Dungeon Oratoria Online

by asdf1asdf1

DOO is the first game to be created in a long awaited category, a VRMMORPG. Follow Kirito and co as they seek to clear out the depths of the dungeon located beneath the city Orario. However, this game is no mere entertainment, it's a real world, where death in the dungeon means death for your body. The only way they can escape the game is to clear the bottom floor of the dungeon.

17. Chapter 15

Author's note:

Hello again!

So I thought I was almost finished the chapter on Friday, upload it Saturday.

It was on Saturday I realized how much I had left in the chapter. It ended up almost double what I thought it would lol. So take this as kind of a double chapter.

This chapter and the next will probably be quite serious. I'll see if I'm skilled enough to weave in some humor to lighten the mood.

Enjoy,

-asdf

---

Chapter 15: Trouble in the Dungeon

Ikelos' Hidden Base:

The slow drip of water permeated the dark room. Completely black, the metal floor rang loudly with each drop that struck it. The barebones design and ominous echoing reminded one of the dungeon. This aesthetic was only further strengthened by distant wails of monsters that stretched far through the strange base.

A single figure stood still and watched the water as a puddle formed in a depression in the floor. The solitary person may as well have been a statue. Without moving, their pitch-black attire blended perfectly into the unlit room.

Their flawless focus on the dripping water resembled a monk: intent on finding the secrets of the universe within the mundane. Carefully their eyes tracked the progress of each miniscule droplet of water. From where it pooled on the roof, to the formation of the drop and then its descent through the air to the floor. No matter how long he stared this process repeated itself infinitely, nothing changing. The roof never dried and the bowl-like depression in the floor never filled. No spray from the impact splashed onto the rest of the floor.

The entire situation seemed a minor miracle. It broke laws of logic, something the dungeon did often. This wasn't the dungeon however, nor was this a miracle. The man knew that this was one of the inventions of a mad inventor long dead. In the world he came from this would be no more than a fountain, a simple matter of pumping the water in the floor back to the roof. A trick meant to keep water dripping forever in homage of the dungeon, or maybe to surpass the dungeon.

The man cared little either way. He merely waited for the final preparations to be completed. After a week of waiting it was time, time to start bringing terror to the inhabitants of this world. With this thought, a broad smile encompassed the man's face. A maniacal expression that displayed his madness and rage to any watching.

"It seems you'll get your wish…"

A quiet voice interrupted the man's brooding. Twisting his body sharply, the cloaked figure faced the newcomer he hadn't heard approach.

"Some argued against such a foolish display of power… However, we all agreed on one point. It will be fun either way."

With these words, the newcomer's face split into a matching smile. His sadistic urges on display, matching and even surpassing the man in black's.

"Am I to lead it then?" The man asks, trying to hid his excitement.

"Of course. It was your idea after all."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," the newcomer chuckles. "After all… the mastermind rises and falls with his plan."

Repressing a shudder, the cloaked figure turns back to the water while the figure leaves. After barely a week with these people, he'd come to a shocking realization about them. That due to the falna in this world, everything was amplified, both the good and the bad. He had thought himself tough, an assassin with multiple confirmed kills. Here though, he was a nobody. A man whose sadistic appetites were calm compared to his compatriots. Despite this, he was intent on completing his goal.

Clenching his fist, he re-swore himself to his promise. As many as possible. He will kill as many Japanese as he can.

Turning away from the repetitive drip, a smile of excitement gave his face expression once again. "It's showtime."

---

Kirito:

"Thank you, Syr." Bowing respectfully, I take the proffered wicker basket from her hands.

"It's my pleasure as always, Kirito," Syr laughs in reply. "As long as I get to keep making lunches for you, it means your still…" Trailing off, the waitress had unintentionally soured the mood. With adventurers, death was a constant threat that was challenging to talk about.

"Of course, I'll keep coming," I tell her with mock outrage. "Nothing can keep me away from your delicious lunches!"

"That's what I like to hear!" she replies with a light smile of familiarity. "Onto the fourteenth today?"

Shaking my head, I'm inform her of the change in plans. "Miach familia and us have teamed up to do a sort of mini-expedition to the twelfth."

"Why?" Syr asks with a tilt of her head. "Isn't that floor too strong for your new members and too weak for you?"

Hesitating, I realize Syr has an exceptional point. It will be hard to not lose time and efficiency, especially with so many members going. "Well, there are a couple reasons why…" I begin to elaborate slowly.

"I wasn't doubting your decision," Syr replies hurriedly. "I'm ignorant of the ways of adventurers." Bowing her head, she's the picture of repentance.

"Oh… Uh, no! It was a good point…" I stutter, put off by her rapid change in emotion.

Standing back upright, Syr as a small smirk on her face. "So, you're saying I'm a better tactician than you?"

Caught in a hard place, all I can do is stand there silently having been outwitted.

"I love that expression on you," Syr laughs patting my cheek. "Anyway, enjoy the dungeon and be sure to return the lunchbox!"

With that Syr turns around and re-enters the benevolent mistress in order to finish setting up. Sighing heavily, I shake my head with a wry smile. Out of everyone I've met, Syr continues to amaze me the most. Her ability to twist words are on the level of the gods themselves. It seems like such a strange ability to find in a girl content on running a bar. Nonetheless, our daily conversations always give me something to look forward to in the morning.

Turning South along North Main, I pick up my pace a little. Chances are I'll be late anyway. First, I'd gone to Liz to get my blade sharpened before today and settled on another day to go into the dungeon together. Next, she'd taken more of my measurements so she could start on pieces of armour for me. Even that would have been fine as I left with plenty of time to spare before our meetup at babel. However, I'd then asked another favour. If it was possible to transition the salamander wool, I'd bought into a more useable form. As we discussed the various possibilities, time crept by far faster than it should of.

Following my conversation with Syr, it was now rapidly approaching nine in the morning. Our agreed upon meet time at our usual spot. Hurrying along I duck and weave around the packed streets. Shops are opening and floods of adventurers are heading into the dungeon as well.

The sight of them still fills me with awe and a touch of fear. Despite logically knowing that they aren't stronger than me, or not by much if they are, their experience flows off them in every action. As I duck respectfully around a proud elf, I wonder how I ever thought of them as AI once. The very thought is laughable. No human could have designed such a proud, haughty expression.

Laughing lightly at my own immaturity, I turn my fast walk into a jog. After all, it's unlikely that I break a sweat during our mini expedition today. Yet again, I hear Str's words echo through my head. Why were we doing this again? No concrete answer presented itself besides that it felt right. That building up teamwork between our two familias was more important than a raw stat increase.

"There he is, stylishly late as always."

"Typical Kirito."

"Haha, sorry guys." Arriving a few minutes past nine, Rain and Philia berate me with their standard greetings. Smiling broadly at them, it's always nice to see them again after a day away.

Slowing down, I examine the group. Their new girl, Yuna, seems chipper with sharp eyes. Excited to see new floors no doubt. The male, Nautilus, on the other hand isn't. His face is drawn tight with worry, or maybe apprehension. Perhaps scared to go so deep? A small shake in his hands betrays a barely supressed fear.

For my familia… Lili instantly grabs my attention. She is wearing an enormous bag almost as large as she is. She's talking to Silica about something that has her entire attention. I don't think the two of them have even noticed my arrival. Leafa stands a little way away, eyes flickering between them and me. As we lock eyes, I nod confidently at her once before allowing my eyes to drift to less confusing people.

I barely managed to fall asleep, the memories of my actions imprinted in my mind. Every time I closed my eyes that scene played over and over. Why did I press my forehead against hers? The intimate action was so uncharacteristic for me, I still struggled to understand the action myself. Even though Leafa was the one who hugged me, I can't help but feel that my actions were inexcusable. The fact that she didn't punch me in the stomach or even worse is surprising.

"Is there anything we need to talk about before we start?" I ask the group.

Glancing around the group, Rain and Philia shrug at each other, while Nautilus and Yuna merely look confused.

"Oh, Kirito!" Silica chirped. Happy as usual.

"Yes, there are some things we should talk about," Lili interrupted, drawing everyone's eyes to her.

I'm not sure about the Chienthrope girl based on my limited interactions with her. From what I've learnt, Silica is a fan of the dog girl while Hestia seems to possess an innate distrust. Leafa said that she had little opinion of the girl, although every interaction was cordial.

Normally, I would trust her. After all, she helped Silica and we were the ones who hired her. However, there was something about her that jogged my memory. Especially when I look at her eyes, she seems like someone I've met before. I can't shake the strange sensation even though I'm positive I don't know anyone with her appearance.

"Silica and I will be supporting the rest of you. As I will be instructing her in some things as we descend, it may take more time than you are used to." At this point, Lili cuts off and bows her head. "I offer my apologies for any loss of wealth this may incur, mighty adventures."

"Mighty adventurers?" I echo dumbly. Everyone else had varying expressions ranging from shock to confusion. "Can't you treat us normally?" I petition lamely.

"Absolutely not," Lili denied with a shake of her head. "Compared to adventurers, us lowly supporters are little more than parasites feeding off your hard work."

After everything I've experienced since coming to this world, I thought I'd adjusted to it. That I had harmonized with the rules of the world, and how everything within it operated. All that confidence was blown away by a few words from this small girl.

The society I grew up in prioritized respect for one's elders, but this was something far removed from that. This was the subservience of someone whom didn't consider themselves an equal. The whole exchange was fundamentally wrong.

"Lili," Leafa continued weakly in my place. "We ate together yesterday, is this really necessary."

"Yes," she answered simply. "If it got out that I treated myself equal to the honorable adventurers, no one would hire Lili ever again."

Red flames of anger curled across my vision, obliterating all previous thoughts. A righteous anger brought on by this girl's plight. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. And in the end… this was another problem that I was completely helpless to fix. Any action except allowing her subservience would impair her future. But in allowing this behaviour to continue I become part of the problem. A vicious cycle with no answer.

Defeated by the impossible scenario, I lower my head in shame. Despite my level up, and all the power I've fought to accrue, this little girl defeats me with ease. It's just like with Syr. All the strength in the world and I can't think my way out of a wet paper bag.

On that morose note, we began our expedition into the dungeon.

---

Leafa:

Panting heavily, my arms shake from exhaustion as I hold my blade parallel at head height. The creatures in front of me are unlike any I've ever seen. Kirito called them Wall Shadows. Individually, I'm faster than them. Stronger too.

"Hya!" Letting out a cry, I perform a vertical slash. The blade whistles as it travels through the air. It was one of my signature Kendo moves. Few opponents were able to deal with the speed and power I could put behind the swing.

"Gru…" Letting out some noise between an answering cry and a grunt of exertion, the creature uses both arms to catch the blade. Its claws linked together, metal clashes on metal as my swing gets stopped.

Pushing down on my weapon, it begins to move closer towards the monster's face. Or at least the silvery disc that constituted as one.

"Kruu!" Eyes widening, I can't believe my mistake. One I'd made too many times. This isn't a kendo match. I have more than one opponent here. Forced to abandon the contest of strength, I leap back, narrowly avoiding the claws of the second Wall Shadow.

At the sound of rocks crunching underfoot, my whips in horror to the right. There, a third Wall Shadow runs at me, long claws glinting in the low light. I try to lift my Katana, but it's too late. The long blade is bad in these situations. As soon as an enemy gets inside my reach, there is little I can do against them.

Just as I've resigned myself to taking the hit, a shaft protrudes from the silvery mass. An eerie scream of pain emanates from the creature. Feeling no remorse, I cut it down and turn to the second one. Sidestepping its errant second swing, I cut off its arm at the elbow. As the creature reels in pain, it attacks hastily with its one intact arm. Sliding gracefully over the ground, I make sure that it is its last.

Now there is only one foe left. Raising my blade back into my traditional starting position, I approach slowly.

"I have this one!" Face locked in a rictus of concentration, Nautilus jumps at the foe. Longsword flashing wildly in the light, my eyes track the fast slashes as he puts all his strength into the manipulation of the blade. Unfortunately, the Wall Shadow figures out how to avoid every single one, stepping backwards.

As his blade slows from exhaustion, the monster has yet to take even a single scratch. Staring into that inhuman silver disc, I can sense its emotions through some intangible connection: It's excited.

"Watch out!" Lunging forward, my eyes are wide with fear. With an inexorable slowness, the fated scene plays out before my eyes. The sword that Nautilus no longer has the strength to swing drifts too far to the right, pulling him off balance. The Wall Shadow is already moving, entering the space created by his overreach to deliver a devastating hit where his shield can't help.

As this happens, my movement carries me into the fight. Approaching from behind Nautilus, my Katana releases sparks as it slides over his pauldron.

Landing off balance, my katana is ripped from my hand as the Wall shadow's claws impact it. As the deflected claws crash into Nautilus' armour, they keep their force by lose their line of directionality.

Running into his back, my momentum is reversed as the boy falls backwards on top of me. Breath getting forcefully ripped from my lungs, I stare in panic at the creature as it moves to finish off our prone forms.

