Part VII
The Loki familia arrived near the end of the thirty-sixth floor. Regrouping in the silence, they caught their breath as the black fog that reaped itself upon the lower levels weren't as potent, or completely gone away as if it were a localized thing. They made it to the thirty-sxith floor in record time, something that should've taken a day or a day a half, they made in just two hours from the twenty-seventh floor. Normally one of them would've made a quip about how much faster it goes without monsters impeding them. The fact that Tiona kept her mouth shut spoke volumes of words.
They kept themselves in place, just before the exit to the next floor. Gathered around one lone body that lays on the floor. One who fled in a desperate attempt to save their own skin. Though they shared no sympathy for this person.
"Bell, we're just about to reach the entrance leading to the thirty-seventh floor. It shouldn't be long until we do." Finn said as he brought the occulus to his mouth, and held it, waiting for a response.
"Got it. How'd everything look on the way down?" Bell asked, his voice clear through the small orb.
Finn's eyes gave each and every one of his team member's a glance as they watched him. They all shared the same expression, it could be described as wary, and vigilante. But as Finn's eyes met Riveria's, she shook her head in an attempt to tell him 'no.'
Finn turned his torso away as he held the occulus before him, glancing away to the walls that bore strikes of a single claw. The mark itself was ordinary, but what remained on the edges of it were a faint glowing of pure white. It pulsed gently like a heartbeat slowing gradually over time. Finn's eyes scanned the other walls that bore an amount that he didn't care to count.
"Those aren't claw marks.." He'd fill the gap in his mind with his observation as he searched for the proper words.
"It's been the same the entire way. We'll check in intermittently for updates."
"Oh-.. Ok. Good luck down there guys." Bell said wishing them the best. It was a sentiment that stung, up until this point they had a shared mission, for now the cold hard reality set in for the entire team.
"You too." Finn slid the occulus into his pocket and looked away from them all facing the body of what could be assumed was an adventurer caught in the frey. But this uniform, they were all too familiar with. Laying before them was a member of Evilus, a Remnant.
They went in blind into the dungeon. There could've been any number of things that they could've found. What they didn't expect was to find the lone body of a Remnant on the thirty-sixth floor with a bite wound that took the right side of their body off. A bite wound from a monster that they haven't seen before.
Finn knew that without a doubt, whatever happened here was the cause of them. Their search and desire for the destruction of Orario never seized, and just as they had begun to think that they had made progress to returning security and a peace of mind to their city somehow the Remnants found some way to manipulate the Dungeon.
Turning back to his team with a burning determination in his eyes.
"This is where our mission begins."
"Aiz, when we get down there, I want you to jump atop the labyrinth wall. Tell me what you see. Bete, I want your ears on full alert. If you so much hear a pebble drop I want to know about it. Riveria, you're on defense if anything comes at us. Tione and Tiona, you're close quarters fighters, but if we run into that thing Bell warned us of, we need to quickly assess it's abilities without risking our lives, so nothing risky Got it? Gareth, use that hammer to create any sort of impediment on our attackers. That also means making cover."
"So smash things. Got it." Gareth said, if it were any other circumstance he'd chuckle.
"But remember everyone, if that thing is down here, no magic attacks. Physical only. Let's get going."
Those were the orders, with no arguments or questions they moved out. All senses on full alert with a victim of a monster with an unknown bite wound, and the confirmed presence of Evilus' involvement. They had to expect anything. And as they made their way down further into the dungeon into the deep floors Finn's thumb ached with a sharp yet short pain, worse than the sensation back on the upper floors
"What is it that we're missing?" His mind raced after the sensation faded. And truly, there was no way to tell until they combed the floor, through the labyrinth of the thirty-seventh floor. A slow and tedious process, all the while moving on edge in pure anticipation of what lurks there.
From what they had already gathered, the Dungeon needs to incur serious damage that releases the Juggernaut. As evidence enough, the city stood still from the force of something happening within the Dungeon.
"But what could've happened on the thirty-seventh floor for that to happen?"
With Bell and Ryuu having the most experience in this sort of disaster, Finn couldn't help but add to his pondering how he and his team should've experienced something similar during their assault on Knossos.
