Ever since that night, two more weeks had passed. To believe he had lived in Orario for a month already... it certainly felt like less time passed by. Maybe it was because nothing really happened to him personally? So far he kept to his routine in taking on the first twelve floors, going back and forth each day. Sometimes he went down there with Kojiro alone, with Solaris doing other things. Eina didn't exactly approve, but given Kojiro's growth, there was nothing she could say about that. Thinking about his growth, Bell bit his lip in frustration.
It was just a month. Yet it seemed he was willing to go through with his promise of breaking Arash's record. Already, his stats have reached A across the board. The sole exceptions was Dexterity that was already at S and Endurance that was at a D rank. Bell himself was at a mere F at this point, with only his Agility and Magic being at a E rank and his Endurance being at a G rank. Apparently the Astraea Familia, or rather Kaguya, beating them up to toughen up their bodies only helped so much. Lately his growth also slowed down, most likely due to the lack of actual challenges on the floors. It was something Kojiro was also frustrated by, as he didn't seem as motivated anymore. Bell could relate. Instead of an adventure, what they were doing felt more like a mere job. What added to his frustrations were the news he heard about the Loki Familia, who had some sort of major incident in Rivira, the safe haven in the Middle Floors. Thinking about the Loki Familia led to him thinking about Aiz.
As petty and small of a desire it was, he wanted to stand by her side. To fight alongside her and see the sights she saw. To be more than just a mere monster hunter but a true adventurer. A force of nature even, just like the other top class warriors from other countries. Yet he had no idea how to do so. This wasn't a matter of mere power he needed to acquire. That would be too shallow. Strength alone wasn't enough to impress Aiz or else she would already be dating literally anyone in her Familia. Power alone wouldn't bridge the gulf between Loki and Hestia, whose dislike for each other could not be more clear. No, if he wanted to gain the worth to stand by her side, there was only one answer. He knew it in his heart. He needed to be a hero to finally reach them up there, at the top. Yet just as the months before... he had no clear image of the hero he wanted to be. Until he had that, being with Aiz, Kojiro, Artoria, Romulus and the many other individuals… was nothing more than that. A pipe dream. He sighed, shaking his head. If he didn't figure out that image of his soon enough, he might take ages. His pondering stopped when he saw Kojiro patiently waiting for him, arms crossed. Spotting Bell, his teacher nodded with a smile.
"Young master. Shall we then?"
Today it was just going to be the two of them. Apparently today Hestia wanted to go shopping with Solaris. It was some sort of tradition to do that. What they were going to buy was beyond him but if it made their goddess happy, who was he to judge? Still, it has been a while since he was alone with Kojiro. As they wandered through the dungeon, cutting down the monsters with ease by now, Bell turned to his teacher.
"So we'll do the usual today?" He asked. For some reason Kojiro hummed with a frown.
"Not exactly. I have some plans."
Bell tilted his head, dodging a goblin's leap before bisecting it.
"What kind?"
"It depends if the stars align," Kojiro muttered, picking up the magic stone before grabbing a kobold by the face and smashing it down on the ground. It wasn't long until they reached the twelfth floor. It was then that Kojiro did something strange. With a nod to himself, he sat down, crossing his legs as he took on a meditative position with his blade lying in front of him.
"If you would be so nice to take care of any monsters?" Kojiro asked in a polite tone. Bell blinked tilting his head in confusion.
"Uhm, what are you doing?"
"Waiting."
With that he fell silent, no longer responding to Bell as he closed his eyes. The young man was a bit confused but decided to take this as a lesson. It certainly added some difficulty, as he had to leap all over the place the moment the monsters were encroaching on them. He had to admit there were certainly a few close calls with an orc almost smashing down on Kojiro before he could Dragon Fang them away. He wasn't sure if it was his trust in Bell or that he really was tuning out the world that Kojiro didn't even flinch whatsoever. By the end of it the young man was really out of breath, his arms straining to keep up. He reached for a health potion, uncorking it. It was then that he saw it. The way the fluids in it vibrated and shook. At the same time, Kojiro finally opened his eyes, a smile forming on his face.
