Author's note:

I returned eventually.

Chapter is a bit... slow. Bit of down time before things pick up again.

Chapter 61: World of Guns

Lyu:

"What… What is this?" Looking at the piece of paper in her hands, Lyu's head swan with the implications.

"New magic," Astraea said with a smile. "Congratulations, you've unlocked your final magic."

"But this is like thousand elf's! This… this is…"

"Incredibly powerful?" Alise laughed. "Too bad that I don't get any spotlight with you around."

"What about me?" Lyra complained, lounging on the couch. She looked like a little child with her legs hanging over the edge and her heels kicking against the side. "I levelled up and no one cares! This is the first time I've been the same level as you all since Lyu was level three."

"I am incredibly proud of all of you," Astraea smiled gently, calming the room. "But before we rush into the dungeon again to test out our new abilities, we should discuss what happened."

Lyu turned her gaze to Alise who was maintaining that smile. She had not been there when the contact happened, but Alise in the hours following had not been herself.

"Revis…" Kaguya drawled the name. Her bad mood probably coming from the fact that she did not get any new abilities.

"Yes," Alise nodded curtly. "She somehow survived."

"Could it not be an imposter?" Lyra asked. "Some sort of magic like that Hestia supporter has."

Alise was shaking her head before Lyra was even finished. "That doesn't even make sense. She was as surprised to see me as I was to see her."

"Still, Lyra has a point," Astraea pressed, leaning forward. "you've told me this story before. Your sister died. What did you talk to?"

Alise's smile faltered momentarily. "You… are correct. That scene has been playing through my mind. When I asked her, she said that she was a monster."

Kaguya snorted dismissively. Waving a hand through the air, her words were harsh. "If we are being generous, she was referring to her strength. It we make the more logical conclusion, she is insane. I mean, she attacked you and Kenki."

"Insanity does not let you regrow limbs," Alise whispered. "Goddess Astraea… can people be made into monsters?"

Lyu waited for the instant rejection. Then she continued to wait. Their goddess was not looking at them but toward Babel, a glazed look in her eyes. Finally, "it is… technically possible."

"HUH!?" Kaguya demanded stalking forward. "Explain yourself!"

"Yeah!" Lyra hopped up. "The hell you doing comparing us to those things!"

Astraea gestured calmly with both hands. Smiling at them gently, Lyu felt her accelerated pulse slow slightly. Somehow, Astraea always had that effect.

"Sit down, and I will tell you things you already know."

Kaguya opened her mouth to complain but Alise gave her sub-captain a rare glare.

Having the stage now, Astraea took a long sip of tea before beginning. "There are many monsters out in the world that have survived and thrived since the dark days. One place that we think of rarely is the sea. Monsters leaked out and have continued to breed rapidly while eating the abundant fish."

"Yeah, and Poseidon familia hunts down the strong ones," Lyra drawled. "We know."

"Yes, they do. Wait you don't know, is that while you were all gone, Poseidon sent back a report. It only got read at Denatus for a couple of seconds before they moved on from what I heard. Thankfully, I was travelling around and got the news from one of his familia members."

"Goddess…" Alise whined, growing impatient.

"Yes, yes. Long story short, they found a fish that looked like a raider fish in their nets. To confirm that it was a monster they cut it open and extracted its magic stone. Or well, they tried."

"Tried…?" Lyu spoke up, She found herself oddly invested in the mysterious story.

"Despite being almost certain that it was a monster, they were able to cut it up and eat it like a normal fish. It never turned to ash at any point."

"So, it wasn't a monster," Kaguya said, "big deal."

"Yes, but it should have been a monster, do you understand?"

Lyu did not understand. Shaking her head, she looked around at her familia members, hoping one of them would have a great suggestion. Unfortunately… they weren't exactly the smartest bunch. They did not have a Braver, Nine hell, or Hildrsleif.

Lyra was the closest that they had, but her knowledge centered around how to scam people and how to blow things up.

"…Think on it," Astraea sighed. "Beyond that, there is one more thing that you have gone through before."

"Being reborn," Alise whispered. "Of course. The dungeon could have remade her body… but why would it?"

Waving a finger, Astraea smiled slyly. "Don't jump to conclusions, Alise. Keep the truths you know in mind and test all available hypotheses."

"Ehh?" Alise pouted. "That sounds waaaay too hard. I just need to track her down and beat the truth out of her, yeah?"

"Pretty much. On that note, there was another thing about your encounter that concerns me."

"The gun?" Lyra guessed.

"No, Ais."

Alise chuckled guiltily as Lyu and her other familia members stared accusatorily at Alise.

"She didn't want me to say anything!" Alise whined. "I was just respecting her decision."

"Either way, we know that Ais is the true target of Revis. We don't know why, but we are certain that your twin sister is the stronger of the two."

"How?" Lyra asked. "Even assuming Ais didn't level up like I did, she has crazy power with her wind magic."

"I do not know where my sister's power came from," Alise frowned looking down at her hand. "It was part of the reason why I believed her claim about being a monster. Also… wouldn't a normal human have returned to the surface?"

"So, a humanoid monster irregular is hunting down the sword princess…" Lyu murmured, looking to their goddess. "Are we running interference?"

"That is my intention. Loki familia will be going on an expedition four days from now. Remain separate, remain hidden. Only Finn will know that you are tracking them."

