Chapter 18:
Their first night in the Dungeon, Ais was restless. Something felt off in the underground space. She left the tent that the girls were sharing and wandered into the confined space of the campsite. Sitting on guard were Mikoto and Chigusa. While Ais stood in silence, she heard rustling and whimpering coming from the guy's tent. Not quite understanding decorum, she ducked inside to find the source of the noise. Within the canvas tent, she saw most of the boys passed out asleep. The only one moving was Bell Cranel. The boy tossed and turned in his sleep, muttering out half-formed sentences. He seemed to be sweating. Ais walked in silently, careful not to disturb anyone, and knelt down next to Bell. The girl reached out to take one of his hands.
He seemed so fragile at this moment. Holding his hand, Ais saw how calloused it was from months of constant training and work. His skin was dry and cracked, and there was a lattice of scars from bygone brawls. Trying to do what Riveria sometimes did to her, Ais traced meaningless patterns with her thumb on the back of Bell's hand.
Eventually, Bell's breathing started to soothe, and his shaking stopped. He did keep speaking, though. Words like 'failure, saviour, and hero' were constantly coming out of his mouth.
"Ah, I see you have been able to help him," said a soft voice.
Ais turned to find Haruhime standing at the tent's entrance. She padded inside and joined the Sword Princess next to her hero. The young fox girl reached out to push the fringes of Bell's hair aside.
Ais watched the interaction and tilted her head, "Haruhime, do you love Bell?"
In response, Haruhime smiled and nodded, "I believe so, yes," she looked to the tent entrance, "But I also believe that we mean that differently."
"What do you mean?"
Haruhime shrugged, "I spent most of the past year around Master Bell. I talked with him, told stories to him, and travelled around the world with him. I got to know him beyond…well…that is…."
"Beyond what?"
"Beyond the hero that I had made him out to be," Haruhime looked down at Bell, smiling fondly, "He saved my life, you know?"
Ais nodded; she had heard the story.
"Not just from Ishtar Familia, though. Before Master Bell found me, I believed I didn't deserve to be saved. I was a prostitute and thought that meant I was undeserving of life or love," continued Haruhime, whispering as she went.
"It was Bell and Mikoto who told me differently. They both worked to save me and remind me that I had meaning and a right to live. I had a right to dream of a better life," Haruhime looked over at Ais, "I am sure you have felt the same?"
Ais nodded, "Back when we attacked Knossos, the last time, I heard the sound of a bell, and it saved me." Ais frowned, "I almost turned into something bad…."
"But you didn't," reminded Haruhime.
Ais frowned because she did, in fact, betray him…
The two women were so lost in thought that they didn't notice the first stirrings of consciousness around them.
"My oh my, how indecent of you two," came a third voice.
The two women looked to find Welf rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the rest of the guys stirring around him. Including…
"Ummm, Ais, why are you holding my hand?"
Ais looked down to find Bell staring at her with wide eyes. The Sword Princess felt her cheeks start to heat up. "No reason," was her reply.
She stood up and started to leave the tent, Haruhime giggling from behind as she followed. The two found Lili waiting for them. After a quick admonishment, the prum set them to work. Haruhime was to help with breakfast, while Ais was to go collect firewood. The two adventurers nodded, and before they left, Ais tapped Haruhime on the shoulder.
"Thank you for talking to me," said Ais, looking at the ground, "I know that I'm not good at it…."
A second later, Ais felt something start to brush her leg. She found the renard's tail brushing against her. Looking up, she was met with the Enchantenko's beautiful smile.
"I am overjoyed that you enjoyed our conversation Lady Wallenstein; I hope to have many more of them," said the Fox Princess. Haruhime then hurried over to assist Mikoto and Chigusa.
"Good morning Ais," came the sleepy voice of Lefiya.
The Sword Princess turned to find Lefiya dressed and ready. The elf stretched and yawned as she left the tent, an early morning smile on her face.
"As cute as usual," said Elwin, also leaving his tent.
Lefiya made a point of stomping on his foot as she walked away, flustered.
"What'd I say?" asked Elwin, trotting after her, "It was a compliment!"
Ais watched on before she began getting to the task presented to her. She walked around the burrow and the area just outside their campsite and gathered as much spare wood as she could find. She found wood big and small to bring with her. When she thought she had found a sufficient amount, she returned to the others.
"Where should I put this?" she asked.