"With a force of that magnitude shouldn't have we noticed it during the assault? Did we miss it, were we too preoccupied with in front of us? Or is it something entirely different that caused this?"
The latter left him concerned, an unknown variable that he had to keep track of. To mull out as he processed everything else in his head. There was the barren floors, the shadow mist or black fog, and then there the glowing markings that they've found that marked the walls that led up to the thirty-first floor.
Stepping down the passageway that curved, soon the area began to open and before them stood the massive walls of the labyrinth of the thirty-seventh floor. Walls so high that most adventurers dare not attempt to scale them. Though Aiz is not like most adventurers. Following Finn's order, she lept upwards carried by the wind that wisped around her. If they were to look up, they'd see her ascend for seconds, as if she were flying. Landing elegantly on the top of the wall, the wind that circled around her faded. The floor returned to silence.
It was expected to be a few minutes of observation, leaving the remaining team members to begin their path through the labyrinth. They rounded a total of two corners in the maze, all on full alert. The walls were clean and clear, perfectly normal as they made their way through.
"Finn.." Aiz's voice spoke gently, though layered with concern.
"Yes, Aiz? What do you see?" Finn asked without looking up to her.
"I don't know how to explain it.."
Finn's eyes nearly drew themselves upwards, but held them level to the floor as he began to pick up his pace. Taking the first right at an intersection, and rounding another corner bearing right he slowed himself down. The walls surrounding them looked cracked and chipped, as they progressed the walls condition became worse and worse.
Up top, Bete ears twitched as he caught on to the sound of Aiz leaping from platform to platform. Already on edge, all he could do was try to muffle his snarl at nearly jumping. He didn't like it. All of it, any of it. Everything. He hated it. The air lacked the same scent it used to. He didn't know whether or not it was because there hadn't been any monsters or not, or whether it was a problem that the scent he'd grown used to had vanished. Even the taste of the air was different. Those two things did nothing in comparison to what he heard. This was the one place where he expected a constant cacophony of noise. A place full of unintelligible violence took place should fill this place with sound.
That one sense, made him bear his teeth to where he could feel the pressure in his ears. The muffled throbbing of his heart and pure noise. Anything was better than this silence
Rounding the next corner, the team was met with a layer of dust that settled on the ground. Immediately their pace slowed as a whole group. Not too far ahead they'd have to take a right, and then that'd go straight from a short distance before they'd run into another intersection. Approaching the corner, Finn's feet unintentionally kicked a few rocks on the ground. Their faint scraping sound filled the air briefly with silence returning. As he turned the corner he couldn't believe what he saw.
In awe he stepped out from the wall, down where the straight would be.
"That's not possible.." Bete said in awe tinged with horror. Whatever malice he held vanished from the sight alone.
Everyone voiced their disbelief with either a few words or no words at all.
They all shared the same sentiment.
The thirty-seventh floor was in a state of ruin in unfathomable proportions...
After stepping through a gaping hole in the labyrinth wall, what should've been a claustrophobic space designed to confuse and disorient was laid to waste. All four sections in front of them. It was a clear pathway right to the door leading to the floor boss.
"How is-.." Finn began until Riviera tapped his shoulder who was pointing to Aiz.
Up top, she pointed out to the eastern section. With uneasy eyes he traced where she was pointing to and off in the distance he saw it.
The Coliseum had collapsed, one side had caved in resulting in the rest to follow suit down to the labyrinth below. It was utterly destroyed. All except for a few of the platforms that led to its arena.
His stomach sank at the sight of it all. In all of his time as an adventurer he had never felt anything like this before. None of them had. Nor could any of them have expected that they'd run into this. It felt surreal, a bad dream. One that they couldn't wake up from.
"Was this what Bell was warning us about?"
The thought easily entered and exited his mind before he snapped himself back to reality. There wasn't any time to waste. Not when there could be a monster lurking around the area.
"Come on. We've got work to do." Finn said as he tried to return back to the role of leader. It was this one time that it was harder than ever to do so.
"But the Dungeon.." Tiona asked softly in mourning.
