Author's note:

A bit on the short side, but I think it concludes things nicely enough.

Chapter 51: Inside the arena

Bell:

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Every two seconds, it happened. Another flash of pain echoed through Bell's head. In the interval between the loud thuds there was a counter pulse. A duller pain that originated from the other side of his head.

Did something happen…?

Bell's thoughts were blurred. He could not focus. The dull pain was like a blessing, it was a relief from the sharper pain that drove thoughts away.

Suddenly, there was a third noise in his ears. Not just the two pulsing thuds and their accompanying pain. It was high-pitched and kind of annoying. Then it clicked. He was making it.

Bell was whining.

Bell felt a surge of anger at the thought. He could not believe how pathetic he was. Kirito would not be whining here. He would have opened his eyes and done something about the pain.

So, doing just that, Bell forced his eyes open. He wished he hadn't. He was just in time to see the ground rushing up to meet his head.

Thud!

At least Bell had discovered the source of the sharp, rhythmic pain. From what his returning groggy senses could tell him, the other pain was coming from the side of his had not impacting the rocky ground. Bell got the impression something had hit him on that side.

The floor came to meet him again. Thud!

The pattern continued. If he didn't end this, he would go insane.

Doing his best to send power through his body, Bell managed to twitch his fingers. His arms were dragging along the ground.

Move, damn it!

Slowly, his elbows curled. The outstretched, dead limbs began to approach his head. "Rargh!" With a last roar of effort, Bell encircled his head. It did not stop the thudding against the ground, but it severely reduced the pain.

"Grugh!"

A grunting roar came from nearby. Bell tried to twist his head, but his vision blurred. He was being pulled through the air at high-speed. A tugging on his leg threatened to dislocate his knee.

When Bell's vision blurred, he found himself face-to-face with a minotaur. No, not just a minotaur, the minotaur. The one that Bell had lost to for a second time. It had such destructive power that he could not match it, even with Haruhime's power-up.

"Why…" Bell spoke at the monster. "Why did you leave me alive?"

As he expected, there was no answer. It did not ponder his words. There was no intelligence in its eyes. There was only anger and a hunger. What could this monster hunger for? Bell did not know, but he had the sinking suspicion that he was about to find out.

With no warning, Bell's vision blurred again. More conscious now, he could track himself slightly better. Bell could feel his body get flipped behind the minotaur and then the throw forward. His left knee gave an ominous popping sound when he was released.

Vision swirling in circles, Bell could not prepare himself for the landing. As he feared, it was hard. His strained knee screamed in pain. Rolling multiple times, it abruptly stopped when he crashed again against a wall. Before Bell's vision stopped swimming, a loud crashing noise halted any chance of escape.

Bell gulped. There was a wall of bars between him and freedom. He was in a small alcove of stone barely a meter deep and wide. The height was only a little more than that. Before Bell, the source of the crashing noise was a row of metal spikes that had fallen from the roof, locking him in. They did not have the look of a smith's smooth creations. They bent and twisted, each one slightly different in colour and shape. They had a natural feel to them despite being distinctly unnatural.

The irony was lost on Bell as he looked past the bars into what was beyond. The minotaur had thrown him across a wide circular area. There was moss growing on the stone walls, but the floor was bare. On the outside were cages like Bell's. They were arranged in three levels, only a small ledge allowing one to climb up to the next level. If the bars being down meant there was something in the cage, then there were at least fifteen other captives with room for up to more than one hundred.

"What… the hell is this." Bell could not believe what he was seeing. This should not exist. Not on this floor. It did not make sense.

Faced with an unexplainable unknown, Bell slumped back against the wall and collapsed. He could not move, could not rise. Head falling, his eyes closed, and darkness consumed him once again.

Klein:

Some hero I was….

Even looking at Haruhime could not easily bring a smile to his face. The renart was definitely a cutie. She made Klein's heart speed up. Unfortunately, she was head over heels for Bell.

Somehow, it felt like all the cute girls were crazy for some wanna-be hero or a another. It grated on Klein. Didn't any of them see how awesome he was? He would be a fantastic boyfriend.

He would give the lucky woman tons of foot massages and shoulder massages and chest massages. All the massages. All he expected in return was a little cleaning, laughing at his jokes, and ordering pizza for him. Klein thought it was the best arrangement possible. Far better than playing second fiddle for some lady-killer.