Lili, who was supervising other activities, turned to point off to the side. Her eyes were met with a tower of logs.
"Ummm, Miss Wallenstein…you didn't have to find that much…" said the prum, flabbergasted.
"I wanted to help," replied Ais.
She put her logs down and started using her Desperate to trim the excess twigs and branches. Her work was meticulous and thorough. As she finished each log, she passed it over to the team in charge of making breakfast. She was so focused on the task in front of her that it wasn't until Bell shook her shoulder that she realized the food was ready.
The party sat around, enjoying their meal. At the entrance, Urashima and Otohime were on guard. When everyone finished, Lili gestured for everyone to gather around. Urashima and Otohime walked over and joined the circle. When she sat down, the former Princess turned her head, and Urashima began braiding it away from her face.
"Today is the battle with Amphisbaena," began Lili, "This might become the most difficult challenge on our expedition. Lili hopes you are all prepared."
Lili faced Welf, "Is the Undine Cloth ready?"
Welf nodded, "And everyone's weapons are in tip-top shape."
"Good," Lili turned to face the assembled party, "We will leave for the Water Capital in one hour; that will give us enough time to position ourselves. Lili wants Master Bell, Miss Wallenstein, Miss Ryuu, and Miss Lefiya focused on crowd control and dealing with the fringe monsters," the prum turned to the newest adventurers, "You three will be in charge of guarding Lili and the other supporters. The rest of the party fights the Monster Rex."
"Ummm, Lili," began Bell, "Doesn't that seem a little risky? I know we did it for Goliath, but don't we want the strongest adventurers to face off with the Amphisbaena?"
"I must agree with Bell," added Ryuu. The other high-level members, except Aisha, voiced their agreement.
The amazon smiled, tossing her hair back, "Sorry folks, but this fight is personal," her grin shifted to predatory, "It's time we had a rematch."
Those adventurers who had been left behind during Bell and Ryuu's fall to the deep floors nodded. Their faces were grim and determined. They wanted this fight so bad they could taste it. For many, this would be an actual test to see how they had grown and changed. They wanted to see if they could beat the monster that had almost ended them.
Holding that determination in their mind, the group soon set out for the Water Capital. When they arrived, they did a quick march to get to the spawning area of the great beast. The top-tier members started to spread out and dispatch any lingering monsters. Lili, Haruhime, and Cassandra set up a kind of command area, with Urashima, Otohime, and Elwin arrayed around them.
That left Aisha, Mikoto, Daphne, Ouka, Chigusa, and Welf to face down the Amphisbaena. Welf had magic swords at the ready, while the others faced down the wall in front of them. Many were recalling memories of their past battle. How they had almost been destroyed by the monster Rex, and how terrified they had been at the time. The hour passed in an eerie silence. The only sound being the others destroying the monsters that had already been there.
Then, they heard it. The creature's great roar reverberated like a shockwave from below. It was only then that Ais asked a question, "How are you going to lure the Amphisbaena up here?"
Lili put down her pack and withdrew a brown pouch, "With Miss Naaza and Mister Urashima's newest item creation. This pouch is filled with things useful for attracting monsters. It was created based on the Dea Saint's own concoction."
True enough, the adventurers felt the great beast start to rise. Eventually, the great pool they were waiting in front of bubbled and frothed. Suddenly, out popped one shape, followed by another. The beast's great twin heads bit and snapped at each other. Its body and scales shimmered in the light, reflecting off the water. The heads swung left and right, nostrils flaring. Then, they alighted on the little prum girl. Their eyes focused on her, and as one, the heads roared their challenge.
"Mister Welf, Miss Haruhime!" shouted Lili.
Welf brought out a small magic sword and swung down. As he did so, ice exploded out, and the great pool froze over.
"Alright, you lot, let's get this started!" roared Aisha. The other adventurers jumped out onto the frozen water. Unlike the last time, there was no fear or hesitancy. They only had one goal, to win.
"Wither. That power and vessel. Slim wealth and broken promises. Until the crow caws deliver misfortune and weakness. -Wither. Strip away divinity within this body. Spell their name in red and cast them below. Sleep towards the north; may the winds of ill will wash over you. -Wither!" sang Enchantenko. This was her third magic, her newest spell. Around her gather a smog of purple miasma. She opened her mouth, "Kowareta Kushi!"
