Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not even the soundtracks. Danmachi belongs to Fujino Ōmori, Final Fantasy XV belongs to Square Enix.

Is it wrong to to seek for answers?

Chapter 12: Two Kings

INSIDE – DUNGEON - 10th floor – AFTERNOON

When they were about to reach the 9th Floor, they suddenly saw a large number of Orcs surrounding something.

(OPENING: HIROYUKI SAWANO feat: Eliana – S_TEAM)

After looking closely, they realized that the orcs were attacking someone, maybe adventurers?

Bell and Noct looked to each other, then both nodded, which annoyed Lily a bit.

After running to the Orcs, they saw a party of adventurers, fighting difficult against the superior number of orcs, while there was also one of them injured on his feet.

That was the sign for Noct and Bell to hurry.

Without much effort, Noct defeated single handly 3 Orcs with one hit on them from behind, while Bell finished one with his 'Firebolt' magic.

It was at this moment, that the other Orcs saw towards Bell and Noct.

As they started to attach them Both, the surrounded adventurers used this opportunity to counterattack.

Together they finished the remaining Orcs rather fast.

After finishing, the Trio realized that the surrounded adventurers were two parties from two different Familias, mainly males but also some females.

Noct, Bell, and Lily then walked towards their 2 Leaders, as they realized.

Noct then looked to the injured one before looking at their leaders, „We're glad to see that they're not more of yours injured" Noct asked the first leader, a tanned blond man who carried a large saber.

„Yeah, thank you very much, if you didn't appear … " the tanned man said.

„ … they would've to beat the bones out of us" the other leader, a pale red-haired woman with a blue knife said.

Then, the tanned man saw a familiar white-haired boy.

„wait, I know you … ", he said, „you're 'little Rookie', right?" the tanned blond man realized.

Bell looked to him, „y-yes, that's me." Bell said while getting nervous, meeting new people wasn't one of his talents.

„and who are you ?." Noct asked the leaders.

„oh, right, my name Seti Selty, Captain of the Set Familia" the blonde tanned man introduced himself.

„and my name is Erika Rosaria, Captain of the Skadi Familia" the red-haired girl introduced herself now.

„and these people there belong to our familia, right now we were exploring together this Floor until this mass of Orcs appeared, to which my comrade here, got heavily injured while we already used all of our potions, " Seti said while looking to his injured comrade.

„don't you both think it's a little bit reckless to come here, your comrades don't seem to be ready for this floor if you ask me."

„I think you're not wrong about that." Erika said while getting a little bit red on her face. She then looked away from Noct.

Noct then saw the large yellow drop items around the area.

„we'll take only two of them, you can have the rest, " Noct said to Seti and Erika.

„thank you, Uhm... " Seti forgot to ask the spiky black-haired man his name

„Noct, Noct Gar." he said to them.

„Noct Gar… " Erika replied while getting somehow happy about it, which was noticed by Seti, who wondered why Erika was smiling towards him.

„seeing you with 'little rookie' here, I guess you're all from the Hestia Familia, right? " Erika asked, still looking towards Noct happily.

„y-yes" Noct answered while wondering why Erika was staring at him, he then looked to Seti, „we were about to leave, until we saw the Orcs surrounding you, especially you comrade there." Noct said to him while putting his finger to the injured one.

When all of them collected the items, Noct suddenty felt a strong, no, VERY STRONG presence around the area. It seems it was also noticed by Seti and Erika.

They turned their direction. Seti took out his Saber, prepared for what was about to come.

But then they saw the unbelievable.

An around a two-meter high man with brown hair and rust-colored eyes with a very 'rock-like' muscular body with boar ears, on is back two black greatswords and a large bag.

Everyone, especially Seti himself, who was the nearest to him.

„Who's that ?" Noct asked Erika, who now looked to Noct in disbelief.

„Are you kidding me, you don't know about the 'King' !?"`Erika asked to Noct.

„ The 'King' ... " Bell also asked while getting worried instead of wondering since he knew that name from Greatsword Battle Festival, he also remembered how he went flying on the arena's edge.

Lily, who also couldn't believe Bell's and Noct's cluelessness, started to explain, „that's Ottar, 'the King', the only adventurer who reached Level 7, which makes him the strongest adventurer in Orario, maybe even the whole world"

This answer shocked both Noct and Bell.

„so he's the strongest of the strongest ?" Noct asked again.

„that's right." Lily said to him.

Bell and Noct looked again to Ottar, who was coming ner Seti.

Then he stopped while looking then towards Seti and his Saber.

Seti, who also, of course, knew who this man is, sweated immediately while moving his sword a little bit back.

Seti knew that he had no chance against him, but he was the one who had to talk to him.

