Chapter 33: Run Rabbit Run

Fractured walls surrounded a lone adventurer on the 17th floor, mercifully absent of any tremors or fiery births. The person moved slowly, wobbling from side to side; their white hair peeked out from a heavily singed salamander wool cloak.

Bell Cranel staggered as he moved through the floor, breathing heavily due to his weighty cargo. Welf Crozzo and Liliruca Arde hung from his arms, their feet dragging across the ground. Welf's short red hair, and blue neckerchief swayed, as he was carried, whilst Lili was barely visible under her tan robe. No rucksacks were present, left far behind. Bell's tired face contorted into a grimace as he reached the archway to the floor boss room. "You're kidding!?"

The boy still had a long way to go. He gazed upwards, and to the walls of the corridor, marvelling at the shimmering colours. "That's... the great wall of sorrow..."

Lili's words echoed through his head, yet he could not shake the dread that gripped his heart.

'Goliath's room is there, but the Loki familia should have already beaten him. And when you consider his average recovery time, we should just barely make it.'

Bell held the pallum's comforting words to his chest and marched onwards, to the Labyrinth paradise that lay ahead.

*Crack*

Bell's breathing hastened as he heard the worst possible sound imaginable. He risked a glance back, whilst maintaining his pace, hoping it was just his imagination.

**Crack**

Immense spiderweb cracks splintered throughout the great wall of sorrow, and crystalline shards rained down, threatening to crush the band of adventurers.

"Ahh...AAAAHHHH!"

Bell screamed as he pushed his aching body forwards, dodging the falling structures, eager to protect his friends. Far above, a creature of unimaginable power peered out and roared, awakened from its long slumber. Red pupils glared from black sclera, and its jaw opened to an inhuman degree. The very air shook under its might.

*GRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAARRR!*

Bell's eyes widened, and panic coursed through him; the fear pushed his body into a sprint, despite his lack of reserves. The titan broke free from its prison, sending pillars sundering down all across the room. Goliath crashed onto the dungeon floor, on its hands and knees. The imposing foe turned its head towards the fleeing insect and swung its arm. Bell did not dare look back and kept racing to the exit. "Keep running! KEEP RUNNING!"

The immense hand sailed over Bell, casting a terrifying shadow across his path. "Whatever, you do... DON'T GIVE UP!"

Goliath finally began to rear itself up, with another earth-shattering bellow, and moved towards the fleeing rabbit.

Bell was nearly at the finish line, exit point getting closer and closer. Goliath raised a palm skywards and balled it into a fist.

"GO! GO! DONT STOP RUNNING!"

Bell dived down the passageway, sliding across the smooth ground. A heartbeat later, and the giant's fist impacted where he had just stood, shattering the dungeon floor.

Bell rolled forwards and lost his grip on Lili and Welf, who careened out of sight. Bell screamed in pain, desperately hoping that his friends would survive. Soon, he was forced to shut his eyes as the world exploded with light. "Lili... Welf... Goddess"

Hit was busy spying on Rivira when he felt it. The ground trembled, and a faint roar sounded from the nearby entrance. Flocks of birds darted from their roosts and sailed away, well aware of the danger above. Hit dashed away from the detainment facility, and entered a Time skip sprint, making a beeline for the epicentre of the earthquake. 'Has it already awakened!? It should require a few more days, at least.'

Shortly after, Hit stopped at a grassy field, directly ahead of the gateway to the 17th floor. Ais Wallenstein was also present, standing in front of a dishevelled bundle of red cloth. The cloth moved, to reveal a dusty Bell Cranel, who extended an armoured hand forward. His voice was a whisper, yet carried his feelings perfectly. "My friends... please... save them..."

The arm fell limp, and Bell lost consciousness. His silvery white hair danced along with the grass, as a breeze swept by. Ais instantly bent down to check over the poor boy, whilst Hit sped away.

His goal was not altruistic, entirely aiming for the Goliath. Hit was not entirely sure if he would truly try and fight it, he'd just have to see how his body reacted. Day turned to night as Hit rocketed down the passageway, yet he was forced to come to a sudden stop as he heard telltale sounds of soft breathing. Hit paced towards a pile of rubble and colourful fabric, removed his pristine gloves, and got to work dusting the survivors down. The 'buried treasure' was an incredibly small cat person, and a crimson red-haired human. Their chests rose and fell as they breathed extremely softly; had they been left for much longer, they would have died from suffocating or blood loss. Hit hastily doused a couple healing potions on the two and hoisted them up like luggage. "You pests better not have cost me this."

Hit ran ahead, a little slower, since he could not use his time skip, and reached the boss room. The ground was pelted in shattered crystals and craters, as if struck by falling stars. Unfortunately, there was no monster. 'Don't tell me the creature has reabsorbed with the cliffs!?'

Hit gazed towards the wall of sorrow and saw that his worry came true. The monster was now dormant behind the fractured wall, perhaps due to a refractory period. It was likely due to the immense amount of energy it took to power the lumbering titan; if allowed to roam for too long, the monster would grow too weak. Without any stimuli, Goliath had returned to dormancy.