"...Shouldn't it have healed itself by now?" Tione added.
It was an unusual concept, to mourn the dungeon whose primary purpose was to eradicate life on the surface. But in some ways, this place was like a second home, or third for others. There was the expectation that there'd be monsters, who'd seed blood and tear flesh, an environment hell bent on taking adventurer's last breaths. And before them, the vast destruction that wrought itself on this floor was of the like that they have never seen before. It was a brutal molestation of the place.
"We can answer that question once we get the proper information. Until then we have to keep moving." Finn urged them as he began to lead the way over the debris. His small frame took a few short steps, then lunged forward. As they began to follow, Finn looked up to the remaining walls of the labyrinth. "Aiz, do you see anything?.."
Atop of the wall that spanned three great leaps, he called out. Standing near the edge of the wall that lays in waste, her golden eyes peer out to the landscape before them. If there were more walls before her, she'd be able to recon the area seamlessly, but with the debris covering the ground it was impossible to tell without having to dig. Unless they got lucky where it wasn't buried.
It was a few seconds as she stood there. Following up to his question with a shake of her head and spoke.
"Nothing yet.."
"Keep looking up top, do a sweep starting clockwise of the area up there. We'll move inward towards the center."
"Ok."
Leaping into the air, Aiz vanished from sight and began to conduct her survey of the area. Leaving the rest of the team on the ground. Riveria couldn't help but shoot Finn a glance, one that spoke "are you sure that it's wise to let her go in the belly of the beast?"
Even though Aiz gave no discernible expression of the emotions she was feeling, she couldn't shake the idea that maybe something was wrong. And now in a time like this, everyone needed to be as focused as possible. And though, Aiz seemed fine and composed as of now. It still left Riveria uncertain for her.
"My magic isn't like yours.. I can't heal him. I can only hurt.." Aiz's words ring in her mind.
What could you possibly have said to get her to admit something like that? She thought to herself as the memory of the stranger stung her mind. Why did she want to help you?
The air rushed past Aiz with each great leap. And with each push forward there lay nothing but silence. She moved as if she were never there atop of the walls. As she moved forward, her eyes scanned the area. Before her, the labyrinth remains standing but there was something in her peripheral that made her stop in her tracks.
Backtracking a few steps, she turned her head. Sure enough, to the right of her were claw marks atop of the labyrinth. Marks that look as if whatever was up here had trouble maintaining its grasp on the surface as it lunged forward..
"Hmm.."
Beginning to follow the tracks, it led to a small open area near the Coliseum. A place for breath perhaps, or perhaps to give the illusion of safety. The Dungeon was often cruel like that. Giving the destroyed ruins one last glance her eyes ventured down below where more claw marks reside. In the open area she found the glimmer of magic stones, and a gaping hole off near a stream of water that strolls by.
Leaping down, careful not to make a sound, she moved toward the hole. Amidst the dust and debris, was a faint layer of powder. Crouching down, she pinched what laid before her, rubbing it in between her fingers. It was a fine powder. If it could be labeled as such. There wasn't anything like this was native on the thirty-seventh floor, nor any of the floors above or below.
She squinted her eyes in confusion. The hole was filled with debris. A deadend. There was no telling what was underneath. If a monster spawned near some poor soul, or if a Lambton did a surprise attack.
"But why the claw marks?.." Her eyes scanned the walls, noticing the varying strikes of three claws intermingled with singe strikes with the same glowing residue found on the floors before.
"There was a fight, wasn't there?..But why did the thing come here?.."
Scanning the floor, she found the faint imprint of boots.
"So someone was here.."
They were faint, and didn't seem to have a source. The only reasonable explanation was that the dust from the blast must've covered their tracks. And in a labyrinth backtracking was essential if you got lost. With no other option, she followed the boot tracks.
To follow the signs of a battle.
The steps were irregular, sometimes the feet looked as if they were dragging, limping. There were faint dark spots on the ground that were barely noticeable. On the walls, again, claw marks and what she could only now assume were sword strikes.
"He was being hunted.."
In her gut, she had a lingering suspicion who it was.
"Ansem, wasn't it?.. Was it you here?"
