Bell waited in the shadow of a stone pillar in front of the gate of Babel. Except for his armor and weapons he had his backpack with him, stuffed in only water and some rations. When Bell explained the situation to Mama Mia before he went to his home, she hadn´t complained about Ryuu skipping work. .
"It´s okay...but go with her." Mia patted him on the shoulder.
After around fifteen minutes he saw a familiar hooded form. Ryuu wore her usual over-knee Boots, her green shorts and the white sleevless shirt, together with her long green cape and the hood she used to cover her face. She came over and stopped in front of him. .
Ryuu lifted her head just enough for Bell to see her still puffy eyes. "Mr. Cranell...I´m sorry that you´ve seen me in such an unsightly state..."
"A-Ah no, I think everyone would be off the trail." Bell scratched his cheek with his index finger. .
"...Shall we go ?" She lowered her head again, not wanting anyone besides Bell to see her face.
"Y-Yeah let´s go." Bell put on his backpack and they entered Babel.
When they entered he was spotted by Eina who waved him, Bell waved back but they continued their way to the big hole that lead to the dungeon. Some adventurers followed the stairs down to enter the dungeon, a few came up. It took a few minutes to walk down, of course high level adventurers could just jump down and withstand the impact but the guild didn´t like that. Bell had once taken the direct route but not voluntary and he didn´t jump...he was thrown. Down at the direct entrance to the dungeon were four guards from the Ganesha familia, just in case some monsters came up for whatever reason. The walls changed from the hewn stone of Babel to the light blue natural ones from the first floor. It was a long time ago for Bell when he entered the dungeon the first time. They encountered no monsters on ther way through the first floor, with this much adventurer traffic that was normal. Thankfully the first floors were rather small compared to the deeper ones and after half an hour they allready reached the light green walls that marked the 5th floor.
Good thing that both knew the way so they could look out for monster without paying to much attention to their direction.
Except for a few short fights with some monsters they went in silence, Ryuu seemed to be lost in thoughts. The deeper they got, the fewer adventurer they saw, only two times they passed some.
The first was a lone dwarf like no dwarf that Bell had ever seen. Normally dwarfs wore thick armor but this dwarf was half naked, no shoes or pants, just a wide belt and a sarong on his waist.
In each hand he hold a double-edged axe which were attached to a chain that were connected to his bracers. The only other armor piece was a helmet with a figurehead like dragon on top and a mohawk in deep red along the "spine" of the dragon. Maybe he was some kind of barbarian ? Bell had seen adventurers of these type but never a dwarf. The dwarf passed them without looking in their direction, mumbling to himself. Bell followed him with his eyes for a second, what a strange sight...
The second time they were passed by two adventurers. One was a female demi-human cat girl with long blond hair changing into beige at the end and a tail of the same color, strangely her bangs were colored in a light green. She wore long black boots almost reaching her hip and a green top with puffed sleeves on her shoulders, leaving the arms free ending in a skirt. The front part belowe her chest to her stomach was black with a symbol in red, gold and blue that Bell didn´t know. Her left hand was clad in a dark leather glove, her right in a similar glove, only that this one reached almost to her elbow. The reason for this one long glove was on her back, a long bow and a quiver with arrows. She supported the other adventurer who leaned on her shoulder.
A male human, a head taller than the woman. He wore a black body suit like Bell, a chestplate, shoulder pieces, plate boots, a wide belt and gloves all made out of metal. Wrapped around his torso was a long red-orange scarf and he hold a spear in his free left hand. Maybe he hurt his leg because he limped, that was the reason the woman had to support him. .
"I´m sorry big sisters, I overdid it a little bit." He said to the woman while winking.
"I told you not to call me that Achilleus." The woman pouted and jabbed him lightly in the ribs. .
Bells eyes widened when he heard her voice, her voice sounded almost like Ryuus !
"Sorry sorry, Nyatalanta..." The man grinned. .
"Jerk !" This time he winced under her punch, while she pouted even stronger. Obviously she didn´t like that nickname either.
For Bell their names sounded familiar from the hero stories he heard as a kid, maybe they were named after those heroes ? They also passed them without looking.
Bell watched over his shoulder when he heard Ryuu mumble. "Orario can be strange sometimes hm ?"
He watched over to her, she walked upright now, it seems she had calmed down.
"Ryuu, I didn´t want to ask earlier, are you planning to visit your familias grave ?"
"Yes...I want to talk to them...does this sound strange ?" She kept her gaze on the path.
