A knock sounded on her door. Alise blinked, looking up from the reports she had to work on. It wasn't much, compared to the Loki Familia it was pitiful, but crime fighting involved a lot of after action reports. Her least favorite part of justice. Sadly being the captain meant it was her duty to do this. Couldn't let Astraea do that when she was busy volunteering for charity and Kaguya's patience had its limits. Still, she appreciated the distraction. Stretching her back with a satisfied groan, she stood up and opened the door. To her surprise it was Solaris, awkwardly waving at her with a small smile.
"Hey, Alise? Can we talk?"
The worried look on the junior's face gave Alise pause. But just for a moment. With a wide smile, she patted her head before stepping to the side, gesturing towards her room.
"Sure! We're housemates! Come in, come in!"
Sitting on the bed, Solaris fidgeted around a bit, taking in the room as Alise took her seat at her working desk. Crossing her arms, she waited patiently as the younger girl was trying to find her own courage. With a smirk, she glanced at Alise.
"I kinda expected a bit more from your room."
Indeed, it was a bit spartan. Sure, there were some flowers here and there, a small picture frame of Alise and the rest of the Familia, having taken ages to paint. There was a flag on the wall, representing the familia's insignia. But other than that? It was not out of place in an inn, this room.
"Eh, I spent more time outside on the streets than in here." She scratched the back of her head with a sheepish laugh. "This is more than enough, hehe." Her smile softened up as she leaned forward, nodding encouragingly at Solaris. "So, what's on your heart?"
The girl bit her lip. Sighing, she grabbed her arm, head lowered as she stared down at the ground.
"Do you think I'm suited to be a captain?" She muttered. Without hesitation, Alise raised her thumb, giving her answer a split second later.
"Yup!"
Solaris blinked. She looked up, staring blankly at the thumb, then at the confident smile she faced. She opened her mouth before closing it again. Patting her lap a few times, she nodded while biting her lip.
"...Err, you...wanna think a bit more about that?" She asked slowly, eyebrow raised. Yet again, Alise answered immediately, turning her thumb around, directing it at the ground.
"Nope!"
The Crozzo scratched the back of her head. Then standing up, just as confused as before, she clapped her hands together with her lips pressed together.
"Good talk I guess?"
Alise laughed lightly, putting her hand on Solaris' shoulder before she could leave. Gently pushing her back down on the bed, she stepped back, arms crossed with a small smile.
"Why do you think you aren't suited?"
Solaris sighed, looking away as she shrugged weakly.
"Well, I'm clearly weaker than Kojiro and Bell is a coin toss."
"So?" At Alise's raised eyebrow, Solaris stared at her in surprise. Scarlet Harnel twirled her hand, gesturing towards the door. "Arash is stronger than me too but you don't see him being the captain. Nor do you see Kaguya or Lion, even though they are my equals." She pointed at Solaris with a nod. "Strength doesn't matter for leadership."
"Then what does?" The girl asked, confused. Alise chuckled, pointing at herself.
"Respect. Trust." She winked, raising two fingers while sticking her tongue out. "Charisma~!"
"I'm serious here," Solaris said with a frown. Alise shook her head with a sigh, sitting down next to her.
"I'm also serious." Wrapping her arm around her, Alise patted her shoulder. "What you need as a captain is to lead people." She huffed with pride. "I don't wanna toot my own nose too much but I'm sure Lion can't motivate people as good as I do!"
Solaris let out a hum, not sure what to do with that information. Lowering her head, she let out a sigh.
"...I have a weird feeling. Like I need to go somewhere," she muttered, shaking her head. "I... just don't know if I should drag the others into this... "
Alise frowned. Turning the girl around with her grip on the soldiers, she looked the younger captain into the eyes with a serious expression.
"Solaris. As a captain, it is your duty to drag people into your business."
"What."
Ignoring the flat tone, Alise nodded to herself, eyes closed in self satisfaction at her own "wise" words.
"Hell, people getting dragged into your business is why they accept you as a captain in the first place." Laughing for a moment she flashed another grin at Solaris. "You got the captain's attitude! I say, just follow that gut instinct! They follow you no matter what, so you gotta trust them back!"
Slowly, a weak smile formed on her face. Then Solaris let out a snort.
"Thanks, Alise."
"No problem!" Spreading her arms open, she beckoned the girl towards her. "Come on, bring it in!"
