Chapter 53:
Otohime knew that she was a monster, inside and out. Ever since her cursed magic had manifested, she knew it was a sign from the Deities that she did not belong. Something inside of her was dark and broken that could not be fixed. But she knew that to give up was to lose, and she hated losing almost as much as she hated herself. So, the little girl fought and fought and fought. She bled men like stuck pigs and crushed the dreams of commoners under the orders of her bastard of a brother. She chose not to be cruel, but that didn't mean she was right.
As she pushed herself to her feet, the Dragon Princess reflected on everything that had happened to her. All the journeys she had made, the people she had met, and the family she had forged bounced around in her memory. Standing up, she gazed around the battlefield. She remembered seeing that giant fucking dragon Xenos, how it had batted her aside like she was nothing. That creature was not going down quickly, and it would probably kill her and all her friends. For a second, she considered finding Ura and running. The Monster Rexes were gone, and every dangerous monster was already here. They could run. But that thought existed for only a second. Because she knew it was wrong. She knew that if she was going to die, she wanted it to be on her terms. She wanted to die fighting for the people she loved.
"Ah, I'm glad that you're awake."
Otohime turned around and found the Dea Saint standing in front of her. Her hair was unkempt, and a layer of sweat was on her usually clean skin. Amid took a deep breath.
"We need you. That dragon Xenos, Nastro, is tearing through our forces," said the healer. "Aisha, Anakitty, and some others are doing their best to hold him off, but their level up won't last forever." She narrowed her eyes. "We need a dragon to fight a dragon."
"I don't want to," replied Otohime, looking at the floor.
She knew she acted like a child but couldn't help it. Otohime Nakamura didn't want to be a dragon. She didn't want to be a hero, Princess, or any other big fancy words. She wanted to be an adventurer and live a life of her own choice and design. She had wanted to make friends, confess to the boy she loved, and be left alone afterwards. Otohime Nakamura didn't want someone to come and rescue her; she just wanted friends and a family.
"What we want doesn't matter right now," replied Amid, her voice stern. "Right now, for the people on this floor who are counting on us and everyone else, we need to do whatever it takes. And it's going to take a dragon."
Just as Amid finished speaking, a golden glow came whispering through the woods. It enveloped the Far Eastern Princess, and she received the familiar feeling of a level boost. Otohime looked at her body in astonishment.
"I thought Haruhime had already given out level boosts…if she did the max, she would have passed out," said Otohime, almost to herself.
"Yes, well, I'm sure she decided to push herself today because she knew," replied Amid. "She knew that you were our best chance."
Otohime's hands curled into fists. "She put her faith in me, eh? Then I'd best respond." She glanced at Amid. "You might want to get out of here. My last thought is about that monster; I can't have you distract my inner beast."
Amid nodded, running off back to the battlefield. She was going to heal who she could and do what she could.
"Great Destroyer, thou are the devourer of worlds." Otohime reflected on when she received this power and the pain it had wrought. "You who would cleanse the world of the pure and impure, I beseech you; give me a fraction of your form." Looking back, she knew now that it was, in fact, the evilest thing on this mortal plane. And she carried a fraction of that within her. "Let me strike true terror into those who would look upon me." She was a monster, but she would do what she could to save the people she loved." Let me be the one who would burn the world. Black wings, envelop me!" Most people said that they felt power using magic, but all Otohime felt was pain. The way her skin and muscle tore themselves apart. "Burn this sack of flesh and give me thine true scales!" She paid this price for being a monster, for trying to pretend that she could be anything else. "Harbinger of doom! Give me your strength!" One final thought filled her mind, to kill the Dragon Xenos, Nastro, or die trying.
"DRACONA FORMA!"
With the Top Tiers:
Ryuu was getting tired. Her sword arm was failing her, and these monsters just kept coming. She knew she had to rescue Marie, or everything else would be for nothing. Not to mention, Bell had trusted her to do this, and she didn't want to let him down. The elf dropped back for a second. Around her, the level sixes of Loki Familia were holding the line, but even they showed signs of fatigue. The level fives from Ganesha Familia were also doing their part. This gave Ryuu the time to fall back. She put away her wooden sword and her twin short swords. Instead, she drew her Crozzo blade of wind and the sword made from Udaeus. Together, they were Storm & Shadow, reflecting Ryuu's personality's more violent and dangerous parts.