Right now though… the thoughts would not come. Bell was gone. The kid-like white haired kid was no longer there. He had been kidnapped by a monster. Klein had daydreamed about rescuing maidens but… here he was.

Blade primed; he took one last glance around his group. Lili and Haruhime held one side of the diamond each while Welf brought up the rear. The blacksmith looked like garbage. His main worth right now was that magic sword he held in his right hand that spewed lightning. It would be needed against the minotaur.

That meant Klein was their only fighting member. He was to escort three people, by himself, to the minotaur's arena to save Bell.

I always hated escort quests…

Cursing the stupid monster that took Bell, Klein tried to compose his voice. He needed to sound cool and controlled for them. "Everyone! Let us… depart."

Failure…

Klein's words had been awkward. Rushed in place and a squeak in others. The others did not even laugh at him. They did not smile either. It was a morose group.

Damn it! What would Kirito do at this point?

Well that answer was easy to determine. Kirito would rush forward and save Bell. No, Kirito would have fought beside Bell in the first place and killed the minotaur.

"Tsk." Klein drew his sword and advanced into the cave. For some reason, it had an ominous feel to it. The vines at the entrance blocking the view were too close together. Like an intentionally made curtain.

That feeling only increased when he parted the vines with an arm and stepped inside. The very air had a weight to it. An oppressive aura of death. No, not death, something similar. This was a place of dying, but its intention was not death, that was merely a side effect.

"Hold on…" Lili muttered when she entered behind him. "The way this place curves… Is this marked on the map?"

"D-Do you want me to check?"

"There is no time!" Klein interrupted. Haruhime's offer was too slow. "It does not matter!"

Despite his strong words, Klein thought that Lili was right. This had to be an unexplored area. The nineteenth floor definitely felt dangerous, but this place was ten times more intense. Klein had been part of the group that descended to the twenty-seventh to capture the evilus remnants. Even on that floor, with a floor boss spawning, it did not have the same ominous feel to it.

This was not a standard dungeon area. Rather than being blood-thirsty, it felt ambitious. Yes, that was the word Klein had been searching for. Death was a by-product of the owner's ambition.

"Grr…"

"Wha…" Klein raised his sword. The stone corridor continued for over twenty meters, sloping to the left. It was only about four paces wide and about the same high. Unlike the cave region, the floor was flat without pitfall. Solid rock should not leave tracks, but the claws and hooves of the monsters had scored the surface.

"Rargh!" With barely any warning, a lizardman darted around the corner. Unlike its brethren that Klein had fought, this one was running on all fours.

All threes, Klein corrected himself. It was missing its front right arm starting at the elbow. Lizardmen were not designed to run as it was, but its eyes had a frantic look that gave it speed.

Klein raised his blade, and slashed. Darting past the lunging monster, he did not need to look to see if he had killed it. The hard scales had split readily beneath his power.

"What do you think injured it…?" Welf asked hesitantly.

"…I don't know," Welf replied, hefting his blade once again. "But I get the feeling we are about to find out."

Bell:

Cling! Cling! Cling!

Again and again the same noise echoed through the circular chamber. It was one Bell had heard when he been thrown into the cage.

Looking up and blinking, Bell examined the three layers of cells. About every other one was snapping shut. One after another, the closed cages increased again and again. Soon there were two dozen and then three. Eventually the number reached over fifty before stopping.

"What does this mean…?"

Bell had no time to ponder. The bars to one of the cages burst open, the twisted metal raining splinters across the plateau.

Emerging in the middle of the storm was the monster Bell had failed to kill. The minotaur stood and roared, its head to the ceiling.

It was… in one of the cells!?

Bell did not know how to take that. It made no sense to him. It was like someone had poured molasses into his head. Thoughts would not come to him. All Bell could do was gape and watch.

With a bang, five of the doors shot open. None of them were Bell's. From within them came four monstrous howls and one terrified scream.

Instantly, a human male was running to the exit. His brown eyes had a feverish light to them. His armour was in tattered and so were his clothes. A dark bloodstain coated the right leg, and he ran with a limp.

"NO!" Bell's scream fell on deaf ears. The minotaur's blade took his head as he ran past it. The man was probably from the half-elf's party. Is this where she had come from?

Before Bell's unbelieving eyes, a five-way melee began. Four monsters from the colossal tree labyrinth rushed out and attacked the minotaur. Not in a coordinated assault, not as partners, but simply four beasts, intent on the same prey.

