Haruhime's ears twitched as she groaned, wakefulness returning to her. Rubbing her head, she winced at a sharp pain from her chest. She exhaled, rubbing the sore spot before looking around with a bleary expression. Her eyes widened when she spotted Kojiro, fine himself but also looking tired, as if he just woke up.
"Did we win…?" Haruhime muttered, realizing they were surrounded by Astraea Famila and even the Xenos somehow. Yet the way Kaguya bit her lip, told her this wasn't over yet. She was helped to her feet by the Senbonzakura, only for the girl to gape at what she was seeing.
It was as if the plaza became an arena, with every civilian and adventurer in the vicinity creating a large space, as spectators. In the middle was a quite frankly terrifying bipedal black skinned bull monster facing…Bell out of all people?! She stammered, looking around frantically, searching for answers while Kojiro hummed thoughtfully, standing shoulder to shoulder with Arash.
"Goodness, we have missed a lot, didn't we?" -UNWAVERING BELIEF
To everyone's surprise, the duel did not start off with furious rage, with immense bloodlust, with instant action as steel clashed against steel, blood spilling against the ground. Instead, it was slow. Their feet gradually shifted forward one by one, pushing away the dirt on the street. With each step forward, they switched their front arm holding a sword, as if they both performed a careful ritual as they got closer and closer to each other.
A battle of the past overlapped with the present prelude. One, a mindless beast, overflowing with power that broke apart its very flesh and bones. The other, a mere rookie, barely beginning to taste the horrors and cruelty that was the dungeon. A fight to the death, with one man left standing as the monster perished, reduced to nothing but dust. Now, a repeat of the past. Both changed, yet the same in their core. Hardened veterans, warriors, as they were now face to face, their arms touching. The height difference should've made this a laughable display. Yet nobody could make a noise. Despite so many people watching, in such a vast area, there was nothing to hear. No erratic breathing, no coughing, no nothing, as Xenos and human arms touched each other, their owners looking deep into each other's eyes, utterly silent, as they seemed to break down everything about their opposite before the initial clash.
Eventually however, the signal to start their fated battle would emerge. A singular sweat drop. Slowly, it flowed down the skin of a certain elven mage, her heart filled with agony and jealousy at the sight. Her inner thoughts a mystery to all, as she desired to be in that Xenos' place, as the rival of Bell Cranel…yet finding herself wanting nevertheless. One gulp to maintain composure, unwilling to miss even a single moment. The movement caused the fluid to break away from her body. Then, ever so gently, it plummeted and shattered on the ground.
A mere twitch of his fingers was all the warning Bell had, shifting his right feet to the side. In that instance, it was Asterius who made the first attack. The cleaver cut through the very air itself, a greeting filled with the raw strength of a monster, born with natural gifted muscles. Bell could feel the displacement pushing against his face. With his teeth gritted, he replied with his own greeting, one of speed, a thrust aiming for the shoulder wound of Asterius, a weakness he knew he could damage unlike the darkened fur of this opponent. Yet it was something the Xenos was aware of himself. Homebringer only dug into his flesh ever so slightly, hitting an uninjured spot, before Bell bounced himself out of it before the blade would actually get stuck.
With those greetings delivered by both sides, their dance began.
For Bell, he was in the eye of a typhoon, the wild winds created by the Xenos capable of smashing even stone apart. Only his swiftness of dodging the furious attacks kept him alive, a single mistake would lead to at least a crippling blow. Always watching for intentions, in the Xenos' eyes, his veins, his twitches and breathing. To predict and move ahead of time of the speed that came from power, pushing past the mental and physical exhaustion that came with getting brushed by death so often. His blades spun, twirled, stabbed, slashed, imagination and experience with the weapons blooming as every possibility was used to strike even one more time than usual.