She may have rolled her eyes but Solaris leaned into the hug nonetheless. They enjoyed each other's warmth, as Alise patted her back. It was then the door opened. The two looked at the entrance, to see Ryuu with wide eyes. With her mask down, they could see the blush on her cheeks as she pointed at Alise with a glare.
"Alise, she's a minor!"
Immediately Alise raised her hands in self defense.
"This is pure hugging, Lion, I'm innocent this time!"
Yet she was not trusted, as she was being lectured by Ryuu. Well, at least Solaris had a good laugh out of this.
/
"Anywho, that's why I decided to tell you guys." Solaris snapped her fingers and pointed down the entrance to the Middle Floors. "We're going down there, hopefully not facing some super special monster on the way as we check what I was sensing!"
Contrary to her excitement and confidence, she was faced with three dumbfounded expressions, slowly tilting her head after hearing what she had to say. Not that Bell wasn't touched by the story, ending aside, but he was a bit surprised that this was the direction she was going for. Naturally Haruhime was the most skeptical, even if she hid it behind her usual meek demeanor while she raised her hand.
"Uhm, are we sure we want to follow a gut feeling?"
"Gut feelings are a reliable sixth sense," Kojiro stated, nodding as he shrugged, deciding to go with the flow. Bell laughed awkwardly, shaking his head.
"I don't think everyone is like Artoria." Clearing his throat, he smiled at their captain whose smile wavered a bit. "But I trust Solaris. If she thinks there's something, there probably is."
"Very well," Haruhime said, nodding obediently. With that Solaris' grin returned as she clapped her hands together.
"Cool! I was hopin' to get Lil' A to act as a supporter but she had other priorities."
With that, they moved into the Middle Floors, with Kojiro and Solaris in the front, Haruhime in the rear and Bell acting as the middle guard. Unlike with Liliruca before, they each carried a medium sized bag, just big enough to carry whatever drop items they could pick up in the Middle Floors, but not too big that it would impede them in their fighting. Suffice to say, the front had no issues whatsoever. With Solaris focusing more on defense and refraining from burning her newest spear, Kojiro was free to cut down any opposition in the front. Bell didn't even have to do anything there beyond shooting the occasional Firebolt. Most of the time he was working with Haruhime against flankers and other monsters from their rear. In general she was throwing the monsters around as if they were unruly children. Knocking them off balance, using their momentum against themselves, forcing them to the ground so that Bell could finish them off. At first he was worried about Haruhime for taking on such a passive role. Yet after repeated encounters with monsters, her tension seemed to leave her, as much as it could from a girl like her. She even began properly 'hitting' them in the hard way, instead of dispatching them 'softly'. Not that she wasn't grossed out when piercing a monster with her finger tips like knives, but she didn't seem all too bothered after repeating the process. It really seemed like she just needed to get used to this. Though he was still worried about Kojiro's reaction back then. Maybe he thought she didn't fit in this place? Well, he wouldn't be wrong, but all things considered, Bell was proud of her.
Anyway, they went down the floors, not facing any irregularities. Sure, there was the occasional close call with a monster party, but they dealt with it, even if it was exhausting. Eventually, they took a break on the sixteenth floor. One floor before the Goliath's spawn location was and two floors before the resting place. Under Resort, Rivira. Catching their breaths, eating some food they brought with them, they still kept their guard up in case monsters arrived. As Haruhime busied herself with cutting the magic stones out of monsters, conversing with Solaris, Bell just sat quietly next to Kojiro, patiently waiting for the girls to finish. It was then that his teacher suddenly cleared his throat.
"Haruhime isn't a warrior."
Bell blinked. He noticed how Haruhime stuttered in mid sentence, her ears twitching. With a frown he turned to his teacher who calmly sipped from his water.
"She's doing well enough."
Kojiro turned to him, raising an eyebrow. Letting out an 'ah', he smiled politely. Putting his water away, he shook his head.
"Which is why I am impressed, do not mistake me." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But I can only imagine how much she had to work to reach this point at all. Changing one's nature is difficult." He lowered his head, eyes closed. "My apologies, I wasn't trying to dispute her accomplishments."
"You're just worried in your own way, I know," Bell responded with a smile. It wasn't like he disagreed. Still, there was this little feeling of worry in the back of his head. As if he was afraid there was some invisible limit he wasn't seeing in Haruhime yet. Either way, he couldn't describe it so he decided to trust in the renard's efforts.
