Death Blood

by agopessimist

The Hunt was over, but the Nightmare has only just begun. Meteria, having finally been set free from the endless Night, wanders Orario in search of her past and missing child. She finds her purpose in Hestia Familia, and as otherworldly forces begin to plague Orario, Meteria must become the Hunter and enter the Dream once more to protect Bell Cranel and end the Scourge of Beasts.

3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone, and thank you for tuning in to another chapter!

Glad to see this fic is still getting some love from you guys! I really appreciate all your thoughts and reviews! I've just been on a roll recently with writing these new chapters, and I hope it continues!

Without further ado, let's jump right into it.

And remember, Fear the Old Blood.

---

'Where is he!? WHERE IS HE!?'

That question echoed in Meteria's mind as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, her eyes constantly scanning the streets below for any sign of that familiar pale hair.

Ever since Bell went missing, she had been hell-bent on finding him at all costs, completely ignoring the startled cries of her companions as she quickly moved all across the Pleasure Quarter. She had no idea why she was so worried for his safety, especially since she had only known him for less than a few days. As a Level 3, he could handle the vast majority of most other Adventurers, and surely even Bell could keep his wits about him and ask for directions to the exit?

It shouldn't have been a huge cause for alarm, and yet Meteria's blood ran cold at the thought of him wandering aimlessly in a place where he was DEFINITELY not old enough to enter! With all those women giving him sultry looks!

Absolutely not! Bell may be 14, but he was still too young to even dare approach this place! She wouldn't allow it, even if he was technically her superior! Not even for a second!

But was that really it? Was she this worried because she was scared for her young Captain? Or was there something more involved?

Ever since she had stepped into the Pleasure Quarter, she had been plagued by this incessant feeling of deja vu. She was sure that she had never stepped a foot inside the Pleasure Quarter before, even with her memory loss, and yet the word 'prostitute' kept nagging her at the back of her head.

She seemed intimately familiar with that word, as if it were a remnant of her past life. But why? Why did she seem so overprotective all of a sudden? Why did the word 'prostitute' make her feel so worried? Why was she so afraid for Bell Cranel?

Stopping at the top of a building surrounded by red lanterns, she slapped her cheeks to dispel those intruding thoughts. She could worry about that nagging feeling in the back of her head later. She had a young man to save!

Her ears twitched as a loud crash rocked the side of the building she was upon. Looking down, she was surprised to see several Amazons running between the streets in a mad frenzy. Judging from the shouting happening between them, it seemed like they were frantically searching for someone or something, the same as she. Maybe she could ask if they found a white-haired young boy?

But just as she was about to jump down, another Amazon jumped down into the streets, and Meteria had to physically restrain herself from vomiting. Calling this woman an 'Amazon', or even a 'woman' in general was a massive stretch. A head nearly thrice her size, large slit-like pupils, a body larger than most grown men, and a mouth overflowing with saliva, the newcomer was easily one of the most repulsive beings Meteria had ever seen so far, and she shuddered at the implication of her being a prostitute. No man or woman with a functioning brain and normal sex drive would ever willingly sleep with a toad like her.

And she was quite strong too, judging from how she easily batted away several other Amazons into the buildings and walls.

"WHERE IS HE!? WHERE IS THAT DAMN RABBIT!"

Rabbit? Did she mean Bell!?

She followed after the toad, jumping across more rooftops to avoid the carnage below. Other Amazons started to join in, and many more split up and ran across the rest of the Pleasure Quarter, alarming many of the patrons walking through the streets. It was hard to keep track of where everyone was going, and Meteria fully realized just how large the Pleasure Quarter was when she landed on top of one of the towers belonging to the Amazons' home base, and saw the massive expanse of lit buildings from her perch up high.

Bell would be having an extremely difficult time navigating his way out, especially with so many Amazons chasing after him. Why, though?

Oh no, she prayed it wasn't because Bell slept with one of them and refused to pay!

Or worse…

He was being chased by a bunch of vulgar, horny women just waiting to strip him of his chastity!

With a mighty jump, Meteria soared over several buildings before finally rolling to a stop on another roof, having returned to the red light district once more. This time, she had managed to land above the toad-like Amazon from before. She was Meteria's primary concern at the moment, as this toad was easily much, much stronger than the other Amazons, even possibly their leader. She certainly scared off plenty of other Amazons and prostitutes unfortunate enough to stand in her way.

Finding Bell in this entire district would be impossible, especially if he was hiding from the other Amazons. The most she could do right now was just keep an eye on this Amazon in particular, and pray that Bell either found the way out by himself, kept himself hidden until daybreak, or Welf, Lily, and Mikoto found him first.

It seems the chase was winding down, as many of the Amazons were now exhausted and sweaty from all the running around. And the toad was frothing at the mouth due to her failed hunt.

"GRRRR! That damn Little Rookie! He slipped away from us!"

"Where the hell did he go!? Did someone else find him first?"

"We'd have heard his moans by now if we did! He's probably hiding somewhere!"

"We checked everywhere! Even the red-light district!"

"Isn't Haruhime there? Ah, think she got lucky?"

"Pffft! Yeah, right! I pity the poor soul who has to put up with her tonight."

Meteria let out a sigh of relief. Good, Bell managed to stay out of sight for now. With any luck, he'll have managed to escape.

The toad didn't share in her relief however. With a loud roar, she smashed her fist into the pavement, leaving a sizable crater in the ground.

"GGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRR! HE BETTER NOT HAVE ESCAPED! I WON'T BE DENIED THAT EASILY! I'LL FIND HIM SOONER OR LATER!"

"Ah, just give it up, ya damn toad! Face it, Little Rookie got us good. Didn't think a brand new Level 3 could outrun the entirety of Ishtar Familia, and even a Level 5."

"Heh, probably because that toad is all fat and no muscle. No wonder he didn't get eaten by her yet!"

"SHUT UP! I SWEAR, WHEN I FIND THAT LITTLE RABBIT, I'M GONNA SMASH HIS LEGS TO PIECES BEFORE I RAPE ALL THE FIGHT OUTTA HIM!"

Meteria's blood turned to ice. Her hands curled into fists.

What. Did. She. Just. Say!?

"Hell no! Fuck off, Phryne! You have any idea how many men you either killed or completely ruined with your little 'tastes'? It's been a pain in the ass trying to find any nice guys around here with you stealing them all and raping them to death!" One of the Amazons yelled back.

Meteria could hear her bones crack from how hard she was clenching her fingers.

"They just don't know what they were missing out on!" Phryne said, letting out a gurgling laugh. "They couldn't handle my beauty! But not this time! Little Rookie just looks too appetizing to ignore! Oh, I don't care what Goddess Ishtar says! I'm taking some time off. I'm gonna find him, and I'm gonna lace him with enough aphrodisiac to make even a horse go nuts! And when I bring him back to my place… Gehehehe! I'll make sure that all other women are ruined for him. I'm gonna milk him dry, even while he begs for mercy with that cute little face of his!"

Cold, unadulterated fury bubbled up inside her heart. The kind and innocent woman from before was gone.

This toad… this beast… didn't deserve to see the light of daybreak.

Meteria closed her eyes. Quietly, she slipped on her cap, and pulled up the bandana to cover her mouth and nose.

They opened once more, showing no trace of Meteria behind those sapphire eyes.

Only a predator remained.

With barely a sound, she slipped off of the rooftop and landed a few feet in front of the crowd of Amazons, leaving a sizable crater on the ground from the force of the impact, drawing all of their attention.

"HUH!?"

"Who the hell is this chick!?"

"SHUT. UP. ALL OF YOU."

The voice of the Hunter echoed throughout the street, and many of the Amazons recoiled at the sheer venom laced in each word.

Phryne, however, only laughed at the skinny woman that landed in front of them.

"Oh, yeah? And who's asking, huh? Ya have any idea who you're mouthing off to?"

The Hunter never acknowledged Phryne's words in the slightest. She reached down to her waist, and pulled out the Burial Blade, its cosmic metal glowing in the light of the full moon.

"I'm only going to give you all one warning. Only one. STAY AWAY FROM BELL CRANEL."

At the mention of Bell, many of the Amazons now wore angry expressions on their faces.

"And who the hell are you to tell us what to do!?"

"Yeah, you aiming for the rabbit, too!? Get in line, bitch!"

"Aw man, first we have to deal with Phryne, now we gotta deal with this weird lady too!?"

The other Amazons shouted back at the Hunter, who remained outwardly composed save for her tightening grip on her weapon.

Phryne had had enough of the constant interruptions, and slammed her axe into the ground, causing everyone to focus on her.

"ENOUGH! Ya think I'm scared of a little brat like you? I'm Phryne, Captain of Ishtar Familia and the most beautiful woman in all of Orario, nay, the whole world!"

Several of the Amazons gagged at that last sentence.

"What's a random bitch like you gonna do to us, huh!? I can snap your body in two with my bare hands!" Phryne shouted, spit shooting out from her mouth. A wicked smile then decorated her horrendous face.

"Hey, ladies? How 'bout we change the rules of the game? First one to knock this bitch to the ground gets to have their way with Little Rookie all they want."

The other Amazons forgot their hatred with Phryne for a second as the thought of finally having hot, passionate sex with Bell Cranel filled their minds once more. In unison, they pulled out their weapons or raised their hands and feet to take up a martial arts stance.

Phryne pulled out both her axes and giggled with glee. "As soon as we're done with you, I'm hauling your ugly ass towards Goddess Ishtar. I don't care what Familia yer from. You got in our way and meddled with Ishtar Familia. Goddess Ishtar will see that you'll be stuck working as a prostitute here for the rest of your days!"

The Hunter merely pulled her blade back, snapping it into the wooden pole on her back as it unfurled into a magnificent scythe once more.