As if pushed by a great wind, the fog bellowed forward. It enveloped the Amphisbaena and expanded itself to encompass the entirety of its being. As soon the purple cloud touched the Monster Rex, it seemed to become weighed down. Its eyes lost some of their lustre, and its roar sounded less ferocious. This was Haruhime's magic at work. Her third spell, a level-down she could apply to her opponents. The only problem was, she couldn't cast her other magics while the miasma was in effect. Bad luck or good luck, but never at the same time.
Now that their opponent was weakened, the expedition party was better able to begin their attack in earnest. Before the beast came crashing down on the ice and fractured it into small islands, Mikoto was able to jump up onto the beast's long body. As she ran, she dragged her blade behind her. A great red line was carved on the beast.
Even weakened, though, this was still the Amphisbaena. With a toss of one mighty head, the samurai girl went flying off to the side. She crashed into a wall and slid to the floor. Her head swam with pain. The water dragon's other head then let loose an incredible streak of flame at its foes. The adventurers scattered, trying to dodge around the great fires in front of them.
While they were distracted, the right head surged forward. It snapped at the supporters, identifying them as the weakest targets.
"Give me strength, charging Bull. Make me the one who charges forward to protect my allies. I summon thee: Golden Bull, Datauri!"
Elwin finished his chant, the characteristic glow forming around him. The right head of Amphisbaena released mist as it charged. It prepared for a magical blow that never came. Instead, Elwin planted his feet and combined his enhanced strength with his mind load skill. The resulting haymaker to the side of the dragon's head was enough to knock it off course. While the supporters started to relocate, Urashima and Otohime took their chance to get in a couple cuts and hits on the beast. However, just as quickly as it arrived, the beast withdrew.
Amphisbaena ducked underwater, hoping to catch its prey off-guard. It was not expecting such fierce opponents. It retreated to its submerged domain and left a series of iceberg islands in its wake. This left the expedition party in silence as they waited for the creature to resurface.
"How are they going to know?" asked Lefiya while she fought off raider fish and blue crabs.
Ryuu smiled, "Trust the Black Crow."
Mikoto focused then and cast out her senses. She was almost hit with an overload. The cavern began filling more and more with different monsters. The mark of the Amphisbaena was virtually lost in the mess. Instead of panicking, though, she doubled down. She thought of where her target entered the water and tracked it from there.
"It is coming for Lady Daphne!"
The red-haired adventurer jumped out of the way in the nick of time. The iceberg she was standing on exploded in a rain of snow and sleet. The Amphisbaena surged out of the water and began shooting off large tendrils of blue fire at the adventurers.
Bell watched on, worried about what his companions were facing. Because of that, though, he was almost hit by a barrage of harpy feathers. Thankfully, Ais had been watching. The Sword Princess cut through the projectiles before hopping up to slice at the monsters. They exploded in clouds of dust as she jumped around, the walls acting as her springboards.
When she landed, she turned to Bell, "You have to pay attention, Bell. I know you're worried, but trust in your friends."
Then, she was off running to the next group of monsters. Usually, crowd control on a large group of monsters on the lower floors would be extremely difficult. If it was just four people, it would be nearly impossible. However, in the case of this expedition, three of the four adventurers were speed-based front-liners. Ryuu, Ais, and Bell were able to dart around and efficiently destroy any monster that started to gather towards their friends. Crystal Turtles, Aqua Serpents, Blue Crabs, and Crystaroth Urchins all fell to the top-tier adventurers. And in the case of the larger swarms, like the schools of raider fish, Lefiya Viridis was there to blast them apart with her magic.
Overall, the sidelines were easily controlled. All that left was the battle in front. The great Monster Rex raged in the water, and the walls blazed with flames. Slowly, Hestia Familia and their allies made progress against the Amphisbaena, but the dragon also left its own damage. Even a level down, the beast was formidable.
All the front-line fighters bore scorch marks, and Mikoto had a broken rib from when she had been tossed. Even in the backline, Otohime had taken the brunt of another charge at the supporters. Her shoulder was bleeding and dislocated. She was forced to drop her Bisento and draw her new unnamed katana.
"Heavenly light, once rejected. Merciful arms that save my shallow self. Rescue my miserable companions in place of my words that cannot reach them. Oh sunlight, may you beat back ruin," chanted Cassandra. As she finished, a healing aura washed over Mikoto and Chigusa, who had been standing close together. When she finished that spell, she began chanting her next. She wouldn't cast it until Lili told her so, but she would prep it to have at the ready for now.