Her pace quickened, as she was imagining the battle just by the footsteps and strikes of two opponents as she stepped through the corridors. Her eyes following the footsteps, their placement, essentially the footwork of each swing of the person's blade. Mocking the battle with her own sword, she could see the pushes that they made trying to defend himself.
"His strikes were uncoordinated, he was weak and backed into a corner.." She thought to herself, standing at the corner of the path that made a U-turn. On the walls, scrape marks on both sides, as if whatever was there was blocking both sides whenever he took the chance to run. "Whatever it was, was blocking his way.. If he was trapped why didn't it kill him? Was it toying with him?"
"How did you escape?"
The rest of Finn's team moved to the center, stepping over the unstable debris of the crumbled walls completely uncertain of what lies beneath it. Occasionally they'd get a glimpse, it'd be a sorrowful sight of someone crushed underneath the rubble. An adventurer, maybe? A Remnant of Evilus, equally as possible.
Whatever caused this destruction did so with a malice that they couldn't believe. There was no way that it was from a sole adventurer, or even a team. Plus there were any signs of explosives. The only thing that made sense was that there was a battle. One in which that required a mass of people as they took on this floor.
"Perhaps that is one possibility.. A familia too eager for glory ends up bringing their end.. But that is an unlikely one.."
The group moved space apart in case of an ambush, but each and everyone of their sense were on high alert. More than enough to hear if something happened to their comrade.
"Stop." Bete hushed as his ears twitched. Nobody spoke as they came to standstill. Tione turned to him and shot him a nod. Where Bete let his glare carry off into the distance as he patiently listened. And speaking abnormally quietly for the loud mouthed Werewolf, he spoke. "I heard something move over there."
He was saving his anger, bearing his teeth, waiting for the moment when he could let it all out. To show that this monster that Bell was afraid of, was nothing. Pure and simple.
They all waited and still nothing came.
"Are we good?" Finn asked quietly.
Bete waited. Solely focused on the world that his adept ears could pick up.
"For now.." Taking a few seconds to assess the source, it was impossible to tell. It sounded like a pebble falling. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but considering it was the first sound they heard that wasn't from them, and more than likely not Aiz, he couldn't help but be on guard.
"Let's get moving. Bete, keep your ears open." Finn said in a hush and they moved forward. But Bete stood uneasily quiet as he stared off into the unknown. Glaring at what could be out there. After a few seconds of a staring contest with the darkness he returned to the group.
A few minutes more over the uneven terrain and they approached something that never should've been there on this floor. A massive hole was gouged from the floor, in an area in between sections of the labyrinth. Larger than one for a Lambton. Chunks of the dungeon floor covered an area.
"Bete, how are we looking?" Finn asked.
Bete took a few seconds with snarl on his face.
"Yeah. Just stay quiet if you're gonna talk.."
Riveria was faintly impressed as the calm demeanor that Bete possessed, his normal loud mouthed demeanor faded into something that wouldn't compromise him or his allies.
"If only he'd stay that way sometimes. He really can cause quite the headache.."
The floor looked as if it had been pried apart forcefully. Something unnatural. The layers of rock angled up and away in uniform layers. There was no mechanical device he knew that could open Finn starred at the hole in the ground, he came to one conclusion.
"The Remnants wanted something.. And whatever it was came from this right here.."
In the background Tione and Tiona were quietly chatting, a discussion that Finn's ear didn't care to pick up as he tuned them out to focus on what's before him. Though not everyone had that level of patience and focus.
"Would you two shut the hell up?"Bete snarled quietly.
The twins were about to make a rebuttal until they saw him point off to the southwest. It meant only one thing, that something was here.
"Finn. We might have company." Riveria said quietly bringing him to the present.
"Oh?"
His eyes turned to Bete and followed the direction where his hand led. All the while scanning the floor where he noticed an unnatural and uniform red line under the debris leading the same way.
"That's not blood.."
Nor was it a fine powder, but the debris blocked much of his ability to analyze it.
"Bete, would you care to lead the way?" Finn asked.
"Whatever.." Bete said dismissively, leading the group.