"Hm...No I think I understand what you mean." Bell smiled lightly.
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After seven hours they arrived on the 16th floor, they only took two short breaks. Even with using the holes that connected some of the floors they needed that long, because they weren´t running. As if he were challenging luck, in the moment Bell thought about how much more peaceful this trip was than his first, they heard screams. Not from monsters but from adventurers,
the voices sounded panicked. Ryuu and Bell glanced at each other briefly, then they dashed of in the direction of the voices. They drew their weapons and hurried, closer and closer they came until running around a corner, they saw panicked adventurers who tried to flee from a monster party. Bell knew that horror very well and he didn´t hesitate to jump to their help.
Bell raised his left arm and aimed for a jumping Hellhound. "Firebolt !"
The electrical fire bursted out and cremated the monster, continuing his attack he jumped over a tumbling adventurer, the Hestia Knife and Hakugen in his hands. Thanks to his level four status he sliced two other Hellhounds without stopping. .
Behind him he heard Ryuu shouting. "Don´t run away ! You´re only making it worse ! Gather on the wall and defend yourself !"
Ryuu jumped on Bells right side. "I take down the Al Miraj, you focus on the Hellhounds !" .
"Roger !" Bell blocked a bite attack and rammed his knife into the monsters neck. .
Hellhounds and Al Miraj weren´t the only monsters that came running, behind the bunny like monsters two big Lygerfangs followed and Bell was sure to hear the howl of at least one minotaur.
The fleeing adventurers gathered at a wall as they were told, brought the injured to cover behind them while fighting the one or two monsters that passed Ryuu or Bell. . Even with two level four adventurers, defeating the monsters at an enormous speed there was no end in sight. The good thing was that due to the tunnel not all monsters could attack at once.
Bell evaded and countered as fast as he could, monster after monster evaporated into dust, leaving only the magic stones on the ground back. Meanwhile Ryuu spinned around as the Al Miraj tried to surround her, her swords looked like silvery schemes as she slew one bunny after the other. Between her attackes she threw glances at the tunnel it was so packed with monsters that they slowed each other down, a big shadow moving in from the back rows. No other option than wiping them out all at once.
"Distant forest sky. Infinite stars inlaid upon the eternal night sky." .
Singing while fighting a sheer endless number of monsters, Ryuu speciality. Concurrent chanting.
As if the monsters sensed the danger, they intensified their attacks on Ryuu. Bell moved forward so that he monsters had to pass him to reach her. .
You will not harm her !
"Heed this foolish one´s voice, and once more grant the protection of the starlight." .
Ryuu hold her swords in reverse, blocked the attackes from the tiny monsters and hacked them in two.
"Grant the light of compassion to the on who forsook you." .
Another whirl went over into a kick that broke a bunnies neck.
"Come, wandering wind, fellow traveler." .
Bell heard her song continue while the big shadow pushed the other monsters out of his way, like he thought, a minotaur.
"Cross the skies and sprint through the wilderness..." .
When the two Lygerfangs jumped in Bells direction he countered with a twist and slit one open along the flank. .
"Faster than any, faster than all."
The second Lygerfang wanted to attack Bell from the side as the minotaur charged him from the front, but an arrow imbedded itself in the tiger-like monsters eye. Bell used the distraction and thrusted Hakugen into the other eye, reducing the monster to dust.
"Imbue the light of stardust and strike down my enemy !" .
As Ryuu came to the end of her charge, Bell kicked with all his strength against the Minotaurs knee, jumping back to Ryuu just as she slew the last Al Miraj standing in front of her.
Ryuu stretched her arms to the side, her hood came of and she yelled out.
"Luminous Wind !" .
Hundreds of small orbs surrounded by swirling green wind appeared around her. Thrusting her outstretched arms forward, the stardust slammed into the charging monsters, in a torrent of magical energy and piercing wind. The Minotaur was the only one that could at least howl a last time before being reduced to ash. Silence and dust fell over the battlefield, not one monster made it through the barrage, the narrow tunnels let them no room to evade. The ground was paved with magical stones, the glitter almost beautiful. After ensuring no other monsters came, both turned to the panicked adventurers, while Ryuu put up her hood again. .
"Are you okay ?" Bell stopped in front of the five adventurers, he now saw that a demi-human bunny girl among them had a bow in her hand.
"Thaaaaank youuu so much !" A demi-human wolf man relieved beyond measure cried out.
"You saved us !" "Thank the gods." "We will never forget this !" His other team members joined the storm of thanks. .
