Author's note:
Have a fun...ish chapter. For some of the characters involved.
Note: Alice has been properly renamed to Alise, sorry if I mess it up in places. This was confusing for me at first, but her actual name is アリーゼ (Ariize) versus the SAO blond Alice アリス (Arisu). I would not say that the romanized names really emphasize the difference but oh well.
Enjoy.
Chapter 54: Encroaching Death
Bell:
Opening his eyes to a new day, Bell felt the warm sunshine touch his cheek through the window of the expensive inn room. Yes, that soft, gentle warmth… Instincts informing him that he survived another night.
But today… It filled him with dread.
Shutting his eyes tightly as if he could stop the passage of time, a light whimper escaped his throat.
"Maybe I'll fake being sick…" Even as he said it though, Bell knew that it would not work.
Outside of concentrated poisons, he likely couldn't get sick. More importantly however, the familia needed money. Money to pay for these inn rooms, money to reestablish savings, money to stock up on supplies before prices began to increase.
So, with a dogged determination, Bell met his fate with head raised and stood up to get dressed. Plain shirt and trousers, and then his new light armour on top of it. It took him less than half a dozen minutes.
Moving to exit the room, a sharp knock got there before him. "Bell, are you up?"
"Y-Yes Lili!" He replied. Pausing, he blushed before moving over to open the door—the action he should have taken when she knocked.
The short prum was wide awake without a hint of sleeplessness or despair in her bearing. She frowned up at Bell. "You look awful. Did you sleep? Come, sit on the bed, let me do your hair."
Getting dragged back into the room, Bell allowed his white locks to be repositioned and straightened by Lili's delicate hand. Unlike Kirito's straight black hair that easily fell flat on his head, Bell's had enough volume that it always had a mused look to it. He could only wonder how bad it looked that Lili immediately rushed to fix it.
"Still worried about your phantoms?" Lili asked while she worked.
"They aren't…" But Bell cut off the words and sighed. Phantoms may be the best description. He never saw anyone, but he felt them. The eyes started the day after the heroes returned from the dungeon. It had now been a week since then, and every day Bell could feel the watchers staring him down.
Not always, but every now and then they would show up. Either individually or in pairs. On the surface, in the dungeon, it did not matter. Bell could sense that they were circling. Waiting for something before they descended upon him.
So, with the stoic belief of a man walking to the gallows, Bell straightened his shoulders and strode out to the main room to greet the other person sharing the room.
"Good morning, Bell!" Haruhime smiled warmly up at him. She was dressed in her supporter gear already. A kimono of Salamander wool over top of a protective leather body suit. She was kneeling on the floor rearranging the packs and double checking the weapons. She was a model supporter and Bell did not miss the smile of pride that flashed across Lili's face.
Walking over to the small, old table, Bell ripped a hunk of bread from the loaf and chewed on the old stuff. It wasn't good, but it was food.
"Everything still fine?" Lili asked, joining Haruhime.
"Yes! Well, kind of. Bell's greatsword is chipped in two places. Furthermore, we are down to only three antidotes and two scent maskers."
Lili sighed. "We will drop the blade off with Liz, I mean Welf, tonight. As for the others… We will leave the dungeon if we run out. I don't think we can afford to restock right now."
Bell nodded silently, although not happily. The issues were minor… for now. They could only go so long in this manner, however. With the dungeon it was almost never the direct blow that hit you. It was the thousands of needles that bled you dry.
"Well, let's go." Lili declared. Standing up, the Prum flung the largest of the three packs onto her back. It included the very greatsword that Haruhime had mentioned strapped to the bottom. It was as long as she was tall and turned her into a walking plus sign.
Haruhime picked up the last two and slung one on her back and carried the other in her arms.
Bell reached for it but she smiled and shook her head. "Oh no, please take your time. We need you rested for the dungeon."
How bad do I look!? Bell wondered again. "T-Thank you." Pausing awkwardly, Bell flushed and averted his eyes from the beautiful Renart.
"Stop wasting time."
Bell yelped as Lili pulled on his ear and led him out from the bare hotel room. He did not know where he would be sleeping tonight… If he survived the day.
When they arrived at Babel, Bell was met by the entirety of Miach familia. With Rain and Philia leaving, that was three members. Or had been. Nazha stood to greet them in one of the northern parks flanked by two pairs. Yuna and Nautilus on one side, and on the other…
"T-That's Daphne and Cassandra from Apollo familia. What are you two doing here!" Lili demanded.
"They joined Miach familia," Nazha said, no nonsense in her voice. "Also, with the additional manpower you can go down to the colossal tree labyrinth. Here."
A stunned Lili grabbed a sheet of paper that Nazha gave her.
"We need the ingredients in there. As many as possible. They are listed in order of importance."
"P-Please slow down, Miss Nazha," Bell pled. "We just fought against those girls…"
That was the short part at least. Philia had complained extensively about the red-haired Apollo commander. Although Bell did remember the two of them showing up to fight against the bull monster so…
Daphne walked up to Bell, staring him in the eye. His right hand settled instinctively on his knife, wondering if she was about to attack him. Instead, she bowed deeply. "I am very sorry for the trouble that we caused your familia."
"Oh… D-Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it!?" Lili shrieked. "I am very concerned. In fact! I distinctly remember hearing that you and Cassandra were forced into the familia and could not leave. What's up with the change of heart?"
"P-Please don't yell at Daphne-chan!" Cassandra pled rushing up to her red-haired companion who was still bowing and wrapping her arms protectively around her. "She did this for me!"
"She…?" Bell did not really understand, but in the face of Daphne's sincere apology and Cassandra's heart wrenching defense of her friend was enough to convince him.
"How?" Lili asked coolly, not swayed.
Daphne straightened and shrugged Cassandra off. "It started as a chance meeting with Yuna in the dungeon. To summarize, she made a proposition, I accepted at Cassandra's behest, and now we are here."
