Chapter 65:
Alfrigg Gulliver knew that his armour was the only reason he was alive. He still couldn't see anything, which meant the dragon's claws held him against the cobblestones. Even if his first-rate helmet protected him from direct damage and the loss of his face, we could still feel his bones rattling in his body. Above him, he couldn't hear anything but the occasional flap of wings and the crowd's screams around him.
After what felt like an age of torture, he was finally taken off the ground. Then, he felt weightless for all of three seconds. Because he was soon crashing into a stone wall. Then through it and the wall behind it. The damn dragon had used her gathered momentum to hurl Alfrigg like a pallum cannonball.
When the prum finally stopped moving, he stood on shaky legs. He was somewhere near the ruins of the Pleasure District. He picked a weapon up off the ground, recognizing that it belonged to someone in his Familia. It was not his, but it would have to do.
Before he could put much more thought into it, the dragon was back upon him. With a mighty roar, Otohime came crashing down. Her claws just barely missed the pallum's more petite body.
"Hey! It's one of the Gulliver!"
From the surrounding buildings, members of his Familia leapt out. Among their number was Van, the high level four. Alfrigg cursed the idiots as they all charged at the Dragon Princess. Any element of surprise was gone now. The pallum just hoped that a numbers advantage would help take her down.
That dream died in Alfrigg's throat as the monster in front of him spat out white-hot flames. It was an unstoppable torrent of power that crashed into his Familia. The first wave of them fell, screeching from the pain. It was then that Alfrigg saw his mistake. He had chosen to fight the Dragon Princess personally, seeing her relationship with that pitiable bodyguard as an insult to Lady Freya. No matter her status or ability to transform into a monster, he knew that he and his brothers would crush her. Even when the Amazon twins joined the fray, Alfrigg was confident in the Bringar's victory. An all-out assault would crush those weak-willed adventurers. That was his miscalculation, though. A show of brute strength might work against an adventurer, but this beast in front of him was no adventurer. She was a Monster Rex. In her current form, he wouldn't be surprised if she could go toe-to-toe with Udaeus.
"Should've…fucking…bled you…."
Alfrigg pushed himself to his feet. Around him were charred and writhing members of his Familia. The rest had halted, unsure of how to proceed next. The pallum saw the standoff, and seeing the opportunity, he leapt into action.
Alfrigg had grabbed a spear from the ground, and while the beast was distracted, he would pierce it right through the heart. He kept silent, the ever-loyal shadow of his Goddess, and he was sure that his sneak attack would work. Except, it didn't.
Just as he reached the apex of his jump, the monster's tail whipped out. It curled around his throat and started to crush him. Then, it flailed him around into the dirt. It was like when a pet dog got a new chew toy. The cloth would shake and get whipped back and forth until the soft insides spilled. The dragon tossed him into his comrades when she was done with him.
"Everyone get back!" shouted Alfrigg. "This beast is mine!"
Stolen spear in hand, Alfrigg jumped back into the fray. Yes, he wanted to claim the glory of this kill for himself, but he also didn't trust that the others could get this done. The two of them crashed through the city, and Alfrigg didn't know how he was gonna win in a regular fight. So, he tried to play dirty.
"That boy of yours was a failure. Couldn't even follow the simplest of instructions," said Alfrigg. "He deserved what happened to him. I really do believe that."
"No…wrong."
The fact that the dragon could talk did terrify Alfrigg a little bit. But he steeled himself to continue his great battle. He dodged away from one of the dragon's great slashes. The sword-like claws left trenches wherever they landed, with bits of rocks flying off. And Alfrigg saw that the slashes got wilder. So, he continued to taunt the Dragon Princess. He thought he had her figured out. Get her on the back foot, stay away from the fire, and don't let the tail wrap its way around his foot.
He had underestimated her again.
Alfrigg Gulliver hadn't realized that with enough force, the whip could be a spear. That it could be strong enough to pierce his armour. But that's what happened. The dragon's shot through the breastplate, then his sternum. The pallum heard a popping sound when it came out the other side. And then he was coughing, blood frothing from his mouth.
"How…fix…him."
Alfrigg chuckled, the action causing his body to spasm.