Some time later, following Solaris who seemingly led them down random paths and corners, suddenly came to a stop, her eyes narrowed in focus. With a nod to herself, she gestured with her shield at her surroundings.
"It's here. Somewhere." She glanced at her familia. "I can practically hear it."
"Hear what?" Bell asked, feeling nervousness enter his spine. Solaris laughed awkwardly, sweat running down her cheek.
"Aria. Over and over." She shuddered before turning to them. "Any of you guys know what that could mean?"
"Maybe the great spirit from Dungeon Oratoria, the one that was alongside Albert Waldstein?" Haruhime suggested, raising her hand politely. Bell nodded. He wasn't aware of anyone else the name could apply. But that didn't exactly help, beyond this maybe being spirit related. Then the Renard gulped before looking around, fearing the silence they were surrounded by.
"According to the map, this is a dead end however," Kojiro muttered, eyes narrowed as he checked over the guild issued map of the sixteenth floor. Looking around, Bell could confirm it. There was no other pathway left, no holes on the ground. Only the white rock around them and a rather large crystal struc-
His eyes widened. Jogging forward, ignoring the words from his familia, he let out a gasp.
"There's something behind this!" He shouted back before turning around. Behind the structure was an air gap. It seemed to cover an actual, hidden entrance! His excitement soon died down when he realized the gap was too small for any of them to fit. Solaris stepped fowrard, tapping the crystals a few times with her shield. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she put her hands on her hips, a thoughtful look on her face.
"Dunno how we can break that down." she muttered to herself. "Maybe if I go full throttle but... "
"The dungeon might regenerate before we can get anywhere," Kojiro finished her line of thought, nodding with crossed arms. "Well, that and you seriously injure yourself."
"D'aw, thanks for caring!"
Bell frowned. They couldn't just stop here. Yet none of them had the power to go through most likely. Dragon Fang and Firebolt were both focused on speed than anything, not power. He sighed, closing his eyes. If only he had the strength of Oryou, like she smashed those buildings away. Or the might of Artoria, annihilating that giant plant monster. Yet he was neither of them, as much as he wanted to. He couldn't compare to their animalistic rage or shining light at all. Maybe someday, but that day wasn't today... He could only wonder how long it took for those two to reach the point that they were at now. How much they had to go through to reach such power.
"Uhm, young master?"
Bell opened his eyes, tilting his head when the rest of his familia stared at him in shock. Slowly the three pointed at his right arm. He looked down and could only blink at what he saw.
"Eh?"
His arm was glowing. White light particles were shimmering, radiating from it.
"Is that Argonaut?" Haruhime muttered. At that moment, he felt like hitting himself. Right. He had that new skill. He somehow completely forgot about it. What did it say again? Execute automatically with an active action? What did it mean? Still, even as ignorant as he was, he could feel that... the longer he waited, or 'charged' in this case, the greater the effect would be. Whatever that effect was. But his instincts were telling him that his skill... might actually be the key here. Slowly, he raised his hand, pointing at the crystal structure. The other three Hestia members realized what he was about to do and quickly stepped behind him. He took a deep breath. Thirty seconds. That much time passed between the first activation, accident as it was, and what he did next.
"Firebolt!"
He wasn't sure what he expected. A bigger flame? Several at once? What he didn't expect was a massive blast, the fire and lightning carrying the white color with it, transforming into a furious blast not dissimilar of a raging dragon. It hit the crystals head on, utterly melting and destroying it. Bell felt his body shiver, feeling weak, as a headache formed in his head. Stumbling backwards, it was Kojiro who caught him, mixed potion from the Miach Familia already in hand. The quartet could only gape at the destruction caused.
"Yooooooo, what the hell?!" Solaris shouted, a giddy laugh escaping her as she clapped her hands. Haruhime covered her mouth with her hands and wide eyed awe.
"B-Bell, since when...?!"
"You are shaping up to be quite the monster." Ignoring his blush, Kojiro offered the potion, raising an eyebrow. "Are you alright, young master?"