Hit thought to wait but clicked his tongue. The valuable cargo he carried had to be delivered to safety. Hit's nose crinkled and he looked down. The small one possessed the remnants of a stink bag, tied to her neck, likely to fend off monsters. Hit tore it off and ran back the way he came, scowling.

...

Riveria was having an interesting morning. Ais had appeared, looking quite distressed, carrying a familiar white-haired boy. He was garbed in a tattered salamander wool cloak, which she had hastily asked Ais to remove. This Bell boy was becoming more and more intertwined with their lives, especially with Ais'. Riveria saw it in her adopted daughter's eyes: the quiet girl held a growing softness for the boy, perhaps something that would grow into something more. The elf had just finished healing him, next to a worried Ais, when a knock sounded on the door. Riveria used her staff as leverage, and walked to the entryway, aiming to dismiss the rude individual. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Hit was standing on the other side, holding the bodies of two people, as if they were garbage. He gave Riveria an incredibly grumpy look and dumped them into her arms. "They're your problem now."

Riveria blinked at the boy, who stuffed his hands in his pockets and marched off. She shook her head and looked down at the people apparently now in her care. The shorter girl was familiar, and apparently a cat person, while the boy was unknown to her. With Ais' help, she placed the injured adventurers into beds, and began healing them.

Bell opened his weary eyes to face a tent's ceiling. Wooden bars formed a radial pattern at its centre, supporting the fabric exterior. A beautifully soft blanket rested on him, compelling him to remain asleep. Thoughts of lost friends caused the boy to suddenly cry out and raise himself, yet his aching body stopped him from standing.

"Welf! L-Lili! Tch..." Bell clutched at his head and felt that it had been bandaged. His salamander wool cloak was missing, leaving him in his charcoal black, long-sleeved shirt, and black trousers.

A sweet voice drew his attention from one side. "Bell...? Are you alright?"

Bell turned to face the radiant Ais Wallenstein, who had a slightly concerned look on her face. She wore a tight white dress, arms covered by black arm sleeves. The boy stared at the woman he admired and gasped in surprise. His anxiety grew the longer he gazed into her golden eyes.

"Ah...Ahhh...WAAAAHHH!"

Ais put a stop to his growing scream. "Easy, Bell..."

Bell blushed and took control back over his body. Why in the world would such a powerful adventurer be here, with him? Wasn't she on a big expedition? "M-Miss Ais... Why are you here? Where are we?"

Ais answered, emotionlessly, quite the contrast from the fidgety boy sat in front of her. Was he afraid of her again? Why did he always act so strangely? "My group is on the way back from our latest mission... We've been camping here on floor 18."

Bell gasped, realising that he had actually arrived at his destination. "What!? Floor 18? Are my friends here too?"

Bell tried to stand up, but his body refused to comply. Instead, he fell forwards, face falling into Ais' soft chest. The boy's face burned in embarrassment, between the pillowy mounds, and he flung himself back, preparing for the girl's wrath. Ais continued to sit, simply watching the clumsy boy.

Bell blushed and looked away; however, in doing so, he turned towards two other beds, which housed two familiar people. Welf slept on his back, whilst Lili was curled into a soft ball, matching her illusionary catlike state. "W-Welf? Lili?" Bell sighed and let his body relax, slumping down a bit.

Ais piped up, filling Bell in on their condition. "They're both recovering well... Riveria treated their wounds..."

The blonde girl shuffled over, trying to get a closer look at Bell's bandages. How had the boy woken up so quickly? She reached over and tightened his head covering a little. "Your injuries were just as severe as theirs".

Bell looked up, incredibly grateful at the kind-hearted woman. "Thanks for saving me! I owe you... again..."

Ais hummed and shook her head, before standing. "Think you can stand up...?"

Bell sensed around himself and was pleasantly surprised at how good his body felt. "Yeah. My body still aches a little, but I can walk no problem."

Ais nodded and faced the exit. "Then you might as well come with me, so you can give a report to the party commander, okay?"

Bell shot up, surprisingly quickly and bowed to the girl. "Of course! B-but, before we go. I want to thank you, for saving my friends too, Miss Ais... I don't think I could go on without them."

Ais tilted her head, reminded of her own mannerisms. They were both a little awkward, one unaware of social customs, and the other far too worried about them, ironically increasing his clumsiness. "I am not the one you should be thanking... It was Hit who saved your friends..."

Bell's mouth opened in shock and happiness. He hadn't seen the intimidating boy in several weeks. His advice had been incredibly useful! And now, he saved his precious friends. "Mister Hit!? He's here too!? I'll definitely need to thank him later..."

Ais nodded and opened the door, holding it open for the boy. "For now... Please follow me..."

...

