The Fallen Argonaut
Rated; M (Blood/Gore)
Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.
60: A Family's Care
=The 70th Floor=
"ARGO VESTA!"
*BOOOOOM*
The resulting shockwave from the attack blew apart anything in the vicinity, the debris from the wall and ground flying everywhere. At the center of it all, the Chimera watched in horror as its arms were severed, the flaming spear descending down towards its body as it remained helpless to do anything.
Bell held on desperately to anything to not go unconscious or get launched away due to the sheer amount of blowback from the attack.
After a minute, the destruction began to subside as Bell fell down to one knee, his spear embedded into the chest of the Chimera… well, what used to be its chest. All it was now was a charred piece of coal with a giant hole in it, its chest rising so narrowly that Bell barely picked up on it.
'Is it alive… after THAT!?' He questioned within the confined of his mind in disbelief. Preparing to fight again, but only ending up failing to even move a muscle. He had literally used up everything in that final attack. The fumes he had been running on had all but sputtered out all they could.
Bell stared in horror as the thing tried to move, its head turning to the side to face him, its arm shaking as it tried to reach for him, almost like it wanted to slice his throat.
Moments passed like that, Bell staring at it while it stared back, arm outstretched before finally, the arm collapsed and the body slowly began to fall apart into all too familiar dust, piece by piece in a slow display that sent relief soaring into Bell's heart.
The Chimera was dead… which means his family was safe. It was the only logical solution since it came down looking so beaten and drained. His family and friends must have managed to do that somehow…
That knowledge put a smile on his face. He just sat there, taking it in. His family was okay… His family was okay.
The thought repeated again and again, relaxing his muscles and pushing away an invisible weight off his shoulder and out of his gut. It made everything feel lighter.
Shaking, he pushed himself onto his feet, wobbling and almost losing his balance if not for his grip on the spear still embedded into the ground where the Chimera used to lay. He had said it before but now he was deadly serious… At this point he can't fight any more monsters. He couldn't even stand, let alone dodge or block any blows. Meeting anything right now was the same as meeting the grim reaper.
'Luck, I know you like to screw with me sometimes but… please… don't fail me now' He begged, praying to whatever god may be watching. Glancing at the opening to the pathways that lead to the 69th floor, Bell took one step… before another, balancing himself with his spear like a cane. He couldn't even feel his throat, or his limbs. Everything was numb, as the world spun around in circles, only making it harder to walk.
The adrenaline had kept him somewhat coherent, but not when it stopped pumping as it did, he was left right back where he was, if not worse. The confusion was back… his body back on autopilot as he continued onwards as his consciousness took a back seat.
He could only watch with halfhearted care to what was going on as he entered the passageway, onwards to wherever his body took him.
=Floor 61=
It was almost mind boggling how quickly they were traversing the dungeon. They'd breezed past practically everything, nothing even making the Bull flinch as they sprinted across the floors.
The weaker and less able were carried to keep up with the Bull who was clearly not caring if they lost him or not. Thankfully, the few times Asterius had managed to lose them, in the storm, Rei had managed to locate him through her echolocation which proved to be a godsend.
The lower leveled members such as Jannor, Aralaya and Adrienne were already shivering again, their clothes torn from all the battles, letting more of the arctic cold touch their skin, lowering their temperature faster than last time.
Both Bache and Elora had asked them multiple times if they were alright and each time they nodded, telling them to push onwards. It only showed how much of a motivator worry can be.
To them, they knew that a little cold was nothing compared to what their father must be going through… well, maybe a lot, but still.
"Rei! How close are we to the 62nd floor!?" Wiene screamed, just barely managing to do it loud enough for Rei to hear it over the storm.
Up in the air, the Siren breathed in before letting out a loud high pitched noise. Her ears flapped, waiting for the noise to return before finally, she picked up on it.
"Just a little further to the passageways! Maybe a minute!" Hearing the response, Wiene turned to Elora and nodded.
"We're almost by the passageways." She said as the elf nodded, the dragon-girl glancing at the woman's makeshift sling.
"Are you sure it's alright to expose your hand to this cold after the injury?" She asked as the elf peeked down with a hum, Jannor on her back, listening in.
"Yeah, we used some of the pieces of cloth that were ripped off of us during the fight. It has protection from this cold due to it being salamander wool and Undine Cloth." Bache glanced at her with a worried smile. She had really been shaken when Elora's hand had been cut off like that.
If she'd reacted a second later, her head would have been gone as well… the thought really scared her. Losing Elora was something that Bache had never really entertained. This family had felt so sturdy… indestructible, that it had been unfeasible only a few weeks ago.
Now it was all too real, and it sent a wave of paranoia through her. Though she does know Elora can take care of herself, so instead, she's determined to keep an eye out for her.
'We can protect each other' Was her reasoning.
The group looked up as the wall came into their vision… which was admittedly not that far. It barely took them a few seconds to move inside, following the giant form of the Bull who barely fit inside the passageway. It was almost comical.
All they could hope for at this point was one thing. For them to find Bell before it was too late.
=The 70th Floor=
What day was it?- scratch that, what week was it?
Bell had no idea… time was truly a fickle thing, so easily lost to one's senses and changes in the environment.
He knew that any step at this point would collapse his legs completely, his arms having just enough energy to hold him steady enough to not fall with the spear acting as a cane.
Each step felt like an eternity to take, the pain from the movement burning his body to the point that the sun would be put to shame with how intense it was. How was his body even functioning? He could practically feel his veins drying up, his blood not having any liquid remaining. The borderline world melting heat inside these tunnels with all the cracks made sure that his skin was burning off. He swore that if anyone saw him at the moment, they'd just be a skinless human.
Did he even have hair remaining?- on, how had his hair not been set on fire at this point?
Another step and another pang of pain… then another, then another. Each time, his delirious mind somehow managed to keep supplying himself with motivation for 'just another step'.
That… and that he was hearing voices again. His wife, children and… Alfia. There was also that woman with the gorgeous blue eyes, whispering sweet nothings to him that soothed his heart and gave him a slight burst of strength.
Who is she?
His mind whirled as another step was taken, his focus being lost completely as his body continued on autopilot.