"Y-yeah. Just... need a moment..." Downing the potion, he let out a sigh of relief as the heaviness and pressure on both body and mind weakened. He... didn't expect that. And that wasn't even the longest he could charge Argonaut, from what he could tell. If this was what thirty seconds could do... what could a minute do? Or two? They quickly went into the now open pathway, the crystals already forming back to block it. Once inside, they waited for Bell to recover properly. Now that they were inside, even they could hear what Solaris was hearing. Playful humming… accompanied with the sound of flesh tearing, as if being eaten. Suffice to say that did not fill them with confidence. Once they double checked everything, they grabbed their weapons, unsheathed, and went down the path. Weirdly enough, it seemed to be a bit... unnatural. Or rather a bit too new. It wasn't like this was a man made structure, but Bell was confused why nobody found out about this place so far. A part of him felt this was a trap... besides that, it was weird they seemed to be descending. Not like a hole or a stairs, but the degrees of this 'slope' was definitely going down.
"Geez, this sure is going deep... " Solaris muttered before suddenly she shot her hand up. The trio behind her stopped as she looked at them, putting her finger on her lips and pointing forward. A light. A sort of exit. They all nodded to each other and carefully approached it. Entering, Bell flinched. Both from the light in his eyes and the heat. Which made him tense up. They were wearing Salamander Wool. They shouldn't feel the heat that much. Once their eyes got used to the sudden brightness, they could see their surroundings, a wide clear area, seemingly devoid of anything. It almost looked like dungeon made arena. But that wasn't what caught their eyes the most.
"What in the... ?"
A monster. No, that wasn't enough to describe it. Bell shared a wide eyed look with Kojiro. The pressure. The feeling. It was the same. Despite not being a plant at all, despite having a much more humanoid body, red skinned, and attached to what seemed like an Infant Dragon's body…
It gave the same feeling the Demi Vinea gave off in Yggdrasil. In any other situation he would've found it cute... yet the humanoid on top of the body was in the middle of chewing up a hellhound in its hands. It turned around, easy smile on its face before its eyes widened in delight.
"Ah, you're here! Urus, my dear Urus!"
"A spirit?!" Solaris shouted, her eyes widened in shock. The others immediately raised their arms, ready for combat. Bell couldn't believe it. That couldn't be a spirit... but wouldn't the one blessed by a spirit know the best? That thing, if it was a spirit, didn't seem to notice the hostility. Its dragon body began to dance around as it began to clap its hands in delight.
"I just have to eat more and I can find Aria with y-"
Suddenly it froze. It sniffed the air. It slowly tilted its head with empty eyes, its smile utterly gone. Bell felt a shiver down his spine, as Solaris stepped forward with her teeth barred, her shield in front of them.
"Who are you?" It whispered, its face contorting in utter disgust in fury. It began to grab its hair, shaking its head furiously as it began to pull. "You're not Urus! You're not Urus! Fake, fake, fake, fake!"
"This is bad, isn't it?!" Bell shouted as the monstrous spirit seemed to have a mental breakdown. Solaris clicked her tongue, glancing behind her.
"Stay behind me! Haruhime, sta-"
She couldn't finish that sentence when they felt the magic form and concentrate in one spot of the room.
"Burn, burn, burn, oh anger of Ifrit! Incinerate my opponents!"
Their eyes widened. A magic chant. A super fast chant, the words uttered leaving its mouth faster than anything Bell ever heard off. He could see Solaris' back tense up as she widened her stance with a snarl.
"Awaken, Inferno!"
Fire, more than ever, burst forth from Solaris, covering her body before concentrating on her spear. She was poised to throw it with all her might, facing the spirit that was about to touch its lips with its finger. Solaris threw it, a javeling of flames exploding forward. At the same time, the spirit smacked its lips and flicked its finger forward.
"Fire Blast."
Flame met flame. A piercing force against an unyielding wave, a pure force of an explosion. For a moment, they felt hope that Solaris' attack was stronger. It made a dent in the explosive wave, as if about to pierce it. But then, the spear cracked. The force dissipated and the wave rushed at them, completely unhindered. On instinct, Bell wrapped his arms and cloak around Haruhime, forcing her down. Kojiro went on his knees, throwing his own SAlamander Wool up like a protective shield. Meanwhile Solaris stood her ground, shield raised. In defiance, she met the force head on. It was then the screams entered his ears. The scorching heat followed, even through their enchanted cloth. It felt like an eternity, in which he couldn't breath. In which he had to listen to their captain suffering. Then, it finally stopped, ending with a loud crash. Bell forced himself up, even with his body aching, drenched in sweat, as his head was dizzy. What he saw around him shocked his core.
