Chapter 38:

At the doors of Babel, Hestia Familia was waiting for their Captain. They didn't totally get what was happening, but they knew that the Guild had sent an emergency request. There was no turning this down, and while the letter was intentionally vague, in case Freya was spying on them, they could tell that the Xenos were in danger.

"Do you think he's coming?" asked Elwin.

Mikoto had flown off right away to grab the others, but there was a guarantee that Bell would be coming with them. Everyone there knew that Bell was hurting and that they were the cause of it. So, they sat in trepidation.

Thankfully, Mikoto came flying in, and her news was good.

"Sir Bell is coming with Lady Lili and Lady Ais," said the samurai as she landed.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, and Welf began getting out the pieces of Bell's armour. Haruhime helped Mikoto put on the rest of her gear while the others got in the right mental place. Oto carried Lili's supporter pack with her, the warrior's bisento and new katana hanging at her side. The blade did not have a name, but it had also not been properly drawn. The sword was a fine piece of equipment, at the very top of second-class weapons. Welf had taken the proper time, and for Otohime, that meant giving a proper name.

"How did Bell look?" asked Ryuu. "Was he angry? How upset was he?"

Mikoto flinched at the rapid-fire questions. Her hands drifted up to play with the ends of her hair. Haruhime's ears drooped, and she gave a comforting squeeze to Mikoto's shoulder.

"He seemed ok," said Mikoto. "I only came at the end of his and Lady Hestia's conversation, but they seemed to be…clear? As if they had started some sort of important conversation." She frowned. "But Sir Bell definitely still seems upset." Her eyes narrowed. "But also more…sure of himself? It was as if his footing had become firm."

The rest of the Familia gave her blank stares, to which she only shrugged in response. It was hard to say without seeing the man in person. So, Mikoto ignored their stares and ensured that Haruhime's goliath cloak was firmly clasped around her shoulders.

Only a couple of moments later, they saw Bell and Ais finally come running through the streets, with Lili following behind them. Thankfully, the first-class adventurers had kept their pace slow enough so that Lili could keep up but were just far enough that she wasn't running 'with' them. The detail did not go unnoticed by the rest of Hestia Familia. Even when the three gathered with the rest of them, Bell and Ais stood a separated from the rest.

"Miss Wallenstein, you will be joining us?" asked Ryuu.

The Sword Princess nodded, checking her gear and armour. Ryuu walked over to brief Ais on what they knew and what they could put together for the mission. The elf had not blinked at Ais's sudden appearance, instead hoping that it would help keep Bell's mind grounded. Ryuu found herself shivering from the look in her Captain's eyes. Even if she was on a different path with a particular waitress, Bell's change in aura was definitely sending her heart aflutter. Meanwhile, Welf took Bell aside to present him his armour and weapons.

Bell stood still as Welf strapped in the chest plate, vambraces, knee guards. As Welf worked, he spoke.

"Listen, if you want to be angry at us, that's fine. We hid something big from you, but I want you to remember, we did have our reasons. And don't think for a second that none of us feel good about what we did." He looked up from his spot on the ground as he adjusted the final parts of Bell's leg armour. "If you don't want to talk right now, ok, but you are you going to be ready to lead?"

Welf stood up, and Bell laid a hand on the big smith's shoulder as he did so.

"I promise, Welf, I will not let any of you fall." Bell looked to the Dungeon. "I am upset, and we will talk about it, but I swear that right now, my only focus is about helping the Xenos."

Welf took a minute to study his brother. He rubbed his chin in thought before smiling and nodding.

"Well, alright then," said the smith. He patted Bell on the shoulder. "Let's get this done, and then we'll all have a nice long chat."

Bell gave him a smiled and nodded. The two brothers walked back to their friends, assured that while things were rocky now, they would be ok sometime soon.

"What are your orders, Captain?" asked Ryuu, already business-oriented.

"Everyone stay close; we don't know what's down there," said Bell. "Me and Ais will take point, and then Welf in the vanguard. Mikoto and Urashima behind, then Haruhime, Lili and Elwin protecting them." He looked to Otohime and Ryuu. "And you two will bring up the rearguard."

Everyone nodded. Lili looked like she had something to say but chose to keep quiet. If something came up, she would speak. But for now, she sat in silence. On the run over, Lili had seen the hurt in Bell's face. It hadn't been as pronounced with everyone else, but Lili had born the full brunt of Bell's disappointment. She had tried to talk to him but had been stonewalled with the silent treatment. From what Lili understood, Bell was still internalizing something, but she had seen the hurt on his face whenever he looked at her. Lili had a couple guesses why it was so pointed at her, but she'd wait to bring that up when they were private. For now, her friends were in trouble.

