Hey.

So this is the slightly grammatically improved Chapter 2.

Just like in the first Chapter as well as all others up to Chapter 29, which was the last one I posted before deleting the fic, I did not change the plot at all, just made some improvements like expanding on some sentences.

To be honest it's kind of weird to be reading back on this version of Fuzen.

Right here he was still just a "blank", a OC I had no idea what to do with. At the time I sort of knew what direction the fic should go, but for Fuzen himself I had nothing.

His past, his reasons, his goals, all those things were still just question marks at the time I wrote this. It was only around Chapter 5-7 that I finally had a clear image of the OC and what he should be like.

But up to those Chapters?

I just BS-ed my way through.

Still, if I remember the previous reviews as well as I think I do, there was not a lot of hate on Fuzen going on. Some people complained about the lack of insight into his character and his past, but didn't complain about the OC per say. Guess I did a pretty good job there, huh?

Anyway, that's about that.

I do have a feeling this fic is going to be viewed mostly by the old readers and no new ones, so I'll do my best to upload as fast as possible in order to reach the point we were at before.

Til then, see you around.

PS: anyone ever noticed how I never call Fuzen the MC, and only call him the OC?

XXX

Having visited the Dian Cecht Familia as soon as they arrived on the surface again, Anakitty went over the procedure of counting the materials the brought back with the Dian Cecht Familia member, Amid. Luckily for both of them, their Gods got along rather well and as such, the procedure was over rather quickly, as Amid had enough trust in the Loki Familia to not meticulously inspect the quality of the delivered materials.

Once that was behind them, Anakitty grabbed the Dian Cecht Quest contract which showed that Loki Familia did their end of the bargain, and headed for the Guild. Now, despite this particular Quest being addressed only to Loki Familia, the contract still had to be shown to the Guild, in order for them to add this deed to the Familia history, and then once enough trustworthiness had been shown, and enough Monster Rexes slayed, their rank as a Familia would go up.

Still, after the Loki Familia took one of the two open spots in the city as the strongest Familia, their rank jumped up quickly, and now it would take a fair amount of time before they would rank up again.

Grabbing the reward and the papers showing they completed the Quest with both the Dian Cecht Familia sign on it as well as the Guild's, the party made their way home. Even so, Aki did not relax just yet, as she knew she needed to report back to the Captain. They left for the quest yesterday in the evening and it was now morning, so the Captain would be up and already drinking his coffee.

XXX

"-and then we collected the Dragon's blood and made our way back. We stopped at Rivira for a few hours of sleep, thus our slight delay in returning back. And that concludes my report, Captain Finn." As she had previously guessed, the Captain was already up and drinking his coffee despite the sun just rising over the horizon, his small body mostly obscured by stacks and stacks of papers on his desk.

"You all did well."

"T-Thank you."

"Honestly, I expected you guys to come back late at night today. You shaved off a lot of time from my own estimate."

"We had a solid formation, and managed to quickly take care of any Monsters that attacked us. The two Supporters also did well in focusing on their task and leaving their safety in our hands."

"Well, I would expect nothing else from my Familia members." Finn smiled, and having been a member for six years, Anakitty knew it was a genuine smile and not his scheming smile. "Still, the fact remains that you all somehow failed to notice Fuzen breaking off from the group. I hope you will remember to have a better overview of your party in the future, Aki."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"...I am well aware of your instincts and excellent hearing, as well as Rakta's. With that said, how did he manage to slip past you?" It was a good question, and unfortunately, Aki did not have an answer for it.

"I...do not know, Captain. Asking him only yields silence. We were all sitting down, taking a small break. I am more than certain he was also sitting down with us at that time, however by the time we got to planning, he was gone." She explained exactly as she remembered everything to be. This, however, was not even the strangest part. "Another strange thing also happened."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Fuzen was with us when we rested. By the time we began to plan our attack plan on the Green Dragon, roughly two or three minutes passed, time in which Fuzen already disappeared. The Dragon's location was roughly half an hour away from our position. However, even while on our way there, I did not hear any sort of battle sounds, and when we arrived, the Dragon which is equivalent to Level 4 by the Guild's estimates...well, Fuzen had killed it."

