Red eyes were uncertain. Here he was, Bell Cranel. Not knowing what to do with his situation, whatever option he was going to take, everything would go wrong. Timer wouldn't forgive him for his actions if he just decided to leave things like that. Even he himself didn't know which decision was the right one, he just… he just didn't want to leave Lilly alone.
"Lili..."
It was almost like a whisper, but in the alley they were in that word had more effect than he expected. Bell noticed how she was startled and her body trembled.
"I-I'm sorry, Bell-sama" She said with the power of a whisper as well.
She refused to look at his face, kept her head on the ground. From her position, Bell towered above her, Lili hadn't gotten up since Timer threw her, she finally managed to realize her true identity, her fluffy ears and tail were gone. In front of him there was only a little Hobbit, a little girl with a very sad look.
But above all else, she had betrayed him.
"W-why?" was Bell's uncertain question
He was not able to understand. Was it unpleasant for her to be with him? No, that was not possible, from the day he met her he was kind to her. He did nothing to deserve this treatment.
Lilly clenched her fists tightly, the quietest words coming out of her mouth. "Because? ..."
Yes, this adventurer had the nerve to ask… Lilly clenched her jaw hard enough to break her teeth, as if he hadn't noticed already, just looking at the tattered clothes she was wearing was enough. "Will you play dumb with me any longer!? Stop this charade, stop acting like I'm actually nice!"
Fake, that kind smile, the caresses on the head that comforted her when she did something right, it was all fake!
Dirty lies from this expert liar!
"You! Do you want to wallow in the face of a dirty thief like me?" Lili yelled indignantly, how dare this child treat her like this, this neonate who had been in the dungeon for weeks, but for some reason he was so strong.
Even when she was a child, when she tried things never worked out, Lili could never sword fight a monster. The world was so unfair to her kind...
But she had known that for many years.
"I-I didn't say that" He quickly denied, Bell scratched his head not knowing what to say or do. "But I want to understand, I don't know anything about you, Lili…" Bell smiled at her, hoping that she would trust him.
There was that sanctimonious smile again. Fake.
"Not all of us were born in a golden cradle" Lili murmured. "All I do is survive. Not from the dungeon, not from the monsters, it's you that I take care of every day." She pointed an accusing finger at her. "You adventurers."
"Lili..."
"And no! Lili doesn't and won't believe that there are good adventurers! Even you must be just as cruel as your brother." Lilly squeezed her eyes shut, those red eyes…
"Timer is not-"
Lilly could only shudder, her hand went directly to touch the hand she was previously dangled in the air with.
Lilly continuously rubbed her affected hand. "I'm a thief... but even beatings haven't scared me as much as him... I-I know... that, without the women with him and without you here... I-I'm afraid for what would have happened to me." past." She said in a resigned way. Looking at Mr. Bell's brother was terrifying, far more terrifying than that fear of meeting the members of the Soma family. Just… Those eyes were so cold… Those slanted eyes like a snake's were so terrifying.
Lili could never forget those sinister and threatening red elliptical pupils. 'I feel uncomfortable under her gaze, as if she can see through me and know all my secrets. She feels cold, calculating and full of evil. Her eyes seem to have a life of their own, as if they were the reflection of a dark and wicked being. I feel like she could control me with just one look, as if she had the power to manipulate me as she pleased.'
'Lili is scared!'
I am afraid of those red and elliptical eyes of this person, they generate a deep fear in me, as if I were facing a supernatural creature. His gaze is intense and threatening, which makes me feel vulnerable and helpless before his power. I feel that I am facing a dark and evil force that could consume me at any moment.
Lilly trembled at the thought of meeting him again.
Slowly she got up, head bowed, she said, "Let's not drag it out any longer. What will happen to Lilly then?" she asked. "Lili is not so naive to think that she will be able to get away with it."
Bell ignored his brother's comments, he had known Timer his whole life. It was precisely because she didn't know him that she thought that way about him. And it may be scary when he's angry, but when you earn his trust there is no person more trustworthy than him.
'Be ruthless, my brother is not like that.'
Timer was not like that, even if it sounds bad, Lili earned what she received. On the other hand, she could only look at the girl sympathetically, she was alone, she was a thief who probably had no one.
He had seen her, how she flinched when he stroked her, her jaw clenching as if she was expecting a blow, as if that had happened before. In that reaction there were so many things that Bell didn't know what to feel, he imagined himself in Lili's position, being her alone in a city like she is totally alone, in a different world... she probably would have ended up like this. A world where Timer wasn't having her back, a world where he never met Hestia-sama.
'Seeing yourself alone, crying with no one to support you... I couldn't bear it'
She was a girl, and a girl shouldn't have those sad eyes. Leaving a damsel in distress to her fate is not what a hero would do.
"Let me help you". She said out loud, startling both him and Lili, her own words shocking him, Bell laughed for a moment before shaking his head. Definitely Timer would be angry. "No, it's not a request, I'm going to help you. Any problem, whatever it is, I'm going to fix it." Those kind ruby eyes showed an iron and immovable will.
Lili refused to trust, he was like all the others, sooner or later he would also give her up and leave her abandoned. "…. Why would you want your help, you are also an adventurer." Lili had already heard things like she is she, but at the end of the day she just ends up disappointed. Time and time again, in the end, when she becomes a problem of hers they just end up pulling her. "I don't want anyone's help."
Bell chuckled softly. "It's not a question, Lilly." The white-haired man gently shook it to remove the dust from it. "That is your punishment, from now on you will tell me your problems and accept my help."
Lilly looked incredulous. "H-huh? Kkk-You… Are you stupid!? I just stole it!" Is that what that scary boy meant when he said that his sister was a trusting fool?
Bell scratched his head in embarrassment. "It may be, but I already made up my mind. A hero is one who can help whoever needs it"
"I'm going to rob him again."
"I don't mind"
"I'm going to betray him."
"I count on it."
"I'll leave when I turn my head."
"I'll find you again, Lili." Bell flashed the most confident smile she'd ever put on.
"Okay, now tell me." Bell said, he placed small pats on the girl's head causing her to flinch. "Tell me your problems, Lili."
"How did I go from being close to getting beaten up to this…" Lili muttered, she let out a sigh with reluctance, a small smile at the corners of her mouth… "Lili… Lili thinks everything went downhill since the death of my parents…"
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.
.
Somewhere inside a building a sound was heard, that sound was repeated over and over again without stopping, it was a continuous splash. At the same time, sounds that resembled a melody were repeated endlessly.
swish
Again.
swish. swish
Again.
swish.
Without stopping.
swish. swish
"Can you stop? Please, just clean without making strange noises." The splashing stopped at the words of a frowning white-haired, red-eyed youth. "Stop playing with the mop."
"Such a young boy shouldn't be so bitter, Timer-kun~" A melodious voice replied. The voice of that pretty-looking woman hummed over and over again as she moved the mop to the rhythm of her singing. "Why don't you see the bright side of this situation?"
Timer rolled his eyes blankly. "And what could that kind side be?"
"That I could be the one cleaning the toilets," he mentioned cheerfully. "Well... the bright side for me." She laughed sticking her tongue out at her being playful as always.
Timer looked at himself, he was with a pipe plunger with his hands inside the toilet. His task was simple: leave those toilets as if they had been bought yesterday.
And he wasn't foolish enough to go against Mama-Mia's punishment. She was forgiving for being late…somehow.
The white-haired man rolled his eyes. "How funny, did you ever think about becoming a comedian?"
"She was my third choice after being a waitress and a tour guide…" She said closing her eyes as she held up two fingers. "But I think my current job is nice.