So Hestia Familia, with Ais, made their way into the Dungeon. They did not stop to fight any significant group of monsters, and they did not stop to collect any magic stones and drop items. Bell and Ais worked in tandem to cut down anything in their path. Bell's nerves had him in front, but the Sword Princess did not seem to mind. She happily ceded him the lead and worked to watch his back and the weak holes in Hestia's formation. Usually, Lili would call out any incoming dangers, but she was distracted by Bell. At the back of their formation, Otohime saw all of this and was not a happy camper.

"We need to focus up," she commented to Ryuu. "Our leaders are distracted and not making smart decisions. That's how people die."

Ryuu nodded. "I know, and I promise that I'll do everything I can to keep you all safe until Bell gets his head straight." She looked forward. "Besides, we have the Sword Princess watching our back." The elf's eyes burned with competition. "Between the two of us, we will not let you fall."

Otohime snorted. "Hey! It's not like I'm going to sit around waiting!" She giggled. "I'll work just as hard as you two and protect everyone." She looked back to her Captain, who she saw as a little brother. "But I do worry about him."

Ryuu nodded silently. She had the exact same worries.

After only a couple of hours of travel, they came to the passage leading to Floor Eighteen. Just as Bell was about to charge down, Lili shouted for him.

"Master Bell, wait!" screamed the prum.

Bell whirled around, the intensity still in his gaze. Lili held her ground, but just barely. She drew a deep breath and stood her ground.

"We need a moment to gather ourselves," she said. The Dauntless looked to her Familia. "Are everyone's weapons ready?"

Her Familia nodded. Lili narrowed her eyes.

"Lady Otohime?"

The Dragon Princess nodded sheepishly.

"Good, stay tight. We don't know the situation, so keep calm." She nodded to Bell. "By your lead, Captain."

The March Hare nodded to her and then swept his gaze over his Familia. He saw that they were ready and led them down the tunnel. Hopefully, they would find Rivira still standing and peaceful. Hopefully, the Guild just needed something sneaky over a full-blown battle. As they ran, though, they heard screaming. The smell of smoke began to fill their nostrils, and an intense orange crept into their vision. The Familia came into the light of the eighteenth floor and had to stop at the entrance. In front of them, a giant plume of smoke spilled over the treetops. The town of Rivira was on fire.

Going back to the Dragon Girl:

Rewinding the clock, a couple of hours, remember the small dragon girl asleep in the Inn. She had run for so long and had ended up alone. Her guilt at abandoning her friends had burned away at her, as had the numerous injuries she had sustained. The little vouivre was furious at her weakness. She knew that if Bell had been there, he wouldn't have abandoned anybody, and he would have won.

Wiene was also tired of waiting. The large man who had brought her here and warned her not to show her face, but she couldn't hear anyone else around. Her enhanced senses only detected silence. Not to mention that if the Sun Seekers were coming, maybe if Wiene wasn't around, they wouldn't hurt these innocent people. So, she picked her cloak up from the ground and wrapped it tight. She walked out into the underground Inn and peered left and right. No guards were waiting for her, and she kept walking. Finally, she made it into the lobby, where the owner Wily was sitting bored. He saw her moving and frowned.

"Hey now!" he said. "You shouldn't be up so quickly; you were pretty injured!"

The innkeeper hadn't been briefed on the situation, but he did know that whoever was inside had been gravely injured. He stood up, but then he saw what was under the hood. Wily backed up in fear, unbelievably terrified of this human-like monster.

Wiene tried to ignore him and dashed outside. As soon as she entered the blinding light, the dragon girl ducked into the shadows. She skulked around between buildings and took the time to observe just what was going on. Thankfully, everyone was too busy for Wiene. She noticed that everyone seemed to be preparing for battle. Adventurers were sharpening swords and pounding dents out of armour, while others added planks of wood and stones to the walls around the town. For once, not a single person was asking about the price of the supplies. The citizens had united together to try and protect this home. Maybe they could have retreated to the surface, but for many, this had become a home.

"I want all our mages to get together and work out an attack pattern," shouted the man who had saved Wiene. "This isn't like with that black variant monster! We have the time to put our heads together and make a viable strategy!"