Lyu sighed dejectedly along with Lyra and Kaguya. None of them were particularly attached to dungeon crawling. Alise only nodded, looking serious.

"Do we all have to go?" Lyra sighed. "I wanted to look into these guns things more."

"Yeah, and I wanted to track down what happened to the assassin underworld while I've been gone," Kaguya followed up.

"Girls," Astraea spoke calmly but forcefully. "This is important. You like her, don't you?"

"We will go," Lyu spoke up for her familia. Astraea was correct. Ais had grown on them.

Silica:

Stroking Pina's body as she purred like a cat, Silica stared out the Ganesha familia window towards the courtyard where Kin was being kept.

Until they built a guild approved monster containment facility, Kin would not be able to come back to Hestia familia's home base. Unable to leave Kin alone, Silica had rented the room from Ganesha familia. A feat made infinitely easier with Ardee facilitating the talk.

"Purrr."

Just like her cat from the real world, Pina's throaty growl was more cat-like than the dragon that she was supposed to be.

The cages below weren't large, but it did allow sunlight to trickle in, and Kin had plenty of water. Silica's eyes at bulged at the housing costs, however. The food requirements for monsters were higher than she would have believed.

Ardee could not do anything to change those.

Sensing the footsteps of someone approaching, Silica turned and watched the door. The already open door was pushed wide as a tall-blue haired figure walked in. Just a month ago, that alone would have been an accurate descriptor as to the person's identity.

Now, the three sisters that comprised the inner core of the familial structure were equally likely to have barged in on her.

"Ms. Dragon Lover, I hope the accommodations are to your liking? My apologies that I did not have a chance to check in on you when you moved in yesterday."

Ms. Dragon Lover. Blushing at the use of her embarrassing title, Silica shook her head. "N-No, it is alright. I understand the weight that the title of Familia leader carries, Shakmi."

"Hmm," Shakmi did not immediately reply, staring instead at Pina, resting contently on Silica's lap. Unlike moments before, however, the purring had cut off, and one lidded eye kept a watch on the intruder.

"That monster is certainly… unique."

"Yes, Pina is. Do you need something?"

Shakmi gave her a small chuckle. "Quite curt, I'll remember that your title upsets you."

"Ah, s-sorry. No, I really am grateful." Silica blushed harder at having been called out. Shakmi's expression, meanwhile, slowly became more mirthful. The hard flat lines of a strict military commander fading away.

"I can see why Kirito treasures you so much."

"Ehh?" Eyes widening in horror, Silica gaped at the leader. "W-What are you talking about!?

"He dropped by," Shakmi smiled, a twinkle in her eye.

"Huh? B-But he…"

"He didn't have time to come see you unfortunately, I ate it all up. My apologies."

"O-Oh, it is fine… I mean I can talk to him whenever I want…"

Shakmi's pitying stare told Silica that she had seen through the thin lie. "The weights of being a familia captain…"

Before Shakmi could pile on the pity, Silica asked a diverting question. "Umm, Ms. Shakmi… Are you fond of Kirito?"

"Fond? Well, he is a surprisingly good man for being an adventurer. Not to mention I owe him immensely for a variety of reasons at this point. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious what you think about his harem." Silica was proud of her ability to say that without any other further signs of her embarrassment.

"Hmm, I always find them a little dangerous unless it is a god that is the core of it, like Freya's."

"So you think Kirito should choose a single girl?"

"Silica, why do you want my opinion? Is there a single thing I could say that would change your heart or ambitions?"

Bowing her head, Silica's bangs hid Shakmi from her sight. In her lap, Pina twisted and licked her face with a soft, Kyuu.

"I… I just got more nervous about it. Compared to the dungeon and everything happening, it seems so minor sometimes, and then something happens that makes it front and center."

"Oh, something happen? Did Kirito seduce another girl? He didn't mention it to me."

"No," Silica shook her head, her twin tails swishing gently in the calm air. "He slept with Asuna."

"…And?"

"And… And is that where we are? D-Do I have to do that? I-I can't compete with girls like her…"

Shakmi sighed and held her head in her hand. "How did I become your relationship councilor? As far I see it, you only have two options. Carry on as you are and try to deepen your relationship with him or end it."

"Urgh…" Silica blushed looking away. She shouldn't have expected an outsider to understand. The trip back to the eighteenth floor had been a haze dream as the girls had looked at each other without knowing what to do.

Being away from the main home was helpful for Silica, but she was also getting worried. What if Kirito was currently working his way through the other girls? Would Silica ever get a chance to even talk to Kirito again? The stakes felt like they'd gone through the roof.

"Oh…" Shakmi murmured. "My apologies, I guess I underestimated your position. What I can tell you is that Kirito today was happy but normal. I do not think you have to worry about him beginning to push you for sex."

"T-That's not my worry!" Silica yelled, making Pina fly away, slowly circling until she landed on Silica's head. The dragon giving her a disgruntled slap on the back of her head with her tail. "I just… I'm worried that everyone will throw themselves at him and I'll never talk to him again!

"Besides, even if I tried to throw myself at him too… why would he bother spending his precious time with me?"

"Oh dear," Shakmi rubbed her head. "Is this really what you want to share with essentially a stranger? No… Sorry, I should not have said that." Kneeling down so there eyes were level, she grabbed one of Silica's hands in both of hers.