"There isn't any fixing him. That's his punishment for defying the will of our Goddess! He's nothing but a pathetic lump now…."
Alfrigg's energy began to fade. Between the shock and vibrations from when she dragged him through the streets, to the intense heat of her flames and now the hole in his chest, this level six was falling. Dimly, he hoped that his brothers were doing better than he was. Then, he wasn't thinking anything.
Vanir:
Vanir watched Alfrigg go down, and he tried to hide how unnerved he was. With the level six now unconscious on the floor, he was the highest-level adventurer from Freya Familia. His job would be to lead his compatriots to finish what Alfrigg had started. At least, that's what he thought he was gonna do. Except, the dragon just stopped moving. After Alfrigg collapsed, and even a little before that, the dragon did not move. It stood there, silently watching the body of its enemy. Then, it lifted its head and let loose a wailing scream.
"Vanir…that thing…it sounds sad," said one adventurer. "Before I came here, I hunted animals for my village, and that Dragon Lady sounds just like the animals used to."
Vanir grunted. "Well, this is the moment then. Prepare to strike it down!"
They did not have to, though. The dragon, with eyes dripping red, began to shift back. It changed before their very eyes. Scales receded into skin, the tail turned into hair, and the slit-like eyes became the same as a vacant human. The Dragon Princess slumped to the floor, totally lost to the world.
"Everyone, move forward slowly," commanded Vanir. "This could be a trap."
The circle of adventurers closed like a net. Vanir was in the lead, sword at the ready. Maybe it was overkill, but one couldn't be too cautious with these weirdo first-tier adventurers. Around him, he heard people stumble. Whether it was from the rubble or their nerves, Vanir wanted to turn and curse his teammates. But he settled for clicking his teeth in frustration. Slowly, he crept closer and closer to the girl on the ground. Just as he was within a couple feet, he was bracing himself for an attack; he felt the cold taste of steel on his throat.
Vanir stopped. A distant part of his mind wondered how this opponent had snuck up on him. And then the man spoke.
"I know she is beautiful, but this Princess is already spoken for."
The voice was smooth with a low timbre. Whoever he was, Vanir already hated him.
"How did you sneak past my fighters?" he asked.
The stranger, who Van still couldn't see, chuckled.
"I didn't have to. I simply waited to draw my sword," said the fighter.
Vanir jumped away then, and as he moved, he finally saw his opponent's face. The man was old, with grey hair and wrinkles. But Vanir also saw the sinewy muscles underneath. And he knew that no one who grew old would be a lousy swordsman.
"My name is Sasaki Kojiro, weapon master of the Far East and teacher of the young Princess Nakamura." He smiled like a predator with a kill. "Approach at your own risk."
Vanir grinned back. "No matter how good you might be, you're still just some swordsman from the outside world. You don't have the levels to back up your tough talk, old man!"
"No, I do not, but I do have some friends. And you are standing in their trap," he replied.
Vanir clicked his teeth again. "Whatever you say, my team will still cut you down." With the kind of confidence that only a member of Freya Familia could have, he pointed his sword. "Take him out! For the glory of our Goddess!"
There was the sound of shuffling behind him, and then the screams started. Vanir's head whipped around. Every single one of his Familia, who were all fighters tested and true, were barely moving. Their limbs were constrained, and he couldn't see how it was happening.
"Ah, my apologies, little one; it seems that I have stepped on your moment."
Vanir's head turned again to find a woman of ethereal beauty stepping out from the shade of an overhang. She gave him a condescending smile, resting her head in the palm of her hand.
"Oh dear, how rude of me. I do hope that you'll still be a bit of…fun." She pouted, and the hairs on Vanir's neck stood up. "Hopefully, your friends can help sate my appetite."
She brought both hands into the air, outstretched in front of her. Then, her fingers started to move in, jolting starts and stops. The screams of Vanir's Familia got louder. And then the blood began to seep. It was like the cuts appeared from nowhere. They were shadow slashes that reacted to the woman's crinkling fingers.
"My name is Tsuchiyaka, and you have all fallen into my spider's web."
