mind and he shook any such thoughts out of his mind.

They had found him.

Bete's group had found the Were-Jaguar who beat Fuzen to an inch of his life.

Or maybe it was better to say he had found them?

The events of their meeting had been almost too quick for Cruz to process. One moment they were patrolling as per Finn's instructions, making their last tour before planning to head to the meeting place.

The next moment the Were-Jaguar jumped at them from the crossroad they were approaching, his target none other than the Level 5 Bete at the front of their formation.

The Loki Executive reacted fast enough and put up his guard in time to defend against the enemy's straight punch. The sound of their clash echoed throughout the area they were located in.

Finally realizing they were under attack the rest of the group got into formation as well, with the shield bearers up front and the archers and their single mage Alicia stationed behind. Cruz himself was located just a step behind the shield line, his duty to fight back any foe that would threaten the integrity of the defense line.

Suffice to say, besides Alicia and himself the rest of the group consisted only of Level 3's, and none of them had experienced a Level Up anytime recently. In any other instance they would have been able to help and provide support.

But, not this time.

By the time the group had moved into position, Bete and the Were-Jaguar had already exchanged countless blows. Their speed was mind-blowing, the sight before his eyes reminding Cruz of the regular spars Tione and Tiona would engage in.

A clash of titanic might and unfathomable speed, fists and kicks clashing in awe-inspiring ways as both individuals proceeded to attack ever faster as their minds focused on one thing only: murder the man in front of them with everything they had.

Neither Cruz nor Alicia, the only Level 4's of the group would call themselves top-tier fighters but even they noticed what was going on.

Bete and the Were-Jaguar, they were evenly matched in speed, with the Were-Jaguar having the slightest advantage in power.

And that knowledge worried them.

Despite Loki Familia having three Level 6's among their ranks the Werewolf Bete was still considered the fastest member despite being a whole Level lower than them. And that was all thanks to his Skills, which the two were aware of as they were part of the Second Group.

Fenris Wolf and Solmani, Skills that increased Bete's running speed and his strength and speed at acceleration respectively.

And Bete was making full use of his Skills by dodging his opponent's attacks and jumping back before running at him to deliver his own attacks.

Yet still, despite his strategy which made good use of his strengths the Were-Jaguar managed to keep up. He did receive some clean hits from Bete, mostly kicks to his abdomen and one roundhouse kick which slipped past the enemy's guard and landed on his temple.

However, he seemed to hardly flinch from any of the attacks that he received.

Cruz and the others could only watch in awe at the fight unfolding before their eyes, frustrated at the fact that they could do nothing to help Bete. They were neither strong nor fast enough to help, even if they were to attacked as a group. They most they could do was block off one of the possible escape routes-

The Chienthrope quickly grew aware of the slight chill on his skin and turned his head around to look over his shoulder. He had no talents in the magical arts himself at all but he had grown used to the feeling of Mind being channelled by those close to him. And Alicia was doing just that at the moment.

'Of course! If anything any of us can do would help Bete, it's Magic!' He thought to himself as he gave his comrade a nod. Verbal commands were something they would not use, as Finn instructed them not to do so. After all, against a human opponent saying your plan out loud simply told them what your next move was and they could

At that moment the Were-Jaguar's back was turned to them. This was good, as Bete could see what they were planning while the enemy could not. With some luck Alicia's ice-based Spell could hinder the enemy's movements enough to give Bete the advantage he needed to finish the fight.

"[Freeze,-]"

Just as Alicia began her Chant Bete closed the distance to his opponent and delivered a roundhouse kick at him.

What happened in the next moment Cruz only managed to process thanks to not having blinked.

As Bete went through the motion of his attack the Were-Jaguar took a step closer and into the attack. Then he brought his right foot forward and kicked Bete's leg, making the Werewolf lose his footing and for his kick to go off trail.

With incredible calm he ducked slightly by bending his knees and once the kick passed his head by he jumped and with a Jumping Back Kick hit Bete square in the jaw. That was possibly the first time Cruz had seen the Werewolf being sent flying.

Landing back on his feet the Were-Jaguar turned around...and dashed towards the group.

And a single word echoed in Cruz's mind. 'Shit!

The wall of shields tightened their formation, but it proved of little use. As soon as the enemy was upon them he drew his fist back and punched the closest shield bearer. A moment later the reinforced shield shattered into pieces and it's wielder was sent flying backwards, a crack in their formation now opened.

'Those are all reinforced Second-Tier shields, you know…?' The shock did not last long however and Cruz took a step forward and he performed a lunging attack with his spear at the opponent.

Even before he went into attack mode however, the Chienthrope knew what the result would be. His observation of the fight gave him this much insight. And as expected the Were-Jaguar threw his head to the left side and avoided the attack as he pressed forward. His hand on the right side of the weapon he grabbed Cruz by the face and pushed him head-first into the ground without losing momentum.

"[…! binding chains-]"

Alicia understood she was now priority number one in the enemy's eyes and drew her sword as she continued the Chant. Another shield bearing Level 3 jumped in front of her and tried to buy enough time for her Spell to be completed. A single shoulder push lifted him off his feet and sent him flying, exposing Alicia to the enemy again.

"[...of winter-]"

The Elf tried to buy the one second she still needed by putting her sword between her and the enemy. A single second longer and she would bring the Spell to completion.

All such thoughts came crashing down as the Were-Jaguar closed the distance between them and with a single back-fist from the side broke her sword in two. He took another step closer, brought his knee up and then launched a simple Front Kick at the Elf's abdomen.

Despite being dizzy from the attack, Cruz's enhanced sense of hearing did not fail to hear Alicia's rib cage shattering as the Were-Jaguar attacked her, his kick powerful enough to also lift her off her feet and send her flying into the wall behind her.