"Hey, Tsubaki, give me the big one!" shouted Tiona over the noise.
Tsubaki gave a manic grin, her face covered in sweat. She reached into the large bag of weapons she had trundled down onto the deepest floors. With a grunt, she brought out what at once looked like a massive blade, but then the handle continued on. Then, a second blade came out of the bag, attached to the first. Tiona spun her new Urga above her head, which was nothing special on its own, but then sparks started to fly.
Bolts of lightning ricocheted outwards and incinerated all the enemies around her. But then she touched one tip of her blade to the rocks, and the ground froze solid. The smiling Amazon seemed to take a special kind of excitement with her new blade and was able to decimate the monsters. This attack caused the Valgang Dragons and the rest of the deep floor monsters to flinch back. Ryuu saw it happen, and the elf knew it would be her only shot.
The Faerie Princess shot forward like a burst of wind. Storm sang, and the blades of wind sent her enemies flying. When they got too close, Shadow darted out and stabbed right into their hearts. The elf let all emotion drain from her. The only thing on her mind was the next kill. That and getting to her objective. After all, her Captain had left her with an order.
"Wind Blade!"
Ryuu swung Storm & Shadow in an X formation in front of her chest, twin slices of wind blasting outward. The smaller monsters were cut in half, but the more troubling dragons didn't seem to take any real damage. But they had been pushed back again. Ryuu sprinted forward, keeping her body low to the floor. Her skill, Aero Mana, activated, and her weapons gained their special blue glow. When one dragon got too close, it was not Ryuu that had taken it out. A magical arrow raced out and pierced the beast.
Ryuu glanced back to nod her thanks to Lefiya before she resumed her charge. The wounded monster was the perfect opportunity. She followed it to the back lines, knowing it would lead her to Marie, the mermaid.
After a couple close calls with monsters, and some unlucky cuts and bruises, Ryuu finally saw what she was looking for. There was a sizeable bowl-like structure that had been carved in stone. Water sloshed around in it and jammed uncomfortably inside was Marie. The sight of her made Ryuu pause. The mermaid had more cuts on her than the elf, and each one was bloodier and rawer than the last. The poor little thing was crying as she sat there, her mouth gagged. And as Ryuu watched, the same dragon she had injured rumbled over to the mermaid and bit down on its arm. Marie threw her head back, trying to scream or wail, but nothing came out. The poor thing kept crying as the dragon sucked more of her blood.
Honestly, Ryuu wasn't even sure how the Xenos was still alive. All the blood loss must be draining her, and she looked like she was about to collapse. How or why she was holding on, Ryuu couldn't fathom. But the elf didn't stay still for long. Before she knew it, her feet were moving across the floor. After all, at the end of the day, Marie was another person facing injustice.
Just as the Valgang finished draining Marie of her healing blood, Ryuu's swords cut right through its head. The beast slumped over; one dragon was finally dead. In her next movement, Ryuu ripped the gag off the mermaid's mouth. The Xenos flinched in fear, trying to hide in her small stone bowl. The battle raged around her, but Ryuu lowered her weapons.
"It's alright; I'm a friend of Bell. He sent me here to rescue you," she said. "You're Marie, right?"
The mermaid nodded tentatively, allowing herself to look Ryuu in the eye.
"You know Bell?" she asked.
Ryuu nodded.
"Do you promise not to hurt me?"
Ryuu brought her hand to her heart. "I swear I will not harm you on the graves of closest friends."
Marie slowly drew herself up. There was a tiny smile on her face, still uncertain if she could trust the elf. Ryuu looked around, blades back at the ready for combat. Unfortunately, she didn't know how she was supposed to get this big stone pot back to her allies on her own. The sheer number of monsters meant she couldn't carry it alone.