They ventured past their previous path and into an area about halfway to their entrance and exit of the floor. As they quietly stepped through the destruction of the floor, they came over a pile of shattered wall.
"Oh lord.." The words were taken under Riveria's breath, reluctant to share her awe.
Before them, amidst the destruction and pinned against a shard of labyrinth wall was the creature composed of bone. Laying under the rubble, the black space that would house the glowing rage of its eyes remained ominously dark.
"The Juggernaut.." Tiona said with a shiver in her voice.
The twin's approached, carefully stepping down the debris. Eagerly not let a single rock tumble.
"What are you two doing?" Riveria hushed at them.
"We're checking it out?.. It's not like you get to see something that only Argonaut saw, right?" Tiona offered her half-minded logic as she reached the floor.
The remainder of the group circled around until they reached the level floor and cautiously advanced unlike the two rambunctious twins.
"Ya think it's alive under all that?" Gareth asked quietly beside Riveria.
"Well it's not ash. My best guess is that it's unconscious. Or its equivalent."
As the group circled and analyzed, they pondered countless questions, and some offered reasonings. Mostly the twins. Tione inched closer and closer to one of the four arms of the Juggernaut, her eyes grew wide in awe.
"Those things look sharp.. If we kill it, and that's a drop item, I'm calling dibs."
"Don't get comfortable getting that close. You don't know when it's going to wake up." Riveria commanded.
As Finn drew to it's skull, he took a deep long look at the monster that had caused Bell and the elf so much pain.
"So this is what you were talking about.."
"Bell.-" Finn raised the occulus to his mouth.
"-We found the Juggernaut. It's been buried under a pile of rubble. It's currently incapacitated. We're going-.."
"△▼△▼△▼△"
Bell stood in silence as his core tightened as he heard the news. There was a surge of adrenaline that made his heart race.
"It's back. It's back. It's back.."
Everyone on his team heard the update. Everything single one, standing stiff. As if praying that it wouldn't come this way. Knowing that even if it did come to that point, they'd have no choice to fight. Ryuu standing off on her own, preparing her swords uneasily looked upon him.
"Finn, you need to kill. Kill it now! Do you understand me? You need to kill that thing before it wakes up!"
Bell desperately shouted as he clenched his fist shut with the occulus raised to his mouth.
All of the feelings from long ago came flooding back, at the same time wondering if this was what it was like in some capacity for Ryuu. That desperation to avoid any conflict with it. To end it as quickly and as swiftly as possible.
"Finn? Can you hear me? Kill it now!"
If only his words made it through to Finn.
"Finn, you need to-!" Bells words cut in and out. Stuttering as if there were interference.
"We're only ten floors down, that doesn't make sense.."
"Bell, can you repeat?" Finn said as he began to turn away to face their path, trying to focus his hearing.
"-You need to-..!
There was nothing he could make of it. There was some sort of interference on this floor that was blocking communications as from what he's known of the occulus' they could be used at greater distances than this.
"-before it wakes-!.."
"△▼△▼△▼△"
"Guys." Bete said quickly as he stood up a top the small mountain of debris.
There was a faint sound of a pebble falling but between the interference from Finn's occulus and the gossip of the twins, it was inaudible to all but Bete.
"Guys." Bete's voice grew louder hesitantly, it was enough to get Gareth's and Riveria's attention while the twins examined the monster.
"-ill it now!"
Finn, enthralled with the occulus, he thought he heard something other than Bell's voice. Something in the interference.
"It's time to get rid of the thorn in our side."
Finn slowly turned around to see the glowing red eye of the Juggernaut meeting his.
"EVERYONE MOVE!" Bete yelled.
Wherever he was, wherever he went, Finn had no idea. All that swept through his mind was how he made one vital mistake.
"You need to kill that thing before it wakes up!"
It was too late, the Juggernaut slowly rose as the debris slid off of its smooth body. And with one swipe of it's claws, it was as if time didn't exist. Instinctually, Finn lept backwards. Clear of the attack. Holding his spear in front of him he locked his eyes onto the monster.
"Everyone, form up!"
"Captain!" Tione shouted in a tone much unlike her, it was of worry. He caught the look of despair and regret.