No, that's silly… hehe…
He almost giggled out loud as he slipped and fell onto the ground with a loud clang and thunk. His body refused to move as he laid there, breathing heavier than he ever had in his life, each breath burning his throat and lungs.
It's my mother…
The thought came out of nowhere and didn't register in his mind right away, and even then, he couldn't even remember the implications of it, his memory jumbling up again.
Her voice came again, soothing in his ear as it whispered to him that he can't give up, that he had to keep going just a little while longer.
His arm moved on its own as it gripped the spears shaft while the other pushed him up just enough to use the spear to keep himself somewhat steady.
Just a little longer… then… I can… rest…
Getting back up, one last time, he pushed another step, heading towards the cross section in front of him. It took him a while to notice, but as he got closer to it, the temperature became more bearable, the stinging on his body lessening a little.
Another step forward with his arm on the wall, he peaked over and his entire body underwent a sudden release of tension at the sight of a staircase heading upwards.
Without thinking, he took a step forward, completely collapsing onto his face again right in front of the stairs.
A…Little….More…
Grabbing hold of one of the steps, he forced himself up before grabbing the next and pushing onwards.
His arms feeling like they'd fall off any second as he continued upwards, the air growing colder and colder as his skin almost cried out in relief.
Each pull upwards both reinvigorated his muscles yet pushed them another step beyond their limits.
He reached the top in what felt like an eternity. It could have been half an hour, three hours or even half a day, he had no idea.
All that mattered to him at that moment was the sweet sweet prefect temperature of in between the scorching heat of the Scorched Hell and the freezing cold of the Glacier Territory.
And then there was the dropping water. Sweet sweet water, the nectar of life dripping from the ice trying to form around him. He rolled onto his back, his body finally giving way as he opened his mouth, droplets of water slowly falling into his parched throat.
It felt like heaven and then some, yet felt like torture as it was so slow. He wished he could make it faster, but there was nothing to be done. He didn't have the strength to move anything, even if he wanted to. Heck, he was even trying but all he was getting was a slight twitch.
Maybe…. I should just… rest…
The moments the thoughts passed his mind, his eyes felt heavier than fifty foot solid wall of pure adamantite. They dropped shut faster than he could even react as his consciousness slipped from him as his body completely fell apart into a complete zero state, water slowly filling his throat as he rested.
=The 69th floor, 12 hours later=
The progress had considerably slowed down as they'd reached the 64th floor mark which happened to be a safety zone, thank god. The extreme temperature of the floors after coupled with the much more intense storms affected even the extreme endurance and resistances of Asterius, making him to travel slower.
The floors also began getting a lot larger and the passageways more complex. Elora swore that she'd lost count on how many times they'd been ambushed within those passageways and in the storm at this point.
On the positive note, they had gotten an extremely rare drop item from the Bheur Witch, called the Bheur Witch Staff, a first class magic staff that any mage would kill for… well, apart from Nine Hell who already had a superior one to that. On top of that, they'd got a bunch of other drop items from monsters that spawn down in the Glacier Zone. They even got a Giant Yeti Horn from a Giant Yeti that doesn't spawn until the 65th floor
Normally, Lili would be freaking out but even she was tunnel visioned into rescuing Bell.
At the moment, they're occupied with the rarest monster in the entire region 'The Frost Atronach' near the end of the blizzard of the floor. A monster made of pure hardened Ice. Its estimate is level 6, but in its current circumstances, it's actually a level 7 as it grows stronger and more resilient in the blizzard of these floors.
It even gives it the ability to rapidly regenerate any lost ice from the battle by using the cold from the storm.
Asterius had literally punched it in half three times and it still regenerated as another quirky quality of it is that the magic stone isn't predominantly in its chest. It can be anywhere. The foot, hands, head, legs, crotch. Anywhere.
So, Asterius just kept pummeling it, breaking each limb one by one before finally going for the head, smashing it to smithereens as it froze.
Elora knew the Bull was a godsend, but that astronomical strength that could overwhelm an opponent that would keep the rest of them occupied for quite a while was… terrifying.
What terrified her equally was that he wanted to have a battle to the death with her husband as a 'rematch'. If not for the extremely dire circumstances, she'd rather keep him away from her husband.
"Let's move… we are closing in on the Mesa." Asterius said as he stood up, waving his hand in the air to dust off the remnants of the magic stone and ice from his fist the best he could before continuing onwards.
Elora dreaded what's to come. The Scorched Hell… dear god, that environment was not a place she would wish even her worst enemies to be trapped in.
She just hoped that Bell wasn't trapped there. That would be really bad as he had no water on him. Without that, it was a death sentence, even for him.
As they reached and entered the passageway, they were greeted by a group of Giant Yeti's that exploded out of the walls, a group of Ice Mephits following behind. Most seemed to gang up on Asterius as he was the bigger target while the others went for the rest of the group.
Elora drew her sword in her offhand, as she stood on the ready. Three Giant Yeti's approached them as Bache launched herself straight into the face of one while Jannor and Adrienne engaged another.
The third glared at the elf as it headed towards her, groaning out as it dragged the ice club along with it.
Glancing back at the others, Elora noticed Lili commanding Mikoto, Aralaya, Welf, Haruhime and the Xenos to handle the Mephits, leaving her with this ugly thing.
Its long nose crinkled as its pointy ears twitched. Shortly after its completely blood red eyes widened as it roared, it leaned forward, pulling its club with it as it dragged across the roof.
Sidestepping the blow, Elora twisted her footing in a twirl before leaning forward, kicking off as she somewhat sloppily swung the sword she borrowed from Bell over its leg before feeling the resistance.
Right, the Giant Yeti had quite effective defense. That and her form was off due to her using her non-dominant hand.
Quickly recovering from her attack, she jumped forward over its claws, swiping at her before rolling on the ground and breaking into a sprint around it.
'Find a weak point'
Her eyes glanced around at it. Not the ankles, it's layered with thick fur, not a good place to cut tendons. Its throat is not easy to reach as it's easily protected with its arms but…
Her eyes glanced onto its palms as she smiled slightly. They were devoid of furr, making their defense less than the rest of the body.
Quickly making up a plan, she rushed forward before pulling the sword back, the point of it aiming at its chest as she thrust forward.