Worst still, she had not finished channelling the Mind she gathered for the Spell and thus fell under the effect of a Ignis Fatuus. She was all but down for the count.

"Piece of shit!" The howl of the Werewolf echoed as he jumped onto the enemy once again, using a flurry of fists and kicks to push him back and away from the group. And then the Werewolf's eyes looked backed and met Cruz's. "Go you stupid scrub!"

Obviously, Bete did not go any further into the meaning of his words in order to keep the enemy into the dark regarding their motives but Cruz understood all too well what it was he needed to do.

Get the other groups which should be waiting at the meeting point and inform them of the meeting.

And so Cruz picked himself up and dashed off, his shoulders hitting the walls of the hallway a couple of times as he shook his dizziness off. He understood why Bete entrusted him with this task.

Besides the Werewolf himself, Cruz was the fastest among the group. Even if Alicia was not down for the count his speed was still greater than hers. His chances to get to the other groups and inform them of the meeting with the Were-Jaguar were higher than if the whole group was dispatched.

And so he ran.

Luckily, both Bete's group and the meeting point were on the same Floor.

Unfortunately, the Floor was roughly half of Orario's size, if not slightly bigger.

Getting there would take time even if the path was not filled with Monsters.

And just as he planned the route he could take to push forward while avoiding the Lamias in front of him in his mind, another group of Monsters appeared from further down the path.

He clicked his tongue and began to slow down to allow himself more time to think. Monsters of this Level and in these numbers were not outside his ability to take care of, but he would need to fight safe and defensively, using the environment to his advantage.

But that would take time.

One minute at the very least, two minutes depending on the Monster's ferocity. And that much time...he couldn't allow himself to lose.

'So what's left, damn it…?'

If he simply charged in and tried to push forward against the numbers he was up against then any little mistake which would stop his advancement would result in him being surrounded by all sides.

He could probably deal with that situation as well, but what if he got too injured to rush ahead towards the meeting point? The Healing Potions were back with his group, in the hands of the Supporters.

'Damn it, damn it, damn it! Think!'

As his legs moved and the distance between him and the closest Monster closed up with every step, Cruz saw something with the corner of his eye.

A small figure dressed in black and turquoise with a long mane of black hair drawing his sword as he passed Cruz by with incredible speed, engaging the enemy with absolute confidence on his face.

The confusion on his face was quickly replaced with a grin.

'...Heh. Leaving this sort of impression on anyone who shares the same battlefield. You truly are…'

He then grasped the spear in his hand tighter and inhaled. "Get out...OF MY WAY!"

The first Lamia let out a cry and threw her long tail horizontally at him. Cruz jumped over the appendage and slashed at the Monster's eyes with his spear, taking out it's sight before landing on his feet again and continuing his dash.

He understood now.

There was no need to deal with the Monsters.

There was also no need to just rush through.

All he needed to do was punch through the line of Monsters, disabling them just enough for them to be unable to pursue him.

A clawed hand came in a sweeping motion at him next, and the Chienthrope launched an upwards slash with his weapon, cutting the arm clean off from below the elbow as he advanced, leaving the Lamia behind him to squeal in pain as it clung to it's bloody stump.

Next came an attack by three Monsters simultaneously. The path forward was becoming narrower but the Chienthrope could still see a path leading forward through their formation. Ducking and weaving his body out of their attacks he pushed forward while simultaneously attacking as well, either cutting off their hands or attacking their exposed mid-sections in order to avoid them catching up to him from behind.

Not all went as well as planned, however.

In the exchange of attacks one clawed hand managed to get close to him and dig deep into his left shoulder while one Monster had been hidden by the body of another, Cruz realizing it's tail attack too late. However he tanked the attack and answered it with a spear thrust to the throat before picking up his pace again and pushing forward.

Before long he approached the end of the trail of Monsters, just a couple more enemies between him and a Monster-free passage ahead.

Using the same duck and weave tactic as before he passed by most of them without a problem. Only two remained.

The closer one to him tried to send him away by performing a tail attack at him. Cruz expected the attack and using his momentum to his advantage, slid under the attack. At the same time as he passed the Monster by sliding on the ground he brought his arm to his side and threw the spear forward, hitting the last Monster obscuring his way square in the chest.

Maybe it was because of his unstable position, but the spear did not hit the Magic Stone in it's chest.

It mattered little.

As soon as the fully passed under the attack he jumped back to his feet, then jumped onto the last Monster. He grabbed his spear and slashed to the side, feeling the tip of his weapon cracking the Magic Stone within it's chest. Just as he jumped off the Monster turned to ash behind him.

And with that he dashed forward.

Obviously he could still hear the Monsters screeching behind him, but they could not catch up to him now.

'Thanks for the push forward, buddy.' He thanked the illusion from before for showing him the correct way to act in this moment where every second counted and picked up his pace.

It would be every second now. A couple more lefts, and…

"...Hey, is that Cruz over there?"

"Ais! Tione! We found him! We found the-!"

XXX

"Fucking bastard!" He howled as he launched a flurry of punches at the bastard before him, the Were-Jaguar blocking the attacks with his forearms as his stare remained calm and unflinching.

As Bete brought his arm back and launched his next punch the Were-Jaguar took a step closer, using his forearm to push Bete's hand away at the same time he delivered a punch of his own. The Loki Executive reacted in time and blocked it with his own arm, the force between the attack sending him a step backwards.

'Tsk. A slight numbness is building up. My bones are rattling with every blow I block. His strength isn't on par with that of Gareth's, but...the bastard's stronger than me.' The fight continued as they both jumped at each other again, the Were-Jaguar launching a Low Kick. Bete saw it coming and jumped, throwing a kick of his own which got blocked.