For Asterius, it was as if he was in the middle of a wasp swarm. Bit by bit, his skin was roughed up and forcefully opened by the black blades forged by divinity itself. Sometimes, they would hit an open wound and intensify the pain Asterius felt, causing him to grit his teeth and increase the force behind his blows. Dodging was meaningless, so he had to divert the blows to less vital points, had to bear the onslaught of blows that slowly but surely whittled him down like a woodpecker. More often than not however, he ignored the blows he could take in order to go for the offensive, to land that one hit, with weapons he was not used to, being limited to simple attacks.
One who had to deal a thousand cuts to win without getting hit even once. Another who had to deal one impossible blow while enduring an unending wave of attacks. Two different conditions to win, both desperately reaching for it. To the onlookers, this was no fight that could be considered normal, the level of power and speed, of dexterity respectively, too high for someone on the level of four. Their arms blurred to the human eye, their feet stepping fast and circling around each other as if they were running for their lives as the ground they walked on was covered by sweat and blood alike.
Their exchanges made everyone forget for but a moment that one of the fighters, warriors indeed, was not human.
A roar bordering feral rage, combined with the footprint of a beast, shattered the ground into pieces, as gravity for one second was defied. Bell leapt backwards, avoiding the brunt of the shockwave. Yet in an equal blow to blow fight they just had, retreating meant giving up initiative. It meant tipping the scales, something that Asterius did not miss as he bend forward and made his species' name proud with a furious charge forward, horns ahead while the cleavers carved up the path before him. With four weapons, two artificial, two natural, they armed the forward force that was Asterius as Bell had to jump backwards repeatedly, while his palm aimed forward. The swift strike magic of his hit the minotaur head on, causing him to flinch and growl. Yet his charge would not slow down, actually gaining on Bell. The cleavers and horns dispersed the spears of fire and lightning, until Bell changed strategy and fully turned around…just in time to see a building right in front of him. His eyes widened before they narrowed. With a yell, he kicked off his own shoes and jumped up, just in time for Asterius to make a hole into the wall.
A few seconds later, Asterius emerged from the hole, shaking off a table stuck on his horns. He felt the ringing before hearing it and immediately dove down, as the edge of Homebringer aimed for his neck, reinforced by Argonaut itself. Bell clicked his tongue, his toes clinging to the bricks of the house. The bull cracked his neck with a snort before trying to reach him with his cleavers. Unfortunately, this time Bell had the height advantage and made full use of it. Unlike Asterius, who awkwardly tried to slash up, outside his reach, the adventurer had more than enough experience to fight in three dimensional space like this, courtesy to Ryuu's training. With his quick agility across the wall as if it were solid ground, he committed himself to hit and run tactics, closing in for a quick hit before retreating as the air around him shimmered. Naturally, such an advantage didn't last long as Asterius switched tracks as well.
Once more, he destroyed the ground with a mere stomp. But this time, he wouldn't stop there, using his weapons to fling the broken stone right at Bell. His eyes widened at that and was forced on dodging, unable to fire back as the walls were broken down bit by bit. With one final roar, a large piece of debris finally shattered the building. Bell narrowed his eyes and used the remnants of the wood as platforms in the air, positioning himself right above Asterius with a jump. The bull only had a chance to widen his eyes at the glittering eyes around Bell before he crossed his arms, attempting to protect himself.
"Firebolt!"
Boosted by his skill, the flames and lightning lived up to his moniker as 'Albion', a storm crashing down on the Xenos. Many believed that would be it. Not many could take magic of that power, rivaling the talented spellcasters of the city, head on like this. Especially Lefiya knew the power behind that spell, remembering their fight against the floor boss back on their mission together. There was no way Asterius would be able to withstand that power. So she allowed herself to smile, conflicted as she felt, while Bell landed on his feet, exhaling slowly. But that smile quickly vanished when the smoke settled, her eyes widened with shock, an action she was not alone with.