"Looks like you could use a hand!"
A foot rocketed by Ryuu's face, slamming into a nearby monster. It caved its skull in, and Tione Hyrute drew back her leg, now covered in monster blood.
"Me and you can carry this thing while my sister provides protection," said Tione, gesturing to where Tione stood nearby.
The other amazon was like a kid in a candy store with her new magical Urga. She used it recklessly, unleashing short, small bouts of electrical and ice energy. Tione moved to one side of the pot.
"You grab the other side, and let's get this girl back to the Captain!" shouted Tione, lifting it up.
Marie fell over as the bowl tipped. Ryuu dashed over to grab her side, and the two began their awkward crawl back to their allies. Periodically, monsters too close would get hit by spells or ranged weapons. There were even a couple instances where Ryuu and Tione themselves had to try and fight off monsters. Tione ended up with gashes along her abdomen, and Ryuu had chunks of flesh ripped from her shoulders. Eventually, the two fighters made their way to the circle. They dragged Marie behind them while the other adventurers closed ranks. Tiona was the last one to slam into place.
The two of them practically dropped the tub, slumping over in exhaustion. They took deep, ragged breaths, already drinking potions. Gareth, who had recovered enough from his fight with the mad monster Scipio, had taken to the front lines to fill the gap left by Ryuu and the twins. With Tiona back, things were looking up, but Finn did not look happy.
"There's still one left," said the pallum. "We don't know where the troll is. What was its name again?"
Ryuu let out a breath. "Its name is Bragi. And I am also worried about its lack of appearance. While not particularly intelligent or dangerous, it is apparently quite the brute."
A rumbling moan echoed throughout the caverns and tunnel as if speaking itself into existence. The adventurers braced themselves while Marie offered some of her open wounds to Tione and Ryuu.
"Go ahead! I don't want to be captured again!" said the mermaid.
Ryuu and Tione awkwardly and hesitantly suckled on the mermaid's arm. Instantly, they could feel the strength return to their limbs. It was just in time because the sounds of stomping feet got closer and closer.
With the Fighters:
Elwin didn't know how they were alive. Nastro towered over them, his Dragonoid body a black monolith of power. Around it was plenty of cuts, to be sure, but the overall damage was minimal. The level-ups had worn off a while ago, so Aisha and Aki were the only fighters still able to be involved. By their estimation, Nastro was a solid level seven for sure. Thankfully, with the time Aisha and Aki bought, more support came to join the fight. Mages, long-distance fighters, and healers all stood at the ready to help.
"We need to take a break," said Aki. "If we keep going like this, we're going to tire out, and that's it."
Aisha snorted, the two of them having taken a step back.
"That's great to say, but how do you think we're going to find the time?" asked the Amazon. "We gonna throw the others to their deaths."
Aki sighed. "No, but we have to figure out something."
A great roar followed her words. It cascaded around the floor, causing many lower-level adventurers to cover their ears. Aisha and Aki raised their weapons in defensive positions, cursing their bad luck, but Urashima Taro, who had been thrown into a rock, was more concerned than anything else.
"Everyone, fall back!" he shouted.
The no-armed adventurer grabbed those that he could and pulled them aside. Elwin did the same, and Aisha and Aki followed at a slower pace. They didn't fully understand what was happening but trusted their allies' judgement.
For his part, Nastro stood confused. He made no move to follow, just tentatively sniffed the air. To Aisha's eye, he looked like he was trying to decide if this new monster was a friend or foe. But that distraction was his downfall.
Smashing into the giant dragon Xenos was another bipedal dragon. The two tumbled across the grassy plains, clawing and snapping at each other. Nastro was able to shove the other dragon away, using its superior strength, before taking to the air.
"Is that who I think it is?" asked Aki.
Urashima nodded, his face grim. "She is glowing golden, and add that to her dragon-based power boost, and she is fighting at a high level six. Now is the time if we want to take a minute to regroup. I will stay and watch over her."