'I could gain an advantage if I could use one of the Magic Weapon's I have on me, but...this bastard won't let me use one. I can't gain enough distance to do so, anyway. That stupid Elf is down for the count, too. Is she still alive? What of the lower Levels who got attacked? I can't look away, my head will get targeted if I do.'

The clash continued, Bete using both kicks as well as punches to avoid the opponent getting used to him. The kick he received earlier left it's damage on him, after all. Not to mention…

'Had I been more careful, this bastard wouldn't have gotten to the stupid Elf. God damn it!'

"Raaaagh!" Bete let out a yell, dashing forward and grabbing his opponent by the shoulders. Bringing his head back he launched a head-butt, the Were-Jaguar doing the same.

The sound of their foreheads clashing against each other was loud enough to reach even the ears of Bete's group in the distance.

'Fucking bastard...is hard like Adamantite. But now…'

Bete had no doubt the clash had been more damaging to him than to the opponent. But that was fine. This was not the main reason behind his reckless attack. Instead…

"Fuck off!" He yelled once again as he placed his foot on the man's abdomen and using all the power he could muster, pushed him backwards a good distance.

The distance he needed to reach for his belt and grab one of the Magic daggers he always had on him. Letting the tip of the blade touch his boot, he absorbed the Fire Magic within the Weapon before it shattered into pieces.

But he had his buff now, his own power enhanced thanks to the Magic he absorbed. Bending his knees ever so slightly he leaned forward and lunged towards the Were-Jaguar, ready to go on the offensive again.

And then, he felt it.

The same tingling sensation on his skin he felt whenever Finn made Fuzen part of the Vanguard. The same sensation he always felt from the kid as he launched himself into battle.

It was the Were-Jaguar who now gave off that...presence, a presence which made Bete's hair stand up.

He realized he would need to go all-out, and so mustering all the strength he could Bete jumped and performed a powerful kick aimed at the Were-Jaguar backed-up by the Fire Magic.

It was thus only understandable that Bete showed a mix of shock and confusion on his face when his kick had been blocked with only a palm, a palm that should have been burned to cinders yet wasn't.

The opponent's fingers tightened around his leg and pulled him closer, a counter upwards punch coming his way. Bete blocked at the last moment with his arm, but immediately felt the difference in power as he turned once mid-air to land on his feet again.

He gritted his teeth as he moved his fingers to make sure what he felt actually happened.

'...Fucker broke my arm. So he wasn't fully serious until now?' This situation made Bete realize something. 'That stupid midget...how many such punches did he survive through? A couple? A dozen?...Tsk! Brat's as non-standard as always... Pisses me off!'

There was no denying it now: whatever Fuzen's deal was, the bastard in front of Bete was the same. The sensation he felt when facing him and the sensation he got from fighting side-by-side with the eastern boy, it was slightly different but at it's core gave him the same impression.

Whatever it was those two assholes used to gain such incredible spikes in speed and strength, the core was the same for both of them. He was now certain of it.

"...Tsk. First that stupid midget, now you...Both of you fucks piss me off. Hey, kitty. Let me tell you something." Bete talked to the opponent for the first time as he reached for another Magic Weapon. "I'm going to beat you into the fucking ground, here and now."

If he felt anything at the words, the Were-Jaguar did not show it on his face. He simply put up his arms again as he prepared to engage Bete once more. The Loki Executive was no different, and having already absorbed the second Magic Weapon into his boot, he prepared himself for the next clash.

Until…

"Bete-san!" One of the members of his group yelled out from behind him. "Monsters approaching from the rear!"

'Now of all times-!'

He could not turn around and let his guard down in front of the enemy, but he knew that if the idiots behind him called out to him, it meant the Monster threat was significant. After all, his group was not made up of useless weaklings. They could all hold their own to a degree.

But Alicia was down, two lower Level members had been knocked out by the Were-Jaguar on his way to get to Alicia and the only Level 4 left had gone to get help. Not to mention, he himself could not assist them right now.

Their group's strength had been compromised, no doubt about that.

But they had to deal with it on their own. With that in mind, Bete gritted his teeth and got ready to rip the blank faced asshole in front of him apart as fast as he could.

Bete experienced another moment of confusion as the Were-Jaguar dropped his arms and turned his back to him, walking away casually.

"...Huh…? You fucking bastard, get back here!"

He replied without even looking back. "I have no interest in you if you are unfocused. Killing you while in such a half-arsed state would be worthless."

Bete's anger was just about to boil over, the Werewolf just one muscle tension away from jumping the kitty bastard and ripping him apart while his guard was down.

"Bete-san!"

His group once again called out to him and now with enough distance between him and the bastard, Bete could finally look back.

A group of around fifty Monsters, as far as he could tell. Did the sound of his battle with the kitty bastard draw them here?

"Damn it...Damn it!" Without wasting any more time Bete dashed forward to engage the Monsters, not at all hesitation to turn his back towards the man he was fighting to the death with just a moment ago.

He understood, after all.

His senses told him as much.

He understood that both the kitty bastard and the stupid midget were cut out of the same cloth.

The fact that the Were-Jaguar came at him head-on, from a good enough distance that Bete had time to react. The fact that he did not attack the others of his group after dealing with Alicia in the couple of short moments he could have done so before Bete attacked him again.

And now, the fact that he walked away.

Those bastards were similar to one another.

They were both assholes who lived by their own rules, no matter what.

And Bete despised them with everything he had for it.

"Move you stupid weaklings!"

