"Ais! No-" Bell tried to protest, but it was too late as she lunged forward sword out ready to stab the Ice Witch. Alice gasped and stepped back, but her legs could not clear the distance to avoid the sword. They didn't need to be though as inches from Alice's face the sword was stopped dead in its tracks, along with the rest of Ais' body as she was encased head-to-toe in a boulder of ice.

"AIS!" Bell, and Lefiya cried in shock and despair. Alice looked at the young man seemingly hurt at his concern.

"I'm sorry, I had to defend-" She began only to stop and freeze as the audible *crack* sounds could be heard from inside the ice. "No way."

*CRACK!* The ice shattered leaving a slightly disoriented Ais behind. She glared at the blonde witch and came at her again with another swing. *CLANG!* Her sword was blocked by another sword composed entirely of ice floating in midair.

"Stop. I don't want to hurt-" She began. Ais was in no mood to talk as she swung again and again. Each strike barely blocked by yet another ice sword. Finally, Alice could take no more and created a rising pillar of ice under her feet sending her sailing high up near the dungeon ceiling.

Ais would not be denied and with a burst of inhuman speed began running up the pillar as Alice began sprouting massive, jagged spikes from the pillar heading down toward Ais' location. The Level 6 Adventurer was not to be deterred and with swing after mighty swing of her sword shattered both spikes and chunks off the pillar until it broke and began to fall towards the ground.

Ais wasted no time in her fall and created a huge spiraling slide from the ground up that she landed on her downward momentum being transferred diagonally as she slid face-down along the spiraling track. Her relief at avoiding a splattering end was cut short as she saw Ais running down the slide as well towards her position! In a final bid of desperation, she threw a mule-like kick with one of her feet only for Ais to grab her ankle and pull her leg in a backward twisting motion to get on top of her and lower her sword to her throat ready to slit her ear to ear as they came down to the bottom of the slide.

Or at least that's what she would have done had Alice's hand not reached out and touched the side of her head. With but a thought she could freeze all the water in Ais' brain or send a giant spike of ice through her skull. They were at a stalemate. Neither could kill the other without being killed themselves.

"STOP IT YOU TWO!" Bell cried finally able to get close enough to throw himself between the two. "No one needs to get hurt here! Lefiya tried to slap Alice first, and she defended herself! I swear!" Bell tried to reason.

Ais slowly relented pulling her sword away and standing up. "Lefiya? Is that true?" She asked simply as the ice around the elf's arm finally dissolved away.

"Well... I mean. She-... I... Yes. It's true." She admitted as the rest of the Familia came up running. "What is going on here?!" The green haired elf mage known as Rivera demanded to know.

One explanation of what happened later Ais came up to Alice. "I apologize for earlier. I jumped to conclusions." She spoke.

"For the sake of my Familia, I accept your apology." Alice said tensely. "Still, you'd do well to get your facts straight before jumping to your blade."

"Likewise, you'd do well to not respond to a mere slap with quite so much ice." She pouted a bit as both women just glared a bit before turning away.

"See they apologized. No harm done." Lefiya said nervously. "There's really no need now to- AH!" She cried in pain tied up and bent across the amazon Tione's knee as she was spanked on her rear.

"Stop trying to weasel away and take your punishment like a big girl." Tione warned. "Or maybe you want me to have to bare that behind of yours too."

"Eeep!" Lefiya reluctantly choose to stop complaining.

Bell sighed. "Well, I guess the important thing is we managed to resolve things before anyone was seriously hurt."

"Yeah, you got lucky again Rabbit." Bete the werewolf of the Loki Familia declared.

"Wow... You made that much ice in an instant, just like that?" Tiona asked Alice. "You're amazing."

"Well... I try not to brag too much about it." She laughed it off lightly. Before her knees suddenly gave out from under her as she began to fade away.

"Alice?! ALICE!?" She heard Bell cry in shock before things went black.