"You did well, Leafa." Kirito congratulates me. "That was excellent decision making under pressure."

Confusion setting in, I glance between the monster and where Kirito's voice is coming from. Trapped as I am, I can't see the boy. Why is congratulating me so calmly as I'm about to die? On the verge of yelling at him, a line of light streaks across my vision. Lifting my head, I follow it to where it solidifies 5 feet behind the Wall Shadow.

My brother casually stands up and sheathes his sword: the source of the light. Confused, I glance at the encroaching monster. Parts of the monster, I correct myself a second later. With inexorable slowness, the creatures two halves crash to the ground.

"Here, let's get you two up." Walking back over to us, Kirito hefts up a struggling Nautilus with a pull on the back of his armour. The action seems rougher than absolutely necessary.

After Nautilus is finally gone, the pain around my midsection lessens. Panting heavily, my lungs burn from when we hit the ground. After a couple more gulps, it begins to fade as everything returns to normal.

"Are you alright?" The words are quiet and for my ears only as Kirito extends his hand. Taking it, I allow him to pull me vertical before answering with a nod. I don't trust myself to talk right now.

After all, Nautilus must be pushing 300 pounds in armour I remind myself mentally. I want to blame him for my failure to defeat the Wall Shadows, but I can't. I should have done something different. What, I'm not sure right now, but I know the right answer will come to me.

It wasn't just the last one I remind myself grimly. The first one would have gotten me too. If not for…

"Wow, you sure are skilled," Philia sighs with a shake of her head. "Must run in the family, huh?"

"I-it was nothing," I deny, blushing slightly from the praise and comparison. "Yuna is the one who won this fight."

"No," Yuna denied with a shake of her head. "My bow merely turned it into a winnable fight. You're the one that made it seem easy."

"S-sorry about that."

At the words, I turn around and face Nautilus. Interestingly, I'd forgotten about the boy until now. Examining him, he's sheathed his sword and sways nervously back and forth between his two feet.

"You all move on," Rain sighs, "I'll talk to him."

The slight flash of fear that crosses Nautilus' face is enough that I release any lingering resentment I may have held from his… questionable actions in the battle. Giving him a sad smile, I follow Kirito past him further into the fifth floor.

It's been less than an hour since we've departed on our expedition. We probably could have gone a lot further in this time, but Nautilus, Yuna, and I have killed every monster so far. Silica hung out near the back of the group with Lili. So far, there has been little indication of any teaching.

As we continue on our journey, I cast occasional glances at the stranger in our midst. Every monster, she'd allowed Silica to extract the magic stone. A spectator who was merely observing our actions currently.

"So, Lili," I ask the girl, breaking the silence. "What's the deepest floor you've visited?" The question surprises me as much as it surprises her.

"Only the twelfth…" She replies slowly, bending her head to avoid my eyes.

The continued deferential nature is strange. It almost feels like a defense mechanism. Some odd way to keep us at arms length. If anyone's an exception to this, it's Silica.

"Seriously," Philia frowns, "can you please drop the act? It's creepy."

Lili finally seemed a little unnerved by Philia's words. "As I said before…"

"The adventurers won't hire you?" Philia interrupts. "That's bullshit, everyone I know is really nice."

"Then I admire your luck," Lili murmurs.

Rolling her eyes, Philia seemed to be getting very irate. Perhaps more so than the situation called for. "It's not luck, it's…" Cutting off abruptly, Philia bit her tongue as if a memory had stopped her words.

As Lili made no reply, an awkward silence fell over us. While Philia was probably just trying to bring Lili into the group, it may have done more to divide us. Interestingly, as I glance at Silica out of the corner of my eye, she's stayed silent during this entire exchange. At the best of times silent and Silica don't really go together. Now more than ever I'd have expected her to chime in on everything. Tell Lili how awesome she is and that she should have confidence. Yet, even now, her eyes are staring distractedly ahead, deep in thought.

"I don't offer this lightly Lili…" Into the silence, Kirito spoke, drawing every set of eyes to him. "As Silica's friend, and hopefully ours one day, if other parties don't offer you a place within their parties, then stay with ours. Between us, Miach familia, and Takemikazuchi, I'm sure we can always find work for you."

This time the words have a more tangible effect. Lili stops in place, hands shaking on the straps of her backpack. With her neck bent, Lili stared at the floor, hiding her face from view. I wish I could see the expression on her face.

"Lili is… grateful for the offer."

"Is that really okay Kirito?" Silica asks, hope in her eyes.

"Of course," he confirms with a smile. "We often run out of pack room before strength anyway. Adding a fulltime supporter is a good idea."

"Isn't that great Lili?" Silica asks her happily.

"It is… Unusual," the girl replies, still glancing at the floor. "We should keep moving or my presence will begin to cost you money."

Despite being somewhat dismissive, a note of appreciation carried through them and we understood. Lili couldn't commit to anything right now, but our words, no, my brother's words, had moved her.

---

Rain:

"Why won't you talk to me?" Staring at Nautilus, I cross my arms in annoyance. The boy is most likely about my age, perhaps a little older. At times like this though, I feel ancient compared to him. His childish actions had put not only himself, but Leafa in danger.

"There's nothing to say," he replied, practically spitting the words out through clenched teeth in an attempt at civility.

"You realize that your life is on the line, right?" Talking quietly, I hope the words get through to him. If this was just a game, then we would laugh at his attempt to kill the monster. Joke about him falling on Leafa.

"I understand, and you should understand that I will save Yuna from this game."

Not replying immediately, we simply stare at each other. On the surface, his resolve should be a boon. Determination for him to work even harder at improving, however… "Are you doing this just to get her to fall for you?"

Nautilus' expression morphed into one of guilt and anger. My words had struck a chord with him. Slowly, anger won, and he glared at me.

"My relationship with Yuna is none of your business."

"That, is not true." While speaking, I slowly close the distance between us until we're less than a foot away. "I am the subcommander of our familia. Furthermore, I lead our forces in the dungeon. Therefore, if you have secret motives that are making you underperform, then IT IS my business."

During my speech, Nautilus takes a step back as a flash of fear enters his eyes. Staring him down, I wait for an answer.

"I… will attempt to perform better…"

Nodding, that's all I can expect right now. "Well then, Let's go rejoin the others!" Putting some energy back into my voice, I smile broadly at the boy. As his fear fades into confusion, I turn towards where the others went and begin the journey to catch back up.

---

Asuna:

"More Hellhounds coming!"

"A pack of Al miraj from the right!"

Nodding, I take in the information calmly. After having descended far further in the dungeon, the middle floors no longer invoke the fear they used to. Realistically I know that I can still easily die here if I ever make a mistake. Nonetheless, I possess a new confidence from my recent exploits.

"Let's retreat back a hallway, I'll blow them away."

"Yes!" My party agrees with enthusiasm. My party. The words still send a thrill through my spine. After being the first one to hit level two, command was transferred from Lind to me. It was awkward at first, but things have finally stabilized.

Sprinting along the tight hallways, I slow to a stop about halfway down. Far enough that all the monsters following us are able to fit into it.

Holding my staff in front of me, I begin the spell. One I've done hundreds of times at this point. All the actions have become second nature. Now, I can truly feel what Loki was talking about. How this cheap staff is impeding my potential. With something stronger my magic could be so much more.

"Watch out!" Lind shouts as they form a wall in front of me. "Hellhounds are coming first; we may have fire."

Instantly to compensate three of the men switch to spears. If the dog-like creature tries to attack physically, then they can impale it. If they stay at a distance, then the spears can be thrown to kill them at a distance.

This ability to adapt is slowly increasing with time. Our familia doesn't just let us venture into the dungeon, mandatory classes and lessons in all things adventurer ensure that all of us are proficient in tactics and weapons. This is just one of the many improvements that have been made to our strategies.

"Loose!" Making the call, Lind orders the release of the spears as the black beasts begin to slow. Nodding in approval, I don't dare try and talk while casting. In situations like this, Lind resumes giving orders as the second-in-command in the party.

As the spears collide with the beasts, one goes down hard with a shaft through its eye. Another takes a heavy blow to its chest while the third manages to dodge around the ineptly thrown projectile. Reinvigorated with anger, the monsters abandon their long-range barrage and charge the front line.

"Steady!" Hampering down, the line tightens, as their shields form an impenetrable wall against the creatures.

The two groups collide with a thunderous clang. Growls and yelps combine with war cries and swears to create a deafening cacophony. Yet, to me, the noises seem quiet and unimportant as my song reaches its climax.

Voice reaching a crescendo, I guide my magic to completion. A familiar dance that I love to perform. "I'm ready."

The words are quiet, unlikely to be discernable over the clash, yet they all know. By this point they know the length of my chant almost as well as I do.

"Push them back!" Leading the charge forward himself, Lind breaks the shield wall as he pushes the waves of monsters backward. The sight is somewhat inspiring. His almost matching blue hair has led to rumours in the familia about the two of us.

Ignoring that, I focus again on the state of the battle. All I can do now is clench my hand and wait for them to retreat behind me.

"Now back!" Having thrown back the front wave of monsters, the line breaks formation and flees. The fifteen-foot gap is a necessity in order to get them behind me and release my magic without getting mauled.

"Vannforlengelse!" Chanting the name of my spell, I begin to summon the spheres of water before Lind is even past me. This is a new trick I've thought of. Drawing inspiration from the firearms of our old world, I divided the water into balls barely an inch across.

As Lind passes me, I smile nastily at the monsters. No matter how many times I've done this, it never gets old. The rush of exhilaration as my power takes form and slaughters wave after wave of monsters.

The destruction wrought by the small balls is truly a sight to behold. The closest monsters are vaporised as a battalion of projectiles destroy every inch of their bodies. The further back ones lose limbs indiscriminately as the water replicates the effects of old school muskets perfectly.

At the end of the spell, I take a second to survey the destruction before nodding happily. The result is exactly what I was hoping for. The front few had their stones broken, but that was unavoidable. Only a few beyond that had the same effect. To a one, they all died, but only in rare cases did the impact penetrate deep enough to shatter the stone hidden in their chests.

The value of stones waiting to be collected easily exceeds 10k valis. A good haul for one clear.

"Nice one!"

"Way to go, Water Witch!"

Wincing slightly, I thank my party members for their kind words. My new title is embarrassing. More than that, its awkward. I understand why it's my title, but still. I don't want to be called a witch!

Sighing lightly to myself, I hide the exhaustion from my other members as they begin collecting the stones from the fallen monsters. Rubbing my temple, I turn around and guard the passageway from ambush as I wait.

The free time allows my mind to wander. Black knight… The title in fitting for Kirito. Thinking about how he saved me twice in the dungeon, I wonder if the gods took those actions into account when choosing his title. However, as I picture him in my minds eye, he winces upon hearing it. The grandiose title is unlikely to please the laidback boy who'd rather spend all day eating.

Frowning, I realize how much I miss spending time with him. While I've grown in ways I couldn't have staying in his party, it would have been far more entertaining. Rain's eternal cheer, Philia's embarrassment that she sharply contrasted with random, lascivious suggestions.

Casting my gaze at the roof, I get the feeling that Kirito is somewhere above me right now. Shaking my head, I ignore the superstition. Continuing with the thirteenth floor is of utmost importance right now. We need to finish up here so that we can start with the fourteenth. Wondering how much further ahead Kirito still is, I collect my party and head deeper into the dungeon.

---

Kirito:

"Watch out, these are far stronger than the higher variants…" Warning Leafa, I watch with bated breath as she squares up across from a Kobold Fighter. As someone just starting her second week as an adventurer, she's making amazing progress. Her natural talent and background in fighting has propelled her to an advantage over the others.

I would be maybe, just the smallest, teeniest tiniest bit jealous, if this wasn't such a blessing. So many people die early before they can get a hang of fighting. Once someone passes a certain floor or rank, deaths drop precipitously.

Watching her dance elegantly around the feral beast, I have no doubt that she'll be one of them. She'll survive to the end, she has to.

"Now Yuna!" Jumping backwards, Leafa creates distance between her and the beast and instantly an arrow occupies it. Catching the creature in its right shoulder, it stumbles back a step from the impact and pain.

"Yargh!" Not letting one moment go to waste, Leafa's katana is there to end it.

"Nice one!" Raising my right hand, a solid smack echoes through the room as she completes the high five. "Also, that was great coordination with Yuna."

"It really was!" Philia agrees with a big smile. "You two are making me feel like I have to work harder or you'll pass me in no time."

I nod lightly in agreement, smiling happily at their coordination.

"W-we're doing something on this floor, yes?" Leafa asks quickly, deflecting the conversation from our praise.

"Yes," Philia confirms. "We're going to a panty to hunt for Blue papillons."

"Why?"