Just as the Hunter and the Amazons stared down at each other with overflowing bloodlust, another Amazon arrived at the scene, accompanied by a blonde renard in a red kimono.

"What the hell are these idiots doing!? Haruhime, get out of here!" Aisha yelled, pushing her friend away from the fight.

Aisha cursed under her breath. This newcomer in all black attire had no idea what she was up against, with all the Amazons present being Level 2 and up. Not to mention the monstrosity that was Phryne. She was thankful that no one had seen Haruhime or else Phryne would have forced her to Level her up to make the fight even more gruesome. Pulling out her own Greatsword, she hoped that she could buy the stranger enough time for her to get out of the Pleasure Quarter.

The Hunter raised her scythe into the air and bent her knees, ready to strike. Before the other Amazons could react, she dashed forward, her weapon tasting human blood for the first time in the Waking World.

"And so, the Hunt begins again."

---

No one would know the full extent of the carnage until the arrival of daybreak.

Rumors would circulate throughout the Pleasure Quarter and the rest of Orario, of how the entire red light district had to be shut down after many customers and sex workers heard the pained and horrified cries of agony coming from the nearby street. The screams had killed any libido anyone had that night, and everyone became too scared to even think of partaking in carnal pleasure. The entire red light district had to be evacuated as the screams grew even louder, and the sounds of flesh being torn apart echoed throughout the night.

One brave prostitute ventured into the nearby alley to investigate what happened when the screams finally died down. As she turned the corner, she saw that the entire alleyway was bathed in shadow, making it impossible for her to see anything inside.

She took one step forward, and her stomach curled up on itself as she felt something wet on the bottom of her foot.

Aiming her source of light at the ground proved too much, and she fainted upon the sight of a massive river of blood flowing from the darkened alley.

When the rest of Ishtar and Ganesha Familia arrived to investigate, they found an alley littered with the heavily wounded bodies of a large group of Amazons, many of whom had lost several limbs, or were so thoroughly mauled that they were nearly unrecognizable. Dea Saint, who had been brought over, would remark how it was nothing short of a miracle that the Amazons were still alive by the time she arrived. Had Dian Cecht Familia arrived even a minute later, then nearly all 35 Amazons found would have died.

What scared the population and angered Goddess Ishtar especially, however, was the revelation that Phryne Jamil, a Level 5 Adventurer, had been defeated, slashed, and brutalized by an unknown assailant. Though she too miraculously survived, the loss of her so-called 'beautiful face' from the hundreds of lacerations that marked her body had greatly affected her. She swore vengeance on the perpetrator, and for the first time in years, had gone to the Dungeon to train rather than resume her nightly pleasures.

The fact that a Level 5 was nearly killed by a mysterious agent would haunt Orario and the Pleasure Quarter in the days to come. It reminded people heavily of the Dark Days 7 years ago, when scores of civilians and Adventurers were slaughtered by the powerful forces of Evilus.

Goddess Ishtar would soon cast the blame on Goddess Freya, who nonchalantly remarked that she had no motive to do so, and that Ishtar herself had no evidence to substantiate her claims. And so the Guild, lacking any evidence, dropped the charges against Freya, and was instead forced to financially compensate Ishtar Familia for the attack.

But not everyone found in the alley was wounded. Only one person was completely unharmed, though still severely shaken by the events that occurred. A blonde renard registered as a non-combatant in Ishtar Familia would later claim that the only reason she and the other Amazons were still alive was due to her begging their mysterious assailant for mercy.

And when asked by Ganesha Familia for any info on the assailant's identity, the renard could only voice out three words.

"A Grim Reaper…"

---

(That Night)

A lone feminine figure covered in black, leather clothing calmly walked out of a darkened alleyway, panting heavily.

But these weren't the ragged breaths of someone completely exhausted. Rather, these were the frenzied breaths of someone shivering in ecstasy.

The Hunter removed her cap and bandana, revealing a face of otherworldly beauty marred by massive patches of blood that freely flowed from the top of her head. In fact, the rest of her clothing was also completely soaked in blood, as if she had taken a lengthy bath in it. Bloody footprints marked the ground as she walked, and tiny droplets of blood dripped from her hands and face.

Her eyes, once a brilliant sapphire blue, were now bloodshot, with her pupils collapsed and nearly turned to mush.

Licking the red droplets flowing down her face and hands, the Hunter's cheeks sported a deep blush as she felt a spike of pleasure run up her spine, making her tightly hug herself in immense joy.

Ah, how long had it been since she last tasted the sweet blood of her foes? How long had it been since she felt its addictive odor penetrate her nostrils? When was the last time she had experienced a high this good?

No other carnal pleasure could produce even a tiny fraction of the high that she felt at this moment, eagerly lapping up the blood from her face, hands, and clothes. Alcohol, drugs, tobacco, even sex couldn't satisfy her the way the intoxicating blood could.

The immense pleasure made her knees buckle, and she fell to the ground, curled up and twitching in orgasmic bliss.

This feeling! The cries and wills of the dying! Their incessant desire to keep on living! That feeling was too intoxicating, too addictive! Those monsters and beasts down in the Dungeon couldn't even compare! They had no yearning desire to live! Only an instinctive need to hunt and kill! Their dying echoes could never satisfy her the way the blood of living, breathing people could!

She needed more! She needed more blood! She needed to experience that feeling of pleasure once more! She needed to be more high on life!

Ah, she couldn't help but moan as she recalled the beautiful canvas of red she made in the alley! Those fools who believed they would be allowed to tarnish something so pure, selfless, and loving! The thought of those lust-filled Amazons laying their filthy hands on HER Bell had driven her into bloodlust.

She made them pay for their desires. She showed no mercy, slicing them apart with pure anger, and gorging herself on their vital fluids! Even now, she could still feel the power of their Blood Echoes becoming her strength by increasing her Status. Many of them had been cannon-fodder, barely even a Level 2, while others provided her with more sustenance, being around Level 3 or 4.

Sadly, no amount of boost to her stats would ever compel her to feast on the blood of Phryne Jamil. That toad was subhuman, worth less than the dirt on her shoes. She made sure to punish that insect thoroughly, taking the time to gleefully carve up her body with her scythe. Arms and legs immobile after the Hunter had slashed apart her tendons, the repulsive Amazon could only hopelessly beg as the Hunter raised her blade to 'decorate' her victim, even offering her own body for sex in exchange for her mercy.

Apparently, Phryne cared more for her body image than for her own life or dignity. Naturally, the Hunter paid no need to her requests, and tore her clothes apart, taking the time to savor her prey's fear as she made slice after slice across the toad's skin. Her screams of agony only served to encourage the Hunter even more as she tore apart the skin and sliced through layers of muscle and fat.

If this beast loved her skin more than her life, then the Hunter would make sure to rob her of everything that she cherished.

She would PAY for even entertaining the possibility of harming HER Bell.

Another Amazon had rudely interrupted her, slashing at her with her large curved greatsword. The Hunter first felt irritated from having her vengeance be interrupted, but their clash had quickly changed her mind. This Amazon fought with the bearing of a true warrior, not like those harpies bleeding to death behind her.

It had been a while since she last fought a true fighter like herself. Oh, the Blood Echoes she could gain from her would be bountiful!

She easily knocked the Amazon's weapon aside and kicked her into a wall with enough force to knock her out instantly. She'll feast on her blood later. For now, she had one last victim.

Hiding behind the corner, a blonde fox-girl watched with horror as her defender was quickly taken out. Seeing the Hunter approach, she backed away and made a beeline for it.

The Hunter couldn't have that.

She turned into ashen mist, appearing in front of the girl and easily tripping her. A foot was placed on her chest, and the fox-girl felt the Hunter's blade on the back of her neck.

One simple flick of the Hunter's wrist, and the girl's head would be sent soaring into the sky.

And she knew it, too. She watched in horror as her fellow co-workers were butchered like the animals they were, and knew that she was no match for the predator waiting to send her to the afterlife. Her life was in the hands of this Grim Reaper.

All she could do was silently cry and gaze at the moon-colored hair of the Reaper on top of her, making her think of the kind young boy she had helped escape from the Pleasure Quarter.

"Bell…"

The Hunter froze, her sunken pupils focused on her prey below her.

That wasn't the lustful moan of an Amazon waiting to pray on the poor boy. It was a cry for help. A desperate longing for freedom.

The girl, sensing her hesitation, turned her eyes onto the Hunter.

"Kill me if you want, but please, spare them!"

The heartfelt plea in her voice made the bloodlust temporarily dissipate from the Hunter's mind, and she removed her scythe from the girl's neck, before stepping off of her and walking away. As the girl crawled towards the Amazon she fought earlier, the Hunter slipped away out of the blood-soaked alley, using her Skill to absorb the blood that soaked through her clothes and giggling from the rush she felt as the blood became a part of her.

…

…

…

…

As the recollection of the event came to an end, the Hunter froze still, her previous pleasure gone as a feeling of dread settled over her.

Within seconds, the Hunter was gone, and Meteria returned, covering her mouth in horror from the events that transpired.

'Oh gods, what have I done!?'

How could she have done that!? She had brutally mauled all those poor women, and nearly decapitated an innocent young girl! Someone nearly as young as Bell!

Her thoughts grinded to a halt as the full scope of her behavior sunk in.

She had gone feral, attacking without restraint and nearly killing every single one of the Amazons surrounding her.

She remembered the immense bloodlust, the all-consuming rage. And when she recalled the raw pleasure that spread from her groin to the rest of her body as she consumed their blood…

Meteria leaned to the side and violently threw up on the pavement.

Was this what she had forgotten about? Was she some sort of monster who got off on blood? Was this the part of her that she wanted to remember!? Was she nothing more than a blood-crazed fiend!?