"...Strange indeed." Finn nodded as he pondered on the new information. "The Green Dragon is quite aggressive. As soon as it is under attack it will roar with all it's might. That you heard no such roar is indeed strange…" He tried to come up with an answer to this strange situation, but only a single answer could be correct, and that was hardly imaginable alone.

I've been keeping away from Fuzen as his conditions for joining us were struck between him and Loki herself, but if he can already defeat Monsters twice his own Level, it is my duty as the Captain to utilize him for the benefit of the Familia...

"...Aki. I'm familiar enough with the others who were part of your party, so I would like to ask you another question: what is your opinion on Fuzen? Specifically, his abilities and teamwork."

A question Aki had been prepared for ever since she had been tasked with the secondary task by the Captain in secret. It was because of this she paid more attention to the young boy during the Quest. "He is...reliable."

Her delay did not go unnoticed, the Captain raising an eyebrow in response."Oh?"

"Despite his young age, he kept a cool head all throughout our descent into the 24th Floor. His skill is great enough to take care of small groups of enemies all by himself. Probably most surprising was his ability to keep an eye out for the whole battlefield and apply his own strength where it was most needed without the need for orders."

"Seems like he made quite the impression, if you are praising him that much." Finn said with a laugh. "Still, that was simply praise for his ability, no? What about his ability to work in a team?"

"It's the best and the worst." She informed with a deadpan expression. The boy's lack of communication and his willingness to do things on his own still irritated her, greatly so. However, what made her truly angry was her inability to actually be mad at the young swordsman. "He cares about the party, and even gave me tips on how to increase my own efficiency as a leader. I can truly say without hesitation that he would never do anything to endanger his party members. At the same time, however, he took matters into his own hands and slipped out of our view to fight a dangerous Monster on his own. Even if this was, as he put it, to spare the rest of us the trouble of having to fight, I cannot in good conscience laud him for it."

"...I see. Still, at the very least, it's good to know he's not like other members and simply rushes forward while leaving his party to fend for themselves." Finn nodded, his brilliant mind already digesting the new information he received in ways others couldn't even dream of. In mere seconds he already worked through multiple scenarios regarding Fuzen and where he would be best placed on their Familia's large scale expeditions. With a smile, he decided to talk to Loki and make her change her mind. He had to make her agree to place him under his care, while somehow also keeping his Goddess's promise to the boy. "Your final thought, Aki?"

"...He is strong."

XXX

I am weak.

While somewhere inside the Twilight Manor his Captain was discussing matters regarding no other than Fuzen himself, the boy pondered on his actions during the Quest. He was not pleased with himself, and even less pleased with the shame he brought to the sword entrusted to him. Instead of training his skills like he did every day, this time around he was simply sitting on the soft grass, eyes closed, his treasure...no, the treasure entrusted to him laying on his lap.

I am strong, but I am not tempered.

Slaying Monsters is good. Slaying many Monsters by oneself is great. Slaying a stronger Monster by oneself is incredible. Not one soul living within the walls of Orario would dare say that mindset to be wrong. Doing incredible deeds impressed the Gods, and by doing said incredible deeds, one could reach a higher state of being. A step closer to divinity. A step closer to grasping the heavens. A step closer to his goal.

But not like this.

Despite the many songs the bards sang of the Adventurers and their glorious deeds, done in a most incredible fashion, the truth of the matter was that once one stepped inside the Dungeon, they would do anything to survive. They would fight dirty. They would flee even when doing so would endanger others. They would use stones, sticks and their own bare flesh to fight and survive.

Fuzen didn't think of people like that in a negative light. On the contrary, life was important. Doing whatever it took to survive and prevail was commendable. However, his was another path to walk.

I am slaying strong Monsters each day after training. Time only allows me to fight as far as the 17th Floor. Going any deeper would destroy my training regime allocated time. I am always fighting against the likes of Dungeon Worms, Hellhounds, Wyverns and Minotaurs.