Aisha and Aki grinned but nodded. They started herding adventurers, grouping those that were the most injured. Then, the healers got to work to stem the worst of the bleeding. Messengers were sent running to Lili. Aki sent someone to the front lines to check on the situation between Raul and Horra. The whole while, they kept one eye on the skies.
The dragons flew in the air. Their great wings beating sent ripples across the floor. They parted for a second before both of them opened their gaping maws. The flames poured out and came crashing together in the air. The heat was intense, with many of the last airborne monsters seemingly melting on the spot.
However, the Xenos monster proved to be the stronger beast. Its flames broke through Otohime's and then crashed into the Dragon Princess. She was blown away, cascading to the ground. The rocks shook when she landed. Nastro chased after her, zooming towards the ground.
Otohime had the time to recover and hop out of the way. Her tail wrapped around Nastro's arm. While the Xenos was still shocked and surprised, Oto pulled the dragon's arm taut. Then, she chomped forward, tearing into the muscle of the monster. Shaking her mouth back and forth, the Princess mangled it. But then Nastro used his free arm and backhanded Otohime to the side. She crashed into the trees.
Nastro followed this up by jumping forward and stomping onto Otohime's chest. She let out a roar of pain, her Dragonoid chest almost caving in from the pressure.
"You pathetic imitation!" roared Nastro. "You think that you could beat me! I am the King of Dragons!"
His mangled arm hung limply at the side, so he used his better arm to grab her by the neck. Then, Nastro started to squeeze. The mighty roars of the dragon Otohime became weaker and weaker, more akin to wheezing than breathing. As hard as she struggled, there seemed to be nothing she could do to break out of this choke hold.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Like a ballista bolt, Urashima Taro slammed into the much more giant and more powerful dragon. It barely did anything, only relieving the smallest amount of pressure from Otohime's dragon throat. Thankfully, Ura's smaller size meant he could avoid many of the monster's attacks. His metal arms barely found purchase, but he was perfectly nestled into the small of Nastro's back. The dragon had to start to shake to try and get the adventurer off. This finally got to it to step off the Dragon Princess's throat.
"There's the opening!" shouted Aisha.
She and Aki had been trying to recuperate what strength they could. They had seen Otohime come plummeting to the ground, though, and they knew that meant they didn't have much time.
"Mages, spells at the ready!" roared Aki.
Only a dozen or so mages could be spared from the battlefield; Elwin was one of them. The rest had to deal with the unrelenting tide of monsters that never seemed to stop. Thankfully, Raul had beaten Horra, and Aki had felt herself take a breath she hadn't realized she needed. The monsters' front lines were chaos, and they were attacking friends as much as foes. The front line of adventurers was buckling; more and more of them were falling. But Lili told them not to worry about that. Their focus had to be on taking on this monstrous creation called Nastro.
"Living Weapon, get clear!" shouted Aisha.
Urashima Taro did as he was told. He jumped off the monster's back, his years of training letting him avoid the blast radius and pushing Otohime to the side. She was still in her dragon form, which meant that she wouldn't be able to use any potions.
"FIRE!"
At Aki's command, the mages let it rip. A cacophony of magical explosions rocked the floor, all focused on a single point.
Ura was rocked onto the ground by the blast before dragging himself to his beloved. He stroked her dragon head.
"You have to change back," said Ura. "We still need you, which means we need you to heal now."
The dragon released a low rumble, pushing its scaly snout into his hand. She sounded frail, the fight obviously taking a lot out of her.
"Please, turn back. I have potions for you," pleaded Urashima Taro. "You took out one of its arms; you did your job."
As he spoke, he was aware of footsteps. Otohime's growls got more intense, and Ura turned to find the Dea Saint standing there. She was carrying Otohime's weapons. She nodded, dropped them a short distance away, and then returned to the battle. Ura turned back to his heart and tried to smile. He could feel how shaky it was.