Once Bell entered the commander's tent, he had been quite intimidated. The young boy was surrounded by a group of ridiculously powerful adventurers! Bell dashed to the centre of the room and prostrated to the 'Lion's den', before informing the first class adventurers of how his motley group had arrived on the 18th floor.

Gareth laughed, good naturedly, at the boy's story. "Gahahaha! So you got all the way down to floor 18, on your first trip down to the middle floors? Then you were able ta run right past the boss?"

Bell raised his head to face the dwarf and shook it. "Not exactly, Sir, I think I just got lucky... the goliath took some time to form. If it had been in the open, we wouldn't have made it."

The flustered boy returned to his grovelling and bowed his head in respect. "Anyway, I want you to know, that I'm incredibly grateful to you, for helping us. You have no idea..."

Finn was sat on his podium, hands on his lap. He smiled at the boy, recognising yet another light of hope for humanity. "You've certainly been through quite the ordeal. Feel free to stay here, as our guests."

Relief flooded through Bell, and he smiled with glee. "Thank you! I'll do anything I can to repay you!"

Finn chuckled at the boy's sincerity, and turned to Ais, who had her gaze fixed on Bell. He seemed to be one of the only things that could draw her attention, other than fighting. "I could never abandon someone Ais cares for... She would never speak to me again."

Ais turned to her commander, looking quite confused. Her cute expression forced the executives to chuckle at the duo.

Bell raised himself into a sitting position, glad that these pillars of Orario were not as frightening as he thought they would be. Bell glanced around, but could not find a familiar face. "E-excuse me, Sir, but is Hit nearby? I need to thank him too, for saving my friends."

Finn sweatdropped and Riveria rolled her eyes.

Gareth shook his head and tutted. "The idiot's probably throwing a tantrum, since 'e didn't get ta see the Goliath."

Bell's eyes widened. Hit was a novice adventurer too, albeit quite powerful. He had no hope against the Goliath. "H-huh!? He wanted to fight the Goliath!?"

Finn shook his head, although wasn't completely sure. "I certainly hope not. It is more likely his curiosity."

Bell huffed, hoping that was the case. He supposed that the creature was an interesting sight, if it wasn't actively trying to squash you. "I see... Where can I find him?"

Finn smiled, bitterly, yet he was not upset, more amused. "Hit's a very difficult person to find. Honestly, even I don't know where he is. I'm sure he'll come to you..."

...

Meeting finalised, Bell was led out into the open. However, he was accosted by a pair of bubbly amazons: Tione and Tiona, who were very pleased to see him. Tione stood with her arms clasped at her waist, whilst Tiona had them held behind her back.

Tiona squealed as soon as Bell and Ais left the building. "Oooooh, it's mister Argonaut!"

Tione nodded, smiling at the pair. "It's good to see you as well, Ais."

Tiona shuffled closer to Bell, starry eyed. "You finally woke up! So happy you're alright, mister Argonaut!"

Bell smiled at the lithe girl, nervously. "Thanks, but... Why do you keep calling me... that?"

Oddly, this question elicited a round of giggles from the sisters.

Tione glanced at her sister and chuckled. "This goofball... He doesn't realise, that's his nickname."

Tiona raised herself, staring at the boy with wonder. "Mister Argonaut! You really were amazing! We all saw the way you kicked that Minotaur's butt!" She shuffled in place, giddily, almost dancing. "It reminded me of one of my favourite fairy tales, from when I was a little girl!"

Suddenly, she zipped into Bell-grabbing-distance, and hugged the flustered boy's arm; her toned body was practically glued to his own. She gazed upwards and beamed at him, giggling. "You're totally my hero!"

Tione maintained a more mature attitude and ignored her sister's clinginess. However, she was also quite impressed in the boy, and walked up to him. "So, you're a level 2, huh? Going down to the middle floors is much more impressive, than defeating a silly Minotaur~" The curvy girl bent forwards, offering Bell a stunning view. The boy's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he stammered in place, eyes darting between the amazons closing in on him.

Tiona squealed at his cute expression. "Awwwww, look at him blush! He's adorable!"

Tiona and Tione were quite pleased they could finally dote on someone, who could not disappear so easily, and giggled at their bunny prisoner. The two had become a little worked up at being unable to track Hit down and were letting off some steam, now that they finally managed to catch someone to fawn over. The boy's cuteness was an extra bonus.

Ais tilted her head, not completely understanding what her friends were doing, yet somehow felt that she should draw Bell away, and keep him to herself.

Author's Notes

Q: Why couldn't Hit use time skip when carrying Welf and Lili?

A: Hit cannot move objects when skipping time. If he had skipped time while running, he would not have been able to move while carrying something. The force would have been transferred to Welf and Lili, potentially harming them.

Q: Why was Goliath reabsorbed so quickly?

A: Plot/excuse/to annoy Hit.

Q: Best girls?

A: 1. Belko. 2. Riveria. 3. Tione. 4. Eina. 5. Hephaestus. 6. Mia. 7. Aisha. 8. Laura

Q: Do you like marmite?

A: No.