Focusing, Fuzen recreating his solo fights against said Monsters in his mind. He remember the moves he used, the breathing pattern he used, the different fighting styles against each of the Monsters.

It looked good. He did not bring shame to his Sword Style and the treasure entrusted to him. Boastfulness could only lead to ruination, but he needed to accept what he did right and what he did wrong.

Then, he cleared his mind, and recreated the earlier fights he jumped into while on the Quest with his party. He bit his lip as soon as he thought about it. Wrong, so very wrong…

Impulsivity. Panic. Killing intent. Irregular breathing. Out of rhythm steps...and rudeness.

So many mistakes. Even though I train diligently every single day, my actions are only good when I am on my own. When I am on my own, fighting Monsters I am familiar with, I do not bring shame to myself or my Sword Style. Only when I am comfortable. So this is what I trained for the last seven years? Acceptable performance while comfortable, but shameful display of skills when out of my comfort zone?

Fuzen sighed. A long and tired sigh. Even after he stated so confidently that his strength would be of great help to Loki-sama, if only he was allowed to train as he wished…

Can I simply excuse this behaviour by saying I am only ten years old…?

He almost slapped himself as soon as the thought passed through his mind.

No...I am already ten years old. I rubbed my head against the ground begging to be allowed to bear this sword. To prove that my-...that this Sword Style is the...He shook his head, again disappointed at his impulsive line of thought. He was not yet worthy to call it his.

"...*Sigh*...There's only one path, and that path is ahead."

Grabbing his sword, Fuzen made for his room. He would need to train harsher. Luckily, he still had the necessary equipment for the training he decided on.

XXX

"Now, which one of you sexy little things is next~?" A certain red-haired Goddess smirked as her finger slowly ran over the tip of the many wine bottles which all together made up her collection.

Deciding which one to open next was always a tough challenge.

"It's spring, so maybe this one~?" Her finger stopped at a certain wine bottle. Fifty years old. Made by Ceres Familia, a Familia located far away from Orario. The quality of their grapes was almost on par with that of Demeter Familia. "Hmm...No, I'll save this one."

She continued to hum, stopping at the next one. A good brand, twenty years old. The weather outside was nice and pleasant, warm too...No, this wine was sweet, not a good idea for a hot day.

"Then...Hmhm, perhaps some white wine~?"

Knock.

Knock.

"It's Finn. I'm coming in." Her Braver knocked and entered the room without even waiting for a reply. What lack of manners...then again, who cared about that, anyway?

"Ahh, Finn. Good work today."

"It's barely twelve." He sighed as he noticed that she was doing her wine selection for today. If only she could hold back on all the alcohol, the Pallum sometimes thought to himself..."Anyway, I have something to ask of you."

"Oh my, isn't this rare? Braver coming to simply ask something from me?" Loki smirked, then gasped, arms wrapped around her body. "To think the day would come! Finn, you naughty boy~!"

Ahh, she must have already drank a bottle...The Pallum sighed, ignoring the last comment she made. His eyes met hers, for he knew he needed to be very direct towards a drunk Loki. "Loki, give me Fuzen."

"Nope~"

"...Loki, he is part of the Familia."

"Yeah, my Familia~"

Ahh, high and mighty drunk Loki, I see. "That's not the point. He has been part of our Familia for ten months, and so far, he has only trained and went on solo exploration. Granted, he does share a large part of his earnings to the Familia expenses, but…"

"We Gods are fickle, you know~?" Loki stated as she turned her back to him, focusing again on selecting her wine for the day. "But even we need to follow some rules, you know~? I made a promise to that adorable child. What kind of Deity would I be if I were to break my promise to a child~? Hmm, Finn?"

Sigh...She won't give up easy. But she said it herself: Gods are fickle. I just need to work with that.

"Loki, you were over the top proud of Ais when she managed to break the record for the fastest ever Level-Up. Fuzen has that same potential to break records. Many records. Should we, as his Familia, not help him achieve his potential?" Finn bargained, hoping this would help. Truth be told, he knew Loki was easily distracted by anything that looked fun, and she spared no expenses from her Familia for anything like that, but...she was also smart and cunning, and kept her word. Overall, Finn's tactic was a fifty-fifty, that much he knew.

