"She's staring…"

"Mmph."

"Should I… what do I do?"

"You tell me, you're the one she's staring at."

The mermaid had since ceased her clapping, instead, content with staring at the boy. She still had a wondrous, gleeful smile spread across her face.

Bell stared back at her, stunned by her actions as well as her beauty. Instinct got the best of him as his eyes began to wander from her face down to her barely covered chest.

"Hey. Eyes up." Isaac deadpanned.

"—!"

Bell immediately flushed a deep red as he spun around to not taint the mermaid girl with his wandering eyes. Damn you, grandpa!

Snapping himself out of his blushed stupor, he refocused on the mermaid (her as herself; not her assets) only to see her dive back into the water.

"Wait!" Bell thought. But before the words could manifest themselves in his throat, she was already submerged below the depths.

"Hm. Shy…" Isaac pondered. "Xenos, maybe?"

Bell thought about it. It was a logical conclusion. Nothing about her mannerisms had any hint of atypical monstrous behavior. She was rather ebullient, childish even. She looked to be one that Bell could trust in the newfound depths of the lower floors.

Placing his hand on his brows to form a visor, he squinted hard, trying to peer past the murky and dark depths of the water in search of the mermaid. Behind him, the mermaid glanced at how silly the boy looked and giggled. Upon hearing this, Bell spun around, only to be staring at the mermaid yet again from behind a small rock formation in the water.

"So, thinking of asking her?" Isaac chimed in. "If she wanted to attack you, she would have done so already. At worst, she just runs off."

It seemed worth a shot.

"You okay?" she suddenly spoke. "You're bleeding."

"—! She can talk!" Bell thought, his words teeming with excitement.

"Guess that more than confirms it," Isaac said with a shrug. "She might know Lyd, Ray, and Gros then."

A small smile curled on Bell's lips at the sound of his Xenos companions. Though her name was not mentioned, he couldn't help but think of the Vouivre girl. Maybe he should try visiting them soon in the future.

"Oh, and you are bleeding. Nothing too severe, but you don't have any potions left."

Bell brought up his forearm bracer to his face to try and vainly wipe off the blood dripping down his face. The adrenaline that had been coursing through his veins during the fight had allowed him to temporarily ignore the stinging pain. But it had now run dry, and his wounds became evermore evident. His hand was a few inches away from his face, but he stopped himself, realizing that he would only smear the crimson liquid further on him. He looked back at the mermaid to see she had peeped out of her hiding place ever so slightly.

"Um," he began with an awkward smile. "Would you happen to be a Xenos, by chance?"

A glimmer shone in the mermaid's eyes at the mention of the miscellaneous band of monsters. She dove under the water and began swimming towards him. She splashed the water fiercely, forcing Bell to cover his face to not get it drenched. Before he could realize and react, she was flying towards him, her arms outstretched and her face adorned with a comely and warm smile. She wrapped her arms around his back as she laid her chin on his right shoulder.

"?!"

That was all that Bell could think of as he felt the newfound weight bearing on his body. His face once again became flushed.

"Well, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Wha—wha—wha—what do I do?!"

"I dunno. You tell me. You're the one who always seems to find himself in situations like these."

Not helping. True, but not helping.

"You smell… like Rei!" she commented casually.

"You know Miss Rei?"

"Yeah. Rei is pretty and Lyd is a cutie. And Gros is a shy one."

"'A cutie'," Bell repeated. "'A shy one.'"

"Don't think about it too hard," Isaac half-laughed.

"Uh, so," Bell began. "My name is Bell…"

"Hm?"

Ah, language barrier. It was natural for a monster born from the depths of the dungeon to not have a complete grasp of the common language of the world above. Though, it was still impressive in and of itself that the Xenos naturally understood and could even recite common words and phrases belonging to a foreign tongue.

"Bell. Bell."

He admittedly felt silly, having to repeat his name. While she looked more mature than Wiene, she most likely had the same mental maturity as her. Maybe even less so.