"I know people think we need the dragon, that the dragon is our best bet, but that's just not true." He stroked her muzzle. "The dragon gets beaten, and it loses control. And it's only ever been a fraction of who you are." He kissed its snout. "I know this because you are my strength, Otohime Nakamura. You are my light in the dark spaces of the world. You carried me on your back and taught me how to fight. There is a ferocity in you that no one can take away. And I know now, more than any stupid spell, we need you. So please, come back to me. Get rid of this stupid dragon; give me my Princess, the greatest warrior the East has ever made."
The scales started to recede.
With the Partners:
Ais and Bell had met little resistance on their way down. Frankly, it was disconcerting. Ais thought that Typhon would have tried to weaken them in some way. Not to mention, she felt like she was forgetting something.
"Bell, if something happens to me, keep going," she said.
Bell stopped his headlong run to look back at her.
"That monster needs to die, and you must do it," Ais replied. "This war needs to stop."
As if on cue, a rumbling echoed through the corridor. Passing through the fifty-ninth floor, they had seen that the battle with the demi-spirit had changed it. The frozen tundra of old was gone, replaced by a jungle-like floor. This was where Ais and Bell had been searching for Typhon. Apparently, the Xenos King didn't want to draw them in too deep.
Ais drew Desperate from its sheathe. The blade seemed to hum as if it anticipated the battle to come and was happy for it.
Coming through the dense jungle trees, knocking them aside like twigs, was a dragon. It was a massive beast, easily the biggest Bell had ever seen. Ais breathed a single word.
"Cadmus."
The dragon that was the equivalent of a floor lumbered forward. Around its neck was a comically oversized monster inhibitor collar. Ais stepped forward, bringing her blade into a defensive position.
"Bell, go," said Ais. "I'll meet you at Typhon."
She saw him hesitate. He wanted to stay and fight. She had to prove that she would be ok. So, she attacked first.
"Awaken, Tempest."
The words were a prayer to her mother. The wind, shining white, engulfed her. With it, she appeared like an angel in front of Bell. Her blade and body careened past Cadmus, leaving a deep and devastating gash. And that wasn't the end of it. With a whisper to the wind, Ariel invaded the monster's wound. It exploded outwards, causing even more damage.
"Bell, I'll be alright," she said, smiling at her partner.
The March Hare stared at her, his mouth agape in wonder.
"Ais…I think I just fell in love with you."
He turned on his heel and ran. His hunt was still on.
Ais felt herself smile at his words.
"He's always running from me."
She turned back to the dragon.
With the Dragon:
On the fiftieth floor, Nastro continued to wreak devastation on the adventurer's alliance. The magic attack had stunned it for a second, and it was now bleeding profusely, but it wasn't enough. Maybe they could bleed it to death if they had another thousand adventurers and a week's worth of time. As it stood, they would have to find a way to finish the damn thing.
Aisha and Aki were up close, their blades dancing in their hands. Wherever Haruhime was, she somehow kept going. The level-ups kept returning to their targets. High in the sky, Elwin thought he saw Mikoto. The Black Crow must have been shouting out who was still in the fight. After the disappearance of Otohime and Urashima, the cat girl and amazon were the only people left who could do any actual damage.
The mages were preparing for another attack. The idea was to stun the fucker so Aisha or Aki could deal a lethal blow. With her magic, Elwin's money was on Hippolyta. Unfortunately, Nastro had picked up on this. It had sensed the mages starting their chant and had turned towards them. And in response to what must have been a pathetic attempt at a counterattack, it just roared. Its roar reverberated into their bones. Most of them fainted. A couple of them ran. Almost all of them shat their pants. Only one little half-elf stood his ground.
"That all you got, shit face?" asked Elwin with a cocky grin.
The dragon seemed to take that as a personal offence. It roared again, and again Elwin stood his ground. The half-elf quite literally felt nothing at the moment. The dragon's roar had no effect on him. After all, the Stargazer couldn't feel fear. The thing he thought was a curse had finally proven useful.
"Don't get cocky," said Filvis. "It's about to charge at you."
Elwin nodded. He crouched low, getting ready to jump. The dragon stretched out its wings; the next thing anyone knew, it was almost upon him. The half-elf's mind was clear, though, and he jumped out of the way.