"Why did you agree to be part of Kirito's harem in the first place?"

"Why…? Well… because I love him and the other girls too. I wanted to make it work all together."

"Did that change?"

"…No." Silica sighed, running her free hand over her face. "No, nothing changed. We just… need to communicate and talk it out."

"Precisely. Communication and logic are what separates us from monsters. Use it to overcome this trial as well."

"…" Struggling to find the words, Silica eventually nodded in respect to the older woman. "Thank you for your advice. I will take them to heart."

"See that you do. I hate to speak words that have no meaning. Anyway, can you walk with me for a bit?"

"Of course," Silica stood up swiftly, Pina's weight only a minor hindrance. "Are you showing me something."

"Kind of…" Shakmi answered uncertainly.

Silica waited for the in-depth explanation, but none came. After half a minute of walking, Silica gave up waiting and stared at the halls of the manor.

Ganesha's familia home was both a marvel of architecture with beautiful flowing lines and tasteful tapestries and an affront against human sensibilities. Walking past a side corridor, Silica glimpsed a massive bronze elephant head placed asymmetrically such that the trunk stuck out awkwardly into the hallway obstructing natural walking paths.

Contrarily, on the beautiful ivory wall just further down was a flowing painting of the city of Orario and the surrounding landscape as seen from the foothills to the east. It gave the city an aura of mystery and power that made one want to live there and be in the city.

The difference in quality and aesthetic were jarring and looked like a silent war being waged between two different factions.

Entering the courtyard that Silica had been looking down on earlier, Shakmi walked straight over to Kin's cage. The Deathclaw hissed but did not rise.

"This is an incredibly powerful deep-floor monster. I would know how you tamed it as a mere level three."

Silica bristled at the subtle jab. I need to train more. "I did what I had to in order to survive. Our raid group was separated, and I had to fight Kin by myself."

"So, you used the methods that you once rejected?"

So that is what this is about… "Yes. I physically overpowered Kin to earn his loyalty."

"Did you?" Shakmi frowned unexpectedly. She had none of the smugness that Silica associated with people being proven right. "Can you describe exactly what happened?"

"Why?" Silica asked, confused.

"It just doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?" Silica fired back, matching Shakmi's exasperated tone.

"Why Kin listens so absolutely to you," Shakmi complained. "He looks at you, follows you, listens to you. A normal monster so close to you in strength would be constantly straining against their bonds. It is why monster taming is not one of the primary roles in adventurer parties. The only monsters that will listen well enough are too weak to bother with."

"Huh? W-well Kin doesn't like other people either…"

"You don't understand," Shakmi cut her off. "There is a world of difference being displayed here. We only tame monsters to study them and find weakness that adventurers can exploit. The only people who use monsters in battle were evilus where they did not care if a monster went out of control. It simply created more chaos."

"So what is different…" Looking into Kin's eyes, Silica had absolutely no idea. Approaching the cage, she stuck a hand through the bars.

Lifting his head, Kin slowly raised his body and approached, pressing his nose against her hand. Just once before he sniffed it, probably looking for meat. Finding none, he snorted derisively and slunk back to the cage's corner.

"Please," Shakmi's voice was hollow. "You have to tell us. This could change the whole methodology of taming as we practice it!'

Frowning, Silica felt an odd resistance to the idea. "I do nothing special, and I am busy. Kirito is already far ahead of me. I need to train and help my familia."

"Your lodgings will be free."

"Not enough," Silica shook her head, staring resolutely into the taller, prettier, stronger woman's eyes.

"…Heh, you really have changed girl. As long as it doesn't involve that boy, you sound like a real adventurer."

Flushing slightly at the targeted insult wrapped in a sheath of compliment, Silica held her eyes.

"We train you back."

"Huh?" Silica blinked, confused.

"You have unique monsters, but you don't know how to work with them in combat situations while fighting nor how to quickly and accurately measure their state of being."

"I will learn that in the dungeon though." Silica huffed.

"You will learn it faster from us," Shakmi retorted. "Plus, my sisters and I are all first-tier adventurers, your skills as a warrior will increase rapidly."

"…Alright." Silica nodded, accepting the terms at last. Holding out her hand, she waited for Shakmi to shake. Surprisingly, it was the Ganesha captain that looked faintly surprised to be agreeing to this.

"You really are something…"

"Ah haha…" Laughing awkwardly, Silica mentally prepared herself for her life as a Ganesha familia initiate.

Bell:

Darting through the halls of the thirteenth floor, Bell felt the injuries on his feet grind against his new boots. The pain had been removed, but his heightened senses told him that his body was not up to the level that it should be.

"Not enough…" Not nearly enough. Coming up on a horde of Al miraj, Bell drew the Hestia knife and cut through the five magical stones in as many strikes. Leaving the ashes behind, Bell continued his run, heading down to the seventeenth.

By himself for the first time in ages, Bell felt the new increased status from the most recent expedition pushing him along to new heights that his mind couldn't quite keep up with.

Still, it was far from enough. His performance on the expedition had been pitiful. His mistakes and overconfidence had almost gotten Ais killed. No, it had almost killed all of them.

He had recovered enough to help, but his lack of growth upon returning was enough to prove that his efforts had been insufficient.