In moments, the hunter and hunted changed. With a swing of its fearful blade, the minotaur cut through a large bugbear. A firebird's attack was rendered ineffective as the minotaur's massive fist crushed its head. The other two monsters were fleeing. A lizardman lost one of its arms as it darted away, the battle boar lasted only a few moments longer, repelling two attacks before the minotaur's horn gored it in the chest.

How long had it been since the cages opened? It felt like mere seconds. Bell was unsure it if had been more than that.

The minotaur took one last look at the fleeing lizardman and snorted. Then, ignoring it, it turned to the remaining two monster bodies. The battle boar had melted into ash from its magic stone being broken.

With swift, practiced motions, the minotaur opened the chest of the bodies and extracted the stone within. Bell remembered that ecstatic expression clearly as it swallowed the stone.

Watching it, Bell was filled with a great sense of failure. He had known there was an enhanced monster here. Had been absolutely certain of its existence… and told no one. It was an unforgivable mistake.

Falling to his right knee, the injured left sticking out awkwardly, Bell watched horrified as another five gates clanged open.

Welf:

"What the hell is this racket?" Muttering to himself, Welf felt tense as he followed at the back of the diamond. Even after drinking a potion, his ribs ached. He was sure there was some deeper problem with them, likely multiple fractures.

This is why relying on magic swords is a bad idea!

The blade had failed Welf. He had asked for its help to defeat the singular minotaur and it had been warded off with ease. It was embarrassing. It was… not the blade's fault.

It still shone in his hands with a soft light-blue glow. The one attack he had gotten off had not expended all of the blade's power. It had not failed. Welf had.

In his mind's eyes, he could see Lisbeth standing in front of him. Just after she had finished forging a magic sword with his help. He had asked her if she understood now. If she would give up on forging magic swords.

Even if it hurts, it will hurt a lot more if people die because my weapons were not good enough.

Welf finally fully understood. Bell may have died because he hadn't exerted himself. The answer he had been searching for was obvious after all. If magic swords were doomed to break and abandon their owner, all Welf had to do was create a magic sword that did not break.

Distant roars interrupted his idiotic, nearly heretical thoughts. Glancing up, Welf realized that Klein had stopped them at a fork. The ends of both paths were shrouded in darkness, and it was impossible to choose one or another.

"…I'm going to take the left path a little bit." Klein called back. "Stay here and wait for my return."

"Idiot." Lili said but made no move to follow.

Joining the girls, Welf watched as Klein's form faded into darkness. His level two senses were only so good in this musty darkness. He did not know how the level-one girls could handle it.

"Grr…" More monster noises, closer this time.

"Klein chose wrong, prepare for battle." Welf heard himself speak, and felt his body move but it was like someone else was doing it. He was going to die. That was almost guaranteed at this point. Even getting back to the eighteenth floor would be a challenge.

Yet, he was somehow calm as he stood in front of the pathway and lifted his blade. Welf had already failed as badly as he could. From this point on, it no longer mattered.

"Come and get some, you fiends!" Yelling, Welf swung the blade in his hands as a pair of bugbears emerged from the darkness.

It may not have fazed the minotaur, but twin bolts of lightning quickly reduced the level-two monsters to ash. They barely got a chance to cry out before the deed was done.

Crack!

"Idiot!" Lili cursed him sharply. "We need that for the minotaur!"

"Guh!" Klein sheathed it tenderly. The worst thing to do would be snapping it while putting it in his sheath. Hands going to his waist, Klein pulled out his standard long sword as a third bug bear appeared.

Swallowing, Klein looked up at it. The thing was massive, standing well over two meters. It was a giant for its species.

Whoosh!

Only Welf's instincts saved him as a clawed hand cut the air in front of his face. There was no time to rest, however. Another claw was coming forcing him back again.

Why am I so weak!?

Welf cursed himself as he executed a sloppy parry. The beast was stronger and faster than he was. In a few more moments, he would die.

"You aren't alone!" Lili called out. With a twang, there was suddenly a length of wood protruding from one of the bugbear's eyes.

Reeling back the beast screamed in pain and confusion. "Lili!" Welf cried gratefully. "Thanks for the assist!"

