Danmachi: Fated Hero or Foolish Demise?

by Darth-Bagus27

Following the events of Danmachi Light Novel 18, Bell is walking through Orario, trying to clear his mind. Bell is a level 5 but soon will realize that he needs to get far stronger. (This is a cross-post from Wattpad by me, the author.)

4. Chapter 2 RW

Chapter 2 RW: Desperation (An Elf's Plea)

Author's Notes(A/N): Hello, everyone! This is a quick heads-up regarding the rewrites. Of course, this won't apply to newcomers or those reading by the time Prologue - Chapter 9 all have "RW" next to them.

To those waiting for the continuation of the narrative, Chapter 10, I am pleased to state that Chapter 3 RW will be the last rewrite that will receive an extensive overhaul. The base quality of Chapter 4—Chapter 9 will lend itself to rewrites easier than Prologue—Chapter 3. After Chapter 3 RW, the rewrites should be smooth sailing for me, allowing me to get back to continuing the story proper.

That's about all I have to say. I hope you all enjoy this!

[Start SoundTrack: Re:Zero Special Soundtrack CD 2 - 8. "Footsteps of Mist"]

I want to be a hero.

To have a name worth remembering. To have a name worth admiring. To have a name worth transferring.

Since the dawn of stories, whether based on reality or creativity, tales of persons larger than life have always been at the forefront of fables. Persons risking their lives for the sake of others and emerging victorious have always, and will always, be captivating. For the impressionable child being read these tales, "I want to be a hero" is a phrase sure to follow.

This phrase has been uttered throughout history by those who have the flames of ambition lit. It breaks down the barriers between children of all standings. It matters not if it comes from the lips of the adoptive son of a dwarven smith or the grandson of a seemingly simple farmer. They wish to become great, to stand next to that last great.

But life is cruel; why should those with dreams be treated any different? Life's harshness does not discriminate upon whom it is cast. Everyone glorifies the narratives of heroes, but few ever desire to recall the endings of the legends that lived, themselves not exempt from life.

Happily ever after.

This ending line escapes heroes, appearing only in works of sheer fiction. All desire to be heroes until it is time to surrender themselves, whether in the public eye or the literal sense, for the hero's hallmark is genuine self-sacrifice, rarer than any material.

Perhaps that is why, even with the aid of gods, this world hasn't produced any since that last great. This era has produced those who possess the strength, but without the character, they'll forever be seen as less. It is why children, in all their naiveties, are the sole group that could speak that six-word phrase and are not seen as fools.

And there was no greater fitting word to describe the white-haired boy standing between the dark elf leader's jade eyes and overdue retribution.

The crimson-colored eyes held an image of himself; the boy's eyebrows arched down to a point. The black blade was directed at him, not once trembling. The stance that extended the free arm over their prey reeked of confidence most underserved. Had it not been for the betrayal of an accumulating amount of water on the forehead, the impression of fearlessness would have been delivered.

They were a legion of fifty-strong, and their lone source of intimidation against someone who was nothing more than a child playing around in this world was a bead of sweat. A bead of sweat? Has this world forgotten about them to the degree that some kid does not fret, or did the generic affirmation of the safety of the one who must settle her debt blind him to the magnitude of the situation he will soon regret?

This Record Holder certainly was stronger than most. But for him to believe he knew just what world he had entered, that he knew what he was up against, was an affront to the pointed ears of the dark elf. That errored logic must've stemmed from facing Freya Familia in a bubble by those superior to him. But while that disbanded familia may have had strength that rivals or passes their own, they have failed to hone Rabbit Foot for the very horrors destined to arrive.

Yet, a mockery grander than any phrase was how the azure eyes of their target looked at the boy, snuggling behind the protection of another. You have always done this since you resurfaced, haven't you? She looked at this would-be protector with a sense of awe. Awe?! What is there to awe about him, say for marveling at the abject stupidity on display?

No, they were filled with something far worse. They were filled not with awe but with admiration for his bravery as if he were some hero of old. They're gone, and none shall replace them.

But to think this was bravery? Perhaps there were two fools instead of one after all, for it is only fools who can never differentiate between bravery and stupidity, seeing them as the same. But that line is all too simple to distinguish, as it was an acknowledgment of risk, something Bell Cranel will quickly realize he has not done.

The dark elf leader dawned his helmet and pointed forth with his bleeding hand. His voice resonated through the alley's walls.

"Get them!"