XXX

"I see, so that's what happened…" The blonde Pallum nodded as the report came to an end, rubbing his chin a couple of times as he processed all the information. "And the Were-Jaguar?"

"We did reach Bete's location while his group was still which the Monster horde which ended their fight, but…" Tione replied before turning to look at the Werewolf sulking in his seat.

"...I tried to locate him by scent but the bastard's smell just up and vanished after a while." Bete continued from where Tione left off after a moment of silence.

"Hmm...Could be the effects of a Skill." Finn voiced. "It's a shame he got away but at least we know he is still within the Dungeon, and that he is somewhere at Level 5, strength-wise. Is that correct, Bete?"

The Werewolf sneered and clicked his tongue. "...Something like that. His power was slightly higher than mine, but...I'm still faster than the kitty bastard! You got that?!"

Amused by his words Tiona walked up to Bete and pat him on the head. "There, there…"

"Don't pat my head, you stupid Amazon! I'll rip your arm off!"

Finn allowed the moment to last for a moment longer before going back to the matter at hand. "What about those who were injured?"

Riveria replied next. "Those who intercepted him with shields are alright, but as for Alicia…"

Her hesitation worried Finn.

He had been out on Familia business by the time the patrol groups returned home and this emergency meeting was held as soon as he arrived, thus he had no time to check on Alicia himself. "What's the matter, Riveria?"

"...I used potions as well as my own healing Magic. Her body should have been healed, but...the healing had minimal effects on her."

The gears in his head began to turn, Finn trying to think of a reason for why this would be so. The only answer he could come up with was a Curse of some sort, but seeing how the Were-Jaguar only used his fists and that Bete did not mention hearing any sort of Chant being used…

'Ah. This is like that time…'

"Bete." Finn looked over to the Werewolf, the stare in his eyes telling Bete that he figured it out.

"...Tsk. Yeah, the bastard broke my arm! And it also didn't heal no matter how many potions I chugged down! Happy now?!" The Werewolf yelled out as he opened and closed his left fist a couple of times as if to say that despite that arm being broken, it was but a flesh wound.

Finn simply nodded before looking over at Ais. "This is like the time Ais got afflicted with that strange condition which could not be dealt with by conditional ways."

The Executives in the room raised their eyebrows as the realization was made clear to them. It did indeed sound like what happened that one time.

"So yer saying that lad can, what, curse people with his attacks?" Gareth asked.

"That's all I can think of. Alicia did get hit by him, and it's the damage caused by that attack which will not heal, correct?" Riveria nodded at the question directed at her.

"Then that means...Fuzen also cursed Ais back then-?"

"No."

The answer came so quickly it brought a sudden silence over the room. After all, the Sword Princess was not known for the quickness of her replies. She seemed to realize this herself as she fell silent for a moment before continuing. "That affliction...came to me days after...that event. And my wounds from back then...Riveria was able to heal them. It's not like what happened...to Bete and Alicia."

"...Good point, Ais. But that does not change the fact that Fuzen was the only one who knew the cure to your affliction back then. So at the very least-"

"Those assholes are related." Bete spoke over Finn with a sneer, drawing the attention to him. "I sensed it while fighting that kitty bastard. I dunno what their deal is, but that bastard and our midget, they share something among them."

"...What do you mean, Bete?" Finn inquired.

"…Tsk. I can't fucking explain it, ok?! But...the core of their power, the drastic spike in abilities...It felt slightly different, but it was the same core for both the kitty bastard and that stupid sulking brat."

'So that means...This mysterious power Fuzen has mastery over which allows a Level 2 to fight on par with a Level 5, it's a power that the Were-Jaguar can also use? This verifies my theory that it is not a power unique only to Fuzen himself…'

This information was the equivalent of being gifted a couple more pieces of a puzzle that started from scratch. They were valuable but not yet enough to determine a clear picture so Finn decided to simply remember the information while moving the discussion along.

"Be that as it may be, it's a matter for later. What matters now is making sure Alicia is not in any danger because of this affliction she received. So that means…"

We need Fuzen.

He did not say the words out loud but everyone understood it. However, the reason Finn did not speak the words was because that was a much more difficult matter at the moment than it would have been in any other instance.

Over the past couple of days the Executives of Loki Familia as well as the members who spent the most time with Fuzen himself had visited his house in the East District, but their reception had been...less than ideal.

From vases to pillows, swords and even the canvases he used to paint on, all sorts of objects had been thrown at them as they tried to as much as slid the door to his room open.

Obviously enough those actions proved no real danger to any of them, but the meaning behind those wordless actions was clear enough.

They could, of course, grab him and force him to come to the Twilight Manor to have a look at Alicia, but if the long hours of complete concentration Fuzen had required to deal with Ais's sickness back then was anything to go by, Finn doubted the boy would be of any help in this matter unless he was in a stable, collected state of mind.

'So then, what would be the best approach…?'

Before he could even try to think of a method a hand rose up in the air. "I'll do it!" Tiona exclaimed happily as a smile took form on her lips.

Understandable enough, this statement worried the rest of the room's occupants. "Hey, what's with those looks?!" The Amazon yelled as she realized this.

"It's just…" Riveria replied first.

"Well, you know…" Tione went second.

"You're a fucking dumbass." Bete replied third, rudely saying the words that were on everyone's mind.

"That's rude!"

"Can't deny the truth, Dumbazon."

"Says the mutt who was beaten into obedience today!"

"What the hell was that?!"

"Now, now…" Finn couldn't hold back the chuckle that arose with the sight of his Familia being the same as always. "Tiona, you do realize that we need him expertise, right? Alicia's life might be in danger, for all we know."

"I know, Finn." She replied with an unusual gravity to her tone. "And that's why I'm going right now! Tiona is on the move!"

