Chapter 21: Xenos.

Mikoto's POV.

What in the world is this? A small girl, clad in just a small piece of cloth. Just enough to cover her private parts was sitting on the floor and crying in front of me.

A part of me wants to help her stand up but a part of me was also hesitating because the girl I'm looking at right now is not a human but a Monster.

"What should I do...? Takemikazuchi-sama...!!! "

RUSTLE

After hearing the rustling sound, I instinctively poured a potion on the girl in front of me. And took off my salamander wool and gave it to her, I can still see fear in her eyes but what she did next was something I did not expect to see even after a million years.

"P-Please... D-Don't hurt me a-a-anymore...!!" My eyes shot wide when the little Vouivre in front of me spoke. Her voice and words were loud and clear, but even so. My mind can't understand her even though she's speaking the same language all of us humans use.

As I felt other adventurers got nearer and nearer to us, I went to her direction and covered her with my body. And as the passing adventurers left, I glanced at her and noticed that she's still confused so I asked her if she's alright.

"Miss, are you alright? I hope the potion I gave you helped to ease up your pain." I smiled at her to help her ease up. A second later she slowly smiled at me which did melt my heart little by little because that smile of hers is way too innocent. Just like a certain someone with a rabbit like appearance.

I asked her if she can walk and after nodding, I asked her to follow me so that I can take care of her remaining scratches after reaching the 18th floor.

We arrived at the safety point and reunite with the others, but after arriving at the camp. The two immediately asked me who she is and when I removed her hood. The two immediately took a stance.

"Mikoto!! Stand aside!!"

"Yes! What's with you anyway!? Bringing a monster from 19th floor down here!?"

The two of them were ready to attack, I know for sure that they will kill her on the spot but I still used myself to shieled her and this stopped their attack.

I sighed and explained everything to my two companions and after I asked the little monster to speak. They were stunned by it to the point that I need to snap them out of it by hitting them a bit.

"M-Mikoto! Where did you get her!? Why!? How can she speak!?"

The question did not end just there, a tons of questions were asked to me until we got home to the Hearth Fire Mantion were Hestia-sama awaits for us.

When we came back, she's kind of suspicious as to who is the fourth person clinging to me and when I removed her hood. Her face went completely pale and she almost passed out.

"Mikoto-kun, what just happened?"

"The truth is..."

Aki's POV.

"Is that so...?" Riveria-san said while feeling the breeze of the night as we sat comfortably at the city wall behind our home.

You might be wondering why we are here right? Well long story short. Riveria-san saw me after dinner heading out and she followed me. After arriving, she asked me what I was doing here and that's where I told her about the weird dream I had after the holy night festival.

A dream that felt so real I couldn't believe it was all just a beautiful nightmare. A dream where Bell and I were starring at each other in the middle of the night right here with snow slowly falling on us.

Even the clothes I had inside that dream of mine is the same clothes I wore during our party. The hug and the kiss also felt very real.

"You must've wanted to see him that much, that's why you had that kind of dream. Am I wrong?" She smiled at me as she stretches her long arms up.

"You're right... It's just me, I mean. That's impossible since I saw it with my own two eyes how serious he is when he head towards the gates, not to mention the letter he left at Mia-san's pub..." I tried to shake it off my head but I still could not believe it.

His pressence, his lips, the warmth of his hug. I felt it through my whole body, like it was engraved to it. That's why it was very hard for mr to convince myself to try and just brush it off.

Few minutes have passed and we decided to return to our home. Not wanting to worry the others on what's taking us long outside at this hour, we started walking. While I kept silent, my mind were still asking me the same question over and over again.

"Was it all really just a dream? " That was all I could think off until I hit my bed and drifted off to the world of dreams. Hoping to experience the same dream.

Next Day.

I suddenly woke up because of the loud knocking and lively voice of Tiona behind the door. I opened it and saw her fully armed with her Urga. I wondered why until I saw the others in full gear too as well as the captain.

We had a very short meeting since everyone other than me was awake during the commotion in the town.

Apparently, for a very unknown reason. A monster got out of the Babel and were residing in the city. We were to investigate as to what happened and who is the person who took the monster.

We basically split up and grouped ourselves into two. Aiz and Riveria-san, The twin amazons, Gareth and Bete and lastly, Me and the captain.

The last pair was the unknown thing for me and the final missing member. Usually, the top 3 were in just one group and I'm usually partnered with Raul but today, things have changed.

The level fours were nowhere to be found. Even Lefiya where not excluded. Only the executives were pressent at the moment.

"Okay, everyone. Just try and walk around since we are all adventurers, it's not rare to see us unnarmed around the city so no one would suspect us for investigating. Just try and pretend to be just strolling around while asking the citizens about the monster last night. If they asked you "why" just politely say that you were just curious, that's all. Good luck everyone! Let's go."