I relied on Ais…

Thinking of the golden-haired swordsman twisted his stomach harder than if a Hard armored had crashed into him. On one hand, the beautiful moments of holding her in his arms as they used their magic in tandem to defeat Udaeus with one mighty blow. Alternatively, the sight of her broken, mangled body lying on the ground would haunt him for as long as he lived.

Faster, further ahead!

Bell hated himself. He had let himself be soothed by Lili and Haruhime's affections. Even Hestia's laid back mannerisms and all of the other familia members. He had watched his family die, he had let his friend die in his arms, he had failed repeatedly in the dungeon.

Why, why isn't it enough!?

Roaring pointlessly, Bell charged into the fourteenth floor. Meeting him head on was a hellhound. Flames licking at his maw, Bell ignored the magical attack and rushed on. Far faster than it could fire, Bell cut the monster down.

Too weak!

Frustrated, Bell ran faster. He had to outrun his previous weakness. His current weakness. Rocks beginning to break under his feet, the wind cut into his fast from the speed of his passing.

Heading down to the sixteenth floor, Bell promptly ran into someone he knew. Catching sight of the beautiful elf, Bell's feet froze. At his speed, the maneuver turned out to be a mistake.

Turning into a human missile, Bell shot into the girl headfirst.

"Gah!"

"Ugh!" Landing solidly on the ground, Bell's head was cradled by the soft fabric and body underneath. The girl did not have the same luxury.

"Why you…"

"Eep!" scuttling backwards along the ground, Bell stayed on all fours as he apologized. "S-Sorry Ms. Lefiya!"

"Urgh, why are you running so fast in the dungeon? If I had been a minotaur, you would be wall paste right now."

"…I want to get to the stronger areas." Bell muttered awkwardly in response.

"Ugh, fine! Well, don't mind me!"

Raising his head carefully, Bell watched as she brushed off her skirt and began to stalk past him. "Umm, Lefiya, why are you alone in the dungeon?"

"…To get to stronger areas."

Suddenly Bell understood. He hadn't been there but her had heard whispers from the others. Lefiya had fallen apart when Ais and he had been attacked by Udaeus.

"Umm, Ms. Lefiya, I…" Bell trailed off and didn't know what to say. Her side profile reminded him of the portraits in the heroic tails. Not the ones of those that emerged triumphant, but the heroes in the midst of a turbulent trial.

A beautiful but tragic heroine staring down her most difficult trial yet. "I couldn't do it… not again."

"Huh? W-What couldn't you do?"

"Lose the two of you…" Lefiya's voice was so faint that Bell almost missed it.

The words unfortunately, did not make sense to Bell. "I don't understand."

Lefiya turned her eyes to Bell, sadness clear in her sky-blue eyes. As she looked at Bell, she knelt down and ran a hand along his cheek.

Flushing, Bell shook with embarrassment but found himself unable to run away from the tender contact. "L-Lefiya!?"

Giving him a small, teasing smile, she withdrew the hand. "Sorry. I just can't help but feel like I've failed you. She was related to you, wasn't she? Silence?"

Alfia.

Bell felt like he'd been punched again as his lost aunt's face flashed through his mind. Due to her illness, she was probably the person that Bell saw the most after his old God. His parents were often busy running their respective familias and could not devout a lot of time to raising him.

"…" There was nothing Bell could say. Lefiya had talked to him about this earlier during the fight against the Bull. Even then he had thought that she knew.

"I asked some of the Astraea members and they agree… That sound, your bell… It is Empress and Silence's. That pure white light and red eyes though, those come from the Emperor."

Bell could do nothing but nod awkwardly. "Is it really that obvious?"

"…No, I don't think so. Not unless you have seen them fight before. Something not too many people can say."

"Umm, so what are you going to do?"

Lefiya looked away awkwardly. "I won't tell anyone. Not even Ais. I don't think she figured it out. She barely remembers the fight against Udaeus."

"I-Is that right…?"

NOOOO! Or maybe, yes?

Bell was not sure if his performance and interactions with Ais would have left a good or a bad impression. Either way, he had a sinking feeling that it would be a lose if she forgot entirely.

"Yes. At least, that's what she said…"

As she trailed off, Bell was sure that she wanted to talk about something else. Casting his mind back, Bell remembered a bit earlier that she hadn't really answered his question.

"Umm, what did you mean by lose the two of us?"

"You and Ais of course."

"W-Why me?"

"…Because I failed Silence. She protected me while I wept and screamed uselessly. Then, as soon as the two of you were killed, I did the same thing again. I was too weak."

"Train with me." Bell did not know where the words came from. It just felt right. This was a girl who truly understood him. Someone who knew exactly what it meant to watch on helplessly as their loved ones died.

"Huh? Umm, why?"

"I always slow down by myself," Bell admitted. "I can't keep pushing as hard as I need to."

Under Lefiya's disbelieving gaze, Bell blushed deeply, bowing his head. Freezing there, Bell shook his head before raising his gaze again. Staring straight into Lefiya's eyes, Bell let her see his embarrassment and desire.

"I am going back into the dungeon on another expedition in a few days."

"That isn't now."

"…" Oddly, Lefiya blushed and looked away, fanning back a strand of hair that had fallen loose. "Why are you so…? Whatever, let's do it."