And so she dashed out of the room before another word could be said.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"...Bete." Finn said after several moments of silence passed.

The Werewolf simply clicked his tongue and stood up from his seat, leaving the room as well.

He know what Finn desired of him all too well. In truth he doubted he was any better at the job that the Amazon herself, but he'd follow her just as the Captain wanted.

XXX

Having left the conference room Tiona dashed down the stairs and made her way to the lower floors of the Manor. She needed to check something first post-haste and so without caring for knocking or anything of that sort she pushed the door open as soon as she reached her destination.

"Alicia, you doing ok?!" The Amazon asked before the door was even fully opened yet.

The Elf herself, resting on the bed to the far side of the room opened her eyes and looked towards the door. The other occupant of the room, Anakitty, in turn almost jumped out of her seat as the sudden intrusion, her tail shooting up into the air like a rod.

"Tiona, don't scare us like that!"

"Ah, sorry...So anyway, how are you feeling?" She inquired again as she walked up to the bed. The Elf herself was sweating intensely, the colour having already left her face and an otherwise unusual, white complexion now visible. Her eyes looked tired and there were dark bags visible, as well.

Tiona had no doubt she was in incredible pain at the moment.

The Elf smiled lightly, visible to even Tiona that the action required a great deal of effort to pull off. "Hehe...I'd like to say...I'm doing fine, but…"

"...I'll take a quick look, alright?" The Amazon said and seeing how the Elf replied in neither a Yes or No, she pulled the blanked down and then gently lifted Alicia's shirt up.

The sight was bad enough to make Tiona flinch slightly.

Her whole abdomen was swollen and three different kinds of shades which did not indicate anything good: the area where the hit originally landed was almost pitch black, the area around it a deep, dark purple and the outermost area dark red with small patches of yellow visible here and there.

An injury of this level was a rare sight on a Second-Class Adventurer like Alicia, even more so since her Level 4 Status made her highly resistant to damage already.

But what worried Tiona more was the fact that it looked worse than before. She had been present when the patrol groups returned and had seen Alicia's injury roughly an hour ago. But if she was not mistaken, it looked like it worsened.

Quickly looking over at Aki, she received a small nod in return, the Cat Girl clearing her doubts. It did get worse.

Aki did not hide the frown on her face. "...I'm not going to lie. I get the whole secrecy thing and why it's necessary but bringing Alicia here instead of rushing her to the Dian Cecht Pharmacy…"

"I know." Tiona nodded. "I know."

"...Haa...Riveria sent some people to get Amid earlier, however. Our little Saint should be here any moment now."

"Uhh...About that." The Amazon scratched her head, not happy about what she was going to say next. "She might...not be able to help."

As expected, her words had worried Aki. "What...do you mean?"

"Uhhh...remember that time with Ais? When nothing worked to cure her?"

"...Yeah?"

"We think this time it's the same."

"But that's…"

"Yeah. Crazy, right? And you need crazy to combat crazy, so…" Tiona took a seat on the bed's edge and smiled at the Elf. "I'm going to go fetch Fuzen really quick, ok? I'll bring him here and he'll get you back on your feet in no time."

Dozing off thanks to the deliriousness she was experiencing, Alicia did not hear the words but Tiona simply continued to smile. "...Kay! I'm going now!"

"But, Tiona...That boy is…"

"Don't worry about anything, Aki! I'll get him here, so watch over Alicia a little while longer, ok?!"

Not waiting for a reply from the Cat Girl, Tiona rushed out of the room and then out of the Twilight Manor, her Level 5 speed making her appear just as a blur to the eyes of the civilians on the street.

At some point she even took to the roofs as the streets became too crowded to pass through safely. For the civilians, that is.

Despite the fact that the Twilight Manor and the East District were quite a distance away from each other, she nonetheless arrived there in record time.

As for the location of Fuzen's mansion, she knew the way perfectly. After all, she had visited it multiple times already. However she had been denied entry by Kenshi himself every time.

Why?

Something about her presence not being good for the others who lived there, as Fuzen put it.

Not that she minded it too much.

She always used the excuse that she took the time to visit and that if she couldn't enter then Fuzen had to take her out and grab a bite. After a long sigh he agreed to it most of the time.

Tiona realized that she had not been able to shake off the smile on her face since leaving the Twilight Manor at all.

She wasn't making light of Alicia's condition.

Not at all, she was actually crazy worried for her.

But now she could finally go ahead with her own approach.

For the past couple of days multiple members of Loki Familia had tried to approach Fuzen at his mansion. All such approaches were met with failure, from Gareth's motivation approach to Riveria understanding approach to even Finn's planned approach.

She herself had only visited once, on the first day he retreated to his room. Her presence had been rewarded with a sword passing by her as he threw it through the sliding door after she uttered just three words: 'How are you?'

Tiona knew she was not the smartest tool in the shed and so left the matter in the hands of the others. But now that everything else failed, she could go ahead and try her own approach.

This brought a smile to her face.

"Hello, I'm Tiona from the Loki Familia!" She introduced herself as she stopped in front of the entrance to the mansion. A couple of moments later the door slid open and she was greeted by the same person as last time, the live-in housemaid. "Heyo, Riko!"

"Ah, greetings, Tiona-sama."

"Just Tiona's fine. Hey, I came to talk something with Fuzen. Can I come in?" She would go in regardless of whatever she was allowed or not, but Tiona would at least play by the rules.

"Oh...I don't know if the Young Master...is feeling well enough for that."

"It's really important. Familia business."

"Oh. I see...In that case, please, do come in."

"Thanks a bunch!"

"Mhm. Please, forgive my earlier words. In truth, I am happy two people would already come to check in on my Young Master in a single day."