"Yes, yes, very touching," Nazha interrupted drily. "I believe those ingredients won't pick themselves. I expect them tomorrow before nightfall. Have fun."
Lili looked ready to argue further, so Bell stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "They are good people, and we have things to do."
Although maybe it seems unimportant to me because I am the one destined to die… Bell's fatalistic senses caused him to try and sense out his invisible watcher. Oddly, there were none. It should have been comforting, but any change in their pattern may signal a deadly change…
"Are you alright, Bell?" He flinched as Yuna laid a hand on his arm.
"O-Of course I am! Let's get started!"
Kirito:
"I think something is wrong with Bell."
"Huh?" Blinking his bleary eyes, Kirito looked up from the ledgers that he was going over. Hestia's head was floating sideways inside his room. "Why are you just a head?"
"…Are you an idiot?" Hestia entered his room fully, arms crossed under her impressive bosom. Even with the money for her to wear more appropriate clothes, her white and gold dress still could not obscure the impressive curves that were ill-fitted with her body size.
"Oh…" Kirito belatedly realized that of course his goddess was not a floating head, she had merely been peering around the doorframe. Of course. "Why are you here so late?"
"Late?" Hestia frowned. "The sun is up. The Goibnu guys have been working for an hour already. Wait… did you not sleep all night… again!?"
"Uhh…" Kirito glanced back down at the ledgers which were maybe half-finished. "I guess so?"
Hestia slammed her palm into her face. "Ignore what I said, there is something wrong with you as well."
Setting down the pen worth more than most weapons, Kirito sighed and rubbed his face feeling the exhaustion hit him like a wall. "Sorry, goddess. You recruited a failure of a familia leader. I'm more suited to sticking my sword in things."
"That is half of the problem, isn't it?" Hestia answered with a wicked twinkle in her eye.
"Yes, I just said…" Kirito gaped at his goddess. "Aren't you a virgin?"
"Rude! You shouldn't ask women that kind of question!"
"But…"
Hestia held up a hand and stopped Kirito in his tracks. "What you are doing managing our finances and establishing connections is important, but we also need more money. Why don't you go to the dungeon for a bit and loosen up?"
"Didn't we decide that I should be here while the renovations are occurring?" Renovations was a generous term for the large-scale remodeling. Entire buildings were being demolished to expand into new wings of their familia home. Not to mention the basement which was getting excavated to open up room that was turning into a massive bathing area.
"Go," Hestia insisted. "You'll find yourself company I'm sure when you try."
"Company…?" Hestia only smiled, waved, and departed.
Leaning back in his chair, Kirito stared over to his blade that hung horizontally on the wall. It was the only decoration in his room.
My blade…
How quickly he had started to think of it as such. Before it had been Bell's blade, or Bell's father's blade. Walking over to it, Kirito stroked the black metal, feeling an internal resonance with the mysterious weapon.
He is going to have to work hard to win it back.
Happy with the sentiment, Kirito drew on his level four endurance and blinked away the exhaustion and drew the sword from its mount. Quickly throwing on his protective robe, he grabbed a satchel of emergency supplies and an empty sack for drops and departed.
"Heeyo, Kiri!"
Being greeted as such by the entrance to the home, Kirito turned to meet Strea. There was a chair that she had been sitting on and a faded book which she had left on top of it when she bounded up to greet him.
"Strea." He replied simply, but warmly. Just the sight of her beaming face framed by pale violet hair was enough to wash away the fatigue in his body.
"Hehe, you're going to make me blush. If you keep staring at me like that… well know that it is your fault."
Chuckling, Kirito let the warmth in his chest guide his actions as he reached out a touched her cheek gently, letting himself bask in the warmth and otherworldly softness of her skin.
"S-So what do you say we head back up to your room…"
It took effort for Kirito to shake his head. She was exceptionally cute as she gazed up at him from her lowered head through her long eyelashes. Not to mention her rather low-cut garment exposed a tempting valley.
"Meaniee…" Strea pouted. "Either way, I'm accompanying you."
"I was counting on it. You have two minutes to get ready for a dungeon excursion."
"Yay!" Jumping into the air, Strea shot into the house. Kirito started counting out loud. Even through the noises of the nearby construction, it would be audible to her enhanced senses.
He wasn't sure why he bothered, Strea was skidding to stop in front of him before Kirito had even reached ten.
"What about your book?"
Strea picked it up with the chair and tossed it casually inside.
Kirito winced and decided that was his fault. "Not a good read?"
"Not at all!" Strea complained as she took his arm and guided them in the direction of the dungeon. The way she clung let him feel her sizable breasts against his arm. He knew he should be used to it by now… but every time it was a brand-new experience. One that felt so good he reveled in it.
Their slow sauntering pace lasted for only a few moments until they escaped the alley. Then Strea skipped ahead pulling at Kirito's hand. He couldn't help but be a little disappointed that the soft sensation was gone. He could not stay that way looking at her smiling face, however.
"Come on! First to Rivera gets to request whatever they want from the loser!"
"Strea!?" Kirito called out concerned. However, she was already gone. Releasing his hand, she began to sprint down the road laughing.
It may be funny to her, but the non-adventurer citizens panicked and even screamed as the wall of air she left in her wake slammed into them scattering goods, dust, and stones.
Sighing, Kirito launched himself unto the roofs and followed after.
Bell:
Running his knife into an Orc's brain, Bell rode the massive beast to the ground. Standing up from the kill, he looked around to confirm that his senses were accurate and sighed heavily.
Rolling his shoulders as the tension fled his body Bell breathed easily from atop his prey for the first time in a week. Down in the dungeon with its ever-present malice and danger it presented a much more tangible threat than the shadows haunting Bell.
Without them here stalking him, Bell could get back to the basics of being an adventurer: slaughtering monsters. There was something cathartic to watching their rage turn to fear before they screamed in pain and the light faded from their eyes…
At the end of the day though, the actions were pointless as the monsters would just be spat out again by the uncaring dungeon walls.