While the bugbear was still off balance, Welf rushed forward and attacked. Circling to the beast's blind right side, he unleashed every strike from that side. Again and again. His slashes fell on fur and claw, sometimes cutting, sometimes not.

"GRAGH!" Retaliating, the bugbear swung its right arm in a wide arc, ending Welf's assault. By now, the creature was dripping blood and its right paw looked half-lame.

Ignoring Welf, it turned to the person who had done the most damage, Lili. Roaring, it charged.

"Shit! Get out of—" Welf stopped the words. Lili could not dodge. Haruhime was right behind her. The bugbear was bound to hit one of them.

Lili stood her ground, calmly finishing the cranking for her second bolt. With her arm held straight out, Welf understood her intentions.

"Like I'll let you!" Diving forward, Welf flexed his upperbody, driving his blade into the ground. There was a slight tug of the blade hitting something soft before it shattered against the rock.

Laying on the ground with a broken sword, Welf looked up at the fallen monster. Slowly, the bugbear stood up and turned around to look at Welf.

It limped as it moved. Welf's blade had gone through its foot as he had intended. Unfortunately, he no longer had a weapon. No weapon except…

Gritting his teeth, Welf continued to hesitate even as death bore down on him. Eventually the answer came to him.

No.

He could not use the magic sword. The bugbear would kill him, but Klein would return and kill it. Then they would harvest the blade from his corpse.

Damn it!

He never really even had a chance to pursue his dream. Hephaestus was as far away as always. In the end… he died a failure.

Twang!

"Gragh!"

"Move it, you idiot!" Lili's scream made Welf's eyes snap back open. The claws had missed. The bugbear was nursing its left hand that had an arrow through the middle of the palm.

Ducking around it, Welf ran back to Lili and Haruhime. "You should have shot it in the neck."

"Lot of thick muscles there." Lili answered. "Could have deflected off. Are you going to use your magic sword or…?"

"No." Welf said. "You two go find Klein. I'll distract this thing. Here make the magic sword and—"

Crack!

Welf staggered, his cheek on fire. Holding a hand to it he gaped at the small prum supporter. "W-What the hell?"

"Shup up and kill the thing!" Lili instructed. "If it breaks, it breaks!"

"Urgh… No. We need—"

"Y'all fighting without me?" A new voice said.

"Ah, Klein-san!" Haruhime greeted him warmly. "Please help us!"

Walking around the fork, Klein tsked and shook his head. "A single bugbear? This is what drove you into a corner? Ah well, feels good to be needed! Raaa!"

As Klein rushed the monster, Welf saw blood dropping from one of his hands. It seemed like the other pathway had not been free of dangers either.

The fight lasted longer than Welf would have initially guessed. The Bugbear, despite its multiple injuries was still a powerful monster. Klein's blade was scratching it, but he could not deal fatal damage.

As blood continued to flow, the bugbear's movements grew more erratic. Anger and fury had fled in exchange for fear. This made the creature twice as deadly. Sweat beaded on Klein's skin as he dodged errant swipes, waiting for an opening to drive a killing strike home.

"Lili, can you hit its other eye?" Klein called back.

"Hold on…" Thr prum girl finished the reloading and held up her hand. The crossbow on it primed to fire.

Klein glanced back, nodded, and ran toward them. The bugbear did not hesitate in its pursuit. It may have been scared for its life, but it sensed blood and a chance for victory.

Five paces away from them, Lili fired. The sound barely registered in Welf's eyes before the bolt had completely blinded the monster. Losing its sight, it howled and cupped its face, staggering.

Klein dispatched it with a dispassionate blow. Even if the ending was casual, the implications of the fight hung in the air. That fight was too hard and cost them too much. It did not feel like they had a chance at rescuing Bell.

"Come on," Klein called out. "The other path is no good."

So, with the sense of impending death, the party of four moved forward.

Klein:

A hoard of weapons. Rotting heads with eyeless gazes staring at him. Klein could not get the image out of his mind. Without a doubt, that had been the minotaur's home. The only good information he had discovered from the trip was that Bell's corpse was not there.

The sight of the chamber had filled Klein with an overflowing sense of dread. He had been unable to move until he cut his hand on his own blade. The pain had helped to shock him back to his senses. So many adventurers. This minotaur was an unstoppable menace. One question rang through his head again and again:

Do I actually have a chance?

Klein did not know. All he could do was continue trying.

