Disclaimer: DanMachi and its original characters are created and owned by Fujino Omori.
Chapter 5: The Dream Yet Forgotten - Chapter Ais
With her hands in her lap, Ais sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor of Loki's room. She took a deep breath as she pressed her palms together, feeling herself shivering.
"No matter what I do, I can't seem to calm my beating heart. No matter if I try to breathe. No matter if I try to sleep. No matter what, I can't seem to stop its drumming rhythm."
Having pulled her shirt up to her nape, she shuddered as she felt the ice-cold drop of ichor touch her back. She felt the warmth of her blood flow through her body, and she clenched her teeth tight whilst squeezing her eyes shut.
"Even still, it feels exhilarating."
The hairs on the back of her head stood on end and she subconsciously flexed her shoulder blades.
"I no longer have that sense of dread. I am no longer confined to that prison within my dreams: stuck endlessly dreaming those dreams that will never come to me. I am no longer shackled by my own indecisiveness- those lame excuses I used to not reach out to my ambitions and to my Destiny with these hands of mine."
Blue light filled the drear room. Sitting by the edge of the bed, Loki's vermillion eyes watched the faint glow radiate from Ais' back. A series of hieroglyphics sprang out at her, shifting and melting as Ais' Falna reacted to the presence of Loki's ichor. The numbers, using the number system of the Ancient Script, shifted, revealing her new Status.
"I am me. Bell is bell. Father is father. Mother is mother. Everyone is themselves. I had tried to deceive myself into believing this to be false."
As still as a statue, Loki peeked through her bangs, watching as the last few symbols shifted into place. Her eyes scanned across the entire array of blue hieroglyphics, studying them carefully. Even as they stopped moving, she continued to stare in a trance, watching them as if transfixed in her own reality.
"The world is unfair- I was trying to run away from that fact, But it is; and that's simply the truth. If it were, I'd be as talented as Bell- I'd be able to match his incredible growth. If it were, I'd be as strong as dad- I'd be as skilled as he was with the blade. If it were, I wouldn't be who I am- I wouldn't be the me who was led astray by mere fanciful dreams."
Pushing her hands forward, Loki pressed her palm against Ais' back, collapsing the Status back into the Falna, sealing it once more. As she lifted her hands away, the only thing that greeted her was the pitch black motif of the Jester, its cruel smile filling her field of view, distorting it.
"The world is unfair: I can accept it, but I cannot blame it for what it is. I am weak, I know that- but so is everyone else. But while I've sat here blindly trying to oppose my weaknesses, others have embraced them."
Ais' golden eyes fluttered open, and she shook away the tremor in her hands, closing them into tight fists.
"Cast away the weapons I cannot possibly wield; train and hone my skills with those weapons I can wield- even if it's only one- to its utmost limit- until it's enough to shatter any defense, defeat any monster, and surpass any fortress."
Quickly averting her gaze, Loki turned her eyes to the desk beside her and gingerly plucked out a piece of parchment. Then, she pressed it against Ais' back. Dragging her fingers down, she smoothing out the page, watching it encompass the Falna. An ink-like substance began etching itself into the parchment, translating and rendering the Status of the Falna in the common language Koine.
With a silent tap on the shoulder, Ais got up, pulled her shirt down over her back, and turned around, pinching the corner of the page and fishing it away from Loki. Her eyes scanned the numbers, noticing the improvements she'd made. Then, moving onto her skills and magic, she noted that nothing changed. Still, satisfied with the Status increase, she nodded quietly to herself and set the parchment down onto the desk. Not long after, she had her back turned to Loki and she moved towards the door, her lips still pressed firmly shut.
Her soft footfalls reverberated in the painful silence, and Loki watched her go under a careful eye. Once the door closed behind Ais with a resounding click, Loki sat up from the bed and neared the desk. Moving slowly to the desk, she plucked up the piece of parchment and ran her gaze through the numbers, and then the skills.
Shifting her hand down and reaching the end of the page, she sat it back down on the desk, her eyes doing another one-over before she finally tore them away.
Her lidded gaze falling to the floor, she collapsed to the bed, and drew her knees to her chin. Pressing her forearm against her forehead, she allowed a gasp to escape her lips.
xxx
Reaching her room quickly, Ais slipped on her chest pieces, shoulder guards, vambraces, and faulds, and slid Desperate into place by her hip. Then, taking a deep breath, she made her way out of the Twilight Manor.
Several minutes later, in the dull smog of the early morning, she neared Central Park. Even through the fog, she allowed her gaze to go up to the Tower of Babel, studying it for a while. Soon after, she made her way to the base and descended into the Dungeon.
Taking the last step up the stone slab stairs, Ais took a moment to look up, gazing at the white labyrinthine walls surrounding her.
Then, she focused her gaze onto the circular arena before her. In the middle was a circular plane, surrounded in all four cardinal directions by a series of steps leading up to several ring-like platforms. Large armies of monsters- Spartoi Warriors, Barbarians, Lizardman Elites, Obsidian Soldiers, Skull Sheeps, and Loup Garous- fought, causing dust to rise, settling around the stadium. Surrounding the arena on all sides, grand rocky pillars shot up into the looming ceiling several dozen meters away. Attached to the platforms on which the foundations of the pillars were built, four bridges were suspended above the chasm below, connecting the outside to the arena. In between that gap- in the ravine- the floors of the chasm were at least 50 meters away, and protruding out from it were several stalagmites. Along the rocky maze, the Peludas weaved their serpentine bodies as their poison-tipped spines allowed them to blend in with their surroundings. Occasionally, from the stadium above, a monster would fall over the edge, plummeting to their deaths as they impaled themselves upon the death waiting below.
This was the Dungeon's Colosseum: the only part of the Dungeon discovered up until this point which broke one of its self-imposed rules. Here, monsters spawned endlessly until a certain maximum was reached. Even if the stadium was damaged, monsters continued spawning, splitting apart the cobblestone platform, and climbing out of the abyss to replace those who perished. And, with nothing else better to do, the bone-weapons of Spartoi Warriors, the meaty fists of Barbarians, the claws of Lizardman Elites, the stygian blades of Obsidian Soldiers, the needle-like projectiles of Skull Sheeps, and the stone daggers of Loup Garous clashed. A cacophony of shattering rocks and metal reached the Sword Princess' ears, and she listened with her eyes closed, feeling each vibration hitting her body from each skirmish.
Of course, since she was on the 37th floor, the monsters just across the bridge were level 4, maximum. However, even in a city populated with first class adventurers, who, individually, could easily wipe the floor with any monster in the stadium, the Dungeon's Colosseum had a fearsome reputation. Because, while an adventurer would eventually deplete their stamina, the Dungeon suffered from no such weakness.
Even as the adventurer eventually succumbed to the limits of their mortal body, hordes of monsters arose, seemingly born from the ashes of their predecessors. Although distinct monsters with distinct lives and memories, their purposes are undoubtedly interconnected: almost like a hivemind, their only objective is to defeat any new challenger who steps into the Colosseum.
This reputation was so fearsome, in fact, that those who came down to the 37th floor opted instead to take the longer route: to traverse the maze-like White Palace rather than crossing past the Warrior's Room through the Colosseum.