"It was sarcasm…"
"Hahaha. I know, Timer-kun, I know."
The sounds of water and the mop scrubbing were heard again. There were only the two of them, Ryuu was not punished. Somehow Ryuu was so fast that she got there long before them. Timer sighed, Ryuu was so fast that she could only see a blink, that speed was not natural.
He remembered the words the cat girl said when they were playing poker.
'Any one of us could kick your pretty ass'
Those words echoed in his head over and over again, he thought it was a joke, but apparently there might not be so much humor behind those words. Ryuu had already shown to be able to easily deal with a Silver Back without a problem, he never asked himself, but she must have been an adventurer.
Timer let out a sigh that was heard by Syr. The girl raised her eyebrows curiously when she saw that Timer stayed still.
"Something on your mind? You are more in the clouds than usual, does it have to do with the girl in the alley?" she asked.
Bell was stronger every day, training with Aiz Wallenstein remained a promise that would be carried out when the blonde returned from an expedition. The problem was that that invitation didn't include him. At this rate he would only be left behind. Was it even possible to match Bell's abysmal growth as he currently was? Probably not.
"Come on! Tell me what you think. Being silent is sooo boring!"
The white-haired boy rolled his eyes, his gaze falling on the mess below his feet. "As fun as it can be to talk, I have work to do."
"Can't you clean up and talk? Come on Timer-kun! Just put it out of your mind, tell me what you think."
"If you do, will you stop bothering me?" Timer saw her nod repeatedly, so he considered it before speaking. "A few days ago, Anya said something about all of you being able to defeat me. How true is it?"
It was something he asked seriously, but of course. He couldn't expect seriousness from her, who had instantly started laughing.
"Fufufu, is it trust issues I feel?" she asked herself mockingly. The white-haired man shook his head completely exasperated before going back to his work. "Hey, hey. It's okay, I'll tell you. You just might not like the answer."
"What are you talking about?"
"You see, Timer-Kun. She didn't lie, the vast majority of the staff are very strong lunatic barbarians."
Timer's eyes widened, "When you say majority, who do you mean?"
Syr smiled before sticking out her tongue and pointing to herself, "If you exclude me, everyone else is super strong!" Syr almost laughs at Timer's silence. "Let's see... Chloe and Lunoire are Lv5 and both Ryuu and Anya are Lv4."
Timer closed his eyes processing the information, so many powerful people lined up at the command of one person, the four mentioned showed fear in the presence of a woman, to provoke that... the albino swallowed as he thought what kind of monster was Mia Grand .
Syr smiled nervously, "You're probably thinking of Mama-Mia, well hehehe...she's Lv6."
"Is this establishment designed for military purposes... and now I'm also associated with them...?" Timer almost raises his hands at the thought of what could have been done to him and Bell. Ryuu was right when he talked about not wasting the kindness they were given, Mama Mia could have snapped them like a twig!
This Pub probably has a lot more power than all the mid range families!
"Yeah..." Ryuu sweated at Timer's words, now that she thought about it, the girls of the Pub alone could wipe out entire Families considering the background of a certain waitress "I've only told you this because apparently you're going to working with us for a long time and well..."
Timer now if he put his hands to his head thinking how much the debt increased, practically his recovery was due to Mama-Mia and her healing elixirs. "This is a lot to process at one time." The albino snarled. "Bah, it's like everyone around me is unreachable..."
"Relax your mind, Timer-san. Let's change the subject, you've been frowning a lot more than usual, are you still mad about the stolen knife?
Timer shook his head. "For now that's Bell's problem and I won't get directly involved, but when Bell messes things up and he will…. Well, that's when I'll personally take care of the problem. I'm just…it's nothing…", he continued with his work again, his mind still on the elf.
Syr frowned slightly, "You talk as if she's going to make a mess. Don't you have faith that Bell can take care of the problem himself?"
"It's because he's going to cause a mess, whether he notices it or not." Timer closed his eyes thinking about how to formulate his words. "I'm just used to cleaning up messes, either directly or indirectly. You can consider it as watching his back, since I have a sense of conscience I have dedicated myself to that, whether Bell acts according to his will and does a good deed or gets carried away with his actions causing a disaster, I am in charge of solve problems"
Syr stifled a laugh with her hand, her slightly bright eyes looking directly at him. "That sounds like a boring way to live life, having to act like a bystander, always expecting the actions of others."
Timer dismissed Syr's words quickly. "You speak in the plural as if my actions extend to everyone, my actions are limited to my brother and only my brother." Perhaps, very unlikely, this act could extend to his goddess, but it was still too early to tell.
"What if at some point the problem becomes too much to bear?" Their eyes met, the environment less and less friendly. Timer could only notice how those eyes of a simple girl disappeared for ones that can see through everything. Before there was a response from Timer she spoke. "Bell will get stronger, the 'problems' will also get bigger, will you ever get bored of acting like someone's broomstick?"
Timer was silent for a moment, "Before coming here, I made a lifetime promise. I live only for one thing."
"And what could that reason be? Timer-San." His eyes shining with emotion
Timer looked down, got up and walked towards the exit. Without pausing at the door he spoke as he left. "To reveal something personal, I would have to trust you, and I doubt I would when the person in front of me hides her true nature." For the first time Syr showed surprised eyes. "You say that I am like a broom, what are you then? I can only see a lying being who appears to be something that he is not. Show some personality, city girl."
"..."
.
.
.
Timer looked up at the sky from his room, it must have been close to 10 pm by that time.
A broom...
Syr's words somehow got into her head. Was he just that?
Not counting Bell, I have a life... right?
For how many years since he didn't think to himself... Did he have dreams apart from the ones he imposed on himself to help Bell?
Was that the only thing he wanted, to be just a puppet that acts accordingly to Bell?
I have my own dreams, my own goals... right?
When my grandfather died, what I wanted to do the most was join the Hermes family and simply wander the world, go to the metropolises of Sodom and Gomorrah, see the castle in the sky in Altena or the submerged Atlantis that was rumored to be in one of the The Cell levels. But... Bell had wanted to be a hero, in the end, traveling to Orario didn't sound so bad, after all he could never leave Bell to his own devices, why should Timer be the older brother and as such he should take care of clumsy Bell .
Take care of him...? Hmm. For how many years had that kind of thought been in his head? It's what he's done for as long as he has any sense of reason and of course Bell has returned the favor over the years, but where did this idea come from?
Helping him and taking care of him always felt like the right thing, as if that was his purpose, as an act of apology to his brother... as if he was paying his debts... It always felt like an act of redemption.
Timer shook his head, in the end it was all nonsense, he must be the good older brother. He didn't need anything else.
Thanks to his promise he would never be able to abandon his brother.
After all, Zeus himself, his grandfather, was the one who forced him to accept.
And now he remembered everything, his mind returned to the topic of the afternoon, Bell was growing too fast.
.
.
.
Timer carefully walked his steps down the corridor to avoid waking up those who were already sleeping. After walking for a while, he found himself in front of a wooden door.
He looked at her for a moment before striking with his hands, he waited a few moments until a portion of the door was opened, a green-haired elf stuck his head out with a stoic countenance.
"Cranel-San, what is the reason for your visit at this hour?"
Timer tilted his head, slowly said: "Sorry to bother you so late but I couldn't wait for tomorrow. I have a favor to ask, I want you to train me, Ryuu-san.
Ryuu blinked before closing her eyes: "Please raise your head." The elf opened the door fully, revealing the interior of the room. "This is sudden, would you like to stop by and have a chat, Cranel-san."