It wasn't a truly unbelievable sight, looking back. It was not as if Asterius came out of that attack completely unharmed. His wounds sizzled and twitched from the elements they were exposed to. His breathing was erratic, pained even with the burns across his body. Yet that was all the damage he received. Worsened his injuries, definitely putting him on the backfoot, but that was not remotely the normal result of such strong magic. It was then that the more experienced ones realized something as pulsating, underneath all that flesh of his. Like patterns glowing, there seemed to be pathways of magical energy covering Asterius' body. A certain author narrowed his eyes before shaking his head slightly.
"Guess he picked something up from the memories or…" Hans trailed off, muttering under his breath as a certain Avenger came to mind, who spent the most time with Asterius. He let out a scoff. Even after death that guy was a major pain in the ass.
Nevertheless, Asterius did not get out of the Argonaut Firebolt scot free. It wasn't an opening Bell missed. The bull, with his cleavers now dropped, half melted at that point, he raised his fists, but it was a sluggish movement, much slower compared to Bell as he picked up speed once more, unleashing an endless barrage of blows. The Xenos could do nothing but cover his vitals as much as he could, crossing his arms as energy pulsed through his veins to reinforce his flesh. Yet there were many openings, more than before, that Bell could aim for without Asterius shifting his body to divert. However, despite such an advantage, Bell's eyes strained as he felt his lungs burn. His arms screamed for a break. Not only from the repeated swings they had to perform, but also from the target they had to hit. It was not like striking flesh but hitting diamond head on, shaking and vibrating his arms with each strike he hammered them into Asterius. Each cut, ever so shallow, had to be earned with his full attention and strength. Anything less would be spitting at his opponent's face. Anything less would do no damage whatsoever.
However. Asterius would not remain idle for long. Even as his body was carved open, bit by bit, his black color stained with red, not swinging his arms wildly, remaining rooted and still like a tree, meant it gave him time to recover. Enough time for him to roar and spreading his arms open. The motion pushed Bell back, sending him into the air just a bit. The Xenos reared his arm back, his fist almost touching the ground. Bell's eyes widened as he landed down on the ground. With a snarl, both moved. Empowered by his skill, Bell's leg smashed into the Xenos' knee. Morgenglock covered his body to protect it, as Asterius finished the shifting of his hips and smashed his fist right into the human's magic and body. Both bit back a scream of agony, as Bell was the one flying off, smashing violently into another building, while Asterius fell down on his damaged knee, pulsating with agony.
At the same time, Bell struggled to keep to his consciousness, his back lying on the shattered remains of a kitchen. His chest heaved with effort, as blood flowed down his head. He grit his teeth, wincing at the flares of pain he felt, especially at his rib area before forcing himself up slowly.
Just one hit.
One hit was enough to return balance to the scales. He stumbled out of the building, seeing Asterius carefully putting pressure on his knee. It buckled, forcing him to kneel down once more. Bell was in no condition to aim for that weakness, as it felt as if his bones were piercing his flesh all over the place. Thus, an involuntary break commenced, both observing the other as they caught their breath, gathered their energy. The blue light of Asterius glowed underneath, pulsating as it recovered. The wisps of white slowly grew around Bell.
In that moment, the observers breathed out heavily, not realizing they were holding their breath the entire time. No silly joke could be made. Nobody truly knew what to say, expecting a one sided match one way or the other. Instead they witnessed a fight between equals, who could not be more different from each other. The outcome was truly in the air, of what was superior: Speed and dexterity or strength and endurance? Of course, some managed to be more active than others. Ryuu bit her lip and was about to take a step forward, just to have a long eastern blade in her way. Kaguya and Alise grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back, causing the girl to snarl. Kojiro remained silent, his weapon in hand as he shook his head.
"We can't interfere. None of us can. This kind of battle is something that mustn't be tainted. Look."
Ryuu looked back at the two combatants and couldn't help but gasp.
"Ha…haha…!"
"Hehe…"
Despite the blood, their very life force, draining out of them, their exhaustion and pain they must be feeling…they were both smiling at each other. Not as friends, or even as warriors respecting each other. It was something more primal. As if their very souls were satisfied by finding a missing piece they didn't even know they were missing. As captivating as Bell's smile was however, Ryuu shook her head and glared at the swordsman once more who stopped her.