Stopping where he was, Klein inhaled deeply once. Just ahead, he could see that the path was getting brighter. Without a doubt, this was the end of the line. The screams of monsters dying were fading. It was no or never.

"Haruhime, I need your magic now. Lili, I know this is an unfair question to ask of you but…"

"You want me to get close and blind it?" The supporter asked.

"Yes," Klein said nodding. "Please don't miss."

"…I won't." The supporter responded.

With that done and Haruhime deep in her chant, Klein started his.

"Burn, blade of the Salamander!

"Herald of the sun, and wielder of flames, I seek your might."

There was nothing to interrupt the casting. Continuing through to the end, Klein activated his magic.

"Ruler of the volcano and master of fire,

"Igneel's Wrath!"

Clad in his armour of fire, it helped dispel some of the fear inside him. He always felt invincible coated in this magic. He just looked so cool!

"Uchide no Kozuchi!"

"Ahh…" Klein was amazed by the rush of power that was flooding his body. He could hardly believe the sensation. So, this is level three…

Klein could hardly wait to feel like this all the time without relying on magic. He could not believe that Bell had lost with this magic behind him. Klein was unstoppable.

"This is going to be easy!" Shooting the other three a thumbs-up, Klein walked into the light. Despite his bravado, he stopped and gaped. He stood in an almost perfectly circular dome. There were cages built into the rock on all side, three rows high.

Standing in the middle of a field of ash was the minotaur. Its skin was littered with dozens of thin scratches, none leaking enough blood to be a danger.

"W-What the hell is this place!" Klein yelled at it, not expecting an answer. One came.

"It's a coliseum of death!" Bell's voice. "Leave me!"

Before Klein could though, a deep noise echoed. It pulsed like a large drum. He could not just hear it, but feel it. As it pulsed out, the remaining closed gates opened with a hiss as the metal bars retracted into rock.

There were more than twenty monsters that exited, howling noisily their thirst for blood. Behind them was Bell.

Klein's confidence did not fade, it shattered. Haruhime's magic powering up his own powered-up state… it was not enough.

It was as if he could hear the dungeon laughing at him. The dungeon telling him if Klein finally understood. This section was made for its children. He had no place here and would not survive desecrating it.

"…Run." Klein told them. "I'll collapse the entrance behind you. I hope that's enough to get you out."

"Klein…"

"No way!" Lili yelled. "We are saving Bell!"

That brief exchange ruined all chances of Klein's plan working. The monsters were already charging toward them. All sorts of hideous creatures gnashing teeth and baring their fangs. There was even a firebird among them, preparing to dose him in fire.

"Hee, guess this is it." Trying to ignore the anguish in his heart, Klein ran at the monsters. Then, everything changed. The minotaur that was being ignored by the other monsters swung its blade and howled. A passing bugbear was decapitated.

Instantly, the coordinated rush to attack Klein's party changed into a free for all. The spilt blood confusing the monsters and inflicting battle between everyone.

There were still three heading straight for him. Klein smirked and dodged an unarmed Lizardman's swing. The clawed attack was slow to him now. Reaching out, Klein grabbed the Lizardman's throat with his left hand. The scales began to sizzle from the heat. The gauntlet of fire that he wore was a danger to all that challenged him.

"Hiyah!" With a heave, Klein threw the Lizardman at the Battle Boar behind it. The two monsters went down in a crash. Without pausing, Klein crouched and then exploded with power. His blade of fire bisected the bugbear there. The previous trouble fighting the last one a distant memory.

As the lizardman and Battle boar fought to regain their senses, Klein ran them through as well. Three down in as many seconds.

The minotaur was making similar progress. The one Klein could not see was the most important, Bell. Was the boy still alive? It was impossible to tell in the din. The close quarters echoed the roars, howls, and screams until Klein's ears were useless. On top of that, the dome was lit very dimly. There were bioluminescent algae, but not enough to provide good lighting. Klein's flames were cool, but they actually hampered his vision in these conditions.

"Welf!" Klein called. "Make a corridor for me!"

"You sure?"

"DO it!"

"Hya!" With no further waiting, Welf swung his magic sword. Klein could not hear the blade breaking, but he sensed it from the final surge of power that came out of it.

Thank you!

Using the opportunity, Klein dashed into the gap created. More than half a dozen of the remaining monsters had been vaporized by the strike. The minotaur was not among them obviously. It had barely acknowledged the blast of lightning. Only raising a hand to block an errant bolt.