"Eh, really?" Popping back up to his feet, Bell stared expectantly from a short distance away.

"I can't say no after failing you earlier… so don't let this go to your head! I am only doing this as payback!"

"Err, sure?"

"Well, what is your idea," Lefiya sighed, standing up a little taller. "Are we heading down to the nineteenth?"

"Hmm, I have no idea."

"…Excuse me?"

"S-Sorry!" Blushing again, Bell wracked his brain but couldn't think of anything.

"If you are fine with it… I have an idea."

"Y-You do?"

"Spar with me."

"Yeah, that makes… HUH!?" Frozen in disbelief, Bell could only gape in the face of his determined elven counterpart.

Ais:

Flexing her right hand, Ais stared at the now pearly white skin that had no noticeable flaws. It was a far cry from the mess it had been in the dungeon.

Looking toward the wall of her small room, Ais located the empty sheath hanging on her wall. The blade that should have been resting inside was currently at the smith's getting a new handle outfitted.

That day in the dungeon was mostly a blur in her mind, but one part stood out in sharp contrast. A hand around her own as they gripped Desperate, her sword, together. An arm around her shoulder holding up her limp, barely functioning body.

"Father…"

The warmth, the steadiness, the way his hand had enveloped hers.

Some day you will find your own hero…

Dispelling her mother's words with sharp shakes of her head, Ais refused to belief it. Her hero had never manifested. He never would come. Most importantly, her monstrous blood-soaked hands, stained with the lives of countless monsters and adventurers did not deserve a hero.

"Ais."

Glancing up, she watched warily as Riveria entered the room. The woman who had raised her as a second mother. Cleaning her up from the tragedies of the past.

"Riveria…"

"You returned in rough shape, how are you doing?"

"…Fine. I am waiting for my sword repairs."

"…"

"…"

Sighing heavily, Riveria pinched her nose with her fingers. The high elf had lines of stress creasing her face today, detracting from her usual timeless beauty.

Cradling in further on herself, Ais waited for the lecture or lesson that she had come to impart.

"Ais, we need to do something during this expedition. The entire familia is basically against you, as is the rest of Orario. This is going to be really hard."

"…I understand." Ais said softly. She would be against herself as well. Her sins in the Valley of Dragons would haunt her footsteps until she finally died a true death at the end of this undeserved second life.

"Do you, Ais? Do you truly understand? You went off into the dungeon for three weeks on an expedition with other familias. You talk to no one in the familia."

"…All I… I mean…" Words failing her, Ais frowned. Conversation came so naturally to other people. She did not understand why it was so hard for her. It was like they were living in fast forward, speeding ahead while she struggled to understand what was going on.

Patting her once on the head, Riveria left without another word.

Only when the high mage was gone did Ais finally figure out what it was that her heart was trying to get her to say. "I want to get stronger. If it spawns again… I will kill it."

Ais would redeem herself. Not just to the world, but to her familia. That was the only path left open to her. That meant the next step was…

Level six.

Her status was high enough. It was time to find an adventure worthy of reaching that lofty plateau.

Hestia:

Yawning from exhaustion, Hestia heaved her chest up and then let it rest against the wooden table at Miach's familia home. She had been up late reading a story. Now, after noon, Lili was still humming to herself and wiggling her body as she proceeded through the paperwork that Kirito had given her.

Haruhime, meanwhile had just left the room after cleaning it in a maid outfit that suited her far too well. She did it all without the pointless joy that Lili was demonstrating. Even Yui who was absent at the moment did not show the same lack of restraint upon levelling up.

"Is it really that big of a deal?"

At the sound of Hestia's drawled question, Lili stopped her dance and looked up with a glare to stare at her across the table.

"Oh? Do you have a problem, Hestia? Would you like to double check Lili's work?"

Looking at the stack of paper, Hestia sniffed. "No, I believe in your accounting. I just don't get why levelling up is such a big deal. I mean, so did Haruhime."

Lili did tsk at that, pouting as she looked at the table. Then, she finally met Hestia's eyes again. "Lili has no potential as an adventurer. Goddess Hestia does not understand how big of a feat this is."

"Tsk," Hestia wanted the words back now. Lili's movements had stopped but she did still have a peaceful expression. Even if all the childish excitement had been stamped out.

"I know level two isn't enough to go deep in the dungeon… but it will still let me follow a little deeper."

Sighing, Hestia rubbed her head. She tried not to think on the pain that Lili was in because of her. No, not just Lili, but a lot of the children from the other familias as well.

"You can't keep up with Bell's and the others growth."

Lili winced, laying down the quill. "Yes, Lili knows."

Standing up, Hestia walked around the table and pulled up a chair beside Lili. The two of them had never had a tender moment before, but Hestia felt like she had changed since those times. Watching all of her children grow and form relationships in the blink of an eye left her on uneven footing.

Putting an arm around Lili's shoulders, Hestia pulled her close so the Prum's head rested against her shoulder.

"W-What are you doing!?"

"Shhh… It's going to be okay."

"…You're a horrible goddess, you know that right?"

"I am quite aware." Hestia sighed.

"Thank you."

Smiling slightly at Lili's prudish nature, Hestia was reminded again of how young the girl actually was. She came across as older with her ornery nature and competent nature. The disappointments of youth were something that could not be completely hidden.

"I am sorry, Lili."