The Giant Yeti instinctually moved to block the blow with the back of its hand or arm. Smirking, Elora stopped her attack before ducking under the arm and stopping abruptly before jumping.
With a quick thrust, the entire sword was embedded to the hilt into its arm through the palm of its hand as it shrieked out in pain, thrashing just as she twisted the blade.
The resulting combination of the two events caused the sword to grind the inside of the arm, cutting it off at an uneven angle as it exited near the elbow. The arm dropped to the ground as blood flowed out of the stump like a river, painting the ice red.
"Through the protection of the forest, power flows through me." She started as the monster glared at her harder, enraged at the loss of its limb before rushing forward in a fit of blind rage, using its remaining hand to punch the floor wherever she stood as the Elf practically danced between the attacks.
"May the call of the wind show us the way." Realizing that its attacks weren't working, it switched strategy and did one last smash before grabbing hold of the ground, ripping up a good portion of it as it pulled upwards.
Not expecting this, Elora almost lost her balance as she used her hand holding the sword to catch herself before pushing herself back to her feet.
"It cuts down the enemies, who stand before me. Secatus Veti!" Just as she aimed her sword at the Yeti, another one flew towards them right as the magic was launched forward, slicing through its fur and flesh like butter alongside the other giant yeti, clearly having been pummeled, was eviscerated as well.
"You good Elora?" Bache asked as she ran up to her. The two nodded at each other before smiling. Turning their eyes back to that of the rest, Jannor and Aralaya had their Yeti down on the ground with Adrienne in a fit of uncontrollable rage, clearly using her magic while Jannor had his active as well, hitting key points to limit its ability to retaliate.
"Isn't that just torture?" Bache asked with a chuckle. Funny thing was, their attacks were barely working. At most, they were slowly chipping away at its flesh. After all, it was a level 6 monster. A pseudo level 5 Adrienne at most could slice a bit more effectively than Jannor's Pseudo level 4.
It all ended as Aralaya sent an icicle straight into its chest, cracking the magic stone much to Adrienne's shock as she jumped back from the surprise appearance of the magic.
Deactivating the magic, the girl looked towards her half-sister before frowning.
"I had that!" She complained as the half-elf just exposed her tongue to her.
"Well, magic will always be superior in raw destructive capability… especially those with the Mage development ability." Elora commented. Magic, even medium length chants are powerful enough to upend the level difference with the right conditions. One being a good staff, another being a high magic stat. The last important condition was of course, the Mage development ability. It made such a huge difference that even Bell's magic at level 7 with how strong it was at its base, was not even a fraction of what Riveria Ljos Alf's magic could do. Even the shorter chant versions of her spells.
That's of course not including the use of skills.
At the front, Asterius just glanced at them, a large magic stone in his grip before it entered his mouth. His senses picked up on the shift in temperatures compared to what it normally was in these passages, he had passed through this place multiple times in order to train and only a handful of times had it been as warm as this. Normally, his fur would have ice at the tip of it, but it was nowhere to be seen.
It signaled the event that happened once every month down in that Mesa region. The increase in temperature was the defining signal of its arrival and something he did not enjoy in the slightest.
His fur made him more tolerable to the cold rather than the heat, making it worse for him down in that region. He could without a doubt handle it, but he still did not like it. It honestly confounded him how his monster counterparts were actually born down there.
Deciding to continue, he picked up his sword embedded in the ground before sheathing it on his back, walking forward defiantly in the narrow passages (for him). He barely paid attention to the rest, but noted them stopping their useless idle chatter and began following him.
Moving through the quickest route to the stairs, the heat quickly began picking up as it became more and more forgiving for life. At this point, everyone picked up on it.
Especially Elora who found it strange that they could feel it this clearly even this far away from the entrance to the 70th floor. Even the entrance to the 59th floor wasn't this obvious in its temperature until you were practically right in front of it.
'Something is ami-' her thought process was completely shut down as she froze with Bache walking right into her.
"Hey, why'd you stop?" She asked as the elf's eyes were wide open, tears pricking at them as if begging for release.
"Elora?" At this point, everyone had taken notice of her predicament and looked at the elf in worry.
Before they could say anything, she had activated her skill and began sprinting at full speed, turning around the corner as everyone shouted after her.
Without further ado, everyone began following her, rounding the corner just in time to see the elf slide across the ground, stopping in front of a person… a very specific person.
It didn't even take a moment's hesitation for everyone to push forward, past the Bull who stood still with wide eyes at the familiar white hair on the man on the ground.
"Bell… Bell, please answer me!" Elora anxiously tried to get anything out of him, shaking him while simultaneously looking him hover for a wound, horrified to find his skin practically burned off, some broken bones and new scars that would heal with time.
He looked like he had been through hell and back, and then repeated it another dozen times.
Bache, put two fingers on his throat and waited. For almost an entire painstakingly long minute of nothing, she finally felt a heartbeat. A sigh of relief went through her as she smiled, chuckling in glee.
"Dad…" Aralaya breathed out as she sat down at his side with shaking hands. She had never seen her father in such a poor condition. He'd always stood strong, unbending to anything and everything…
"Aralaya-sama, Haruhime-sama, please heal Bell-sama. From what Lili can tell, his body is injured and exhausted." Lili snapped out of her daze of staring at Bell's prone form and commanded their two healers to act. Without hesitation, Aralaya chanted her magic faster than she had ever done in her life, managing to get it active before Haruhime had even gotten around to begin hers.
"May the sun wrap you in its warmth, bind your wounds with its rays, and cleanse your body through the crucible's fire. Ake Jihi!" Haruhime chanted her magic before it too began its work on Bell's body. The combined effects of the two healing magics quickly showed their effects as his skin visibly returned, color returned to his face as his bones seemed to shift slowly into place where they were out of alignment.
Elora held his hand tightly as she quietly whispered something no one could make out while Jannor was sitting beside her, holding her other hand in worry.
Adrienne stood behind them, unknowing of what to do. She hated the feeling of helplessness… and even after vowing to never feel it again, here she was. Feeling helpless.
Minutes passed with the group surrounding him, Asterius in the background staring at the man on the floor with an almost cheshire grin. That aura of power he let out was enough for him to know that he had found his destined rival. That it was 'him', the person he'd been waiting for ever since he'd heard of his banishment.