Wiene heard him and realized that this town was doomed. She wanted to run out and warn him about just how dangerous the Sun Seekers were, but then she saw the people. Wiene still remembered how the crowds of adventurers had jeered her and tried to attack her. So, her fear overtook her, and she backed away. She chose to wait until the big man with the eye patch stopped talking. The problem was, as soon as he finished one conversation, he started another. The man moved to all the different points and then walked up a hill to get a better vantage point. Finally, Wiene saw her opportunity.

"Excuse me, Mister! We need to talk!" said Wiene, shouting after him.

He turned around, and his one good eye blinked. The surprise was quickly masked with irritation. He stomped over, and Wiene grew scared again.

"What in the world are you doing out of bed!" he shouted. "You're still too injured to be going out!"

Wiene blinked, and then a massive grin opened on her face. She threw her hands into the air.

"You care about me!" screamed the Xenos girl. "You're angry because you care! Like Lili!"

Bors blinked before sighing. He shook his head while he started talking. "Whatever, listen, I don't know what you are or where you came from, but you need to get out of here. It's about to get very dangerous." He surveyed the townspeople hard at work. "We're preparing for battle."

Wiene jumped up and down. "That's the problem! You're going to lose! The monsters that are coming are going to be really strong! So, you have to run!"

Bros nodded along before he gave a dark laugh.

"I know, lass, trust me, I understand the situation. I figured that something bad was coming and that we don't stand a chance on our own," said the large man.

Wiene's head went to the side, her brow furrowed, and her nose crinkled.

"Then, why are you staying here?" she asked.

The large went back to look at his fellow outcasts. He smiled fondly.

"This is my home, and this is the last first line of defence in the Dungeon." He looked back at Wiene. "If we don't hold the line here, then whatever happens next, we'll be at the city." He brought his hands together. "So, we fight till our reinforcements arrive." He nodded at her. "No need for you worry, though; the March Hare is already on his way down to pick you up."

Wiene blinked, not totally understanding what was going on. Bors sighed.

"Bell Cranel is coming. He'll pick you up and take you to the surface." He looked over at the entrance to the nineteenth floor. "Meanwhile, one of my guys has gone to request help and reinforcements. I'm hoping the Guild sends Loki or Ganesha Familia down here, but honestly, I'll take anything."

Wiene did not hear the rest of the conversation.

"Bell is coming?"

The dragon girl bounced on the balls of her feet. She was going to see Bell again and so soon! And if the rest of Hestia Familia was coming, that meant she was going to see Haruhime too! Maybe the circumstances weren't great, but she chose to stay positive.

"Yeah, the boy is coming. But before he gets here, I was hoping to ask you some questions," replied Bors. "Mostly, I need to know what these Sun Seekers are really like. What kind of monsters are they working with, and how many actual Xenos are coming for us?"

Wiene rubbed her chin, mimicking how Lili acted when she wanted to be deep in thought. Truthfully, Wiene had very little knowledge about the Sun Seekers. She remembered them, vaguely, when they were still all working together, but they had left so early and quickly. It also didn't help that she didn't talk to the Sun Seekers. Wiene was the most pro-human Xenos in existence. She would be the first to admit that her opinion might be a little coloured. But that didn't matter to her. Wiene liked people and preferred peace over violence.

"Well…I only saw a couple of them. So, there'll be one of their higher-up ones and then a couple weaker ones. And then there'll be all the monsters they bring with us." Wiene narrowed her eyes in thought. "Probably from the Great Tree Labyrinth and the Water Capital."

"So, a pass parade?" responded Bors. "But won't they also get attacked?"

Wiene shook her head.

"They have special collars…from somewhere…that allow them to control monsters."

That made Bors stop. Yes, this could be a significant problem.

"I'm going to head back to the town and make sure everything is set. I want you to find somewhere to hide nearby. Only come out for me or those kids from Hestia Familia."

Bors jogged back down the hill. Wiene waved goodbye but did not find a hiding spot too far away. She was going to stay and help. From what she had learned from Fels and the others, nobody in Rivira would be strong enough to fight any elite members from the Sun Seekers. Strictly speaking, Wiene wasn't strong enough either, but she could last longer and give the others a better chance at retreating.

So, she watched, and she waited. The defences were well made; even to her untrained eye, she saw that the group's organization seemed to be coming together. Even then, Wiene knew that overwhelming might and numbers would win out. It would just be a question of how long. And hopefully, Rivira would get some reinforcements from the surface. Eventually, the time came. The sound of roaring and screeching came up from down in the Dungeon.