Running past the remaining monsters, Klein glanced around for Bell. Where was he? Ducking a few swipes from errant monsters Klein reached the far wall. Bell was not there. Where!?

"Klein!"

"Bell!" Following the boy's voice, Klein found him nearby on the second row of cages, skirting the outside. His knife was dripped in blood, but he moved slowly. It seemed his left leg was ruined.

"Duck!"

Doing so, the sound of Firebolt rang out and the hot air and crackling lightning passed over his head. The scream of a monster Klein hadn't noticed behind him rang out.

Nodding to Bell, Klein turned around and realized his mistake. He had run to Bell, the only other person who could fight, leaving the three defenseless people behind.

Groaning at his idiocy, Klein pointed to the far side. "Get there as fast as possible! I need to go back!"

"Yes!"

Groaning, Klein threw himself into combat. Blocking attacks that would kill, Klein dodged some and attacked when there was a clean kill. Otherwise, he headed straight back. The corridor Welf had made had long since closed to fighting monsters. But there were only a dozen or so at this point.

Where was… There!

The minotaur had cut down the last of the monsters that had attacked it and was marching toward Welf and the girls. Lili was out in front, crossbow raised.

"Like I'd let you!" Jumping into the air, Klein twisted and prepared to unleash the strongest slash of his life. "HiyAAAAH!"

Ting!

With just that solitary note, his slash was blocked by the minotaur's horn. The fire licking harmlessly in the air.

"Guh!" As if Klein was not even worth fighting, it backhanded him.

"GAH!" Screaming from the pain, Klein lost his sense of direction as he was sent flying. Eventually his path ended with a sharp thud. Groaning, he blinked away tears, trying to settle what he was seeing.

It was not good. The monsters were finishing each other off. Each one had taken a fatal blow, even if they could still move.

Ignoring them, Klein pushed himself back up. His flame enchantment was sputtering on the verge of going out. More than half of his armour was gone.

"RAA!" Screaming, trying to draw attention to himself, Klein charged the minotaur again. His honour as a samurai forced him to lay his life on the line to save a woman.

The minotaur was moving slowly toward the three. Lili still had her hand outraised. Dashing at full-speed, Klein was able to catch up again when it was only a handful of steps away from them.

Not trying the jump again, Klein slid like a baseball player and swung at full speed toward the minotaur's legs. I've got it! Klein crowed to himself. No way for it to block with those ridiculous horns down here.

Klein's sword cut easily—through the air at least. His eyes bulged at the empty space, vision quickly flicking upwards. The minotaur had jumped the attack and twisted in mid-air.

Holy shit…

Klein was almost too stunned to move. Thankfully, as his mind shut off, his body moved automatically. Rolling backwards from the stomping attack, shards of broken rock pelted Klein.

Pushing against the storm of stone, Klein howled as his blade slashed. With a sharp cling, it was intercepted by the minotaur's blade. Klein staggered back just in time as the counterattack missed by an inch.

Blade by his side, Klein forced himself to take another step back. His straightforward attacks weren't working. The minotaur's senses were too high to get hit by them.

Unfortunately, Klein realized he had never done anything else. All of his fights had been him slashing simply with greater sped or strength then his enemy could match.

The air broke once and then twice as the minotaur swung at Klein. Each time he was forced back. He was not fast enough to dodge to the side and doubted his sword would survive an encounter.

"Behind you, Klein!" Lili screamed. "You need to bring it this way!"

Don't just suddenly yell that! Put off balance, Klein risked a glance backward. He felt like he was in overdrive. His body was moving, but his mind could not keep up. He was aware of the monsters behind him but could not sense them properly. He was failing to maximize Haruhime's gift.

Kicking off the ground, Klein flew through the air as the minotaur's blade cut where he had been. Having disengaged, Klein could see that Lili had been right. A lizardman with its throat cut had almost cut his leg.

"Tsk." Landing on the wall, Klein pushed off again, leaping for Lili. Klein needed her crossbow. That small shaft of wood that could penetrate the minotaur's weak point.

Sliding to a halt in front of Lili, Klein whirled to face the minotaur. "You ready?"

"Of course!"

"Ni—" Klein cut off his statement as the minotaur charged him. It was faster than anything that size had any right to be. The rock under its feet shattered from the force of its acceleration.