Any adventurer who dared cross the boundary between the White Palace and the Dungeon's Colosseum could only be described as brave, but certainly more so foolish.
Even still, as her hand gripped the scabbard of Desperate, Ais took a step forward, her golden eyes filled with such icy steel that it itself was like a blade.
And, the moment her leather boots met the rope-suspended bridge connecting the four cardinal gates to the stadium, the fighting stopped, as if a pin had dropped. The empty sockets of the Spartoi Warriors and the Skull Sheeps, the bloodshot eyes of the Barbarians, the slitted irises of the Lizardman Elites and the Loup Garous, the purple glow behind the helmets of the Obsidian Soldiers all turned to look at her, watching her every movement. Below, even the Peludas stopped, arching their snake-like backs to glance upwards. Poison oozed from the spines protruding from their back and the crimson glow of fire spewed out from their gaping maw.
However, Ais never stopped her approach and simply continued.
"The strongest are the ones who remain standing- only the strongest. To remain standing- to be the last one standing. That's all I need; that's all I'll ever need. That fake pat on the shoulder. That fake smile. And those fake words saying 'it's all right; you've done your best'. I don't need any of that."
She drew her blade, freeing Desperate from its sheath.
"This sword, here, in my hand, is all I need."
Her grip tightened around the hilt of her blade, allowing her to quell the trembling in her hands which spawned from her fervorous, beating heart.
"Conquer the Colosseum? I'll do it, and I'll be the first."
Almost as if hearing her declaration, the monsters charged, trampling one another to reach the bridge. Dust scattered, layering the air with the heavy smog which settled over the arena. The stadium floors cracked as more monsters replaced those who had died in the stampede.
"Come at me."
She felt her heart roaring in her ears, and she raised her blade, brandishing its wicked point.
"To be free is to be strong."
With a silver flash, Desperate broke past the glassy blade of the Obsidian Soldier and carved into its black chestplate, shattering it to pieces.
Then, strafing sideways just as a Spartoi Warrior's bone-made lance pierced the air where she once was, Ais brought her rapier around for a thrust into the rib cage of her opponent, destroying its magic stone.
Continuing along, she dived just as a series of Skull Sheep needles sunk into the arena. Flourishing Desperate and taking a knee, she parried the projectiles aimed at her before pushing off and ripping through the soft cloak of the monster, exposing and fracturing the monster crystal with a sweeping cut of her blade.
Planting her right foot firmly against the ground, she turned around, bringing her rapier up and parried a series of attacks from a Barbarian, a Loup Garou, and a Lizardman Elite. Stepping inwards and side-stepping a barrage of blows, she thrusted Desperate forward and pierced the windpipe of the Barbarian, causing a fountain of ash to spew outwards.
Then, tearing her blade out, she rushed forward and locked weapons with the Lizardman Elite. Forcing the monster off balance, she tore through the scaly belly. The monster took a knee, collapsing and flaking to dust.
Finally, with a single upwards strike, she severed the attacking arm of the approaching Loup Garou before plunging Desperate into its chest, crushing the magic stone which lay within.
"Then, this blade of mine, I'll hone it and sharpen it until it can cut through anything standing in my way. I'll tear apart those onyx bars holding me in this cage. I'll reduce them to scrap, and then, in the open air, I'll spread my wings-"
Stopping for a moment, she readied her blade as she scanned her golden eyes around her, their sharp gaze digging into the surrounding platform.
"-and fly."
She watched as the monsters, too, prepared themselves for battle.
"Come, monsters. Come and become sustenance for my blade. You will be the first of many stepping stones for my freedom."
The Loup Garous and Lizardman Elites got onto all four legs, ready to pounce. The Obsidian Soldiers, Spartoi Warriors, and Barbarians crouched themselves low, ready to charge. The Skull Sheeps hung back, spreading their needle cloaks wide, opening up for a full broadside.
"I'll kill, kill, kill, kill, kill you all-"
Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw it, and she lunged forward. Following the flowing golden hair weaving its way through the arena, she cut down any monster in her way, sending clouds of ash scattering across the arena.
A flash of golden ripped through the cloak of a Skull Sheep. The tattered remains fluttered to the floor before dissipating to dust. From the debris, a Spartoi Warrior wielding a lance stepped forward to meet her, thrusting with its blade. She quickly sidestepped, easily parrying the blow and countered, making a thrust other own, defeating the monster.
Rushing past, she wiped her blade diagonally upwards in a silver arc, slashing a wide gash along a Barbarian's chest. Stepping forward with tempo, she stamped her foot against the arena floor, coming to a full stop just as her path was blocked by a trio of two Lizardman Elites and one Loup Garou.
In her peripheral, she saw those gold strands growing ever more distant, being blocked by the bodies of the monsters clumping together.
She only stopped for a brief moment. With only a millisecond delay, she stepped forward once more and pivoted past the bodies of the monsters blocking her path. Desperate traced several crescents in the air, carving into the chest and guts of the monsters.
Even still, more monsters simply replaced the ones that had fallen: a fissure webbed through the platform, and a Spartoi Warrior burst from the ground and swung their blade in a wide sweep. Ais ducked under the blow, angling Desperate for a devastating thrust before lunging forward against the horde of monsters who were crawling and clawing their way out from the ruptured cobblestone arena.
She leapt up and plunged her rapier deep into the chest of a Loup Garou. Then, planting the balls of her feet firmly on the monster's chest, she sprung off and twisted around for a slash which tore apart the coat of a Skull Sheep.
Landing with incredible speed, she fell into a roll, avoiding a leaping blow from a Barbarian, shattering the arena floor where it slammed its whole body into the platform.
Swiftly taking a knee, she swept her eyes around the arena, seeing through the crowding masses that flicker of gold, and flourished her blade around to deflect several Skull Sheep needles, sending them scattering. Then, as more needles came, she leapt forward into the mob, taking momentary defense from the ranged attackers.
Unbothered by the monsters pushing their way to crowd around her, she moved her arms in all six degrees of freedom, sending the blade flashing in all directions, striking at the vitals of the monsters who got too close, taking them down in one cut.
Stepping forward, she blade came up to deflect the thrusting lance of a Spartoi Warrior. She easily launched a counterattack, shattering the monster's rib cage.
Then, a Lizardman Elite attempting to wrestle her to the ground had its neck pierced. It stumbled backwards, and, quickly shifting her weight sideways towards the monster, Ais slammed her shoulder into its chest and shoved it back into the monster party, disrupting their ranks and causing many others to fall.
Through the shifting bodies of the monsters stampeding over their fallen brethren, she saw the faintest hints of gold, and she gravitated towards that vibrant tint.
She turned sideways and parried the downwards strike from the Loup Garou, shattering its stone, claw-like daggers. Disengaging briefly, she pivoted, strafing away from a Barbarian's grapple. Then, dashing forward out of the crowd, she avoided several attacks: a diagonal cut from a Spartoi Warrior and a salvo of needles from two Skull Sheeps.
She slid on the floor and quickly rolled onto her knees, raising her blade and raising it against the monsters. Then, diving sideways, she got into a low crouch, carving Desperate through the air in several wide arcs and slicing apart the ankles and shins of the monsters, sending them crashing to the ground and allowing them to be crushed by the other monsters running over them.