Timer raised his head to look at her, barely noticing that she wasn't wearing her uniform, instead she was wearing a white nightgown that came down to her ankles, as expected of a demure elf. He slowly nodded his head before entering, with the corner of his eye he observed the room, everything inside had a reason to be there, there was nothing unnecessary. In that sense, her room was the same as hers, just a bed, a wardrobe and a bookcase, simple but efficient.
"What are you looking for in me, Cranel-San."
Ryuu's voice who was already sitting on the bed brought him out of his thoughts, but he quickly managed to reorient himself, "I want to be stronger." He said without hesitation.
Ryuu nodded in contemplation, "I see,… Just in case, are you aware of the capabilities of the other girls in the Pub? If not, I will tell you so that you can correctly organize your options." Timer blinked, but nodded anyway when he saw that she was referring to the standards of the female workers in the Pub.
"Syr told me."
Ryuu sent him an accepting look. "I see, in that case. Why did he come to me when Chloe and Lunoire are better candidates to teach him?"
Timer thought about Ryuu's words for a moment before shaking his head. "Before losing consciousness from the monster's injuries, I managed to see her, Ryuu-san. Never in my life have I been more impressed, the effectiveness, the accurate movements… everything was beautiful and efficient."
Ryuu continued with a stoic expression unimpressed by his words, "As I said earlier, my abilities are second to Chloe and Lunoire. If you ask, one of them will probably accept, I still don't know why you prefer my teachings, Cranel-san."
Timer rubbed the back of his neck, a grimace on his face. Slowly his cheeks blushed slightly to Ryuu's surprise. "Hmm, well... Let's just say it's mostly because I respect you for saving me, but it's also because you've never made fun of me," Timer avoided Ryuu's gaze, his eyes glued to the wall. "I don't think I'm capable of respecting Chloe, let alone Anya, I haven't interacted with Lunoire so she could say no"
Ryuu closed her eyes, her expression unreadable. "Cranel-San, the affection towards his brother is evident, therefore, that must be one of the reasons for him, may I ask if there is one more reason to wish for more power?"
Timer was silent, a reason other than Bell why he wanted to be strong... Was there such a thing?
Ryuu waited for Timer's answer for a minute, a minute where he only saw Timer's blank look. "I can teach you how to fight, how to handle a weapon, even how to move and survive in the dungeon, but you'll never achieve anything if the will to improve doesn't come from within. As I see it now, you are living aimlessly."
"I don't want to be useless." Timer almost muttered. "I don't want to be a burden to my family, I want to help." For the first time, Ryuu could see insecurity in those red eyes.
Ryuu looked at him curiously, memories of her youth in the Astrea family flooding her. That feeling of wanting to improve for your family... "If I'm going to teach him, he has to know that I'm going to be strict." Ryuu watched as Timer's eyes lit up. "We will see each other at 4 in the morning in the garden, and please I hope you are punctual."
Timer smiled in thanks. "Really, thanks."
Ryū shook his head. "Cranel-san, don't get me wrong, your answer is not acceptable and I probably won't find the answer yet, even so, I'm going to train you, but I want you to think about why you fight, what is the reason you want to enter the dungeon every day. days, if it's all just because of his brother... then he should seriously consider what is the reason for his life."
.
.
.
.
.
.
"What is the reason of my life..."
Timer thought about it over and over again in his room, tried not to think about it, but it turned out that he couldn't sleep.
Timer was clear that if Bell decided to drop the idea of being a hero, he would support him in whatever his new dream was, but then, in what position did that leave him. Do I have a purpose of my own? I want to travel... but I could never leave Bell...
Leaving Bell to his fate... for some reason his soul screamed at him that this was not the right thing to do, that he should be with him unconditionally. But at the same time, that feeling of brotherhood felt... like being chained, like that was his cross... like staying by Bell's side was a way to pay for his mistakes... but at the same time. At the same time another doubt arose. What mistakes are the ones that tied him to Bell?
Minutes passed, and he was not able to find an answer to his thoughts, little by little he felt how his eyelids were getting heavier, and finally sleep claimed him.
.
.
.
Blows rang out again and again without stopping muffled by the rain.
Timer's eyes widened with fear, it was happening again.
Slowly, very slowly, his eyes moved over the place where he was. Giant trees stretched as far as the eye would be guided, and right on the ground was what tormented Timer every night. The same angry and unpleasant rain that he always hated. Lightning bolts that were synchronized with the strongest blows thrown at the person on the ground.
A white-haired boy with green eyes and another gray one incessantly hitting the boy on the ground, his fists were damaged, his knuckles destroyed, but he never stopped. Timer yelled.
For.
Stop.
Please,
Don't hit it.
Do not hurt him.
He didn't say it, because in this world his words were worthless, nor were his actions. He was just a ghost looking at the misfortunes in front of him.
That person on the ground was bleeding uncontrollably. Anyone who was able to witness this scene would confirm that he was closer to the world of the dead than the world of the living.
The heterochromatic's lips moved as he kept hitting, those words were not received by Timer, just... he didn't need to see them. If his memory did not fail him, and he never did it with these things, this was the 2345th time, more than 2000 days of his life where he witnessed this dream, heh, and the nights where it was not this one were others. worse.
Timer did not even have to look, as every night he clenched his teeth and any part of his astral body into fists so as not to go crazy.
Psychopath.
Killer.
Monster
Human waste
Traitor
He didn't scream it, the words didn't come out. But tears did fall from Timer's non-existent eyes in that world of dreams mixing with the hateful rain that never stopped. Timer looked hopelessly back at the heterochromat.
I knew what was about to happen and it was frustrating.
Just like so many times, the heterochromatic took a short and strange sword that was next to him, just like so many times, he spoke again, same intelligible sounds to reach the same conclusion and raise the sword ready to descend it on the person on the ground. , just like so many times the boy who was beaten opened his eyes slightly and just like so many times Timer's heart dropped again, because just like so many times those red eyes looked directly at the heterochromatic without hesitation.
And just like so many times... the sword came down to plunge into his chest.
For Timer it didn't change the outcome, he again saw himself stabbing Bell.
Monster...
That monster is me...
.
.
.
Timer jumped out of bed, his breathing unsteady for a moment before relaxing. He was sleepy, he probably had dark circles under his eyes, but nothing mattered anymore, he couldn't go back to sleep.
'I wish I could at least understand those dreams'
So many times over and over again, never really knowing exactly what they meant. Timer looked at the window, the sun had not yet risen, he estimated that it was 2 in the morning, he sighed and got up.
It didn't take long for him to get dressed before leaving the Bar. For years he did this, going out and wandering at night, since he arrived in Orario he visited the places that he could never go during the day. The previous time she was at the monument to the heroes, this time she would already think where to go.
After all, he liked to travel and this was the closest thing to it. But he would make sure to be back before dawn, he had already had a hard time asking Ryuu for help, he couldn't throw away that opportunity.
And today he could go with Bell to the dungeon, he hoped that he wasn't with that thief girl yet or there would be problems... Problems that he would personally solve if necessary.
.
.
.
The sun was already rising, the trip was fine, he just walked through the streets of Orario, the silence was pleasant.
Timer walked inside the Fertility Hostess towards the Pub's garden, he had to go through a back door to get there, the garden was big enough for him to practice. As soon as he entered he found Ryuu practicing with a wooden sword, she performed the movement over and over again with incredible precision, she probably already mastered the movement, but she kept practicing it.
It didn't take long for Ryuu to notice the viewer at the entrance. "...Good morning Cranel-san."
"Good morning, Ryū-san"
Ryuu wore a different outfit than usual, wearing a green flower-shaped hood that reached to her knees and a sleeveless white shirt along with a sash where two short swords were. Same swords with which she killed the Silverback.