It was instinct that made Vanir jump. Where he was standing, but a moment ago, the rocks exploded into shrapnel. Around him, the limbs of shrieking adventurers were held tighter to their bodies.
"Pain of the soul, be made into flesh. Pain of the heart, taint my blood. Pain of the body, leave this weary traveller," intoned the woman. A sickly purple magic circle bloomed beneath her feet. "Doku Hada."
And then Van saw it. The woman's hands, and everything connected to them, began to glow the same disgusting purple. And all around the square were crisscrossing purple lines. And Vanir saw the strings constricting his comrades.
"My spells are interesting," said Tsuchiyaka. "The first one can only be cast when I am absolutely still. Not very useful as offensive magic. But with time and preparation, any place I live becomes a fortress." She flexed her fingers again, the joints popping, and the strings flashed. Blood and purple light mixed, stone was cut into bits, and Vanir's Familia shrieked for mercy from their Goddess. "The second one, the one that coats me in poison, strengthens itself not by my magic stat but by the strength of my abnormal resistance. So, when I was a little girl, I was poisoned every day. And whenever the pain became tolerable, they made the poison stronger. Many days I could not eat. Some days I almost died. One day I begged for death, for more poison. I thought I could spare my daughter such a fate. Unfortunately, I was wrong. But you will not hurt her anymore."
The fingers popped, and the screams got louder. Vanir jumped into action then. He would cut this woman down and then free his comrades. All for the glory of Freya Familia. Except, just when he was finally getting close, that damned swordsman struck.
Sasaki Kojiro flickered into Vanir's vision, blade singing in his grip. Vanir used all of his level-four reflexes to react and dodge. Still, though, he felt the cut of steel along his cheek.
"When that God of travellers and thieves called for us, I only tagged along because I thought my dear niece was in trouble," said Sasaki, readjusting his grip. "Now, though, I am excited. I can feel the challenge burning in my blood." He set his feet. "Come at me, young adventurer! Let me face the iron will of an adventurer!"
Vanir charged, roaring a battle cry as he moved. His sword arm was a blur, hundreds of hours of combat with other members of Freya Familia flowing through him. But Sasaki Kojiro flowed around him like a river in Spring.
"Yes, such ferocity!" said the old man. "But remember, the untampered flame burns itself out!"
The lines of blood appeared before Vanir noticed them. With a mighty overhead chop, he tried to make Kojiro back away. But the old man twisted like a leaf on the wind. Then, it was a blazing pain on the back of Vanir's leg. Every cut stung like a snap freeze.
Vanir pushed through the pain, continuing his onslaught. With grim satisfaction, he saw Kojiro back away. Every attack had him moving backwards. Still, though, Vanir's attacks have yet to really connect. They were all dodged, blocked, or parried. Sasaki Kojiro had yet to go on the offensive.
"You have a fire, but you are lacking true finesse," commented the old man. "You are raw and untrained. I'm guessing you are also self-taught?"
"How are you doing this?" asked Vanir. "What kind of broken skill or magic are you using?"
Kojiro smiled. "No magic and no broken skill. I don't have any of those." He stepped forward, and Van stepped back. "While you plunged to the depths of the Dungeon, I studied the blade." Kojiro came forward, and Vanir stumbled backwards. "You played politics in Orario, and I studied the blade." Kojiro surged forward while Vanir went into full retreat. Around him, the screams of his comrades continued. "You worshipped a craven Goddess of beauty, attacked my niece, and plunged this city into chaos." Kojiro's smile disappeared. "I studied the blade."
There was a flash of movement, and the Sasaki Kojiro was beyond his enemy.
"You are a pathetic thing, and you have my pity."
Van slumped forward, hands clutching at his stomach. He tried to respond but could only gurgle blood.
The Goddesses:
In the Tower of Babel, Loki and Freya both looked on in shock. Not at the swordsman's display of skill, which could be matched by the city's best, but by the mere presence of these outsiders. It was one thing for the madness of Hecate Familia to go knocking down their door. After all, they were just chasing after Freya's hostages. This, though, was a true sign of things to come. Amaterasu, chief deity of the Far East, had staked a claim to the Dungeon City. A dire omen if there ever was one.