That thought did drain Bell's happiness slightly, but it returned again when he saw Haruhime running over to cut free the magic stone. Before he could start blushing, he diverted his eyes. The renart was incredibly beautiful with an aura of innocence that her time as a prostitute had not removed.
The fog was thick near the end of the twelfth floor. The sounds of distant adventurers could also be heard as Bell's fight wrapped up.
"Wow, you certainly have improved," Nautilus said as he approached Bell. "Guess we will see how you fare in the cave labyrinth though."
Bell gave him a sideways look. "Cave? We won't be in danger until the tree section."
Nautilus frowned. "If that's how you feel then you really have grown…"
"Well boys, don't just stand there talking about it. Let's get moving and see for ourselves."
Following along, Bell stepped into his role as a middle-line member of the seven-man party just in front of the supporters and kept a vigilant eye on the walls.
Nautilus led with Yuna right behind while Daphne and Cassandra managed the rear. The front was extremely vulnerable by Bell's estimation. Yuna was more of a supporter with her song music than a front-line warrior. However, she did not have the range and response that Bell's Firebolt provided.
Still, any issues in their formation were alleviated by the party's outrageous power differential. If the gods were called to comment, they would say the party is 'over-levelled' for the region of the dungeon that they were exploring.
Only stopping to fight monsters that walked directly into them, they quickly cleared the thirteenth to sixteenth floors. In the process of navigating the seventeenth, they got caught up clearing a monster party that turned into a grind.
Holding out against a horde, Bell was forced into wielding a shield side-by-side with Nautilus in a narrowing of the cave while Cassandra healed them and Yuna sang a song of endurance.
"Just another minute!" Lili called encouragingly as she found a minotaur's eye with a crossbow bolt.
Bell could only grit his teeth and buckle down.
"Still think you're too tough for this area?" Nautilus growled out as sweat trickled down his face.
"Shut it," Bell replied testily as a nature axe slammed against his defenses. There were simply too many monsters in the horde for any of them to slaughter them all without leaving the supporters to die.
Daphne as well was picking off monsters with a variety of throwing knives and a bow. When Bell had a chance, he shot out a rogue firebolt. Slowly but surely, they were making their way through the monster horde.
Ten minutes later, Bell slammed the shield into the final hellhound's head crushing it against the floor. He felt no pity as the body twitched pathetically as life fled the monster's mangled body.
"That was incredible effort everyone! I'm sorry I was so useless…" Haruhime bowed in apology to them all. Lili had forbidden her from using her magic in the fight.
"It was no trouble at all," Yuna assured her. "The boys appreciate every chance they get to show off."
"Haha… sure."
Bell agreed with Nautilus' defeated voice as he handed the shield back to Lili. It was dented in half a dozen places and splattered with blood. "Another thing that needs fixing."
She gave him a dead-panned stare and took it silently.
"We have company," Daphne warned, her yellow eyes narrowing in that direction.
Whirling around, Bell drew his knife and strained his ears. He could just pick up the sound of footsteps. They sounded more like adventurers than monsters. Still, it always paid to be wary in the dungeon.
Joining a weary Nautilus who lifted his shield again, Bell gasped when the first beautiful woman crested a hill to appear before them.
She was closely followed by three more equally stunning figures. Of them though, one stood out more than the others. Her pale skin seemed to practically glow with the beauty of the elves, the species closest to fairies and gods.
It was not just the hair though; it was the pearlescent uniform and long flowing blond hair. Gale wind and the rest of Astraea familia.
Then, she looked at him. A shock ran up his back. It was them. They were his shadows. His stalkers. His encroaching death.
With only pure instinct guiding him, searching desperately for survival like a rabbit fleeing a hawk, Bell stumbled backwards, and then ran.
Lyu:
"Oi, its rabbit boy! He's running away!"
"Perhaps you should chase him, Lyra."
"Sounds like fun! How about first to catch him wins?"
"H-Hold on!" Lyu pled. It was too late however as the three first-class adventurers giggled and took off into the dungeon ignoring the stunned party of six that stayed behind.
"W-What just happened?" Some red-haired woman spoke that Lyu did not know.
"They are after Bell!" A prum lamented. Liliruca Arde. "He is going to die!"
Stepping forward, Lyu bowed deeply to them all. "I am very sorry about this!"
"Sorry!?" That same Prum wailed. "You are supposed to be dedicated to Justice! Why is your familia hunting down Bell!?"
"I-I am afraid that is my fault…" Lyu whispered, closing her eyes mournfully. Even with her head lowered she knew that her blush was showing because of the tips of her ears were bright red.
"How is this your fault, Miss elf?" A white-haired human asked politely, cutting off the prum.
"I-I am afraid I cannot tell you." Lyu mumbled.
"…And why is that?
"It is too embarrassing."
There was silence for awhile and Lyu slowly began to stand up. When she glimpsed the thunderhead that was the Prum's barely contained anger however, her back returned to being parallel with the ground.
"Excuse me, but if you are sorry about this… can you not save him from your familia members?"
Lyu briefly considered, and then shook her head. "I cannot by myself, and you all are too weak to help. It is impossible."
"You never know if you do not try," the white-haired human spoke resolutely. "Come on everyone, we have a party member to save!"
Then, she began to sing.
Feeling perhaps a small flutter of potential rising within her, Lyu took off down the corridor, stone shattering under her booted heel.
Bell:
I'm dead.
I'm dead.
I'm sooo dead.
Repeating the mantra in his head with minor variations, Bell sprinting down the tunnels of the seventeenth floor randomly. He ran on instinct only, logical thought failing as he allowed himself to get herded like a wild beast.
His heart was a drum in his ears, its frantic pace matching his foot falls. Even rattled as he was, Bell covered distance at an extraordinary rate. Within a minute he had reached sections of the seventeenth floor that he had never seen before. Every intersection he jumped off walls to push himself around them faster than he had every ran before.