"Their wings are a special ingredient we need to continue making dual potions," Philia explains with a shrug, beginning to lead us towards the nearest pantry. "Also, we decided it would be good opportunity to show everyone how to optimally farm rare monsters, and how to go undiscovered in a pantry."

"This is my first time as well!" I tell them happily. Truth be told, I'm looking forward to our little side quest. Not only is it a good opportunity to learn exactly what Philia was talking about, it also will allow us to produce a tangible result from this expedition besides simply going to the twelfth floor and back.

"Where are the other four?"

Leafa's question was a good one that I'd kept in the back of my mind. As she had asked it though, I turn my gaze to Philia.

"Oh, they left to go collect some other things that we need," Philia shrugs. "We will meet up with them again at the stairs to the eighth floor."

Mollified, we continue our trek to the pantry in silence. This silence becomes absolute as Philia holds up a finger to her lips, ensuring silence. Shortly after, she produces strange balls from her bag and gives one to each of us. Holding it by a string attached to them, Philia hangs hers over her head and gives the others to us.

These I do recognize from the Blue Pharmacy shelfs, smell cancellers. They eliminate the odour of a person almost perfectly. Belatedly I realize that these must be essential to observe Kobolds unnoticed. The dog beasts have a keen sense of smell that would spell disaster for any adventurer attempting to enter a pantry without these items.

"Carefully," mouthing the words, we nod in understanding to Philia. Sneaking by on our tiptoes, we enter one of the entrances to the seventh-floor pantry.

The view is amazing. Hordes of monsters pace around casually, their guard lowered. In the center is the source of the word pantry. A nourishing crystal that the monsters slurp at noiselessly to sate their hunger. Glowing a bright blue, it stretches from the floor to the ceiling of the arching five-meter cavern.

"Come on," growling, Philia pulls the starstruck Yuna and Leafa towards a nearby wall. Crouching along the rock wall, Philia rips two large brown blankets from her pack. As they shift in the air, the line between cloak and wall becomes blurry. They're a perfect match, clearly made for just this purpose.

"Since I'm the smallest, I'll go with Kirito who is the largest," Philia explains quickly, "you two get comfortable."

"Huh?" I'm the largest? Barely understanding Philia's explanation, I allow her to pull me prone and throw the blanket over us. Snuggling in tight against me, Philia pushes her head under my arm. Convincing myself this is necessary to complete our quest; I allow it to happen.

Staring straight ahead, I try to ignore Leafa's burning stare that I can feel starting to melt a hole through the blanket. Thankfully she doesn't say anything and based on a rustling of fabric I conclude that they've hidden themselves as well.

Suddenly, my vision becomes one of my less important senses as Philia's upper body merges further with mine. Gulping from the stimulating sensation, I whisper at her, "is this really necessary?"

"So, you don't enjoy this?"

Pausing, I've learned how to accurately notice a loaded question. If I say no, then I insult her, if I say yes… I'd be telling the truth. Deciding to take it for what it is, I close my mouth and settle on the easiest answer, not answering.

"Can you explain the strategy while we're here?" I say instead. As long as the whispered conversation doesn't alert the monsters, it should be fine. It will also distract me from enjoying the waiting too much.

Nodding, Philia replies, "It's simple. We wait for a papillon to enter the room, then I'll use my magic to determine if it will drop an item."

"Do we kill it either way?" I ask back. I haven't seen Philia use her magic often, but the few times she has, it has been incredibly useful. Her magic let's her identify flows of energy, points of strength and weakness. This works on everything from ore in a wall to what creatures will drop items.

"I don't see why we would."

"I just thought that killing them would prompt the dungeon to spawn more," I explain my thoughts shifting my shoulders in a shrug. The action crumpling the sheet above us.

"Stay still," Philia berates me lightly, gripping me even tighter, our legs entwined in a confusing mess.

"There's one…" I inform her, locating the location of a papillon while her head is buried in my neck. The warm breath tickling my ear is an intoxicating sensation that's slowly numbing my ability to concentrate.

Philia seems hesitant to retract herself, but slowly she removes her head and looks out into the chamber. The absence of her breath leaving a cold spot.

"Grant me the power to see beyond this plane.

I reject secrecy and swear myself to the art of discovery.

Astral eyes!"

Completing her short chant spell, Philia's eyes shimmered with an underlay of pulsing blue light. Examining the room, she took in information far beyond what I could.

Slowly her face morphed into a smile. The hunt is on. "Let's wait for it to leave, then we'll follow it and take it down."

"Why bother?" I ask her. "We can take the whole room on."

Twisting her head, Philia looks at me like I'm insane. "Maybe you can, but while protecting Leafa and Yuna?"

Flashing her a bold smile, I can feel the pull of adventure drawing me forward. An irresistible challenge where I can test my skills. "Get them to stay hidden and they'll be fine. The monsters will rush me."

Groaning, Philia lowered her head into the rocky floor. "I hate it when you get like this. I can't stop you, can I?"

"Nope!" I tell her happily, extracting myself from our cover at the same time. Ignoring Philia's glare, I pace towards the creatures that have already begun to notice me. I hope that Philia will keep the other two safe. Between the two of us, nothing on this floor should get to them.

Drawing my sword, the metal produces a raspy noise that echoes sharply around the cavern. Instantly, the entire area erupts into roars and howls. The chaotic song of the demonic host.

As I enter battle mode, the world seems to slow down around me. Each motion, every detail is clear. It feels like I'm looking at my body from the third-person perspective as I often did when playing computer games. I have no blind spots; the plans of every monster are clear to me.

This is my new skill, Overview. The ability to be fully aware of every action in the area around me. Smiling wryly, I step forward to greet my first opponent, a cluster of killer ants. Their beady eyes and hard carapaces strike fear into the hearts of many first level adventures. Perhaps the monster that has the most kills of any.

I'm no level one though. My sword tears a blazing a line through the air as it rents their once immaculate armour asunder. Taking another step, my second swing knocks a kobold fighter out of the air. My next takes out a needle rabbit, the sharp horn on its head aiming for my knee.

The next minute is a blur of activity. Despite being vastly more powerful than any of the creatures, their sheer numbers weigh on me. As they flank me time and time again, the creatures throw themselves through their comrades dying bodies in hopes of landing even a glancing blow. It's a strategy I'm not used to guarding against. The total and blatant disregard for their own lives is impossible for a person to replicate. Each creature taking the ultimate sacrifice merely to buy another inch closer to me.

As time continues to tick on, I'm forced to admit, it's working. The speed of my sword is dropping, and the monsters are now inside of optimal sword range.

There's only one course of action left now, sighing. Letting out a big one, I can't believe Philia was right. Giving up on the fight, I put power in my legs and jump backwards over the monsters. Backflipping over them, my hanging cloak gets torn to shreds as it brushes over their heads.

Unfastening it, I take off to the nearest entrance and turn around. Frowning, I take in the monsters that are now far less fervent about attacking me. I stand there stunned for about ten seconds before I figure out what's going on.

They're protecting the stone. The source of food granted to them by the dungeon. Now that I'm no longer threatening it, they're instincts for self-preservation are winning.

Shaking my head at the strange situation, I re-enter the room. After all, there is still a papillon wing to collect.

---

Lili:

"What on earth…"

The sight is incomprehensible. Completely and utterly inconceivable. We had been planning on sneaking into the pantry to see how the wing collecting was going. This was beyond any of our preconceived notions, however. That… that boy, was wading through the monsters in the pantry like a farmer reaping wheat.

"Ah, Kirito's back at it again," Rain sighed shaking her head. "This is one way to do it… I'm worried that the lack on monsters on the floor will come back to us somehow."

My face soured in agreement. Many level one parties called the seventh-floor home. For one of its three pantries to get taken out would have a drastic effect on the total number of monsters on this floor.

"Looks like he's finishing up," Rain continued, "let's go."

Leading the way, the four of us entered the site of the massacre. Attempting to count them quickly went beyond my abilities. Twenty over there, those ten bring it to thirty, forty, fifty… seventy or so? This would total a hard day's work for a party of level one adventurers.

Looking up, it's hard to keep the expression of awe off my face as I stare at the goofy looking swordsman. Stretching his right arm while a goofy grin consumes his face.

"Wow, that sure was something, wasn't it?"

"You're an idiot!" A voice declared from a corner. Stomping towards us, the figure resolved into Philia. "You could have died at the beginning when they penned you in!"

At these words, the boy's face hardens into a more thoughtful expression. He's actually, realizing the stupidity of his actions, I decide, rolling my eyes. As if he could read my thoughts and wanted to deny them, the smile came over his face again.

"Nah," he declared, "after all, you would have saved me, right Philia?"

"I-Idiot!" she shouts back, her face an intense red. I have to fight to keep my jaw from opening. Another person who likes him… How many is that at this point?

Analyzing the room again, I wonder if I have the answer, especially with his title, Black Knight. Someone who just runs around the dungeon saving woman. How despicable. If he wants women all he has to do is go to the pleasure quarter…

"Ah, it seems our newest supporter disagrees with me," Kirito laughs lightly.

Sniffing loudly, I turn away from him and begin to work on the piles of creatures. "Come and help Silica."

"Y-yes!" she squeals, still nervous around me.

"Now," I instruct her, "don't put the magic stones in your bag, there are too many of them. Extract them and sort them into piles based on size and luster. Drop items will go into a separate pile that I'll sort through and determine the ones worth the most."

"W-what are we going to do with the extras?" Silica asks confused.

"We break them," I tell her with a shrug.

"Huh?" More than one voice shouts back in disbelief. Apparently, Nautilus had been listening in.

"That's a good idea," Kirito praises me surprised. "I hadn't considered scanning through them for more useful ones."

"I can help with this," Philia sighs.

"Oh, yeah," Kirito replies, still giddy from his fight. "Your magic can do stuff like that!"

"It's been what, ten minutes," Philia fires back, not missing a beat, "Good memory."

Kirito makes a motion to reply but freezes. The only thing I can compare it to is when prey detects the scent of a predator. This time though, the prey seems to know that it's too late, the predator has gotten too close.

"I'm going to kill you…"

"L-Leafa, be reasonable…" Kirito pled with the low voice of his encroaching sister.

"Rargh!" Lunging forward, Leafa made an uninspiring sight as her locked legs stumbled pathetically forward, tottering from side to side.

"Are you alright?" Kirito asks, concern entering his voice where fear had once ruled.

"No! I am not alright!" Leafa spat at him. Still trying to reach rim despite her miserable movement speed. "I was dying from fright watching you fight. Now I can't even walk because I was so scared for you that I locked my legs!"

Stumbling back a step, her force of will is incredibly impressive. Even when it's not directed at me, her emotions are bare for everyone to hear. Her anger at her brother's actions, her fear for his life, all wrapped up in a deep love.

It's nauseating. Love. Adventurers can't love other people, only fulfilling their own desires. Turning away from the display, I listen as I dive into the monsters and retrieving the wealth inside them. "Come on Silica," I growl at her quietly.

Ripping her adoring gaze from Kirito, she reluctantly joins me in extracting and sorting the plethora of material that we got here.

"Aww, don't be so mean to him Leafa," Rain laughs. Tracking her movement form the corner of my eye, she's walked to Kirito's side and leaned on him. A casual, comfortable skinship.

Another!

Plunging my knife too hard into a Killer ant, I crack its stone inside. Tsking, I'm disgusted at my own ineptitude. These people have destabilized my mental fortitude in a way no other adventurers have in ages. Not since I was too young to understand why I wasn't allowed to be free.

Moving through the ashes, I steady my breathing and enter the state of mind, I use when in the dungeon. My entire vision boils down into a single burning flame. An ember powered entirely by my hate for adventurers. One that allows me to perform the tasks I need to.

"Wow…" Kirito murmurs, "I've never seen someone extract stones so fast."

It takes almost a minute for the words to penetrate. After they do, I tilt my head and spare him a second glance. "Your words are kind mighty adventure, but I am merely reaping the rewards of your effort."

Turning back to the slowly dwindling mountains of corpses, I focus again on my work. As I tear through them, I find myself moving even faster. The dexterous fingers granted to me by my race allowing me to perform the task faster than someone of an equal status would be able to. The repetition of this motion thousands of times over honing it to perfection.

Underneath of it all is a strange happiness that he praised my work. Pausing abruptly in my work, I frown at the ground. Why should I be happy that he praised me? It's like there's some strange aura around him that makes me desire to please him. Clenching my teeth at these strange emotions, I tear back into the creatures.

---

"Now Silica," I instruct her, "these Kobold fighter claws and fangs are valuable, so we will keep all of them."

"This one is pretty weak," Philia interrupts, peering over our shoulders.

Following her finger, I find it quickly. It's exactly as she says, the outside seems intact, but the inside gives it a weak complexation. The guild would pay maybe 20 valis for it. Lazily, I toss it into the discard pile.

Turning around I focus on Philia. "That was impressive… Magic, you said?"

The girl nods a little abashed. "I really like treasure hunting. It's part of the reason why I got the game. I was promised an infinite dungeon with infinite riches waiting to be found."