The Twins:
Bell, Iris, and Ais continued through the ruins of Daedalus Street. The clash of Orario's strongest had brought buildings to shambles, and many people lay unconscious on the street. That was good for them, though, since it meant that the only thing they had to do was run. And figure out where the hell they were in this labyrinth. Whatever problems there were didn't seem to be a problem for Iris and Ais, though. The two had quickly struck up a conversation.
Rather…Iris had struck up a conversation.
"So that was when I punched the guy in the balls!" said Iris, finishing another tavern tale.
Ais nodded appreciatively. "You seem to punch balls a lot."
Iris shrugged. "It's an easy weak point. And men are surprisingly bad at protecting it."
"I see…."
Ais trailed off before looking in Bell's direction. The boy shivered, only imagining what their next sparring session would be like. He was going to have to pull Iris aside for a long conversation later.
"So, tell me about yourself, you pretty thing," said Iris. She gestured towards her twin. "How did such a gorgeous face fall for that ugly mug?"
"We have the same face!" responded Bell.
Iris waved him away. "Yeah, but you have to admit that overall, it's a bit more feminine than anything. I mean, don't get me wrong, you have that boyish charm going on. But a woman doesn't want a boy! No, they want a man!"
"I am a man!" replied Bell.
Ais gave a small smile. "Yes, you are a very cute man."
Bell was about to respond when a roaring tremble came from down the street. The next thing they knew, the three adventurers were knocked off their feet. Bell shouted for Iris, Ais shouted for Bell, and Iris screamed excitedly. What they saw chilled their blood when they got back to their feet. Iris didn't know what she was looking at, but she could still feel the seed of fear in her stomach. Bell and Ais knew precisely what they were looking at and reached out to each other. As the terror in their bodies paralyzed them, they held hands. This fear came from one thing only. The King was standing in front of them.
Ottar was panting, and one shoulder was heavily bandaged and bleeding. His face was twisted in pain and scorn, but there was also an all-consuming rage. One arm hung loosely and limply at his side, but his other arm seemed ok.
"Bell Cranel," growled Ottar.
Faster than anyone could comprehend, Ottar was upon the young man. Bell jumped away, just barely avoiding Ottar's sword. Ais and Iris joined the fray next. Ais drew her sword, launching into a flurry of lunges and stabs. The strange one was Iris, though. A dark miasma began to enshroud the woman. It was like the noise was getting sucked away, creating a silence. Ottar, in his rage, did not notice it. He simply kept swinging his sword.
The large boaz focused on the March Hare, only paying the Sword Princess minimal attention. And he was winning. Even damaged, bloody, and exhausted, Ottar was still a force of nature. He slapped Ais away and jumped at Bell. But before he could knock him out with the flat of his blade, Iris was there. There was a moment where her miasma flickered, and the darkness exploded outward. There was silence, and then Ottar just stopped. All the energy from his swing, his momentum and power, dissipated into the shroud of Iris' miasma.
It was only then that the King took note of the girl.
"Who are you?" he growled.
She gestured to Bell. "His overprotective twin sister."
After that statement, Iris fell to her knees. She gagged, coughing up blood. Bell stirred at the sight of her on her hands and knees and the way her face twisted in pain.
"God, that is just a fucking awful hit," said Iris. "Fuck that skill; I hate using it."
There was a moment of confusion on all sides. Before anyone could restart the fray, the sound of shattering wood was heard. Four heads turned towards the noise. And from the busted doorway stumbled out a man. He was wearing a red and gold overcoat stained with purple and green. He had puffy dark gray pants with white stocks up to the knees. He staggered into the sunlight. At the sight of him, Iris smiled. Ottar shuffled backwards, swinging his sword to point at this new stranger. And Bell and Ais just shared a look.
The mystery man looked at Bell.
"Iris? What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" slurred the man.
Before anyone could respond, he held up a finger. The man turned around, ducked back into the shadows, and returned with a white, frilly hat. He screwed it on his head, then proceeded to bow. He took his hat off, made a sweeping motion, and then put the cap back on. He frowned at Bell.