The boy that saved his people, the Xenos at the cost of his own freedom. He had returned, and Asterius couldn't wait for them to have their rematch. Though even he understood that at the moment, he was in no shape to fight, let alone engage in a rematch, and thus decided to follow them along and assist in his rival's recovery.
It may not have been part of their deal, but it benefited him all the same.
As the healing stopped from the spells, the group Bache carefully positioned him on her back as comfortable as they could get him before tying him to her to make sure he didn't fall due to the extreme winds within the storms on the way back.
"We should move to the 64th floor. It's the nearest safety point where we can rest." Aralaya suggested as everyone looked at her.
"It's the smartest choice. We've been fighting non-stop for a while and we're all injured in at least one way or the other. We need rest, and so does Dad… especially dad…" There was silence in response as multiple eyes turned towards Bell's unconscious form, his head leaning on Bache's shoulder as he took labored breaths.
"Your mage is correct." The entire group snapped their heads as Asterius' gruff voice "I can practically smell your exhaustion. I shall lead you there and stay on guard until you're ready to continue ascending." To say they felt a sense of relief at that statement alongside a tinge of wariness was an understatement.
Though the three other Xenos were the most shocked at the proposition. Asterius was the Xenos most obsessed with training, and even if he was fiercely protective of his fellow Xenos, he never volunteered for missions or the such and the only times he stepped up was when one of them was in danger.
He knew full well that they could make up to the 64th floor on their own and set up camp. He knew the risks weren't that bad and that ascending the dungeon was quicker and less dangerous than descending, making their return trip that much more likely to succeed.
Though if Wiene thought on it, it made sense. His entire purpose for training in the first place was to grow stronger in order to prepare for his rematch with his 'destined rival'. Now that he had apparently found him and in such a vulnerable state, he probably wanted to make sure he recovered himself.
"Alright, but can you take it slowly? As you said, we're all tired." She asked as the Bull looked at her before nodding.
"As you wish, I will keep my pace to your desired stride. Lead the way." With those words, the group began their journey upwards in the dungeon with Bell unconscious in tow.
=The Hostess of Fertility=
Ryuu lay in her bed as she stared out the window, the full moon illuminating the buildings outside and the simple furnished room she had lived in for the past two decades. Her elven ears picked up the loud chattering down in the pub as the finest hours of the night had arrived for its business.
She couldn't help but wonder if all the chattering was about the noise the dungeon had let out… that noise that signaled the arrival of that 'thing'. The Juggernaut. The very monstrosity that had utterly slaughtered her entire familia alongside everyone she regarded as family.
Celty, Ryana, Asta, Noin, Maryuu, Iska, Neze, Lyra, Kaguya and Alise to name a few. All good people… amazing people, the best.
They'd all died in hopes of her living on, even if she hated it. She didn't deserve it and she knew it. She'd thrown away Justice for revenge, slaughtering the Rudra Familia indiscriminately in any way she could, no matter how underhanded. She'd spat on their vision of justice alongside their sacrifice, and it was a sin she could never truly forget or be forgiven for.
This entire day had brought everything back, those memories she'd tried to bury to hide her grief, those smiles, laughs and good times she had with her familia. Their faces as they were being torn apart. Their limbs flying alongside their guts and innards in every direction, painting the floor red with them.
That hopeless view she'd had as she'd been frozen in shock and fear alongside disbelief at what was happening.
And despite that… she'd wanted to go down there and find him. To find who more than likely was right where that monster appeared. He had a tendency to be at the center of anything of note ever since he had first become an adventurer.
Now, she could only sit here and hope for their safe return just like back then, she was helpless to do anything.
Taking a sigh, she got up into a seated position and looked at her hands, her vision flashing back to that day, the hands covered in the blood of her family before she blinked, back in her room.
She closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly shut as her fists closed. All she could do was hope for their safe return without being able to do anything… the feeling of helplessness burning at her heart.
And she hated it, as it reminded her of that day.
=Archian Manor=
Within one of the living room suites of the mansion, Erebus sat on the windowsill looking out towards Babel tower. Being a god with only seven blessings active, he had a very easy time keeping track of them at all times. Although the feeling of the connection was faint and didn't tell the small details, it gave a general idea of the situation his children were in.
He knew that for the past few days, his familia had encountered a very tough time down in the dungeon. It all started five days ago at this point with the feeling of one of the connections going faint. He had no idea who it was, but it was clear that day that they were very hurt.
He could tell that all of them were hurt badly by the end of whatever scuffle had been going on, but also that something had split one of them apart from the rest.
It was the one split from the rest that worried him the most with their connection changing in strength all the time, growing faint and stronger like a wave. But it was clear that the situation wasn't good. Although there had been ups and downs, their connection had grown fainter and fainter with time, probably signifying them growing weaker and weaker.
All of it led to today. Every connection had struggled, clearly having difficulties beyond what his imagination could muster. His godly intuition told him that the dungeon's roar that had echoed across Orario like a bad omen had been due to something his children had done.
Things had gotten better after a little while, but that split off connection had reached an all time low and he had truly believed for a moment that he'd lose them… but his smile at the moment said all there needed to be said about what had happened.
The connection had clearly strengthened alongside the rest. It relieved him as it gave him ample reason to believe that they'd be able to return.
Erebus' thoughts drifted as the door opened with Fina walking in in her civilian clothes.
"Ehm… Erebus-sama?" She asked as the god looked at her with his smile.
"Yes?"
"Is everything alright?" She asked as he hummed before nodding, looking back out the window towards Babel tower.
"Yes… I do believe everything will be alright." The response made the chienthrope tilt her head in confusion, but as all inhabitants of Orario learnt one way or the other. Never try to make sense of a god's hidden meaning between their words. It only gives you a headache.
"Is that so? I wanted to tell you that dinner is ready." She said as Erebus' white hair waved as he stood up straighter.
"Alright then, I'll be right there." Fina nodded and left after his response as the god took one last look out the window.
"Return in one piece… all of you." He muttered before heading off towards dinner.
=The 64th Floor, 5 hours later=
It had taken a while to find a good spot to camp on the 64th floor with the winds being as strong as they were. Most spots were either too uneven, too open or tightly packed.