"Game?" I reply confused. Is that what they considered coming to this world, a game?

"Ah," Philia replies nervously, her eyes tracking around the room. "I mean, we were told that we'd be able to leave whenever we want, and couldn't die here, kind of like a game I suppose."

"I see…" Murmuring softly, I dive back into instructing Silica on what to keep and what not to. Which magic stones are worth enough, and which to break. All the while, Philia's words consume my mind. Is it possible that these people aren't really adventurers? That they were merely people enjoying a game that turned deadly?

The thought is far too confusing to make sense. And yet… It makes sense. The one explanation makes everything fall into place.

"Do we need more wings?" Standing up, the long process is finally over. It must have taken us longer to collect and sort everything than it did for Kirito to kill them. Shaking my head, I realize that despite the years of experience I have on all of them, Kirito may be the strongest adventurer I've ever travelled into the dungeon with. He may be stronger than my familia leader already…

"Nah, this is more than enough!" Philia replied happily. In her bag, the six wings we'd collected resided. Alone they'd make a good haul. However, they were apparently being used as ingredients to make a dual potion. It had been a challenge to not gape at them when they said that.

Exiting the now empty pantry, we head for the twelfth floor. Keeping Silica by my side, I continue the instruction.

"So, what have you learned so far?"

It's a vague, open-ended question, and Silica goes white with fear. "U-uhh, well… That it's ok to destroy extra stones?"

Shaking my head, I deny her. "It's not okay to destroy extra stones. It is mandatory to do so. If the extras aren't destroyed, it can easily lead to the creation of an enhanced species."

"Y-yes!" she replies abashed. "I-I also learned how to properly extract a stone from armoured enemies. Trying to tear through the armour will dull the edge."

Nodding, I motion for her to continue. "…and uh, I know that battles are hectic. As a supporter it is essential to stay in the back and maintain a constant look out for approaching enemies and fights that are going poorly."

"Very good," I encourage her. "What do you do if you see a fight that is going poorly?"

"Well…" Silica pauses as if considering the question. "I'd probably run in and try to help!"

Flinching, I stare at her amazed. "How did you possibly come to that conclusion?"

Looking at me confused, Silica doesn't seem to understand my disbelief. "Because that's what Kirito would do."

I'm unable to even formulate a reply. That's what Kirito would do. Sending a glare at the swordsman back, I'm not surprised. Only upset that Silica's taking to his bad habits.

"We will talk more later." Ending the test there, I want to be alone with my thoughts. Joining this party was either the best or worst thing that ever happened to me.

---

Philia:

Resting against a wall on the twelfth floor, I take a moment to massage my temples. A few more times on the descent I'd used my magic for a total of five times today. Such a pitiful number, yet my mind was rebelling. Gritting my teeth, I try and shove the mental exhaustion away. I'd seen Asuna cast far more magic than this and keep going.

Putting my hands on the ground, I prepare myself to stand up. Not bringing a mind potion was turning out to be a bad decision. Especially since we get potions for far less… Catching myself daydreaming, I focus on the task at hand. Standing up again.

"Spell's really draining your energy, isn't it?"

"Kirito?" I ask surprised. Looking up at the boy in wonder, I'm surprised he came over here to talk to me. I thought I'd hidden it well.

Smiling wryly, I'm not sure why I'm still surprised by these things he manages to do. He often appears distracted or more concerned with eating, yet without fail he knows the condition of every person in the dungeon with him.

"May I sit by you?" Hardly waiting for a nod, he plops himself beside me.

There's less than a foot separating us. Far more than when we were wing hunting, and yet it feels even closer now somehow. A distance Rain would bridge with ease. A distance I'd bridged with ease, when there was an excuse to do so. Now though, there was no reason to be even this close together.

"Asuna made it look so easy," I complain to him, giving voice to my previous thoughts.

A brief look of pain and longing flashes across his face, before it settles back into his usual mysterious smile.

"She pushed herself hard," Kirito said in way of an answer. "She was also a full elf who was proficient in magic. It's wrong to compare yourself to her."

"Just because you're right doesn't make it easier to accept," I grumble at him.

"I know," He replies lightly.

Suddenly I feel an object in my hand. Glancing down at it, it's a mind potion. One of Kirito's. Looking back up to tell him I'm fine without it, he's already standing up. As he lightly ruffles of my hair, I close my mouth and silence my complaint.

Giving me a secret parting smile, he rejoins the others. I wish he'd stay, but it's just about time to move on. Placing my hand down on where he'd sat, I can almost imagine some phantom warmth lingering there.

Finally, my attention goes back to the vial of blue liquid. Unstoppering it, I drink the top inch or so and recap it. I know that it's probably the exact same as any other mind potion my familia's shop sells, and yet… this one tastes special.

Feeling my headache recede, I stand back up, ready to conquer the twelfth floor. Walking a little way through the mist, I see everyone gathered around a map. It seems that their new supporter for hire, Lili, has brought one of the twelfth floor with her.

To be honest, I'm a little intimidated of her. Despite barely being more than four feet tall, there's something in that empty smile she gives that tells me she knows far more about this world than I do. That she's seen the dark side of Orario and not only survived it but flourished in it.

"I still don't understand the point of going over there!" Lili argues with Kirito. "It's out of the way and unlikely to have a lot of monsters."

"Well, we're too late to claim the more popular spots on the floor for ourselves," he explains calmly, "So why not explore a bit. I've personally never gone that far into the floor."

Opening her mouth, the supporter seems to be on the verge of retorting angrily before she snaps it shut again in an obvious force of will. Bending her neck, Lili stares at the ground. The effort required seemed immense, like bending a steel rod through pure force of will.

"Forgive me adventurer. I forgot my place. Lili will gladly lead you there if you desire."

Once again, she speaks with those self-deprecating words. Also, in third person. The oddity almost overlooked when compared to her behaviour.

"Y-yes, that sounds good…" Kirito spoke slowly. Still obviously confused about what to do with this girl. "Now, all of you level ones, I want you to stay back and observe. Whatever you do, don't try and fight the creatures on this floor. They are far stronger than higher floor monsters and will kill you in one hit."

At this, all four of them nod quickly, a quiet fear in their eyes.

"Oh, lighten up," Rain interrupts with her usual cheerful voice. "Nothing is going to happen to them, you'll make sure of that."

As Rain pokes Kirito's cheek with a finger, he blushes and turns away. The sight of our leader getting toyed with helps lighten the mood among the group. Or at least, among most of us. Leafa doesn't seem happy to see her brother getting embarrassed.

"A-anyway!" Kirito continues, refocusing the conversation before it entirely breaks down. "Rain and Philia will take the front lines while I guard our back. Our two magic users, Leafa and Yuna, feel free to use your spells if you see an opening."

Walking around the group, I stop by Rain's side and give her a small smile, which she answers in kind. "You ready for this?" I whisper at her.

"Of course," she answers, matching my tone. "It will be fun to fight beside you again."

Nodding, I can't help but agree. During our three-man sorties into the dungeon, Kirito usually leads us with me in the middle and Rain covering our back. Or, in wider spots, Rain and Kirito will fight side by side with me darting around the battles.

Leading the way now, that's the formation we use. Rain with her dual swords and me with a baselard in my right hand and a small buckler in my left. The equipment is fairly new, but extremely useful. The extra range is essential for killing large size monsters while the buckler adds additional defense without really slowing me down.

"Looks like imps again," Rain sighs. "The usual?"

"Sure," I answer with a smile. Even after all this time, that thrill of combat still fills me. A rush of adrenaline and terror at the thought that I'm running into potential death. And for some reason, I keep doing it.

Letting Rain take point as previously planned, I follow behind her, my presence hidden from the imps who have to try and handle her deadly swords.

As the first imp on the right darts away trying to avoid her blades, I explode out from behind her and kill it. Using my buckler, I shove the second one into its companion. Jumping back, two swift strikes from Rain finish off the rest of the pack.

"Good job!" I congratulate her.

"After Al miraj these are easy," she shoots back, obviously pleased with the smooth victory as well. Even at level two, we can't disrespect these monsters.

Moving past the bodies, we maintain a lookout through the thick fog, as our supporters quickly extract the stones from the bodies. Once that's done, we move on with little chatter. Any reason for talking was hammered out back at our rest stop. Doing so now only produces strange reverberations in the mist and calls monster parties down on our heads.

"Isn't the floor a little empty?" Kirito asks suddenly, stopping the party.

"Now that you mention it…" Rain murmurs, looking around at the grand empty cavern. This is one of the main throughways, and yet, no sounds of combat rang out from the edges. No howls and cries of monsters.

"Maybe an expedition came through here?" I suggest.

"That's possible…" Kirito agrees. After all, a large group of strong adventurers could have cleared this room while barely slowing down.

"There are no official expeditions planned for today," Lili told them, shooting down that idea.

"How do you know?" Leafa asks her curiously, apparently unconcerned with the empty floor.

Or she still doesn't realize its possible implications.

"The guild posts a notice a week ahead of when official expeditions are planned and what if any monster rexes they will be killing."

Despite the fascinating information, it doesn't solve our problem, what to do.

"Maybe we should…"

Whatever Kirito was going to suggest was cut off by a figure in a bloody robe emerged from the mist. Gasping, I sheathe my weapon and run to their side. When I get within five feet of them, they collapse to their knees.

The person looks young. A male half-elf with a nasty wound by his right temple dripping blood. Pulling out a minor health potion, I drip it on the wound, hoping to seal it and stabilize the person.

"Way to go knife healer," Rain chortles from behind. Ignoring her, I focus instead on the injured adventurer.

"Are you alright?"

"No," the word is hoarse. It sounds like talking is physically painful. I can only shudder to imagine what noises were wrung from his throat to put it in such a state.

"Where are you injured?" I ask instead.

"Not me," he denies shaking his head. Pointing a shaky hand from where he'd come, he mutters the two words, no one wants to hear, "my party. They need he…"

Getting cut off there, his injuries overwhelm him and he falls to the grassy floor unconscious.

Like a robot, I turn to Kirito. Still standing at the back of the party, every single person now looked to him for answers.

Pursing his lips, he glances between the form of the fallen man and where he'd pointed. With time ticking until the certain death of the man's party, pressure was on. It was times like this that made me truly value Kirito. He selflessly took on decisions that could potentially kill either his party members or someone else, even both.

"Alright," Kirito sighs wearily, having made a decision. It was barely ten seconds since the man passed out. "I'll carry the him back in that direction. Hopefully he wakes back up and gives us more information."

Everyone nodded, glad to have a decision. The fear and confusion on the level ones' faces dimmed a little seeing their leader stay confident even during the unusual circumstances.

Jogging over to where I stay crouched next to his prone form, Kirito pulls a hi-potion from his bag. Removing the stopper in one fluid motion he jams its contents down the man's throat.

"What are you…" Trailing off, I stare at him in wonder. The man was in no risk of dying. Why would he waste over seven and a half thousand valis on him?

"Help him wake up faster," Kirito grunts in answer. "Now, let's go!" Raising his voice to be heard by everyone, Kirito scoops up the man's unresponsive body bridal carry and leads the way deeper into the dungeon.

"I wonder if Kirito will ever carry me like that?"

Perhaps louder than indented, Silica's voice reddens my cheeks as I suddenly find myself picturing the same thing.

---

Kirito:

Something's wrong.

Those two words play over and over again through my mind. The sirens are blaring far louder now than they usually would be with just Rain and Philia. I have confidence in our ability to work together and get out of a situation. We've had to do it enough times in the middle floors that nothing here should be an issue to us.

It's everyone else we have with us. Leafa probably has the reactions and ability to read the situation that she'll be fine. Lili as well seems like a survivor. Even if the rest of us were to ditch her here, I have no doubts she'd make it to the surface alive. The others though…

Silica is young and not as attentive to danger yet as she should be. Yuna and Nautilus, while certainly older than me, are still new adventurers. I haven't spent enough time with them to understand how they'll respond to danger and death.

That begs the question, why I brought them further into the floor. I should have sent them all back to the stairs with Philia. Rain and I could have taken the guy and investigated.

Frowning, that situation is imperfect as well. If no adventurers are around, they could easily be overwhelmed. Even Rain and I may be forced into retreat, especially if we brought the guy with us. Looking down at his figure in my arms I'd almost forgotten he was there, he's so light. As his cloak shifts, I can see the leather armour underneath. Most likely a rogue or spy type that scouts for the party. High agility to let him find help.

This alone would be standard in the dungeon, the fastest member sent to find help isn't exactly common, but it could happen especially with injured members that can't move. The complete and utter lack of anyone else if what made it super unusual.

Fighting to keep my face straight, I hope the others don't see my unease. The fact that this man was also a trap had crossed my mind. The convenient fainting seemed suspect. I may come to regret feeding him the hi-potion if that's case.

"What's with that smile?" Rain asks curiously as she jogs alongside me.