However, as more crawled from the arena platform, taking their place, she pressed forward to meet their approach, advancing with tempo. She, herself, and her blade, weaved in and out of the mob, piercing the monsters' vitals with a delicate precision only attributed to a seamstress.
In the blink of an eye, the path opened, catching sight of the figure, who's golden hair fluttered in all directions, standing at the center of the monsters. However, in the next instant, her view was blocked.
Then, a near-silent crack alerted her to danger below. She stepped to the side quickly, avoiding a series of bone lances bursting from the ground, being held by newly born Spartoi Warriors taking the place of their fallen monster allies.
Several deadly flashes of silver surrounded her as her blade leapt from enemy to enemy. She cuts down a barrage of needles sent her way, tracing two semi-circles in the air.
Then, lunging forward, she plunged Desperate into the chest of a Loup Garou. Unable to stop her forward momentum, the both of them stumbled forward, and, before the monster could turn to dust, she shoved the corpse against several monsters, momentarily disorienting them. Just as the Loup Garou exploded into debris, her blade buzzed in a flurry of strikes. Thrusts pierced into the chests of Obsidian Soldiers and Lizardman Elites; gashes were cut into the torsos of Barbarians and into the cloaks of Skull Sheeps; the heads of Spartoi Warriors and Loup Garous went flying, as well as a substantial amount of ash.
So much so, that it served as a good distraction as she crouched down, stabilizing her by allowing her left hand to press against the ground, tightening her grip on her blade, quickly recuperating and catching her breath. Then, shifting her body up, she pivots backwards to trade blows with a squad of Spartoi Warriors, her blade moving in a blur of motion, meeting their attacks with a methodical rhythm.
Alert to danger behind her, she turned back violently, stopping a Lizardman Elite in its tracks and disengaging quickly to sidestep a pouncing Loup Garou.
Bringing her blade across her torso, she dashed forward. Desperate made a clean horizontal slash against the Barbarian's neck. As the monster began falling backwards, Ais leapt onto its torso, finding solid footing and kicked off.
With terrifying agility and precision, she hopped from one body to the next, seemingly walking atop the hordes of monsters. A series of heads tumbled through the air in her wake as she decapitated every monster in her way before using their decaying bodies as stepping stones.
Still gliding through the air, her eyes lock onto her target: a flash of sparkling, silky golden hair. Maneuvering her path, she continued leaping from monster to monster, chasing after the golden flashes lurking beneath the sea of monsters.
Then, finally, successfully reaching her target, she immediately changed course. Her boots dug into the rib cage of the Spartoi Warrior she used as a footstool, shattering its bones and leaving debris where she once was.
Dashing downwards, she brought Desperate into a powerful thrust. Like a javelin, she was hurled into the ground with a deafening crash. Chunks of cobblestone flew from the platform's surface. Any monster who was caught in the impact zone turned to dust. Any monster not caught in the impact zone was immediately cut down as she sent her blade into a frenzy. Her blade carved away at flesh, tore through wool, fractured bones, and shattered armour. Debris and ash were sent flying everywhere.
And through that shower of dust, Ais opened her eyes, sweeping them around the small circle of monster gore she had created. Then, as they settled on the figure standing just a few paces away, she watched as a young girl, dressed in light, plated armour, and with a shortsword strapped to her back, gave her a wide-eyed smile.
The girl's lips parted, and silent words were spoken: "do you think that's enough, Ais?"
The two of them remained like that for a passing moment. Their eyes met: their golden irises holding each other.
"A blade to reap. To reap, and reap, and to purge this world of those vile monsters. Such is the Sword Princess' decree."
Then, turning away, young Ais skipped, without a care in the world, into the hordes of monsters, disappearing behind them once more. The monsters themselves, of course, could not see the apparition moving aimlessly among them. Instead, they turned their undivided attention to the lone swordswoman, studying and watching her every move- waiting for her blade to flash upwards once more.
As Ais' steel gaze went up to meet the glares of the monsters, she tightened her grip around Desperate. She felt the sweat running down her brow and dripping from her chin. She could feel the heat radiating off from her back and shoulders.
"You're in the way."
As if hearing her thoughts, the monsters charged and she lunged forward to meet them.
"Get out of the way."
Her blade traced deadly silver arcs through the air, cutting down anything that came into its path.
"Get out of my way."
Her eyes burned with fury. Her teeth ground together, making a dangerous creak.
"You're in my way. Move-!"
The only things left in her wake were drop items, piles of dust, and shattered magic stones.
Grimacing and turning to her side, Ais' golden eyes fluttered open. Shifting around, she brought a hand to her face as she sat up, rubbing the fatigue from her eyes and flipping over the blanket. As she shuffled herself off the edge of the bed, her hands fell to the hem of her pajamas, fiddling with the buttons of her flannel shirt.
In the pale moonlight seeping through the curtained window, she made her way through her room, avoiding the pieces of armour and bundles of clothes scattered across the cold, wooden floorboards. Crawling at a slow pace to her desk, she retrieved the scabbard of Desperate, and, carrying it with her, began her journey to the door.
Reaching the door, she reached down and gently twisted the knob, easing it open, and stepping out into the dimly lit hallways of the girls' dormitory. The door clicked shut behind her and she began navigating the intersecting corridors, moving from magic stone lamp to magic stone lamp until she reached the stairs.
Holding firmly onto the railing, she began her descent: one step, two steps, three, and four, until she arrived at the bottom. Then, wandering through another set of hallways, she eventually reached the pavilion leading to the courtyard, and stepped out, feeling the cold rush of air surrounding her, as well as the soft drizzle of rain.
Her golden hair swayed in the wind and she continued through the soft, and slightly damp grass of the courtyard on her bare feet until she reached the large oak tree standing resolutely at the center of the field.
Another gust of wind rushed past, causing the leaves to rustle. Ais stared blankly for a brief moment, stuck in a pensive trance, before she moved her right hand to the hilt of her blade.
Drawing Desperate, the rapier made a ringing rasp as it was freed from its scabbard. Quickly setting down the sheath, she turned and opened her stance, raising her guard in the process.
In the silence of the night, only the rustling of the wind playing against the leaves, the pitter patter of the light rain, and the occasional chirping of a nesting bird, could be heard.
As she took a deep breath in, and exhaled a deep breath out, she began taking a step forward, and she raised her arm over her head, prepared to strike-
She stopped in her tracks, and she lowered her blade slowly, turning around to face the apparition of her younger self, still dressed in her armour, and still with her shortsword strapped to her back.
The two golden sets of irises met as rain continued to fall, growing more intense with each passing moment. The wind brushed past the both of them, enveloping them in the cold, autumn night breeze.
"Do not forget the reason you fight, Ais."
Strands of golden hair billowed in the open air, illuminated by the pale moonlight.
"Do not forget the reason you wish to become stronger, Ais."
The pace of the wind grew, but was silent against the echoes in her mind.
"Do not forget the reason you wield that blade, Ais."
The rain soaked down her back, seeping into her pajamas. She shuddered as she felt the coldness lance down her spine.
"Do not forget the reason you possess authority over those winds, Ais."