"I know, right?" The Goddess exclaimed loudly. "My Familia is filled with wondrous children! You, Riveria, Ais, the twins, Gareth and now even Fuzen! You all found your way to Yours Truly! I am so proud of each and every one of you…But I'm not breaking my promise."

A fail then. Guess that's it. For now, at least. I'll try again when she is sober. The Pallum thought to himself with a nod. No point in trying to convince a drunken Deity, least so Loki.

"By the way, Loki. He and his party returned from the Dungeon." At the sound of her Familia's deeds, Loki turned around and gave Finn her full attention. Fickle as she was, she truly did care to listen about their growth. "Naturally, they completed the Quest."

"I know, right? Naturally."

"Strangest thing, though. I heard from Aki that Fuzen alone slew the Green Dragon." Loki's eyes widened enough to show the true colour of her eyes, which were otherwise nigh always casually hidden by her perpetually closed eyelids. The smirk on her face widened just the slightest bit, but enough for Finn to notice. "Apparently, he slipped out of the party while everyone rested and went to fight the Dragon himself. By the time Aki and the others arrived there, the Monster was dead."

"Haha, I'd expect nothing else!"

"...Still, I didn't tell Aki this, but from what she told me, I believe Fuzen managed to kill the Green Dragon in a single strike."

"!...You for real?"

"Yes. No roar, no battle sounds, no trace of a fight having happened and no injury on the Dragon's body expect for it's decapitated head. If my intuition is anything to go by, it was a single strike."

"...Hehe...Good, good."

"You see now why I want you to give me Fuzen? I understand your promise to him, but surely we can find a way for him to join the rest of us frequently without breaking the promise. I'll think of something."

"Nope~"

"...Sigh...Very well then. I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll leave you be."

"Mhm, keep up the good work, Finn~"

"Yes, yes…"

I'm still going to make you give up Fuzen, though. Pathetic as this is to rely on a child, he is still an Adventurer, and a strong one at that. The ripples which spread throughout Orario and the world after the former strongest two Familia failed to kill the One Eyed Black Dragon are still palpable. We need to be the next.

"By all means necessary..."

XXX

The Hiryute Sisters.

A pair of beautiful, Amazonian twin sisters, well known for their power around Orario and beyond, and just as feared thanks to their incredible battle lust and fighting prowess. Recently, both Sisters managed the incredible feat of achieving Level 5, a while after the Sword Princess herself. With that feat crystallized into the Falna on their backs, the sisters became one of the pillars of the Loki Familia.

It was not a mistake to say many within their Familia, mostly the females, looked up to the twins for inspiration, setting them as their goal. Indeed, they were pillars of their Familia.

And unknowingly to most, the younger of the twins was also the cause of great distress to a certain easterner boy.

"Hey, Tione. I heard from Aki earlier! That guy managed to defeat the Green Dragon by himself!" Tiona exclaimed cheerfully as the two walked down one of the many towers of the Twilight Manor, just coming back from helping with the many chores which needed to be tended to on a daily basis.

Usually, it was natural for executives like the twins to be spared from such mundane work, however their frequent behaviour while inside Dungeon, both rash and dangerous, earned them this punishment from none other than their Captain.

"Fuzen, huh? Kid got spirit, I'll give him that." The older sister replied with a nod.

"Say, didn't we face a lot of hardships against Monsters of that Level when we were Level 2 and 3?"

"Well, we certainly did, no denying that…"

"But he's only Level 2! Isn't that actually amazing?!" Tione was boiling inside from excitement. Few people managed to miss the fact that the ever cheerful Amazon loved stories of exaggerated deeds and even more exaggerated Hero tales. Thus, her excitement, while annoying to her sister, was understandable.

"I get it already, so stop shouting!"

"Ah, sorry. Anyway, let's go find him!"