Bors stood on top of the wall surrounding his town. He looked back at the adventurers.

"Now listen up!" he shouted. "I know you lot, and I know just how tough you are, but I also know that you understand the cold hard truths of the world. We cannot win this battle; our enemies are stronger and tougher than we are." The faces looking up at him didn't flinch. Bors smiled. "But we can outlast and survive. We must weather the storm in front of us!" He raised his blade into the air. "We will rebuild!"

There was no answering cheer. Bors declaration was met by silence, and the man smiled. He almost laughed at his foolishness. These men and women didn't need a rousing speech. They had a job to do, and they would see it done or die in the attempt. This was the way of outlaw down here. Bors turned his back to them and focused on the emerging horde of creatures. For a brief second, he thought that they might try to parley. But that wouldn't be the case. These monsters wanted to rage war. A war so terrible that it would shake the city and the Dungeon to its very core.

Bors braced for impact.

The First Battle:

In the beginning, the siege went well for the adventurers. The Sun Seekers sent forth scouting units and monsters that weren't suited for destroying the environment. So, precise arrow work and minor spells were enough to send those monsters packing. Of course, they were careful and methodical about how they spent their limited resources. This was a test of endurance, and unlike monsters, the adventurers couldn't just magically sprout new weapons. So, Bors and the other leaders decided who used what spells and what potions went where. That order would only last through the first wave, though. Apparently, the Sun Seekers had a strategist.

Watch over them; Wiene grit her teeth. That kind of strategy and analysis only meant one thing, Scipio had survived the fiery blast from the battle on the thirty-fourth floor. So, the adventurers really were going to lose. Wiene kept an eye on the area up to the surface, waiting for Bell. She was already getting ready to run away, even if she hated the idea.

At the wall of Rivira, Bors used his spear to send another monster crashing down. The problem was that his weapon with it.

"Another spear!" shouted Bors. "And where's the boiling oil!"

The outlaw leader had been doing his reading. Or rather, Bell had told him stories, and he had reluctantly listened. Now, though, Bors was thanking Bell for his stories. Some of them had included historical battles and strategies for how to repel siege attacks. Now, many of them were being implemented today. Along with the cauldron boiling oil, they had rocks and long polearms to stay out of reach, along with one other strategy.

"Open the gate!" shouted Bors.

Giving the monsters a point of entry sounded stupid, but they were being controlled. Controlled by a being, that while smart, had never studied the art of warfare. So, they allowed their monsters to be drawn in. When enough had come through the gate, Bors smiled.

"Close the gate!" shouted the one-eyed man.

Now, a manageable number of monsters were trapped inside the town's central area. And while they were still dangerous, the adventurers knew what to do. The small crowd of monsters was taken down with top-notch teamwork and coordination born from years of living together.

"Haha!" laughed Bors.

Soon, they would be overwhelmed, but they were holding out just fine. Thankfully, the Sun Seekers had been sending tiny humanoid monsters to their gates. There were ogres, goblins, lizardmen, and sword stags at the forefront. But hanging behind them, Bors glanced bugbears, battle boars, and mammoth fools. Thankfully, there were no monsters with fire magic, which was strange, but Bors wasn't going to look a gift in the mouth. He would take out the monsters he could before his walls and buildings were trampled down.

Around the other side, Scipio and whoever else was there had sent another group of monsters, these ones with fire attributes. They would get as close as possible before they released their magic explosion. The humans wouldn't see it coming.

But a little dragon girl did. Wiene had tracked the hellhounds, firebirds, and infant dragons, hearing them make their way through the forest. Just as the crowd of monsters were about to let loose, she hit them like an arrow. Wiene quite literally used her wings to gain the momentum and aerodynamics to pierce through the side of one of the infant dragons. She landed and twisted with her claws out. She ducked low slashed through a pair of hellhounds. Wiene knew that she was supposed to try and hold in her more monster-like urges, but for the sake of the people, she was going to let loose.

There was an old trick that Lyd and the others had told her. Their base urges were buried deep inside of them and could be released with a breathing trick. Inhale deeply through the nose, let it flow through your body, and imagine all those nightmares that plagued you. Let the fear out and grab hold of the anger. Wiene dreamt of the attack and the hate that she had felt in her previous lives. She latched onto it and let out the beast within.