"Hmm? Two?"

"Yes, Seiji was here earlier, as well. However…"

Her expression told Tiona that Seiji's daily approach had not bore any fruits this time around, either. "I see. Anyway, I'll be going upstairs now."

"Yes. And please...do be careful."

"Mhm!"

With hurried steps Tiona made her way to the second floor where Fuzen's room was located, greeting the various grown women she met on the way. Standing in front of the room, her smile did not flinch at all.

And so she grabbed the door and slid it open.

The first thing she saw was the kitchen knife thrown her way and mere centimetres away from her face. She simply grabbed it in her palm and threw it over her shoulder as she walked inside, over the broken shards of the various items Fuzen had thrown at others who came to visit in the past days.

"Hey! I came to visit!"

"Leave."

"Yeah, about that...Hmmm...Sorry but no can do!" She replied as jovially as always, stopping in front of the bed before grabbing the sheets and pulling them off the bed.

The sight of the boy did manage to make her smile flinch ever so slightly.

His cheeks were sunken and his lips chapped and dry, any trances of the features Loki and other adults complimented now gone. His hair was unkempt and slightly greasy, no doubt thanks to the fact he had not hit a bath in multiple days now.

Most worrying however was the fact that he was thin.

Too thin.

Tiona was sure that people, especially ones blessed like them were not supposed to lose this much weight even if they did not eat for multiple days. After all, barely a week passed since his defeat at the hands of the Were-Jaguar. Granted he was also still a kid and by no means overweight or muscular before, but he was nonetheless someone who gave the impression of doing daily physical exercises.

And yet, he was now thin and underweight.

'What happened to him, I wonder…? This doesn't look good at all. But...I came here with a reason, so…'

"So anyway." The Amazon proceeded to grab Fuzen by the collar of his shirt, lifting him out of his bed and then spinning him around for a couple of turns. "And off...you go!"

Before throwing him with incredible force at the door leading to his balcony.

Fuzen crashed through the door, his back then hitting the wooden balustrade before spinning once in the air, his body finally hitting the grassy ground of his front garden with a dull Thud.

Tiona felt sorry for what she did, truly, but at the very least his blessed status should allow him to survive no matter how thin he now was.

"...Arghhh" He let out a weak grunt as he pushed himself with his arms, shaking his head as if to try and get rid of the dizziness produced by the sudden, unexpected attack.

Tiona had jumped down to the garden as well, her arms behind her back as she tilted her head at Fuzen, her smile ever-present. "You ok?"

Baffled at both her unexpected attack and the worry she now displayed, Fuzen simply stared at her for a long, long moment before standing up and walking slowly towards the entrance. "Leave."

As Tiona expected, his fighting spirit was all but gone.

The weakest Adventurer and the lowest of Monster could attack him right now and they would win without a shred of doubt, because he could not find it within himself to muster up enough strength, willpower, spirit or motivation to fight back.

Tiona knew, because she had seen this kind of state before.

Back when she lived another life, in another Familia.

And so, she knew she was possibly the only one who could help him right now.

"...I told you, didn't I?" She replied as she used her speed to reach him and grab him by the shoulder, using her power to make him turn to face her "I can't exactly do that today!"...then punched him square in the face.

His lack of resistance and her own unnecessarily high amount of power resulted in Fuzen getting sent flying backwards, his back hitting the ground harshly then tumbling a couple of times on the ground before coming to a stop.

Droplets of blood fell down to the grass from his now broken nose as he pushed himself up once again.

"You ok?"

"...Grrh" Not replying with anything more than a weak grunt, Fuzen picked himself up and made for the mansion again.

"Hey, lil' Fuzen? You ok?"

"Leave me alone." He half-said, half-whispered as he walked her by.

"Sure thing!"

Then Fuzen felt Tiona's kick land on his back, the sudden force pushing him forward along the stone pavement for a good couple of meters, the skin on his face peeling off slightly as it slid across the rough, sharp surface.

And yet he still did not fight back.

'Oh man. This is going to take a long while…But Alicia is waiting...Hmmm…'

"What's that noise outside?"

"Who knows?"

Hearing voices from within the mansion, Tiona looked up at the entrance and saw Riko and a couple of other women opening the door. As soon as they saw the state Fuzen was in horror became visible on their faces.

"Young Master!"

But before they could take a single step forward he raised his hand and silently told them to keep their distance.

'...Ah. So that's it, huh? Hmm, this really isn't my style, but beggars can't be choosers, I guess…'

Now having an idea on how to proceed, Tiona began to walk forward. Obviously, she did not plan to do anything, but if she knew Fuzen half as well as she thought she did, then he would no doubt-

Crash!

Just as she was about to pass by Fuzen, he turned to face her, threw his arms around her legs and pushed her down to the ground.

For the first time since this whole thing started, Tiona could notice a change in his eyes. She could not hold back the grin that threatened to take over her face. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked as she closed her right fist and threw another punch at his face, sending the boy tumbling away from her.

Unlike before, however, he got back up to his feet in record time. His eyes were now fixed only on her.

"So you can act like a good punching bag for the strong, after all. Then why…" Jumping up to her feet as well Tiona rushed to his side and threw another punch, one so fast Fuzen could not even see it. "Didn't you act like you were supposed to from the start?!" She taunted him with a large smile on her face, grabbing him by his shirt before his body could hit the ground and throwing another punch, this time burrowing it in his abdomen.

Suffice to say, she did use a bit more force than she needed to, but she could not help it. Her inner Amazon was starting to slip out, if only slightly. With that said she still help back enough to not knock him out unconscious just yet.

"...Stop it."