"Kojiro... ?"
"Ah. It's here. Excellent."
The rumbling intensified. He heard the screams and exclamations of panic. Looking down at the fog, his eyes widened, at the four legged shadow rushing through the mist, letting out a roar as it craned its long neck. In that instance, Bell realized what Kojiro truly planned and he recalled a conversation they had back in the Stardust Garden.
"How does one level up?"
The Astraea Familia turned to Kojiro who casually asked the question during dinner. It was Ryuu who answered first, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"There are many ways. Most agree that the basic requirements are twofold." Ryuu raised a finger. "First, one of your basic abilities has to be at least at D."
"Secondly is performing a feat that even the gods have to recognize as extraordinary," Alise added. Bell tilted his head at the time.
"Extraordinary?"
Kaguya nodded, shoving away her plate with a thoughtful expression.
"Indeed. Just killing monsters on your level isn't enough. For example, defeating a powerful monster on your own usually does the trick."
"Not the only way though," Lyra interjected with her mouth forming a thin line. "Careful repeated work like contributing to a Monster Rex fight for a couple of times does the trick as well. Not everyone is a freak of nature." She chuckled dryly. "Coasting by like me or the High Rookie works just fine too."
"It's how I did it," Arash commented. Kojiro blinked before laughing lightly, nodding in understanding.
"Ah, no wonder it took you three months. You were not really trying."
"Why the stress?" The archer commented, shrugging nonchalantly. As expected, that comment did not have a positive effect on the people at the table. Bell gaped at the declaration, Solaris grumbled while Alise and Ryuu sighed. Meanwhile Kaguya and Lyra sent dirty glares at Arash. Well, the former. The latter would too if she had eyes.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
"Go explode, you monsters!"
And that was that. Returning back to the present, Bell gulped. HE was really going for it. Taking on what was most likely the "pseudo" Monster Rex of this floor. He refused to wait to find a proper party since Astraea Familia was too high level for them to properly gain excella. That impatience manifested into this 'plan'.
The monster came into few, its white scales almost camouflaging it in the mist.
This Infant Dragon was Kojiro's target to take down. It was then that Bell frowned as he took a closer look at it. Red eyes, long neck, radiating heat, four legs. It all fit the descriptions of what Eina said was a 'flee on sight' target for them. However... weren't they supposed to be orange?
"Infant Dragon!"
"Enhanced Species?!"
"Shit, get away!"
The comments by the fleeing adventurers caused Bell to gulp nervously. Enhanced Species. A version of monsters so much more powerful than its normal incarnations. The Bloodstained Troll came to mind, that required the King himself to take it down. He wanted to run away. There was no way they could take it on. Maybe the regular Infant Dragon was an acceptable target, but this thing was too much. Yet despite his own doubts, Kojiro casually rose from his mediation, his blade firmly in his hand.
"Ah, fate must be smiling down on me." He tapped his shoulder with his weapon before walking forward, passing by the running adventurers. He glanced back, a wide smile on his face. "Wait for me."
Bell immediately grabbed Kojiro by the arm. The man blinked at him, as if confused why he did so.
"That's too dangerous!" He sweated at the sight of the monster running towards them, its eyes filled with hatred. "At least let me fight alongside you!"
Gently, Kojiro shook him off.
"Bell. That thing is a dragon without wings. It doesn't even count as a swallow." Licking his lips, he held his blade to his side, sending a frown at him. "Allow me to dispatch it on my own."
It was a plea. A plea to surpass his current station. Bell wanted to deny him. To fight with him anyway. But in the end, he took a step back, biting his lip in frustration. Both because he knew he couldn't do anything, neither stop Kojiro nor the monster. But the main reason was... that he wanted to see it. See one of his heroes surpass what he thought was possible. Kojiro smiled at his actions and nodded in gratitude. With a deep breath he then rushed at the monster with zero hesitation. In that instance, the monster focused solely on the opponent that wanted to fight it. Their eyes met each other. It snarled. Kojiro exhaled. And both made their move at the same time.