The two of us and Philia could go much faster, but that would leave the level one's behind. Even at this speed Nautilus, Yuna, Leafa, and Lili were starting to tire.

I'd noticed before, but now it was evident that Silica's choice to be a catperson gave her increased physical abilities, especially at running.

"It's nothing," I tell Rain, finally acknowledging her question. It's pointless to worry about the unconscious man in my arms while there are more pressing issues.

Passing through one more chamber, we arrive at our most important intersection. The two different routes split here and never intersect until the very edge of the floor. If we went the wrong way, it could take us an hour to find out and back track.

"What now?" Lili asks panting, one of few others to realize the dilemma.

"I guess we ask him," I reply. Fighting back the irrational urge to simply do something, I lay him on the ground and shake his shoulders.

All it does is elicit a light moan. Frowning, I'm about to try again when Yuna stops me.

"Allow me. Solo Sonata."

Following the name of her spell, she began to sing. Her voice was high and pure as it wove an upbeat pop song. As the verses continued, I could feel energy filling my body. Rejuvenating my physical stamina. It was having the same effect on everyone else, except Yuna. It was like the strength we were gaining was being sucked from her.

Just before telling her to stop, the man awakens with a cough. Seeing our faces hovering over him, he lays back down.

"Where is your party?"

"Huh?" Whether from the discombobulation of fainting or general confusion, he wastes valuable seconds looking at me in confusion.

"Your party!" Leafa yells at him, a wild look in her eyes.

"Room G8, or maybe I8? Around there…"

With that hoarse tone from before, it seemed like even the hi-potion couldn't instantly fix that. With Yuna's song, he seemed to be gaining some clarity as time passes.

"Lili, do you know where that is?" I ask, turning to the supporter and the only person native to this world.

"Of course," she answers, confused I don't know the grid system that the guild uses to assign names to the dungeon chambers. "Go down that path, straight through the next chamber. After that, veer right and they are the two chambers side by side."

"Thank you." Nodding at her, I turn to everyone else. "Rain, with me. Everyone else stay here and maintain a lookout." Turning to Philia I whisper words for her ears only. "I'm trusting their lives to you. Please do your best to protect them."

Perhaps earlier, this would have embarrassed me, or overwhelmed her. Now though, she only meets my eyes, the strength of her conviction evident in her large blue Prum eyes.

Taking one final glance back at the man we've rescued, unease turns my stomach. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to say something, I lean back in. "Don't trust this man. His story doesn't add up."

Turning to leave, Leafa grabs my hand. "Stay safe, please?"

"Of course," I answer lightly, "It's you I'm worried about."

As she blushes lightly, I take my hand from hers and leave, legs pumping far faster than before as Rain and I dash side by side to the mentioned chamber.

It's not long until we hear the screams. Both human and monster mixed together in a deafening cacophony.

"How did this happen?"

I have no answer for Rain's question. Without saying anything, we force a little more speed from our legs.

Turning the final corner, the scene is madness as far as we can see and clearly beyond. The mist is acting as a barrier that serves to further confuse the adventures. It's the most monsters I've ever seen in one place. The chamber must stretch over 30 metres long with an adjoined chamber on the other side that also contains conflict by all reckoning.

Panicked spells are fired off, hitting as many other adventurers as monsters as they shoot into the distance.

"We need to get them out of here," I tell Rain tightly. How, I have no idea. Drawing my sword, it's all I can offer them.

"Wait," Rain tells me. "You run in there, a minute later, you'll be no different from anyone else."

Restraining a biting remark about the press of time, I wait for her plan.

Stepping forward, Rain yells into the chamber, "Everyone, get to the walls!"

Staring at her dubiously, I doubt the effect of one shout reaching terrified people who are locked in a fight for their lives. Somehow though, the high-pitched voice seems to carry and echo. Bouncing off walls and keeping its luster, the oppressive mist seems ineffective at restraining her commands.

It's slow, but with methodical changes, the middle of the room begins to empty of adventurers. Leaving the center empty, they further isolate themselves as they trap themselves against the unmoving obstruction.

"Rain…" I remind her urgently as the adventurers set themselves in to be slaughtered unless something happens.

"Hehe, I got this," flashing me that cute idol smile of hers, Rain draws her two swords. Turning back to the front, she holds them out to her side, one in each hand, and begins singing.

"Dance.

Blades of fire Blades of Ice,

Obey your mistress and dance."

Shaking my head wryly, I can't believe I'd forgotten about her magic. It wasn't often that she'd used it since levelling up… but it hadn't once failed to end a fight.

"Sing.

Swords of Air Swords of Earth,

Obey your mistress and sing."

Taking a step back, I ensure I'm fully behind her for when the big moment arrives. Smiling in anticipation, it's a pleasure to be able to watch her weave her magic as a bystander.

"Come and multiply, blades of light.

Appear and fall,

Thousand Sword Rain!"

In a row above her head, seven magical blue swords take form. Each one an exact replica of the blades Rain wields. As if appearing from the ether, each one cackles with magical energy. That same energy forming a conduit to the metal ones in her hands.

Directing with merely her eyes, the seven swords shoot in a straight line from where they appeared above her head towards the far wall. The descent is subtle, but each and every sword possess a trajectory that will bring them to the floor.

Whether the name of the spell, Thousand Sword Rain, is a reference to her name, or the fact that the ghostly swords fall like rain, I'm not sure. As they pierce through the monsters, they too fall like rain adding another twist to the wordplay.

Each one leaves tracks of light to follow them by. The magical energy piercing and dispersing the mist for a brief moment. Where they struck monsters, the result was the same each time. The overwhelming energy destroying limbs, and endling lives.

Before those seven had even finished going off, another seven started to form. Those too shot out, targeting a different part of the room, annihilating even more of the helpless monsters. For a third and final time, seven more blades formed and fired.

Like a goddess delivering salvation, Rain paused in her stance for a moment before slowly allowing her arms to lower.

"To arms!" I roar in the silence left by the magic destruction. An answering roar matches and overpowers mine from the reinvigorated adventurers. Surging forward they fight back against what had once been an almost inevitable death.

"Well done," Rain congratulates me.

"I think that's my line," I reply with a snort. "Anyway, let's clean this up and look into the next chamber."

Nodding her agreement, we dive into the chaos blades flying. Trying to work through the room quickly, I focus on debilitating blows rather than death strikes. Taking out the back of a troll's knees is the same sentence, just slower.

"Kirito, the next chamber!" Following Rain's eyes, I can see her keen eyes focused on the distance.

Growling in frustration, I finish off one more imp and then follow her to where the walls meet and open again into an almost an identical chamber. Cursing, I can't believe the sight.

It's even worse than the previous one. A new rush of monsters is flowing in through the far side. The entire chamber is filled with screams and cries of pain. Metal screeches cry out in tandem as shadows mix and swirl with deep mist.

"Same strategy?" I ask Rain weakly, a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of beings occupying the chamber.

"I-I'll try, she agrees hesitantly. Taking a moment to swallow her nerves, Rain takes a breath and shouts at the chamber. "Everyone! Move to the walls of the chamber!"

The shout is impressive. Her voice carries far over the room. Yet the response is a muted version of the previous. Rather than a combined effort to clear the middle, some of the combatants storm solo into the midst of enemies, only to be dragged down.

"I… there are too many of them…" Rain mutters, courage fading.

Grabbing her shoulders, I turn her towards me. "You can do this." Staring straight into her rubellite eyes, I try and convey all the confidence I have. "You're strong and beautiful and brave. If anyone can get them out this, it's you."

For an excruciatingly long second, Rain doesn't respond, merely staring into my eyes. Then slowly, she nods. Some hope returning to her gaze. Let's give this one more try…

Gulping down some air, Rain speaks again. This time, instead of just a loud voice, it sounds like an idol's. "Hey everyone! Can you move to the walls for me? I want to kill the monsters!"

Even putting a cute little twirl to the end of the statement, it's hard not to gape at her. What on earth gave her the idea to do that? Although I'd be lying if I said I hadn't enjoyed it.

"Alright!"

The echoing roar is equally as impressive. In almost perfect synchronicity, the adventurers shove their way past the monsters. The first display of teamwork demonstrates how much latent talent was being squandered by the adventurers. Finally working together, the change in flow is instant. It brings one question to mind though, "How?"

"Hehe, I'll tell you later," she winks, "for now, I have a song to sing!"

Smiling broadly at her, I wait behind her as she once again begins a new round of magic. The now familiar verses creating a melody of a death. She is a true priestess of swords. The gods chose well when bestowing her title: Blade Dancer.

"Wow…"

The utterance of a discernable word snaps my head to the side. Approaching from behind us is an adventurer who must have finished fighting in the previous chamber.

His expression is one of worry as he stares at Rain and the chamber beyond.

"Don't worry," I assure him, "She'll help clear out the monsters as she did in this chamber."

The concern doesn't fade from his face. Instead, he begins frowning, eyes flickering between Rain and me.

Put off by his strange reaction, I face the chamber where Rain's magic is nearing completion. Soon, these adventurers too will be saved by their benevolent priestess of blades, I chortle to myself. The sound of a loose stone being kicked it all the notice I have.

Flinging my sword up, I place it between Rain's back and anything that approaches. Only through sheer luck do I connect with the man's knife, aimed squarely at Rain's lower back.

Rain's voice falters for the first time as she turns her head to look at me. Catching her glance, I do my best to convey the need for her to finish the chant. With no motion to indicate her understanding, she keeps the chant going, trusting in me to protect her body.

"What the hell are you doing?" I growl at the man. The words are pointless however, as he draws another dagger from his belt.

"Beginning the first steps to claiming this city for ourselves," he growls. "For too long we've been kept in the shadows. Especially when we, the chosen of Thanatos, have the promise of immortal life!"

He's completely mental!

Gaping at him, I can't formulate the words I need to keep him talking. With each second that passes, Rain gets closer to completing her spell.

"Die scum!"

As I stand paralyzed by his ridiculous words, the man lunges at me, knife poised to sink into my heart.

Thousands of times.

Tens of thousands of times.

Against more monsters than I count, I've made the exact same motion. From a relaxed stance, my blade swings from the lower-right up to the upper-left. It's almost instinct at this point. Simply an engrained technique that I use subconsciously.

As the knife approaches, my blade moves far faster. Impacting just off the elbow joint, my sword encounters light resistance as it tears through leather, skin, and sinew. As it reaches bone, my blade slows for the first time. However, something like a forearm bone isn't nearly strong enough to stop Liz's strongest weapon swung by a level two adventurer.

With almost comedic slowness, we both watch as his arm soars through the air. "How…" His words are pathetic as he stares in shock at his separated appendage.

I should probably do something, but I can't. For it's no longer the arm that fills my gaze, but my blade. The ruby red blood that coats it drips slowly. The vicious material seeming to taunt me as it forms droplets. Each one a testament to my deed. I just cut someone's arm off.

My hand begins to shake as my vision blurs. Breathes coming quickly, I begin losing balance. Tottering from side to side, I can't believe this series of events. I thought I was prepared to fight other people. I'd done it before. But now that I'd permanently disabled some random level one, I realized how naïve I'd been.

It had been easy, too easy to do it. No more effort than I'd use to strike down a stray goblin that gets in my way on the first floor. Holding out an arm, I balance myself against the wall. Staring at the ground, I feel the bile begin to rise in my throat. Some mixture of disgust and shock, convincing my body to disgorge the contents of my stomach.

"Thousand Sword Rain!"

Those three words.

Like some sort of magical lifeline, they pull me back to the present. Standing up straight, I swallow the acid burning my throat and blink my eyes clear. Taking a moment, I stare appreciatively at Rain. I'd have been useless to solve these problems without her. Next, I look back at the man I've injured. He's no longer a problem though. Shock has fully set in as he grasps his stump, all the while rocking back and forth on his knees.

Turning towards the room Rain has just fired into, the three waves of swords once again perform miracles in thinning the monster numbers. Releasing a heavy sigh, it seems like this room, similar to the previous one, should just be a matter of time until the adventurers come out on top.

Examining the room, I take another second to compose myself before I prepare to sortie forth into the monsters' midst. The soft thud of an object grabs my attention. It must have been thrown from the far side and bounced lightly to around the middle of the chamber.

"What the…" Ignoring the monsters for now, I track down the fist sized ball. Retreating in revulsion, it appears to be some chunk of rotting meat. As I stare at the horrifying thing, I hear another soft thump from ahead. With a sinking feeling, I follow it and find a second identical ball.

"What the hell are these?"

"Monster lures…" Rain tells me from behind. "Adventurers use them to increase their yield in the dungeon." Pursing my lips, I'm disappointed yet again in my lack of knowledge.

"What do…" Cutting off my words, both of us stare deeper into the dungeon. An ominous roar mixed with hundreds of footfalls. "A monster party?"