She had to get out of here! She had to leave this place!

Staggering to her feet, Meteria didn't even bother to pull up her bandana or put on her cap to hide her appearance, as she broke out into a run through the now evacuated streets.

---

"Man, I didn't expect Ishtar to resort to that to get info about Freya." Hermes thought as he walked down the strangely vacant streets.

While Loki and Dionysus tasked their Familias with exploring Daedalus Street for a secret entrance to the Dungeon, Hermes had tasked himself with investigating Ishtar for any possible ties to Evilus. It was made even more convenient for him, as he had been hired by Ishtar herself some time ago to procure a very rare item from the Far East.

He, of course, had plans of his own. He felt it was rather obvious that Ishtar would resort to allying herself with Evilus if it meant settling her one-sided rivalry with Freya, and his visit to her home had only proven it.

And considering Freya's immense infatuation with Bell Cranel, there was an opportunity for him to find a new way to foster Bell's growth. He could easily pit the two Goddesses of Beauty against each other, and orchestrate an event for Bell to shine like the hero he always wanted to be. After all, what better way to mark the coming of a hero by having him rescue a poor, helpless prostitute?

It would be another stepping stone for the rising hero, and Hermes felt that Zeus would also echo his beliefs. The world needed a hero after all, and Bell is becoming the most likely candidate to take that spot.

Now if only Ishtar tried to coax it out of him in less… torturous ways.

Hermes shuddered as he recalled the events that happened in Ishtar's room. Falling under the Charm of a Goddess of Beauty was never a pleasant experience afterwards, and Ishtar was VERY thorough in her methods of gathering information from him.

He would have a very hard time convincing Asfi that he was doing an important delivery with the heavy smell of musk on him.

His thoughts were interrupted as a female body crashed into him, sending both tumbling onto the floor.

"Woah, there! At least ask me out to dinner first before you try seducing a god!" Hermes said with a lighthearted laugh, knowing all the little tricks the prostitutes of the Pleasure Quarter would pull to get customers. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but sadly I already had fun tonight. Maybe I can see you again tomorrow, Miss-!?"

As Hermes got up and dusted himself off, he pulled out a charming smile that quickly died as he got a good glimpse at the woman who crashed into him.

He recognized her face almost immediately. He had seen those features a handful of times in the distant past, when Zeus and Hera still reigned supreme. He had known this girl before, knew of her Familia, her sickness, and her insanely talented twin sister.

A woman who had been dead for 15 years stared back at him, horror evident on her face. Before he could even properly respond, the woman jumped to her feet and ran off at speeds exceeding that of an Upper-Tier Adventurer. Diving into a nearby fountain, she scrubbed all traces of blood off of her clothing before quickly running away again, heading straight into Daedalus Street.

"M-M-M-Meteria!?" Hermes blabbered out, still rooted to the spot.

How was this possible!? He knew of the poor girl's fate, her corpse having been desecrated and subsequently cremated 15 years ago. He was aware of the existence of her child, a baby boy who Zeus took in after her death. Her twin sister Alfia, alongside Zald, had committed all those atrocities 7 years ago for the sole purpose of not letting Meteria's child be forced to fight.

And yet that same dead girl was right here in Orario, and somehow able to walk and run when 15 years ago she could barely even crawl out of bed on her own.

Something was wrong. How was she here in the first place?

"Don't tell me… it was because of them!?"

Thoughts of Asfi yelling at him for his time in the Pleasure Quarter instantly died. He made a beeline for his Familia home, ignoring his earlier schemes for the time being.

He had to inform Zeus.

---

(Some time later in Daedalus Street)

"WHERE IS THAT HUMAN!?"

A loud, panting voice echoed throughout Daedalus Street as a very pissed off elf ran through the empty streets, looking for a rabbit to turn into minced meat.

Paradoxically, this same elf was covered in dark red fluid, drenching her in the smell of wet fur and sweaty sex. A state of appearance truly unbefitting of a member of her prideful race.

Lefiya's night had taken a massive turn for the worse when that damn human arrived. She and several of her friends were tasked to search for the second entrance to the Dungeon, believed to be hidden somewhere in Daedalus Street. She was fortunate enough to be in a group with her beloved Aiz, and then her trusted friend Filvis had arrived later on!

Granted, Filvis was very reluctant to open herself up to the rest of her friends, but regardless! Lefiya was with her crush and newfound friend, and despite the rather somber task they were assigned, things were looking up for her! She had Miss Aiz all to herself after so long!

And then HE arrived…

Fate had decided to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory for her, as Bell Cranel of all people showed up in front of their group, practically reeking of sex! How shameful! How repulsive for her fated rival to debase himself like so!

Granted, she felt bad later on after hearing how he had been chased by a horde of Amazons. Lefiya had only ever interacted with Tione and Tiona, who were very far from the norm in regards to their attitudes towards men (well, at least men who were not Finn), so she often forgot that there were Amazons who preyed on men like that. But just when she went to apologize, she saw that repulsive aphrodisiac in his pocket! And then during the commotion, he got all that stuff dumped on her!

At that moment, Lefiya was ready to cook herself some rabbit stew.

Why did things like this happen to her EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!? First he peeped on her beloved Miss Aiz, then she ended up half naked in front of him on the 18th floor, and now he made her smell like a whorehouse on a Sunday afternoon! An odor that would take days to wash off!

"AAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH! I SWEAR I WILL FIND YOU AND END YOU, BELL CRANEL!" Lefiya shouted to the Heavens, making anyone still lingering around quickly try to find shelter from the bloodthirsty elf.

Her brain clouded in anger, Lefiya darted her head back and forth, looking for any sign of that cursed white hair of his!

There!

A few meters away, that same wisp of white hair was seen darting behind the street corner!

That rabbit won't get away from her this time! Not without some serious punishment!

Sprinting forward, Lefiya raised her staff above her head, ready to smash it into Bell Cranel's stupid face!

"YOU, DAMN HUMANNNNNNN!" She yelled, and in a rush of speed, she raced around the corner and swung her staff with all her might…

Right into the head of a woman who was NOT Bell Cranel!

"!"

Already committed to the swing, Lefiya watched in horror as her staff connected with the back of the woman's skull, shattering her staff into two and causing the woman to tumble forward slightly. The cap the woman wore was knocked off, revealing a head full of flowing, snow-white hair that she had mistaken for Bell's.

"Ow!" A melodic voice rang out from the stranger, turning around to face her assailant.

"I-I-I-I AM SO SORR-!" Whatever Lefiya planned to say quickly died in her throat as she got a good look at the poor person whose skull she nearly shattered.

Beautiful…

A face that could put even a Goddess of Beauty to shame.

Hair as radiant as the full moon that cascaded in smooth waves down her shoulders.

Eyes as blue as the deepest depths of the ocean.

Skin as pale as snow and without a single blemish.

Bright red, kissable lips. A body with perfect proportions.

She was beauty incarnate. She was an angel. She was a Spirit. She was…

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Lefiya's entire body turned a deep red, and to her horror, blood started to pour out in droves from her nostrils.

"Um, Miss!? Your nose is bleeding!"

She was smacked in the back of the head by a stranger with the strength of a Level 3, and yet she was standing there worrying about her!?

Lefiya couldn't take it anymore. With a sigh, she fell backwards and passed out, with heart-shaped pupils in her eyes.

…

…

…

…

The first thing Lefiya noticed when she woke up was the sweet-smelling pillow she was resting her head on. It felt so soft and warm that her eyes began to droop again. Breathing out a content sigh, she burrowed her face further into her pillow, letting the sweet, hypnotic smell of the moon lull her into the world of dreams once more.

"U-Um… Miss elf? Are you alright?"

Wait…

Lefiya's eyes shot wide open, and when she looked down, what she saw was not her bedroom pillow, but soft thighs covered by black leather pants.

Could this be!?

"A LAP PILLOW!?"

Quickly rolling her body (regretfully) away from those warm thighs, Lefiya's face turned bright red again as she saw that yes, she was indeed given a lap pillow by the mysterious stranger from before.

"Aaaaauuuuu!"

"Woah, take it easy there! You just passed out, are you alright?"

The woman scooted a little bit closer, placing the back of her hand on her forehead. Lefiya's face kept burning up even more.

"Ah, your face is burning up! Are you having a fever?"

"I… I… I… I!"

No! Stop it! Bad Lefiya! Think of Lady Riveria! Remember that you are a proud elf, not a lovesick puppy!

Shaking her head vigorously, Lefiya fought to restrain the deep blush on her cheeks, and she performed a technique that Loki often used when she was getting punished by Riveria.

"I'M SO SORRY!" Sinking into a deep dogeza, Lefiya prayed that the woman would be lenient on her.

Just what on earth was she thinking!? How could she have been so reckless!? She was a proud member of Loki Familia, and yet here she was attacking random civilians in the middle of the night! Lady Riveria and the others would be extremely disappointed in her for her behavior.

"Ah, you mean the thing with your staff? It's alright, it actually didn't hurt that much. I'm actually more concerned about your syncopal episode."

Wait, what? She just brushed off the fact that she nearly got her brains smashed to pieces? "B-But, I'm a Level 3! I could have nearly killed you with that smack!"

The woman gave a light laugh. "To be honest, I kind of needed that whack to the back of my head. My mind was just completely jumbled up, and you definitely knocked some sense back into it! And don't worry, I'm an Adventurer, too! Well, a new one anyway."

"That makes it even worse! As a Level 3, I should have known and acted better. Please, forgive me." Lefiya quickly bowed even further, until she felt the stranger gently stroke her hair.

"Again, it really didn't bother me. Just be careful next time, though. It'd be pretty bad if someone without a Falna got hit with something that strong. You have quite the arm strength, young lady." The woman giggled, making Lefiya blush again. "Here, let me check to see if you injured yourself in that fall."