"It isn't your fault, Hestia. I'm sure you understand exactly what it feels like."

"Hmm… Those three weeks were horrible." Hestia had been left alone to wait and read, her exact life that she had once had when living with Hephaestus. Unlike those sweet months of bliss, the weeks had been torture. Hestia had been unable to focus on the words, instead sitting in a trance watching the clock tick and thinking about where they would likely be in the dungeon.

"I got a taste of my future…" Lili whispered, her terror coating every syllables. Each one low and rushed. "Bell going alone to the deep floors without me. There was absolutely nothing for me to do while the majority of the raid was going on. I leveled up down there… but I was useless."

"Then go celebrate that," Hestia said, trying to cheer her up. "Take Haruhime, Yui, and Strea and go to the dungeon. I'm sure you'll enjoy beating up on some level one monsters."

"I can't," Lili shook her head, pushing off of Hestia's shoulder. "I need to finish this. I can't let the guild come breathing down our neck, looking for fines to hand out."

"Haha, underestimate your goddess at your own peril!" Pushing the prum away, Hestia grabbed the quill. "I've been studying!"

"…Are you sure?" Lili asked.

Hestia smiled at the question. Normally, there would have been a string of complaints and a declaration that Hestia was nowhere near ready for such a task.

"Go."

"…Thank you, goddess."

"Hehe, say that again!"

"…Thank you, goddess."

Stamping her feet happily to the sound, Hestia felt her twin tails beginning to writhe. "One more time!"

"Ahh, why you… thank you goddess Hestia."

"No problem! Have a good time!" Waving her goodbye, Hestia turned back to the papers. Putting her mind to them, Hestia's good will evaporated nearly instantly.

"Oh, Lili is going to be so mad when she gets back…"

Strea:

"Ehh, why do I need to be here? I didn't level up!"

"Oh, be nice Sister," Yui quickly corrected her. "I want you to teach me how to fight!"

"Ehh, do I have to?"

"Don't be mean," Yui sniffed. Skipping forward, she turned around to look at the other two members of their party. "What are you two working on, Lili, Haruhime?"

"A-Aisha always wanted me to be able to defend myself. So when Lili suggested going…"

"Lili just wants to adjust to her new abilities…" Lili muttered, looking away.

It was an expression that made Strea smile. Reaching over her shoulder, she ran a finger along the massive blade running along her back. It was unlikely that she would get to use it today.

Her new skill was not something that she would be utilizing in the top floors of the dungeon. Yui's on the other hand was perfectly suited to experimentation on the upper floors.

Arriving, they walked through the thin crowd of adventurers with odd schedules like their own that were either leaving or entering the dungeon.

"What floor?" Strea asked, not paying much attention to their surroundings. She was finding it increasingly difficult to pay attention to anything as days ticked by slowly since their return from their expedition.

As the other three discussed, Strea instead looked up at the ceiling, in the direction of where Kirito would be working at Miach Familia home while their home continued to be renovated.

When will it be my turn… Strea burned with excitement. She wanted to see what expressions he would make. The moment when that embarrassment and restraint finally broke and he—

"Oi, sister!"

Blinking out of her reverie, Strea noticed that the three girls were looking back at her and waiting.

"Ah, coming!"

Descending to the fifth floor, they found zero monsters in the well-hunted paths until they branched off into one of the minor side corridors. Even here, they could hear the sound of combat coming from other adventuring parties trying to make a living in the rough competition that was level-one life.

"Crack!"

Strea's level three senses instantly pinpointed the location where the wall began to fall apart. "Wall Shadow."

"Me first, please," Yui spoke determinedly, stepping up to the crumbling wall.

With no warning, the shadow shifted out from the rubble and its sharp claws were descending towards Yui's head.

In the face of the deadly attack, she did not flinch, simply looking up at it. Right before contact, a thin purple barrier blocked the attack.

The monster looked at its hand in confusion, not understanding what had happened. Strea almost felt a twinge of pity for the poor shadow creature that had never stood a chance.

Drawing a new blade from her back courtesy of Liz, Yui pressed the steel against the creature's heart. "Begone."

"GUH!?"

With a sudden shriek, the wall shadow convulsed briefly before bursting into a cloud of ash with a small flash of fire.

"Amazing, Miss Yui!" Haruhime clapped politely. "You are so strong!"

"T-Thank you…"

Strea smiled broadly at her happy but embarrassed sister. "You rule, Big Sister!"

"That skill is incredibly impressive," Lili murmured, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "I do worry about the touch condition, however. It makes it incredibly hard for you to use against stronger monsters without dying."

"But it lets me turn around difficult fights," Yui replied accurately, despite the flush in her cheeks.

"Too much talking!" Strea declared, patting her head. "Let's keep moving. We have a lot more fighting and experimenting to do!"

Getting only a mediocre cheer in response, Lili led them further in.

From there, they continued to fight monster after monster. Lili was fine from her previous experience as a supporter. She was calm in the face of the monsters and easily sidestepped their attacks and then killed them with deadly blows from her elbows or knees.

Haruhime meanwhile… was exceptionally bad. The Renart girl would flail around with the katana that she had been lent. Her level two status was quite literally dragging her around. Due to the large difference in power level, it was good enough, but almost every monster landed a hit on her before they died.