"Nah, I don't think I will. I'm just getting started, after all!"

And so she continued, throwing punches after punches at the boy, who neither tried to dodge nor block them. He simply took them, but even so the Amazon could feel the change starting to take place.

It was working.

"Stop...Gah...it."

"Nope!"

"Stop...Argh...it."

"Nah!"

"…I said…" Tiona threw her next punch, and to her surprise Fuzen ducked low to allow the arm to pass him by, then threw a punch of his own. "Stop it."

The Amazon would be the first to admit that as a swordsman, Fuzen was incredible.

As a weapon user, he was higher up the scale than her in terms of using his brains and in terms of techniques.

But as a brawler, well…

He was sub-par.

His punching form was absolutely pitiful.

No, better said, he punched like a girl- She realized that saying that line would insult her more than him.

Anyway, he sucked big time.

But even so, she allowed his punch to pass through her guard and hit her. The hit landed on her cheek, yet lacked any sort of force behind it.

She remember back from the times he agreed to spar with her that his power and speed could reach quite high, but he must have still held back thanks to his weakened state of mind.

Nonetheless, the biggest grin yet appeared on her face.

She had managed to force him to fight back.

And that meant she was being successful in her approach.

She couldn't wait to rub this in the faces of the others.

"Why, you little-!" Tightening her fist Tiona threw another punch at his face. In her excitement, however…

THUD!

She had used way too much force. Her punch sent him flying to the ground on his back, the force behind the attack making Fuzen bounce back into the air before finally landing a good meter away from her, face-first in the ground.

"...Oops. I overdid it…"

She stared at his motionless form for a second.

Then her smile began to waver.

Finally, drops of sweats began to run down her face.

"H-Hey. Fuzen. Y-You ok…?"

And yet, he remained motionless.

Just as she began to think she had killed him, a loud gasp came out of him.

Whatever happened next, not even her Level 5 enhanced eyes could see.

One moment, Fuzen was face-first in the ground.

"Young Master!"

The next, he was standing on his feet, his hand extended at Riko and the other women who were rushing to his side, stopping them in their tracks.

How the hell he stood up so quickly, Tiona could not wrap her head around it. She was sure she had not blinked at all, yet the motion of the boy standing up had remained unseen to her.

Truly, she had never before seen anyone stand up so fast before.

"I ain't...dead yet…" The boy muttered under his breath as his body weaved back and forth, his eyes rolling inside his head.

To the Amazon he seemed to be in some kind of trance, but he snapped back to reality a moment later, about as confused as to how he was standing as Tiona herself.

Letting out a sigh at the knowledge she had, in fact, not killed him by accident Tiona gave Fuzen no moment of respite and dashed forward again, ready to resume her approach.

"What do you know, you can actually take a punch!" She stated as she threw another punch towards Fuzen's already bloody face. He tried to block the attack this time around, but his defense was too weak. Tiona's attack easily pushed his arms away and connected with his cheek.

Yet he did not fall down.

He took a couple of unsteady steps back, but remained standing.

"...What are you doing?"

"Nothing, really. No reason. I'm just strong…" She closed the distance and slammed her fist in his gut. "And you...are not."

"…!"

Though he felt the blow, Fuzen bit through it and threw a punch of his own. Once again, Tiona let it land on her. Then she retaliated again, throwing punch after punch. What she was about to say next left a bad taste in her mouth, especially since she would sound slightly like a certain Werewolf, but she had already decided on it.

"Why are you fighting back?"

"…"

"You already gave up, didn't you?"

"…!"

"You did, didn't you?"

"…"

"So why are fighting back?"

"…"

"Those who gave up...shouldn't go against the strong who didn't give up!"

"..."

"I guess all that big talk was for nothing, wasn't it?"

"…!"

"Time to hang up the sword, Fuzen!"

"...No."

"What? But you already gave up. You don't get to choose anymore. Hang up the sword. Give up for good."

"...No."

"Give up."

"I said…"

"Give up!"

"Arrggh!"

For anyone watching from the sidelines, it would have no doubt looked like a comedic performance. Tiona would throw one punch, then Fuzen one of his own. Back and forth, over and over again, they continued that pace.

However, Fuzen finally snapped and let out an unusual yell, finally able to channel some Ki in his fist.

For the first time since this so-called fight started, he had been able to draw blood, splitting Tiona's lip open.

"So you can fight back." The girl said, wiping the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. Their back and forth slugfest ended. "So you didn't give up yet."

"I…"

"So why did you give up, while not actually giving up?"

"I...didn't…"

"What's the problem, Fuzen?"

"...Nothing...is…"

"No, something is wrong."

"That's…"

"Why did you give up?"

"...That's...because…"

"Fuzen."

Tiona seemed to get close to the heart of the matter, as Fuzen had already lost his calm. He was looking everywhere but at her, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling on it as if it was suffocating him. He gritted what remained of his teeth loud enough for her to hear, obviously frustrated at his own action.

But if he was frustrated, it meant he knew, deep down, what was the problem.

All that he needed to do now was say it out loud.

"Say."

"…"

"Why did you give up on your goal?"

"Because I'm scared, damn it!"

"…?"

Though his ability to yell as loudly as that surprised her, what surprised Tiona even more were the couple of tears that escaped his eyes.

"Hm? What?"

"I said I'm scared, you stupid Amazon! Go eat dirt and die!"

"But isn't that…" The next thing Fuzen saw as he opened his eyes was Tiona throwing another punch at him. "...fricking obvious, you idiot?!"

For the hundredth time that day his back hit the ground and before he knew it the Amazon was upon him. "Isn't it obvious that you are scared?!"

"…?"