It wasn't enough.
Bell's instincts warned him that they were getting closer. He was being trapped in a corner from which he would not emerge. He did not know why it was happening to him, but it was. He was not fast enough to escape their net.
Turning down one last corner, Bell skidded to a halt. He had reached the edge of the dungeon floor. A dead-end from which he could not escape.
Whirling around, Bell held his knife in front of him with two shaky hands. The black blade shook so badly that he would be unlikely to defeat a goblin.
Then, as he knew would happen, a shadow appeared. Then a second, and finally a third.
They approached with slow confident strides.
"Whoa, you really are a fast one!"
The voice was so happy and warm and did not belong with the shadows that had haunted him. Alise Lovell, known as Scarlet Harnell, was drop-dead gorgeous.
Together with her two familia members, Bell recalled briefly stories his old god would tell him of 'Succubi'. Monsters in the shape of women that devoured men. Bell was still not sure if they were myth or ultra-rare monsters.
Zeus had once said that if a monster was ever to kill him, he wanted it to be a Succubus. It seemed that Bell would live that dream for him.
"Yes, truly an exciting chase. Unfortunately, our darling Lyu did not follow." Kaguya spoke, sounding bored.
"Hehe, but that means that we get to claim him and make her jealous!"
"Lyra," Alise sighed heavily, "you are so infatuated with Finn that no one would believe your attraction to another male."
"Hmph! That was old Lyra. New Lyra thinks she deserves a harem. One cute boy to massage my shoulders, another for my feet…"
Bell darted. The short Prum was gesturing so wildly, with eyes that were unfocused. He managed to jump off the wall and get around her. He could see the exit.
He was… "Umph!"
Suddenly in the open passage, Bell crashed into something soft. He did not fall backwards as something cradled his back.
"Oh my, you are far too bold of a boy for that prudish elf."
Still shaking, Bell looked up into the predatory gaze of Gojouno Kaguya. She was so much taller than him that his face was the level of her breasts and the soft thing that he had run into. The texture of her battle kimono was silky smooth, crafted of magical threads of the highest tier.
Then, she was gone. Bell did not see anything, but he heard the crack as the level six adventurer was thrown through the rock wall.
"Run Mr. Cranel!"
It was Lyu's voice. Bell found himself tossed forward back to the intersection by the scruff of his neck. Landing roughly Bell staggered into a run. He started retracing his steps and was surprised to find a magic stone glittering on the floor indicating the next direction.
"Hey! No rescue attempts allowed!"
"Yeah! Why are you being so mean, Lyu!?"
After the voices, came an explosion of noise. The very air was rent apart as was the rock of the dungeon as the first-class adventurers fought. Blown forward by the force of the air, Bell scrambled on all fours to continue his escape.
"Where you think you're going?"
"Eep!?" Squeaking, Bell turned onto his back and stared up at the pink haired Prum's face. With those teasing dark-pink eyes and sly smile, a thought pierced the raw terror that had ensnared Bell's mind.
At least my death will be enjoyable…
It was gone as quickly as the girl was. A wooden stave took her in the side and tossed the prum down a hallway and out of sight.
"Why have you stopped!? RUN!"
Then the elf whirled, bringing her stave up just in time to stop two sharp twin swords. They were clearly twin weapons and deadly.
The person wielding them moreso. A small trickle of blood trickled down and congealed onto Kaguya's face mixed with shards of shattered rock. Her Kanzashi was awry, and her eyes screamed bloody murder as she hissed at Lyu.
"You little…"
"Just leave Mr. Cranel alone!" Lyu pled as she was beaten back.
Scrambling backwards, Bell continued to run away. His path was marked with magic stones that Lyu must have dropped along the way. After a dozen seconds, Bell heard the sounds of approaching footsteps.
"Everyone!" Bell breathed out. It was the rest of his party that he had abandoned.
"Keep going!" Lili yelled at him. "Hide in Rivera and bring Haruhime!"
"G-Got it! Thank you!" So filled with fear as he was that Bell did not even consider rejecting the proposition. They would not harm the rest of his party… hopefully.
Mid-run, Bell scooped up Haruhime. Supporting her knees with his left arm and her shoulders in his right, her face was close enough to his that he would barely have to lean in to make contact.
Ignoring her squeal of surprise, Bell yelled out an order. "Magic!"
"On it! Can I just say though… that this is a really happy moment for me!"
Bell, in the midst of hyperventilating, could not understand the words.
He was focused enough however to hear the chant as it progressed slowly. The magical energy flowing around the renart girl and permeating the air of the dungeon.
Even with the magic being cast, no monsters came to bar their path. It was as if they could sense that they were outmatched by the true monsters roaming the floor today.
"Hehe, that song of yours is like a homing beacon!"
Freezing, Bell turned and gaped at the pink-haired prum jumping towards him. There was nothing Bell could do to stop her. Haruhime's song cut off as she realized that time was up.
With a flash of movement, Lyra unsheathed a knife and swung.
CLASH!
With an explosion of sparks and force a black blade intercepted the knife and sent Lyra in a backwards flip.
"Kirito…" Haruhime breathed.
"Not what I thought I would find," the boy spoke easily, stepping between Bell and Lyra. Despite that, Bell did not miss the way he loosened and tightened his hand on the grip as if his wrist was in pain.
"Oi, you again. Can you move please? I have an appointment with your white-haired familia member."
"As polite as the request is, I must refuse. Bell, keep running, Strea is up ahead with a group of monsters."
"Now hold on!" Lyra said indignantly, as Bell began to move. "You have your harem, don't deny me mine!"
"I didn't force them."
"Muwahaha!" As Lyra unleashed an evil laugh, they clashed again, the impact threatening to rip the dungeon apart.
Picking Haruhime up again, Bell continued to run. His ears picked up on the sounds of monsters and headed toward them.