"Stop it, Tiona. I swear one of these days he's just going to pack up and rush out of the Familia if you continue your approach." Tione stated, still vividly remembering the last time her sister pestered Fuzen about how he could be so boring. Long story short, she was actually amazed at how many bulging veins a face could produce.

"What'cha talking about? What's wrong with trying to make new friends?"

"...Well, there's nothing wrong with that in itself but…"

"Anyway, let's go!"

With no intention to give her sister time to protest, Tiona grabbed her arms and pulled her twin along as she dashed through the hallways and stairs at incredible speed, her sister by now simply fluttering behind her like a piece of cloth left hanging outside in the wind. Not one minute later, the younger twin arrived at the terrace descending into the garden.

A heavy smack on the head and a few insults later, the two made their way to where Fuzen usually trained at this time of day, on the left side of the spacious garden, past a couple of trees with a bench positioned nearby, where he usually left his main sword.

"He's not here." Tione stated the obvious, slightly surprised that the young boy was not there.

"He's gotta be around here somewhere, he never leaves the garden until later when he goes into the Dungeon…" Tiona replied, looking in all directions for a sign of where her victim-...soon-to-be friend could be. With her sharp eyes, she immediately noticed something by the large pool Loki threw a tantrum about needing no matter what, despite the Familia's poor financial status at the time. "I. See. You!"

A couple of seconds later, she arrived at the pool's edge like the wind, her sister not far behind her. On the ground, near the stairs leading into the three meters deep pool, were Fuzen's usual clothes, all neatly wrapped and stacked. And inside the pool, in a cross-legged meditation stance, was Fuzen himself.

"...He's...meditating?" Tione asked with a raised eyebrow. She heard about some people meditating under waterfalls, whatever that was good for, but to meditate under water? That was a first.

"Hahaha, that's actually kinda amazing, isn't it?"

"...It's certainly strange." Tione shrugged. "Anyway, we shouldn't disturb him with. Let's go."

"No." Tiona protested, slamming her behind into the ground and closely watching her submerged Familia comrade. "Dont'cha wanna see how long he keeps at it?"

"I'd rather watch the Captain as he works through the paperwork with a smile on his face, sipping from his coffee…" Came the lovestruck reply, the older twin blushing simply at the thought of it. "...But, the Captain did tell me not to disturb him, as punishment for ripping those Barbarians on the 37th Floor apart and drawing the attentions of more Monsters to our location...Ah, well. Guess I don't have anything else to do."

With a shrug, Tione took a seat by her sister's side, both of them silently watching the submerged Fuzen. They had no idea how long he had been meditating there, so they decided to time him starting when they both took a seat.

And so, time passed.

One minute.

Two minutes..

Four minutes…

Seven minutes…..

Eight minutes…..

Ten minutes….

…

…

…

...

...A bubble of air reached the surface of the water...

…

…

…

...

Fifteen minut-

"Oh come on!" The ever cheerful Amazon yelled at the top of her lungs, hands hitting her knees over and over again in frustration. "Do something! Move!"

"...The hell you going on about? He's not a circus animal, you know?"

"He's been just sitting there for...I dunno, twenty, thirty minutes! I mean...isn't it boring?! My skin is already itching just from sitting here for so long!"

"...Not everyone is an idiot like you, Tiona."

"Idiot or not, isn't that boring?!" The Amazon jumped to her feat, pointing a finger at the submerged Fuzen as her foot slammed against the ground in successive hits. There was no helping her, Tione knew that well. Boring stuff made her blood boil and her mind to go haywire.

And it just so happened that Fuzen symbolized everything Tiona thought of as boring.

"Well, to each their own." Tione replied calmly as she rose from the ground and wiped her clothes. That is, if Amazonian clothes can actually be described as such. "I made sure to pay close attention. He's still very much conscious, so no need to worry there. Let's just leave him to it."

"...Hmm…"

"...Tiona?" Hearing the rare hum which was the result of her younger sister thinking about something for once, Tione turned around. She was going to start something.

"...Hehe~…"

"Tiona, whatever you are thinking-"

"Amazon Splash Bomb!"