Gently raising Lefiya up from her dogeza, the woman checked her vitals, pulses, and breathing, before raising her finger and asking Lefiya to follow it as she moved it back and forth in various directions.

Lefiya was quite surprised by the air of experience the woman gave while assessing her. "Are you a healer, by any chance?"

"I'm a doctor. Or at least, that's what I think. Sadly, I lost my memories, and I can only remember how to treat people or fight. And unfortunately, there's no easy cure for amnesia." Letting out a sigh, the woman smiled at her. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Meteria."

"I-I'm Lefiya Viridis. I'm an Adventurer from Loki Familia."

"Loki Familia? I'm sorry, I'm not overly familiar with that name."

"Ah, we're actually one of the top Familias in Orario. We mostly go diving deep into the Dungeon… AH!"

Meteria jerked back as Lefiya panicked and stood up suddenly.

"I FORGOT! WE WERE SEARCHING FOR-! AH, MY STAFF!"

Meteria winced. "Ah, yes, sorry about that. While I can repair most wounds, I can't really say the same for your weapon."

Her staff, Forest's Teardrop, had completely shattered at the tip, the head containing the magic gems having snapped off, and only Lenoa was capable of repairing it. Though she was aiming to be a Magic swordsman like Filvis and that mysterious elf she saw on the 18th floor, she was still nowhere near enough at their level to reliably use hand-to-hand combat.

With her staff broken, she would be a liability during their raid of Evilus. Bete would absolutely have a field day with her. Lefiya let out a pitiful moan and collapsed on the ground, already imagining the looks of disappointment from her fellow Familia members.

Sensing Lefiya's depressed mood, Meteria put a comforting hand on her head and gave her a headpat. "I'm really sorry about this. Tell you what, how about I accompany you to your friends and explain the situation? I'll just say that you broke it protecting me from someone."

"B-But!"

Meteria shook her head. "No need for that. Come on, let's head out." Grabbing her hand, Meteria pulled her up and gently led her out of the street.

"Uuuuuuuu."

Why did she have to be so kind and beautiful at the same time!?

Her thoughts immediately deviated to a scene of her lying down on Meteria's lap again, this time accompanied by Miss Aiz, who fed her Jagamarukun and stroked her cheek.

"You're amazing, Lefiya."

"You're so adorable, Lefiya."

Both women smiled at her and leaned down, closing their eyes and placing a kiss on both her cheeks.

"KYAAAAAA!"

"Miss Lefiya!? You're throwing up blood!"

---

(Somewhere Else in Daedalus Street)

"I see… you have been through quite the series of unfortunate events, haven't you, Little Hunter?"

"Ahaha…"

Bell never could have imagined how horrible tonight would be. He had only meant to follow Mikoto to see if she was alright, and instead he ended up on a wild goose-chase throughout the Pleasure Quarter and Daedalus Street. It was bad enough that he had nearly been 'eaten' by several Amazons, but then he completely embarrassed himself in front of his crush thanks to the heavy odor of musk that stained his clothes and skin. And unfortunately, he quickly earned the wrath of Lefiya once again, who rushed after him with a glare that could kill a Goliath. He had no idea why Lefiya seemed to hate him so much, and he wanted to apologize for accidentally spilling the aphrodisiac all over her, but after seeing the look of bloody murder in her eyes, his survival instincts kicked in and he fled for his life.

Thankfully, he ran right into the mysterious Lady Maria, who was kind enough to guide him out of the Street. He was startled and embarrassed when Lady Maria started smelling him, assuming she would comment about his musky odor, but to his surprise she never chastised him or reacted in disgust. She just looked… deeply sad, and he had no idea why.

"You believe me though, right? I know I smell like this, but I really didn't do any of… that!"

"I thought as much. You don't seem the type to drown yourself in the pleasures of the flesh. Especially at your age. Still, I would not recommend going to that place again. Tonight might have been an accident, but it certainly won't be earning the good graces of that girl you fancy."

Bell felt his cheeks turn bright red. "H-huh!? W-what are you talking about!?"

Maria let out a quiet giggle. "There's no need to be embarrassed. You are at that age, after all. I could tell that you are in love. That blonde maiden you mentioned earlier, your eyes had that glint in them whenever you spoke about her. You are quite devoted to her, aren't you?"

How could she have figured it out that easily!? Gods, was he that obvious!? Does everyone know!? Is that why everyone in Loki Familia aside from Miss Aiz and Miss Tiona seems to hate his guts!?

"I… you… I mean… yes." He admitted, his head hanging low. He had never been more thoroughly embarrassed before in all his life. He prayed that Miss Aiz didn't realize his feelings for her, at least not until he reached his goal. A gloved hand then lightly patted his shoulder.

"Pull your head up, Little Hunter. There is no shame in experiencing love and joy. They are noble pursuits, far more worthy of admiration than the goals of these… Adventurers. I may not be an expert in the matters of a woman's heart, but I believe you will find the happiness you are looking for in due time."

Bell looked up in surprise. "T-thank you. No one except for Miss Eina ever encouraged me like that before. Lily and the others don't know, and I think my Goddess doesn't like Miss Aiz for some reason. I know I'm just a Level 3 Adventurer, not someone worthy of Miss Aiz's attention yet, but I will become stronger! I will be worthy to be by her side!"

"Is that why you chose to come to this city? All for love?"

"Well… not quite. This is a bit embarrassing, but when I first came to Orario I actually thought about, um, h-having a harem."

Lady Maria, who walked with pristine grace this entire time, tripped over her feet.

Turning around, she looked at him with an incredulous but very stern glare. "Little Hunter, who has been teaching you that nonsense? Someone of your…, I mean, nobody should be harboring such thoughts at such a young age."

"Um, my grandfather. He used to tell me all these stories about heroes when I was a kid, and he said that I should get a harem of my own one day. He also used to read me this book called 'How to Pick Up Fair Maidens' a lot, saying that it would serve me well when I'm older, and that it helped him a lot with the ladies. Though, he always ended up getting slapped in the face whenever he tried the book's advice back home."

Maria laughed, and Bell felt his heart soar from the melodic sound she made. He soon joined her, the two sharing a smile and laughing at the absurdity of it all.

The rest of their trip out of Daedalus Street had been spent with Bell telling Maria about his childhood, his life back in the village to the North, his old dreams and aspirations, and about his late grandfather whom he still missed immensely.

"You mention your grandfather a lot, Little Hunter. Were you not raised by your parents?"

Bell sighed. "Um, the truth is, I have no idea who they were. Grandfather said that they died right after I was born, and he didn't really say anything beyond that. I don't know why they died, or what kind of people they were like before I was born. He doesn't like talking about it that much."

"Neglectful parents, possibly? I know the feeling. My parents were not wonderful people either." Maria said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"No, I don't think they were neglectful or anything like that, but I guess whatever happened to my parents must have been really bad for Grandfather to not talk about them a lot. I guess, maybe it just brings up bad memories." Bell took a glance at Maria's outfit. "I was wondering about the clothes you're wearing. Are you royalty by any chance, Lady Maria?"

Maria frowned in contempt. "You could say that. But I have no desire to ever reconnect with my family, or to even bear the family name and crest. They were once very proud and obnoxious individuals, but over time they became the most Vile human beings imaginable. Completely drunk with power and insane desires, they brought their fate upon themselves. I was fortunate to have left long before the entire family fell to ruin, and I refuse to return home ever since. But you are quite observant, Little Hunter. Yes, my clothes and even my weapon are relics of my past. And loathe as I am to bear anything that reminds me of them, they do have their uses."

"Are you an Adventurer by any chance, Lady Maria?" Bell asked cautiously.

"What made you assume that?"

"Oh, it's just that you walk like a High Level Adventurer. And your weapon kind of reminds me of them as well. I just thought that you go, um, hunt monsters in the Dungeon. You've been calling me a Hunter, so I just thought that you meant Adventurer."

"...Nay, I am not an Adventurer. I was a student once, attending a prestigious university far away thanks to my family connections and wealth. After I graduated, I became a researcher and Hunter. I later abandoned that path and became a nurse, treating patients in my care. But that was long, long ago, when things… didn't work out."

"Oh, so what do you do now?"

"Now? I am a slave."

"HUH!?"

"I jest, Little Hunter. In truth, I am merely stuck with a duty and task I take no pleasure in performing. But I am among the very few who are capable of doing it, and my purpose is vital. To protect others from things they cannot control. And to protect others from themselves."

"Really? What do you mean?"

Lady Maria then adopted a serious expression. "Ambition is a peculiar thing, Little Hunter. It can define a man's entire being. It can raise him from the ground, and elevate him to dizzying heights beyond his wildest imagination. But, ambition without wisdom is like a bird without wings. And sometimes, a man's ambition can take him to heights so high up in the sky that he may lose sight of where the ground once was, or even make him forget why he desired to fly in the first place. And what will happen when he flies so high up he becomes lost in the cosmos, unable to ever return to the ground again?"

Seeing Bell's puzzled expression, Maria continued. "Raw, unchecked ambition can be a dangerous thing, Little Hunter. When a person is overflowing with ambition and lacking in wisdom and restraint, it can lead them down a dark path. One where they may end up hurting others in the pursuit of their goals. And some goals are simply not worth exploring. Some things… are better left well alone. And that is my purpose. To punish those who would let their ambition, their greed, their desire for more, drive them to become no better than the beasts that roam this world."

Maria then turned her head up towards the sky. "It is almost dawn. My time is nearly up." She then leveled a finger towards the nearest street. "Past this corner will be an alley that will take you out of Daedalus Street. Just keep following this path and you will find yourself in familiar grounds."