Forgive me sensei… Just this once I'll have to go all out…

Klein wished he had time to say it out loud. As it was, he could barely think the line before the minotaur was in front of him.

Klein's katana came up in answer, a one-handed counter. His second hand was pressed against the blunt side of the sword to support it.

BANG!

The shock was incredible. If the minotaur had attacked from below Klein would have been blown off his feet. As it was, the attack from above meant there was nowhere for his body to go but to be ground into the rock below him.

The force of the minotaur's attack pushed the blade into Klein's supporting left hand. The bones of his palm snapping like twigs. His knees strained and threatened to pop as the ground beneath him groaned from the force of the attack.

Screaming from the pain, Klein was able to give one final smirk as he collapsed. There's no way Lili can miss…

To his level three eyes, the arrow from the crossbow could be tracked. It was fast, but not unavoidable by any stretch. The minotaur, locked into its attack, could do nothing.

Cling!

The bolt connected and promptly bounced off. It was like there was a piece of glass protecting the minotaur's eye.

"No… way…" Klein somehow managed to regain his footing. He wanted to cry. The pain was severe. His body was on the verge of failing apart. His greatest pain, however, was in his heart.

"You… You made me say that line and weren't even hurt!? Damn you, minotaur!"

"K-Klein!?"

He did not acknowledge Lili. Leaping forward, he slashed with his blade. The one-handed strike was awkward with the long blade. It was too slow, too weak.

The minotaur slashed at it and Klein knew what would happen before the swords connected. With a clean snapping sound, his Katana broke halfway down the blade. Even his left hand supporting it, the blade was not meant for dueling.

"Ha… I screwed this up, didn't I?" Klein spoke out loud for his own benefit. Talking helped keep away the despair filling his heart.

His legs were injured, he could not dodge the minotaur's follow-up. This would be the end for him.

"Ahh!" It was a pitiful battle-cry. The pitch was too high and clearly filled with fear. Still, Klein did not think he had heard something as beautiful before as Haruhime ran past him, a knife in her hand.

Then Welf was there on his other side, a dagger of his own hand there. Gaping at them, Klein did not fight when Lili grabbed the scruff of his collar and pulled him backwards.

The minotaur froze. Perhaps it could not believe that people so weak would dare to approach it. Even with it freezing though, the attacks were too weak. Haruhime did not know what she was doing, and her tentative strike skidded off its iron-like hide. Welf was better, but he merely added one more to the minotaur's dozens of scratches.

"Why?" Klein muttered. "Why can't we win?"

Gong!

Eyes widening, Klein could not believe that he had forgotten about their fifth member. Slowly, a smile replaced his despair. "You really are just like Kirito… Both of you steal the spotlight."

Bell:

Gong!

In Bell's mind he saw the image of his father's second-in-command. The man who had managed to kill the Behemoth with a single blow. It still sounded made up to Bell. He could not imagine the power required to decisively slay one of the great three monsters.

Yet, he would need to do the same. This powerful foe… one hit. That was what Bell was banking on.

The Hestia knife in his right hand flared with power as he dashed across the ground at full speed. Instinctively, Bell could sense his left leg's injuries. The appendage should not be able to move the way it was. Each step caused further damage.

Only the power of argonaut, gathered within the Hestia knife, enabled his body to move freely. Mind forcing his body forward, Bell became an arrow of light.

The broken rock under his feet looked like it was dissolving as pressure pulverized it into dust.

Faster. Faster!

"YAAA!" Darting in low, Bell struck with both hands on the handle. His right gripping it and his left pushing it from the back. There was no way for the minotaur to dodge this attack.

"Gragh!" Roaring, it spun, blade intercepting Bell's knife.

Bell did not look at the clashing weapons. Instead, he stared into those pits of hate. Those eyes that sought to crush all humans under its hooves. Yet, behind the hate, Bell thought he saw a different emotion. The one that prompted the minotaur to bring people here instead of killing them outright.

The moment ended with a tinkling sound that was overpowered by the ringing of the grand bell. Floating in the air were particles that reflected a silvery light. The remnants of the minotaur's blade. It had been beaten up for too long with no maintenance. Compared to Argonaut, there was no comparison between weapons.

"GOOO!" Bell roared.

The minotaur did not flinch. Its lips pulled back, almost as if smiling. Just in time to save itself, one of its horns blocked Bell's knife.