Finally, breaking the stalemate, young Ais stepped forward, holding out her arms.
"I am your ambition- your salvation- your desire- your everything. I will be your Hero, A-"
"-is."
Tearing her gaze away from her younger self, she swept it around the courtyard. Illuminated by the moonlight, she made out the striding figure of the High Elf.
Within a few seconds, Riveria stood just an arm's reach away, and she covered the girl in a towel, shielding her from the rain. "You shouldn't be out so late. You need to rest if you want to go to the Dungeon again tomorrow, right?" She moved just another step closer to close the distance between them. Grabbing the towel, she brushed along Ais' scalp, drying her hair and wiping the frigid rainwater away from her cheeks.
Then, crouching down, she picked up the empty scabbard, holding it out for Ais. The girl faltered for a moment, and then, she hesitantly moved her hand to accept the piece of hollow leather.
"Come on, let's head back inside and get to sleep. There's a long day ahead of us both, hmm?"
Her breath coming and going easily, Ais simply dipped her head. In her quiet voice, she responded: "yes, let's."
"Awaken, Tempest."
With the green wind curling around her body, Ais stepped sideways to avoid the grapple of a Barbarian. Quickly initiating a counter attack, she drove Desperate forward into the chest of the monster, turning it to dust. Then, just as a Loup Garou took its place, she retreated her blade and raised it to parry the stone dagger before bringing her rapier around in a slash, cutting down the shoulder of the monster, carving out its magic stone.
Leaping upwards as two Lizardman Elites pounced, she brought her blade up and over, using the torque of the wind to rotate herself. With two deadly arcs of silver, Desperate came down like a guillotine and decapitated both, sending two heads to bounce off the cobblestone floor. With another flash of silver, the rapier pierced down the windpipe of one of the decapitated Lizardman Elites, shattering its magic stone. Landing softly on the balls of her feet, her blade came around horizontally, crushing the other lizard monster's core.
Immediately upon her landing, three Spartoi Warriors closed in from all sides. She quickly dropped her weight to the floor and dove out of the way as a collection of three bone weapons all whizzed past where her afterimage had been. Rolling onto her knees, she flourished her blade and cut horizontally, severing the knee joint of one of the Spartoi Warriors. It collapsed to the ground and she stood up using the force of Ariel, sweeping Desperate upwards, using the momentum of the monster's fall and the vibrations of her magic to fracture its rib cage.
Quickly spinning around, the wind wrapped around her, shielding her from the attack of the other two Spartoi Warriors. The first Spartoi who got too close was exposed to the full brunt of the rotating storm, having its skeletal arms blown off from the impact. Ais quickly turned around with Ariel propelling her movement, and struck. Her blade easily tore through the cervical spine of the monster, and she immediately lunged to the other. The magic coated Desperate snaked through the openings of the rib cage and crushed the magic stone within.
As the two monsters dissipated into ash, she pivoted, turning to face the approaching monsters and closed her guard. The winds folded around her, a rotating fortress forming, dragging along the dust and debris scattered across the platform.
Seemingly not understanding the threat, a Lizardman Elite pounced and she stepped forward, meeting its attack head-on. Swinging her blade horizontally, it slipped through the monster's own guard, and a thick gash was cut into its chest, stopping as it sank into the Lizardman's flesh. Dust burst out from the wound, but the blade coating Desperate simply carved deeper into the laceration, eventually fracturing the monster crystal.
With her blade free, she retreated immediately, and swiftly sidestepped while parrying a coordinated attack from two Obsidian Soldiers. She deflected the first blow, sending it to the side, and bound the second, pressing down with her wind. Both monsters, now having their guard completely defeated, were easily cut down, as the blunt force from Ariel smashed into their onyx helmets.
Taking the place of the two defeated monsters, a collection of two Spartoi Warriors, one Loup Garou, and one Skull Sheep approached from behind, attempting to attack out of her peripheral.
Pivoting and turning around quickly, she stepped forward to meet their attack. Several flashes of black slipped past as a series of Skull Sheep needles grazed past, having been deflected by the wind shielding her in its embrace.
Bringing Desperate up, it met the Loup Garou as it rushed forward and pounced. With incredible agility, she sidestepped and slipped past the attack. Swiftly, she brought her rapier up and drove it sideways through the torso of the wolf monster.
Then, a Spartoi Warrior stepped in and swung its blade down. She dodged, ducking diagonally downwards and wiped her blade upwards, splitting the monster symmetrically into two. Killing her momentum by kicking her foot firmly against the arena, she left an afterimage as she veered sideways to avoid the thrusting lance of another skeletal monster, and counter attacked with a thrust of her own, sending its head flying and tumbling away using the force of Ariel.
However, she never stopped moving, and she became a blur as an Obsidian Soldier approached with a horizontal slash. Leaping upwards, she felt herself being enveloped by her wind, and it carried her up and over the wide sweeping attack. Upside-down in the air, the torque from the hurricane allowed her to reciprocate with a horizontal slash of her own- which struck true as the monster immediately collapsed, crashing to the arena floor and turning to ash.
Being carried by her wind, she did a full flip, becoming right-side-up again and falling. But, a flicker through the scattering dust caught her eye. She nearly flinched back as a series of spiraling black needles pierced and swept away the debris. The gentle embrace of Ariel pulled Ais out of the way, ripping her out of the air and sending her tumbling to the ground.
She gasped as she hit the floor, quickly manipulating her wind to cushion her fall. Skipping across the cobblestone floor, Ariel spiraled around her, desperately trying to stabilize her motion.
And at last, it did so, the wind flaring out on all sides as Ais dropped to her hands and knees. She allowed a pent up, ragged breath to escape her mouth. Sweat trickled down from her cheek, dripping onto the platform. Brushing the damp hair plastered to her face away, she pushed herself onto her legs, keeping her eyes attentive to any approaching monsters. And, tightening her grip around Desperate, she raised it in a defensive position. Ariel folded around both her and the blade, swirling around to form a cyclone.
In response, two Spartoi spearmen closed in from the front, an Obsidian Soldier and three Barbarians attacked from behind, and a collection of Loup Garous and Lizardman Elites pincered from both sides.
Pivoting around and widening her field to view, she swept her eyes around, watching each of the advancing monsters carefully. The pace of the wind picked up, scattering the piles of ash and debris settled on the ground.
The monsters surrounding her approached, charging in groups on all sides.
She ducked sideways under a lance thrust and found solid footing, using that as a foundation to spring back up, bringing her Ariel coated Desperate around in a series of devastating blows, knocking back a pack of Loup Garous who pounced too close. Then, turning around frantically, she raised her rapier to bind an Obsidian Soldier's stygian longsword, before quickly shoving them away and deflecting the claws of a Lizardman Elite.
Stepping forward, she easily bypassed the lizard monster's defenses, taking off its claws and eventually its head. However, in that instant, she felt the meaty arms of the Barbarian grab her waist and in the next instant, she felt weightless. Twisting her torso and aiming her elbow down, she slammed it squarely against the monster's temple, dazing it for a brief moment, which allowed her to break free and escape.