Normally, open spots can make good camping grounds but in this environment, it was only a bane. With nowhere to give support to the tents to help weather the strong winds alongside the snow piling up much easier without trees blocking it partially.
But eventually, they found a good spot and set up camp. Elora's and Bell's tent had been set up first in order to protect him from the harsh environments. His armor and clothes were in such poor condition that he might as well be naked in this cold. If he had even a little less tolerance towards the cold, he'd probably have gone blue by the time they got the tent up.
Thankfully, they managed to get a fire going thanks to the cliff alongside trees that surrounded them.
The storm barely licked the camping ground, making fire much easier to produce alongside the cold not being as prevalent, though still lethal.
At the moment, Bell had been put in his tent with Aralaya monitoring his condition and giving him everything he needed.
The girl had been completely appalled at the extreme dehydration he had gone through. His blood was basically jelly with no liquid present. How he had survived this long was a miracle in and of itself.
He had regained some liquids before they had found him, but it hadn't been nearly enough to rejuvenate him.
The first thing Aralaya had done was basically force feed him a few gallons of water before giving him, making him eat some highly nutritious food. He'd clearly lost a lot of it and needed much to heal as quickly as possible.
She'd probably need to give him more water within a few hours as he'd probably burn through the amount she had fed him like a salt desert does with the rain.
On the thought, she grabbed the flask she had used to hydrate her father and exited the tent, shivering as the cold hit her. Even if the storm for the most part couldn't penetrate the thick treeline and cliff that protected them, some of it still made it through and the cold didn't decrease that much by just the loss of the wind.
The fire they had started was doing a poor job at warming up the entire camp but it was better than nothing.
Walking over to where they secured their supplies, heavily shuffling her feet and waist through the snow towards the fire. Just as she was about to reach the campfire, she stopped and began filling it with snow.
If there was one thing that wasn't an issue on these floors, it was water in direct contrast to the Scorched Hell.
She had been there when Erebus had told them about what Alfia and Zald said about that region, and the thought of her father having to suffer such a long time down there… it was something she wouldn't wish for even her worst enemies.
'It's just as they all said. The dungeon is a cruel and fickle place' she thought bitterly as she screwed the cork on the flask shut, filled to the brim with water.
Due to snow generally weighing less than water, when melted, it took up less space. Snow is over thirty times less dense than water.
She'd have to repeat the process multiple times to get three quarters of the flask filled.
"H-hey s-sis-s." Aralaya looked over to her side where her twin brother was shuffling through the snow towards her, shivering and holding his shoulders tightly with his teeth clattering.
"H-h-hey." She waved slightly before shivering as well, she could understand his predicament. These floors were absolutely freezing and they were severely underleveled for them. Both of them were level 3 in a zone recommended for level 6 minimum. Even with their pushed status, they'd be equivalent to a mid level 4 at most due to them nearing the limit of their status.
That still left them two levels under what was recommended. The only reason they were not being frozen solid was their clothing protecting against the cold.
"W-what are-e you doin-g-g?" He asked as she put the flask as close to the fire as she safely could.
"F-filling up some w-water for-r dad." The answer was followed by a short silence before her brother nodded, his mouth in a straight line.
Moving closer to the fire, the two held their hands above it, basking in the warmth it radiated.
"I-I never thought it'd see-e dad… like that…" He answered, looking at the cackling flames in a contemplative manner.
"Yeah… I… It f-feels wrong. Dad has always been so strong."
"I know… but it got me thinking. Yes, dad's always been strong in our experience, but what about when he started out?" He asked as Aralaya looked at her brother, wondering where he was going with this.
"Remember what they always told us?" She didn't even have to think on what he meant with that, as it was something they'd said to them every time they felt like they were weak.
"Everyone starts off weak… and grows strong with time and effort." It had been something that hadn't felt real the first time they had said it, but they'd seen how they themselves had grown stronger since they began. Their current selves could probably fight a level four solo and win.
Their entire lives, they had seen their father, mom and aunt as what strong meant. But that's just from their perspective. When they had arrived in Orario, they had truly begun to see that wasn't everyone's view. To most in fact, they weren't just strong, they were monsters of strength.
Aralaya shook her head as she noticed her brother's mouth moving, listening in to what he was saying.
"Dad, like everyone else in the beginning, was weak. People looked down on him… probably belittled him, but he overcame the odds and grew strong. But the last few days have really put things into perspective. He may have grown a lot, but there is still room for more growth. He can still get stronger, and he can still be overwhelmed. Like everyone else… he's mortal." The words sank in as Aralaya feld a sense of awe with the insight her somewhat of a clueless dunce of a brother could give at times.
The growth of an adventurer was without a doubt an endless journey, and that applied to their father as well. In order to grow, one must push their basic abilities to improve them and even then, eventually they hit a wall.
Dad had been level 7 for over three years and even if it was normal to them, raising his abilities to all S in that amount of time without the help of any skills at that level was… beyond impressive.
Bache too was nearing the S-mark with her abilities with two of them being in A rank.
She'd been a level 7 about the same time as dad and he was stronger yet still grew faster, even without the skill active at the time.
"You're right…" She said as Jannor looked at her, their red eyes meeting as she smiled.
"Thanks."
"For what?" Rolling her eyes she snickered slightly before lightly punching him on the shoulder, causing him to rub it lightly.
"For putting it into perspective. I really needed that." Her smile widened slightly as he returned it.
"Any time." The two entered a comfortable silence before Aralaya eventually returned to the tent to feed her father more water.
Shortly outside the camp beyond the trees and in the middle of the storm, Asterius stood with his sword in the ground, his arms resting on its pommel. His nostrils flared time and time again with his hot breath as he looked out into the thick fog the storm produced.
After so long, he'd found his rival, and the thought of how close he was to his rematch was an exciting thought for a lack of a better term. Most wouldn't think of the Bull as the patient type, but it was something he'd learnt with time. His entire existence had been for the sole purpose of growing stronger and having his rematch, at least that's what he felt.
But his rival's banishment had been something that had frustrated him to no end. No matter how much he'd trained or grown stronger, he could never fulfill his purpose. He couldn't fight his destined rival.