Her eyes clouded with red as she began tearing her way through the monsters in front of her. Her claws practically tore a hellhound in half. Her teeth bit right into a dragon's neck, shaking it around like a ragdoll. The only problem was the firebirds flying over her head. But Wiene could not focus on them. While great for combat, her monster instincts were not so good about keeping an eye on multiple opponents. It was tunnel vision, to say the least. Which is why she didn't see the birds perform their divebomb.

Even in her monster state, Wiene felt the explosion rock her senses. She got lifted off the ground and slammed into something tough. And then everything went black.

With the New Hero:

In the present, Bell saw the town in flames. Monsters were running along its streets, and pockets of adventurers tried to resist. The boy from the small farm stood there, dumbfounded. This much carnage was not something he was prepared for. Bell had always been part of small-scale battles and skirmishes. Even the War Game had rules in place. There was nothing here, though, except carnage.

"Everyone! Open a path for the adventurers! The town and the floor are lost! Find who you can and get them to the surface!" shouted Lili, shocking Bell to his senses. "The people are what matters!"

The others ran right away, but Lili stayed with Bell, and so did the Sword Princess. She wasn't sure where would be the best place for her.

"Master Bell, you are in charge of finding Wiene! She's down here, and she might be in trouble!" Lili looked to Ais. "You're in charge of keeping him safe."

Ais nodded, her face determined. That had been the plan from the beginning, after all. But still, Bell just watched the scene unfold in front of him. There was so much fire, and he heard the screams of adventurers echoing in the cavern. Dimly, he felt someone grab him and start shaking. He looked to the side and found Lili. Even in his shock, he wanted to shy away from her. Lili, who had betrayed him before, had betrayed him again. She had argued with him before about keeping secrets, all the while hiding something behind his back. It was Lili's lies that hurt most regarding the mystery of Liaris Freese. He would listen to her orders because he knew that she was more intelligent than him about that, but he didn't trust her.

"Wiene needs you, Master Bell!"

That was right; there was Wiene, who was innocent in all this. Bell finally focused on the flames of Rivira. And the people needed his help. The little boy still wanted to do good. He still wanted to be a hero.

"Alright," he looked to Lili. "I'll go find Wiene and help anyone else I can." He looked to Ais. "You and Lili should go find Bors and see if he knows what happened."

Ais frowned, ready to object, but in the end, she nodded. This was Bell's familia and his plan. She was only here to help. She stepped in front of Lili and drew Desperate from its sheath.

"Stay close," she said to the prum.

Lili sighed, hoping to take the time to try and be near Master Bell. But she knew now wasn't the time, so she set off with the Sword Princess to search for the leader of Rivira.

Bell watched them go before doing his best to find Wiene. He figured that he should search in the forest first. He hoped that the vouivre had run off somewhere and hidden in the shrubbery.

With the Dragon Girl:

"Wake up, little one," came the rough voice of sandpaper on wood.

Wiene blinked open her eyes. For a moment, she wasn't sure what was happening. Then, her vision started to focus. Even though her head was throbbing, her body kept its senses up. They were about as strong as a low-level human's senses at the moment. After all that, when it finally came into focus, Wiene found herself staring at the maw of a giant ape.

This was the Sun Seeker called Horra, a massive silverback with fur the shade of ink. He was larger than the average silverback, probably double their usual size. His brute strength also belied a quiet intellect and sophistication. He was no master strategist, but he was skilled and tinkerer. Wiene remembered him from before the Sun Seekers had broken away. Horra had been kind after a fashion and done the most to properly articulate an argument about why they should stand against the humans. Wiene remembered Lyd saying he didn't like Horra, but he respected the giant ape for his thoughtfulness. Of course, that kindness only ever extended to Xenos. Just like the other Sun Seekers, Horra abhorred humans.

"Now listen, little one, I don't want to hurt you. All you need to do is come with me, and we can get this sorted. I promise, nothing bad will happen to you," said Horra.

Wiene sat up, placing her back against the rock.

"What happened to Lyd and the others?" she asked.

Horra nodded. "They're safe too. We just couldn't let them run off with those disgusting humans." He backed away to give her space. "They are safe with Typhon now."

Wiene's blood chilled. Oh, she remembered Typhon, the crazed so-called 'King of the Xenos,' and she wanted nothing to do with him. He was a mad man incarnate. His behaviour was as crazy as Freya's, from what Wiene could recall.

"Now, please, little one, come quietly. I do not wish to hurt you," said Horra, his voice soothing and placating.