"You idiot-!"

XXX

After his earlier self-reflection, Fuzen had decided that what he lacked most in his fights on the 24th Floor was a solid breathing rhythm. He didn't want to accept it, as breathing correctly was something which he trained every second of the day. It is hardly surprising, no? Be it eating, sleeping, training, walking or fighting, a person needs to breath. It is the one unchanging constant in every mortal's life. Ever since he picked his first wooden sword and began his journey on the path of the sword, he had been training how to breath correctly.

And yet, despite all that, it was his breathing that he lacked the most during his descent into the 24th Floor. Shameful indeed, but the past is the past. He needed to focus on the present. He needed to reset his breathing, and what better way to do so than to stop breathing at all?

Thankfully enough, he used to train in water frequently, be it for lung training or for his drawing strikes, water was a good environment to train in. As such, Fuzen had the insight to task a blacksmith with forging him heavy weights, to keep him secured on the bottom of the pool. Bracelets for his arms and legs, to be precise, forged in a way which made them heavier than they looked.

With his training equipment on, he submerged himself into the pool, and taking a meditation stance, concentrate on how to not breath, so that he may start a new breathing rhythm once he came out.

Having been born on an island country surrounded by oceans and seas, Fuzen was very good at swimming and likewise at keeping his breath. The longest he had gone before was almost half an hour. Now with the Blessing of a Deity engraved into his flesh, his natural limits had been greatly increased, even more so since his Level reached 2.

And so, in complete silence and serenity, he closed his eyes and meditated. The water was of an adequate temperature, thanks to the sun heating it up prior to him submerging himself. His body felt the weight of the water pressing down on him, but it was not unpleasant. Quite on the contrary, with the water temperature, the sun shining brightly above him and with the complete isolation from the noise-filled surface, it was a pleasant experience, as always.

Naturally, he was aware that training should not be pleasant. Then again, after some fifteen minutes of being submerged, he felt the lack of oxygen starting to take it's toll on him. At around the twenty minutes mark, he heard noises from the surface, and quickly realized it was the dreaded younger Hiryute sister without even opening his eyes.

Luckily, he also felt the presence of her slightly less mouthy and cheerful older sister, and the noises died out. He wondered if they perhaps left after realizing he was training for a second, but the occasional hum which reached him underwater told him otherwise.

After some fifteen minutes, at his thirty-five minute mark, his Amazon-shaped bane shouted and yelled. If he was right, she probably could no longer contain herself after sitting for so long. A ray of hope, Fuzen taught. Mayhaps she would leave now.

How wrong he had been…

XXX

Gods above who have not descended, preserve me...

She was here.

His bane.

The younger Hiryute.

He had hoped she would go away and chase her fun somewhere else, but as fate would have it, she decided to torture him instead by jumping into the water and disturbing his training.

He did not play along. His eyes were shut closed. He would not give in to her taunts. He would simply continue his training-

Poke.

Poke.

What…?

Poke.

Poke.

She was poking his face. She was actually-…

Ignore it. Just ignore it, and all will be well-

Poke.

Poke.

As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was her face, wearing the goofiest expression a person could possibly make, just inches away from his own. Here it was again, her try at breaking his so called boring shell, whatever that even meant. As soon as she had the slightest amount of free time, she would bother him with her cheerfulness and goofy aptitude.

He did not hate people.

Some were good, some were bad, some were in-between. Fuzen realized this at a young age. No person was perfect, and that was good. It was only mortal, after all. As such, he did not truly bear hate for anyone in particular just for being a person. But, for the last eight months since she started to bother him, he realized he would never get along with the younger twin.

Oil and water cannot comprehend one another, after all.

With a shake of his head, the boy rose from his position and walked up the stairs, back to the surface. Looking to his right, his eyes met Tione's. There was a faint trace of sympathy in them, as always. At the very least, he did not have to deal with two sisters pestering him.

After having squeezed as much water from his hair as possible, he wiped himself with the towel he had prepared and slowly began putting on his clothes. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the younger twin floating around the pool surface leisurely, a toothy grin directed at him.