When Alice opened her eyes again, she was back in her room at the Hestia Familia manor. "Wha- what-" She began only for Hestia to gently lay a hand on her forehead.

"Do not strain yourself too soon." She said in a gentle more motherly than normal voice. "You experienced the equivalent of mind down, mixed with the stress of a serious fight."

"Mind down?" She asked.

"It's what happens when a mage uses too much magic in a short period of time." Hestia said. "I can't say I know how it works in your world, but that's what happens to mages here."

Alice frowned. "So, I'm much weaker now if I can't use my magic all the time." She said sadly. "Figures, there'd be a catch."

"You got lucky." She smiled. "Everyone rushed to get you back to the surface when you fainted. I shudder to think what would have happened had you been alone." She exposited.

"I'd be a sitting duck, I know." She nodded. "Seems like I bring you people nothing but more problems. I have to tell Bell I'm sorry."

"You can tell him yourself." She said pointing at the foot of the bed. Alice slowly looked up to find the sleeping form of Bell resting across the side of the edge of the bed. He was actually kind of cute, especially when he wasn't tall enough to clear the bed nearly. "He insisted on staying and watching over you until you woke up." She explained. "He nodded off about an hour ago."

"How long was I unconscious?" Alice asked.

"It took 3 hours to get you back to the mansion, and then another 3 hours until you woke up." She explained. "And that was with the Loki Familia's assistance mind you. Without their high leveled assistance, you'd probably be still in the dungeon."

"I see. That's good to know. I'll have to thank them too." She said nodding as Bell slowly began to stir awake. "Alice?" He asked looking up at her before brightening up and springing awake. "Thank goodness, we were all so worried about you!" He said with relief.

"Hey." She said with a small smile. "Sorry I had you worried for a bit." She said sitting up. "I guess I have a few more things to learn before I really start to dungeon dive with you." She admitted.

Hestia nodded. "Yes... If nothing else, you should plan to use your magic more sparingly so as to minimize the risks." She suggested. "Learning some combat skills would probably also help."

Alice nodded. "Of course. Would you be willing to teach me, Bell?" She asked.

"Of cour-" He began but Hestia interrupted him.

"Actually, I think Mikoto would be a better choice since she has more experience with a greater variety of weapons." She said quickly. "She could help you more easily find something you are used to; I mean."

"Is that so? Is that your only reason?" Alice asked cocking her head to the side in a bit of confusion.

"O-of course it is! What kind of Goddess do you think I am?" She protested.

"Well, not a very good one, if you have such a huge mansion, and only five members of your Familia-" Alice began only for a flip-flop sandal to bounce off the side of her head.

"I could get more adventurers if I wanted to!" She protested in annoyance. "I just... prefer things nice and cozy with a small group!" She blurted picking up the offending piece of footwear. "Besides you're wrong, there's six adventurers in my group now counting you." She said making Alice smile and laugh a bit while rubbing the side of her face.

"Alright, then it's settled." Bell said. "You and Mikoto will stay behind tomorrow. Don't worry about us, I know a couple people who can fill in." He assured Alice.

"Alright, be safe little one." She said offering her hand to the young man, pinky extended. Bell's face turned red at the notion, but he reluctantly joined his pinky to hers to complete the swear.

"No handholding!" Hestia whined making the pair pull back and start laughing which only intensified Hestia's mini tantrum.


(Meanwhile at the Loki Familia headquarters)

Loki sighed pouring herself another drink having just finished interrogating the last witnesses about the magic they witnessed in the dungeon. "You gotta be kidding me? How can she create that much ice at once without a damn incantation even. Hestia, what have you managed to get ahold of that you ain't supposed to have." She slammed down another drink. "When Freya learns about this. There's gonna be Hell to pay." She let out between burps. "Dammit, what's this city coming to?" She kicked back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her eyes briefly opening to reveal the sharp look of a predator. "Well... At least I'm not gonna be bored for a while."