Strea is with a group of monsters. That had been Kirito's words, but what did he mean? Was she distracting a horde? Or killing off a group? Or…
Bell slid to a halt. He entered into a chamber where Strea stood in the center of nearly fifty monsters. She was using the blunt side of her blade to knock them down and away but was purposefully not killing them.
"Oh, hiya Bell! Being chased by a jealous girl?" Strea said brightly when she noticed him.
"Not now!" Bell shouted back and ran through the monster horde. At the speed he was moving, they barely had time to react to him until he was through the horde.
Strea was soon on his heels with the monsters creating a train behind them. "Nee, Nee, Bell! Are you happy with my monster party!? Kiri told me grab a bunch, so I did! Is it enough!?"
"It's great!" Bell panted, words a struggle to get out.
"So, are you and Haru a couple now? You two look super adorbs running along like that. A real white knight!"
Bell could only blush under the questioning. Haruhime covered her face with her hands, relying fully upon Bell to support her.
Awoo!
Bell's head jerked around at the wolfish cry. Flying toward him was an upside-down hellhound. There was no way it caught up by itself. The thing had been thrown.
Right behind the Hellhound was an al-miraj. This is insane… Bell could not be upset; the physical prowess was incredible.
"Uh oh!" Strea said, happy as ever as she cut the monsters from the air. "Hurry along Bell, I'll do what I can to slow this thing."
"Thank you!" Speeding up more somehow, Bell sped along, every step bringing him slightly closer to safety.
Rain:
"W-Why the hell are the prices so high!?"
"Huh? You live under a rock, idiot!? First-class blokes are back. They'll earn ten-times what your broke-ass makes!"
"Who you calling a broke-ass!?"
Rain sighed and stepped away from the arguing merchant and customer. Unfortunately, she keenly felt the complaints of the customer on her wallet. Rivera was ahead of the curve in spiking prices. Orario proper would not be far behind.
As she drifted away from the argument, her slightly tipped half elven ears caught a word from the two as a third man joined in.
"…Hestia familia is getting attacked by those tier ones."
Whirling around, her red hair fanned out in a crimson arc with the speed that Rain rushed over and grabbed his collar.
In terms of size, the man was at least double her weight. He would stand nearly two meters, with thick rolling muscles. Currently, however, he was bent awkwardly as Rain pulled his face down to her height. The cat ears on his head and tail were flickering uncomfortably.
"What did you just say?"
"Err, oh you are…" As realization kicked in, the man paled noticeably. His companion at the counter took one look and darted away. The shopkeeper meanwhile froze, unwilling to abandon his stall but not wanting to be near Rain.
"Well!?" Rain pressed insistently.
"I… I heard that on the seventeenth floor your familia is being attacked by Astraea…"
"Astraea? That first-tier justice familia?" It was a familia that had been completely wiped out. A few days ago, Lili and Bell had given them all a first-tier adventurer breakdown including up-to-date information from the guild. Most of it was hearsay and rumors from when they were alive, so Rain had only half listened.
Now, as she darted through the alleys of Rivera looking for her party members, she wished she had listened better.
Kirito:
"Ow." Groaning in pain, Kirito lowered his hand to his side and pushed. Pebbles trickled down around him as Kirito clambered out of the him-sized hole in the wall.
To his highly enhanced sense of hearing, the entire floor was echoing unnaturally. Kirito could sense that there was a high-speed battle approaching his location rapidly. Of course, a half-deaf old man drugged on sleeping pills would be able to tell that.
Kirito was able to tell that the monsters remaining were also in a frenzy. They ran to-and-fro howling and wailing as their home was annihilated one overpowered action at a time.
Unable to do anything else, Kirito waited for the explosive battle to reach him, and then joined up with it. He was glad he started moving before the battle arrived, otherwise it would have passed him by completely without a chance to react.
As it was, his level four stats were barely enough to follow what was happening. An elf in white was clashing ferociously with a human girl with long flowing black air.
These were two more members of Astraea familia that Kirito had met on that fateful day. Lyu and Kaguya. Kirito only stayed ahead of the two demons because they were busy fighting with a fervor that bespoke an intention to kill.
Neither woman spoke, but there was a fierce glare in their eyes as they clashed again and again. The walls of rock literally crumbled under the force of the swings and kicks.
Following behind them was the red-head Alise. She just sighed and shook her head with a slight frown. Meeting her eyes however, she shook her head at Kirito.
Frowning he mouthed one word, why.
Whatever she was going to reply was obscured by Kaguya suddenly turning to him. "Get out of the way, boy!"
The level six backhanded stroke was faster than he could follow. Taking it low on his blade through pure instinct, Kirito was tossed toward the wall.
Twisting, he collided hard with the wall and almost lost his balance as he had to resort to running along the wall. Flexing his right hand that had gone numb he shot a baleful glare back at the far eastern woman. "Monster."
"This is not your fight, Mr. Kirigaya! Please find Mr. Cranel and keep Lyra off him."
"Mr. Kirigaya?" Kaguya laughed harshly as their dance of death continued without reprieve. "No way, did you actually study up on their familia while stalking that rabbit?"
Kirito blinked in surprise as the meaning behind the words crashed through his head. "You!?" He gaped disbelievingly at Lyu. "You're the phantom that Bell was convinced would kill him!?"
Her blush was confirmation enough. "I-I did not want the others to talk to him!"
Stalker… Kirito thought, giving the nervous elf a dead-panned stare as they approached the exit to the seventeenth floor. Carpeting the hallway were corpses of monsters. Some burned by Bell's magic, others cut down by Strea's massive blade. The majority however were killed by a single swift impact or a knife.
"Stop staring and get to Mr. Cranel!"
"Huh?" Before he could react, Kirito was grabbed by the shirt and thrown even faster down the hallway. "That's not an explanation!"
His words fell on uncaring ears as he sped ahead of the first-class adventurers.