With Ariel still swirling around her, but dissipating fast, she ducked through the hordes of monsters, shoving herself against them and using the wind to push them away. Her blade made restricted, yet refined movements, slicing through anything and everything as she cut a way out.
However, in the chaos of her struggle through the monster horde, she felt pain flare up her leg and lance up her spine. She collapsed to one knee and held herself steady with her other arm as her jaw locked shut. Whipping her head back, she saw the blood trickling from her calf where a bone spear had punctured right through her leg.
Then, yet another sharp pain caused her to lurch forward. She flexed her shoulder blades as she felt tiny needles digging into the exposed flesh of her back.
There, on her knees and elbows with her head down, several monsters approached, crowding around and readying their weapons for the final blow.
Grinding her molars, Ais lifted her head up, planting her chin on the cobblestone floor-
And, in that instant, through the tiniest of slivers between the approaching monsters, she saw, once more, that flash of gold- that flash of gold that was her salvation.
"Awaken, Tempest."
The green winds around her strengthened, speeding up and sharpening into wicked stakes.
The Spartoi Warriors had their rib cages split open and the Skull Sheeps had their cloaks shredded to nothing.
The helmets of the Obsidian Soldiers were shattered and the windpipes of the Barbarians were crushed.
The snouts of the Loup Garous were punctured and the jaws of the Lizardman Elites were smashed.
The debris and ash scattered outwards, propelled by the wind.
And, in the center of that chaos, two figures: an older teen was on her knees, supporting herself with her left arm, and, standing in front of her, a younger girl raised her arms slowly. The young girl reached out to cup the cheeks of the older teen. Her face was lifted up, and their eyes met: their golden irises held each others' gazes.
Ais' cheeks felt hot and she felt the drumming of her heartbeat in her ears, spreading even to her temple. She felt the pain of her leg and back disappear, as did the fatigue.
Around them, the impenetrable fortress of wind swirled, tearing apart any monster that dared approach.
"Kill them, Ais."
The wind responded to the young girl's words. The mist curled around her body- around her wrists and ankles.
"You're not done. Not until the Colosseum has been conquered. Not until those winds of yours are powerful enough to save Mother. Not until that blade is strong enough to avenge Father."
The echoing howls of the Loup Garous, the ominous groans of the Obsidian Soldiers, the whimpering bleats of the Skull Sheeps, the grunts of the Barbarians, the snarls of the Lizardman Elites, the grinding rasp of the Spartoi Warriors were lost against the raging storm of Ais' Ariel.
"Kill them, Ais. Kill them and become stronger. Become strong enough to defeat the Dragon, and you'll be a Hero, Ais. Just like Father; just like Bell."
The tempest enclosed the entire Colosseum, expanding outwards and tearing apart anything in its path.
"Don't you want that, Ais?"
xxx
Trudging along, following her younger self who walked before her, her heavy boots fell rhythmically in a limping pace.
Sweat caked her face and soaked into her clothes: feeling cool on her skin. The bandages wrapped around her left calf and torso were lightly stained with her blood. Her breathing came out uneven- sometimes slow and deep, other times fast and shallow. Underneath her, her legs trembled from pain and exhaustion, and her arms felt numb, yet Desperate, which was still in her right hand, felt as light as air.
Keeping her half-lidded eyes on the form of her younger self, she continued navigating the labyrinthine maze of the White Palace, working her way through forks and dead-ends until she finally, after many, many minutes, reached her destination.
Taking a small break, she leaned herself against the large, pale circular wall, feeling the smooth, cold stone surface press into her skin. Wiping her sweat away and turning her head, she watched as her younger self walked past the gates. Following the child with her eyes, Ais peered into the empty chamber, her gaze running along the length of the vacant marble throne belonging to the 37th floor's Monster Rex, Udaeus. This was, quite unsurprisingly named, the 37th floor's Throne Room, the central chamber which led down to the 38th floor.
Letting a deep breath escape her chest, she tore her eyes away and squeezed them shut. Then, giving herself another moment to calm down, she followed after young Ais, eventually making her way behind the throne where a spiral staircase led deeper into the Dungeon.
Ais saw that young Ais had stopped, crouching over the railing and peering down. After a while, looking up, young Ais smiled, and reached out her hand.
The voice echoed in her head: "let's go, Ais. Until the Dragon has been slain, until the monsters crawling within these depths have been exterminated, let's keep getting stronger. Strong enough so we can protect those we love- strong enough so we will never lose those we love again."
And there, the little girl with her hand stretched out, and the older girl with her arms limp by her side, a proclamation was made, and a choice was given. Their gazes met, and as Ais' golden eyes swept across the sight of her younger self in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a little bit sad. And, almost for no reason at all, she felt a few words come to her. She didn't really know if they were her own, or if she had read or heard them from somewhere, but, nonetheless, as her hand tightened on the grip of Desperate, she began reciting those lines:
*"To be or not to be, that is the question."
She stepped forward towards her younger self. Young Ais reached out her hand more, awaiting the union with her older self.
"Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them."
Her sharp footfalls were silent against the echo of those words. Everything- Time, Space, and Sound- seemed to freeze.
"To die- to sleep, no more."
Her golden eyes bore into the form of her younger self. The sharp, icy steel in her gaze was indistinguishable from the wicked point of Desperate.
"And by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished."
She felt her stomach churn, swimming with dread.
"To die, to sleep; to sleep, perchance to dream-"
Yet her breathing came out regularly.
"-ay, there's the rub."
Raising a hand to her breastplate, she felt her heart beating against her chest, threatening to break out.
"For in that sleep of death what dreams may come?"
Her face contorted into a painful grimace.
"When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause- there's the respect that makes calamity of so long life."
Biting down on her lips to stop the chattering of her teeth, blood began to drip from the corners of her mouth.
"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, the pangs of despised love, the law's delay, the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of th'unworthy takes, when she herself might her quietus make with a bare bodkin?"
A few paces away, young Ais watched, her golden eyes holding a reflection of Ais' approaching form.
"Who would fardels bear, to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death: the undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will, and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?"
As the distance between them grew shorter, Ais finally lifted her right arm. The silver point of Desperate was raised; the length of the rapier marked the separation between them.
"Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all, and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, and enterprises of great pith and moment with this regard their currents turn awry-"
Even closer they became, and Ais' left hand reached out.
"-and lose the name of action."*
Her left hand lifted young Ais' chin; and her right hand held Desperate: it's silver, narrow blade hung delicately and precariously above the young girl's pitch-black pupil.
Still as a statue, and that smile long gone, young Ais' gaze met Ais' irises.
"Will you kill me too, Ais?"
There was no response, but young Ais' eyes demanded such an answer.
"Who was it that made you strong? Me. Who was it that taught you to cut with your blade? Me. Who was it that gave you a chance? Me. What would you be now if it weren't for me? What would you be now if it weren't for the blood on my hands?" The young girl's face contorted into fury. "Everything I do is for your sake! What would you be now if it weren't for everything I've endured- everything I've been through- everything I've suffered!? Answer me, Ais-!"
"Call my name, Ais." That same dreaded, raspy voice came once more, lancing through Ais' mind.
Yet, her face held no emotion, Desperate remained suspended in mid-air, poised to strike.
In response to her silence, the voice called out again: "call my name and you can be free."