„you are 'King' Ottar, right ?", Seti tried to sound a bit confident, so that he could signal Ottar, that he didn't want any trouble, „what is the Captain of Orario's strongest Familia doing in a place for newbies like us."

Ottar, still looking to Seti, started to answer „there are rumors… "

Seti now got confused by Ottar's statement, „rumors?"

Ottar continued, „rumors about a young man, who just arrived here..."

Everyone now got confused by Ottar's next statements.

He continued, „ ... who's at Level 6, but about to Level up."

Now Seti, Erika, and their parties got shocked. Who is the 'King' talking about?

Lily on the other hand, also started to sweat a lot, since she knew who he's talking about, 'but how does he know that master Gar joined us just yesterday? ' Lily wondered. Did someone perhaps spied on them?

Ottar then started to go towards the young man with the black spiky hair, whom Ottar could feel a strong energy.

Bell got afraid of the situation, But Noct immediately realized that he was looking for him, so he started to come closer to Ottar.

After some steps, both, Ottar and Noct, stopped, still looking to each other.

„so, you're the one they've been talking about." Ottar said.

„ who are 'they' ?" Noct asked.

„members of my Familia, they've also mentioned something about 'lost underpants', which confused me." Ottar said while putting his bag down.

'lost underpants.', Erika got more confused by Ottar words, only to realize that she and Seti's other Teammates started to laugh for some reason, the injured one included.

Now, Noct got angry at Ottar, pressing his fists.

Noct, now with a deeper voice, asked: „so you're looking for trouble ?"

„I'm looking for a challenge.", Ottar said while putting out one of his black greatswords.

Now, Noct knew there was no going back.

He immediately summoned his Balmung sword.

Expect his comrades, everyone else is looking in disbelief towards Noct, even Ottar himself looked a little bit surprised.

But before they were about to start, Seti run towards them, „Uhm, you don't mind for us to watch, do you ? " he asked while his comrades made dumbfounded faces, wondering why the hell he's so stupid coming that close to 'King'

Ottar then looked to Seti again, who got scared a little bit by sweating again,

„do as you like …" Ottar answered, „... just don't stand in our way ".

After Ottar's final statement, everyone, except the two opponents, walked away fast to a safe spot.

Both, Noct and Ottar, stood for a while.

'Fine', Noct said before starting the first attack.

(soundtrack: Naruto Shippuden OST - Emergence of Talents (Extended) )

Noct runs towards Ottar, trying to hit him with his sword many times in different directions, but of course, all attacks were blocked by Ottar.

Surprisingly, Both felt difficult pressing their swords at each other.

Noct thought that Ottar was as strong as the Iron Giants he fought back in Eos during the night.

'wonder how Gladio would stand against him ' he then thought.

Then suddenly, Ottar started releasing more energy, which gave him more power, so he then started glowing red on his whole body.

Then Ottar pressed stronger, which resulted in Noct to be thrown away towards the stoned wall.

Noct was about to land on the stoned wall, until he gained his focus back, making a backflip before reaching the wall, only to catapult himself with his feet back to ottar with his power.

While flying back, Ottar immediately saw a red orb on his opponent's left hand, which he put on his sword, which started not only to glow red but also to burn.

Seti, who watched very attentive, realized that Noct was using similar sword magic as himself.

Ottar started to run towards Noct and to hit him, but as their swords clashed, Ottar and Noct flew away towards their opposite direction by their both released energy.

Bell and especially Lily wondered if they were seeing things.

'incredible' both thought while looking Noct and Ottar fight.

More and more onlookers appeared, witnessing the battle.

While Noct was flying again, he immediately throws his sword towards Ottar, who stopped flying.

Ottar noticed his opponent's sword flying towards him, but he was more surprised seeing the opponent himself appearing near him.

While Ottar parried his burning sword's attack with more effort than usual, he used his empty left hand to hit his opponent's head.

Noct who immediately noticed Ottar's next plan, jumped back, only for Ottar to hit Noct with his black sword very hard, which was parried by Noct also with more effort.

But then Noct realized his opportunity.

He touched his burning sword as fast as possible, then suddenly the red glowing orb appeared again on his left hand. Noct the threw it at Ottar.

Ottar, who realized that it was magic, used his left hand to catch the orb.

But then it started to explode, which resulted in Ottar not only to move away by it but also to burn some parts of his clothes.

Suddenly, after the explosion, Ottar noticed the blade flying slightly over his left shoulders.

After catching it, he realized that the burning flames around his body started to fly away, collecting at some point in front of him.

Then suddenty, Noct appeared his right hand at his sword, his left one with the collected flames on it.