Timer walked towards the center of the garden where she was, the albino noticed that the clothes she was wearing were of good quality, they seemed designed to resist cuts, he wondered where he could get something like that instead of normal armor. Not to criticize Bell's new armor, she was fine, but she was hoping to get something like Ryuu's.
"Be early, Cranel-san. The sun hasn't even risen." Ryū said.
"I was looking forward to this, what shall we start with?"
Ryuu tucked the long sword into his sash and instead took one of the short swords, "I want to see your skills, with that I'll go from there, attack me with everything you have."
Timer nodded and took out the knife given to him by his goddess, he got into a fighting position and observed that Ryuu was too. He looked at each of her limbs, the way she was standing and the length of her sword, the problem... is that she had no openings.
"Cranel-san, I want to measure your skills, if you don't attack, I will."
In a blink she was in front of him, out of the corner of her eye she saw how the sword was about to cut him horizontally, the impact was so strong that she had to use both hands to defend herself, miraculously she managed to block with the knife, only to feel the impact to his side from Ryuu's free hand. The pain was so strong that she almost made him double over, before he could react Ryuu was already hitting again.
"Her arms are too stiff to block."
Ryuu jumped, spun around, and lashed out with her sword again, so fast that she wasn't able to stop it. Her blow should have cut him in half, but she Ryuu was considerate by attacking with the blunt edge. She just felt as if her arm and bone had nearly buckled.
The pain in his arm made him desperate and he tried to cut from the side with the arm that wasn't hurt, what he didn't expect was for her to fall backwards and from there hit him in the stomach with her legs.
"Urgh!"
It felt like a cannonball had hit his stomach, his hands went to his stomach trying to lessen the pain, he could only fall to his knees as his vision blurred.
Ryuu blinked before realizing what he did, if he wanted to, he had used all his strength in that last blow. "Cranel-san! Sorry, sometimes I have trouble measuring my strength."
Timer resisted retching to keep from vomiting, "N-no... no problem" He said with difficulty, a little more and almost lost consciousness. "J-just give me a moment."
"Okay, you can rest for a moment, I saw what he needed, that last move was reckless, his dominant arm was injured, therefore, attacking with the opposite arm without thinking could lead to death. Since we started you should have focused on defending yourself."
Timer slowly got to his feet. "I see… but can we do it again? I think I can do better."
Ryuu considered it for a moment, she had to let him show everything he could do. "Very well, come!"
Timer nodded and got into a battle stance, reverse grip rushing at the elf, their weapons clashing against the other's. 'His strength is greater than mine, he can push me back with one arm, and I have to take care of his free arm and his legs... this is tricky.'
From one moment to the next, Ryuu began to use more force, making him move back. 'She is very strong!'. He narrowed his eyes wondering what to do, at this rate she would knock him down with just his strength.
Timer's eyes widened in understanding, he stopped applying force to repel the sword and with his free hand leaned on the elf's arm as he jumped, when the sword continued on its way Timer was already trying to land a kick against Ryuu's head.
His result: Ryuu's body disappeared and his kick went blank, the arm he was holding wasn't there either.
Timer opened his eyes, nothing ahead, nothing below, nothing above...
PHIII!
His ears screamed at him for danger, the wind was being cut. Timer never hesitated in hearing from him.
Timer immediately jumped to the side, letting the sword pass through his side, not fast enough, the sword grazed his shoulder, in that fraction of a second Timer rushed to try to plunge the knife into his chest on the way down, but Ryuu disappeared again. appeared right behind him, 'I've already seen that move', this time Timer moved his body earlier.
Just as the horizontal slash was about to hit him, he dropped his body forward and pushing himself up with his hands, kicked his legs into Ryuu's chest. Or at least that was the plan, after all Ryuu was able to dodge quickly.
Timer jumped up and stood up again, breathing hard from all the effort he had to put in to not get hit.
"It's enough". Ryuu said lowering his guard, to which Timer sighed and fell to the ground. At that Ryuu understood that he hadn't held back enough. "Cranel-san, the move you made at the end, did you copy it from what I did in the first match?"
Timer thought for a moment and realized that he was right. "I think I could have done it, I usually tend to memorize Bell's movement patterns and use them so I did the same but yours were more complicated, the ideal was to copy the way you move or I hope to do it with your posture, but I seem to lack a bit of technique for that."
Ryuu frowned thinking about the second match, just as Timer replicated her move, for a brief period of time she saw herself superimposed fighting on Timer, that ability to copy moves reminded her so much of that woman that she almost shuddered. "It's actually impressive, even if it wasn't identical she did it with the right technique. I already have what I need, and as a first lesson I want you to use this." Ryuu said pulling the other short sword out of her sash.
Timer raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "I understand that it might be useful, but shouldn't I gain strength with a single weapon first? I mean, you pushed me with one hand without a problem and I was using both." Timer looked at the sword unsteadily, "And also... in books at least I've read how the first thing they do with newbies is teach them to wield the weapon, or else... anything but go directly to the fights."
Ryuu shook his head, "It's just that I'm 3 levels ahead of you, Cranel-san. I could see that he has strength to be level 1 but if he compares with me he won't do well. Strength will come in time, you don't have to worry about that now." Ryuu noted how Timer's eyes were still uncertain, "Use the sword and you'll see why you don't need anything more than what I'll show you, Cranel-san. Trust me"
"I understand…" Timer nodded anyway and received it. He touched it with his left hand, it was good quality, not even close to his knife, but it was very good too.
"Ouch" Timer felt something similar to a burn on his right hand, the same hand where he was holding the knife. He stared at his hand slightly before being interrupted by Ryuu's voice.
"Is there a problem?" Ryuu asked thinking if there was something wrong with the sword. "It's okay if he doesn't want to use it, in the end it's just a suggestion."
"No not at all. Hardly and it's an itch"
Ryuu nodded, "Okay, now I want him to defend himself, I remember that now your hands will be full. Using two until you get the hang of it can either be beneficial or detrimental."
"I understand". Timer returned to his guard, waiting for Ryuu to initiate his move.
"And this time I will use my this sword." Ryuu pointed to the wooden sword that he already had in his hands. "Here I go!". Ryuu yelled before charging.
"Gah!" The first impact nearly knocked him over, the clash of his swords making his hands shake.
Ryuu frowned, "He has two weapons in his hands, Cranel-san. One is supposed to be used for blocking and the other for the counterattack, it's useless if they are used for only one thing. Ryuu hit again causing Timer to fall. "On his feet, if the enemy's strength exceeds his, what he must do is not try to stop all attacks but to deflect them."
Timer stood up as he listened, this was harder than he thought, he had practiced with Bell before, but it was clear that his brother was never as good as Ryuu, not only was she stronger and faster, her technique, even seen For a novice it was top notch.
Timer sighed before returning to the fight, in a serious fight he would have already died, Ryuu was superior in every way, so he had to treat this seriously. If he had encountered such an opponent in the dungeon, his thoughts would have revolved around surviving as long as possible.
Metal hit metal.
'Raise consciousness to the maximum'
The scraping sound of metal was heard in the garden, again, and again. Timer deflected attacks one after the other much better.
'Watch how he moves, watch where you have his limbs when he attacks and when he defends. Watch his posture, watch the way he breathes, watch the way he attacks, watch the way he defends. Do you have one leg further apart from the other? How do you position your weapons to block? How is your center of gravity? Take it all, replicate it all. Devour it all.'
"This is the reason Cranel-san, why I didn't have to dwell on the ways of using a weapon" Ryuu's words interrupted his thought process for a moment.