Their roars were consumed in the cavern. Both noises mixing and adding to the ringing. Each sonorous note more majestic than the last.

Their wills clashed, Bell's rubellite eyes staring defiantly through the white light at the black of his opponent's. In them, Bell could almost imagine Kirito's on that day. When he had committed the ultimate sin and his aura of darkness had overpowered Bell completely.

Then, the minotaur was back. An obstacle that he would overcome.

"Guh!?"

The minotaur stumbled slightly; its posture broken.

Bell did not hesitate. Renewing his scream, he pushed his knife forward. The second half of the horn flew through the air. Bell's argonaut vaporized the minotaur's head.

It was over.

Sighing, Bell staggered and felt the power leave his body. Argonaut always took so much from him. It was not a skill that Bell could use freely. He needed to—

Pain consumed his mind as his left knee collapsed. Everything went black.

Haruhime:

"Amazing…"

Haruhime stumbled to her feet from where she had fell kneeling. The knife clenched in her hands dripped slightly with the minotaur's dark red blood. Like a fool she had rushed in and stabbed it from behind. She should have left it all to Bell…

Shaking away the thoughts, she rushed over to the boy's side. He had passed out, a grimace on his face. The pain he must have been in was incredible. Going onto her knees, Haruhime pulled Bell's head off the rough rock floor and set it on her thigh. His white hair lay slick against his forehead and Haruhime brushed it off, trying to comb it back into a semblance of organization.

They would likely need to move soon, but for now Haruhime wanted to do her best to comfort her hero. Yet again, Bell had saved them all. He had lost earlier, but he won when it counted. Yes, he truly was a story come to life.

"Stop mooning over him and help me heal him!" Lili growled at Haruhime. "Bell is covered in injuries!"

"Can we heal him?" Welf asked, kneeling down beside Lili. Haruhime watched as he scanned the chamber. By the lack of reaction, Haruhime assumed there were no threats remaining. It was eerily quiet. That did not mean it would stay this way.

Klein groaned as he approached, his left hand held in his right, his legs not bending quite right. Haruhime winced at every step her took.

"I don't think there is anything we can do," Klein said brutally. "We need to make a rush for the eighteenth floor. After they hear our story, I'm sure they will discount the healing."

"The quest reward will barely pay for it," Lili sighed, "but I am afraid that you are correct. Damn it! I'm too reliant on potions! I should be able to help you without them!"

Haruhime soundlessly removed her backpack. Leaving it lying on the rock felt like a waste, but it was a necessity. They would not need their overnight supplies. They needed a way to carry Bell.

"Lili, gather the proof you need," Haruhime told the girl, oddly calm. "Welf, help me get Bell on my back."

"A-Are you sure?" The boy asked. "He doesn't look it, but the weight of a person is extreme."

"Bell did not fail us!" Haruhime confirmed firmly, meeting the blacksmith's gaze. "I will fail… I won't… I…"

Blushing, Haruhime broke her gaze away. What had she been thinking? She was not the hero, Bell was. She should not make such bold claims.

"Alright." Welf agreed. "Get moving Lili."

"…Yes, this is the logical way I suppose. Give me the Hestia knife. I am the only one left who can use it."

Haruhime felt for Bell's right hand where it was still gripped. She lingered on the contact there. Life pulsed weakly beneath the skin. Bell had pushed himself too hard. Gently, she took the knife from him. It clung momentarily, but when Haruhime pulled, it gave way.

Lili took the blade in reverent hands. The Prum looked almost guilty but rushed away.

Extracting herself, Haruhime stood up and brushed off the front of her kimono. It had gotten dirty from the stained rock. Then, with Welf's help, she lifted Bell. She grimaced as they dragged his left leg awkwardly at one point. With a bit of effort, however, Haruhime managed to get Bell resting on her shoulders, his legs supported by her arms.

Welf was right… Haruhime was not used to carrying this much weight. Bell was not large, but his frame was coated in cord-like muscles. It gave him a dense weight that pushed down on Haruhime.

She did not know how many kilos it was back to the stairs to the eighteenth and then Rivira. The journey would be easily over an hour.

It does not matter!

When Lili returned with what she could find, they departed. Haruhime walked straight, Bell on her back. Her magic may have failed both Bell and Klein today, but she would not fail in this task.