"Kojiro, he could die from this! I know Bell cares for the Xenos, but this-"
"Then so be it."
The entire group froze, sans a few exceptions, staring wide eyed at Kojiro. His features were soft, gentle even. His voice was full with warmth, despite the cold words they uttered.
"...Huh... ?"
Kojiro let out a wistful sigh.
"This encounter... there is no room for any of us. Their battle, their outcome, is entirely up to them. We have no say in it." He laughed lightly."So this is your fate, Bell... "
Before anyone could comment how insane his words sounded, that they made no sense, Hans elbowed him in his side, sending him a dirty look.
"Don't equate every single rivalry with that udon lover and yourself. Not everything has to be that deeply philosophical nonsense."
"To be fair, is he wrong?" Arash asked, raising an eyebrow with a small smile, causing Hans to let out a snort, looking away.
"Hmph."
Ryuu didn't understand. Not what those three were talking about, what Kojiro meant by letting Bell die. Yet she felt like she couldn't move. Not yet. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, intent on not missing a single moment, her hand reaching for her weapon's hilt, to be drawn at any moment. Honor be damned. Fate be damned. She would not lose a loved one again.
Bell exhaled. Asterius exhaled. Everyone's attention sharpened. The intermission ended and it was the adventurer who made the first move once again. Jumping to his feet, he began to dash, not at Asterius directly, but around him, picking up speed. The Xenos tried to follow his movements, shifting his feet to keep up, but Bell stopped and accelerated, slowed down sometimes or took turns. The irregular movements made it difficult for Asterius' eyes to dart and follow him, until at last, he disappeared from his view. The next instance, the world tilted and Asterius' feet were swept away from him as Bell's legs smashed into them, the young man sliding across the ground with his built up speed.
That was his chance!
Rising up, Bell growled as he swung both of his blades downward, empowered by Argonaut and Dragon Fang alike. There was no way Asterius could recover in time. His arms, his legs, were out of position and Bell was directly behind him. There was no stable foundation for him to guard. The magical energy he possessed would not be enough and everyone knew it. With a roar, the teeth of the White Dragon were about to bite down on its prey.
This was it. Everyone believed it. Even the veterans of combat felt it that this was not a blow one could escape in such a situation. Except for three people.
Two of which were taken out of combat swiftly with monstrous ferocity. They felt the blows of the beast first hand. Bete narrowed his eyes, while Tione clutched her injuries, both not knowing why they felt this sinking feeling in their gut.
The third was different from them. For she actually fought Asterius head on, not taken out by surprise. An extended engagement. And her arm? She remembered how it was taken out of commission. How could she not?
Bell was making the very same mistake she did. Their eyes went wide. The Sword Princess tried to jump forward, only for her legs to not respond to her wishes. With desperation, her shrill voice echoed in the area.
"It's a trap!"
But it was too late.
The next instance blood spilled. The instance after, a loud crash as the human exploded into a nearby building. Lying on his face, Bell coughed up blood, his eyes wide with pain and confusion. His hands almost let go of his swords as he was tasting his own blood, his face lying in a slowly growing pool of it. The audience couldn't believe their eyes. It was impossible to believe what they saw.
"That was…!" Hans muttered, his eyes wide.
Only the highest grade of fighters could see what happened. Yet most of them didn't know what to make of what they saw. One moment, Asterius was about to be bitten in half. The next, it was as if the air became water and the bull…danced. He grabbed onto the upper fang, used it like a pole to spin around on, picking up momentum as his legs swung in the air a few times to pick up speed before crashing into his opponent and sending him flying.