The commander herself studied the battle, looking for any opportunities. Ideally, she wanted to find a way to remove one of the heads. If the powerful mist that diffused magic was removed, they could use Aisha's spell to end this battle. However, if the flame head was removed, the most dangerous offensive was gone.
Lili watched Welf use his wind blade to redirect a bout of flames. With his new magic sword, Welf became their perfect counter. With him bearing the brunt of the fire, Mikoto tracking the beast underwater, and Haruhime constantly reapplying the level-down, they would win. The only problem was that they might sustain some significant injuries in the process. Lili studied Welf's movements and saw how a particular gust of wind seemed to send the flames back to the sender.
Then Lili thought of her moment. However, it would require perfect timing and coordination.
"Mister Welf, ready your magic! Miss Mikoto, help Mister Ouka get to a high vantage point!" called Lili.
The three fighters snapped to attention, all of them moving to start their parts. Mikoto began weaving her magic while Ouka stayed nearby and provided defence. Welf had figured out Lili's plan, so he withdrew just a bit, needing to focus. He wasn't a mage, but time in Carien had given him a lot of practice with his accuracy and timing. To compensate, Lili had Urashima and Otohime join the advance team. They worked with Daphne and Chigusa to keep Amphisbaena at bay.
In an excruciating window of pressured time, Haruhime watched on in silence. She was always vigilant, reapplying the level down spell whenever it wore off. That didn't stop the echoes of worry, though. When Mikoto was sent into the wall, she flinched in pain. When Bell almost got nailed by the Harpy feathers, her heart stopped. Even now, for whatever reason, her attention was distracted into three parts. One part was watching the battle, which involved using her magic and tossing out potions when needed. The second part was drawn to Bell, naturally. She loved watching the way he fought. The third part was drawn to her dear friend Mikoto. She was still trying to figure out why.
However, now all her attention was focused on Mikoto grabbing Ouka and dragging him into the air. It was only with her new enhanced level four strength that she could bring the big guy up with her. When Amphisbaena saw this, it aimed one head sky high. As it opened its maw to belch out fire, Welf struck.
"Burn out, illegal work! Will-o-Wisp!"
There was a coughing sound as Amphisbaena had its own flame reflected back at it. However, there was no damage done. Unfortunately, the Amphisbaena was immune to its own attacks. But the ignis fatuus was enough to make it stumble. Now dazed, the great beast shook its massive head back and forth.
That was the moment Mikoto threw Ouka towards the ground. The brawny adventurer came down roaring, his battle-axe raised above his head. Mikoto's aim wasn't perfect, though. Ouka's axe cut deep on the way down, but one jolting moment from Amphisbaena meant that Ouka only bit halfway through the neck. He hung in the empty air, holding on for dear life. His feet tried to find purchase on the beast, but they kept slipping on the beast's slimy scales. How he survived, he did not know. All he understood was that if he let go or allowed himself to get thrown away by the dragon, he would die. Unfortunately, his fingers were slipping.
"Ouka!" screamed Chigusa. She took out her collapsing spear and took aim. This was Hitoka Chigusa's one true talent. The one thing she had over everyone else was her pinpoint accuracy. Sighting down the shaft of the spear, she threw with all her might. It flew through the air, and Chigusa's skill held true. The pointed end bit deep into the Monster Rex's skin, giving Ouka a place to rest his feet.
Using the haft as a jumping point, the big man pushed. He was able to push off and fly up into the air. He wrenched his battle-axe free from the monster's flesh as he went up. Then, before gravity took effect, he hung in the air for one terrifying moment. Most adventurers would retreat then. They would back up and take stock of their surroundings. Ouka was not that, though. He was tired of falling behind and being a passive force. He was going to protect his friends with every fibre of his being. So, Ouka went up, and then he came back down swinging. With this second hit, the beast's head came off. It fell with a resounding crash to the water. Ouka fell with it until the dragon's other head grabbed him in its maw. It shook the big adventurer like a doll and then threw him into the wall. He crashed and fell to the floor, unconscious.
Otohime ran by to scoop him up while everyone else redoubled their efforts. Even if the creature's primary source of damage was gone, its defences were still formidable. Everyone prepared themselves for a war of attrition, except the Amphisbaena. It ducked underwater, and Mikoto prepared to track it. She quickly realized that…
"It's heading for the waterfall!"