Yui fell directly into the middle of the other two. Strea's older sister relied almost entirely upon her skills. She barely acknowledged monsters before evaporating them with a touch.

Those that she did use a sword against were always counterattacks after their first assault failed.

Despite that, the slaughter of floor five monsters was a celebration. All three girls were smiling and laughing as they reveled in their new power and abilities. Even with her mind focused on night-time activities, Strea could not help but get swept up in the celebration.

"Oh, Haruhime, use your magic!"

"Oh, right, I memorized the chant but never tried it!"

Before anyone could convince Haruhime not to listen to Yui, she had spread her feet and clasped her hands together. Eyes closed, Haruhime prayed.

"Kokonoe."

The name of her new spell that had caused Hestia to release a shriek of surprise when they had done status updates.

"Beloved snow. Beloved crimson. Beloved white light. Please let me be beside you"

"– this love I have found at the end of two thousand nights. My name is Magic Fox. Former destroyer. My name is Ancient Song. Former dreamer. For you who beat your wings like a bird, I shall allow the nine spirits to dwell in me."

"What power…" Strea murmured in shock as she watched the golden magical circle consume Haruhime. Her once peaceful face was now clenched with strain. Countless beads of perspiration beginning to appear and trickle down her face

"Echo, song of gold, sacred poem of Tamamo. White face, golden fur, king of nine tails. Oh, tails of the auspicious beast, consume all, grant all wishes!"

Just as it seemed the spell should end, Haruhime took a breath and launched into a chant that Strea was far more familiar with.

"Grow. That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion."

"Concatenated chanting…" Lili whispered in awe. Hestia had mentioned this but…"

" -Grow. Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you. -Grow!"

"Uchide no Kozuchi!" Spreading her hands, the familiar hammer generated, but it did not fly off to grant the buff to someone. Instead, three copies appeared and floated atop Haruhime's tail.

Check that, tails.

Strea had no idea how she had missed it, but Haruhime now had three golden fox tails. Her natural one in the middle and two magical copies, one floating to each side.

" Dance!"

With that simple final command, the three hammers flew off and surrounded each of them. Strea spread her hands, flexing muscles as she felt the sudden rush of power that made her want to run and yell.

The two supporters were even more in awe. Going from being just level one the other day and now wielding the power of a level three went to their heads instantly.

Lili and Yui shared a sneaky smile and took off.

Getting left behind, Strea patted Haruhime on the back. "That was amazing! I'm sure they will show the proper appreciation when the rush wears off."

"It is okay," Haruhime chuckled. Wiping off her sweat, she drew the katana once more. "Umm, Strea, could you show me how to use this?"

"I'll try!" Settling in for some sword forms, Strea listened as the monsters on the fifth floor howled in horror as a pair of pseudo level threes began to eviscerate them.

Sachi:

"Take is amazing, isn't he…"

"He is." Mikoto mumbled, sounding less than pleased as she rolled her right shoulder. Mikoto had landed pretty heavily on it at least half a dozen times during this morning's practice session.

At level three, Sachi was beyond being able to spar with Take if she used all of her power. Still, it had been hard to restrain herself in order to learn. Almost instinctively, she would lash out with her power when she was near defeat in order to win the match.

Which is why Mikoto is mad at me…

Glancing over at the girl that had once been her teacher and mentor, Sachi could no longer view her that way. Sure, there was still a lot that she could learn from Mikoto, but Sachi was quickly finding her own fighting style and way of doing things.

"Umm, thank you for your help today, Mikoto."

"Please do not patronize me," the girl complained, wincing more clearly. "I can tell when I have been surpassed."

"…But it is just a status difference," Sachi insisted, flushing at the direct statement.

"It isn't just the status," Mikoto shook her head, her ponytail of sweaty black hair shifting with her. "I have fought level three adventurers before. It wasn't just the status. Going up against you, I could tell how similar our styles are, how well you have learned my moves. I felt helpless against you."

P-Please don't talk like that," Sachi blushed. Grabbing at Mikoto's hand, Sachi held onto it, an irrational flood of terror increasing her heartbeat into a jackhammer pounding on her ribs.

"W-What are you doing?" Mikoto complained but couldn't pull her hand away. "Urgh, I can't even mope around you."

"…S-Sorry."

Contrary to the mood, Mikoto laughed and squeezed back. "Don't be. I may feel a little useless but… I'm so proud of you."

"Huh?" Blushing even brighter, Sachi stared disbelievingly at Mikoto who was staring straight at her.

"You are nothing like the scared girl that trailed behind the boys she knew. You have no need for someone to save you now. You can save yourself."

"I can't—"

BANG!

Sachi froze in the street. It was not a noise that she had ever heard in person back in the old world, but one she was extremely familiar with.

"A gunshot…"

Whirling around, Sachi looked down to where it had come from, a few blocks to the west.

"That is what these… guns, sound like?" Mikoto asked nervously.

"Yes," Sachi confirmed with a nod. She was positive.

"Then let's go."

"W-Wait!" Sachi reached out a hand but was forced into action as Mikoto took off without listening to her.

You don't understand.

You can't fight against guns.

Even if Sachi had been able to say so though, she knew that Mikoto would not stop. Her friend was not one to give up so easily.