Finally, Ais allowed a sigh to escape her lips. "I've already made my decision, so there's no point trying to stress over it. In fact, the more I think about it, the more it fills me with dread. Should I do this? Should I do that? What should I do? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know…" Her grip on Desperate shook; her whole body quivered. "There's only one thing I do know…"
She felt cold hands wrap around her face, clawing at her cheeks. Then, sliding down her face, they closed around her neck, squeezing tight. She heard the laboured breaths against her ear. It felt suffocating, and yet she continued breathing, and her heart continued beating.
"...either I die, or I lose myself."
"My name, Ais. Let's become one. Call my name and I'll make you strong- strong enough to do whatever it is you desire- strong enough so you'll never have regrets." The voice paused for a moment, releasing the icy grip on her neck. "Don't you want that? A life without regrets?"
Ais closed her eyes, hearing that dreaded voice in her ears- it was dreaded, and yet it also felt soothing. "Yes, that sounds nice… I want to live; I want to be free; I don't want to regret; I don't want those sad memories; I only need the good ones."
"Then, let's."
There was silence. And then, the quaking and trembling in her arms ceased.
"That's right; I've already made my decision… In order to never have regrets-"
"Awaken, Tempest-"
The wind surrounded her, wrapping around her body-
"-today is the day I die."
"-Avenger."
-and wisped black.
"One."
Driving Desperate forward, the thin blade penetrated young Ais' eye socket, appearing on the other side of her skull. Though, young Ais' face bore no hint of shock- only remorse.
"Two."
Ripping the blade from her head, Ais cut upwards diagonally, carving a crescent through the air. The force of the blow sent young Ais tumbling backwards, falling onto her side.
Writhing and clawing at the cobblestone floor, young Ais staggered onto her knees. Clasping a hand over her left eye, the young girl got onto shaky legs and drew her own blade.
"Three."
Nonetheless, advancing with tempo, Ais brought the blade around for a downwards slash, splitting open young Ais' sternum.
"Four."
With a flash of deadly silver, Ais' blade broke past the flimsy armour and weak guard, sinking into young Ais' chest, puncturing the right lung.
"Five."
Stepping forward and grabbing onto young Ais' golden locks, Ais ripped her blade out, tearing through the liver and gut, and force the girl to stagger forward.
"Six."
Wiping her blade downwards in a violent arc, Desperate cleaved off the girl's left leg, sending the severed limb bouncing off the ground. With the girl already off balance, Ais pulled on her hair and sent her stumbling, collapsing to the ground. It was all young Ais could do to prop herself up with her elbows.
"Seven. Eight."
Two more flashes of silver descended, carving into the girl's exposed back. The first ran along the left shoulder blade, and the second down the spine. Young Ais collapsed to the floor fully, her hands clawing at the cobblestone- her nails gouging out grooves into the rocky surface.
As she tried to bring herself back up onto her elbows, there was a sudden, quick, sharp pain, and she felt something crush her rib cage. Before she could figure out what it was, she was sent tumbling along the ground, rolling before coming to a stop, laying on her scraped, raw back.
Then, a weight dropped onto her chest, causing a squeak to escape.
"Nine."
Desperate descended, carving into the young girl's pelvis.
"Ten."
Rising, then falling, the biting edge of Ais' rapier, separated the left forearm from the tricep.
"Eleven."
Shifting to the other side, Desperate ripped through the right deltoid, severing the right arm from the shoulder entirely. The blade came up, and wound through the air, tracing an arc.
"Twelve."
With a quick swipe of the blade, the sword came across horizontally across the neck, mangling the windpipe. A silent cry was torn from the girl's ruptured throat.
Her blade finally coming to a stop, Ais swept her gaze across the girl beneath her boot. A vertical gash and two horizontal lacerations split open the chest and gut. Her right eye was wide, whilst her left was marked simply by a blackened void. Her mouth sucked in plentiful amounts of air, though most of it was lost to the tear in her trachea where her neck was incised. The torn muscle fibers of her left tricep, right delt, and left calf were frayed, having more so been ripped apart than cleanly cut.
Her eyes finally lifting up once more to the face, Ais allowed a sigh to escape her lips, and kneeled over the girl, bringing the wicked point of Desperate to young Ais' right eye.
There was a brief moment of silence.
With her hair plastered over her face, young Ais' eyes bore into the face of her older self. Through those laboured breaths, she uttered: "I am your ambition, Ais. Everything you've done up to this point- everything you've yet to do- will you throw it all away? Will you kill me and give up your salvation?"
Still as a statue, Ais made no reply.
A smile spread out on young Ais' face. "A 'life of no regrets'? I know of no such thing." Allowing her fate to befall her, her lips parted to issue her final words: "end me, forget about me, and put me to rest."
"Thirteen."
Desperate descended, and plunged into the right eye.
And there, with sweat dashing her brow and dripping down her chin, she kneeled above the limp body of her younger self. She remained fixed in that position, her right hand within the knuckle guard of the rapier, and her other hand around the guard. Allowing her hair to cascade over her shoulders, she pressed her temple to the pommel of the blade, exhaling a deep breath.
After a while, Ais, slowly stirring into motion, allowed her hands to fall away from her sword.
"Before, I had been mistaken-"
Desperate clattered to the ground.
"-mistaken and foolish enough to believe that I could have what I wanted."
She fell forward, barely holding herself up with her shaky arms.
"There, I've done it."
Her eyes rolled up her head.
"I've gotten rid of my happiness."
Collapsing to the floor, the air around her rapidly ate away at her body heat.
"I've gotten rid of my ambition."
Her breathing grew shallow and her heartbeat weak.
"I want to be a Heroine, but I don't need to be a Heroine; I want to be someone special, but I don't need to be anyone special; I want to be loved by someone; but I don't need that love- I just want my Mother back… I need my Mother back…"
Then, just before everything went dark-
"The world is truly unfair."
Pitch black consumed her consciousness, and made her unaware of the approaching footsteps.
"Oh, you poor thing." A hand dipped down, grabbing the teen by the hair and pulling her up. Half lidded, deep violet eyes ran up-and-down her bruised, scraped, and damp body. "How pitiful."
A sigh escaped her lips as she crouched down and slung the girl over her shoulder. "But, I suppose this is the path you've chosen, so the only thing to do now is to commit to it, and to never stray from it."
With the girl slung over her arms, she moved away from the throne, exiting where she came, and leaving the lifeless corpse of the younger girl behind. "I cannot be the judge of your life no more than you cannot be the judge of another's. Trust in yourself, and in who you are. Know who you are, because you are you and nobody else."
A smile crept to her face and she turned her eyes to look at the girl.
"So, tell me, Ais: who are you? And who will you become?"
The room was surrounded by the soft, blue glow, illuminating the two figures who sat by the side of the bed. Loki had her eyes fixated on the shimmering runes on Ais' back; they shifted under her gaze, and, watching as they fizzled away, being replaced by a new set of hieroglyphics, she bit her lips and furrowed her brows. Abruptly, they stopped moving, clicking into place, and Loki snatched a piece of parchment from her desk and covered the Status. The glow dissipated, retreating into the markings on Ais' back.