Everyone moved to get out of the way of the oncoming tsunami. They thought that they had outsmarted the beast, learning from the last time. What they didn't account for was what would be pulled out of the water. A great horde of monsters was carried on the resulting tidal wave. They launched themselves at the adventurers, and all hell broke loose.
"Master Bell, Miss Ryuu, Miss Wallenstein, Miss Lefiya!" called Lili as she fired bolt after bolt into monsters.
Drudged up from the depths were mermaids and mermen, Kelpies, Afancs, Dodoras, Lamias, Light Quartz, Crystal Turtles, and every other creature that the Water Capital had to offer. Some flopped around, but many others took to the offensive.
The four top-tier adventurers drew themselves close. Their added might gave the others time to gather themselves. Welf switched the side of his blade and began bringing his own fire to bear. He turned monsters to ash, doing anything in his power to buy the others time to regroup. Lili watched him go to work.
"Lady Otohime, please leave Sir Ouka with me!" cried out Haruhime. Otohime nodded her gratitude, tossing the big man into the renard's waiting arms. She then jumped to join Urashima. Cassandra stood with Haruhime at the center of the group, the two of them providing what support they could. They both held magical staves, swinging around to bonk the occasional monster. Lili stood with them, looking from Welf's magic sword and then to Amphisbaena sitting in the water. Ryuu and Ais had taken it upon themselves to distract the creature while the others handled the monsters. Bell, in his need for speed and constant movement, was unable to start shooting fireballs. Not to mention, he was liable to hit many of his allies at the same time.
They were starting to become overwhelmed, though. Chigusa had to drop and take a knee after a vicious serpent bite. Elwin got smacked aside by a Lamia tail. Even Aisha got pinched by a Blue Crab while she was distracted. There were just so many monsters…
Lili looked at Welf, then the Amphisbaena, then the water, and then at her arm-mounted crossbow. She smiled. She threw her pack down and began digging inside.
"Lili needs time!" cried the prum.
"You heard her, everyone protect Lili!" screamed Bell, having the utmost confidence that she would save them.
He and the other high-level adventurers were doing ok, but
the level threes and even the level fours were about to fall. Otohime was slowed down the most, her dislocated shoulder a significant hindrance. Urashima fought frantically to cover for her, his face pained in worry. Not to mention, Ouka was still unconscious, and more and more monsters started to slip past to the supporters. Seeing how much danger she was in, Mikoto began cutting a path to Haruhime.
Just as a monster was about to stab Lili in the back, she thrust her hand out and smiled, "Lili has found it!"
She turned to find the aqua serpent behind her exploding into dust. Bell was standing there, dagger raised.
The boy smiled, "You ready, Lili?"
The prum nodded. She took out her special magic bolts, and she placed one in the ready position. She didn't have much time, and she would have to make sure this shot counted. She took aim around her friends, knowing that they would keep her safe.
"Clear out of the way!"
Ais and Ryuu heard her and jumped away instantly. Ryuu trusted the voice of her commander, and Ais only heard Finn. They watched the bolt streak past them. As it raced forward, the Amphisbaena ducked out of the way. The bolt plonked harmlessly into the water. It turned to look at Lili, almost sneering with its monster face. Lili smirked, though. As she did, the bolt erupted. A shockwave branched out through the water. The Amphisbaena jolted this way and that. Then the shockwave followed the water acting as a conductor. The expedition party began hopping to higher ground. Mikoto grabbed Haruhime by the waist, Daphne doing the same with Cassandra. Both supporters blushed as it happened. Bell scooped up Lili, just in time. The horde of monsters below was immediately hit with magic lightning, shocking them into submission.
Lili began rapid-firing electric bolts, keeping the conductive stream going. Lightning bolt after lightning bolt began to surge through the water. Monsters exploded into dust.
Most of them died, but not Amphisbaena. Then Lili turned to their secret weapons, "Sword Princess, Master Bell!"
Ais jumped up and placed her feet on the wall. She pushed off as she screamed, "Tempest!"
The wind answered her call.
At the same time, the sound of a bell rang through the dungeon. White, purifying light gathered at the fist of the boy. The Amphisbaena understood what was about to happen and opened its mouth, letting loose the anti-magic mist. A shield of red surrounded it, ready to dispel all magical attacks. What it forgot, though, was that all things could burn.
"Oh no, you don't!" cried out Welf, raising his magic blade, "Hii Tatsumaki!"