The frustration had boiled and boiled for years, to the point that the Xenos were afraid to even talk to him due to the fierce aura it exuded.
If it hadn't been for Wiene, that innocent little girl who clearly had pushed past her fear somehow and talked to him, he'd probably moped and grown even more frustrated until he exploded.
She'd talked sense into him and reignited his purpose with the sheer determination in her words after a short exchange. The way she'd been adamant about him eventually returning. Even if she at the time hadn't understood that he was his rival, she'd understood who he was talking about. After that exchange, he had headed deeper with his purpose reignited, determined to prepare for his rival's return. All due to a little girl's interference.
For that, he was eternally grateful towards the Vouivre. Out of all the Xenos, Asterius cared the most for that girl. He'd even go as far as to say that she was his best friend.
Rei had become a close second as they had been the ones that he interacted with the most after Lyd had passed.
He couldn't help but smile as his fur rustled in the freezing wind, ice forming at the tip of each strand.
If he survived his rematch with his rival, he knew that he'd dedicate his life to protecting the Xenos with everything he had. They were his family, the people he cared for, and thus, he wanted to protect them.
An extremely noble thing that he himself wouldn't let the others know that he was thinking of, but he couldn't help but feel excitement that he would finally be able to get his rematch, to test himself against someone so strong. Asterius could feel the power exuding from his rival in the tent.
Though he couldn't shake the feeling that he would have to wait on his long awaited fight, he turned to Wiene, watching her talk with… Adrienne if he remembered correctly.
He smirked slightly at the thought of being able to go all out, but came to the realization that with the end result coming to similar endings for both his Xenos "family" and his rival's family. Their powerhouse member and protector would be removed, leaving the family exposed to threats that only they'd be able to handle. A sympathetic sigh slipped through his lips, catching the attention of Rei.
"Asterius?" Rei asked.
"It's nothing, but we need to get moving as soon as possible. I can handle the cold, but I do not like it…" Asterius finished, his sentence turning to look at the edge of the cliff, hearing afar off monster roars mixed with the frostbitten wind indicating the appearance of monsters from the above and below floors..
"EVERYONE!" The yell caught their attention barely through the defining winds.
"He's awake," Bache finished with a sigh of relief.
"Finally" Asterius mumbled as the camp jumped up to go see Bell, Rei sighed at his comment.
"Dad!" The twins said in unison as the tent entrance was crowded with practically everyone wanting to get in.
"Hey… Ow my head feels like I was run over by a herd of minotaurs." Bell groaned out, clutching the side of his skull as Aralaya fumbled with the water flask.
"Here, you need water." Bell looked at her then to the flask. He didn't hesitate for a moment to grab it and practically drank it in one gulp. The feeling felt divine as his throat, despite the amount of liquids he had gotten since he was rescued, he still felt parched as if he hadn't drank for a long time. His head hurt like hell and he had pain all over his body.
Especially near his core but he couldn't exactly pinpoint it. Perhaps it was due to him straining some muscle or something.
As he put the flask down, he took the time to look around at the group watching him. Welf had a relieved grin on his face, looking at him in a mixture of worry and relief.
Mikoto seemed thankful that he was awake and was sitting on the grown in a traditional far eastern position as she smiled at him.
Haruhime seemed to be at the verge of tears, constantly wiping her eyes to try and hide how happy she was at the moment, holding Wiene who did the same thing.
Lili was crying her eyes out, whilst Adrienne patted her on the back as Lili kept mumbling something about him being stupid.
Bache was simply standing by the entrance, smiling at him with a nod, saying all that needed to be said with that single motion as he returned the gesture.
Adrienne, Aralaya and Jannor seemed on the border of hysterically relieved and happy.
When his eyes landed on that of his wife, Elora just sat there holding her wrist, tears streaming down her face, Bell couldn't help but smile at her… a smile, that was all that was needed to break the dam that held her stoic persona since her injuries. Sobs came out of her as she launched herself into his chest, wrapping her arms around his body as she squeezed.
Reciprocating the action, she put one arm around her waist with the other slowly caressing the back of her head, somewhat playing with her hair but also massaging her scalp.
"Hey… It's alright… I'm alright…" He whispered to her just before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned in the direction of the person, meeting amber eyes. Wiene didn't hesitate to give him a hug which was kind of difficult to return as he was still soothing his wife, but he did his best to reciprocate the action by leaning his head on her shoulder.
"I'm really happy you're okay, Bell." She gave him a wide smile. The wide smile that had made her borderline impossible to dislike when she was younger. It still accentuated features as he smiled back.
"Yeah… I feel like crap, but I'll live." This seemed to snap Elora out of her outburst as she sniffed, pulling herself away to look at him with stern determination.
"Yes, and you're getting rest. No fighting for you on the way back mister!" She made her point clearer by tapping his chest with her finger at certain keywords.
"Right… I'm not getting out of that, am I?" He asked with an awkward chuckle.
""NO!"" Everyone said at the same time as he flinched. Right… no fighting…
"Alright, though judging by the cold I'd say we're in the glacier territory, right?" he asked as Eloar nodded.
"Okay… just wonde-" Bell stopped as he paid attention to his senses. Specifically the monstrous presence right outside his tent that sent every hair on his body standing worse than anything he'd felt in a long time. Last time he felt this kind of feeling was… Kita.
Without a doubt, someone or something very strong was right outside.
"-ell! Bell!" He shook his head as he snapped out of his daze.
"Ah, sorry… but should there be someone very strong outside?" He asked his wife who's smile wavered as he could practically feel her nervousness.
"Ah, well… you see…" She stopped, looking for the right words as the entire group sweatdropped in unison apart from one person.
"Oh you mean Asterius? He's a Xenos and he's helped us." Bache explained as Elora looked at the amazon in shock at her tactlessness.
"Bache!"
"What!? He'd find out one way or the other." She reasoned with a shrug as Bell blinked.
"Who's Asterius?" He asked, not recognizing the Xenos. He'd thought he knew most of them, but this was definitely one that had escaped his knowledge.
"Well…" He looked towards Wiene as she spoke up, waiting for her to continue "He's our strongest kin. Our nickname for him is… The bull of Catastrophe." She answered as Bell felt a spark of intrigue get lit in his heart.