Already, I'm putting together the fragments of knowledge I've collected, and yet, my mind is rejecting the implications. The fact that this whole event was orchestrated. Somehow, they gathered the adventurers here and beset them with groups of monsters. The man who attacked Rain.

"Why would anyone do this?" Rain's voice for once has lost its cheer. A thick hopelessness fills her countenance.

For some reason, seeing her like this, reinvigorates me. "I'll deal with this; you finish up here and get everyone out with whatever ability you have."

"A-alright…" A weak answer, but some life has re-entered her voice.

"This will make some story to tell the others, huh?" With that I pick up the disgusting balls that are emitting a terrible smell, place them in my coat pockets and dash out the far exit.

---

Silica:

Chewing one of my fingernails, my eyes scan quickly over the members left here. The only person who seems even somewhat relaxed is Lili. The Chienthrope supporter sits on the floor, arms cradling her knees as she stares into the distance where Kirito and Rain went. Yuna and Nautilus sit back-to-back, Whispering occasionally to each other. Meanwhile, Leafa and Philia both stand guard at the same tunnel that Lili stares down. Hands on their weapons as if expecting something to approach from it at any minute. Philia, however, didn't watch it with the same hawkeyed determination as Leafa. Every so often she cast surreptitious glances back at the man whom we had helped. He lay prone on the ground, head propped up on a bag.

Finishing off that nail, I move unto another. I've never experienced anything like this. With every floor we descend, the monsters keep getting stronger, the layouts get more complex, it's enough to make me scream in terror and never enter the dungeon again.

That's probably exactly what I would have done, if I was just entering from our world. However, I can feel the changes that have begun in me. A hard knot of steel forged in the loss of innocence I endured when Kayaba transported us to a world of death.

From the late-night wandering of Daedalus street to finally getting the motivation to seek out and join a familia. Throughout all that time, I've managed to stay happy and naïve, exactly how I used to be. Now though, I can tell that won't work. My familia needs strength in order to continue clearing the dungeon.

With this thought, my eyes pass back over to Lili. The friendly Chienthrope whose words once again start turning over in my head. Her disbelief that my familia wasn't abusing me. How her whole demeanor to me had slowly changed throughout the day as she learned more about us.

Does she see herself as my saviour?

That one question keeps coming up. I know I'm not the smartest, nor am I quick at determining people's emotions, but it makes sense. I like the girl, I do, however, her whole attitude today has been odd. She treats everyone except me as a superior. Despite that one brief argument with Kirito, she only speaks when spoken to.

With a start I realize I've stopped chewing my nails. Almost as if this self-reflective time of thought has calmed me. Shaking my head, I instead run my fingers over the cool pommel of my knife, it's wire-wrapped hilt designating slots for fingers. Every part of the knife carries with it the weight and detail I'd expect from a real weapon. For some reason, the previous trips into the dungeon feel like part of some dream, as if they weren't real.

Now though, seeing everyone panicking and scared, the lower-floor monsters, that stupor has been shattered for the first time. The importance of the weapon I'm carrying, teamwork with everyone else. It's redoubled my motivation to learn from Lili. Even if I fall behind everyone else, I want to be able to contribute. To be useful.

"Is someone coming?"

Philia's voice, quiet as it is, focuses everyone on her, and then past her. A lone figure approaches through the mist, their cape swirling around them.

"Who is…?" Unconsciously my legs carry me to the entrance as well. Standing beside Leafa, we share a concerned glance.

"Who are you?" Nautilus' loud, raised voice should be easily audible to the clocked figure. Hearing it, they stop in place, barely ten metres away from us. An ominous silhouette that fades and solidifies according to the billowing of the fog.

"You should all go…" Stopping her words, the dull thump of metal striking flesh permeates the room.

Whipping around, my eyes can barely keep up as the sound of continual metal clashes ring out. Eventually, it resolves into Philia fighting the man whom we had saved. As he disengages from the fight, his knife drips with Philia's red blood.

"Bastard…" The word falls heavy from Philia's mouth. Its clear talking is a challenge. Her left hand holds her side where she got cut.

"What the hell…" Turning in circles, Nautilus has stepped in front of Yuna but doesn't know where to go.

Clutching the hilt of my knife, I don't know to go. Gritting my teeth, I want to help Philia, but have no chance there. Level twos are beyond my ability to help.

"We should leave."

"Huh?" Looking back towards the whisper, Lili is pulling on my arm.

"This is beyond us and clearly an orchestrated plan. We need to return to the surface."

"That's a great idea… Unfortunately, I want to have some fun first."

The voice is warm and friendly. Each word sculpted in such a way that you want to trust. But the new man approaching us is dressed like death. A long black shredded poncho covers his body. The only skin showing is his mouth, twisted into a cruel smile. To further the threat, a knife shows out of the folds of the poncho.

"Why… why are you three doing this?"

Three.

It isn't until Philia says something that I'm reminded of the person who stopped just out of vision. Approaching now, a large two-handed sword on his back is drawn with a screeching rasp.

"To fulfill our god's dream of course," the half elf laughs loudly. "I was driven out as an adventurer due to my… interesting tastes. When Thanatos rules Orario, I'll be free to do whatever I want!"

"As for me…" the man in poncho chuckles, "my goal is simple. To kill all Japanese."

"W-what…" The only person able to talk, Philia is baffled by this series of events. "Your words don't even make sense!"

"Enough chatter," the third one declares in a deep voice. The words sound like rocks breaking as the booming voice settles over the room.

"I'll deal with the half-elf," Philia yells, "find a way to stall the other two!"

"Let's go Eiji!" Yuna answers, "your shield should make this guy easy enough."

"Y-yes."

The fear in Nautilus' voice only enhances mine. I don't remember when I drew my knife, but now I held it clenched in both hands. Even as I hold it tightly, the tip shakes wildly.

"That leaves you to me." Walking past me without even a glance, Leafa draws her katana in one smooth motion. Holding her blade in a two-handed stance in front of her, she resembles a proper adventurer.

Not like me.

It's as Leafa said, she would deal with this guy. All I have to do is cower here and hope. No, that's all I can do.

"Tsk, this is why I hate adventurers…"

Staring at Lili, her mouth is locked in a disapproving frown as she shakes her head at the three separate conflicts.

"Well, we better solve this. I'll help out Philia; with her help, this should be easy. Make sure Leafa survives in the meantime."

"Huh?" I can't comprehend Lili's words as she takes off towards where Philia and the half elf are combining and separating in a dance of death. Nearly invisible blades flying in countless thrusts, ripostes, and feints.

"If you surrender now girl, I'll let you live. After all, there are many within our base that would be eager to have you as a present."

The charming tone of the words doesn't detract from their meaning. They send a shudder down my spine thinking about the fate that Leafa would be suggested to, myself as well.

Using Lili's courage as a catalyst, I take off to where Leafa and the man circle each other a little way away.

"Pervert!" Yelling angrily at him, Leafa lunges forward with a great overhead slash. Clearly meant to strike him down in one hit, even I can see the problem with it.

"No!" My shout does nothing though as the man easily slides inside the strike, knife whipping forward. Leafa is forced on the backfoot, releasing her left hand form the hilt in order to catch the knife thrust on her gauntlet. A cascade of sparks emanating from the point of contact. Each step Leafa retreats the man easily follows. Now that he's inside of her strike range, the long katana is useless compared to the close-range knife.

"Don't worry," the man smirks, "I was never going to let you live." With that, his right leg streaks forward, knocking Leafa's out from under her. Crashing to the ground in a heap, the man is already primed for a death blow, knife aimed for her throat.

For the first time ever, my world coalesces into one point of determination. One goal that I absolutely must achieve. One where failure is never an option. Putting extra power into my legs, I increase my speed of running. Hitting levels I've never even approached before.

The latent power of my unused agility courses through my body. "Leafa!" Crying out the name of my familia member, I swing my knife. With a numbing collision, my whole arm goes tingly as the metallic crash echoes through the room.

Locked in a contest of strength, I'm now close enough to see the man's eyes. The beady black orbs are so different from the warm ones of Kirito and Leafa. These are filled with madness and a lust for murder. The smile may be charming, but the eyes reveal his true character.

"Get out of the way, cat bitch!" Growling at me, his arms pulse with the strength of a fully-grown man. Leaning down on me with the advantage of gravity, I can't win this contest.

I don't have to lose it either!

Taking advantage of the techniques I've witnessed on my journey to this floor, I throw my body to the side, allowing his knife to harmlessly pass by.

Expecting him to be off balance, my eyes widen as he plants his right foot and transitions it into another attack. His left foot comes up behind him, perfectly aimed for my face. Unable to dodge, the boot collides with my cheek with a solid thud.

Thrown to the ground, my face erupts in pain as a sharp crack comes from the spot of impact. "Urgh…" Tears welling up, my hands fly to my face, pain coursing through my body. I can't breathe as its grasp on body becomes absolute. I want to run, to hide, anything to escape this sensation.

But there's nowhere to go and nothing to do. All I can do is huddle in on myself and cry as wave upon wave of hot, searing agony rip itself from my jaw.

"Now die!"

"Forget about me?" Leafa's question is cold and hard. A blade sharpened to a deadly point. It penetrates easily through the aura of death surrounding the man.

"Round two? Fine!"

Lunging forward, knife meets katana again and again. Each collision demonstrates the time each combatant has put into mastering their craft.

Staring through tear-soaked eyes, the blurry images help distract me from the pain. Loosening my mouth to breath refreshes the pain, bringing it to new levels I hadn't known her possible. Groaning, I roll unto my back, sobs ripping themselves from my body.

"How dare you!" My moans have only further incensed Leafa, the speed of her blade increasing to manic levels. For once, the man is forced to give up ground. His knife useless in this situation as he's unable to break within the katana's reach.

"Bitch!" Leaping back out of range, a small trail of blood arcs through the air from where Leafa's katana touched him. The site of the injury is masked beneath folds of cloth, no wound visible on his body. This alone though helps to solidify Leafa's resolve. For once this ghost-like man has been injured. Just proof that he is an actual person and not a specter is all the evidence Leafa needs to continue fighting for eternity.

"Let's use this then," the man snarls. "My name is Vassago,

My title is Prince."

"Magic…" Tensing up, Leafa hesitates. To run forward and leave me behind or to try and stop the chant. Without knowing the length of the chant or the effect of the magic it's impossible to decide.

"There's no time for that now!" Running, the half-elf drags the man out of his cast interrupting it. "We have to flee because of you incompetent level ones!"

A pair of crossbow bolts stick out of the man's shoulder. Evidence of the work Lili put in. Suddenly, he plants his foot and turns 180 degrees.

"See how you like the feeling Chienthope!"

As if in slow motion, my unfocused eyes watch as the half-elf's arm cocks back and begins its slow path forward. A dagger held by its blade between two fingers. The same one he used to hurt Philia. Following its eventual path, my eyes rest on only one possibility: Lili. Standing isolated from everyone else, she must have been approaching me when the man turned around.

"I won't…" The sounds are jumbled and incomprehensible. Each little movement in their production brings fresh tears to my eyes. That doesn't matter though.

I won't let Lili feel like this. I won't let her endure this pain.

"I won't let you die!"

Standing up, I throw myself at the small supporter. Staring into her wide eyes, I try to smile at her. Show my happiness for what she's done for me. As the knife sinks in, my vision goes black.

As the last strands of my consciousness disperse, I'm happy. That for once, I was useful.

---

Kirito:

"Graur!"

The echoing shouts of a horde of monsters blends together in a million unique varieties of horror. Each one more terrifying than the last. Always accompanied by the earthshaking stomps of the creatures themselves. Trampling the frail grass beneath them, a path of destruction is carved by the hungry beasts. Each one hunting for the tasty prize they can smell. A snack like no other. Something few monsters get to taste once in their lifetime.

"Holy shit," muttering to myself, I make sure to keep my legs moving at the same speed. Speeding up would simply convince the monsters to go somewhere else. Slowing down and I'd be caught and dragged down to my death.

It was an impossibly narrow line to tread. Every five seconds or so, I found myself running too fast and distancing myself from the following hoard. It seemed impossibly large for a monster party. My best guess was that it had been most of a pantry, convinced to come here on the promise of a tasty treat.

The planned mass murder chills my bones. It's still hard to think the two words together. After having witnessed death firsthand in the dungeon, I can't imagine purposefully killing another person.

Hypocrite.

The word echoes through my thoughts, bringing the memory of the sour taste of bile back to my mouth. Shaking my head, I try to focus on my current predicament: an unfightable horde of monsters intent on the items in my pocket. If that was all, this would be easy, simply speed up and leave them all far behind.

That would let them disperse and most likely, head back towards a pantry. If the closest one is back by the room where the others are fighting, then it would be the exact same problem as last time.

Biting my lip, I'm unsure as of what to do. No elegant solution presents itself to me. Head on a swivel, I pass through another chamber. The roar of the monsters here joins with the ones following me. Steadily my train is beginning to reach critical mass. I need to make a decision and quick.