And thankfully, this had finally created an opportunity. The dragon's mad rush meant overextending itself. It needed time to recover after such a fast charge. That was when Aki and Aisha appeared. Their blades cleaved into the dragon's back with great, overhead, two-handed chops. They had cut at the base, right through its wings. Nastro bellowed in pain. It stood and stared at the two adventurers. Silence rained over the battlefield. Aki and Aisha prepared to dodge, but it was already too late. Its tail and one good arm snatched them from the ground. The speed and ferocity at which the attack happened had left them paralyzed. And then they were being slammed into the ground.
The Xenos just kept slamming these proud first-class adventurers into the dirt. And the rest of the alliance was forced to watch. Eventually, it stopped. The two fell limply to the ground like a pair of dolls. Nastro lifted its head, and it seemed to laugh then. Its laughter filled the ears of everyone there. Their backbone was broken; Elwin knew that this was it. They had held the beast off as long as possible and done as much damage as possible, but it continued. It was bleeding from a thousand one but did not go down.
"See how you fail, weaklings!" shouted Nastro, speaking for the first time. The sound of its voice grated on Elwin's ears. "You are nothing! You are just pale imitations of greater beings! You are nought but a shadow of a shadow of bygone heroes!"
Elwin braced himself, staff in a defensive position, but he had no idea what he was supposed to do.
With the Strategist:
Mikoto touched down on the knoll that was the commander's hill. The sounds of fighting were much louder than they had been at the start of the day. The enemy was getting close. In Mikoto's arms was Haruhime. The last level boost had utterly worn her out. There would be no more aid coming from the Enchantenko.
"What can we do, Lady Lili?" asked Mikoto.
The Black Crow had given her report of the rear front, and the Dauntless had almost given up there and then. The damn things were just too powerful!
"Tell Welf to bring his magic swords to the front line. The smiths and supporters will buy time in the front so the last of the level fours can go confront Nastro," said Lili.
She started checking her arm-mounted ballista. Lili loaded in a magic bolt, another pouch of them at her hip.
"Lili will join Welf and hold the line," commanded the Dauntless. "Tell the Dea Saint that it's mind downtime. We need to get as many of our stronger adventurers up again as possible. And get them to start a retreat formation."
Mikoto frowned. "Retreat? From all of this?"
She gestured to the carnage around her. Truthfully, it appalled Mikoto. She wanted to do nothing more than grab Haruhime and fly out of here. But she knew that to try it was certain doom. She was on the fiftieth floor, after all. To even attempt climbing back out on her own was suicide.
Lili sighed. "Then tell the Dea Saint to prepare for a final stand at the supporter carts. Circle the wagons and have the supporters make ready. They're likely to be the last of it." She looked towards the tunnel that led deeper into the Dungeon. "We need to take as many of them as possible, and hopefully, that means that big fucking dragon."
Mikoto nodded, already getting ready to fly away.
"Do we have a chance?" asked Mikoto.
And then, to her utter shock and amazement, Lili grinned.
"Of course we do."
She looked over the battlefield.
"Orario is home to three Princesses. And we've got one of them!"
With the Hero:
Bell hated the fact that he had abandoned Ais. It crushed his soul just as much as the fact that he had left Marie behind. A part of him screamed to turn around and go back. But he understood that it was folly. The only chance they had was to cut off the head of the snake. And they all knew it had to be him. He had made friends with the Xenos first. He was the one that had run to them for help and cover. Most importantly, they were his friends before anyone else.
This war was a stage; Bell knew that now. Every fighter on either side was nothing more than an actor picked by Freya. They were all given a role and a script to follow. It was nothing but the plot of a madwoman, meant to make her beloved a hero again. Bell would kill this Typhon and redeem his soul or die in the trying. And for all that he grappled with it, Bell had no other choice but to go along with her machinations. This was his lot in life.
