Author's Introduction
Welcome fellow Fantasy fans. My name is Sly Shimizu and I'll be your guide to this story. My friend LazyHappa has helped me out a lot after the first few chapters, first as a Beta Reader and nowadays as a Co-Author.
This story is based on Danmachi, but the focus is on the Take familia as a whole. How Sleipnir will develop socially, how the magic works, how the Xenos will react and how the spirits tie into everything.
This is Fanfiction so expect changes. The Take familia is much younger, which allowed me to make a lot of changes to keep the story interesting. Their personalities will have parallels to Danmachi, but there will be differences. Even some of their races will change.
For those expecting Bell to play a role, you are not completely wrong, but also not quite right. Until we get to the later Acts (5 or 6) he won't even be in Orario and even then he'll be stuck as an important side-character.
For now, enjoy the Prologue, it is up to my current standard, which took me a year to get to. So please bear with the drop in quality for the first few chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Omori; all rights go to him. I only own my original character Sleipnir and ~~~~~~ (Xenos OC).
Speech: "This way, a normal conversation is held."
Thoughts: 'This is a thought from the current perspective.'
Magic: "This is a spell or spell-like ability."
Screaming/Demonic Speech: "Screaming. Quite easy to understand I believe."
Prologue
Summer, Year 997 since the Dungeons Sealing - Sleipnir POV
A clash of weapons drew his attention. His twitching light blue fox ears easily picked up the sound well before his companions. The ear's sudden twitching drew the attention of his god Takemikazuchi, who had been riding in a simple horse carriage on the seat beside him.
His voice was like the calm before a storm. "Trouble Sleipnir?"
Sleipnir strained his ears a little more. Clearly, weapons were clashing against something solid. But the sound was different from the clear clash of metal. "Monsters. Likely fighting travellers."
The monk-garbed god hummed to himself. "How far away?"
He took a moment to calculate, before answering. "With all the trees bouncing the sound, probably 2-3 kilometers."
Takemikazuchi nodded in contemplation before turning towards their wagon. "You heard Sly-kun. Seems we will have an obstacle to overcome before getting to Orario. My children, go and help. I will take care of the wagon."
With a solid thud, their captain's feet met the road as jumped out of the wagon. His height might leave something to be desired, but their dwarven captain was the oldest and most experienced member. "Perfect Take! With so little trouble on the main continent, the others have been getting restless." With a smile, he hefted his greataxe and tower shield, then nodded at Sly. "Lead the way Sly-kun!"
Sleipnir took a deep breath, checked his 10 pouches below his robe, took out his naginata, and started towards the sounds at a moderate pace. 'Going too fast wouldn't do we could just as easily run into an ambush. Plus, if I ran with all my might, Chigusa-chan and Asuka-san would be left behind.'
Focusing on the clatter of weapons and what sounded similar to armour, Sly led the others. The road was mostly even and their pace quick as his fox tail swayed behind him, constantly aiding his balance. It took them only a few minutes before the others started hearing the battle ahead.
Mikoto the second oldest member, decided to forego planning and accelerated ahead of them. "I'll clear the way; be quick or there won't be any monsters left for you!"
Ouka followed her steps leaving Sly, Chigusa, and Asuka behind. Sleipnir had to shake his head. "Why can't they ever take their time and plan ahead?"
Chigusa was running next to him. "Mikoto knows no better. It has been years since she met a challenge and Ouka is just looking out for her Sly-nii."
Hastening their pace slightly Sly added, "Then we'd better catch up. Monsters this close to Orario might be stronger than those in the Far East."
It took them two more minutes to find the chaotic scene of a caravan's members huddling on top of their wagons while being swarmed by dozens of ant monsters. The stinging scent of blood and the insect swarm made Sly feel nauseous, but he pushed past it to analyse the situation.
Without pause Sly led them to the largest tree, well out of the line of fire. Neither ants nor adventurers had seen them yet. The ants ranged from 0.5 m to 1 m in height and had a dull red carapace and sharp mandibles to bite the handful of adventurers of various races accompanying the caravan. Quite a few ants lay slain, and the wagons were pulled together as makeshift barricades with both the civilians and horses huddled inside or on top.
The adventurers guarding them were stationed either on top of the wagons or at the front guarding a gap in their barricade. In the very middle of the ant swarm, he saw Mikoto creating havoc with her katana. Ouka stayed at her back blocking her blind spots with his shield and using his axe when the ants got too close.
Having taken everything into account, Sly nodded to Chigusa. "I'll help the adventurers, Asuka-san can you be my backup?" The half-elf girl nodded, taking out her wakizashi.
Chigusa strung her bow and began firing arrows at the ants close to their tree. With a small jump, Sly landed in front of a group of ants, his naginata clashing and cleaving the first. Rising to his feet he tightened his grip and fought his way forward. Asuka stayed at his back, cutting off mandibles that got too close as they went.
Each of his swings had a purpose. An overhead swing aimed to decapitate, before weaving to the left to cut the legs from another ant. This was followed with an overhead stab into an onrushing ant, and the combo ended with blocking the mandibles of the next ant with the staff of his naginata. From there Asuka took its head only for the pattern to continue.
When ants threatened to overwhelm them, the arrows of his sister came in handy and maintained their progress. Barely a minute later they covered the 100 m distance separating them from the adventurers, leaving behind a trail of bodies. An elven bowman called out to him. "Strangers! You're far from home! Mind helping us clear the road?"
Sly blocked another ant to let Asuka join the ranks of fighters guarding the wagons. "Yes, our god Takemikazuchi-sama sent us to help once we noticed your predicament."