Picking up my pace a little, I spot what I need, a wall I can hide behind. Now full out sprinting, the distance between me and the monsters widens. Rather than keeping this going, I pass the wall, chuck the two lures into the middle of the room and dive to the side.

Face down on the ground, I hold in my breath as I watch apprehensively for the result. If they find me, I will die. That inevitability of this plan makes itself known to me. Heart hammering, my hands shake as adrenaline courses through my body. A sort of giddy terror knowing that I live or die based on how hungry a bunch of mindless monsters are.

The shaking of the ground provides a forewarning to their arrival. With angry screeches they burst through the entrance, barely five feet away, eyes focused forward to where their prize lies, obscured in mist.

All I can do is stare in shock as the monsters' bodies rush past me. There are so many. Far more than I had initially guessed. Each one a creature formed by in the walls of this dungeon to kill anyone foolish enough to enter. The sight of a unified monster force displays exactly how lucky we are they don't usually hunt in packs this large.

Clutching the ground, a deep-seated faith begins to form. They are too focused on the lures! I'm going to get out of this! My whole plan is predicated on the thought that I'll be able to get back to the chambers before any monsters do. Hopefully, I can organize everyone and begin the retreat to the surface.

The monsters pass my expectations as screams emanate from the center of the room. Not human screams, monster screams. A wild cacophony of noises barely indistinguishable from the roars they were previously.

They're fighting over the lure!

Jaw dropping, it's the only explanation that makes sense. A horrific battle between the dungeon's children for a snack. The result is the more bloodthirsty ones push forward, eager for a shot at victory. The weaker ones, search for an exit.

"Shit!" Cursing my luck, I shoot forward from where I lay towards the exit. Swinging my sword once, I blast a couple monsters from my path and continue charging.

While these monsters may have fled from other monsters, they were more than happy to pursue me. Legs pumping, I try to count while sprinting. Add in the fog and the most I can get is an estimate of ten or so.

Praying my summation isn't incorrect, I force myself to halt. Turning around, I wait for the one's that noticed me to begin filing into the corridor. Fighting this many would be challenging in the open plain. Here though, they have to run one or two at a time.

The first ones to approach are a pair of Hard armoreds. The creatures that once caused so much trouble for me. Now though, my mouth twists into a small smirk, as my body enters battle mode. Each chink in their armour looks over a foot wide. Lining up both of them, my sword flies effortlessly through one and into the second. Double kill.

Right behind them, a pack of imps throw themselves at me. Forsaking their traditional pack tactics, the imps force themselves into the corridor and leap into the air.

With threats coming from above and below, I rip my sword backwards into a high arc covering my head. Transitioning that into a leap back, the lower imps manage to sink their claws in through my pants. Flecks of red blood flies and mixes with the black as I respond in kind, killing the rest of them in two more swift strikes.

"Kaa!" Swooping behind them, a bad bat attempts its disorientating scream. Mouth wide with anticipation, it loses its head before it even notices the danger.

Wobbling slightly from the effects, I face my last opponent, a silverback. The only one of its kind to give up on the lures, it must have seen me and decided I'd be tastier.

Ducking under one of its ham-sized fists, I struggle to return a decisive blow. Even at level two, these creatures can be challenging to fight. Especially in these close quarter scenarios where the creature's attacks take up the entire passageway.

Frowning, I refuse to be held prisoner here while people need me back. "Especially to some level one monster!" Roaring my disagreement at struggling to finish it off, I dash through its attack and bury my sword deep in its chest. The cracking of the stone signifying to me the instant kill.

"So, you're the one who ruined the plan."

Freezing, the sinister voice is accompanied by an appropriate aura of malevolence. Slowly standing up, I keep my senses completely focused on what's going on behind me. Even as I turn around and face them, the intruder makes no move.

The person is completely covered in a black robe. I can tell nothing about the person. Not their species, or even their sex. The entire look seems designed to present this effect. Even the voice is completely neutral.

"What do you want?"

"What everyone wants," they surprisingly answer in a level tone. "To be able to fill all of my desires, all while having the promise of eternal youth."

"That's impossible," I deny them instantly. Forgetting for a moment that they've just attempted to orchestrate the deaths of dozens of adventurers.

The figure simply laughs at my denial. Treating it as the words of the unenlightened. The smirk on their face convinced of their knowledge that I know nothing of.

"You fools from the other world truly are naïve," they chortle, "You walk among immortal deities, yet deny simple concepts that their very presence rejects!"

Adjusting the grip on my sword, I have no answer. I'd never really analyzed the consequences of this being a real world. Even without considering magic, the presence of immortal gods with near infinite power, come to this plane to play a game… That's a consideration for a different day.

The figure pauses for a moment as well, looking me up and down. "You do seem fairly strong, it would be a shame to kill you… You can have the same if you join us."

"At what price," I retort angrily, "Murdering innocents?"

Spreading their arms, the figure seems unsurprised by my outburst. "It's merely a means to an end. Besides, death is temporary. Their spirits will rise to Tenkai, get purified to a blank state, and get reborn as new people."

"The ones from my world won't," I spit back angrily. Suddenly I feel a flash of hot anger towards this person. Standing here lecturing about desires and eternal youth. "People are suffering… and you only care about yourself!"

"So be it," they sigh, seeming completely unfazed about my rejection of their offer. It wasn't that they didn't want me to join. They just didn't care either way. They didn't consider my existence noteworthy enough to be care about.

The realization makes me feel small. Like an ant before the shoe of a child. It doesn't matter to the child what course of action the ant takes, as long as they get their fun.

"I should warn you," the person tells me, "while you are indeed strong, you have no real chance of winning. The monsters you fed the lures to will be coming back this way soon. As soon as that happens, you die."

Instead of despair, a rush of hope fills me. Their words are stark and practical, meant to describe the outcome of his situation. Based on their estimation of my strength from fighting the monsters, they believe they can fight me to a standstill. They don't believe they can defeat me in a one-on-one, but with the help of monsters.

"Then let us test your theory, yes?"

"Very well."

From under their cloak, a streak of light resolves itself into a thin blade. It was even narrower than the rapier Asuna fights with.

The person notes my glance and tells me about it. "This is an Estoc. They are a rare weapon due to them not possessing a cutting edge. However, I've found that they agree with my style."

Frowning, I call off the attack I had prepared. None of this person's actions make sense. They seem perfectly willing to talk about everything. But wh…

"Graoh!" An approaching roar from behind notifies me of my mistake. They were stalling for the monsters.

Cursing myself, I lunge at them, my sword flashing in the light, a huge overhead blow aimed at the target's right shoulder.

"Slow," their voice still carries the same bored cadence, even as my sword gets closer to ending their life.

The Estoc is thrust forward with blinding speed. Even Asuna's lunges pale in comparison. I have no chance to block it as their blade collides with my chest protector and keeps going.

Abandoning my swing part way, I grab the blade with left hand and shove it away from me. Or try to grab it. Before I can even touch it, the figure has retreated. Their stance is exactly the same, completely unmoved by my attempt.

"Hmm… I thought you were better. I even told you the weaknesses of my weapon."

Growling, I can hear the sounds of approaching monsters. The colliding metal will only draw them faster. I have only one choice left, closing my eyes, I call on my skill.

"I need to save everyone who is trapped on this floor."

The resulting power boost is accompanied by its standard giddy feeling. The overwhelming strength flowing through my body creates an intoxicating high.

"What did you just do?"

For the first time, this person's voice carries with it a note of interest, or perhaps concern.

Not answering, I repeat the same technique. This time, my sword seems to blaze with righteous light. Its speed increased to the realm of level three.

"Oh my."

It isn't enough. The figure turns aside my strike and steps back.

"Let me through!" Roaring at them, I unleash blow after blow. No longer can they respond with their own attacks. Every bit of their focus and movement is dedicated to deflecting and retreating. It doesn't matter though. By simply wearing me out, they're winning the fight. Every action I take costs me far more energy than it costs them.

Deciding to take a page out their book, I put my speed into lunging. The heavy longsword isn't the ideal weapon to do this with, but it's better than nothing.

Whipping their Estoc into a quick counter, they roll to the side to avoid the lunge.

This is it!

It may not be a victory, but I can at least escape the situation. Abandoning the fight, I dash past the figure as they move to the side to avoid the lunge.

"Fool."

Their voice is thick with disappointment. Assuming I've taken a death of being run through the back. Smile hidden, I turn the broad of my back to face them. Hoping on their cockiness, my bold decision is rewarded.

The Estoc clangs roughly off my back. The shield, hidden under my shredded outer cloak is more than a match for the thin weapon.

Not giving them a chance to recuperate, I sprint back towards where I came from.

"We'll meet again."

The ominous promise sends a chill down my back, but I don't slow. There are places I need to be, and none of them are here.

Letting my skill go, I fight off the wave of exhaustion that hits me from even the brief use. As the power leaves, my legs feel leaden and my arms dead. Nonetheless, I barely slow as I approach the cavern I abandoned Rain in.

Heart in my throat, images of the potential mishaps fill my mind. I don't think I could handle it if something happened to her. The word death floating like a portent in my mind.

Somehow managing to pick up speed, I skid around the corner, only to stare down a wall of steel.

"Easy!" Rain shouts at them.

Quickly the line of spears fades from my vision, the adventurers clearly still unnerved and attacking anything foreign that moves.

"Rain," I sigh happily, meeting the girl's eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" Dashing past the other people separating us, she brings me into a tight hug. Replying in kind, the soft touch of her hair on cheek mixed with her pleasant scent soothe my frayed nerves and wild heart.

Too soon she pulls out of it, eyeing me from head to toe. "What happened out there? And your chest protector, is that a hole?"

"Uh, yes." I answer stupidly, overlooking the first question. "Why are you all still here, we need to get back to the stairs."

Frowning, Rain's eyes dart back further into the cavern. "There are a lot injured people… We don't have the capabilities to heal them all."

"Can't we just carry them?" I ask confused.

"It's not just that," Rain admits. "The man you uh… injured. Well we kind of forgot about him in the midst of things…"

Face paling, I can't believe my ears. How could I have let this happen. I should have… I should have…

Killed him.

"He has them held captive."

Rain nods, her face stony. "It's a no-win scenario right now."

"I see…" it was time to correct a previous mistake. The importance of the moment seems dull and muted. After meeting the other member of their group, my feelings have changed from outrage and confusion to a focused anger and hate. Their logic is flawed, and their methods are cruel.

"What are you going to do?"

Striding forward, I don't answer her. My eyes are focused straight ahead towards where a mix of people are standing, voices pitched high in anger. As I approach, I begin to crouch, spilling my hand under my robes to find what I'm looking for.

An impulse buy last week, I've found mild success with them. In between two fingers, I hold the metal pick. Palming it, I stand back up and resume a normal walking pace.

The trick here isn't to go unnoticed. It's to be unremarkable besides the already established leaders. The issue here is that he's seen my face before. Therefore, I'm taking a different approach. Hoping I haven't just condoned an innocent to death, I budge my way to the front of the group.

"An elixir or they… YOU!"

Cutting off mid sentence, the man's face takes on an expression of fear and loathing. Staring at his face, I drink it in. The absolute humanity of it. Not a monster, merely a person misled. Hating myself as I do it, my arm flies.

The pick lands straight on his windpipe. Sticking into it, the man drops the knife, hand reaching to his throat. Words gargling, he collapses to his knees.

As I stand in front of him, I stare down at him. A man destined for death. A man I killed. Strangely, no bile rises to my throat. No guilt or remorse. Merely a cold wind, flowing over the injury to my soul. Beginning the process of scarring a portion of me where innocence once lay.

"Kirito! What are you…?"

Rain's words freeze as she sees the result of my work.

"Let's go, the others must be waiting." Leaving this mess to the others adventurers to clean up, I head for the party I left behind.

---

Philia:

"God damn it!" Growling to myself, I can't believe that I let this happen. Kirito warned me about the man. That it was possible he'd betray us. Now I've gone and let my guard down. If I was the only one to suffer for it, that would have been fine.

Glancing once more over our devastated party, I can't really comprehend what happened. Lili's eyes are dazed as she holds Silica's head in her the lap, the knife still embedded in her back. None of us are willing to pull it out and risk injuring her further.

Leafa stands a way off, head bent in a state of shock. None of my words reached her. She only stared with the same blank expression regardless of what I did.

Then there were the last two… They'd done well dealing with an opponent physically stronger than either of them. Nonetheless, it didn't change the fact that Nautilus now had a broken arm. Nor did it change the fact that Yuna was an inconsolable mess.

Having broken Nautilus' shield arm, the man was a moment away from finishing him off when Yuna stopped him. Just like against monsters, an arrow through the eye stopped him as well. I know I should talk to her. Say something like she had to it, or that we don't think of her any differently now.

But I do.

It's like some aura surrounds her. An imaginary mark designating her as a killer, a murderer. The body lying face up, a shaft sticking out of his face, a constant reminder of the deed.