Ryuu never stopped his attacks while speaking and Timer has a hard time paying attention.
"You are what they call a talented person. I saw him when we started, his evolution in this one is absurd. That's why..."
Boom!
One arm went numb as Ryuu's sword increased the force with which it struck. That arm trembled, but he didn't have time to think about it, Ryuu never stopped.
'Using only one arm is impossible!' He with both of his arms managed to deflect the blade, again and again, metal hit metal against metal without stopping and he felt that his arms would give way.
'His ability to adapt is impressive. Going from being the newest rookie to a high caliber level 1 in a couple of slashes… I feel afraid of who these brothers' relatives might be…' Ryuu recalled how it was not only this twin, the other one he had defeated to a Silver Back and he hasn't been going to the brig for a month. 'Both attack and dodge and he doesn't hesitate to counterattack when the opportunity presents itself, I even see that he continues to imitate me. It's decided, that's why...'
Ryuu paused for only a moment, the next thing Timer knew his knife crashed into a building.
"I will treat him for what he is…the most talented rookie I have ever met in my life."
Timer truly felt worried. That compliment to the person of hers felt more terrifying than comforting in the way she had said it.
A moment later, she increased the speed of the impacts. As a round of bullets were thrown in all directions Timer panicked and tried to stop them, it was a relentless attack.
Filled with despair as his sore arms flailed in all directions to defend himself he thought 'Is she trying to kill me?'.
The rain of attacks gradually defeated Timer's futile efforts, slowly receiving blows one after another, arms, legs, torso. Everything was flooded with searing pain, and Timer was glad it was just that, he didn't want to think what would have happened if Ryuu decided to use the sharp side.
From one moment to the next, hell stopped.
Timer breathed heavily, sweat dripped down his forehead, he could only raise his head to see Ryuu there, who was as if nothing had happened, the albino had seen her more tired washing dishes than right now. "Like I said, she wasn't supposed to resist, but she's still standing." Ryuu said, she gave him a good look, the boy's arms trembled and his arms passed him, his body was tired and he doubted that he would be able to stay on his feet any longer. "I think it's time for a break-"
"NO" It was like a scream, but without having the strength to let out one. "I can continue".
Ryuu watched in silence as the albino walks towards her, in a blink he was attacking, their swords connected again, what was stopping his sword vanished, out of the corner of her eye she watched as Timer's other hand tried to cut her arm. It was a feint that she didn't fall for because the boy's real intention was to hit her body. Ryuu shook her head having had enough.
Ryuu's blade previously deflected from Ryuu changed direction with incredible speed, in a second a diagonal slash went vertical against Timer.
Timer reacted as he could and quickly ducked, the next thing he knew was to feel a blow against his head and body hit the grass. He immediately tried to get up, but his body didn't respond, his eyelids felt heavy, everything was blurry.
And then... the darkness consumed him
"As I said, Cranel-san. He needs a break." Ryuu looked at the unconscious boy on the ground with a frown. "I didn't hold back long enough… but…". Ryuu touched his shirt, it was imperceptible to the eye, but the knife touched it. "There's no need for me to either."
.
.
.
"Ryuu, you told me that Lunoire and Chloe were better than you, why is that?"
Timer asked sitting in the garden, for the tenth time he found himself unable to lay a single finger on Ryuu.
"Exactly because that is the reality, they are superior to me in combat, survival, and I am sure that their teachings would be much more valuable than mine. After all, they came from the Empire."
Timer looked at Ryuu waiting for him to say more.
"At that time they were hired as bounty hunters to hunt me down, I only fought Lunoire for a few minutes but it was enough to know that she was superior to me, and when she defeated me they both fought to know who would take my head."
"And how do you go from wanting to kill each other to being co-workers?"
"Mama-Mia can be convincing... Stand up, Timer."
"...Yeah"
"And believe me, Lunoire's blows are devastating."
For Ryuu to say such a thing... These women were becoming more and more terrifying.
Since training with Ryuu, 1 hour passed, and in all of which his body was hit over and over again, never enough to make him lose consciousness, but enough to writhe in pain.
And worst of all, today he had to go with Bell to the dungeon.
"Argh!..." Timer groaned as he hunched over to the exit, any moment his brother would be there.
"You look terrible, Ruby"
"Silence". Timer didn't have to look up to know whose annoying voice was calling him.
"I'm being nice asking about you, stop being ungrateful." Anya shook her head in amusement, but she had a tinge of real concern on her face, but after all it was Anya being Anya. "Better tell me who hit him, Nya"
Timer dragged himself to one of the tables with his aching body. "I trained with Ryuu." he said to himself as he buried his head in the table.
"Are you crazy!? That girl is crazy, she can't even hold back with her punches, why would you want to be tortured like that!?" Anya's tail swung wildly. "And besides, until two days ago you were almost dead, do you really want to die, Ruby? I didn't take you for a suicide... but I'm not surprised you're a masochist."
"Silence..." He muttered with his head on the table.
"Ruby, you have to listen, she knows how to hit a stomach...and very hard." Anya brought her hands up, stroking her belly slowly. "That elf is a savage…"
"Yes... I already had that wonderful experience." She remembered that kick Ryuu gave her, a little more force and she would have cried right there in pain. "But it's necessary so that I can become stronger."
"It's not worth it, Ruby. You don't get it, you- NYAAA!"
Timer turned his head to see the reason for the scream, apparently Syr had blown one of his ears and Anya screamed in embarrassment. Anya had cute ears, were they soft and fluffy like a real cat's?
"Ss-Syr, don't do that!"
"Fufufu, I can't help it…" Syr said with a smile as she approached Anya.
Anya couldn't help but back away, "Wh-what are you doing?" Her embarrassed stutter elicited laughter from Syr who wrapped her arms around her stopping her. "W-wait!"
"Even now I'm fighting to contain myself…" He murmured in the cat's ear. "Whew!"
"Nyaaaa!"
"That's for yelling so early, kitty." Syr said with her hands on her waist and a sly smile to complete her normal attitude. Then he turned his gaze to the pitiful sight of the boy at the table. "Oh, good morning, Timer-san"
"Good day..."
Syr cocked her head curiously to look at him. "Are you sick? You look a little pale. Perhaps you haven't fully healed."
"I feel fine."
"Not in my eyes. You have dark circles under your eyes, you look tired and sore, are you sure you are going to the dungeon today?"
"I always have dark circles, it's just that they're not usually noticeable, I look tired from training, it's not that bad."
Syr saved the subject of dark circles for another time, "Why would training leave you so bad?"
"I trained with Ryuu..."
"Oh..."
Timer frowned, was he the only one who didn't know that Ryuu could be so violent?
Syr gave him an understanding look, "I've seen Anya, Chloe, and Lunoire spar with Ryuu. They all say the same thing, apparently Ryuu is a barbarian who doesn't know how to differentiate between a death match and a simple practice"
Timer might have laughed at what Syr said if it wasn't because, first, he doesn't laugh at anything, and second, even if he had his sore stomach wouldn't have let him. "I think they are exaggerating."
Timer wondered where he was going, then he laid his head back on the table, he was tired, that dream last night left him thinking for much longer than it should.
A sound hit the table in front of him, there was an elixir. "Here, drink this and you will feel energized."
Timer took it in his hands and raised an eyebrow, "This won't increase my debt, right?"
Syr laughed. "Not at all, I got it from lost and found and it's been sitting there for a couple of weeks with no one coming for it so…take it."
"Thank you, I owe you one"
"You don't owe me anything, just try not to overexert yourself, Ryuu can be rude" Syr said as she walked away. "I'll go make breakfast for Bell, I'll make one for you too."