Bell sighed in relief. Finally, this terrible night can come to an end! He stood in front of his new friend and gave her a deep bow. "Thank you so much for helping me, Lady Maria! I promise to repay you when I get the chance!"

"No thanks are necessary. It has been a long time since I've indulged in such pleasant company." She took off her hat and returned Bell's bow with a curtsy of her own. "You should return to your home and find your friends. They will be quite worried about you."

"All right. I'll be heading back now. Thank you again for your help!" Bell said, smiling as he followed the path Lady Maria showed him.

The former student and Hunter looked at him fondly as he ran towards the safety of his home. "Farewell, Little Hunter. May you find your worth in the Waking World."

Once she was sure that he had long since left, she briskly turned around and placed her cap back on her head. Curling her fingers around her hated weapon, she marched back towards the sprawling mess that was Daedalus Street.

"Now… time to get rid of those pests. Once and for all this time."

---

Lefiya stiffened, every fiber of her being trembling as she stood rooted to the spot, much to the confusion of her companion.

"? Miss Lefiya, is something the matter?" Meteria asked, surprised when Lefiya, who had been talking quite energetically to her, clammed up all of a sudden.

Lefiya didn't respond, her heart beating a mile a minute as the oppressive atmosphere bore down on her.

The moment the two had walked past the corner, an immeasurable wave of bloodlust assaulted her senses, causing her to freeze in place. Someone, or something, was watching them. And whoever they were, they very much wanted her dead.

Lefiya had only ever been on the receiving end of this much hatred once before, and she broke into a cold sweat as she realized who was staring them down with an immense urge to kill.

It was quite surprising that Meteria couldn't sense it, but it hardly mattered to her. If the person hunting them down was the one Lefiya suspected, then the two only had a few moments to react, else they'd be slaughtered within seconds.

After all, this enemy had single-handedly defeated every single executive in Loki Familia without even breaking a sweat. And if they decided to get serious this time around…

Lefiya drew in a shaky breath and focused, recalling the bravery of her friends and idol. She couldn't break down in tears here. She had to either find her friends or get Miss Meteria to safety. Quickly grabbing Meteria's hand, she broke off into a run, pulling the started woman with her.

"Miss Lefiya!? What's going on!?"

"I'm so sorry, Miss Meteria, but please follow me!"

Lefiya darted through street after street, hoping that she'd be able to somehow lose their stalker, but the wave of bloodlust continued to assault her senses, and no matter how many houses and dimly-lit alleys they passed through, their pursuer never wavered in their Hunt.

Her strategy wasn't working. And thanks to her pursuit of Bell Cranel, she was hopelessly far away from any reinforcements. Lefiya cursed herself for getting herself in such a sticky situation. It was bad enough that she acted like a petulant child, but now she ended up getting a kind and beautiful Adventurer like Miss Meteria dragged into her mess!

"Miss Lefiya! We've been running through street after street for a while now! You're really starting to worry me here! Please, can you tell me what's going on!?" Meteria asked, worry etched in her tone.

"I'm sorry, Miss Meteria, but I need you to leave Daedalus Street at once!" Lefiya yelled. She could practically feel the intensity of the hate-filled gaze grow even stronger now. She had to make a split decision. "This place is dangerous! Please, just leave and find shelter!"

"Danger? Miss Lefiya, I can't just leave you here all by yourself! I can at least protect you if need be, but just tell me what's happening! Are there monsters here?"

"Worse. Something much, much worse! You won't be able to stand a chance against her! Please, just go!"

"Wait, her!?"

"I said GO!" Lefiya shouted. "I'll buy you time to get away! Please, just be careful!" She pushed Meteria aside and with a great leap, jumped onto the rooftop of a nearby building. Ignoring Meteria's shouts below, she scanned the city line, and saw to her dismay that she couldn't recognize a single area where Aiz and the others could be.

Looks like the best she could do was distract her stalker and find a way to signal the others. Gathering the two halves of her broken staff in her hands, she jumped from rooftop to rooftop and chanted.

"Proud warrior, snipers of the forest. Take up your bows before the advancing plunderers!"

A bright light gathered around her body, and a large ring lined with Elven letters and hieroglyphs manifested under her feet as she continued to chant, the Magic illuminating her and her surroundings. Recalling how she signaled Gareth to her location through her chant back when she was captured in Melen, Lefiya prayed that her Magic would gather the attention of anyone in Loki Familia nearby, and hopefully grab her stalker's full attention.

Thankfully (not really), her pursuer had focused solely on her during her desperate chanting, and ignored Meteria's location entirely. Though she was glad that Miss Meteria was spared from the killer's sights, Lefiya refused to let her magic die down, her very life depending on whether she could cause enough of a commotion with the amount of magic she was building up, as well as her loud voice.

"Answer the call of your brethren and ready your arrows! Tinge them with flame, the lamplight of the forest!

Release them, the fire arrows of the fairies. Falling like rain, burning away the savages!

Fussilade Fallari-!"

BANG!

The sound of a small explosion rang through the air as Lefiya crumpled. She felt something hit her in the back with the full force of a Goliath's punch, causing her to stumble and fall from the rooftops. Spitting blood, Lefiya fell through the air and landed painfully onto the ground, her left leg taking the brunt of the impact and shattering in a loud crack.

She screamed in agony before vomiting a fountain of blood. A fierce, burning sensation took hold in her stomach, and with a shaking hand she gently grazed over her abdomen. To her horror, her hand returned covered in blood, and she looked down.

There was a large, open hole in the right side of her stomach, blood completely soaking her dress and pooling onto the ground in a steady stream.

"I warned you all once before. And yet you continue to meddle in matters not your own."

Lefiya's heart stopped beating as she instantly recognized that hauntingly melodic voice.

'It's her!'

From the shadows of a nearby street, the sound of a bell chimed, and a young woman made her appearance, covered in a sinister red glow. Wearing a navy blue coat and matching leather boots and gloves, the platinum-haired woman leveled an annoyed glance at the wounded elf. She holstered a long, cylindrical red object emitting a small pillar of smoke at the end to her waist and pulled out her dreaded blade.

There was absolutely no chance of escape for her. Not only was she too wounded to even lift herself off of the ground, the immense aura of power her assailant emitted quashed any thoughts of defiance.

She was no longer Lefiya the Thousand Elf. She was now just Lefiya the prey, staring down at the predator waiting to tear her into pieces.

Lady Maria walked up to her and gave her a pitying glance. "Such a shame. So young, and yet so willing to throw your life away in the pursuit of something that would only bring nothing but tragedy."

"Why," Lefiya muttered, trying and failing to stop the bleeding. "Why are you doing this!? Cough, we've done nothing to you! Are you, cough, with Evilus!?"

"I told you before, I have no idea whom you are referring to. But if this, Evilus, is also attempting to explore the Arcane, then I will hunt them down too."

"Please," Lefiya begged. "You don't have to do this! If you're not with Evilus, we could work together! Cough, you're strong! Strong enough to help us stop them!"

"I cannot let mankind's ambitions and wild curiosity endanger the world. What you and this Evilus are investigating will only serve to invite their influence to the world once more." Maria pulled out her Rakuyo and leveled its tip at Lefiya's neck, poking down deep enough that she could feel her own pulse push back against the metal. "I gave you all ample warning after our encounter back on the 59th floor. But it seems that your fascination with the unknown was enough for you and your friends to ignore my words. It seems only an honest death can cure you now. Liberate you, from your wild curiosity. Don't worry, I will show you mercy. A quick and painless death, for one so young. Farewell."

She raised her sword in the air, ready to swing it down and cleave her head off in one strike.

"""LEFIYA!"""

Maria turned around and quickly batted away the steel rapier aimed at the back of her neck. Aiz frowned and jumped back, as Tione and Tiona slammed their weapons down on the blade, while she ran around and hastily grabbed Lefiya in her arms.

"Mis Aiz!" Lefiya muttered lovingly, seeing her crush hold her so gently.

"Aki! Help me heal her!" Aiz shouted, causing her and the other members who accompanied them to gather around the wounded elf, pulling out several potions and pouring them down her mouth.

"She's too badly injured for potions! We need to get her to Lady Riveria, now!" Aki yelled. But the group's attention was pulled away as Tione and Tiona were knocked back in front of them, their bodies already covered in deep cuts.

Lady Maria flicked her sword to the side, the droplets of freshly drawn blood now dotting the ground. "So, all of you are gathered tonight? How fortunate. Now I can deal with all of you and your so-called Familia by the night's end."

"FUCK YOU, YOU BITCH!" Tione roared, her Skill already activating in response to her deep hatred for the silver-haired Hunter. "I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO THE CAPTAIN!"

"Tione, shut up for a second and think!" Tiona yelled in a surprising twist. "You know we can't beat her by ourselves! We gotta get Lefiya out of-!"

BANG!

The sound of another gunshot rang out in the vicinity, and within seconds Aki fell to the ground with another identical bloody hole to her stomach.

""AKI!""

"None of you will be leaving here alive." Maria said with a scowl. She returned her Rakuyo to its sheathe but kept her hand on the pommel, bending her knees as she honed her eyes on the girls.

"! Move!" Aiz yelled, immediately recognizing what Maria planned, but it was in vain, as she vanished into ashen mist and rematerialized in front of the group surrounding Lefiya. Aiz was able to raise her sword in front of her, blocking the arching slash barely in time, but the same could not be said for the others, who were launched into the buildings by the sheer power behind Maria's blow. The rest of the Level 4 and lower female Adventurers with them were nearly bisected, and now lay unconscious in craters made from the impact of their bodies to the sides of the buildings.