That's when he felt something strange. He didn't feel balanced, it was like no matter how much he focused he couldn't keep his body from swaying. Then his body felt hot, unbearably hot as sweat began to drip down to his brow.
It was there that he couldn't hold his spear up any longer, and he buried it's end into the ground as his weight fell upon it. Looking down, he saw what happened. He wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack. Red stained his clothes. Resulting in an unusual array of colors as it mixed into the fabrics
And as he looked up at the Juggernaut's glowing eyes he made a solemn statement.
"I believe we have underestimated it."
The color of his face grew pale, and he fell to the floor. Immediately Riveria moved in to catch him. At the same time the Juggernaut vanished, leaving only the sound of the wind in its place.
What followed was silence, then the sound of ringing metal.
As Riveria poured a potion on Finn's wound, Tione darted in front of them blocking against an attack from the Juggernaut aimed for the captain and vice captain.
Looking up, Riveria shuddered as the strength of the monster was enough for Tione to groan.
"AIZ! REGROUP!" Riveria shouted with all of her might as she drew away from the monster.
With the claws of the Juggernaut just inches away from Tione's face, she thrust her Zolas upwards and away, thrusting the enemy back. The Juggernaut caught its footing and released a raspy groan as it eyed it's new target. In the next second it vanished, the sight leaving Tione to gasp, her eyes darting around.
"Aghhh! Where did it go?!" She shouted.
She counted the seconds as her heart raced then finally.
"Up top!" Bete shouted as the Juggernaut came shooting down from the darkness near the ceiling.
"Move!" Gareth yelled to Tione as he began to swing his Grand Axe.
Tione darted in the last second just before the Juggernaut dropped to the ground. In that split second of it landing, Gareth swung with all of his might stored into one shot. As the Grand Axe split the air, it roared like that of a beast itself. There was a sharp sound, not of the monsters bones breaking.
"Huh?!" The escaped Gareth's lungs at the empty sight. It disappeared. Then from behind he heard that sharp sound like blade scraping against rock. Turning halfway all he could catch a glimpse of was the tail of the monster being swung at him as it came to stop. Lifting his weapon up he blocked the attack, but the shock of the hit shot through his arms, aching his entire body. "Damn, yer quick..!"
From his left a woman shouted in a war cry. He turned and saw the rage from Tiona as she rushed towards the Juggernaut. Where it met her eyes, ready for an easy target.
"Just what do ya think yer doing?!" Gareth shouted as he swung his hammer overhead. His entire body ached as he thrust the blunt side of his Grand Axe in the ground like a hammer. The force of the impact sent a wall of rocks shooting down the path where Tiona was heading. Just as it reached it, the Juggernaut's attack was thwarted by the mass of debris obscuring his attack.
In berserk mode, she would've ran right through it, meeting her end, but with the impromptu defensive wall by Gareth, Bete darted and reached out to Tiona. His fingers wrapped around one of the rings around her neck and once he was confident of his grip he yanked her back and threw her away from the monster. Leaving Bete to swing and deflect the strike that broke through the walls with his Flosvirt boots.
There was a shimmering metallic sound that cut through the air as Bete swung his foot around. The force of the Juggernauts strike sent him flying back to Tiona. As he rolled on the hard ground over the debris, he clutched his side as he came to a stop on one knee.
"Damn it, Aiz! Where are you?!" He roared.
With the Juggernaut turning to Riveria, it's glowing red eyes meeting jade eyes, one thought went through her mind as she held Finn who's was straddling the line between being conscious and unconscious from the rapid blood loss.
"Of course it has defenses against magic.." Oh the irony for Nine Hell as she silently cast one of her healing spells, ready to move and to dodge. Determined not to let anything befall Finn.
Riveria's wary eyes locked on the beast in their seconds long staring contest. Then finally it was gone, in the split second it moved. Rushing towards her at great speeds as she cast her healing spell. She had to get the timing right to dodge, for if she was struck both she and Finn would be overwhelmed by Ignis Fatuus. Something that would be compounded with the defense of this beast.
"Three.."