The entire area was on fire. The walls of the dungeon had cracks in them. The air itself seemed to distort due to the heat. And SOlaris was nowhere to be seen. Immediately he turned his head around, his eyes widening.
Slowly, Solaris' body slid down the wall she crashed into, there was no blood, as her body was steaming with scarlet mist. Face first, she fell down and did not move at all.
"Solaris!"
He heard a loud crash. Haruhime struggled to her feet, her legs shaking. The two of them turned around, just to see Kojiro with gritted teeth, roaring in defiance as he deflected the dragon's tail off course. With heavy breath, he retook his stance before snarling at them.
"Bell, Haruhime, eyes on the enemy!"
The spirit turned monster rushed at them with its body in that moment, snarling and screaming. Forced to dodge, the trio separated. Bell flinched, almost letting go of the Blades of Hestia. It was too hot! Haruhime tried to use the opportunity as the dragon's body needed time to stop, to rush forward, yet a few steps in and she had to hiss, leaping back. This wasn't something she could touch with bare hands. This wasn't something they should touch with weapons either. Not because it seemed tough but because they could lost consciousness just from the heat itself. The Salamander Wool was the only reason they weren't already burned to the ground.
"Haruhime, check on Solaris!" Bell shouted before leaping forward, gaining the monsters attention. The next moves were a blur to him, as his head grew dizzier and dizzier. He didn't know why it didn't use magic again. Was it weaker than the Demi Vinea in Yggdrasil? was it preference? Either way, even just the physical attacks were too much. Kojiro and Bell worked together, side by side, cutting and deflecting the claws and tail as much as they could. Yet even with the wounds they inflicted, it didn't matter. They closed up easily. A downward swing was dodged by the two of them leaping away and immediately cutting from one side each. Claws were caught by Bell's blades, a cross form locking them into place for Kojiro to cut the fingers off. During those meaningless attempts to kill it by death of a thousand cuts, he recalled EIna's lessons for some reason.
The dungeon hated mortals. Hated them beyond anything else. Thus it would usually find the most cruel ways to kill someone. That those that didn't prepare were the easiest prey. He beat himself up mentally. They should've brought information about this place to the surface. Let stronger adventurers deal with this. Now they might pay the price, by dehydration, exhaustion, mauling or all three at once.
"Fake, fake, fake! Where's Urus?! Where's Aria?!" The spirit screamed maniaclly, clawing at its own face as it forced the dragon's head to bite after them, ignoring how Bell slid underneath it, Kojiro jumped over it and they both cut at its neck. "Where are they?! You are nothing! Just a fake, fake, fake!"
Anger and pity flared up in his heart. Pity because this thing was clearly insane, barely aware of what was happening. It was clearly just lashing out in pure madness. A far cry from the noble creatures that supported mortals before the gods descended. Yet with a usage of Dragon Fang, piercing once of its legs and forcing it off balance for a moment, he snarled. How dare it insult Solaris?!
"She isn't a fake!" Bell screamed, leaping away from a tail swing. "You have no right to call her that!"
He remembered the bar. How Solaris confided in him. How much Welf loved her. How hard she worked to get to this body. From the corner of his eye he saw movement, but he ignored it as he shot a Firebolt at the creature's face. It did nothing, but it made it flinch, enough time for Kojiro to leap up and cut the throat of the humanoid body. That too regenerated, but it gave momentary pause, a break for the duo to regroup.
"Her efforts, her being here, they are all real! She isn't Urus, but Solaris Crozzo, our captain of the Hestia Familia!" He pointed at the monster with a glare. "Don't you look down on her!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" The monster snarled at them, the dragon head roaring as the humanoid body cut the air with its arm. "You will all die! For Aria! For everyone!"
"Who decided that, shithead?"
Bell felt hope flare up in his heart. He turned around, smile on his face.
"Solaris!"
Weak. Shaking. Yet after downing a potion, the captain wiped her blood, cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders as she stopped forward. Haruhime, staying back, seemed just as surprised as anyone else. That blow should've definitely knocked her out for way longer than this. Then Bell noticed how the lucky charm from Nyx seemed to shimmer with a light before breaking. Solaris hit her fist against her shield a few times, baring her teeth as she leaned forward.
"You fuckin'...call that a flame…?!" A mocking laugh escaped her. "My bro's swords are hotter than that!"