Now it was clear for Ottar what his opponent was about to do with his left hand, or rather, with his burning left fist.

Ottar was about to use his sword, but then Noct used his feet, parrying it.

Now, Noct hit Ottar with his burning fist directly, sending him flying towards the near stoned wall, which in turn got drastically destroyed.

Now, the audience was more than speechless, they were 'thoughtless' while witnessing the spectacle in front of them, as if their 'souls' have been sent flying away by this awesome fight.

…...

The 'King' himself has been sent flying.

…..

…..

….

(end of the Soundtrack)

After that successful hit, Noct fell on one of his knees, breathing heavily. He also felt his left hand hurt too much.

'I must correct, this guy is stronger and harder than an iron Giant', Noct continued breathing heavily while feeling his left arm's pain.

Then, out of nowhere, Noct could feel stronger energy coming out of Ottar, which threatened him a bit.

Then Noct could see Ottar coming out, with his nose bleeding, probably thanks to Noct himself breaking it.

Ottar, who seemed to look angry towards Noct, released so much energy, that his eyes were glowing light red.

Noct, who realized Ottar's boost, also prepared.

He stepped back, but then suddenly, and unintentional, activated his Arminger.

At this point, after the audience's 'souls' returned to it's each body, Bell, as everyone else, noticed many different objects, actually weapons, as Bell realized immediately, flying around Noct.

'is that also some kind of magic, or some ability? ' Bell wondered.

Ottar, still releasing more energy, was about to draw his second black sword, but then he remembered why he was here in the first place.

He then returned normal.

Then, he put his first black sword back.

Noct, who saw him, did the same, by letting all his weapons disappear.

Ottar then started coming towards Noct, while putting something out of one of his bag he carried again.

They both stood again towards each other, looking in the eyes.

Noct looked to him with a serious expression.

Ottar's serious look disappeared while throwing something to Noct.

After successfully catching it, Noct saw that it was an Elixier, at least it looked like the Elixirs he frequently bought in Eos.

Ottar himself took one, which healded his nosebleed.

Noct, now seeing that it wasn't some kind of poison, used the elixir, healing his left broke hand.

„only a few can impress me as you right now, " Ottar said to Noct while thinking back about a certain family's captain whom he fought with.

Noct, of course, saw this as a compliment.

„likewise, Ottar's your name? " Noct asked, despite already knowing it.

„And yours ?", now he asked his opponent's name.

„Noct, Noct Gar", he told him.

„I will remember you." Ottar said before starting walking away from him by turning his back.

Ottar was about to disappear until he stopped again. He remembered the hardest part of his Goddess's task what to do if his opponent is considered promising. Since he entered the dungeon today, Ottar had a hard thought of how to fulfill this task correctly if Noct was strong.

Then Ottar remembered how Hogni, one of his comrades, praised Helun, one of their familia's newbie, for leveling up. Now he had the right idea.

It was quiet again around the area.

…...

…...

„Welcome in Orario."

This was Ottar's final words before disappearing again, only to briefly look back for some reason.

…...

…...

After the situation calmed down, Noct went for his comrades and the others who were present.

It was at this moment that he felt something familiar again.

…...

There was again that dark presence he felt in Melen.

Noct looked up to the other bunch of adventurer, who watched the whole fight and were more than just astonished by himself.

But then the dark presence suddenly disappeared, as if it noticed that Noct was looking for it/him/ her.

'whatever' Noct thought while continuing going to his friends.

When he arrived at them, he saw how Bell's, Lily's, Seti's, Erika's and everyone else's mouths gaped wide in disbelief.

Noct realized that they were probably shocked by the recent fight he had.

Then Noct saw Seti's still injured party member, who noticed that Noct was looking at him.

Then Noct remembered the two potions he got from Miach, which he gave inside his small bag.

Nearby standing was Lily, who came back to reality.

„did you just really hit the 'King', master Noct ?" Lily asked, still amazed.

„well, his face is rock-hard, if he didn't give me the elixir, my left hand would still be broken."

Then, Seti also returned to reality, „t-this is amazing, is today your first day in the dungeon ? ".

Noct looked to Seti, „ I already have experience if it's about fighting, no matter if men or monsters."

After Noct took out one of his potions, he went to the injured one, giving it to him, who also came back to reality.

„T-Thank you." he said before using the potion on himself. What's more, even after the bottle became empty, instead of throwing it away, he put it in his pocket for some reason.

The other onlookers also started going away, either towards the surface or some floors deeper.

After everyone was ready, they decided it's time to head for the surface.

While on their way up, Noct still could feel, that everyone was staring at him. What's more, all females had red faces for some reason.

(ENDING: KARMINA - WALK YOU HOME)