She grabbed his arms and held his palms before him. "These calloused hands that do not fit someone your age at all. Are they not the hands of someone who fought and trained for every single ounce of strength they possess? Are they not the sign of your struggles and hardships? I'm a brawler myself and I don't have hands like this. Like...hell, how much do you train, anyway?"

"…"

"Wasn't the pain and struggle you went through all for the sake of becoming stronger? All for the sake of being strong even when you are scared? All for the sake of reaching your goal?"

"...You...don't get it, Tiona."

"What is it I don't get? I'm not very smart, so say it in simple terms." She replied with a serious look on her face, meaning every word she uttered.

"I was raised...so that I would never lose. The whole purpose of my existence...is so that I will not lose. But I went ahead and lost." In a truly uncharacteristic manner, he covered his eyes with his hand as those words escaped his lips. He was ashamed. And for the first time ever, Tiona saw his face tremble. "I lost, damn it. I did the one thing...I was not supposed to do. That I am not allowed to do. Ever!"

"…"

"...Tell me. What am I supposed to do? I'm worthless now, right? There's no reason for me anymore, is there? So should I...just die? Is that what I'm supposed to do? It is, right?"

"Of course." Tiona replied after a moment of silence, slowly pushing his hand out of his face. "NOT!"

Then she slapped him.

Hard.

"Are those the kind of thoughts that run through your mind? For someone smarter than me, you are surprisingly dumb."

"…?"

She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer. "Of course you aren't worthless, you idiot. The one who defeated Amphisbaena. The one who defeated Udaeus. The one who managed to bring down a kingdom. The one who left his Familia just so it won't be dragged into his fight. The one who is only Level 2, yet we all trust enough to help us in the Deep Floors. A guy like that, who piles up such achievements faster than anyone else...How the hell are you supposed to be worthless? If anything, you're hella amazing."

"…"

"I don't know what you experienced in your past. But it sounds to me like you are not living according to your own desires, at all. Of course, I don't understand this whole honour business, but...Say. All the effort you put into building yourself up so far...are you just going to step all over it, all by yourself no less?"

In truth, Tiona was not putting a lot of thought into the words she was saying. To be more precise, she was just saying what she actually believed. Yet even so, it seemed like she had hit some sort of nail on the head, Fuzen's eyes going wide open at her words. "My...effort…"

"It's yours, isn't it? Since it's pretty obvious you didn't get your strength handed to you on a silver plate."

"…"

"Fuzen. That struggle you experienced and that effort you put in. What is it you want to achieve?"

At her question he looked past her, his eyes fixated on the sky above the two of them. He stared at it for a long moment, almost as if drowning in it and what it reminded him of. Then to her surprise, he smiled.

But it was not a happy smile, at all.

It was a sad smile, one that was full of good memories but nonetheless sad. Nostalgic even, if Tiona were to describe it.

"Hey. What's wrong-?"

Before she could finish her sentence something slammed into her from the side, fast and unexpected enough that it threw her off Fuzen.

"That's enough out of you!"

It was none other than Riko, the live-in housemaid, tackling her to the ground.

"Protect the Young Master!"

"Pin her down!"

"Don't let her attack him again!"

And from within the mansion, the other occupants rushed outside and towards her.

"Hey. Wait a minute-"

And then once they were close enough, they jumped.

On top of Tiona.

One after another, pinning her down under their combined weight.

"Gah! Heavy! Heavyyyy! Fuzen! Help me!"

The eastern boy stood up and stared at her nonchalantly for a long moment.

Then he closed his eyes and got his act together.

Next he opened them again, arms behind him.

Then he tilted his head as a smile appeared on his face.

"You ok?"

'…! That's...what I said earlier…'

"You...you...You grudgeful prick!"

And in the distance, a Werewolf laughed his ass off so hard he fell down from the roof he was observing everything unfold from.

XXX

"Ah yes, there's something else I came here for." Tiona voiced as Fuzen told the others to get off Tiona and head back inside.

"And what is that?"

"Well, you see...Bete's patrol group-"

"What patrol group?"

"Uhh, so anyway, they encountered that Were-Jaguar you met-"

"Wait wut how?!"

"Uhh, so anyway, Alicia got hit by him-"

"…!"

"And you see, potions and Magic can't heal her-"

"…!"

"So can you, like, come and have a look?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"...Tiona."

"Yep?"

"Say that…" He then grabbed her wrist and turned his back to her. "From the fricking start!"

And a moment later the girl had been planted head-first into the ground.

She remembered now.

Though he punched like a girl, Fuzen was really good at throws.

"Let's go. If what I think happened actually happened, she is in danger. Probably more danger than even Ais was in."

XXX

Did it get mushy and downright uncharacteristic at the end?

Maybe.

It needed to happen, however. Had I not used this approach, I would have continued the mood from the previous Chapter for another 2-3 Chapters at the very least.

Good thing happy-go lucky idiots like Tiona exist. They can be used to progress things easily. Better yet, they are adorable while doing so.

Also decided to give Cruz a scene of his own, since he's kinda overlooked even in SO.

As for why Fuzen said Alicia might be in even more danger than Ais was after his beating, well...I have good reasons for saying that.

Bete's dislike for Fuzen and the Were-Jaguar, you ask?

Understandable in my opinion, since they managed to do something he was unable to.

Might just be just my opinion, tho.

Ki is too over-powered, you say?

Yep.

It is.

And I decided I'll keep it this way moving forward.

Not everyone and everything I plan on introducing from now on will be able to use Ki, but all of them will be over-powered.

This fic is called "Grasp the Heavens", after all. Can't do that without titanic challenges on the path there, after all.

Remembered that myself while writing this Chapter.

Anyway, that's about it.

Kay bye.