In response, a furious roar sounded, the monster rushing forward with its massive body. The team, now four, dodged as they could. Activating her own flames, Solaris barked out orders as she rushed forward with her shield.
"Kojiro, with me! Haruhime, use your spell on me!" Covered in fire, she slammed her shield into a kneecap of one of the legs. "Bell, charge up!"
Surprisingly, the spirit screamed in agony. Its leg seemed to sizzle, seemed to heal up slower for some reason. It was an opportunity Kojiro did not miss, cutting away at the dragon's head, its jaw to make it unusable if only temporary.
"Hey, shitty rip off! I'm here!" She waved her hands before throwing a fireball at it. It was easily swatted away, even if the monster hissed, yet it did the job as Solaris clapped her hands mockingly. "Ya favorite gal, Urus!"
"Silence! Silence, silence! You are just blessed! You aren't Urus! You are the taint on this world! You weaklings that can't do anything without us!"
"At least I don't look as ugly as you!" Solaris dodged, with the help of Kojiro being utterly ignored as he became a furious storm underneath its belly. "But hey, at least I know the Crozzo spirit is called Urus! Thanks for that!"
They were heroes, Bell realized as they danced around the monster. Weaker perhaps than the level six and seven out there but heroes nonetheless. As he concentrated on that image in front of him, as he concentrated on the white light being charged up, he forced back his desire to jump in and help, as Kojiro and Solaris breathed heavier and heavier, by now seemingly running out of sweat. He forced himself to remain next to Haruhime, who chanted as fast as she could. They were only distracting it at best. Nothing they did was a lethal wound. Solaris was the most effective, even if fire against fire shouldn't work like that, but it did. Perhaps a hidden skill? He never saw her sheet after all.
He had no idea how long he charged. He felt he was close to the limit. Yet it seemed what broke first was the monster's patience.
"Burn, burn, burn, oh-"
It began to chant once more. This time they were not at nearly full health. This time they were seperated. If it cast the spell around itself, they would die for sure. However, it only had eyes on Solaris. Because of that, it missed three things.
The first being that Kojiro was still close. Right under its tail, beneath its legs, he shifted his stance into one that burned itself into Bell's memory. The same one he used in the Far East. He took a deep breath.
"Hiken."
He exhaled.
"Tsubame Gaeshi!"
One swing became three and utterly ruined its back legs and its tail. The tail crashed down, the monster dropped back, its balance destroyed. The pain, for the first time, was too much and it stopped its chant. The spirit promptly exploded, screaming in agony.
Ignis Faatus. A forced spell failure.
Second, it forgot entirely about Haruhime. She could cast unconcerned, beyond the heat. With a soft breath, she raised her arms, her spell finished.
"...Uchide no Kozuchi!"
The blessing covered Solaris. She, who was the sole target of the spirit, laughed like a maniac. She lowered her center of gravity, as if taking a running start.
Third. It forgot about Bell. By now, it was like a church tower was ringing, bells echoing all over the area. Argonaut was fully charged, the sense of heaviness no longer growing. He opened his mouth. It was then the spirit shifted its focus, seemingly noticing the growing power aimed at it. It raised its hand as if protecting itself.
"Protect me, oh my brethren!"
"Dragon Fang!"
The moments the words left his mouth, he more or less stumbled forward, trying to bridge the distance he couldn't close before since he could not charge while moving. At least he didn't know if he could and experimenting now was far beyond what he should do. The spell was cast. Yet instead of mirroring blades, a literal head of a dragon seemed to spawn into existence. Its reach and size was far beyond anything Bell ever had. He was fortunate, the small leap he performed enough before he finished his arm movement.
"Shine Barrier!"
The fangs chomped down on the barrier. For a moment, they were stuck, unable to taste flesh. Then however, the cracks formed. Bell screamed and forced his arm to finish the motion, as painful as it was. The barrier broke and the teeth pierced flesh. The spirit screamed, its dragon body now stuck in Bell's dragonic maw. It tried to break free, but Bell wouldn't let go, trying to bite through. Yet he couldn't, only keeping it in place.
"Leave! Let me go to Aria! Let me join her with her hero! Where's Ursus?!"
It cried. Cried for whatever it was searching for. Struggled to break free. Bell grit his teeth, feeling his hold on his magic fading. Then he heard a soft sigh.