Timer nodded as he drank the elixir, he was not recovered but his body thanked him. Now, he would have to eat the food, whoever said that it was better than training with Ryuu was because he hasn't tasted Syr's food.
A single bite from Bell's basket had been enough to make him gag, now he would have to eat a whole lunch!? The gods really were cruel.
Between the two of them, Syr did more damage to her stomach than Ryuu's double kick.
.
.
.
Bell looked uncertainly at his brother as they walked through the abandoned streets of Orario in the morning. The frown that his brother had was directed at him, the silence was also directed at him. 'Ice law...he really is mad about Lili', Bell thought as he put his hands to his head, trying to figure out what to do.
"Timer," he finally said, getting his brother's attention.
"What?" Timer asked mockingly, then snorted in exasperation. "Let it go now Bell, if you're going to talk about yesterday, do it once and for all."
Timer's scowl loomed even closer to him as he waited for Bell's response, who knew he would have to speak carefully this time. He swallowed hard before saying, "I talked to Lilly."
"So?" Timer asked, waiting for an answer.
"I couldn't leave her alone the way she was," Bell said, defending herself.
"Bah, I thought so," Timer replied, clearly frustrated.
"I couldn't leave her alone!" Bell yelled indignantly.
"Of course not, it's what you do. You and your stupidities have always brought us trouble…" Timer quickly covered his mouth and looked at Bell, who lowered his head. "I…didn't mean that, brother. I'm sorry".
Bell did not raise his head. "I know that I am, I know that I am a burden, but I cannot help but want to help those who need it. It's not about getting a girlfriend or anything like that. She needs help and I can give it to her," she said, lifting her head with determination in her eyes.
Timer sighed in frustration. "You always do this, you always do things like this, and for some reason, I keep agreeing. Remember brother, this time it's not just us, we're members of the Hestia Familia, and our actions represent our goddess."
"I know," Bell replied sadly.
Timer crossed his arms and looked at Bell disapprovingly. "You don't, you haven't thought about what people will think when they find out that Hestia's dependents are involved with a thief. What do you think will happen to her?"
"I know, but there's a reason he stole the knife. She is a good person, if you would only try to understand her situation and help her," Bell said, trying to convince her brother.
Timer frowned. "You always get carried away by your feelings, Bell. Sometimes you need to use a little logic instead of following your heart like a fool."
"I know, but I feel like this is a different situation. I have always wanted to be a hero and help others. This could be my chance to do something good," Bell said with passion in his voice.
"What will you do if she asks you to steal with her, or money?" Timer asked skeptically. "One day she will ask you to put her in our family. What will happen to her when she wants to keep stealing? Have you already asked her if she likes to steal?"
Bell stood his ground. "That will not happen. She has suffered a lot and may hate adventurers, but I also understand that sometimes life can be hard and lead people to do things they don't want to do."
Timer sighed again. "I guess you have a point. But even so, we can't let the thief get away with it. We must do something to make her realize that what she did is wrong."
Bell nodded. "I understand what you're saying, brother, and I'll make sure of it. But we must also try to understand her situation and help her if we can."
Timer looked at Bell with a bit of surprise. "You really are an idealist, Bell. But I guess that makes you who you are."
Bell smiled widely and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Thanks brother. I know that together we can do something good for her and I know that you will like her," he enthused.
Timer looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes and a light sheen of sweat on his face, as if he had been making a great effort to walk. Noticing this, Bell frowned in concern. "Brother, you don't look good..." he said with a worried look. "Have you had nightmares recently?"
Timer sighed and shook his head. "Don't pay attention to me, I'm just exhausted. And I remember that I told you that my dreams were just that, absurd and meaningless, "he replied tiredly.
"But they still won't let you sleep," Bell murmured sadly.
Timer frowned and asked, "What did you say?"
"Nothing, brother," Bell replied with a smile, before closing his eyes and concentrating on healing his brother's bruises.
"I told you many times to stop doing things like that," Timer said with a sigh of relief as he felt the healing.
"Why have
this ability if I can't help you too, brother?" Bell replied with a warm smile. "But I can't help but worry about you, you haven't healed well yet and now you have bruises, and those didn't come from the Silver Back... Do you want to tell me something?"
Timer lowered his gaze and muttered in a low voice: "Sorry... I asked Ryuu-san to train me, I couldn't stay behind you, as far as I know there is little left for your friend to return from that expedition."
"She's not my friend!" Bell exclaimed loudly, which caught the attention of a few people around her.
"Don't be loud," Timer said, trying to reassure him.
"I'm sorry," Bell said, bowing her head, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "...I'm glad you're not in trouble, I thought you might be fighting with the Pub patrons."
Timer rolled his eyes at the comment, "No, jerk. It's the girls who take care of those kinds of people, just… Ryuu-san can be somewhat assertive in training."
Bell smiled as a drop of sweat rolled down her forehead and touched her belly. "I can feel the blow, brother, you don't have to tell me," he said as he rubbed his stomach. Even when the damage wasn't fully healed, it was still a constant pulsing in his abdomen. He wondered for a moment what the initial shock was like.
"Oh, come to think of it, Hestia-sama said to come tonight to upgrade the Falna," Bell recalled excitedly.
"Okay," Timer replied.
"And he wants you to sleep in the church today," Bell added with a smile on his face.
"But-"
"No buts, my orders are above what that dwarf says," Bell interrupted with a look of contempt. Timer gaped at his brother for speaking like that.
"Huh? No wait! That's what Kami-sama ordered me to say!" Bell corrected embarrassedly realizing that he was badmouthing Mama-Mia.
"I'll talk to Mama-Mia first and ask her if it's possible," Timer said, trying to avoid confrontation.
"So… how was training with Ryuu-san?" Bell asked curiously.
"His way of moving is incredible, his swordsmanship is the best I've ever seen… well, I haven't seen many, but I doubt I can find as many with that quality," Timer replied admiringly.
Bell listened with stars in his eyes. "She was she that good?" The extroverted white-haired man imagined himself sparring with the serious elf, fighting one on one and giving his all in a close battle.
"I guess the only time she really meant to hit me she knocked me out, everything else was me trying not to get hit by her. But I'm going to keep going," Timer added determinedly.
"How envy! I hope Aiz-san will come back soon. Brother, let's have a practice fight when Aiz trains me," Bell said with emotion in his voice.
"Hmm, yeah, sure," Timer replied without much enthusiasm.
"You don't sound excited," Bell noted.
Timer shrugged. "I'm not, I don't think I could hit you with all my might if I wanted to."
Bell understood what he meant. "If you're right, I couldn't either. It doesn't matter, I want to see what you learned in the dungeon today."
Suddenly, a shriek interrupted the conversation. Bell turned to look for the source of the sound and saw no one, until he lowered his head to see the thief standing there. Frozen as she was, Lilly managed to run up behind Bell and hug him tightly around her waist.
"Lilly! What are you doing?!" Bell yelled as she blushed from the hug.
Timer looked at her again, with that fake look he always had with her. He frowned, but before he could say anything, she screamed again and squeezed Bell tighter.
"Lili, he won't do anything to you. I promise," Bell said, trying to reassure her.
Timer raised an eyebrow at that promise, don't push your luck. That girl still didn't look at him.
The more volatile white-haired man snorted before speaking. "What is she doing here?" The tone of his voice changed and he made sure that Bell understood the message behind his words.
Bell frowned at his brother's comment, but decided to remain calm. "Timer, like I told you I promised to protect her and help her, and that's what I'm doing. She will come with me from now on." Bell said firmly, emphasizing her words.