Biting my lip, I have no idea what to do. The lingering pain in my side a distant memory versus the situation facing me now. I'm not a leader. I don't know what to say, what to do. The only blessing is that no monsters have attacked.

"What the hell happened here…"

Whipping around, I search for the identity of the familiar voice. It's not the person I wished for, but they'll do. "Asuna!"

"Philia," she replies, dignified as ever. "What's going on here, who are these people?"

"We were attacked by, uh… evil men. These people are part of my party."

"Evil men?" Her voice starts dubious, but by the end, memories of previous experiences that we share have hardened it with anger. "Is… Who's that?"

Tracking her eyes, I realize why she trailed off. The body of the dead man must be nearly invisible from where she's standing.

"One of them," I tell her quickly. I don't want her to assume that we lost somebody.

Asuna takes my words at face value, continuing to examine us. The rest of her party lingering just behind. They shuffle uncomfortably, eyes tracking the destruction.

"Ah," the soft expression of surprise come from Asuna as she locates the dagger in Silica's back. "Are more of you injured?"

"The man over there and me," I explain, glad to be freed from the responsibility of making decisions.

Asuna does it perfectly, however. Taking the information in silently, she rolls it over for a few seconds and then comes to a decision.

"Get the other injured member and come over here, I'll heal you."

Nodding, I dash over to where Nautilus sits stunned, staring at his unresponsive arm. "Come here," whispering softly, he responds easily to my tugs, offering no resistance. Returning to Silica's body, we silently take up positions on either side of Asuna.

Her face is furrowed as she stares at the small girl. "Chienthrope."

There's a several second pause, but after a while Lili recognizes that Asuna's words were meant for her. "Y-yes?"

"When I speak the words, Undine's blood, you need to remove the knife from her back in one swift motion. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course."

This time Lili's response is more measured. Hope that Silica will be saved from the injury she took protecting her.

Satisfied that Lili would follow instructions, Asuna brought her staff to bear and began chanting. "What are you…" Worried that she was about to start firing water at us, my words are overpowered by her song.

"Let it rise within me and heal.

Let my blood grant you life."

A new spell. Mouth dropping, it's the only conclusion I can come up with. Asuna must have learned new magic when she levelled up.

"Give your pain to me and find shelter in my song.

Give your wounds to me and find harmony in my arms."

It's beautiful. No, she's beautiful. I don't know why it's taken me this long to fully appreciate it. It's not just her elven appearance, it's her bearing. A regal grace that I'll never be able to match.

"I am the healer of wounds,

arbiter of peace.

Undine's blood!"

From all around Asuna, gold particles mixed and swirled. They eddied dizzyingly through the air. Then slowly, they began clumping. As if something was attracting them, they split into three separate groups. One to me, one to Nautilus, and the final and largest group went to Silica.

The wound where Lili had pulled the knife from gushed blood relentlessly. Like a stream of soldiers, intent on sealing the breach, the gold particles fell upon the hole. Countless waves of thick motes clogging the wound.

Glancing down at myself, another bunch had made it to my side. Watching them as they slowly approach, I'm curious as to the effect. As soon as they touch me, I gasp. It simultaneously freezes and burns. A deluge of cold water followed by the hot wind of a desert.

Basking in the strange sensation, I zone out and allow the magic to fulfill its job. After a few seconds, I compose myself and feel my side. Hands tracing over the skin, I can't believe it. It's flawless.

Not even the memory of the knife remains. It would take an elixir to duplicate this result.

With hope, I look back at Silica where the last particles are just now sinking into her. Rushing over, I confirm it for myself, she's healed. "Thank goodness…" Lifting her body up, I examine her face which is now also healed. The ugly bruising and swelling faded into a bad memory.

"Ah, that was some injury."

Glancing at Asuna in worry, her face is stretched as beads of sweat shimmer on her forehead. Although she keeps her back straight, she can't hide her haggard appearance.

"Thank you, Asuna."

"No problem," looking at me, for what feels like the first time, her mouth splits into a smile. "It's so good to see you again."

Falling to her knees she wraps me in a hug. The warmth of her body is exactly how I remember it. A true friend that I haven't seen in far too long.

"It's so good to see you."

"You too!" she replies, repeating her sentiment from earlier while pulling back out of the embrace. "We should catch up sometime soon. Where are Rain and…"

Following her gaze, I find the very people she was about to name. Appearing out of the fog, their silhouettes are unmistakable. "Rain, Kiri…" Trailing off, I can tell something is wrong.

They stop at where the body lays, whispering words to each other too low for me to hear. As they turn to the rest of us, I realize that these are different people from the one's that left not half and hour ago. Their faces are fatigued and depressed. A sorrow generated from enduring horrors no one should have to.

"You all survived…" As he speaks, it's like a weight lifts from Kirito's shoulders as he takes us all in.

"If everyone can walk, get prepared to leave. We're heading for the… Asuna!?"

Taking a tangent, some excitement enters Rain's voice as she spies the blue-haired mage.

"Yes, it is me," Asuna confirms with a light laugh. Her words tempered by the state they are in. Approaching her, Asuna spreads her arms in greeting to Rain.

"Bogom, it's good to see you!" Slipping in a Russian preposition, Rain happily takes Asuna's offer for a hug. As time passes, Rain's tight shoulders finally relax a little in the embrace. Stress flowing away, healed by the water mage.

"Asuna…"

"Kirito…"

The awkward silence stretches on as the two stare at each other. Growing impatient, I scan angrily back and forth, waiting for one of the friends to make the first step. Their stubbornness makes me want to scream.

"You!?"

"Huh?"

Rotating in surprise, one of the men from Asuna's party stalks forward. His blue hair complementing his face nicely to give him the appearance of a leader. Actually, he seems vaguely familiar…

"Not you again," Kirito moans, placing his left hand on his face in dismay.

"Yes me! Are you the one behind the malevolent events that have clearly occurred here?"

"Malevolent events?" Kirito repeated as if he couldn't believe the words. Rolling his eyes, Kirito began to explain.

"That's enough Lind." Asuna's sharp words put an end to everything. "Take everyone and return to the main chamber entrance. We will be along shortly."

Without another word, the man's jaw locks. Glaring balefully at Kirito, he turns heel and stalks away.

Rain whistles, clearly impressed by the display of command. "You really got him whipped, huh?"

The man stumbles while walking away. His ears flaming into a blush at Rain's words. He attempts no defense though and returns to the rest of the party which departs.

"I believe that's the second time I've saved you from him," Asuna laughs at Kirito.

"Yes," he murmurs, "and for the second time, thank you."

"Now," Asuna frowns, "what the hell is happening?"

Kirito matches her frown and glances behind him. "Let's talk while we walk, I don't want the others to catch up to us."

"And the body?" Asuna asks, clearly reluctant to bring up the subject.

"We'll leave it to them," Kirito decides. Walking past Asuna, he pauses beside her. "And Asuna, it's good to see you."

An identical blush rises on their cheeks as they look at each other. "Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?" Fanning herself, Rain's words snap them back into motion.

For some reason though, the look doesn't bring the same jealousy that it used to. If that's what it takes to bring Asuna back, then I'd gladly lose my chance with Kirito.

I would!

Repeating the statement again and again in my mind, I only stop once I'm sure it's the truth. Breathing heavily once through my nose, I turn and follow them back to the others.

Introductions go by quickly. No one is really up to meeting new people. We've all had traumatic experiences in one form or another. What we need now is rest, not sifting through complex social interactions.

Only one person has recovered enough to truly greet Asuna, Leafa.

"Oh, you're Kirito's sister?" Asuna asks her, "I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh?" Leafa replies, raising one eyebrow. "That's strange, I haven't heard much about you."

The vaguely hostile words, mute Asuna's smile. "Well, I hope that changes. It's nice to meet you."

"And you." Rather than being spoken with the friendly tone one would expect, they're grumbled. Clearly Asuna's very existence is coming as an unpleasant surprise to her.

"Now then," Asuna speaks with a newfound authority. "What the hell happened?"

Sighing, Kirito takes up the tale. The first part I recognize. Finding an injured half-elf. Healing him and splitting up to find his party.

The rest is new. The cavern swarming with monster and person. Rain's command of her new advanced ability. Sharing a glance with her, she subtly conveys that she hasn't shared with information with anyone else. After that, Kirito eludes to Rain using magic to clear out the cavern but doesn't specify the details of the magic.

As Kirito takes a deep breath, I can tell the worst is still coming. With only a few, deadened sentences, Kirito summarizes the rest. A man attacks him, Rain helps a second room, Kirito leads another monster party away, and now they're here. Based on Rain's face, Kirito skipped over something.

"And the chamber here?" Asuna asks quietly. Having stayed silent for the entire description, her face is hard and focused.

Swallowing it's my turn to begin talking. I explain how the half-elf betrayed us as two of his comrades had shown up. I explain how his sneak attack had injured me. Then how Yuna had felled one attacker with her bow. Finally, the other retreated, a well-thrown knife striking Silica as she defended Lili.

"Quite the tale…" Asuna's faint words tell me everything I need to know. She knows who was behind this. "I recommend that you stay out of the dungeon for now. At least until the guild has resolved the incident."

With that silence prevails for the rest of the trip. The distance between us. The one that had been briefly broken, was back with a vengeance. This wasn't Asuna our friend. This was Asuna, adventurer of Loki familia.

---

Kirito:

"Why did you ask me here?"

Standing on top of the broken watchtower, I stare at the sun as it finishes its descent. It still baffles me how I never noticed how beautiful it was until I got sent to another world. Turning around, I face a girl who could be described to be equally as beautiful: Yuna.

"I thought we should talk."

Shaking her head, anger enters her eyes. "There is no need for that. What I did was necessary to protect Nautilus. If I hadn't done it, he would have died, and I'd do it again!"

"It's nice to be able to tell yourself that."

"It's the truth!" she replies, voice breaking as she screams into my face. "I saved his life. I saved it by killing someone. I killed someone. I killed…"

Slowly, as she keeps screaming, her composure shatters. From anger comes disbelief, which slowly melds into sorrow. Collapsing to her knees, Yuna finally allows tears to flow from her own.

"You're so brave…" Muttering my words, I kneel in front of her. "I'll tell you a story."

"Huh?" Confused, Yuna looks up and meets my eyes. The pleading in her face is heartbreaking. She wants absolution from her crimes. Someone to tell her that what she did is necessary. Some authority to toll out a verdict.

"I didn't speak the whole truth. That man I fought, I cut off his arm."

"W-what?"

"But it didn't end there. While I was gone distracting the monster party, he took the injured adventurers hostage. Threatened to kill them if they didn't listen to his demands."

"What happened?" Tears finally stopping, I have Yuna's full attention now.

"I returned, and I killed him."

As Yuna's eyes bulge out of her head, I explain.

"I failed to properly dispatch him the first time. I had to face my consequences. But I wasn't like you. You killed first and didn't have to pay. I hesitated and paid the price. If I had been strong enough the first time, I wouldn't have had to execute him as I did."

"I… I don't know how to live with the memories."

Taking a moment, I search for more words. I thought I was prepared for this conversation, but as tears flow into my eyes, I realize how much I regret my actions today. How badly I failed the people that needed me.

"I guess… we'll just have to take it one day at a time, yes?"

"Alright." Leaning forward, Yuna rested her head in my shoulder and sobbed.

Unable to contain myself, I copied the gesture. In the privacy of the tower, we wept. Comrade souls marked eternally by our crimes.

---

Lili:

"You blocked the knife."

"Of course," Silica smiled with that gentle smile of hers.

"Why?"

Maybe it's the way I say it. Or maybe Silica understands the weight of the question. Either way, she pauses dramatically, seriously considering her answer.

"It's because you remind me of how I used to be."

"Huh?"

"When I got trapped in this world, I had a panic attack."

Staring at her quizzically, I have no idea where she's going. What does this have to do with blocking a knife?

"A little time later, an orphanage found me and took me in. The children were never completely comfortable with me, and I knew I didn't belong there, but it was a place for me to rest and recover."

"Alright?" The story is a little sad I suppose, but this is Orario. Kids like that are a dime a dozen.

"I decided to leave the orphanage, and one wild day later, found myself in Hestia familia. Ever since then, I've been on a giddy cloud because… this is where I belong. I can feel it.

I'm telling you this because I think you're still in the orphanage. I think you aren't where you belong yet. That's why I took the knife for you."

This time it's my turn to pause and consider her words. Despite her young age, Silica's words and eyes carry with them a certain maturity. Staring into them, I finally saw what I hadn't seen before. That Silica didn't need saving from Hestia familia, because as she put it, she'd already been saved. She never needed my help, I need hers.

"Hey Silica…"

"Yes Lili?"

"Can I tell you my story?"

"Of course you can."

Sitting down together, I tell her the story of the poor Prum girl, not Chienthrope, who grew up an orphan in Soma familia.