Bell, who gasped for air, clawing at his armor to get rid of it due to its dent, confusion addling his pounding head. It was a move pretty much nobody could recognize. How could they? The martial art was a complete unknown, a total mystery to them. It was not boxing, the art of striking. It was not like the Divine Arms of Hachiman. The closest comparison that could be made was the deadly dance of Kali. Yet to those that came from Chaldea, they saw more than that. They saw whose move it was. They recognized the way Asterius began to bounce on his feet, his arms waving as if enjoying a great festival.
"Quetzalcoatl…?" Arash muttered, seeing the phantom image of the divine woman over Asterius. Kaguya raised an eyebrow at that. Why mutter the name of a goddess? Yet no answer came, as the archer covered his mouth, as Hans couldn't help but whistle impressed. The agility was nothing compared to the master…but there was no doubt, that movement in mid air, the supreme art of three dimensional combat, taken even higher by this specific branch of the style.
If raw parameters were additive…skill and martial arts served as multipliers. Thus, the speed, the maneuverability and force behind a blow based on the greatest lucha user of a distant land called South America could not be compared to the savage swings from before.
After bouncing a few times, Asterius rushed forward and leapt into the air. Usually a foolish move in a fight, yet he jumped with such grace, many couldn't help but be captivated by the sight. Bell's eyes widened, coughing as he made sure his lungs weren't stabbed by his own ribs before rolling forward, just as Asterius descended with a cross chop, cutting the building open with ease. The moment his feet landed on the ground, he backflipped, forming a crescent moon. With his stomach to the front, he slammed down, forcing Bell once more to jump forward, widening his wounds even more. Such irregular attacks, a far cry from the straight forward, wild swings from before, forced Bell on the backfoot, not knowing where all of this came from.
Not that Asterius comprehended where these moves came from either.
Asterius remembered. Remembered the memories of another, mythical minotaur. Saw the memories of a strange place, hidden behind frost. The many worlds they entered, the many legends and heroes that interacted with each other. Each warrior, each image was his teacher, mimicked and refined in the depths of the Dungeon. Like a child using picture books as inspiration, Asterius trained and trained. And in this moment, on the surface, he finally found the opponent he wished to use the fruits of that effort.
A shoulder check, which Bell barely blocked with his defensive magic. Compact strikes similar to the Far East, focusing on internal damage.
Bajiquan.
Swift jabs that cut Bell's skin open, his cheek receiving a large gash. A hook that sent Bell spinning, almost taking off his jaw if he didn't spin with the force. Footwork that managed to follow the human's escape.
Greek Boxing.
A tackle, arms wrapping around Bell's hips. Rearing back his upper body, Asterius was about to smash him down, only for the blood to allow Bell to slip out of it. Again and again, Asterius almost managed to force Bell into the ground, only his wounds and blood allowing Bell any chance of escape from the art of ground fighting.
Pankration.
The only reasons Bell wasn't hit straight on once more was a mere fact of inexperience. He has learned the techniques. Utilized them on unthinking beasts within the dungeon. However, that meant he never learned how to chain them up properly. What technique to use when against a sapient opponent. They were openings Bell used to survive and reduce as much damage as he could. But with the blood loss, the shock of the techniques and the burning of his flesh…Bell grit his teeth in frustration. That was all he did. Survive.
It was shameful. It disgusted him. He refused to be done yet! It irked him, this feeling of stagnation, as Asterius seemingly grew and grew. It was a misunderstanding, the Xenos merely revealing what he had already learned. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was…what his actions fueled within Bell.
He unleashed his Firebolt, blinding the minotaur for but an instance. He jumped away, from a vicious kick, snapping upwards but missing him entirely. With enough distance, Bell's feet touched the ground. The sensation of dirt between his toes. A memory emerged in his mind. His first true act as a hero. The Far East.
In that instance, Bell disappeared before reappearing in a blink of an eye. Asterius screamed in agony, clutching his other shoulder, now a matching gash to the other that Aiz created. He spun around, seeing Bell behind him, drool dropping out of the young man's mouth. Haruhime gasped while Kojiro smirked, all too familiar what Bell just did.