Muscles in the boy's legs tightened, his grip on his black knife affirmed, and the collecting water fell from his forehead. In the instance the droplet impacted the ground, there was no hesitation in either subsequent movement or thought process behind it. A demonstration depicted some semblance of intelligence behind that white hair; the dagger was sheathed, and he grabbed his friend's hand, tugging her toward the exit behind them.

The first to intercept was a pair of scouts, readying their bows as they descended to obstruct their path. Their quickness to act came at a price; their bolts were not launched when Bell raised his free hand at them.

"Firebolt!"

The electrified fireball was aimed just below where the pair of dark elves were landing, blowing them into the walls and kicking up a cloud through which their target and guardian vanished. The scouts were knocked out, and their target was no longer visible.

All around, Centi observed the nigh immediate mobilization of his men, all preparing their weapons to hunt her down. The green-hooded elf kneeling behind arose within seconds of the order being issued. But just as a smile was soon to cross his face, that their chance to exact revenge was almost in the palm of his hand, his mouth dropped as information circled in his mind.

"Wait a minute!"

He placed his nonbleeding hand on the leader of the scouts' shoulder, halting him in his tracks. The bloodied hand was raised, and so did his voice, it booming out.

"Disregard that order!"

The force, weapons still drawn, ceased in place, giving their undivided attention to their leader. Some had confused expressions at the contradicting orders they had been given. The Captain was the first, aside from Centi, to speak up.

"Disregard your order?! But they-"

"Will be receiving what you will get if you speak with that tone again."

The commentary came from above, both in a status sense and a literal one. It came from the Commander, whose words and even sterner glare sent a shiver down the Captain's spine.

Ahem. "It appears that in my desperation to complete this operation, I have ignored the very reason why we snuck in here. Ganesha Familia."

His legion understood the reason behind the two words—all but one blood-lusted individual who had forgone the teachings in their forest.

"Let them come! I'll have more corpses of those who try to oppose us to add to the end of my glaive! I'll-"

"Understand what that mentality entails for the final time."

The Commander breached the words, but unlike the Captain, the leader of the elites did not feel the same bone-chilling fear as he hunched forward at the second in command.

"What's wrong? Scared of a bunch of weak sacks of meat?!"

"Hardly. It is just that those "weak sacks of meat" would delay us enough for their escape to be ensured, not accounting for any casualties we would incur thanks to their vast numbers."

Snap

Red liquid dispersed when the snapping of his fingers rang out.

Sigh. "That is enough. Division leaders to me!"

They gathered around him: the Captain at his front, the Sorcerer to his right, the Executive to his left, and the Commander several steps behind him. The first to speak was the one in a wizard's hat.

"I take it there is a reason we are not to unanimously break her from the shield, which is Bell Cranel."

"Right, you are. But just think of the logical course of action for those two."

"The logical course would've been him handing her over to us to escape the hell we will rain upon him!" remarked the Captain.

A comment amusing enough to cause a slight chuckle in their leader.

"Hehe. Quite true. We are dealing with someone I hesitate to call intelligent."

The jade eyes focused and had a severe expression to hold.

"But he is far from dumb. The Record Holder's best choice would be to return Viridan to her familia's home. That is our deadline, as she is lost to us once they cross into it."

"So we have to get her before they reach her home but not cause too much commotion to have Ganesha Familia called in?" the Executive stated, scratching his head.

Centi's sight fell onto the Captain, whose face lit up as a question was asked.

"If only someone could limit our destruction footprint and prepare contingencies should the need arise. Would you happen to be such a person, Captain?"

"If you give me aid from Sorcerer and his mages, I can be more than confident that Ganesha Familia will not get called because of me."

"Granted."

The Executive glared over at the Captain.

"OI! What about me and my elites?!"

The Captain grinned.

"I was asked to limit the carnage. You and your elites are far too loud. Threat not; you can stay in reserve and wait for me to drag Viridan back, where you can feel free to thank me."

"Grrrr..."

The Executive bit his cheek, knowing that the Captain had already received approval from their leader. But with nothing left to discuss, Centi's commanding voice was released.

"Now go!"

The two largest portions of their force, coupled with the six scouts arising from their injuries acquired by Bell, spread throughout the city. It left twelve dark elves in their dispersal, with the second in command walking closer to Centi.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I have faith in the Captain. He is the reason we are here, so let's see if he will be the reason we get our hands on her. Besides, what is the number one rule when hunting prey?"

"For it to believe itself safe."