A tornado of fire answered. It raged around the Amphisbaena, cancelling out the magical mist. Welf could only make it last for a couple seconds, though. Then, his blade fell to the ground. His face contorted in exhaustion.
Bell raised his hand, done charging as much as he dared.
Ais zoomed closer to her target.
"Firebolt!"
"Lil Rafaga!"
The two attacks met the Monster Rex, and the resounding boom sent everyone flying. A white mist settled over the battlefield, obscuring their vision. When they dared to look, all that was left in the cavern was the Sword Princess flapping around in the water. Everyone looked on in confusion until a little elf remembered…
"Miss Ais can't swim!"
While everyone else was still confused, Bell jumped forward, diving towards the water. He swam out and hooked an arm underneath her chest. One of the skills he had learned this year involved swimming and water rescues. He began dragging her back to shore.
The second she felt him, Ais's panic disappeared. At least, her panic about the water evaporated. It was replaced with a different kind of panic.
'Wait… Bell's hand is near my chest,' thought Ais, 'wait…why does that matter to me? Why am I nervous about it? Bell is so close!'
Ais dared to look at Bell's determined face as he pulled her through the water. The sight made her blush. 'When did he start looking so manly?'
The two made the return to shore to find everyone waiting for them. Cassandra was casting her magic on the assembled group, healing their injuries. Meanwhile, Haruhime and Lili bustled about collecting magic stones and drop items. The rest took the time to recuperate, with Ryuu and Aisha standing guard.
"Daphne! I'm ok!" said Cassandra, blushing. In response, Daphne narrowed her eyes.
"You need to rest as much as everyone else," said Daphne. She pressed one of Naaza's double high potions into Cassandra's hands, "Now drink this."
Next to them, Chigusa nursed Ouka back into consciousness. When he heard that he was the only one to pass out, he grew very angry with himself. Thankfully, Chigusa reminded him of how incredible he looked cutting off the dragon's head.
"But I was only able to do it because of you," replied Ouka. He laid a hand on her shoulder, "Thank you, Chigusa. You saved my life." Then he smiled. Chigusa nearly fainted.
"Please, Lady Haruhime, I assure you that I'm fine," stammered Mikoto, Haruhime flittering around her. She was supposed to be collecting magic stones, but she had taken a break from that to play nurse.
"Miss Mikoto, you crashed into a wall! Please, at least let me provide a potion!"
The two then continued their awkward dance around their feelings. Neither was willing to concede what their hearts were starting to tell them, though.
Next to them, Urashima had his own moment of panic, "Please, Lady Otohime, let me help you set your shoulder."
Otohime rolled her eyes, "If you insist."
Urashima then tried to get a firm grip on Otohime's shoulder without causing her any pain. His hands kept shifting, unsure how to proceed. After a minute of inaction, Otohime sighed. She stood up and walked over to a nearby rocky outcrop.
"Princess…what are you doing?" asked Urashima.
Otohime took a deep breath and then jammed her shoulder against the rock. She snapped her arm back into place.
"By the Gods!" she screamed, tears in her eyes.
"Otohime!" shouted Urashima, who jumped to his feet.
Between laboured breaths, Otohime said, "You were taking too long."
Finally, the boy draped a dry salamander wool cloak over a girl's shoulders.
"Are you ok, Ais?"
Ais nodded, her body trembling, "It's less the cold and more…"
"The fear?" answered Bell.
Ais nodded, looking at the ground, "I know it's weak…"
Bell shrugged, "Honestly, seeing that there's something you can't do makes me feel better."
"It does?" Ais tilted her head.
Bell nodded, "Helps me remember that you're more than just a powerful adventurer," Bell looked away then, his ears turning pink, "Besides, seeing you now…is kinda cute."
Ais heard his words and remembered the feeling of his arm wrapped around her. She didn't respond, and the two sat there in comfortable silence.
Watching over them, Welf and Lili continued shovelling magic stones and drop items into sacks. As they went deeper into the Dungeon, Chigusa and Cassandra would start to carry their own supporter bags, helping to maximize the amount of loot they brought back with them. This was the beginning of that transition.
"You know, I wouldn't mind handling the rest of this if you want to go talk to Bell…" began Welf.
Lili frowned but shook her head, "Lili knows when she is beat," the prum sighed, "Lili will just have to be happy with her current position…"
"You know, if it came down to it, I'm sure Bell would pick you over her every time. You'll always be his first partner, right?"
