Danmachi and all related characters are the property of Fujino Omori. Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World is the property of Kei Sazane. This is purely a non-profit fan created story for entertainment.
Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX had failed. She had failed to end the war between her people, and the Empire. She had failed to defeat her rival in the Imperial Swordsman Iska. In the end whatever hope they had of a relationship had ended with him choosing his ambition over her. She couldn't blame him. He had the same goal she did. To end the war. Didn't make his sword running through her chest hurt any less.
For a while there was just blackness... infinite blackness as far as she could see. She could feel her own body, but no other senses worked. It was just a void of empty space, no sounds, no smells. Nothing. Just darkness.
She gasped and bolted upright. Finding herself in a cave of some sort. She was confused. It took her a few seconds to remember all that transpired. She felt her chest several times. There was no wound. No blood on her dress even. What had happened? Why was she in this cave? where was Iska? She asked herself.
She heard someone yelling in the near distance. With caution she slowly pushed herself off the ground and stood shakily on stiletto heel-clad feet. "Iska? Rin?... Anyone?" She called out in confusion and a small amount of fear.
Out of the darkness stepped several wolf-like creatures growling and drooling. Clearly, she was seen as food here. Alice did not falter. Stronger beings had tried and failed to take her down before. She held out her hand as slowly the air began to cool and crystalize.
In a part of the upper floors of the legendary Dungeon of Orario. Bell Cranel was separated from his Familia, and making his way around, killing monsters along the way. "Guys!? Anyone near?! Shout if you can hear me!?" For a few seconds. He heard nothing. Then he heard a voice. A woman's voice from the sound of things. Bell knew that it could be a trap, but still if it was someone in trouble, he couldn't help but check it out to be sure. Besides a lead was a lead, and this was better than nothing.
So, he made his way along the dungeon hallways. Twisting and turning as he heard growls, snarls, and... yelps. Finally, after half a minute of running he rounded a corner to find several Hellhounds. Some were encased in ice, others were impaled on spears of ice, all of them were dead.
"What did this?" Bell asked in a mix of awe and fear only to round a corner and come face to face with a very beautiful girl who to him looked like she was more dressed to go into a ballroom than a dungeon. He was too awestruck to speak for a moment.
"Hello there." The woman said slowly and cautiously. "Are you hostile?" She asked raising her hand just to make sure.
"Wait. I promise I don't want to hurt you." The boy said. "Are you the one who took out all those monsters?"
The woman nodded. "Yes. I did. They came after me, and I had no choice but to kill them." She explained. "Where are we? Are you with the Empire or Nebulis?"
"Nebul-what-now?" Bell asked confused. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're in the Dungeon of Orario."
"Orario, is that some sort of neutral city, I have never heard of it?" She asked increasingly confused.
Now it was Bell's turn to be gob smacked. How could anyone not know of the city of heroes? The home of the dungeon. "I think we need to take you to my goddess, maybe she can provide the answers you need."
"Goddess, what are you talking about? Is that what you people call Astral Mages?"
"What's an Astral Mage?" Bell asked genuinely confused.
"Master Bell!" A childlike voice rang out. "Can you hear us! Answer me!"
"Oh, that's my Familia!" Bell said. "Lily! I'm over here! Just follow my voice! Someone needs our help." He turned to the woman. "Sorry. I don't think I got your name."
The blond woman smiled despite herself. "I am Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX, Princess of the Nebulis Sovereignty."
Now it was Bell's second chance to be impressed. A Princess in a dungeon. It was like one of his childhood tales of heroes of old made manifest before his eyes. "Oh, Umm... It's a pleasure to meet you Princess, my name is Bell Cranel, captain of the Hestia Familia."
Alice looked at Bell with a bit of disbelief. "Captain. A little boy like you?" She asked in confusion and wonder. Bell could not help but get a bit red faced at that.
Within minutes a group of people joined them. A taller young man with red hair, an eastern-looking woman with dark hair, a blonde woman with literal features of a fox, and...
"Good lord, what is a little girl doing in such a dangerous place?" Alice wondered.
Lily kicked Alice in the shin. "Lily is a Prum, not a child!" Alice yelped and hopped on one foot her elevated heel proving ill fit for such a task as she fell over on her side.
"You little brat! I should turn you into a block of ice for that!" She hissed. Bell quickly got between them.
"Lily! Please, this is not the time, we have to get Princess Alice back up to Hestia, I think she's not from these lands, and doesn't know anything about the area."
Lily huffed. "Master Bell, please don't refer to every pretty strange girl as a Princess."
"I am a Princess." Alice said sternly as she got back up. Lily just scoffed.
"Can you walk Aliceliese?" Bell asked. The blonde just nodded. "Okay, everyone. Let's return to the surface."
Not much yet. I admit. I should have taken more time to work on this, but I was so excited for Our Last Crusade to finally get a category on this site and wanted to post something to it as quick as possible. Hope you liked it, and part 2 will be Alice meeting with Hestia.
I admit I have no real ideas for what to do afterwards, so if you want to suggest potential plot points, or interactions I'm more than willing to hear them. Thanks for your time.