It could be considered a mystery similar to Kojiro's Tsubame Gaeshi. Magic that was not magic. Footwork that went beyond the logic of the world and crossed the gap despite all reason dictating it was meant to be impossible. Naturally, due to that nature, Bell was unable to use the art of Earth Shrinking at will. He had tried many times, to replicate the art, but alway fell short of the real deal. Even now, the potential was merely unlocked by his body and mind being forced beyond their limits. His mind empty, only the desire of victory and desperation fueling him. And yet, the prior uses of such a miracle would stack upon itself in form of experience.
Over and over again, Bell disappeared, before reappearing elsewhere, with wounds opening up on Asterius' body, deeper than ever before. Speed that defied logic, increasing the force of the cuts. Over and over, Bell crossed over the threshold and carved his marks into Asterius.
Hence, the scales were balanced once more.
Asterius roared. Bell roared. And just like the start of the battle, the dance began anew, just on an entirely new level this time.
Shukuchi and martial arts were added into the mix, on top of their injuries. Compact movements against blinding speed.
It was no longer a fight. Both were long beyond their limits, breaking such silly things for the sake of their fate. It was no longer a duel. It was a race, a contest between speed and stamina. But not about the mere physical aspects these traits represented.
Asterius' movements became less awkward. Jabs followed kicks, kicks followed headbutts, jumps followed spins. No longer singular techniques, but put together for a grand performance, dedicated to the gratitude, to the memories in his soul as his mind sharpened ever so more to predict Bell's movements, grazing him a few times even.
Meanwhile Bell's movements became even faster, more erratic. To some, they started to see afterimages, an army of humans assaulting his opponents. The straightforward nature of Shukuchi meant that Bell had to path out his approach seconds ahead of time, in order to not smash into Asterius' fists themselves.
The moment one's growth stumbled, was the moment they would lose this contest. It was torture. It was a blessing. Both wished this would not stop, for they soared into the heavens themselves through violence. This endless growth made them feel like the only ones in this world, ascending in the zone of their own making.
Alas, the flesh was weak and could not keep up to their pure aspirations. Bell almost crashed down as he slid over the ground, his speed finally slowing down. Many were shocked at the sight of his feet, practically mangled from the Shukuchi. Meanwhile Asterius was completely doused in blood, his limbs shaking.
Despite their hyperventilating breaths, they took on a combat stance once more. Bell aimed his blades forward, held like scissors. Asterius put his fists against the ground, presenting the form of a beast as steam escaped his snout.
It was the final exchange. They knew it. The audience knew it. No words needed to be exchanged. Both nodded at each other, ever so slightly.
Then, Bell charged forward, to his enemy, to his rival, his dream, as the air announced his existence with the ringing of white bells. Bell Cranel combined everything he had learned up until this very second. His past actions, his past growth, they alone would not be enough. Magic, skills, martial ability, all of them were condensed into this singular move, into something new. He had never done this before, he didn't know if he could do it.
But it did not matter, for he had to. Thus, two spells became one, accompanied with his footwork. The Dragon emerged. The flames and lightning appeared. But not in its maw. Firebolt engulfed the beast, creating a burning creature of destruction, charging forward with unbelievable speeds, that could ruin all that it faced if perfected.
"Eiyuu no Shukuchi!"
The flaming beast would smash into Asterius in an instance. He knew it. But the warrior did not remain idle. His muscles bulged, magical energy burning itself up for their sake. He exhaled, his neck tensing up like a spring. With a grin, he was fully confident. Indeed. At this very moment, Asterius developed his own move in this evolving battle. One of many memories that took his breath away, but he was never capable of making it reality. But now, as he bleeds, as his lungs burned for air, as his fated rival blurred once more, the Xenos was fully confident he could do it. His own version of the monster slaying technique of the mightiest hero of the land called Greece!
"Nine Lives - Asterius!"
The horns became weapons of legends. The head of the warrior the hand that grasped those weapons. Swing after swing, so fast they could strike down a hundred heads at their fully realized potential.