From the side, it swung its massive head at Kojiro, its long neck making it seem like a massive whip. At the same time, as if he saw the future, the swordsman slipped beneath it and swung upwards. With a grunt he cut the flesh just a bit before the rest of the muscles stopped his blade. Taking it out as he slid over the ground he began to attack its forelegs. Shallow cuts in the large scheme of things, but it certainly angered the dragon, as it began to stomp down on Kojiro, who touched them as if dancing while never stopping the movements of his blade. It was like watching a man being stuck in a tornado, yet completely unharmed. However that did not mean that he was not affected. Even from where Bell stood, he could see the distortions in the air and how Kojiro was sweating profusely. If it was a normal person, they would burn alive by now, as the Infant Dragon was known for its extreme body heat. Yet as Kojiro created some distance due to the shockwave of a particularly strong stomp, it didn't seem to bother the swordsman too much.
"What the shit is that guy…?!"
"Oi, anyone know that guy's alias?"
"Isn't that a newbie?!"
"Like hell he is!"
By now some of the adventurers stopped running, instead observing the events in disbelief. Bell's eyes widened in shock when the dragon swiped its tail, catching Kojiro for once. However he was jumping with it and he grit his teeth as he was flung over the air. With a hiss, he discarded the Hiensama Welf made for him, having caught most of it. Yet Bell could see the bruises form on his body as well as the burn marks the chain mail caused, after burning through his clothes. Discarding his kimono from his upper body, he held his sword high when the dragon craned its neck back. It was then that it did something unexpected.
A ball of fire formed into its throat before it was shot out. Kojiro's eyes widened and he leapt to the side in the last second. Bell paled. An Infant Dragon was supposed to be able to do that. Realizing that this was its strongest attack, Kojiro went into close quarters combat once more. Bell narrowed his eyes as he started to aim for the neck, causing the monster to scream.
Why wasn't he using it? Tsubame Gaeshi? The move that could easily kill a level two as an unblessed individual? Was... was he actually not going to use it? Make it harder on himself to make sure he would level up from this? At this point it wasn't bravery or confidence. It was insanity. Idiotic even. Bell curled his hands into fists. But... didn't he say that heroes were the greatest of idiots? Despite the burned skin Kojiro had with even a brush of the monster's attack touching him, even as his arms began to shake from the strain... his blade remained steady. His smile never wavered. It was that confidence that made Bell believe.
The dragon opened its maw once more. It threw its head down, intending to blast Kojiro. But he saw it coming. Jumping to the side, just as the fire ball was about to leave its mouth, Kojiro swung his blade sideways. Its jaw was forcibly widened, as the blade cut into the muscles and the bone that controlled its mouth. The fire ball was no longer contained, controlled and proceeded to explode in its mouth. Kojiro grunted, the flames catching on his body and an unfortunate lucky hit from its tail hit him as the monster screamed in agony, its lower jaw hanging loosely, low. The man popped his shoulder back on after rolling over the ground before running back it. So distracted was it by its pain, that Kojiro could slide underneath it, right beneath its bell. With a slow breath, he cut upwards, piercing through the flesh. The monster stopped its movements. Then, it collapsed, turning into ash.
Silence reigned in the area, as the magic stone, split into two, landed besides Kojiro. The man breathed heavily. His lip was split, dried out. Burns and bruises were visible on his body. Yet despite those injuries... he was relaxed. As if he didn't just fight a monster far above a level one. As if what he did was not extraordinary, but just a simple thing he could always do. Bell grit his teeth. Admiration. Anger. Awe. Jealousy. That storm of emotions grasped his heart as he saw Kojiro steady his own breathing.
That was... Sasaki Kojiro. Casually sheathing his sword before wincing at the burns he suffered. Dusting his hands off, he grinned at Bell in a sheepish manner.
"Well, that was more difficult than expected."
That was the first hero, the first apex Bell had ever met... and just now, yet again, showed off how wide the gulf was between them.