It was fast, but as stood there, her legs were primed. Waiting for the perfect moment.
"Two.."
It lunged.
Then the wind screamed.
It was a sound that broke through all else, a sound like that of a banshee's singular scream ripping through the air. In the air above them, a bullet of wind ripped itself through the atmosphere of the floor in an arc leading right to them. And in that instant, it landed with a force that shook the ground.
"Aiz.." Riveria said under her breath.
She stood there, calm as could be with her sword held up in front of her chest as streaks of wind surge around her creating a barrier between the Juggernaut and her comrades. Her eyes locked on the monster before them. She looked a like a statue, the embodiment of grace and power. Even in the face of outstanding odds, she stood as the Sword Princess with the sole determination to protect what she held close.
With Riveria finishing her chant, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"We're falling back to Bell and his team. Can you hold it off while we make the retreat?"
The Juggernaut scraped one of it's claws against the ground as it stared back at the girl. Its claws digging up a small layer of dirt and rock in anticipation of what this new opponent has in store for it.
"Yes."
"Lil Rafaga.."
Aiz took one step forward, then in an instant she lunged with the protection of the wind surrounding her.. Relying on an attack with strength alone and using the wind as a shield. The sound of her first strike was deafening as the wind roared behind her.
"Everybody, we're falling back to Bell's team! Go! Now!" Riveria shouted at her team. Some of them already were wearing crimson as they deflected strikes. It was fast, and without the use of magic as support it was going to be a battle of attrition. Just who exactly would be the first to be worn down is something that she wouldn't want to find out. The safest bet, going with Finn's previous orders. Fall back to either the nearest safe point or Bell.
From what she gathered, Bell and his team would be their safest bet. His and the elf's experience in a combined attack would surely be able to turn this battle.
"But it was just beginning.. How did it come to this so quickly?"
It was an answer that she knew but didn't want to admit. They weren't properly prepared or experienced. That and even though their team were all at level six, it could only mean one thing.
"That thing is on a completely different level."
"Bell, we are falling back to you. Get everything ready!" Riveria shouted into the occulus that Finn managed to keep ahold of. Pivoting on her heel, she followed the rest of the group, with Gareth waiting for her to pass.
"I can take 'em off ya." Gareth offered as he covered the rear.
"No, I need one of our best covering our rear, that's you and Bete. Give me reports and keep Aiz in sight. If you see her faltering get Bete to rotate. Got it?"
"I can do that, yea." Gareth nodded as he gripped his Grand Axe as he gave the Juggernaut a glance.
"Bete, you hear that?" Riveria shouted as she tried to keep pace with Finn in her arms.
Thankfully the potion worked on healing the cut itself, stopping the bleeding and sealing it from the outside world lowering the chances of it getting infected. The spell was used for the things she couldn't see. But there was one thing her healing spells couldn't do, it couldn't replenish the body with body after any loss of it.
"I heard!" Bete shouted back as he slowed down to match Gareth's speed.
And so they ran, all as fast as they could. For it wasn't hard for either Aiz and the monster to keep up. As Aiz danced with this monster, she focused solely on finding its weak spots while blocking its attacks. Occasionally her teammates would take the heat, and give her a moment to catch her breath.
She wanted to kill it, right then and there. The desire to throw everything at it and watch it turn to dust was a temptation that grew within her. A gnawing hunger, it was the black flame that resided within her.
Whenever that black flame would glow and grow, she could feel nothing. Not pain, not gravity. Nor sadness. Everystep, every move would be seemingly automatic, a reaction out of it's purest desire. To kill all monsters no matter the personal toll.
But now? There were people relying on her. They needed her. In these brief moments to catch her breath, she'd drive that flame back. For them. For a particular white rabbit.
"That's why I want to work together on this mission.. So that way we all can go home."
She held her sword out in front of her, as she blocked an attack that drove her back. It was too fast, it was too strong.
"But I'll be here so we can figure it out together." The memory of her and Bell standing before the darkness flashed before her eyes as her boots slid across the ground, maintaining her defensive stature from the force of the blow.
"Together." Aiz said to herself, stalling the monster as her comrades withdrew to the twenty-seventh floor.