"That… sounds ominous, but it fits with the amount of strength I can feel from him." He looked outside the tent before sighing.
Pushing himself onto his feet with more ease than he likely had for days, he walked outside as the group followed him.
The moment he exited, Rei greeted him with a hug which he of course returned, before they separated.
Heavy stomps were mixed with the sound of crunching snow compressing beneath the weight of something large, as his form came into view Asterius' throat rumbled with a low hum. Though injured, Bell returned the favor by not even showing a hint of fear, just a nonchalant look to his face.
When they came within a few feet of each other and stopped, there was a visible difference in height, their strength seemed to be the same when they poured it out. Bache could be heard whispering something about some sort of greeting that only men of the most masculine of men can greet each other with, no words needed.
"You're Asterius, right?" Bell asked after a moment as the Bull nodded with a huff, his red eyes gleaming in a satisfied way.
"I believe it would be safe to assume that you were the one who helped my family out and rescued me?" Bell asked.
Asterius grunted, "I was, part of the deal of rescuing you was that I would be able to fight you once you fully recovered"
One of Bell's eyebrows perked "Really now?" Bell turned to his family.
"Bache was the one who made the deal" Lili quickly pointed out, followed by a glare from the aforementioned amazon.
"It's true" Bache said "He said something about you being rivals and wanting a rematch"
"A rematch?" Belled asked.
"Yes, I've had a dream for as long as I can remember of fighting a white haired boy with rubellite eyes… a battle that truly set my heart ablaze… yet I lost. I wish for a chance to fight again. To see who truly is the stronger warrior." Asterius said.
Bell thought for a second, 'He fought me… and it was an intense battle he lost? Could he be…?'
"Are you perhaps that Minotaur I fought to reach level 2 fifteen years ago?" Bell said.
"That I am… I am glad you remember." Asterius said, smiling at his rival.
"Funny how you became a Xenos, though I can't really complain." Bell chuckled as the big guy did so as well, the two shaking their heads at the same time.
"Indeed it is, it's almost as if we were destined to fight for eternity" Asterius commented, the line threw everyone in a loop. What did he mean with 'Fight for eternity'?
Skipping past the last part of that sentence for now, Bell looked Asterius in the eyes, "So this rematch you're wanting, what are the rules?" Bell asked.
"To the death…" Asterius said this with a growl, a menacing tone carried the words, leaving them strung in the air, and heavy to all within their hearts.
"That's quite the match you want to have, I mean, even if you won, that would mean we'll need to have a tiebreaker" Bell said.
Asterius stared at him for a second before he shocked everyone with a small chuckle.
"That indeed my rival, that indeed" Asterius said, pondering that particular conundrum.
"How about this, instead of death, it's until either one of us is unable to continue whatsoever. What's the point of killing one's rival when we can instead grow stronger together?" Bell smiled at him as he tilted his head in a strikingly similar manner to that of Finn Deimne.
"Then… What's our score?" He asked as Bell's smile widened.
"Let's say I win, then it's two to none. If that happens, then you have a chance to get stronger and try again. Would you rather not continue living and protecting the ones you care for while still having the excitement of a rival to keep you on your toes?"
Wiene, Rei and Let stared at Bell in absolute awe at how quickly Bell had figured the Bull out, almost as if they were old friends who just met each other after a very long time.
They could see Asterius' processing his thoughts as they waited for a response. What Bell had suggested was actually something that Asterius would definitely find appealing. The Bull is the very definition of a battle junkie. It's all he thinks about as far as they know, apart from helping the Xenos when they need it.
The thought of having a rival at all times to keep him on his toes so that nothing ever gets stale must sound very appealing.
As the seconds ticked by Asterius got more and more used to the idea as he felt like it was something he should have thought of earlier.
Why did he need to lose his rival? Why not just fight until one can't continue, before training again to get stronger?
It was such a simple yet intriguing idea that made him grin in anticipation.
"I agree… it does sound more enticing than just having my rematch." The words sent a collective sigh of relief throughout the camp, the snow storm outside of it raging on.
Bell smiled at him before peeking over his shoulder with a look begging for forgiveness towards his wife for what he was about to do.
"Say… Asterius." He began as the Bull's attention was completely focused on the man in front of him.
"We're all going back up to the 50th soon, and I have a proposal." The thought both scared and filled him with a sense of thrill at what he was about to say.
"What may that be?"
"You come with us, and at the 50th… we'll have our rematch." The moment the words escaped his lips, Elora screeched out in complete and utter surprise and retaliation.
"HUUUUUUUUH!? THE HELL YOU ARE!" Bell flinched at the noise as she stomped up to him, the thick snow doing nothing to slow her down.
"What did I say about no fighting! You! Are! Not! Fighting!" She somehow managed a mix between a hiss and a scream to get her point across.
"I know, I know, but the thing is… I may have survived the Scorched Hell but… I don't know if this is enough to level up. The requirements to reach level 8 is… well, crazy. It's not to the death either and only until one of us can't continue." He reasoned as Elora just shook her head in defiance, the rest of the group behind seemingly glaring at Bell as if telling him with their eyes alone that they agreed with his wife.
"Do I have to tell you how many broken bones you have that didn't heal properly? Twenty three bones Bell. TWENTY SIX!-"
"Well, that leaves 180 non-broken ones." He shrugged as if it was the most normal thing in the world to say as Elora just looked at him weirdly.
"What?" He asked with a chuckle as she shook her head with the most disappointed sigh he'd ever heard.
"God… why do I even bother?" She mumbled as Bell's expression softened.
"Look, honey… I love you so much, and I understand how you feel. You just want me to be safe and to take care of myself… but I have to do this. I don't know how to describe it but there is just this… pull inside of my heart. It's pushing me to fight him." He said as he looked towards Asterius who had been looking over the interaction in silence.
"Like we were destined to do this…" Elora looked at him in the eyes as he turned back and looked at him. The burning fire deep in them reflects his desire within his soul. It was mesmerizing.