That lasted for only a short moment until the third of their group caught up to him, leaving the clashing pair behind. "You aren't going to catch Lyra at that speed, Ki Ri To."
"Eh?" Confused by the sudden familiarity, Kirito did not pull away from her sudden closeness. It was only due to her exceptional skills as an adventurer that Alise was able to run so close to him without tripping both of them. "W-What is with the closeness?"
"Hmm, nope, don't see it."
"See what?"
"The appeal. Like, why would women bother to fight over you."
Kirito laughed roughly. "I ask myself the same question daily. I don't really care as long as they're happy though."
She laughed at that. "A good answer. Do you think Bell will arrive at a similar one?"
Kirito's mind slowly began to leave the state of panic and danger that he had entered since hearing about Bell getting chased by tier one adventurers. "Are you… interested in him?"
"Me? Of course. Wait, you mean romantically? Not particularly. I think Lyu could use a shy boy like him though."
Kirito laughed at that. "The elf? What is between them? Why is she stalking him?"
"It's obvious, isn't it? They're soul mates." Alice laughed.
"Soul mates? Umm… based on what?"
"He touched her."
"He… err…" Kirito felt like he should apologize as captain of the familia. "Are you looking for financial compensation for his inappropriate actions…?"
"Of course not, I could not be happier!"
Kirito was completely, and totally lost at this point. None of the events were logical. Bell touched a girl who started stalking him and then her familia attacks him? All the while thinking that he is her soul mate?
For a long while now, Kirito wondered what type of people survived and pushed through to become first class adventurers. The type of people that could endure death, pain, and suffering to reach the pinnacle of strength. He found his answer: The insane ones.
Alise frowned as she caught his look. "I am not crazy! You are just slow!"
Kirito wanted to argue further but he broke out into the boss chamber of the seventeenth floor where a party were in the middle of a boss fight. Unlike every other time Kirito had seen one here however, it was not against a goliath that they fought but a pink-haired prum.
Bell:
"I thought that you all would do better than this. Honestly, making me deal with that foolish girl and her horde of monsters."
"W-We won't surrender!" Bell claimed boldly, his voice shaking in terror. Well, partly terror. When Haruhime and he had arrived in the Monster Rex room on the seventeenth floor, Lyra had caught up with them and blocked their way to the eighteenth. Now, staring her down, Bell felt another emotion budding besides terror. Awe.
For his whole-life Bell had grown up with stories about the first-class adventurers that scoured the depths of the dungeon and defeated the Monster Rex's with amazing spells and skills.
Right now, Bell faced down the object of one of those tales in a battle. He was not ready. He was not on their level. Still, he could not help but be enthralled.
Somehow, his heart accelerated further as excitement crept up to equal his terror, adrenaline bringing his senses to their limits.
"Firebolt!" Bell instantly fired out his magic and ran in a straight line toward his target after it. He felt bad for Haruhime, but Lyra had already showed that she was not looking to slaughter indiscriminately. It was him that her familia was after.
Bell had no concrete reason why the most respected familia in orario would hunt him down like he was a disgusting criminal.
Wait… is that it!? Stumbling, Bell's foot hit a rock and he fell hard to the ground. The wind above his head parted as something barely missed.
"You dodged that!? How!?"
Ah, no I… But Bell could not vocalize the words. He had not even sensed the attack. Dodging was sheer luck that wouldn't be repeated.
"I've got her! Run Bell!"
"Eh? Seriously girl? What do you think you are, some dramatic sacrifice?"
Haruhime had thrown herself at Lyra and was wrapping the prum in her arms. At first glance, it looked like the renart was assaulting the prum girl in such a way that would land her in prison and have the key thrown away.
In reality… "Get off."
"Ehhh!?"
Haruhime tumbled half a dozen mters along the ground. She did not look particularly hurt, only dazed. Her distraction had bought a meaningless amount of time.
Furthermore, Haruhime had never managed to get her magic off. All told, Bell should have left her behind.
Not that he had time to even contemplate this when Lyra was in front of him. She did not swing at him, she just stood there, face raised towards him with that ever present smirk.
"So, Boy. In the end it is just the two of us. Don't you think that—"
"Get away from him!" It may have ruined the surprise attack, but Bell was extremely glad for the warning before Strea's massive blade came swinging at a trajectory that would have beheaded both of them.
"Watch out!" Bell barked as the skin on his neck was sliced by the near miss. The words were mixed with embarrassment at having been hit at all. The swing was slow enough to account for Bell's speed to give him time to dodge. He had been too entranced by Lyra. If he wanted to survive the day, he had to shake off his obsession with the first-tier adventurers.
Think of Ais!
Unfortunately, her golden eyes and hair were fuzzy in his mind. The colour of her hair matched Haruhime's, the style was Eina's…
Falling to one knee, Bell held a hand to his head. For a year since the disaster, he would see her face in his mind. Those beautiful golden orbs for eyes that absorbed everything and revealed nothing. So why now?
It was a bad time for such distracting thoughts. Strea had already been knocked away by Lyra again. Bell was unable to dispel the strong feelings immediately and remained where he was.
For the past week building stress and lack of sleep had slowly stripped away all of this energy. That finally caught up to him here as he slumped in defeat.
"Hehe, now I finally have…"
"Not so fast!"
"What now!?" Lyra wailed at the latest distraction.
Coming up from the eighteenth floor was Bell's familia. Rain, Philia, Leafa, and Silica had all been in the dungeon earning money. The four of them now fanned out in a standard diamond formation around Bell's position.
"Oi, you four really want to fight me?"
"You mean five, right?" Strea asked as she bounced to her feet.
"Seriously!? Adventurers just don't know when to give up, do they?" Lyra lowered her head, her always teasing eyes hidden behind her bangs of pink hair. After a short pause, her shoulders began to shake.
"She's… laughing?" Silica asked, the member with the best hearing.