"I'm looking at it, I just didn't think it would be that fast." Timer asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Bell took a deep breath before answering. "She's a girl in trouble. She has to work to survive, but she's gotten into trouble because of some people. I promised to help her get out of this and find a better way."
"Of course the foolish hero would do something that stupid..." He muttered to himself, turning his gaze to the girl who was still trembling. Bell won't get the idea out of his head.
"Girl- Err. Liliruca right?" Timer asked, trying to remember the girl's name.
Lilly nodded shyly, still trembling.
"Timer you don't-" Bell tried to intervene, but Timer cut him off.
"Keep quiet, the elders are talking," Timer said with a curt tone, making it clear that he would not tolerate interruptions.
"Brother!" Bell was about to interrupt again, but Timer's glare stopped him.
"Liliruca, it's the last time I'll say it nicely, look at me." Timer said in an authoritative voice.
Lilly raised her head to look at Timer, but her eyes were still shaky.
Bell slowly stroked her head and leaned into her to whisper in her ear, "Trust me, Timer isn't that bad. Give him an oportunity."
Lili's tremors stopped, but she still didn't want to see him, those eyes with elliptical pupils were terrifying. 'Lili doesn't want to, Lili doesn't want to, Lili doesn't want to, Lili doesn't want to, Lili doesn't want to-'
Suddenly, Timer gave a small blow to Lili's forehead, causing her to snap her eyes open. The girl found herself inches away from Timer, who had closed in on her in an instant.
Lilly looked back into those eyes hoping to find those terrifying eyes, but…they were nowhere to be found.
"Ahh…" Lilly exclaimed, surprised.
The eyes he was looking at weren't cold, they weren't threatening either…they were…beautiful. That intense, bright and enigmatic red color, which seemed to take on a life of its own in the midst of the dark mist that surrounded Orario's morning.
'The way they seem to glow is like two little flames flickering in the dark. It's hard for me to take my eyes off them...they're still penetrating, almost invasive, as if they're inviting me to discover their innermost secrets. It's as if he saw my soul.'
"Liliruca, my brother has made a promise with you, therefore you will be with us and I hope you will never disappoint again," Timer said with a stern expression.
Liliruca was silent, feeling the weight of Timer's words.
"Whatever you've done before as long as it's criminal and could affect us you're going to have to stop doing it," Timer continued in a firm voice.
Liliruca nodded silently, feeling a tightness in her chest.
"And believe me when I say there won't be another chance, I don't trust you but my brother does for some reason so prove me wrong. Are you listening to me?" Timer asked with a defiant expression.
Liliruca looked up to meet Timer's cold gaze, nodding quickly.
"Those eyes are the same as Mr. Bell's…" Lilly thought to herself.
"Bell, help here," Timer asked with some urgency in his voice.
Bell tapped her cheek lightly waking Lili up from her ramblings.
"Sorry, Lili promises to be good!" Lili said hurriedly.
"Okay, now. Take off that silly costume," Timer ordered with a clipped tone. "I won't go to a place where I could die with someone who won't even let me see their face."
Liliruca sighed, knowing that she had no choice. If she didn't remove her disguise, the Soma Family would hunt her down. "If I don't…" she thought worriedly.
"Bell promised to take care of you, as such, consider that promise extended to me. Just don't make me regret it, now, are you coming or not?" Timer asked with some impatience in his voice.
Liliruca looked at Timer's back as she walked towards the dungeon entrance. Something in her voice told him that she could trust, that every word that came out of him would come true.
"The clock strikes midnight, Cinderella," Lili said with a smile.
In a blink, Liliruca's tail and ears were gone, replaced by an ordinary Hobbit.
"Hehehe, he likes you Lili. Let's go!" Bell said pushing Liliruca gently. When Bell gently pushed her away, Lili felt a little nervous, but also grateful for her kindness. Her smile seemed warm and sincere, which made her feel comfortable next to her.
'I can't imagine what it would be like if he didn't like me then…' Lilly thought to herself. She muttered to herself as she continued further into the dungeon, "He really might be a nice guy... He still scares me a little though," she muttered at the end.
"What did you say, Liliruca?" Timer asked with a raised eyebrow.
When Timer called her to ask what she had said, she felt embarrassed for letting her thoughts out loud. She quickly responded with a hasty tone, "NOTHING!!, Lilly didn't say anything Mr. Timer!."
.
.
.
Floor 6
"Now..." Timer constantly dodged the attempts to be cut by dark claws, out of the corner of his eye he saw his brother, they didn't say anything to each other, but they understood the plan.
As the claw tried to cut him Timer moved quickly and severed the War Shadow's arm, leaning down he kicked at the monster's feet and as he fell a knife was inserted into the creature's head. Bell pulled the knife out of him quickly before jumping, when he did another War Shadow attempted to cut him, only for Timer to plunge his knife into his chest.
Suddenly, a War Shadow appeared in front of them, but it ran towards Lilly with a guttural growl. Bell and Timer pounced on him at the same time, their knives flashing. The War Shadow attacked with its long arms and sharp claws against Lili, but Bell and Timer were faster.
Timer lunged at the monster using his shoulder, the blow sending War Shadow back against the wall, the attempt to resist was stopped when Bell's knife ran through it.
The twins smiled and Lili couldn't be more impressed. 'Are they only Lv1?'
Timer's ears detected footsteps, more War Shadows approaching. The War Shadows suddenly appeared from the ends of the corridor, their long arms and sharp claws gleaming in the darkness of the dungeon. Timer and Bell quickly got on their guard, while Lilly stayed behind, searching for some magic stone to use for support.
Crack!
Suddenly, the dungeon wall stretched out and as if it were a membrane it was broken, monsters emerged from within, a large number of War Shadows shot towards them. The scene became terrifying, the number of monsters surrounding the three adventurers made it seem impossible to escape.
"Bell, more are coming."
One by one they approached from the corridors.
"Lili thinks we should go, there are too many!" She cried out in concern.
"Mmm... We're already surrounded, Lili" Bell watched nervously as the exits were sealed.
"Good". Timer ran and covered Liliruca while Bell did the same. "We can handle it, you told me that you just killed several of these things, just do it again and don't let them hit you or else Misha and Eina won't let us come back."
"You do not go-"
"Yes, we will do it". Timer interrupted her. "Please stay away, we'll have your back, Liliruca."
With that and without asking more, the brothers looked at each other once before nodding and starting the fight.
Bell and Timer prepared to face more than a dozen War Shadows that stood in their way deeper into the Dungeon. The monsters moved in the dark, swinging their sharp claws and baring their sharp teeth in an attempt to intimidate the adventurers.
Bell moved into a fighting stance, knife raised, while Timer drew his knife. With a gesture, Timer motioned for Bell to attack the monsters from the front while he would move to the sides to flank them.
Bell charged at the first monster with a battle cry, his sword cutting through the air with a hiss. The War Shadow tried to dodge the attack, but Bell managed to hit her shoulder, causing a deep cut. The War Shadow grunted in pain and charged at Bell ferociously, but the young adventurer managed to dodge and land a blow to her side.
Meanwhile, Timer was moving quickly across the battlefield, looking for the perfect opportunity to attack. He sneaked up on one of the War Shadows, waiting for them to be distracted by Bell's attack. As the monster turned to face Bell, Timer seized the moment to attack from behind. With a swift movement, he plunged his daggers into the monster's back, knocking it to the ground.
"Behind you, Mr. Timer"
Timer managed to hear it, but the monster was already too close to dodge... Alone, not needing to, Timer received the impact with the knife and deflected it, hitting the War Shadow with his free arm, long enough for Bell to stab him. his knife to the head.