Aiz bit back a shout of anger and instead quickly channeled her Magic, letting her mother's wind surround her and increase her strength. With a roar, she shot forward and slammed her rapier into Maria's sword, the two swords colliding in a rain of sparks. Tione and Tiona weren't far behind, jumping down and slamming their weapons down, with Maria barely even struggling to shrug them off.

"LEFIYA!"

"Miss… Filvis?"

A Raven-haired Elf jumped down from the building above and ran straight towards the heavily wounded Lefiya. As Aiz, Tione, and Tiona rushed in, swords clashing in a hail of sparks, Filvis placed her hands on Lefiya's open stomach, applying pressure to keep the bleeding under control as best she could.

"Damn it! If only I had brought potions with me!" Filvis cursed. She may be Dionysus's loyal servant, but that didn't mean that she wanted Lefiya to die! Curse her for no longer using potions due to her new form as a Creature!

"Filvis… it hurts…"

"Save your strength, Lefiya!" Filvis yelled. "The rest of Loki Familia should have heard the sounds of battle by now! Lady Riveria will come to heal you!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The agonized scream from Tiona drew their attention, as Maria shot a bullet at Tiona's hand, knocking her massive Urga out of her grip before she shot forward in a blur, skewering the Amazon in her stomach before kicking her straight into a wall, the building beginning to collapse from the sheer force of impact.

"YOU BITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Tiona roared, her Skill working in overdrive as her anger reached inhumane levels. She had never experienced this much raw hatred before, not even during her battle with Argana back in Melen. Abandoning her knives, Tione charged straight at Maria, throwing punch after punch at her opponent. Meanwhile, Aiz channeled her Wind magic to its fullest potential, taking advantage of the distraction to rush in and deliver slash after slash.

But to their immense astonishment, Lady Maria paid no mind to the furious onslaught. She blocked every single one of Tione's punches and kicks with a lazy flick of her blade, and sidestepped past every slash and thrust of Aiz's sword. And whenever it seemed like either one of them would land a hit, Maria would turn into ashen mist once more, before appearing a few meters away and firing that strange weapon of hers.

Not once had they managed to land a single strike on her, whereas as the battle dragged on, more and more cuts and nicks dotted their skin. And not even Tione's anger or Aiz's Wind could bridge the astronomical gap between them.

She was just too strong, and too fast. And just like back in the 59th floor, Aiz found herself hopelessly outmatched.

"WHY… WON'T… YOU… DIE ALREADY!?" Tione roared, breathing heavily but still stubbornly refusing to yield. She sent more punches and kicks which Maria easily brushed aside like they were the flailing limbs of a toddler. With a flick of her blade, she knocked aside Tione's fist and threw a kick of her own to the side, colliding into Aiz's stomach as she tried to thrust into her exposed back, and sending her rolling several yards away.

"Pathetic. Is this really all you 'Adventurers' are capable of?" Maria said callously. She had remained completely calm throughout the entire fight, never once breaking a sweat while Aiz and Tione remained bruised, battered, and exhausted. "You claim to be warriors, yet all I see are immature children and bloodthirsty savages. You fight like a rabid beast. And I will put you down like one."

Catching Tione's fist in her hand, she used her Herculean strength to throw Tione over her head and slam her straight into the ground, before kicking the outside of her arm in, breaking it into two. And as Tione's screams echoed in the alley, Maria brought her foot up and slammed it down on her face, crushing her nose and instantly knocking her out.

Aside from Filvis, who was still tending to Lefiya, Aiz remained the only combatant remaining. But unlike Maria, Aiz was quickly becoming both physically and mentally exhausted. Cuts and lacerations dotted her face, arms, and legs, and she was forced to use her rapier to even stay upright. She had been forced to use her Wind magic for an extended period of time, and the strain on her Mind was now taking its toll.

Aiz grit her teeth and pulled herself up, her knees shaking with exertion. She can't fall now, or else Lefiya and the others would be slaughtered. All she could do was hold onto hope that the others would arrive in time to reinforce her.

But would the full might of Loki Familia even be enough to stop her? After all, they were all brutally beaten down by her in their last expedition…

---

(Flashback)

The entire party stood still in utter shock at what they had seen. In past reports, Zeus and Hera Familia mentioned how the 59th floor and beyond seemed to be covered in frost and snow, and yet the entire floor now housed what appeared to be a tropical forest, with giant trees, humid temperatures, and mossy greenery dotting the landscape. And that wasn't even the strangest part.

Littered all across the landscape were the corpses of those mutated monster caterpillars, their bodies smashed to pieces with rivers of their corrosive fluids leaking out. And in the middle of the forest was the corpse of a massive creature, one with the upper torso of a female.

Aiz's blood quivered as she instantly recognized the traces of magic in that monster's body.

A Spirit. One that she hadn't seen since she was with her mother and father all those centuries ago.

The others also were quick to recognize the creature, and Finn was already debating in his mind about how a mutated Spirit would be all the way down here on the 59th floor, but all their attention was quickly focused in front of its corpse.

A young woman stood right in front of the Demi-Spirit's body, her weapon lodged into its neck.

"Sick creature. May you rest in peace. Umbasa." The woman muttered, pulling out her weapon from the gaping hole in the Spirit's neck.

No one could fully grasp what was going on. They were all geared up with Durandal weapons expecting something to happen, and yet the quarry Revis said they would find on the 59th floor was already dead, killed by someone none of them recognized, and had somehow ventured all the way down here by herself.

The woman flicked her weapon to the side, letting the droplets of blood staining her blade fly off, before turning around to face them.

Aiz's body ran cold. The woman in front of them wore strange leather clothing, almost resembling the attire of a noble. Her skin was pale, with platinum-blonde hair as pale as snow, and silver eyes.

The same silver eyes that gazed upon them like a predator about to pounce on its prey.

Whoever this person was, she was incomprehensibly dangerous, if she was strong enough to venture all the way down here and kill off all these monsters by herself, and everybody mentally prepared themselves for a fight.

"Well, this is a surprise. I didn't expect anyone to have gone all the way down here before us." Finn said out loud, temporarily ignoring the immense throbbing pain from his thumb. "May I inquire as to whom I'm speaking to?"

"My identity is of no concern to you. I ask that you all leave this place at once. A corpse, even one belonging to this… monstrosity, should be left well alone. You will not find your enemies down here." The woman remarked, her eyes narrowing down at them. She had yet to sheathe her weapon, and Aiz could feel cold sweat building up on the back of her neck.

"Sadly, I'm afraid that we can't do that." Finn replied, flicking his other hand towards Riveria, signaling for her to begin chanting at a moment's notice. Riveria slightly nodded and discreetly raised her staff. Gareth also readied his axe and shield, and the others began to prepare themselves. "We were told to find something of great importance here, and seeing how you've killed what we were looking for, we ask that we at least inspect the body. We do not wish to fight you. From what I can gather, you don't deem to be affiliated with Evilus or Revis."

"I have no idea who you are talking about. My statement remains the same. Leave this place at once. Some secrets should be kept secret for a reason. And I warn you, do not attempt to venture farther beyond this floor."

"And if we don't?" Finn replied, readying his spear. The woman sighed.

"You, boy, are insufferable. Callously proclaiming your goals as if the spirit of Byrgenwerth lives on in you. Curse you all, you blood-crazed fiends."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU BITCH!?" Tione roared, her temper flaring dramatically after hearing her beloved be insulted. "The Captain isn't a boy! He's a full-grown man!"

"Tione, shut up!" Her twin replied, pulling out her Urga.

"I care not for your frivolities. This ends here. I wonder, maybe an honest death will cure you of your rampant curiosity? If you won't leave willingly, then I have no choice but to force you to yield." The woman then stepped forward, pulling out her weapon and sending a shiver up everyone's spine.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves!" Finn roared.

It was a complete, one-sided slaughter.

Within a second of Finn's shout, the woman transformed into mist, startling the others, as she materialized in front of Riveria. With a quick slash, she destroyed Riveria's staff and left several massive gashes all over her body, faster than anyone could react. Riveria could only gasp before quickly crumpling to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Riveria!" Aiz roared, her face betraying anger for the first time in a while. "Tempest!"

Aiz activated her chant and flew straight towards the woman, aiming her rapier straight at her back.

Only for the woman to lazily move her sword to her back, effortlessly blocking her attack.

"!?"

Before Aiz could react, the woman had already dashed away. She reached down and pulled out a red-colored cylindrical object and pulled the trigger. A red projectile shot out, aiming straight at Raul, shattering his Magic sword instantly and leaving a massive hole in his stomach. As Raul crumpled to the ground, Bete surged forth, channeling Aiz's wind into his Frosvirt boots. He aimed a wind-powered kick straight at her, but she quickly sidestepped out of the way and lunged forward. Moving at speeds that far outpaced everyone in Loki Familia, the woman stabbed her sword straight through part of Bete's abdomen, before kicking him off of her blade.

Tione and Tiona, greatly angered by the slaughter, lunged forward, with Gareth not far behind. The three surrounded her, while Aiz and Finn raced to heal the others. Tione let out a bellowing roar and leveled punch after punch, which the woman easily dodged. Even as Tiona swung her massive Urga and Gareth swung his axe, the woman dodged all of them as easily as if she were playing with toddlers. Eventually, after kicking the Amazon sisters away, she aimed her strange contraption at Gareth just as he was about to swing down. Forced to angle his axe to block it, Gareth used his axe to cover his chest. But the power behind the projectile was too much even for him and he stumbled to his knees, his axe sent flying several meters away. Within seconds, the woman was upon him, plunging her hand straight through his stomach, and with a quick jerk of her hand, pulled her hand out, throwing him aside as copious amounts of blood spilled out.

Finn lunged into battle, activating his Berserker skill to keep the woman busy while ordering Aiz to get everyone out. Aiz wanted to intervene, but seeing the carnage around her made her shelve her frustrations for the time being. Working with Tsubaki, the two pulled out as many magic potions as they could while carrying as many people as possible out.