That was confirmed as Lyra's head suddenly snapped back as peals of malicious laughter rang from her in waves. When she lowered her eyes to the group, they all stumbled back a step; Bell falling to his backside.
Evil.
That was the feeling that passed through the six adventurers that stared at the small figure. All of them had escaped not only near-death situations, but times when they should have died without incredibly fortunate help.
None of that mattered. The aura of terror being given off by this single prum was strong enough to quell them all.
"Hehe, even if you surrender now, I can't guarantee your safety."
"Did you just threaten my familia?" Kirito entered the chamber, black blade drawn.
Kirito:
Tensed, Kirito waited for the level five adventurer to attack him again. Instead, she turned her head past him, completely ignoring Kirito.
"Oi, Alise, did you put those two idiots in timeout?"
"Hehe, nope! They'll be here at any moment!"
Kirito was not nice enough to give the upset Lyra more time than was necessary. Lunging forward, Kirito swung his blade in a large arc pushing her away from Bell and freeing a path to Haruhime.
"Hey! I was talking to Alise!" Lyra complained as she easily dodged around the attack.
Shattering rock as he came to a hard stop. Kirito poured the potion on the groaning renart. "Start casting!"
"Her again!?" Lyra groaned. "No Sorcery is going to change the result of this—"
She cut off as from another tunnel, the remnants of Bell's original party rushed out, worse for wear. Nautilus and Daphne seemed to have absorbed most of the punishment while Cassandra, Yuna, and Lili only looked tired.
"More of them!? They seriously pop-up like flies. Neh, Alise…"
"You want help? You do realize that this is all your fault, right?"
"Hey! Familia members stick together! Now then, Evil Alise, go!"
"Hmm, Evil Alise…" The red-haired girl mused. Then, she smiled. It was an expression that sent chills down Kirito's spine. "It is fun to mess with Lyu. Especially when she lies to herself."
Stomach curdling into a knot, Kirito knew that Alise's decision sealed their fate. The level six could fight them all while half conscious. At least against the level five Lyra, they had a chance.
"Get Bell to Rivera!" Kirito ordered, then he charged the Prum. He could not even slow Alice down so there was no point in distracting her. Their only chance was for Lyu to overcome Kaguya and then fight off Alise while he dealt with Lyra.
"Ahaha, yes, come Hestia familia and hangers-on!" Lyra laughed evilly.
"Hangers-on!?" Daphne wondered aloud. "Maybe we should just leave this to Hestia familia…"
"Don't be like that, Daphne-chan, we have to do our best as well!" Cassandra corrected her friend.
As Yuna began to take up a new song, Kirito started his magic. "Trapped and secluded, I cry alone.
"Oh Endless fights, flying fortress, I endure."
"Your magic is pointless!" Lyra laughed, waiting for Kirito to approach.
"Incarnate the Radius and answer to me!
"Mirrored Blades!"
For the first time, Kirito saw actually surprise flutter across the first-tier adventurer's face as not one blade but two cut down at her at different angles.
If they had equal statuses, Kirito may have struck a decisive blow. As it was, Lyra blocked the original blade and ducked beneath the left-handed strike.
"The hell is that magic!?"
"Press her now!" Rain commanded. From around the room more magic chants began. Even as Lyra tried to pinpoint them all, Kirito swung again, even faster than before.
I have to protect them!
With his back burning, Kirito could feel his status climbing higher and higher. Lyra no longer had the benefit of goofing around. She was still stronger and faster, but not by a margin that let her ignore him.
"Oh? A status increase and magic that turns you into a dual wielder. Party tricks like that don't work on real top-tier adventurers!"
Kirito was prepared for a trick. He had fought some of the best adventurers alive. Their feints, their movements. He was used to being outclassed and striving desperately to improve.
Lyra did not need those. She merely attacked. Desperately trying to block with his left sword, Lyra shattered the illusory blade with a kick before aiming her dagger directly at his heart.
At the last possible moment, Kirito deflected the weapon, so the blunt edge slipped over his armour. It still sent him reeling backwards.
Blocking a kick with his arm, Kirito thought he felt his bone bend in protest at the ridiculous amount of force that he tried to stop.
Thankfully, it was done.
"Uchide no Kozuchi!"
His magic may have been broken, but Lyra had no idea what was about to happen.
"Eh, enhancement sorcery? Is that really—"
She did not get to finish as Kirito burst forward, sword striking forward in a lunge. Her eyes widened in disbelief at a strike delivered with the agility of a level five adventurer. Reaching new speeds that he could only have dreamed of before, Kirito pursued the retreating prum, hemming her in.
"Thousand sword rain!"
"Wind blade!"
From both sides Rain and Leafa's magic assaulted the prum. Swords of light crashed into the ground throwing up a hail of rock that was cut into rubble by Leafa's magic.
In the middle of the maelstrom, Lyra moved. Not out of the magic, but through it. Small, near invisible motions as she allowed the power to eddy around her.
When the magic faded, the room fell into a deathly silence. Her clothes were cut and dirtied, but there was not so much as a single bleeding cut. Her endurance was so high that the rock that scrapped her skin could not pierce it.
"Is that all?" Lyra laughed. "Never mind then Alise, I thought they were stronger. I'll deal with this boy and the rest will fall easily. Muwahahaha!"
"Eh? That's rude! You can't call for Evil Alise and then give her nothing to do!"
"Then stop them from leaving."
"Hai!" Jumping off the ground, Alise rotated in midair, and landed on the ceiling over ten meters above. Kicking off, she shot to the chamber exit to the eighteenth right in front of Philia and Bell.
Kirito had no time to watch what happened over there as Lyra lunged at him. Blocking her swing, Kirito replied with a heavy horizontal swipe that found only air.
So fast!
With Haruhime's level boost, the difference between them became all the more apparent. Her reactions, agility, and efficiency were all top notch.