Finally, Loki peeled the paper off, giving it one good look-over before handing it off to Ais.
In a trance, Ais skimmed through the sheet. Loki, just an arm's reach away, watched the girl with her vermillion eyes, observing her facial expressions and body movements.
Eventually, satisfied with the results, Ais folded the page into a little card and placed it back onto the desk. Without a word, she got up from her seated position and made her way to the door.
Exiting, she strode down the hall to her own room, and entered. Making her way to the closet, she grabbed her jacket, slipping it on and buttoning up the front. Within moments, she had exited the front gates of the Twilight Manor.
xxx
Taking her time, she felt the breeze caress her face- it was chilly, yet refreshing- and it made her raise her shoulders, retreating into the warmth of her jacket. She made her way through the side streets of the North-Northwest District of Orario, retreating to her quiet place atop the high, lonesome walls.
Lost in her own thoughts and subconsciously putting one foot in front of the other, it wasn't until she had reached the top when the sound of footsteps reached her ears. She strained them to listen more closely, hearing a smooth, continuous, repeating rhythm of heavy hops and soft steps.
As she finally reached the top, she swept her eyes across the cobblestone platform, finding a mop of white hair blowing in the wind, reflecting the glow of the soon-to-be setting sun.
With his eyes closed in total concentration, he was completely unaware of her presence. And so, Ais watched the boy move: dashing forward to parry and strafing sideways to dodge imaginary strikes.
Eventually getting to within a few meters, she stopped and continued observing him. His arms moved in weaving patterns, his white dagger and black knife tracing complex trajectories through the air. His footwork was clean and crisp, consistently keeping up with the tempo he set.
But this simply made his movements that much more difficult to maintain. And, with one slight falter, the boy lost his rhythm, staggering for a bit to keep his balance, shifting his center of balance low and stopping to catch his breath.
It was then when she spoke. "Bell," she called out, watching the boy flinch and turn back, losing his balance and falling down in the process.
His eyes recognized the person in front of him, and he relaxed- for a brief moment- before his brain registered who it was. "Miss… Ais…?" He responded, not sure of what to say next.
She didn't either, so she decided to close the gap between them. "Bell," she repeated, offering a hand to the boy, which he accepted. He was pulled to his feet and he quickly dusted himself off.
"Uhm…" he stumbled through his words as he sheathed both weapons, "so… what are you doing up here, Miss Ais?" And then, quickly inserting his addendum: "n-not that there's anything wrong with you being up here, of course…"
Ais fidgeted with the hem of her jacket. "I come up here from time-to-time… to see the sunset."
His eyes went up to meet hers, and silence fell between the both of them. Quickly, they both tore their gazes away, averting their eyes and instead pointing them at the ground.
"W-well… I was about to head home for dinner anyway…" Bell said, turning away even more, hoping to make a hasty retreat. "So, I'll just leave you be-"
"No, wait." Her voice, although quiet, caught his attention. "There's… actually something I wanted to talk to you about… so, could you stay here for a little while longer?"
The boy scratched his cheek, "oh, I guess… that's fine…"
Even still, silence fell upon them again as the wind rushed past the both of them. A few awkward moments later, Bell broke the ice.
"So…? What was it that you wanted to talk about?"
For a few moments, Ais didn't respond, opting instead to play with the buttons of her jacket. After a while, though, she spoke: "I wanted to thank you. It's been a while and we've met many times since then, but I realized that I've never properly thanked you for what you did during the fight in Knossos- when I was fighting Revis and hearing your voice allowed me to regain myself."
Taken aback, Bell faltered over his words. "Ah…? Huh? Oh, that…? No… it was no big deal, really. Besides, you were the one who defeated that strong… monster, was it? Or a person? Or a hybrid? Whatever's the case, you were the one who defeated her. Compared to that, I…"
Stopping the quick, chaotic rush of his words, Ais hopped up, taking a seat on the parapet. "It's here," she said, pointing her eyes out to the horizon.
Confused, Bell sputtered out a string of incoherent sounds. However, in the next moment, he realized what Ais was talking about.
As he, too, peered out over the horizon, he saw with his ruby red eyes the sunlight scattered along the clouds. Truly, as adventurers who spent most of their time in the dark and drear depths of the Dungeon, the sight was breathtaking. His eyes widened, and he took in the scope of the soft orange glow twinkling as it refracted against the condensation.
"Bell…" he was broken from his trance, and he shifted his gaze over to her: the wind whipped into her hair and she turned back to glance at him. The light played off her skin, surrounding her in an ethereal glow. "From the bottom of my heart, I love you."
A millisecond passed.
"What?" Taking a few steps back, he fidgeted with his hands. It took him a few more seconds to internalize her words. "Huh? Wait, what!? Did I hear that right? What did she say?" Glancing up, his eyes met her golden gaze. "Where did that come from? What's happening? Am I dreaming?"
Their eyes continued to hold each other: they stared into each other's irises, lost in the vibrant colours.
"Bell, there are so many words in the Koine language yet I could not possibly pick out any combination of them to express how I feel."
A soft smile came to her pink lips.
"You are a Hero- like my father- like I've always wanted to be."
Yet, through that smile, there was an indescribable sadness.
"But I couldn't. I couldn't because the world couldn't have cared less about what I wanted. It gave me these hands to wield a sword and kill monsters, not to hold and protect others. It gave me these eyes, which could not carry the compassion and resolve to reassure others. And it gave me this heart, swallowed by revenge and tainted by dirt."
Despite that, her smile never faltered, and she continued putting on that brave face- that mask.
"Everytime I close my eyes, I realize just how disgusting I am. Everytime I close my eyes, I imagine these hands, taking the life of that monster- that Vouivre girl- who was more human than even me."
The mask to protect her from the scorn of the universe.
"I've tried. Oh, I've tried so hard. But I couldn't do it and I'm still just me- the same girl who once dreamed of being a Hero, but could never reach out far enough to grasp that dream."
The mask, that, for the first time, she stripped from her face
"So, please, Bell, just this once, if even for a moment, can you make me feel like the most special girl in the entire world?"
"Miss Ais…" his heart pounded in his ears; he opened his mouth to speak, his throat felt dry- the words were on the tip of his tongue, and yet, they refused to roll off. "Miss Ais… I… I…" he took several deep breaths, almost feeling like he would faint. "I… love you, too…"
For that one moment, she felt her worries washed away.
"I'm glad. Thank you, Bell."
Leaping from the parapet just as the sun sank beneath the horizon, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
A red tint came to his face as his eyes widened. "M-miss Ais-!" He tried to catch her, but to no avail.
The two fell to the cold cobblestone walkway, in each other's arms. With a flushed face and closed eyes, Bell lay there for a few, basking in the lingering warmth of the setting sun and the warmth of her embrace.
Then, he felt a sharp tug at his trousers. His eyes immediately fluttered open and he sat up, watching as Ais' hands hugged his inner thigh, pulling his legs apart.
"A-Ais-!" His call was stifled by an abrupt inhale. He tried to call out again, but all that came out was a laboured exhale. It was all he could do to bring his hand up to suppress his whimpers. His legs shook and his body quivered. Then, barely managing to reach out his hands, he gave Ais a firm shove away.