"Now, I'll ask again! What are you doing here, Iris? You were never supposed to come to the city…I think. I don't know; I was sober at the time." He waved his hands, both of which held swords. "You know how my memory is when I'm sober."
Then he looked at Ottar, and his face broke into a huge grin.
"Little Boar! My oh my, look how big you've grown!" shouted the man. "It's good to see you again! Wait…are we supposed to be fighting?"
"Uncle Jack!" screamed Iris, waving for the drunk's attention. "It's me, Iris!" Jack waved lazily. "That bad man!" She pointed at Ottar. "He attacked me and my friends!"
Jack frowned. "That's not very nice."
There was a lurching motion next. Jack seemed to fall backwards for a second before using his hands to spring off the ground. Next thing anyone knew, he had his legs wrapped around Ottar's head. Then, he twisted, and Ottar was thrown to the ground.
"Thank you, Uncle Jack!" shouted Iris.
"Thank you, Uncle Jack," repeated Ais quietly.
Bell took them both by the hand and started to run back towards Hearthfire Manor. The two followed along, still staring back at the new fight between Ottar and the mystery man.
"Who was that?" asked Bell.
Iris grinned. "That's Uncle Calico Jack! He's one of the Poseidon Familia executives. The drunker he gets, the stronger he is! He's the third most powerful behind Mama and the Captain." The girl snickered. "But he's not much of a leader."
The three continued running.
The Goddesses:
In Babel, Freya and Loki had both stepped back. They had seen this man, and they knew what he was. The two Goddesses also knew what his appearance meant. Loki laughed, and Freya growled. Hermes, the everlasting fool, had brought Poseidon Familia back to Orario. An old power had returned.
The Amazon:
Aisha Belka was fighting for her life at the moment. Whatever Freya had offered Phryne, it had come with an apparent level-up. The toad was not a monstrous level six, and Aisha was still just a relatively fresh level five. The more petite Amazon did her best to dodge the axe heads of her opponent, but it was all she could do. In fact, Aisha knew that Phryne was just playing with her. The toad had that incredibly disgusting look, the one she only got when her prey was in sight. It was a sight that almost turned Aisha's feet to stone.
Phryne slammed her axes down, sending dust and stone into the air. Aisha instinctively raised her blade in a block, but she was sent flying backwards even then. Knocked from her feet, she slammed into the brick wall behind her. Aisha dodged right afterwards and was halfway through another move when she realized it wasn't necessary.
Standing across from her was Phryne in all her beastly glory. Aisha saw the way her meaty arms were tensed in anticipation. She saw how tightly the toad gripped her axes.
"You," said Phryne. "You are a prize I've been waiting a long time for. From the first moment Lady Ishtar brought you in, I knew you would be a troublemaker. I warned her that you would betray us." The toad smiled. "Even when she gave you over to me, and I devoured and broke you, I knew you would betray us. You've always been a backstabbing bitch."
At the mention of Phryne's devouring, Aisha flashed back to those horrible days in the dungeons beneath the Pleasure District. If Phryne's presence wasn't freezing her to the ground, those memories would.
"Now, why don't you drop your blade?" suggested Phryne.
Aisha could feel it slipping from her grasp. Her blade was pointed at the ground, the tip almost touching the cobblestones. She hated herself for it, despised it with her very soul, but she was listening. She trembled at the thought of what this toad would do if she got her hands on Aisha Belka.
"I am going to eat you up…again."
Phryne raised her axes, and Aisha panicked. She tried to will her body into movement. Her skin was trembling, and her limbs were shaking. At one point, she was sure she had bitten her tongue. Instantly, the metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth. The sharp moment of pain was what made her mind clear.
Aisha raised her sword, a growl burning in her throat.
"You don't get to lay a hand on me anymore!" declared Hippolyta. "And you will never lay a hand on anyone else, ever again!"
"Oh, and you're gonna do that on your own?" laughed Phryne.
Before Aisha could respond, there was the sound of glass shattering. Then, there was an explosion of oil and flames. She felt them land at her side, despite the lightness of their footfalls. The lithe Amazon smiled, tossing her long dark hair over her shoulder.
"Oh, is this when you lot finally make your grand entrance?" she asked.