But then Aiz heard the sound of several bones snapping, and she turned around, seeing Finn's unconscious body rolling towards her feet. At that moment, she felt true rage pool in her heart, and despite Riveria's wishes, she channeled the black wind around her blade. As Tsubaki stared aghast at the one-sided beatdown, Aiz charged full-force against her adversary.

But no matter how hard she fought, even with the added power of her Skill and her mother's wind, the woman never even batted an eye at her endeavors. She just lazily dodged and parried every one of her attacks. And when she finally got bored of her, the woman transformed her weapon into a sword-and-dagger, and lunged at her.

Aiz didn't stand a chance.

Her blades slashed through her wind and armor like paper, and within seconds she found herself on the ground, lacerations all over her body and unable to even lift her sword.

A kick to her stomach sent her flying next to Tsubaki, who stood petrified, unable to even lift her own weapons to defend herself.

The woman slowly approached them, not even appearing the slightest bit tired as she combined her weapons once more. Tsubaki pulled out several magic swords and held them at the ready.

All of her rage had instantly died out the moment the woman went serious. She was strong, far stronger than any person she had ever met before.

She was much, much, faster and stronger than even Revis. Stronger than even Ottar.

'She might even be as strong as Father.' Aiz thought with a jolt.

Aiz had only ever experienced this much fear and helplessness twice before.

The first time was when she saw the Black Dragon devour her father whole.

The second time was when she fought Alfia seven years ago, and felt completely outclassed.

This woman in front of her eerily reminded her of that incident, when she saw Alfia utterly demolish her, Riveria, Gareth, and Astraea Familia.

Aiz closed her eyes, prepared for death as the woman sliced apart Tsubaki's sword and kicked her aside, before walking towards her.

A sharp clang rang in her ears as the woman impaled the ground next to her face. Startled, Aiz looked up and saw the woman kneeling in front of her with a frown on her face.

"Consider this your last warning. Heed my words. Leave this nightmare. Let these secrets remain buried. Should you all try to sate your burning curiosity once more, I will kill you. As sure as night follows day."

With those parting words, the mysterious woman picked up her weapon and ventured beyond the 59th floor, disappearing from Aiz's sight entirely.

Their expedition to the 59th floor had ended in both success and failure. They both learned what Revis wanted them to see, but failed to find any more useful information. Aiz was left to try and heal the others as much as she could. Thankfully, the woman didn't leave anyone with truly fatal injuries, and once she poured enough Potions on Riveria to rouse her from unconsciousness, the two of them had gone around healing everyone else.

The entire group had been thoroughly disheartened by their loss. Tione and Bete took it harshly, letting their anger loose on the monsters as they went back up. And then their mood had plummeted further when they were ambushed by those Poison Varmis, forcing them to hunker down on the 18th floor.

Ever since they broke the news to Loki, the executives had all racked their brains trying to make sense of what happened. Finn was positive that the woman they fought was completely unrelated to Revis or Evilus.

Their venture to the 59th floor and their fight with the mysterious woman was enough to make Tiona, Tione, and Bete become Level 6, but the fact that she effortlessly defeated them left everyone with a sour taste in their mouth. Neither of the three thought their recent exploits were worthy enough to warrant a Level Up.

After discussing it amongst themselves, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth deduced that the woman was far beyond that of even a Level 7. Finn even went as far as to speculate that the woman might be as strong, or even stronger, than a Level 9. No one could really say anything after that revelation.

But internally, Aiz brimmed with agitation. Once again, she was too weak to truly protect anyone. Had the woman not shown them mercy, she and all her friends would have been slaughtered.

And worse, it wasn't even a matter of a single Level difference, like with Revis or even Ottar. To reach the height of power that she had, she had to go above and beyond what she normally did. Even her strongest magic wasn't enough to bridge the gap.

Her thoughts turned to Bell, her new friend who had Leveled up faster than anyone in Orario's entire history. If she knew the secret to his growth, she could finally have the strength to protect her friends.

To finally kill the Black Dragon. To defeat Revis and that mysterious woman.

She had to-.

---

"Girl, losing focus in combat will only spell disaster for you."

Aiz was jolted out of her memories by Maria lunging towards her. Panicking, she hastily pulled up her sword in time to stop the Rakuyo from skewering her heart, but the sheer force behind the thrust sent her careening far away. Her hand continued to shake from the overwhelming strength behind Maria's attack, and to her horror, her legs finally started to buckle from her wounds and exhaustion.

"Give up. Leave this place, and I will spare your life once more. Go back to hunting your monsters, and seek not the mysteries at the bottom of that hole you call the Dungeon." Maria asked once more, leveling her Rakuyo straight at her. "I will not make this offer again. Should you decline, you will surely taste death by my blade the next time we meet. Do not throw away your life chasing the unknown."

"I… won't let you hurt them again." Aiz panted. With a Herculean effort, she pulled herself up once more, and raised her rapier in defiance. "Tempest!"

Her mother's wind surrounded her body once more, and she channeled every fiber of her Mind and wilpower into this final attack. Hopefully, she could distract Maria long enough for Filvis to take Lefiya and the others out of here.

"Lil… Rafaga!"

With the speed and force of a hurricane, Aiz shot forth, channeling the winds around her into her ultimate attack. Maria sighed, and sheathed her Rakuyo once more. The moment Aiz was a few feet away, Maria unsheathed her blade and slashed in a full arc.

The two blades clashed in a seismic explosion of power, Aiz's wind blowing furiously in an attempt to unseat Maria's body as she channeled every fiber of her being into this final strike. She couldn't falter here, she had to do something to break this stalemate!

Maria, however, had other ideas.

She was impressed by Aiz's abilities, no doubt. But compared to her, who fought monstrosities the likes of which Aiz could never comprehend, this young teenage girl in front of her might as well be a toddler learning to swing her blade for the first time.

Her Wind, however strong, could never hope to match the raw power the Echoes of Blood had given her and all the Hunters who came after.

With a grunt, Maria swung her sword to the side, breaking the gridlock between them and flicking Aiz's arm to the side. Caught off guard by Maria easily brushing aside her most powerful attack, she was helpless to do anything as Maria kicked at her arm, knocking her rapier out of her hands. She then darted forward, grabbing onto Aiz's jaw with her hand and instantly slamming her head into the ground, forming a massive crater.

"Your strength of will is admirable. I can see now why the Little Hunter loves you so much. A pity he chose to give his heart to someone with a death wish."

Maria lifted her bloody hand from Aiz's face as she coughed up a fountain of blood. Her head felt as if her entire brain had been scrambled, and her vision grew more blurry and dark. She could barely even feel her legs or fingers, and her Wind magic had completely died out. She was left helpless as Maria raised her blade once more.

'Mom, Father. Everyone. I'm sorry.' Aiz closed her eyes, unable to stop Maria from dealing the killing blow.

"-Burn them through, sword of Surtr! My name is Alf!

Rea Laevateinn!"

"!"

A large number of glowing red glyphs formed under Maria's feet, and she was forced to jump back as several massive pillars of fire burst forth, shielding Aiz and covering Maria in a maelstrom of flames. The pillars of fire illuminated the surroundings, causing many denizens to look up at the sight of the powerful magic, while the rest of Loki Familia, scattered across Daedalus, looked up in shock and recognition.

"Miss Filvis…," Lefiya mumbled, her skin pale from blood loss and exhaustion. "Please, find the rest of Loki Familia and get help! Cough, cough, do it while she's distracted!"

"I can't leave you all by yourself Lefiya!" Filvis yelled, already dreading the idea. She cursed herself, wondering if maybe she could recall her magic to return to her former strength, even if it meant defying Enyo's orders. But after seeing the carnage in front of her, she doubted that she could even come close to matching Maria's strength, even as a Creature.

"There's no time to debate! Go!" Lefiya roared, before she coughed blood once more.

"Tch! You better be alive when I get back! Don't you dare die on me!" Filvis yelled, before she jumped to the rooftops and dashed forward, desperate to find anyone in time before Lefiya died.

While part of her was greatly worried about Lefiya's safety, another more sinister part of her debated as to what she should report to Enyo and the others.

This woman, Lady Maria, was far too dangerous, and would no doubt be a massive threat to Enyo's plan. She shuddered to think what would happen if this woman had somehow found their base of operations in Knossos. If she could take out all of Loki Familia with ease, then who knows what she could do to the rest of Evilus!

Lady Maria had already interfered with their plans. The Demi-Spirit Enyo had intended for Loki Familia to discover on the 59th floor had been killed off by her before any of Enyo's forces could respond, and sadly Maria had chosen to spare all of Loki Familia rather than kill them off.

Nobody in Evilus knew where this woman came from, or how she got so strong in the first place. Enyo initially wondered if she was a remnant of Zeus and Hera Familia, but their spies in the Guild found no information on her whatsoever, and even if she were, it didn't explain how she discovered the Demi-Spirit in the first place, or how she ended up on the 59th floor before Loki Familia, and all by herself too!

This woman was a threat. One that neither she nor Revis could hope to defeat.

Filvis cursed as she realized that she might have to enlist the help of HIM in order to deal with this threat. Enyo welcomed him into their little alliance with a promise to give him as much prey as he desired, and both she and Revis despised him immediately. But, he was strong, undeniably so, and neither could do much other than glare at him in return.

She hoped that they could entrust HIM with this.

---

BANG!

Another gunshot rang out in the alley, and Lefiya watched in horror as her outstretched hand, the one she used to summon Lady Riveria's strongest magic, exploded into chunks of bloody flesh. Her fingers and palms were shredded by the impact of the Quicksilver bullet, leaving her with a mangled mess of a right hand that she would never be able to use again.