Both techniques were imperfect of course. The White Dragon set on fire was unstable. The strikes of the warrior not as many as they could be. Yet they were as perfect as they could be in that instance.
A technique inspired to kill monsters, used by a monster. A technique that resembled a monster that devoured humans, used by a human. They clashed head on, horns against magic, Bell against Asterius. For a moment, time stopped as the two strikes met. An image of legends seared into the mind of the onlookers.
Yet the moment could not last forever.
In the end, history repeated itself. As time resumed, still slowed down, everyone could see the result of the clash. Arms extended forward, as if trying to stop something in vain. Mouths were covered, gasps escaped. But nothing the audience or any of the fighters could do would change anything. The outcome was the logical conclusion of nature and fate itself.
A smile. Gentle. Yet filled with melancholy, for the end has arrived.
"You were magnificent."
The outcome was unavoidable. After all, the hero always overcame the monster.
Bell's eyes widened as the brilliant white dragon was shattered into motes of light. His arms blew backwards, his hands letting Homebringer go at last. He saw Asterius' head facing down, saw the pulsing veins on his neck. Bell tried to move his arms, to cast his spell, to do anything, despite the backlash of Argonaut hitting him.
"Morgenglock-!"
Light barely flickered around his body before the horns smashed into his body. Over and over again, knocking him around in mid air, spilling his very life essence.
Ribs. Kidneys. Thighs. Shoulder. Chest. Temple.
With one final roar, one final slash of the horns, Asterius rammed Bell straight down, creating a crater. Breathing heavily, the Xenos turned around, his back to the adventurer without hesitation. He stumbled with his blood and injury covered body. His eyes were dull, half lidded. Yet the smile on his face was unmistakable.
"The debt has been repaid."
Something soared through the sky and crashed down into the crater. Ryuu's face was distorted with horror, as she leaned down, watching the body of Bell…not moving a single muscle, not even his chest moving. Immediately, she ripped off his shirt and pressed her palms on his chest.
"Please, please, don'tdon'tdon't…!"
As Asterius kept moving, as the Royal Gale tried to…as the Astraea Familia quickly followed suit with the Hestia Familia, to get to Bell's side, many others were frozen still. Tears welled up in eyes, disbelief written all over their faces. The Xenos numbly were moved towards Asterius by Ottar. Slowly, the crowd created a path to Babel, their eyes unable to decide whether to look at the minotaur or Bell.
Nothing was said as the Xenos disappeared from the surface, not a word uttered. As they descended the stairs, to their origins, Asterius glanced back. Shell shocked expressions. Tears. But what surprised him the most were the teeth bared at him, by Lido of all people. Unable to hold himself back, a snort escaped him, only to be followed by a wince. Lido growled before Asterius raised his arm as they entered the dungeon.
"Save your anger when it is needed." Asterius shook his head, facing forward. "A tie is unacceptable to leave our score at."
"What-"
"There is no way that Bell Cranel is satisfied with such a conclusion either." Asterius smiled. "He will not die until then."
On the surface, a sudden gasp sounded, followed by bloody coughs. Bell's eyes were muddy, not remotely conscious. Yet that was more than enough. Ryuu hugged him tightly to herself, followed by Haruhime throwing her arms around them too. Hestia collapsed to her knees, barely caught by Astraea in the audience. Kojiro's hands relaxed from the fists they were, while others let out a sigh of relief.
Against all expectations, Bell lived to experience another day…and to truly comprehend his loss when his consciousness would return.
AN:
If I were to use Nasu conventions in terms of Ruby Text:
"[ruby=Shukuchi] Blazing The Trail Of My Journey[/ruby]"
"[ruby=Eiyuu no Shukuchi] Blazing The Trail Of My Heroic Journey[/ruby]"
"[ruby=Nine Lives - Asterius]Shooting The Hundred Heads - Minotaur Style[/ruby]"
Also Bell vs Asterius really is just a Potemkin vs Chipp matchup.