Ryuu let her gaze wander over them, no one seemed to be critically hurt. "You should head to the upper floors, its not far from here." .
Thanking them again and again, one of the adventurers treated the wounded onen, the others hurried to collect the magical stones, that was not greed but part of the adventurer rules. If possible never let magical stone lay around, it could create abnormal monsters by accident when they consumed them.
Bell and Ryuu wished goodbye to the adventurers, these five would take a rest on the stairs between the 16th and the 15th floor were no monsters would spawn. .
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The chance to rescue other adventurers from a monster party didn´t come everyday, they just did it without hesitating. But what Bell and Ryuu didn´t knew at this point...this would have consequences. These five adventurers would reach the surface hours after Bell and Ryuu returned. Relieved when they arrived the surface, the adventurers would tell the story of the two heroic adventurers who rescued them. The guild workers and adventurers who heard them would recognize Bells description. And some of the higher ones...the description of this very uniqe magic casted by a beautiful elf. .
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Some remembered it...the magic that was said to be used by a certain black listed adventurer...the Gale Wind.
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After another two hours Bell and Ryuu finally arrived at the 18th floor. The light faded already, the whole floor changing to its night cirle, where the crystals at the cave ceiling shone like stars. Both became silent again and followed the forest to their destination...the Astra familias grave. On the way Ryuu picked up ten flowers, Bell didn´t help her, it was something very personal for Ryuu. .
The small hill lay before them, the weapons still upright in a circle with the banner in the middle. Bell waited at a respectful distance, when Ryuu walked slowly from one weapon to the next,
placing a flower at the bottom. She came back to him and they sat down on the gras about two meters from the hill. Silence followed.
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.
Ryuu took off her hood. "Hey everyone...it´s been awhile."
Bell said nothing, just watched Ryuu from the side as she continued. "I...have gotten a letter...from Lady Astrea..."
She took a deep breath. "I don´t know...what to do...I want to see her...but...do I have the right ?"
No answer came, of course not. .
"What would you all say...Kaguya and Lyra you would scold me, why I´m not already running to her." Ryuu smiled a bit.
"Neze...you also wouldn´t understand why I´m hesitating...I´m sure you would be more than happy to go to her and see her greet you like a newlywed wife." Now her smile was a bit embarassed.
"But...I´m afraid...what if she doesn´t want to see me ?" Her smile faded.
"What if she can't stand what has become of me..." As she whispered Bell felt a little touch against his fingertips. Unconsciously Ryuu moved her fingers over to his, maybe seeking comfort.
"Alise...what would you tell me ?...Probably "Let´s go togehter, hurry hurry !"..." Ryuu leaned her chin on her knees.
A few moments passed in silence, then she looked down, seeing her and Bells fingers entangled. He had said nothing, just moved along with her hand, spending her the comfort she needed right now. .
At first she looked surprised at Bell, as if she had forgotten he was there. "Bell..."
He met her gaze. "Bell...what do you think...am I worthy...to go and see her ?"
Bell thought for a few seconds what to say. "I do, you´re the last member of her familia...you should go see her...I´m sure she wants to see you too."
"But...I did so many...harsh things...I betrayed her justice..." Tears dwelled up in the corner of her eyes, Bell had never seen her so vulnerable.
"That may be...but you saved so many...you took all that on yourself...to free Orario and bring peace to the people...she will not blame you...and...I´m sure she misses you." He carefully considered his words.
"But..." She didn't sound convinced.
Bell squeezed her hand lightly. "Do you want to see her ?"
"Yes..." Ryuu looked into his eyes.
"Then go...go and see her...talk to her." He spoke from his heart. .
"And if you are afraid, I'll go with you." Her eyes widened a bit.
"You would do that...for someone like me ?" .
"Not for someone like you...for you." His voice was serious. .
Bell felt her fingers move a bit...after sitting for another ten minutes in silence...Ryuu nodded. "Okay.."
They looked over to the grave, where the banner moved a bit in the night wind, showing the symbol of the Astrea familia...a sing ?
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"Bell..." Ryuu whispered.
"Hm ?" They kept looking at the hill.
"Thank you...for coming with me..."
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Both sat there, their fingers entagled, Bells presence calming Ryuu down, until the night circle ended. .
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Authors note: Hey everyone, thank you for continiuing reading the story, I´m trying to fight against my spelling and grammatical erros, if someone has tips were the grammatic is wrong please send me a private message. I hope you enjoyed the little cameo above. So long and a happy new year to all of you.