"Now that you managed to interrupt my training session, are you quite done yet, Tiona-sama?"

"For the time being~"

"…"

With another smile and laugh, Tiona jumped out of the pool, shaking her head around wildly to dry herself, not unlike what a dog would do after jumping into any body of water. Just when her sister looked ready to murder her for getting her clothes wet, Fuzen walked up to her, extending the towel he had previously used to her with both hands, in true easterner fashion.

"Please, use this."

"Thanks! So anyway, I heard you killed the Green Dragon, huh?"

"...I did not-...No, it doesn't matter. What of it?"

"That's amazing! For such a boring guy you sure can fight, don't you?"

"...Is that all, Tiona-sama?"

"Not by far! Tell me what happened! In details!"

"...Once upon a time, a lizard existed. I cut it down. End."

"Ahh, come on~"

She would not give up, that much he was aware of. However, though he explained it vaguely, it was also the correct explanation. He had simply cut it down, there was no grant tale to sing about. "You know I do not lie. Vague as it was, that is exactly what happened."

"...Ah, so boring...I thought I would be able to hear something good…" with a sigh of disappointment, the younger twin finally turned around and made for the Manor again. "Fine, I'm going." Seeing her sister walk away, Tione quickly followed as well after apologizing to Fuzen for the interruption.

Finally, he had peace.

Though his first training session had been interrupted, it was not a complete waste of time. He felt his breathing was more efficient now, and he could simply train it more during sword practice. With renewed purpose, he walked back to his usual training spot. He would practice each form a hundred times for today, and increase the number tomorrow.

A couple of steps later, he stopped.

...I am being too naive.

He knew all the mistakes he made during the Quest, yet he tried to focus on training only two of those mistakes, breathing and sword technique. Why not integrate the others too?

No Monster in the Dungeon will stay still, nor can I stay still while attacking. What good will training my sword technique do if I cannot use it correctly with my steps? I shall train each form a hundred times, while also focusing on my breathing and walking.

With a nod to himself, he began his training. No more bringing shame to the sword entrusted to him.

That's the one thing he cannot allow to happen.

Ever.

XXX

Having finished the wine bottle she choose after many variables were taken out of her selection, Loki was in a good mood, if her smile and red cheeks were anything to go by. She remembered the times when she just met Finn, and their status at the time: broke and unknown, just another Pallum and Goddess in a sea of faceless people.

Now, she had the home she always wanted, the booze she wished to drink and Children whose names were sung on all corners of the world.

Ahh, how time passed.

Her Children, ever reaching for higher goals…

How intriguing mortals are, with their single-minded pursuit of the goal they decided to run towards at full speed…

From the Pallum who wished to become a Hero for the sake of others he never met, to the golden swordswoman who managed to break a record one thousand years in the making.

And now…

Her hand extended to one of the drawers at the luxurious desk. From within, she pulled out a piece of paper, and her smile turned to a smirk.

Fuzen Katsumi

LV 2

STR F 334 → 335

VIT G 212 → 213

DEX D 549 → 550

AGI D 549 → 550

MAG I 0 →

Magic:

Skill: Inazuma no Michi

Development Ability: Sword Disciple

Fuzen's status update from a month ago.

So intriguing, how a Child can sacrifice everything to get closer to the goal they set for themselves. Pushing everything to the sides and only rushing forward, no matter what.

Her finger ran over a certain sentence, her smirk slightly fading away.

Inazuma no Michi.

The Path of the Lightning Style.

Greatly increases proficiency with a single Sword Style, at the cost of greatly reduced Excelia gain and Basic Abilities. Obsession was...too mild a word for this.

Though Loki had not been living in the Lower World for as long as other Deities, she had not yet heard of any other Skill which manifested like Fuzen's. An obsession made manifest, a single boon in a sea of downsides.

What was going on in his mind, Loki could not even start to guess.

Grasping the Heavens with your sword...I wonder how far you can fly towards that goal with those clipped wings, Fuzen...