It was all Kirito could do to avoid getting a knife in his gut. Three exchanges later, he was left with three dings and Lyra had not even been touched.
"About so-so…Not first-tier quality though."
"Shut it." Kirito growled, trying to push himself further. His skill was coming to an end though. The incredible boost that it could provide was drifting away and that terrible weakness was approaching.
"You have no chance against me alone boy, give it up." Lyra's warning was accompanied by her slicing through the strap on one of Kirito's knee pads. The armour tumbling loose to the ground.
"He isn't alone though." Rain jumped in her twin blades slashing at Lyra. It was incredibly slow to Kirito's boosted level five senses, but the level three attack still had to be respected. Dropping back into formation, Kirito prevented Lyra from counter attacking Rain.
Then Leafa and Silica joined, performing a pincer attack. All of it was ineffectual at hitting their adversary, but Lyra's face showed a hint of frustration as she was driven back again.
With Kirito covering the attacks there was little she could do without exposing herself.
"We can do this!" Rain convinced them. "Don't drift too far from Kirito and expose yourself!"
"Can you?" Evil Alise laughed. Kirito whirled to find Alise walking around with Bell held aloft in her right hand. The boy's head was lolling to the side, but his eyes were open, if unfocussed.
Nervous, Kirito whirled to find Philia. She was kneeling on the ground, clutching her arm or stomach. Yuna was still singing, and the others of that group were trapped in the middle. They had been moving to help Bell and now had to turn back.
"If you can beat Lyra, you can have Bell back." Alise said.
"Can I join in on that?" A cold feminine voice said. emerging from one of the tunnels was a gorgeous elf with long flowing blond hair. Her outfit however now verged on risqué as rock and blood covered her body with a multitude of scrapes.
"No way, you beat Kaguya!?" Lyra gaped.
"In her dreams!"
Lyu's head snapped to the side as a dark shadow appeared near her. Suddenly, the battle raged again as the two first-tier adventurers began to tear into each other.
The far eastern girl's once beautiful red kimono was now completely gone. Her delicate looking skin was almost completely exposed in her underwear that itself had not escaped damage.
Their skin is the true armour… Kirito thought. It was not far off either. By the time on hit level six, their skin was harder than most metal. It was no wonder their clothes couldn't keep up with the abuse.
With two level six's dancing around them, Kirito and his familia began their attempt to rescue Bell.
Bell:
"Urgh…" Groaning, Bell flitted in an out of wakefulness. The toes of his boots scrapped against the rocky ground without fully touching it.
Through his blurry vision and half-present mind, he watched the fight. If it could be called that. It was a futile assault where their target beat them back repeatedly.
Slowly but surely, his family and friends were getting beaten down. Kirito's skill had worn off and Haruhime's magic was coming to an end as well. As soon as it did the tenuous stalemate would end in a one-sided annihilation. Currently, Lyra avoided him, dancing around Kirito's position to strike at the others.
At level two and three, they were not up to the level needed to stand on this battlefield and be useful.
"Please, stop this." Bell croaked to Alise. "Just take me like you want."
"Huh? Nah, I'm having a great time watching you all fight. Not quite all on the same page, but there are some tight bonds in your familia. You guys will be great one day."
"But… she is hurting them."
"Hurting? Barely. Do you not know how Thrail fights?"
Do I? Bell's mind was still muddled. The answer would not come to him. He shook his head dejectedly.
"Her specialty is traps and bombs. Both things that grow less useful the higher the level. It is a big reason in my opinion as to why she never managed to hit level six."
"B-Bombs? Those are… explosives, right?"
"Huh? Yeah. Look how much fun she is having fighting with her body and not relying on tricks. Honestly, I swear this girl lies to herself more than Lyu."
"Alise…" Bell asked. "Can you please explain my connection with Lyu?"
"…How many non-elves do you think have touched her bare skin and lived to tell the tale?"
"L-Lived? I-I don't know, dozens?"
"Two. Three if you count Astraea. I'm one, you are the other."
"Huh?" Bell did not understand. He remembered the moment clearly. She had reached out her hand and Bell had grabbed it before she could retract. He had clearly felt her smooth skin through the direct contact.
Her confusion in the moments following as Lyu had stared at their touching skin before blushing bright red. Yes, it all made sense now.
"She is a bit of an odd girl, but I do hope you will get along with her."
"Not if she keeps stalking me and your familia keeps attacking us!" Bell bit back, annoyed. Still, he felt no danger from Alise.
The only real fight with danger involved was Lyu versus Kaguya. The two girls clashed around the room in a high-speed altercation that Bell only caught glimpses of as they constantly blurred from his vision.
"Muwahaha! Do you surrender?"
Bell looked back over at where Lyra now stood victorious. Most of the would-be attackers were on one knee panting. The only people who stood uninjured were Lili, Haruhime, and Yuna. The singer however had cut off and held a hand to her head.
"Not… Yet…" Kirito groaned getting back to his feet. "We will not let you take one of our familia members."
"Oh, is that so?" Lyra taunted. "Then maybe I'll get serious. You don't need all of your fingers."
Kirito, for his credit only narrowed his eyes.
Bell jerked in Alise's grasp. "No, don't! I'm fine!"
"Hmm, yes, I think we are done."
Bell suddenly found himself back on his own two feet. He looked around for Alise, but she was standing beside Lyra now.
"That's enough evil Lyra. Return to mischievous Lyra please."
"EH!?" The prum pouted turning to Alice. "But they were just starting to get serious!"
"No, this has gone far enough. Help me break up those two."
"Fiiiine. You're the captain."
Just like that, it was over. The four figures were gone from the cavern as the sounds of combat echoed further into the seventeenth floor. It seemed like Alise and Lyra would struggle to rip them away from each other.
Bell dropped to his backside and cradled his head. "So… My phantom fought for my sake."
Falling backwards, Bell laughed loudly as tears poured from his eyes. First tier adventurers really are something else.