We went to our separate ways. Covering the entirity of the city wishing not to miss any information that might lead to the monster that everyone saw last night.

After walking and asking the vendors of the shopping district, captain decided that we should sit and rest for a bit in a nearby bench. And that's where he got the opportunity to ask me the thing that I never thought he would do.

"Hey Aki, you want to be the next captain of the Familia instead of Raul?" He asked me out of the blue.

I was so blown away by his question that all I could do was stare at him with my mouth open wide. He then laughed nervously while scratching his head.

"Sorry, this might've come as a shock to you so I'l explain. You see, as of lately you became more and more capable of handling and thinking of solving our problems lately, and you're also the one who suggested that not only should we investigate the surface but also underground. Thanks to that, we found where our enemies might be hiding and we were also able to make an alliance with a very powerful adventurer. And that's all because of you, you became more and more capable as the situation calls for it. Just like Raul but your pottential seems more vast and promising than him. Compared to him, you are like the bright, large and radiant sun while he's the moon. Beautiful but rellies too much to the sun to glow. I never really noticed that until you moved to being an executive, because I'm so fixated on the belief that man should rule and take judgement, not women."

I saw our captain's eyes and I can see that he's being honest right now. About me being the next captain and so on. I'm not sure if I should take the position since I don't think I'm cut to be a captain but I also can't say no a hundred percent because this is a big opportunity for not just me but for everyone in the Familia.

"By the way Loki told me about the rare skill you've got the other day, she said she doesn't know when it did appear but she suspected that it's about two months ago maybe. She never really updates our statuses if there nothing big happening."

"Red String Of Fate" I muttered to myself while listening to the captain.

"So that's the name of it huh...? The effects of it was written as 'Unknown' so we don't know if it's a good or a bad thing. Enough rest, let us go back and meet with the others."

We went back to the plaza in front of the Babel and after arriving, the others shortly followed us and reported.

But to our surprise, Aiz and Riveria talked to the kid that was "attacked" by the monster last night. The kid told them that after snapping out of it, she realized that the monster did not attacked her but instead saved her from being crushed by the traveler's boxes that fell off from their cart.

"Strange, is this the rumored armored monsters? Monsters who uses fallen adventurers equipments?" I asked the captain but just like me, it looks like he's also clueless about this matter since we never got to investigate this because we're so busy hunting Evilus down.

"We don't have any lead so we just have to investigate this more, and since we can't enter the place where Evilus is located, we can focus on this one for a while."

As the captain finished, we started to patrol in just one big group. Scanning the whole city for any sign of it until we reached the Daedalus Street.

That's when all turned upside down. A huge explosion echoed through it and a large and out of control Voivre went out of the ground while the mysterious adventurer was chasing it around.

"Captain!"

"I know, everyone! Let's lend him a hand, but watch out for some sneaky attack since we don't know if the Evilus will use this as an opportunity to take us down!" The captain threw his spear towards the dragon girl, it pierced through it's left wing and that's where the unknown adventurer noticed us.

He looked at our direction but when he saw us, his eyes wavered for some reason. Gone is the cool and fierce gaze they gave off when we met him underground.

"BYAKURAI!!! (Pale Lightning)"

He fired a blue lightning magic towards a nearby empty building, and giving us a warning that if we interfered, he'll fight us with all of his strength.

"Why are you doing this!? Don't you know that innocent people might get caught if you continue this!?" The captain shouted to him clearly not pleased by hi actions.

"It's fine! I already had my goddess evacuate everyone so no one will get caught! So leave this monster alone to me! Braver!" He desperately tried to changed captains mind but failed to as he ordered Tiona and Tione to assist him taking down the monster

But all things stopped when a group of armed monsters bursted out from the ground. Lizard man, Siren, Gargoyle, you name it. Almost every species was present.

We fought them and noticed that they are not just some simple monsters but an intellegent and strong ones. I noticed that the Siren has the strength of the first class adventurer as well as the Lizard Man Tione was fighting.

The monsters were strong but that did not faze us, not until we saw the huge jet black Minotaur walking towards us wielding a Dual Bladed Axe. And when I saw it, I knew it for sure that even if I give it my all. I could never defeat it even with the help of Aiz.

"W-What is that...?

It's huge. Twice the size of a regular minotaur and his build was terrifying. It's clear as day that the level of this monster is higher than anyone of us standing right here.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

A/N: Hi, sorry for the delay. Just busy.

I have nothing important to say, I just hoped you enjoyed reading this chapter.

That's all take care everyone.

EDIT: Guys, after this. What fanfic do you want to see next? Another DanMachi or To Love-Ru?

If DanMachi. I don't know who to pair up Bell with since I've already paird him up with my favorite character. I'm not the type to go incest=wincest route with Alfia even though she's second on my Waifu list.

If To Love-Ru. I'm planning on RitoxOshizu pairing.

That's all.