"We were never going to let you fight alone," replied a dog girl.
"You're one of us, Hippolyta. And we don't leave family behind," said a woman with bright blue hair.
"She's a level six now," said Aisha. "If we're going to stand a chance of bringing her down, we'll need to work together."
Asfi pushed her glasses up her nose. "Well, it's a good thing that's one of our special talents then. Hermes Familia, treat the opponent like a Monster Rex. Tight battle formations and teamwork. Hippolyta, are you ready to take the lead?" Aisha nodded. "We follow her, am I understood?"
The rest nodded.
"Then let's get to work."
The Goddesses:
"How many more allies have you scrounged up?" growled Freya.
Loki shrugged. "Don't know, I'm not the one that scrounged them up. I think that might have been Hermes' plan."
Freya gave a mirthless laugh. "Oh, and you're happy about this? Happy to receive help from these others? Pretending like this means you can stand up to me?"
Loki snorted. "Says the woman who charmed the city for hostages." She gave the Goddess the side eye. "How many other Familia did you bribe before this? And finally…how much did it take to start a war between adventurers and the Xenos?"
Freya did not respond.
The Amazons:
Tiona and Tione stood over the unconscious pallums. The Bringar had put up a good fight, and both amazons were heavily wounded. There wasn't much they could do against other first-class adventurers, but they weren't too afraid. If Finn's plan was in action right now, then all of Freya's executives would be occupied with the other executives of the city. There would be no other first-class adventurers. And they could beat the second-class ones.
"What do we do with them?" asked Tiona.
"Probably have to tie them up or something," responded Tione. "When they wake up, they're gonna try and get back in the fight."
"Do you have anything to tie them up with?"
Tione thought about it for a second before shaking her head.
"No, but we could at least put rocks on them," said Tiona.
Tione nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good to me. Bury them or something. Should buy some time."
The two bustled about, covering the prums in rocks and metal. While it wouldn't stop the Bringar for long, it might confuse them enough, or they wouldn't wake up with enough strength to get out. As they did so, neither of them looked at Urashima. There was too much shame for what they had failed to do. They had failed to save their friend, and another friend had fallen apart. Eventually, they would be faced with the question of what came next. But for now, all they had was silence and shame.
They piled on stone and metal, twisting it around the pallums to hold them in place. The twins moved around, checking for any weak spots in their work. Thankfully, they found nothing. Unfortunately, that meant that there were no more distractions. They had to take care of Urashima and whatever had happened to him. Except, when they turned to face him, they found a woman they did not know by his side.
However, they did see the dark robes she wore. They were the same colour and style as Ura's. She looked up at them, and they saw how similar the woman looked to their unconscious friend. She was an older version of him, but the face had the same serious set to it.
"…are you related to him?" asked Tione.
The woman nodded.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Tione looked around. "What in the world is going on here?"
Tiona frowned. "How can we trust you? What can you tell us to prove it?"
The woman shook her head. Instead, she reached into a robe. Tione and Tiona raised their weapons, but the woman shook her head again. Instead, she slowly brought out a piece of paper. She placed it on the ground before returning to Urashima. She caressed his face before tears started to fall. Her body shook with it. Tione and Tiona busied themselves reading the paper.
"My name is Kokina Taro," read Tione. "I am sworn to a vow of silence until I can speak to my son."
The twins shared a look, and then they looked back to the older woman.
"Ok, so you're his mom? Again, you two look the same, but we need to find a way to verify this," said Tione.
The three of them stood quietly before Tiona smiled. She started hopping on her feet, hand raised in the air.
"I know what we can do! We should go find Otohime! She'll be able to tell, right?" replied Tiona.
Kokina looked up and nodded vigorously. They would find the Princess, the only person who loved her son more than she did. The mother carefully lifted her son, cradling him in her arms. Tione and Tiona began to follow the path of Oto's destruction. The trio began to walk.
The Bringar had fallen, but the elves, cat, and boar still stood. On the other side of the battlefield, the Braver was out, as was the Princess and her bodyguard. But more pieces had come to the board, and more were still to be played. The queen could feel it. And so could her supposed knight. The end was coming.