Wiene was terrified, though. The very idea of working with Typhon at all shook her to her very core. He was horrific. She had to find Bell. Slowly, her eyes looked for a way to escape Horra's clutches. The ape noticed this, unfortunately.

Horra sighed. "If you try and run, I'll be forced to restrain you myself."

For emphasis, he flexed his massive paws. Wiene did not doubt the silverback's strength. Sophisticated and elegant, he might sound, he was still one of the deadliest Xenos alive. But Wiene refused to be taken captive. She darted to the side, just making it out of his reach.

As Wiene tried to fly away, Horra shook his head.

"If this is what you desire, I must respond."

The giant monkey then leapt after her. With his powerful legs, he was more than able to keep up with the vouivre. This meant that Wiene couldn't go for the way out immediately; she had to try and lose him first. Otherwise, she would just be followed all the way to the surface. As she flew, the dragon girl took the time to survey the land around her and check for any problems or people in danger. Thankfully, she found none. What small pockets of people that had not been overwhelmed after the wall coming down were resisting and regrouping. They were all making their way towards the passage to the surface.

After swooping past one small knot of adventurers, she got distracted. She saw the big man with the eye patch fending for his life and just barely surviving. For whatever reason, Bors was alone. Maybe he had gone back to save someone else; perhaps he was just trying to serve as a distraction. As she watched, though, Bors killed a hobgoblin. As it died, the green monster screeched out in agony.

"Horra, help me!" shouted the Xenos.

A cry one of his brethren took Horra off the trail for a moment. His eyes alighted on Bors, and fury sparked in them. At the exact moment, as if time was standing still, Bors saw Wiene in mid-flight. The big man looked between the two of them and then the dying hobgoblin. Bors decided then and there that he still had a debt to pay. He looked at Wiene a mouthed a single word, 'run.' Then, he forced a manic grin on his face. The leader of Rivira drew his arm back and stabbed into the Xenos's chest. Another curdling scream rent the air.

"You like that, you disgusting creature? Die scum!" shouted Bors in an overdramatic fashion.

This caught Horra's attention. The great ape saw one of its brethren beaten to the ground and dying at the hands of a dirty human. Its judgement clouded, and hatred took root. He looked to the one-eyed man, who stared right back.

Bors pointed a bloody dagger Horra's way.

"You're next, you damn dirty ape!"

"THE ARROGANCE OF YOUR KIND!" shouted Horra.

His next jump created a veritable crater that Bors just barely managed to avoid. With his free hand, he waved Wiene on. It was time to get out. Wiene flew off to get help. To find Bell.

With the Ruffian:

Bors looked up at the great creature. When the wall had fallen to the flames, and the adventurers had been distracted by the breach it created, this monstrosity showed up. Easily having high level five or low six potential, this mutated silverback was a monster. It was going to kill Bors.

"You scum! You barbaric creature!" it shouted.

One hand darted out and grabbed Bors by the leg. Instantly, he could feel the bones snap. As much as the rugged outlaw wanted to sound tough and hold in the pain, he couldn't help the screaming that came next.

"Now, see how it feels! You pathetic! Little! Man!"

With each word, Horra swung Bors into the ground. Barely conscious, Bors barely felt the monster grab his head with both hands.

"You all think you are so wonderful and powerful, but you are nothing but weak." The silverback started squeezing. Something liquid clouded Bors vision. His mouth tasted of iron. "Weak little beings that need to destroy everything around you to feel better." It was suddenly impossible to breathe. He could feel his legs and arms spasming, trying to break free. "But enough is never enough, no? Which means all that's left is to wipe you from this place." Everything was starting to go black. "The Dungeon is ours, you mongrel."

There was a sickening popping noise.

In a Magical Place:

Asfi pinched the bridge of her nose. Her God was currently finishing preparations with their other ally, and the surprise they had found, but she had to spend all her time flying as fast as humanly possible to meet with another group. She sat at an elegant table, cursing under her breath. The rest of her Familia was already escorting their two royal pains in the ass. Hermes was practically throwing himself into the maelstrom, and now Asfi was dealing with a demon.

"We'll need as much help as we can get," was all Hermes kept saying.

The sound of sloshing wine brought the blue-haired inventor back to the present. The Goddess in front of her took a sip from a stone goblet. Her golden bangles jingled as she raised her arm.

"So… what's this I hear about Freya stealing someone from my city?"