Baby steps. We try to understand one another in baby steps.

"I am Bell."

"Bell?" she repeated back.

She suddenly gasped in excitement as the significance of the interaction clicked in her mind.

"I'm Marie!" she declared gleefully.

"Miss Marie, huh?"

"Marie the Mermaid. Has a nice ring to it."

But before the two (technically, three) could get further acquainted Marie glowered at Bell's face. Bell was confused at her expression but became even more baffled by how she loosened her grip on him, and stuck her finger into her mouth, biting into it. She bit hard enough, to the point she drew blood.

"Bell. Lick this," she said authoritatively.

Eh?

Before Bell could react, he suddenly had a finger forcefully shoved into his mouth.

"Just lick it and swallow it," she said as she swished her finger to get practically every nook and cranny in his mouth.

"Just lick it and swallow it!"

This felt wrong in so many ways. Her words sounded wrong in so many ways. Her naivety couldn't be helped, but that didn't give any comfort to the boy.

"Hurry up!"

"Bell just suck it, she's not going to stop."

Not. HELPING!

Oh, gods, he could hear an elderly man cackling in his head. Can it, old man! You're the reason I'm thinking like this!

"Keep going!"

Okay, okay! Where did all this persistence come from?

"This would look really bad if someone walked in on us right now!"

"How about the one who's already here? You think I'm faring any better?"

In his panic, Bell had frankly forgotten about Isaac's presence. He imagined how awkward he must have felt, having to be an unwilling witness to something lewd(?)

Come on, Bell. Just do it, do it for Isaac's sake!

Bell formed a suction with his lips and began drinking the blood so fervently offered to him. As he sucked, the more he began to notice that he was beginning to feel rejuvenated. Wha—

Oh, that's right! Mermaid lifeblood.

It was a rare healing drop item that was on par with man-made potions. The fatigue he had felt earlier began to dissipate as the cuts on his face began to seal themselves.

"Showwy…" Bell gurgled out, having Marie's finger still lodged in his mouth. "And tankchu bery murch…"

"Erm, that's one way to solve the no potion situation."

Having been healed by the mermaid's mystical powers, she pulled her finger out of his mouth and smiled sweetly.

"You're all better now!" she beamed cheerfully.

Physically, perhaps. Mentally, less so.

Marie looked at her saliva-covered finger contently.

"That's a relief."

Bell immediately grabbed her hand and plunged it into the water. He held her hand by the wrist as he watched the current flow over her hand. A sense of relief washed over the boy. Bye-bye convicting evidence…

"It stings a little…"

"Ah! I—I'm sorry!"

Bell let out a heavy sigh of relief as he straightened himself up. From above, the sound of monstrous roars teeming with bloodlust rang out in the cavern. Marie looked up, her once jolly face now flushed with fear and concern.

"I don't like it here.," she said, anxiety laced in her voice. "Let's go over there."

Before Bell could react, Marie had dived under the water, leaving the boy no choice but to attempt to trail behind her.

"Over where exactly?" was all Bell could futilely ask as his words were drowned out by the water's depths.

"Well, we can't stay here. Better hop to it!"

"Not you too…"

Why…? Why is it always with the rabbits…?

.

.

.

"I know what you wanna say. Talk."

Isaac pondered on the words for a moment before mentally chastising himself. The tone felt cynical, sardonic even. He didn't intend for it to come out like that. Had he always been so tactless? He never intended to meet the boy under such circumstances. But he couldn't let him die.

The boy no doubt had questions for him. That was fine. That was natural. Their earlier conversation had been cut off by the unforgiving nature of the dungeon. And when Marie appeared, the boy had tucked away any further questions he may have had in the back of his mind—where he dwelled. Now, it was as good a time as any to ask as he ran across the bank in search of the mermaid.

"...I died…"

"Yes. Yes, you did."

"But I came back."

"Mmm."