The elf nodded. "Much appreciated. The battle maniac and shield bearer with you?"
Sly also joined the defence. "Yes, please buy me a few seconds and I'll add magic to the mix."
The fighters advanced a step alongside Asuka. With a deep breath, Sly focused his mana imagining a brilliant azure flame. Once the picture took shape in his mind he chanted. "Foxfire!"
From his tail a single azure fireball sprang forth, carrying enough heat to injure even adventurers, not to mention ant monsters. With his focus on the fireball, it swerved over the adventurers and struck one ant after another. It was always aimed for the heads, as they were the least durable.
It took a good bit of Sleipnir's mana to keep the spell going, but he had a lot compared to most level one adventurers. With the addition of his magic, which killed an ant close to him every few seconds, the adventurers around him took the chance to advance, finally thinning out the herd of ants. He followed behind slowly, every step measured to keep his concentration intact. It took a few more minutes until less than a third of the original colony was left when a rumble erupted on the opposite side of the clearing.
The hill opposite them cracked with a deep foreboding rumble, sending a cold shiver down Sly's tail as an enormous head emerged from within. From its head alone Sly could tell that it was at least 5 m long and 3 tall, its entire body layered in armoured plates. "Oh kami, looks like they have a queen!"
Before the ant could free herself, an arrow crashed against her armour. However, the arrow cracked under the pressure, leaving nary a mark on the queen ant. Unfortunately, the queen shifted her upper body and finally pulled herself out of the hill, along with numerous normal ants.
Her antenna swayed for a moment, as pure white eyes shifted around before she clicked her mandibles in anger. The resounding declaration warned everybody to stay clear of them. 'Well, those with tactical acumen' Sly murmured in his mind as Mikoto gave out a warcry in response and rushed straight towards the ant queen.
Sleipnir somehow got the feeling that Takemikazuchi-sama would be scolding them again as Ouka had already rushed forward to cover Mikoto's battle-lust. "We'll block her path, incapacitate her!" The foreign adventurers looked at them in shock, before fighting their way towards the queen as well, leaving their archers to protect the wagons.
Sleipnir followed behind the adventurers dissipating his current foxfire to concentrate on finding a weakness to exploit while striking normal ants with his naginata. 'The queen's armour plates are too durable. She has a large abdomen which could be a weak point, but it's covered in armour like the rest of her. Even her head looks too tough. It doesn't even look like she can see! We'll have to weaken her gradually.'
During his contemplation the monster had already advanced. It heard Mikoto's challenge and met her in the middle of the clearing with the weight of a speeding, heavy carriage! Even the stubborn elder disciple of the god of war was pushed back, barely managing to crack one mandible as the other gashed her stomach. With a loud hiss Mikoto pushed against the assault, until at last they came to a standstill, the queen was right in front of Sleipnir.
As Ouka reinforced Mikoto, Sleipnir advanced as well, summoning his magic once more. "Foxfire!" However, this time he fed his spell much more mana and the blue fire was much brighter. Much hotter.
With nary a thought the fire flew and crashed against the cracked mandible, grinding against the weakened limb. Mikoto fought through her injury and parried the queen's legs as Ouka blocked the strikes of both mandibles. Every resounding thud was reminiscent of a large bell to Sleipnir's ears.
Trilling noises to their side speak of Chigusa and the other archers keeping the normal ants at bay, while the other adventurers hack, slash and bludgeon at the armoured legs. Interestingly Asuka stayed behind. 'Likely helping the caravan.'
His concentration stays on the mandible, his fire clinging to it like a parasite, slowly widening the cracks. With every clang against Ouka's shield he sees and senses the tension in the limb increasing. His fire is almost like an extension of his very being as he felt how the crack widened under his fire's searing presence and after almost a minute of slow retreat, the mounting tension reached its breaking point. With a resounding crack, the limb broke in two and the queen flinched heavily with a loud trilling cry. Its attack halted for a moment.
The experienced adventurers made the most out of it and heavy strikes bared down on all of its legs while Mikoto jumped at the queen's head. With another scream she plunged her katana into one of its eyes. A shrill shriek followed, which pierced Sleipnir's skull like red hot iron and broke his control over his fire.
The ant swung her head wildly intent on throwing off the adventurer, but in doing so she only pushed the katana deeper until it sank in all the way to the hilt. The dying throes of the monster continued for another minute, before it stilled.
Sleipnir managed to regain his senses, killing the remaining ants with the concerted effort of the other adventurers. A few minutes later Takemikazuchi, sheathed katana at his side, looked at the battlefield strewn with ant monsters and then to the wagons. There the civilians were being treated by Asuka, who had also forced Mikoto to sit down so she could look at her injury, before one of the adventurers offered her a health potion.
This was normally a luxury good, but they are much more common in the city of adventurers. They also learnt the background of the adventurers as the diverse group were members of the Hermes familia. They were on a quest to deliver dungeon herbs with a dense feeling of mana to another city.
The elf Sly spoke with earlier thanked them with gratitude. "Thank you for your help, Takemikazuchi-sama. Without your familia we'd have had a much harder time fighting the ant queen."
Takemikazuchi looked them over and answered. "I am glad my children were of aid. After staying on the road for so long they were eager for a challenge."
"You are on your way to Orario I assume?" The elf asked. Takemikazuchi nodded, when the elf continued. "Good, in that case just follow the road west and you should get there in three more days."
This brought a smile to all their faces. They had travelled by sea for almost two months and spent the last three months on land. The monster attacks were a bother at first, but as they stayed on the roads, they only had to avoid one particularly strong wyvern.