His thoughts came to a sputtering stop when he almost ran headfirst into a large open clearing. And in this clearing was a throne that made him want to puke. In its entirety, it was made of the bones of adventurers and their weapons. They had all been crunched together and shaped into a mocking version of the throne of Ouranos. And on it sat the King of Monsters. And Bell understood now just what he was facing.
Typhon was probably eight feet tall, maybe even higher than that. At his base, he was a skeleton. He was coated in a swirling black miasma, dark fog rolling off him. And beneath that were bones the colour of night. Everything seemed to get sucked towards him, like nothing Bell had ever experienced. It was a crushing presence and weight, to say the least.
"So, you must be Bell," said Typhon.
His voice was like rich honey slathered over bread. It rolled over the March Hare, making him raise his knives.
"Oh, come now, our first meeting, and you want to fight?" asked the King. "We should at least catch up. After all, we're almost like old friends now."
Bell blinked, unsure of his comment. But then details on Typhon's body began to add up. Some of his bones reminded him of blades, while others seemed to glow purple in the light. And then there were his pulsing red eyes.
"The Juggernaut," replied Bell. "You're the Juggernaut."
Typhon shrugged. "You're half right. I'm also half Udaeus, specifically the one that your bitch of a girlfriend soloed. Apparently, my two former halves didn't like the fact that you two soloed them. After all, they were supposed to be the most dangerous things ever birthed in the Dungeon. And you destroyed them." He stood, and Bell had to fight the feeling of flinching. "And from their well of hatred and malice, I was born."
Typhon spread his arms, and Bell saw the razor-like appendages at their end. Then from his chest, the King of the Xenos drew a great black blade.
"And I shall be your killer, Bell Cranel."
The rabbit then cursed himself a fool, trying to fight this beast himself. He should've waited for Ais! Or even waited for Ryuu and Finn! Anyone! But standing here alone, he was going to die.
But then came the stamping of hooves. The monster and the adventurer stopped. As one, they turned towards the noise. The sound got louder and louder, and Bell gave a feral grin. Somehow, in some way, his prayer had been answered. Crashing through the trees was a black minotaur. He slammed into Typhon headfirst. The giant skeleton stabbed his blade into the ground for purchase, but he skidded backwards. The minotaur had not followed through, though. It simply stood back up and drew the battleaxes that sat on its back.
"He is not yours to kill," said Asterius. "And you will pay for ambushing me, you rotten bag of bones."
The black minotaur didn't even bother looking back.
"Fight with me now, Bell Cranel! Let's destroy this abomination!" He let out a breath through his nose. "After all, the only one allowed to kill you is me!"
Bell smiled like a madman. He moved up and stood by his rival.
"Alright then, Asterius! Let's take him out!"
With the Dragons:
Nastro was tearing into adventurers with glee at this point. There were pockets of resistance here and there, but nothing that could stand in his path. This was a feast, and he was delighting in it. He stamped an adventurer and made ready to cut down another when a loud piercing whistle drew his attention.
The dragon, still bleeding from his many wounds, turned to find a little woman standing before him. In her arms was a curious kind of spear with a bladed tip.
"I recognize you," said Nastro. "The girl that tried to fight me first. It was fun smashing you aside. Have you come back for more?"
The girl stood her ground and shrugged.
"You threatened my beloved, so I will kill you."
Nastro laughed. "Oh, will you? Well, I welcome the challenge. A duel then?"
She tilted her head to consider her request before nodding.
"Ok then, just me and you."
She shouted at her companions, who stared at her strangely. Then, the one with the green hair started to laugh. He nodded before gathering other adventurers and running off. The one at her side with the funny metal arms just rolled his eyes. The girl kissed him and caressed his face before sending him off with a pat on the butt.
"Oh, your allies are abandoning you?" asked Nastro. "Typical pathetic humans."
Again, the girl shrugged. "That or they just have faith that I'll win." She twirled her spear. "By the way, I thought you should know; my name is Otohime Nakamura."
Nastro nodded. "What, no fancy titles? I thought you humans all loved those."
Otohime frowned. "No, you may just call me Otohime."