"Clever, girl. But mere flames won't be able to kill me. However, I commend your efforts. You are far braver than most, and you will die as such."

Maria calmly walked out of the roaring flames without a single blemish on her save for the small pockets of ash that colored her clothing. Nonchalantly brushing them off, Maria ignored the struggling Aiz as she marched in front of Lefiya, who cradled her bloody stump of a right hand in horror.

"If only there were more people like you back then… perhaps the scholars of Byrgenwerth would not have made the same mistakes." Maria sheathed her Rakuyo and pulled out her pistol. She approached the wounded elf and leveled her pistol straight at her forehead.

Aiz channeled every fiber of her being to lift herself up off the ground and crawl towards Lefiya. But there was nothing she could do to stop Maria from raising her strange, red contraption on top of Lefiya's forehead.

"Brave girl, may you rest in peace. Umbasa." Maria muttered, before pulling down on the trigger.

"LEFIYA!" Aiz yelled in horror.

Lefiya closed her eyes as a loud bang echoed throughout the alley. She thought of the first time she had left her village to explore the world. How she went to the Education District, met many friends, and eventually graduated as a Level 2. How she eventually joined Loki Familia, and met the very friendly Amazon twins. She remembered the time she found her first crush in Aiz, and how she couldn't help but fall hopelessly in love with her.

She had a good life. Her only regret was that she had died as weak and helpless as Bete always said she was.

But to her surprise, she heard Maria gasp in shock and jump back. Opening her eyes, she saw Aiz looking up above her in wonder and Lady Maria staring in the same direction in shock. A burning hole was imprinted in the ground, in the exact same spot Maria was at earlier.

If Maria wasn't the one who shot, then who?

"It's a good thing I made it in time. I knew that pillar of fire meant trouble."

Lefiya's heart nearly stopped as she instantly recognized that melodic voice.

'It couldn't be…'

Using the rest of her strength, Lefiya turned her body so that she was facing the sky, and the lone figure standing on the rooftop above her.

With her snow-white hair shining in the light of the moon and sapphire eyes looking down at the carnage below in horror and barely restrained rage, Meteria holstered her pistol and jumped down from the rooftop, landing in front of Lefiya and shielding her from Maria.

"M-Miss Meteria?"

Maria staggered back as if she were the one shot, her eyes wide in horror as the name of Lefiya's savior entered her ears.

Meteria turned around and knelt down in front of her, giving her a smile that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. "You did so well, Miss Lefiya. Don't worry, I'll fix you up."

Ignoring the stunned look on Maria's face, Meteria knelt down and pulled out a glass vial and a sharp object attached to a rubber hose. Injecting the sharp object into her vein, Lefiya watched in surprise as blood traveled up the rubber hose before emptying into the vial. When the vial was full to bursting with Meteria's blood, she quickly removed the syringe and bandaged her arm, before pulling out another syringe and sucking up a healthy amount of her own blood into it from the vial.

"Hold still. I promise it'll make you feel better." Meteria muttered gently, before injecting her blood into Lefiya.

To her surprise, an immense wave of ecstasy and warmth traveled throughout her body. Looking down at herself, Lefiya watched in awe as her shattered leg mended itself, and the wound to her stomach stopped bleeding and gradually regenerated. Within seconds, the gaping hole in her abdomen was fully healed, without a single scar or blemish to mark that a wound had ever existed there.

Another injection soon followed, and Lefiya felt a bubbling sensation in her mangled right hand. As the feeling of ecstasy and pleasure filled her once more, her right hand bubbled and steamed, as bones and tissue grew at an alarming rate. Lefiya watched as her fingers and palm regenerated right before her very eyes. In no time at all, her right hand and the rest of her body was fully healed, and she quickly raised herself off the ground, completely stunned by her rapid recovery.

This was completely beyond any kind of Healing Magic she had ever witnessed before! Not even Riveria's healing spell or Airmid's magic could ever come close to the sheer potency and strength of Miss Meteria's blood!

"W-What!? B-B-But… how!?"

"Later. Take that Blood Vial and inject it into the others. I'll deal with her in the meantime." Meteria said, the sheer authority in her voice offering no time for denial from the freshly healed elf.

Lefiya wanted to argue that Maria was far too strong for her as a brand new Adventurer. But… her instincts told her to trust the mysterious woman she had met and fallen head-over-heels for, and if her blood was truly this insane a healing item…

She gulped and prayed that Miss Meteria would be okay, before grabbing the blood vial and syringe and hurrying towards her teammates, injecting them with more of Meteria's blood.

Aiz was still on the ground, completely stunned by the arrival of this mysterious woman who had somehow brought Lefiya back from the brink of death. Who had somehow made even Lady Maria back away in horror.

Just who was she? Aiz looked at their savior and felt no recollection of ever meeting anyone like her before. She was sure that she had never encountered her anywhere at Dian Cecht Familia, who would have probably fought tooth and nail to add her to their Familia if her blood was capable of performing such miracle feats.

Strangely, this woman seemed to remind her of Bell. They both reminded her of a cute and cuddly rabbit.

Her speculations grinded to a halt as the stranger, Miss Meteria, unsheathed her blade from her waist and leveled it at Maria, who stared at it with a look of both recognition and sadness.

"Alright. I don't know who you are, but if you were the one who attacked these girls, then I'm giving you one warning. Leave, and never hurt or trouble them ever again!" Meteria warned, her sapphire eyes never once wavering from her enemy, who stared back with suspicion.

"You… don't know who I am?" Maria asked with an uncharacteristically somber tone.

"Does it matter? I don't care who you are, but I'm warning you to back off, or else I'll have no choice but to fight back!" Meteria attached her blade to the folded wooden pole on her back, and it transformed into a wicked scythe, one that easily surpassed her in height.

"That weapon… that scent you carry… you've become…" Maria winced, closing her eyes as if she was waging a terrible war within her very soul. With a shaky sigh, she leveled her own Rakuyo at Meteria.

"Good Hunter, why do you raise your blade at me? Have respect for the Beast Hunter Gehrman's wishes! You should be hunting Beasts, not other humans. I am not your enemy here. Just go, and return to your Hunt. Please, leave this place."

Meteria only raised her scythe in the air. "I guess that's a no, then. Don't expect me to be merciful."

Maria sighed. "A tried and true Hunter, then. Very well. I will do what I must then." She raised the middle of her weapon in the air, and with a loud snap that caused her to flinch, split it into two. Lady Maria, now wielding a sword and short dagger, stared back at Meteria who returned the glare with one of her own.

The two began to circle each other, like dogs waiting for the right opportunity to pounce. And when the two dissolved into ashen mist and rematerialized in front of each other, their blades colliding in a shower of sparks, Aiz was the only one who heard the words that quietly came from Lady Maria's mouth.

"I hope you will forgive me, Little Hunter."

---

And that's a wrap!

Man, this chapter was really difficult for me to write. Normally, I have no problem writing fight scenes, but I feel like I really disappointed myself here with this chapter. Definitely the hardest one I had to write so far, and I apologize if this chapter seems a little bit meh compared to the past two.

I'm guessing some of you might be getting tired of the whole 'Meteria is gorgeous' thing, and will probably think Lefiya might be acting a bit OOC here, but I have no regrets lol. The irony of Lefiya hating Bell but falling in love with his mother is just too hilarious for me not to include. Can you imagine her reaction when she finds out her crush is her hated rival's mom? But I will be dialing the 'Meteria is drop-dead gorgeous' thing for a while. I originally introduced that due to some bits of backstory and admittedly because it was inspired by the reactions to all the horny fanart y'all post about Meteria and Alfia.

We're finally getting to the part of the story where the overall tone will be much darker compared to canon. If you all know Bloodborne's lore and story, then brace yourself for some fucked up shit that'll happen later on. After all, we are in the Pleasure District arc of Danmachi.

I also apologize if the scenes with Meteria were a little off-putting, especially with her sadistic pleasure and the ecstasy she feels when imbibing blood. But that's exactly how people react when imbibing the Blood. According to the item description of the Blood Vial, Blood became such a successful commodity in Yharnam solely because it was incredibly addicting and intoxicating, even more than alcohol. The reason for this is in the name of the Blood itself, which in Japanese translates to "dying wills of blood", or more literally, "Death Blood", hence the name of this fic.

People and Hunters in Bloodborne get stronger and get these feelings of ecstasy from the wills of the dying found within the blood, not necessarily from the blood itself. They feed off of this desire to survive and live, and as a result, the people of Yharnam are literally getting off and getting high on the feeling of life itself. And when we level up at the Doll, the Doll turns those dying echoes into a source of strength that increases the Hunter's willpower. It's this sheer strength of will that makes the Hunter so strong and able to defeat the challenges in their way, which matches the themes of every other Souls game FromSoftware makes, and even the notion of the souls and desires of the dead being drawn towards life are seen even in Dark Souls, with how hexes seek out the living.

Anyway, lore breakdown aside, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Bell finally meets Lady Maria, and I hoped you enjoyed that segment! In the majority of other Danmachi x Bloodborne fics, Maria is either already dead or a love interest for Bell or the Hunter, and I wanted to try something a little bit different with how I write Maria here. Can't say much more without discussing spoilers, but Bell will be seeing Lady Maria a LOT more as the story progresses.

All of my assumptions about the lore that I use in this story are based off of the theories and videos posted by Last Protagonist, Charred Thermos, Smoughtown, Vaatividya, and Lokey's Abyssal Archives, so if any of you are confused by some of the lore, feel free to check those guys out!

Thank you again for taking the time to read this story! Please leave your thoughts on it in the reviews, as I read all of them, and I'm not afraid of rewriting entire chapters if the majority of people think they suck!