"But… how… why…? That thing—the angel—that killed me. Where did it come from—why did it kill me?"

Such a terrible thing: to die. But even more so to remember it.

So many questions. All understandable, yet some he could not provide answers for.

"That angel that killed you was a byproduct of the universe's wrath. It sought justice, as it is within its nature to do so. Crime and punishment."

"Huh? The universe…? For what? What did I do?"

"It wasn't necessarily punishing you."

The words felt so heavy, harder to say than he thought. Choosing to pocket that conversation for a later time, he switched topics.

"As for how you're alive again, I attribute that to our connection to one another. We both can't necessarily occupy the same space, the same 'plain'. When you died, I..." Isaac paused, his thoughts trailing and running about in his mind. He wasn't entirely sure how this whole ordeal worked. This was the first time that he even attempted such a switch.

"I was able to take over," he finally said. "To fill that missing space. And in turn, you filled in mine."

What a mess of things. But Isaac couldn't let him die. Not this time.

"Then, am I able to even die?"

"Yes, eventually."

Isaac paused, once again carefully considering his words.

"There will come a time when you do pass from this world."

Bell ceased his chase for a moment. He found himself blankly staring at the flowing waters of the stream beside him. This was all too confusing.

"But, you can't. Not yet. I need you alive."

"That—I don't—I don't understand." His voice was quiet, meek almost.

Death. Such a fascinating thing. Recognizable, yet shrouded in mystery. And despite experiencing it first-hand, he became even more confused by it.

"What do you mean you can't let me die?"

He couldn't. He just couldn't. That was all Isaac could think of to say. But that answer felt cheap and pathetic. It wasn't wrong, but it wasn't the whole truth. Think, think! What to say, what to say...

A newfound sound of singing resonated and echoed over the rush of water. Bell turned and looked in the direction that it came from.

"I'm sorry, Bell. I can't tell you everything, not now. Just, please. Trust me."

Bell's eyes twitched slightly at the sound of Isaac's words. He sounded so vulnerable as he pleaded.

Marie called out once again. How beautiful the sound of a mermaid's call was. But it became a monotone tune as it droned on in Bell's mind. He stared then looked down at the stream to see his reflection staring back. He reached out and touched his reflection, causing it to ripple and warp.

"I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?" Bell said softly.

"No. I guess not."

"Especially since, you know, you're in my head."

That got a bit of a chuckle from Isaac.

The mermaid called out once again, and this time, Bell could hear it clearly. It truly was a sweet melody. Picking himself off the ground, he resumed his previous pace and ran towards the call.

Trust. Okay, he would try to. For now...

.

.

.

Bell ran forward, through a pass on the side of a cliff face. When he emerged, he saw Marie sitting atop a rock on the bank, still singing sweetly. She stopped when she noticed Bell. She smiled and waved to him.

"Hey Bell!" she beamed.

"I'm glad I found you Miss Marie!"

She giggled.

Then, fully unintentionally (or so he swears on it), he glanced at her figure, and his eyes began to wander back onto her chest.

"...is this gonna be a recurring issue, Bell?"

There was a certain odium in Isaac's words as he emphasized the boy's name.

"Wha—I can't help it! They're literally covered by her hair!"

His face was growing increasingly red by the second.

"Staring at them still isn't helping your case."

"What's the matter, Bell?" Marie asked.

He quickly looked away and closed his eyes, lest to defile her further (not that she would be aware of or mind, to be frank).

"Uh, nothing, it's just…"

His words trailed off as he found himself unable to describe what was bothering him. Why was such a topic so uncomfortable?

Marie thought about it for a few moments, staring at the boy as he tried to convey his words through his eyes, which were partially covered by his hand. She looked down at herself and she understood. An understanding smile spread on her face as she clapped at the 'eureka' moment.

"Wait here!"

She dove into the water once again.

"Um, where are you going?"

Not again…

But in just a few moments, she reemerged, only this time she had a covering for her chest. Seashells. How fitting.