Nastro flexed his arms, ripples of pain washing over him. In truth, this fight was closer than he had liked. These humans were more dangerous than he had given them credit, but that was going to end now.
"Fair enough, shall we begin?" he asked.
Otohime nodded, and Nastro charged.
Without his wings, he was stuck on the ground. Still, though, he was fast. Somehow the girl had seemed to anticipate this. She moved sideways onto his injured side and dodged the attack. However, that was not Nastro's only move. His whip-like tail went to wrap around her waist, but the girl called Otohime just slid her feet along the ground, moving out of the way. Nastro stepped back, the distance closed, and re-evaluated this little girl.
"You fight funny," he said.
She shrugged. "My uncle taught me funny."
The two continued then. Nastro was all great lumbering attacks, slowed from his many wounds. In response, this Otohime was graceful and meticulous. To Nastro's eye, she moved like a dancer. She was always one step ahead of his attacks but never further. Fortunately, her graceful movement meant that her attacks were weak. She couldn't have been stronger than a level four. And thankfully, that funny golden glow wasn't appearing anymore.
"It's time to end this," screamed Nastro.
After Otohime slid away from his tail again, he brought his bad arm down. She caught it on her spear, the blade cutting deep. Unfortunately, it got stuck in his flesh. Twisting away, Nastro wrenched it from her grasp. He had lost an arm but had just won the battle. He grabbed the spear with his good hand.
"Interesting thing, but ultimately useless," he said.
Then, he snapped it in two. Discarding the broken halves, he looked down at the defiant little girl scrambling in the dirt. Maybe she was trying to crawl away? But when she turned to face him again, he saw no signs of retreat. He still saw the fire of battle in her eyes.
"I'll give you this before you die," began Nastro. "You've earned my respect today."
Then, his tail pierced her abdomen. It went in through the front and out the back. He lifted her off the ground.
"Too bad you won't be alive to savour it."
With the Princess:
Otohime emptied her mind. Some small part of her heard Elwin making a joke. But all her focus was on this moment. As Nastro continued to grandstand, she slipped the blade of her bisento out from her sleeve. Watching it break had ripped her heart in half, but thankfully it was only in two pieces. And more importantly, the blade was still intact. Yes, she had been stabbed through the chest and was still bearing a dozen other wounds, but those did not matter at the moment.
Otohime breathed and closed her eyes. She focused on the feeling of the blade in her hand. Her mouth filled with blood, but she ignored it. Everything from her waist down hurt, but she pushed it aside. Slowly and deliberately, she brought both hands to the shattered hilt of her weapon. She opened her mouth, red cascading outwards.
Nastro pulled her close.
"Oh, what's this? Some final words?"
He pulled her even closer. Otohime could smell him now, his dragon stench threatening to overwhelm his senses. She coughed up blood before leaning forward.
"Got you."
Both hands went up then before swinging down in a diagonal. She wielded her blade like a butcher did a cleaver. There was no graceful movement or technique at that moment. Instead, there was only rage. The Dragon Princess was angry. She was angry at her bastard of a brother, the bitch Freya, her no-good father who had done nothing to help her, and most of all at herself, for being so weak. At that moment, all the years of anger that lived in Otohime Nakamura found an escape. The mask of the goofy Princess fell away, and all that was left was a little girl who was angry at the world.
The blade slid into Nastro's neck like it was made of wood. The hit was choppy but had disoriented the dragon, Xenos.
"Otohime!"
The sound was as familiar to her as her heartbeat. She turned to find Urashima standing there. He said nothing, but she found a wellspring of strength in his eyes.
Otohime breathed, and the anger vanished. She flexed her fingers around the blade and brought it back up. Nastro looked up at her, his eyes full of malic. And Otohime felt nothing but pity. He would never know what she did, the wonder of being loved. The joy of having a partner that would stand at your side for eternity.
"I'm sorry," she said.
Then, the blade came down again, slicing clean through the rest of Nastro's neck. And just like that, she let go. Dimly, she was aware of screaming, and the last thing she felt was her Ura's warm metal arms embracing her.