"I'm assuming you are talking about the spirit that blessed my bro's bloodline." Solaris shook her head, on all fours now as she tensed up her legs. "Well, dunno if I am fake or not. But all I know is... even if the blood isn't the same... " She glared in determination at her target before hitting off the ground. Far, far faster than she ever was. Soaring through the air, she pulled her right arm back with a snarl. "I'm sure Urus and the others want me to release you!"
"Don't say that name! You don't get to-"
"Maximum Output... !"
Solaris' flames burst out, more furious than ever. Its color changed, turning into a blinding white. She screamed in agony, as it even seemed to burn through Salamander Wool and revealing her arm to the world, now starting to give in to Solaris' own heat.
"Inferno!"
The punch, boosted by Haruhime's magic and Solaris' own, rammed into the spirit's face. It could only scream before the head gave in. Then the rest of the body as Solaris swung downwards, forcing the white flame to burst through its body and the dragon's head. The ground exploded, forcing Kojiro, Haruhime and Bell back as they slid over the ground. Bell felt his head pounding as his magic finally vanished. Then, as loud as the explosion was, the heat began to subside. Just as the dragonic body, whatever was left of it, began to turn into dust. The one left standing was Solaris, raising her head and looking at the ceiling at the falling ashes of their enemy.
"Goodbye, fallen spirit."
A somber atmosphere settled in the room... before Solaris raised her now blistering arm and began to cry, tears falling down from her eyes.
"Owowowowow, every time!" She rolled around on the ground, yet the motions only moved her burned arm and intensified the pain. "Shiiiiit, it huuuurtsssss!"
They couldn't help it. They began to laugh, only to cause their own injuries and burns, less than Solaris, to ache up. Soon enough they used whatever potions and bandages they had that did not evaporate from the heat. With her arm bandaged up and whatever water dousing it, Solaris let out a long suffering sigh.
"Well, this didn't answer anything I had in mind." She glanced back, at the remnants of the charm before letting out an amuse scoff. "Remind me I gotta thank Nyx. That thing tanked some of that damage."
Bell smiled lightly, making a mental note of that.
"Was that really a spirit?" Haruhime asked quietly. Solaris shrugged, absolutely clueless.
"Corrupted. Maybe consumed by a dragon and they fused into some sort of... Demi Spirit?" She glanced at Bell, a small smile forming as she nodded at him. "Thanks, Bell."
"N-No problem!" He blushed a bit, yet Solaris shook her head.
"I mean it. Your words... meant a lot. I was about to pass out, really." She sighed before turning to Kojiro. She stared at him, who was checking his blade with a frown. Looking up, he blinked at her before tilting his head.
"What's wrong?"
"Okay, gotta say it out loud then. " Solaris smacked her lips before pointing at him accusingly. "The shit was that?!"
"You have to be more specific," Kojio said, frowning. The captain let out a silent scream before jabbing her finger at him once more.
"Tsubame Gaeshi!"
"Oh!" Kojiro chuckled before looking back at his blade as if it wasn't important. "Three strikes in one breath."
Suffice to say, it only pissed Solaris off even more. Haruhime and Bell leaned away, laughing awkwardly as she threw her arms up in the air, wincing for a moment before snarling once more.
"Bull! Shit! Don't act this was a casual normal thing! I know what I saw! And that wasn't magic, so it's even more bullshit!" She paused, her eyes widening. "Wait, isn't that your skill?! What kind of skill is that?! Why is it gibberish?!" She snapped her head towards Bell and Haruhime, who flinched at the attention. "Why aren't you two more concerned about what he pulled off?!"
"Err... "
"We kind of... sorta... already saw it…?" Bell trailed off, sharing a helpless look with the Renard. Solaris never looked at them as betrayed as she did now. Indignation filled her face as she shook her head.
"And you didn't tell me?!"
"It's a secret technique?" Haruhime offered helplessly while Bell shrugged.
"You wouldn't believe us?"
"So wait, that was a skill. Not magic. And that was-" She pulled at her hair before the frustration became too much. "Ah, fuck it! You're bullshit! Message received, we're leaving now!"
In response, Kojiro raised his hand politely.
"Well, I could ex-"
"I refuse! I predict I'll lose my damn mind if I heard it! We're leavin'!"
And that was that. Slowly, battered, but alive, they made their way back from where they came from.