"Elora, just let him. I can see that no amount of arguing is going to stop it from happening." Bache called out. Even if she too agreed with Elora, she knew that sometimes, you just had to do something even if it was illogical. Especially if you live the life they live. Adventurers logically shouldn't look for adventures in order to stay alive but… sometimes, you have to abandon logic in order to reach the next stage.
Elora looked at Bell before nodding slowly.
"Fine… just… be careful okay." She said.
"I can't lose you too…" The next words were so low that even Bell barely heard them as his eyes widened before softening again, a genuine smile spreading on his face as he pulled her into a hug.
"You won't… I promise." He answered back as she mumbled something incomprehensible against his chest. After a moment the two separated as she looked into his eyes and nodded.
"Okay, but just this fight. On the way back, you won't even touch a weapon, alright!?" She demanded as Bell understood that she needed this, and he was honestly fine with it.
"Yeah, I'm good with that." He said with a nod as she looked at him for one more moment before smiling.
"Good…"
Bell turned back towards Asterius, looking him dead in his red eyes.
"So, what do you say? Back on the 50th floor… we'll have our rematch." He asked as the Bull grinned, his heart pumping in anticipation at the very prospect of finally having his duel.
The entire group looked at the two, both looking vastly different in power, yet their auras clashing against each other as if trying to overpower one another. Their eyes glowing against the white of the storm past them, as Asterius' words echoed across the camp, overpowering even the noise from the loud storm surrounding their entire camp.
"I accept."
That's chapter 60 everyone! I hope you enjoyed it and are pumped for the next chapter! Asterius and Bell's long awaited rematch is coming up!
I also noticed it's been a hot two weeks without a chapter and was kind of itching to get this out.
There isn't really much else to announce if Chalsiter doesn't want to say anything, so instead, I'll get right into the reviews.
Zasun: "Yeah… But it won't work… he already has someone."
Well, it was fun, Elora. You were super cool and I liked your character a lot, but that's the biggest death flag I've ever seen. Hopefully Auntie Ais will raise your kids like her own.
Hey authors! It's been a while since I reviewed. Absolutely amazing, I'm thrilled Asterius is back and absolutely dominating. The battle crazy toddler line made me laugh pretty hard. I also enjoyed the delirium of Bell after extreme dehydration. That was a good touch and made that last fight better. The question is how fast will the rescue party be able to get to Bell? Because I just can't see him moving after this fight. He'll pass out right at the end of the 69th so they will have ten floors to cover (or so I'm guessing).
I also can't wait for the announcement of his and everyone else's level ups. Because they all literally have to after this. Especially Bache. Because she's going to make it out of this and become level 8 too. Kill everyone else whatever I don't care, but just let her keep going. :(
Author: Hey Zasun, it's been quite a while. Last we heard from you was chapter 49 if memory serves me well xD. Anyway, about that death flag… I won't spoil anything, but you people really don't seem to learn haha. You can never know what will happen as we always toy with your expectationg, thus creating a split between everyone on what will happen xD
Also, the announcements later as to if anyone will level up is still left to be seen. Don't wanna say too much xD
Anyway, it was great seeing you again. Hope to hear from you again later!
Yuh292: Awesome chapter, and congratulations on 1000 reviews.
However, I do have to mention the death flags. I don't think that you plan to kill off Elora, but I'm worried.
This is actually something I've been wondering for a while, you've been doing a good job with the Aiz POV's, but it makes me wonder what your plan is for her and Bell.
Author: Thanks! It does feel unreal that the story has gained such traction, but also humbling. Also, this is exactly what I meant with Zasun. Everyone believes something different to what will happen. He believes Elora will die and you don't believe it.
It just makes it more interesting to see who's right muhahaha!
As for Ais' pov. We have incorporated her into the story more and more as she will come to play a larger role later on with her connection to the Black Dragon and everything. We are closing in on the last couple of Arcs of the story and as we move closer and closer to the end, the Black Dragon will have more and more of an importance.
Stevenpiskunov2: I know that you said that your Alfia story could potentially be her familias rise to power up until the time she attacks Orario with Evilus or maybe she takes care of Bell. I know you guys can go in any direction you want.
But for me, why write a story when by the time that its over we already know what the fate of the characters are going to be? Like in any prequel movie or show. Like star wars, the prequel movies were good and all but werent as exciting as we already knew what would happen with Anakin becoming Vader.
If you went a route where she took care if Bell instead, that would be something to look forward too as its something well maybe not new but its still a "What If". And we have no idea how it will turn out.
But as I said its your stories and I have faith that whatever you guys choose to do will still be really great to read.
Author: Well, might as well announce it here. Me and Chalister have decided on an 'Alfia takes care of Bell' fic but with some unique twist to it that will have to wait for you to see.
The official name of the story after TFA is without a doubt, 'The Progeny of Talent'. Hope you all like it!
JackBlaze123: From Asterius absolutely demolishing the Juggernaut to Bell going man possessed by an indomitable and insane will, this chapter was peak and glorious fiction. Just pity I've caught up to the story now and not when the 60th chapter was released
Author: Hey Jack, I've noticed that you have read through mine and Chalister's entire story from beginning to end or something like that and reviewed along the way. I'll just answer a few of your questions here for your reading.
1. As for Bell not using scourge against the viking army was due to him knowing that it doesn't increase his endurance, but all his damage output instead. Imagine this, the damage was already massive and close to killing him. He knew that if he used scourge with Legacy's Rebirth, it'd do so much damage to him that he might die.
2. As for Ais and Bell shagging. I won't say or spoil anything since there are a lot of people against it and for it (I'm looking at you, mairsarmy321) so going either route results in the same thing, though we aren't bending our story just to please any one. We are still following the path we have written and if it displeases anyone, then that's just the way it is.
Fanfiction writing is something that can never please anyone, hell, writing in general is like that. All we authors can do is write a story we are as happy with as possible and follow it as we planned it unless we come up with something that fits the story better.
3. Yeah, I know Liaris Freeze is like, 'The Ultimate Cheat Code' but even in canon, the very name of the skill implies something about 'love'. So in this story, we made it so that it was based on his feelings for Ais to at least balance it a bit.
4. About the Bete bashing, it's actually something we plan to go back and rewrite as neither of us were really happy with it in the end. It might not change for a while, but it eventually will.
That's it for the reviews! As always, I hope to see you next time!