Despite Sachi's higher status, she struggled to catch Mikoto who had gotten a head-start. The kunoichi weaved through the milling crowd like a dancer, each movement already choreographed. Trying to replicate those flowing moves like water, Sachi sent more than one innocent citizen flying with careless contact.

"Ahh, whatever!" Giving up on following along, Sachi kicked hard off the ground, launching herself into the air. Arcing over the heads of the startled citizens, Sachi became very glad for her choice of wearing trousers.

Landing roughly on a sloped tile roof, Sachi winced as she heard a crack from beneath her feet. Noting the intersection, she psyched herself up for the embarrassment of returning with money later.

Not having any more time to dawdle, Sachi pushed off after Mikoto, ignoring the cracks that sounded occasionally. Now away from the masses, it took her only a few seconds to close the gap with Mikoto.

Raising her gaze ahead, Sachi got her first glimpse of the street where the shooting most likely occurred. As a side street, the road ahead was narrower and the people fewer.

With each step closer, Sachi grew more confident that she had found the epicentre of the event. A ring of people and screams.

BANG!

"Another?" Sachi whined. Jumping off the roof she soared across the sky before skidding across the cobbled stones. She had no idea where Mikoto was at the moment and that did not matter.

The citizens that had once been gathering and angry were now fleeing, various shouts mixing together in an incoherent mess.

Sachi watched helplessly as a young half-elf girl was mercilessly knocked to the street and stepped on. One of half a dozen injuries caused by panicking masses.

In the sudden expanse of empty street that was left behind, Sachi found the perpetrator of the shots. Leaning roughly against a wall, a grimy dwarf male was adding another bullet to his single shot pistol.

Left on the ground, slowly bleeding out was a massive dog-person. They had clearly been an adventurer before their untimely demise, great sword laying just beside his hand.

"Oi, you clear on outta here! And don'tchu go tellin' de guild bout me neitha! Don'tchu tink dat I won't off you too cuz you a pretty one! Heh, most o you ladies do it betta when you ain't scuttlin' round!"

Opening her mouth to retort, Sachi froze as she found the barrel pointed toward her. "W-Wait…" Feeling that old fear rise up, Sachi backpedaled away, her hands raised in surrender.

"Ahaha, mush betta! If boya down dere had half your respect, he wouldn't be pig chow now!"

"W-Why did you kill him?" Sachi asked, scared yet still curious.

The clearly drunken dwarf spread his hands, smiling insouciantly. "Didn't show da proper respect. People like me haf a right to these loser's coin! Talkin' bout coin…"

"Eep!" Paling, Sachi knew what was happening.

"On ya knee's girly. And out wit da purse! And make sure to thank me too! Hahaha!"

Gritting her teeth, Sachi felt the tears of embarrassment and fear well up and begin to spill unto her cheeks. She could tell that she had the power to overwhelm the dwarf in a moment.

There was only one shot to dodge…

Sachi's mind spasmed, rejecting the thought totally before it could even finish forming. Guns were simply too powerful. Getting shot was far too terrifying. The chances of a serious injury or death were incredibly high.

But… "I-I don't have any money…"

"Huh!? The ell you doin' walkin' da street wit no coin!?"

"T-Training… We—I was going home."

"Tsk, useless ass woman. No coin, no drink… so wat do ya got to offer me?"

"…N-Nothing."

"Baa! Adventurers! Typical! Hrgg…"

There were clearly thoughts whirling in the man's mind, but they were distorted by the drink. He looked to be on the verge of falling down as is.

"You!" A new voice declared.

Mikoto! Staring at her friend and familia member, Sachi gazed in horror.

"Huh? Now who are—"

"Watch the gun!" Sachi screamed. The man had turned the barrel to Mikoto who was darting at him.

"Ah, bitch!"

BANG!

Sachi watched uselessly, hand extended to Mikoto who had closed the gap in moments. The man's shot had been aimed right at her chest. By the time the echo rang out, Mikoto had already fallen backwards.

The reverse moon kick was flawless, the foot easily knocking the gun out of his hand and into the sky.

"W-Wha!?"

The dwarf's baffled expression was solidified on his face as Mikoto regained her footing and knocked him out with a swift chop to his neck.

"I-Idiot!" Sachi yelled, her ability to move returning now that the gun was no longer pointed at her. Jumping to her feet, she grabbed the confused Mikoto and slammed her into the wall.

"Ooof! Sachi, what are you doing!?"

"Idiot!" Sachi yelled again, ignoring the question. "You could have died."

Mikoto looked at Sachi like she was stupid. "Why would I be scared of a fancy crossbow wielded by a drunk? He wouldn't be able to hit me with another dozen tries."

"B-But it's a gun! A gun! Don't you understand?"

"N-No?"

Releasing Mikoto Sachi instead fell onto her friend, burying her face into her chest. "I-I…" She did not know what she was even trying to say. Body trembling, she was slowly enveloped in her friend's arms.

"I'm sorry I scared you."

As Mikoto stroked her, Sachi's trembling slowed. "Did this prove how much I still need you?"

"It did do that," Mikoto smiled. "Come on, the guild is here and—"

"Not the guild not yet," a nasally voice spoke as a person sprang into begin nearby.

"A-Argo!?" Sachi gaped at the girl. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Following trails and cleaning up messes, I guess. Now, why don't you two ladies tell me what happened here?"

Withering under the girl's intense smile, Sachi began talking.