The break was quickly interrupted by more War Shadows, the twins stood up and looked at each other once more before nodding. Timer faced a War Shadow, the morning training came to her mind, Ryuu was stronger, comparing these bugs with her was a crime.
"Following my teacher's advice... then...". Timer received the monster's slash attempt, just as the monster applied more force, Timer stopped pressing causing the War Shadows to lose his balance and as he fell he made sure to bury the dagger in the creature's chest.
His ears throbbed, something was coming, behind! Timer didn't care, she let his body fall forward and using his arms she pushed herself up to strike with his feet. The creature crumpled before disappearing.
"Did he just crush his core with a kick?" Lilly muttered in disbelief.
The warrior moved with grace and efficiency, slashing at the shadows with his knife as he parried their blows.
Bell watched with surprised eyes, he tried to imitate it, the movements had the same strength and speed thanks to Soul Bound but there were things that were not transmitted, as with Bell's innate luck, the technique was part of Timer. One of the War Shadows struck him in the shoulder, sending him back in pain. "Watch out Bell!" Timer yelled as he sliced another shadow in two.
Bell focused on his target and struggled to follow Timer's movements. Little by little, he began to improve, avoiding blows and attacking the shadows with his dagger. One by one, the War Shadows began to fall, but more and more kept coming.
Timer was in his element, fighting with a skill that Bell couldn't match. He cut down one shadow after another, moving with grace and ease. But even for him, fighting so many enemies at once was a challenge.
Finally, after an intense fight, the last War Shadows fell. Bell and Timer were tired, but they had survived. "We did it," Bell said, trying to catch her breath. "Are you OK?"
Lili didn't take long to work, quickly gathering all the stones to move from place, the last thing they needed was for more to appear.
Timer nodded, cleaning his knife that Liliruca had given him. It was hard for him to hide his smile, the training with Ryuu was paying off "I wasn't hurt, how are you?" He said with a smile. "I didn't think so many would come out, it must be due to my unfortunate luck
Bell nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the experience. "On the contrary, I'm glad you were here, Timer," he said. "I would have suffered a lot being alone with Lili."
"No problem," Timer replied, patting him on the shoulder. "Well, Liliruca is almost done, it's time to keep going down, so we can get out of this cave quickly."
.
.
.
"That's a lot of money... and we only made it to the 9th floor" Timer looked in amazement at the bags of money they had exchanged.
Bell laughed nervously. "I'm glad I didn't go lower, Eina scolded me a lot when she saw that you still wear the guild armor." Bell tried to hide the shiver from him, but when he looked back Eina was still judging him from the counter.
Timer made a face, "Misha could have mentioned something about that, no wonder she was colder than usual. Well, I just have to go get one, now, let's split the money."
Lilly refrained from saying anything, this was the point where the adventurers showed their true nature. It didn't matter, she was used to it and even if they only gave her a tenth she would be fine, better to be with them than the others.
'In the end, when your options are few, you choose the least bad, don't you?'. Lilly thought to herself as she resigned herself.
"Here, Lily."
The little Hobbit was once again struck by Bell Cranel's warm smile and kind eyes. She was doing it again, being so kind that she was unrealistic, out of the 4 bags full of money, 2 fell into her hands.
"H-h-half" Lilly stammered at this.
Timer nodded, "Without your help we wouldn't have made it this far, you warned us about the War Shadows we couldn't see, you burned the Killer Ant with that magic sword of yours before it attracted the others, you informed us about killing the Purple Moth Before its poison affected us and when we were fighting the Goblins and Lizards on the 7th floor, it was you who warned us about the Blue Papilio that could cure monsters. For all that and for picking up the stones you deserve the pay, Bell could give you this out of the goodness of his heart, but I wouldn't have allowed it, you deserve this because you earned it. Good job, Liliruca.
"Yes! You were amazing, Lili!
Lilly closed her eyes suppressing her wet eyes and clenched her fists, why were they like this. Her chest ached from her, after years of being mistreated she finally found good people, after years of being belittled they finally congratulated her. 'Lili did a good job.'
"Thank you..."
"Hey, Lily. You want to come to dinner with us, of course, only if you want."
Lilly blinked for a moment before denying with a sad smile, she wouldn't push her luck like that. "Maybe another day, Mr. Bell."
"Oh good." He said disappointed before regaining his smile. "Well, tomorrow it will just be us." He said as he put an arm around Timer and pushed him away, Timer trying to break free with a grimace. "Bye Lilly! See you tomorrow!"
Lilly smiled before walking, slowly her smile fell. "This day was wonderful...it's...too good to be true." Being with them felt so different, I was finally happy.
"I hope to enjoy this while it lasts- Argh!"
Suddenly she was slammed to the ground, coins scattered all over the floor. Three figures materialized in front of her. They were the same man who had persecuted her before her for robbing him accompanied by her with members of her family. "What do we have here? Has little Arde found some new fools to steal?" one of them said with a wicked smile.
Lilly tried to back away, but ran into the wall. The three approached her, their intentions clear in her eyes. One of them tried to take the bag of money from her, but Lili pushed it away from her.
"No, it's mine! I earned it!" she yelled, trying to remain calm.
But the three did not stop. One of them punched her in the stomach, causing Lili to double over in pain. Another of hers tried to take the bag from her again, but Lilly held onto it tightly.
"Let her go, brat! You don't deserve this money!" yelled the third, who pounced on her.
Lilly tried to defend herself, but she was too weak. All three were older and stronger than her. One of them punched her on the cheek, causing Lili to see stars. Another of hers grabbed her by her hair and pulled her to the ground.
Lilly was helpless, crying and shaking with fear. The three of them kept trying to take the bag from her, but Lili held onto it with all her might. 'Do I have to escape!'. She tried to run with at least one of her balls, but as she was about to run she was grabbed by her hair and thrown to the ground.
Lilly cringed as the three members of her family approached her. They surrounded her with it, preventing any escape from it. One of them, the tallest and most muscular, began to speak in a hoarse and unpleasant voice.
"Who do you think you are, Arde? Thinking you can get out of here and do something for yourself. You'll never be more than a miserable thief," he said with a mocking laugh. The other two joined in mocking her, insulting her with hurtful and derogatory words. Lilly kept silent, knowing that any answer would only make things worse.
Suddenly, the more muscular one grabbed her by the hair and lifted her off the ground. Lilly cried out in pain as she tried to break free of her grasp, but she was too strong. "What makes you think you deserve this money?" the man said as he spat in her face. "You are nothing, just a poor rat girl."
Boom!
A blow was deposited in her stomach, Lili fought the urge to vomit.
Lilly squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the bitter taste of saliva in her mouth. She tried to breathe, but she couldn't, the tight feeling in her chest was too intense. Finally, she managed to catch her breath with a forced gasping sound. "Come back home, Arde. If you're lucky, maybe we'll let you stay in the basement," the other family member said with a nasty smile. The three of them laughed as they released her and walked away from her, leaving Lili on the ground with tears in her eyes and a bruise on her eye. She felt humiliated and overwhelmed with helplessness.
Lili stayed on the ground, hurt and humiliated. Her hard-earned money was gone in an instant. But what hurt her the most was that Bell wasn't here. I'll take care of you, he had said. Hehehe... I'm a fool, the day had been too good."
Lilly lay there as pain embraced her.
If I had written everything I had planned, the chapter would have been very long, from the following chapters the differences with the canon begin
Regarding the pronouns, he, the. I'm sorry I can't do much about it. I am not an English speaker, I use a page to translate the document to this language and I don't have a beta reader to correct that.