Lili nodded, still melancholic, "But it's not the same…."
"No, I suppose not…."
The two continued their work in silence.
"Are you alright, Elwin?" asked Lefiya. As a full-time backline mage, she had no injuries to speak of after this encounter. Elwin, however, was nursing some bruised knuckles and a damaged torso.
"Yeah, just scratched myself up when I punched the damn thing," said Elwin.
Lefiya grabbed his hand, "Then allow me to help," she closed her eyes, "I wish upon the name of Wishe. Ancestors of the forest, proud brethren. Answer my call and come to the plains. Connecting bonds, the pledge of paradise. Turn the circle and dance around. Come, ring of fairies. Please - give me strength."
She then followed this chant with another, and a small magic circle formed at her feet. A green light washed over Elwin, and the scratches and bruises on his hand started to fade.
Lefiya smiled, "There, all better! I was able to copy Lady Riveria's healing magic to help!"
Elwin looked at his hand and blushed, "Not done yet, though…"
Lefiya tilted her head, "What do you mean?"
"…You have to kiss it better…" mumbled Elwin, daring to hope.
When Lefiya didn't respond, he started to pull his hand away, "Sorry, dumb request, I know…."
Except, he was almost pulled off his feet. He felt a flash of a warm sensation on his knuckles, and then his hand fell limply to his side. He brought it up to stare at it. He then looked at Lefiya, who had turned away.
"If you'll excuse me…I must be going!"
The little elf marched off, Elwin watching her go. He wore a dumbfounded look on his face.
Up in Orario, three Goddesses were having drinks. Hestia had finished work early, and Hephaistos insisted on walking her back to the Twilight Manor. When they arrived, Loki invited the Goddess of the Forge to stay and chat. Her reasoning was that a third party would stop Loki and Hestia from killing each other. Hephaistos agreed.
Loki, who had drunk much less than the others, looked over the rim of her glass, "So, Itty-Bitty, what's going on with that kid of yours…I would've thought that he'd level up in his time outside Orario."
Hestia made a dismissive gesture, "You know how it is. Hard to find stuff challenging enough in the countryside."
Loki made a humming sound, "That hasn't stopped him before, though. Unless your precious Bell isn't as great as people say…."
"Hey! My Bell is amazing! The only reason his growth stopped is because…" Hestia trailed off.
"Oh, so you do know why he grows so fast?" Loki leaned forward, "Alright then, spill it."
Hestia looked to Hephaistos for help. The Goddess of the Forge looked her in the eyes, "If there's a problem, we can only help if we know."
Hestia groaned, hating that she had allowed herself to have been tricked. 'Some Goddess I turned out to be….'
"Ok," began Hestia, "So it's like this…."
And Hestia told the story of Liaris Freese. She explained Bell's extraordinary growth and the reason behind it. The two Goddess's watched in rapt attention. Hestia then moved onto what happened and why it had stopped. As she explained the connection to Ais Wallenstein, Loki scowled.
"Like I'm going to let him have my Aizu!" said Loki, who swung her glass back and forth, "And another thing! Where does he get off blaming my Ais! That doesn't make any sense!"
Hestia shook her head, "Doesn't matter if it makes sense, Loki, that's not how emotions work. Besides, it's not like Bell is doing this on purpose," Hestia shrugged, "Emotions are messy. So, Bell has to untangle this on his own as much as possible."
Hephaistos smiled, "You really have grown, haven't you?"
Hestia pouted, "Are you saying you didn't believe me till now?"
Hephaistos shrugged, happy to continue teasing her friend. That is until Hestia smirked at her.
"By the way, what was it you were talking to Welf about before the expedition anyway?"
Hephaistos turned the colour of her hair, "Nothing that concerns you…"
"Uh uh uh," began Loki, "Welfy's part of itty-bitty's Familia. What you do to him, she has a right to know!"
Shocked at Loki's trickery, Hephaistos sank into the couch. She buried her face into her hands and made a controlled squeaking sound.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" asked Hestia, cupping her ear.
Hephaistos dropped her hands and moved her lips.
"I'm sorry, couldn't hear you?" added Loki.
"I said, I gave him a good luck kiss!" shouted Hephaistos. At that exact moment, Raul poked his head through the door.
"Excuse me, Lady Loki, Finn was wondering if you had a chance to review the documents…."
