Bell POV

Aisha and I were together in my bed. The morning rays of sunlight were shining through the window. I was watching Aisha as she slept holding her in my arms with a content smile on my face.

She of course was naked just like every time we slept together as a means to tempt me. Even though we've had sex I wouldn't take advantage of her sleeping like this. I was raised better.

"You can touch them you know, they belong to you" Aisha's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked up at her and saw her eyes open and a coy smile on her face. "But I'd feel like I'd be taking advantage of you"

She pecked me on the lips. "Such a gentleman, well you're not gentle during sex"

I blushed a little in embarrassment. "You said you liked it rough"

She pecked me on the lips again. "That I did"

She then went to get up but I pulled her back into bed my arms wrapping around her waist.

"Oh, someone wants a morning quickie" she playfully said.

I shook my head. "No, I just want to lay here with the woman I love for just a little longer"

She let out an embarrassed chuckle. "I hate how you have such a way with words without even realizing it"

I held her tighter. "I have a special someone helping me understand this feeling better"

She rolled her eyes. "Charmer"

"You love me like that," I said.

She smiled again. "That I do, but when are you gonna add more girls to this little thing of ours" she teased.

I let out a sigh. "You're not letting that go, are you"

"Nope, I don't mind sharing ya," she told me.

I let out another sigh. "I'll think about it"

"Yay," she let out a mock cheer.

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Miach POV

I was reading over Ourano's request again. We'll find the answer on the 20th floor. Are there more monsters like Wiene? Hmm, it seems only time will tell.

Knock knock knock

"Come in," I said hearing the knock on my door.

Haruhime opened the door with a smile on her face. Her timid nature seemed to be gone for a moment and replaced with it was an air of confidence.

"How can I help you Haruhime," I asked putting the letter in a drawer.

"I would like a status update lord Miach"

I quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? What for" I asked.

"Master Bell gave me a grimoire last night, I just woke up from its effects," she told me.

I was confused. Where did Bell get a grimoire?

"That's great Haruhime, but where did Bell get a grimoire," I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know lord Miach, he just said his aunt hid one in case he needed it, I don't know where he went to get it though"

I let out a sigh. "Well I'll go grab a piece of paper and a knife get, go and get ready"

I reached into my desk and pulled out a small knife to prick my finger with and a sheet of paper to copy the stats down.

When I looked back up Haruhime had her red kimono down and her back exposed covering her chest with her hand.

I pricked my finger and let a drop of my blood drop on her back opening her falna. She hasn't gotten any excila since the last time she was in the dungeon but she did have a new magic. It seemed to be an attack magic. I finished updating her falna and handed her the status sheet.

I then turned around so she could put her kimono back up. Once she did she read her status sheet and an even bigger smile appeared on her face.

"Oh this is so amazing, I can finally help out more" Her smile was so wide it looked like her face would get stuck if she smiled anymore.

"Careful Haruhime, keep smiling like that and your face will get stuck" I joked.

She gave me a look of horror. "My face will get stuck, Master Bell won't like me if my face is stuck"

I chuckled at her innocence. "It's just a saying Haruhime"

Her face flushed red with embarrassment as her ears pressed against her head. "O-oh, I knew that"

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Zald POV

Miach had told us of our quest during breakfast. Welf wasn't there, he was spending time in his forge hammering away at making Bell new armor. He hadn't stopped working ever since we got back from the guild. So being the responsible adult I am I went to go get him.

I opened the door to his forge and saw him hitting out any dents on Bell's chest plate. He didn't hear me come in too focused on his work.

"Welf" I called out to him. He didn't hear me.

"Welf" I called out again. Same response.

I walked up to him and shook him causing him to get startled. He looked up at me and blinked. I could see the bags under his eyes.

"Oh hey, what are you doing here," he asked barely keeping his eyes open.

"I'm here to make sure you get something to eat and some sleep," I told him.

"I'm fine...Bell needs to be alright"

"Lad, I know you care for him but...sleepless nights and a lack of food won't help Bell, and with how you are he'll only begin to worry about you. We are all worried...rest"

"But-But He can't die, we've only recently become brothers. He is someone I can connect with, someone who understands me. Being told he's gonna...gonna die...It hurts just thinking about it."

"I know lad...but you won't be at your best if you're tired, now get some food and some rest, we have a quest to go to the 20th floor, it says we'll find answers there"

Welf sat there for a second. He then stood up and wobbled a little bit before steadying himself. "Alright, I'll get some sleep, but I want my training to intensify after this quest... Bell's pulling farther and farther away from us, so I wanna help him the best I can" Welf's voice and eyes were full of determination.

I chuckled. "Alright lad, I'll see what I can do"

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Bell POV

Weapons check. Armor check. Healing stones in my gauntlet. Scarf made of dragon scales that Miach and Nazha somehow acquired, check. Alright looks like I'm all ready to go.

"Hey Bell hold up a minute" Regis called out to me.

I took my hand away from my doorknob and looked at him. "Yeah what's up"

He let out a sigh before speaking. "I know you don't like it when I interfere with your battles, I know you can't grow if you don't overcome them yourself, but I'm not taking any chances with the woman in black, when she finally shows up, I'll kill her myself"

I stared at him for a moment. "I agree with this, just this once I'll ask you to intervene"

We stared at each other for a while. "Good, we're in agreement then," he said.