She slumped her top shelf on top of the margin, posing for the boy.

"I got clothes! Just like you humans!"

"Lucky you. A second longer and I would have started hitting things in here."

.

.

.

"Do you know the Xenos, Miss Marie? Like Mister Rido and all the others?"

The two were sitting beside one another, Bell's feet dangling just above the water, while Marie's flipper was fully submerged.

"'Miss Marie?' But I'm Marie!"

Language barrier.

"Oh, sorry," Bell chuckled. "Adding 'Miss' or 'Mister' to someone's name is a part of human culture, you see…"

Marie thought about it for a few moments before she casually closed the distance between her and Bell, stopping mere inches from his face.

"Just call me 'Marie'!"

Bell backed up and glanced away from her brilliant smile. Close, bright!

"M—Marie..."

"Yeah! Marie! I'm Marie!"

It'll take some getting used to, but it wasn't anything he minded too much.

"You didn't answer my question. Are you friends with Mister Rido and the othe—"

"'Mister Rido'?"

Language barrier—human culture barrier. The more cynical side of the boy was admittedly beginning to grow irked by her interjections and incomprehension.

"Just bear with it, Bell. I doubt she's gonna accept the use of honorifics."

He sighed.

"I mean, Rido… and the other Xenos. Is everybody else down here with you?"

"Rido went further up with the group," she replied.

Bell looked up, and Marie followed his gaze.

"To a higher floor?"

"Makes sense," Isaac remarked. "Lot of enemies on this floor, and there's nothing much here but stalactites and streams. Too risky and too little a reward to stay."

Marie frowned as she thought of the Xenos.

"Rei and the others always stick together. But I can't fly like she does. And I can't walk like Rido does."

Her voice held a certain longing in them. The world of solid ground was foreign and unwelcoming to her. Such was her burden of having a lower half being aquatic. The dungeon's water levels were few and far between, leaving her options to be confined to their current floor.

"So… I'm always left waiting for them."

"I see. That sounds pretty lonely," Bell commented.

"Let's talk about more stuff, Bell!"

She beamed her request rather abruptly. She'd rather not discuss her alienation. But at the mention of companionship, Bell remembered the ones he had accidentally left, the ones he made a promise to.

"Marie, listen to me."

His words were rather mature. He looked at Marie with a grave expression on his face.

"I have to leave and find a way back to my friends."

Marie's eyes widened. She knew what he was going to say. She was naive, but she wasn't vacuous. Don't ask. Please!

"I'd love to talk more with you, but…"

No—don't!

"Could you guide me to wherever other humans are?"

Her eyes became downcast as her smile twisted into a frown. She was sad, and she was becoming ever more worried for her new friend.

"Leaving is a bad idea," she stated. "This is a safe place. I always sing and play here without any problems."

Perhaps that would be enough to dissuade the boy. Perhaps they could sing and play together! Oh, how naive of her.

"Marie…"

"But there is a scary thing waiting if you leave."

If? No, he had to leave. He had to return home, back to the surface with his friends.

"I saw it myself!" she cried. "I saw it attacking some humans… your friends."

"—! Are you talking about the enhanced species?! That big, green monster?!"

"Moss Huge…"

Marie nodded.

But instead of deterring the boy, it spurred him on. He wouldn't let that thing harm his familia.

"Marie… I want to put a stop to that monster."

His voice was filled with his resolve. He would stop it. He would kill it.

"But I don't know where it is."

"You can't! Stay here, Bell!" she pleaded. "Otherwise, you and I will die. And everyone else too…"

Her voice trailed off as her fear and sadness became more apparent. Her hand placed itself firmly on his own. He could feel her shaking.

"I'm scared!" she trembled.

Scared? Of dying? The thought was oddly befogging to Bell. He thought of the earlier talk her had with Isaac.

Die. What a strange word.

Die? He did. He died. But he was back. He was alive. Alive. Alive? Why did he need to be alive?