He fell onto his elbows before rolling onto his sides, clawing at the cobblestone and trying to crawl away.
Ais, keeping her eyes on Bell, got onto her hands and knees and made her way over to him. Grabbing his ankle, she pulled, stopping him from crawling away and allowed her to close the distance between them. Then, pinning his right leg to the ground, she climbed on top of him and flipped him onto his back. Reaching her right arm out, her hand closed around his neck, her nails digging into his flesh. As she sat on his stomach, he raised his arms defensively, only to have both of them grabbed and pinned to the ground, his arms forced in an awkward position over his head.
Releasing her grip on his neck, she retracted her hand, snaking it down her own body. She undid the buttons of her jacket, reaching all the way down and allowing it to fall from her shoulders. Then, reaching her hand back, she leaned over him and, hiking up her skirt, gave a tug at her panties- again and again until they finally rolled down her hips.
Squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth, pathetic whimpers escaped from the deepest parts of his chest.
But that didn't stop her.
"You're so kind, Bell. I knew I could count on you. I knew… I just knew… oh… I love you so much, Bell… Thank you so much- for everything. I really am lucky to have you, Bell; I really am the most special girl in the entire world."
The warm embrace she had him in felt like a coffin.
"Bell, I love you."
The soft lips pecking at his collarbone felt like sandpaper.
"So let's love each other even more."
The gentle hands caressing his face felt like rusty nails.
"And let's love each other again, and again, and again, and again, and again."
The fragrant aroma clinging to her body felt suffocating.
"It's alright if you hurt me as long as you keep loving me."
The sweet taste of her tongue felt intoxicating.
"It's alright if I never reach my ambitions as long as you keep loving me."
The supple curves hugging his waist felt like hot, iron stakes.
"It's alright because I don't need anything else as long as you keep loving me."
With whatever strength was left in his right arm, he reached it to the side of his torso. Hot tears stung at the corners of his eyes. He ground his teeth, biting the tip of his tongue. His shoulders shook and his chest leapt up-and-down sporadically.
"Miss Ais… Miss Ais… Miss Ais-"
His fingers closed around the hilt of the Hestia Knife.
"Please stop, Miss Ais- I can't, I can't, I can't."
He released the blade from the sheath.
"This isn't what I wanted- this isn't what I imagined."
He allowed a sob and a pent up breath to escape his lips.
"Please…"
The sharp edge of the obsidian-black knife pressed against the girl's nape, stopping just as it touched the delicate skin.
But even his own arm did not heed his weak wish. The blade clattered to the floor as his limbs fell limp, succumbing himself to the immoral pleasures of the flesh.
And, with just the two of them- on the desolate heights of Orario's grand walls- the sunlight was finally swallowed by the horizon. The silence of dusk was pierced only by the dichotomous union of their voices: soft, pitiful sobbing mixed with harsh, hedonistic moans.
His eyelids fluttered open and his ruby red eyes turned to gaze at the blanket of stars above. Pushing himself onto his elbows, he rested his naked back against the cobblestone parapet of Orario's walls. Fictitious needles dug into his skin, causing his arms and legs to shake. Staying like that for a moment, he waited for the numbness to subside, and for the pain to dissipate.
Finally, as he regained control of his limbs, he slowly got into a crouch. Then, standing up, clutching his arms around his body and hugging himself, he felt the cold draft assault his frail body. Stumbling over on shaky legs, he collected the articles of clothing tossed carelessly around the walkway.
Having slipped both the shirt on and buttoned up the jacket, he leaned against the side of the ledge, using it for support.
However, as he took a deep breath, that same aroma infiltrated his nostrils, and he suddenly lurched forward and brought a hand to his mouth. Squeezing his eyes shut, and gagging into his palm, he was unable to stop it. So, he bent over, dry heaving and collapsing to the cobblestone.
Standing back up, it was all he could do to wrap himself tighter in his thin jacket to protect himself from the cold, autumn night air, even with that sickly sweet fragrance choking him.
In a trance-like state, he mindlessly put one foot in front of the other, making his way home.
At the same time, high up- on the 50th floor of the Tower of Babel- a wine glass fell to the floor, shattering and spilling its contents everywhere.
Alarmed, the giant Boaz reared back. "My Lady-!" He cried out, betraying his usual stoic demeanor. Immediately, he stepped forward, but quickly stopped in his tracks.
He watched in shock as the woman sitting atop the ivory throne stepped down. Her silver hair swaying against the pale glow of the moonlight, she stepped along the wine-stained carpet. Her black heels crushed the glass, grinding them to mere dust.
Within a few seconds, she had her hand pressed against the window- then her whole body. With wide silver eyes, she watched-
-and she saw that dreaded, misty, and drear grey swirling within her beloved Odr's- within Bell Cranel's pristine transparent soul.
After a while, she managed to release the breath she didn't realize she was holding.
At last, she spoke: "he's… ruined."
Standing a few respectable meters away, the Boaz- the level 8 Captain of Freya familia- quivered, holding his gaze down. "My… Lady…?"
At her Captain's question, she turned back. Seeing her ghastly pale face and her eyes devoid of their usual life, his chest tightened- and even more so when he heard her speak once more.
"Ottar…" the tone of her voice caused his heart to clench, "gather everyone. I'm done waiting." She turned back to the window, staring longingly at the boy trudging his way back to the Hearth Mansion. "I'll pluck him out before he wilts."
"Yes, my Lady…" he made a quick bow and took a step back, and then another, and then another, before he finally turned around. Still, as he reached the door he snuck a worried glance back, seeing that the Goddess had yet to move another muscle. Swallowing, he swung the chamber doors open and stepped out, hurrying along to the staircase leading down.
As soon as she heard the click of the door closing, she collapsed onto her knees, her forehead sliding against the glass.
"Oh…" she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it was a nightmare. "Oh…" but when she opened them again, his soul still remained that same dirty grey. "Oh… my poor darling…"
Fondly, she stroked her hand against the glass where she saw the boy, as if trying to reach out to caress his cheeks and reassure him. "Please do not worry, my dearest." In a trance, she continued to wipe her hands against the window pane, dragging her fingers along. "I only ask that you endure for a little while."
Her eyes drooped, and she closed them gently.
"Bell… become mine and I'll save you."
A note about the previous chapter: thank you to everyone who left a review. I've gone back and made some changes so it should be a little bit more clear about exactly who is saying/thinking what, but I couldn't outright fix the issue without changing the integrity of the chapter. That being said, don't feel compelled to go back because nothing changed in terms of the plot, just minor details for reading comprehension. The same also applies to this chapter, though Ais' mini-arc has come to a close for now with this chapter, so things should go back to normal.
Also: sorry to those who were caught off guard by the last scene. I tried to make it as implicit as possible since I know MA content is not supposed to be on this site. This is still a reminder that this story is rated M and I will certainly be tackling other similar themes throughout the story.
*From Shakespeare's Hamlet
As always, reviews and critiques are helpful. I felt like the pacing was a little bit too fast in this chapter, but writing character interactions is not my forte and I didn't want to write more fight scenes, since there were a lot of those already. Tell me what you guys think. Also, I'm honestly expecting to get some criticism from Ais fans but we shall see (lol)