The adventurer trailed off under the glare of the smithing Goddess. Hephaistos stood up and marched over. She grabbed the High Rookie by his collar and brought him close, "You breathe one word of what you heard outside this room, and Tsubaki uses you for smithing practice, got it?"
Raul nodded but then scrambled away as soon as possible. In his fear, he searched for his girlfriend and buried himself in her arms, "But I didn't hear anything!"
Not totally understanding what happened but still finding him endearing, Aki petted his hair. Then she said, "I know, just take it easy, Raul. I got you. I'll protect you."
Back in the dungeon, the party advanced. The original plan was to rest and return to floor twenty-four to properly tackle the next floors tomorrow. However, they had defeated Amphisbaena with no significant injuries, and Lili's electric arrow had also cleared out many monsters. The way was open for them to continue through the Water Capital. As they marched, Lili scanned her map of the twenty-seventh floor, looking for a campsite.
"Lili believes we should take a left…right…here!"
The party followed her orders and entered a large cavern. Thankfully, there was no water to be found inside. Everyone began setting up camp, with Bell taking the first watch. Ais watched him and noticed how he seemed to stare at every pool of water. She walked up to him.
"Are you afraid of the monsters?" she asked.
Bell shook his head, "No…actually, I was hoping to see…."
"To see?" prompted Ais.
"A Xenos," replied Bell, "Named Mari. She's supposed to live around here…."
Ais nodded. Then she tilted her head, "Bell, would you prefer I not be around when we meet with the Xenos?"
Bell flinched, "Was I obvious?"
Ais shook her head, "No, but I've been thinking about it," Ais frowned, "Even if I want to apologize…I need to make sure they're comfortable first…also," continued Ais, who was turning red, "I wanted to say…thank you…."
Bell seemed caught out, "Thank you? For what?"
"For saving me from the water…" finished Ais. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before turning back to the campsite.
Finally, deep in the desert of the thirtieth floor, a monster paced. Her spies had informed her of her quarries' progress. Things were progressing smoothly. Next to her, a great shifting mass of vegetation rumbled. She nodded along.
"Yes, no need to complain, you'll get what you want," said the monster, which seemed to be a variant of a War Shadow.
"Want revenge…against…the rabbit…."
This Xenos had not perfected the art of speech. Despite that, though, it was still one of the most cunning among the New Faction. This Faction called themselves the Sun Seekers, for they would bring the Xenos into the light. Their king would lead them, but this large lump of moss would create the plans to reach their goal.
"Just make sure that your plan works," continued the War Shadow. Her form was translucent but more solid than a regular monster's. Her voice came out like a ghastly wail, "I want them separated…. especially the little elf girl. She's mine," a large smile graced her features, "She'll be all mine…" her eyes turned manic, "I'll make her just like me…and then she'll be mine…."
With that, the Banshee cackled with glee.
Character Profile:
Sanjouno Haruhime
Level Two
Status:
Strength: I 98 Defence: H 120 Dexterity: H 116 Agility: H 130 Magic: F 436
Mage: H
Magic:
Uchide No Kozuichi: Level boost magic that can only be used on a single target, after which an interval occurs before it can be cast again. It cannot be used on the caster.
Kokone: A special enchant magic that creates a maximum of nine tails on the user depending on their limit. The user adds the effects of a second magic they chant connect to each of the tails to multiply its effects, such as increasing the number of people Uchide no Kozuchi can be used on.
Kowareta Kushi: Level degrading magic that can only be used on a single target, after which an interval occurs before it can be cast again. It cannot be used on the caster.
Skills:
Mikuzumenohou: Increases the effects of the user's magic and improves mind usage.
Protected Princess: Provides a minor passive Status boost to those fighting around the user.
Big fight scene now under wraps folks! Definitely a challenging one to right! Hopefully, things came across as realistic. Also, we are almost caught up here on to the the series on archive. Afterwards, both series will be published and updated on Wednesday (I usually call it Wandering Wednesday) I'm interested to hear all of your thoughts on what will be coming next, both in relation to the story at large, as well as in the new floors of the Dungeon I am creating from 28 to 34. Hope you all enjoyed, now on to the reviews!
Mememaster: You're goddamn right it is. And its going to get even gayer
Agilityhero: thank you! They will have some major moments going forward! But also lots of angst!
Noon: The overall narrative is Ais x Bell, but the other characters are all extremely important to his upbringing and heroics. That said, the next couple of chapters deals a lot with the AisxBell relationship, for better or worse.