I nodded my head and walked out the door. We reached the living room and saw everyone doing their equipment checks. It was around 2:30 am so the city was as quiet as it was gonna get.

Once I knew everyone was ready I told everyone to head outside. However, I stopped Zald as I needed to speak with him.

"What's up lad, need something"

I looked over and saw everyone waiting outside. Wiene covered in a cloak and being shielded from outside eyes. "I need you to stay here, I did some digging into the Ikilos familia today and they have multiple level threes and four and a level five, I don't wanna leave Nazha and Miach alone if they know we're on to them"

Zald looked outside and then back inside seeing Miach and Nazha getting ready to go to bed after saying their goodbyes.

"Alright lad, you be extra careful, I won't be there to bail you out if things get hairy"

I patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, things get hairy I'll throw Regis at them and run" I joked.

He let out a chuckle before taking a seat on the couch and staring at the door with a cold gaze, he would be ready if someone tried something.

3rd person POV

The party made their way down into the dungeon. Barely anyone was there with how late it was. The upper floors were a breeze. With the strength the party possessed the upper-floor monsters knew to stay away. Once they reached the middle floors hell hounds tried their hand at stopping them.

Only for their heads to be cut off before they realized what happened. Bell was leading the party and thanks to Mikoto's hunter skill he knew where to attack.

Bouncing off the walls or using magic he cut down any monsters in his path. After clearing a monster party of Minotaurs he flung the blood off his blade and looked at his party.

"Come on, we still have four more floors to go down" Bell's vice-captain mode was activated. Nothing mattered more to him than keeping everyone safe. Even at the cost of his own body and mind, he'd make sure everyone made it back alive.

The party kept going down Bell killing any monster he saw using any means necessary. Sword, magic, arrows, or even his bare hands. Nothing was off limits to him in terms of fighting.

Wiene looked at Bell in awe watching as not a single monster got close to her. To her Bell was her papa, but he was also her hero.

Once they reached the 20th floor Bell had everyone halt at the entrance. He sensed something friendly but familiar. After a minute of waiting the owl with the blue rune in its eye flew to him and landed on his shoulder.

It hooted and pecked his shoulder getting his attention. Then flew away.

"Looks like we're supposed to follow it," Welf said.

Bell waved his party forward and they followed the owl. As they were walking however a monster party of Voivure's attacked them.

"Wiene look away," Bell told her.

Wiene did as she was told and closed her eyes as Haruhime covered her ears. After a minute Haruhime took her hands away. When Wiene opened her eyes she didn't see any corpses.

Bell had broken their monster stones so she wouldn't have to see them. The party continued to follow the owl until it landed on a green stone protruding out from the wall. It then pecked on the wall a few times.

"Looks like it wants you to break it," Aisha said.

Bell took out his knife and stabbed the stone in the middle. It cracked and then shattered revealing a secret room. It was dark and was most definitely a trap, but they had no choice but to move forward.

Bell conjured a fireball in his hand and threw it inside. It lit up the room to reveal a dozen of monsters all of different species just waiting for them. It was hard to tell what they were but the fire reflected their eyes, and there were hundreds of them.

"WELF METAL BARRIER NOW, AISHA WITH ME, DAPHNE, LENA RUN CROWD CONTROL, REST OF YOU STAY BEHIND WELF'S BARRIER" Bell shouted.

The party followed his orders quickly. Welf constructed a metal barrier keeping the supporters and Wiene safe. Aisha and Bell took positions up in the vanguard while Daphne and Lena were behind them closer to the metal barrier.

It was a tense stand-off as neither side made a move. That was until a lizard man walked forward. He was wearing a chest plate and had a longsword pressed against his shoulder. He stopped 20 feet away from Bell and gave him a menacing look.

"You're a smart one boy, coming up with a plan that quickly and making a defensive position, very smart," the lizard man said.

Bell and the others weren't caught off guard as they expected this.

"I can tell you're strong just by looking at ya, but how well can you do against numbers"

"Try me and you'll find out," Bell said as his lightning started to cover his body.

More and more monsters came out of the darkness and the crackling of the lighting became more and more evident. The lizard man looked down at Bell before lifting his sword up and stabbing it into the ground. Then the lizard man did something nobody expected. He laughed.

"Ha ha ha ha, you're a tough one kid, name's Lyd, nice to meet ya" Lyd stuck out his hand.

Bell turned his lightning off and looked at Lyd confused, before shrugging his shoulders and shaking his hand.

"Names Bell, looks like we got another member to join your ranks"

Bell then gestured for Wiene to step forward and she did taking off her hood in the process. Lyd took one look at her and smiled.

"This call for a celebration" he cheered throwing his arms in the air.

Gonna end it here and break this into two parts. One because I'm tired and don't know what to write and two I started a new job as a carpenter's apprentice and it's taking a lot out of me so chapters will be more sporadic.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it because things will be heating up soon.

Also a thanks to Shmuppet who helped me write some of this story. It helped speed it along a little.