[End SoundTrack]

The two of them erupted from the cloud that her guardian kicked up, returning to the road they had been on. A revelation was evident to them both; the chaos stirred in the air from her debt collectors hadn't transferred far. As the norm, the populace had been moving up and down the road, paying them no mind.

However, as she placed her free hand on her chest to quell her accelerated heart rate, pairs of eyes did start to amass onto her.

"They didn't hear what went on back there, did they? They couldn't have; no one else seems worried, and even they don't. So why are they-"

The answer was in the palm of her hand; more so, it was who was in said palm. For it was the hand of the boy she stood beside. Her hand was removed from his grip in a flash, and her cheeks glowed red. But no speed would be quick enough to withdraw the image, already engrained in the observers' minds.

"You saw that, right? Thousand Elf and Rabbit Foot were holding hands!" whispered one god to another.

"I did! Did you see them sitting together earlier? Maybe they're, you know, on a date."

Gasp. "Oh, Loki-sama would be furious beyond belief!"

"Don't forget Hestia-sama! I highly doubt the two would approve of their members being in an inter-familia relationship."

The two gods exclaimed together.

"Forbidden love!"

Teeth pressed together, eyes started twitching, blood started to run hot. Her free hands were squeezed into a fist, and she bit down on her lip, yelling within the confines of her head.

"We are NOT on a date! We are NOT dating! I wouldn't be caught dead being romantically charged with him even if he was the last man alive!"

If they hadn't arisen from their predicament, she was uncertain if she would've had the restraint not to shout at those commenting about her relationship status. Upon glancing back at her defender, it was as if the remarks failed to affect him as he continued to bounce his sight from place to place. His lack of any sort of reaction caused her to slump forward.

"Could you at least try to act-"

"Come on."

The words barged through her ocean of thoughts, and he began to pull her along with the same hand she had freed. Embarrassment was reignited on her face, his act working against any attempt to dispel the sentiment regarding the status of the two, particularly when the two adventurers from earlier witnessed them.

"See! Look what I said; she's blushing all over! I told you she has a thing for him!"

"Haha! And it looks like he for her as well."

The inside of her cheek was bitten; her sight befell the ground as she walked just behind him.

"When this is over, you BETTER help me clear this up!"

Her friend looked over his shoulder back at her.

"I'm going to get you back home to your familia. They might be the only ones strong enough to protect you from them."

Tilting her head up to meet his sight, she became enthralled with the expression he held. It was to the degree that she kept focusing on him even when he turned back around. It was as if a switch had flipped inside him. No longer was he the naive boy who was nothing but a pushover in social interactions; dawning on him was a face and mind honed in on one objective: her safety.

"Were you always this... cool?"

Seconds later, she shook her head and dispelled those thoughts.

"W-What am I saying?! Of course, he isn't!"

Just as she prepared to give a lengthy internal monologue, his persistent scanning rekindled her to the terms of their current reality. Her tongue was bitten down, and she accepted the social consequences of what she was about to do. She dashed up to him to walk by his side, and the chatter about them increased. But much like her friend had been, she began tuning them out.

"Speaking of strength, how strong do you think those scouts were?"

"They were on the level of someone like Van or even Ryuu when she was a level 4. But I doubt each division is the same."

"Something is just not adding up. Even if they all had the same level of strength, they've obtained it without the dungeon, and I don't know how that's possible. And that aura off Centi... it was..."

"Demonic."

The air exiting her body became audible as it grew in weight. Grim thoughts flooded her mind, and the pours on her hands allowed sweat to flow. Grueling thoughts were made public.

"I-I don't know why they talk about me as if they know me! I still don't even get why they want to kill me!"

"Lefiya."

Her gaze met his.

"I'm not going to let you die; I'm going to protect you."

The shield broke from his uncharacteristic stoic expression, and a comforting smile from the person she knew was presented at her.

"You got all that?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Good."

He turned his head back to face forward.

"Now, let's get on the main road. It might be easier to blend in with everyone, and your familia's home isn't something I'd call close from here."

His statement bordered on lying, as Twilight Manor stood almost on the other side of the massive city. A less gullible person would think this was proof to poke holes in her comment earlier about going on "some walk". But just like his smile indicated, these two sides of him couldn't be more different.

"Thank you...", she muttered in a soft voice.

"For what?"

"This... protecting me. You could've just-"

"Left you to die?! There's no chance I could've done that! Even if you were a stranger, I'd protect you."

Her face turned somewhat disgusted as she recalled part of his past.

"Because I'm a woman?"

"No. Because you need someone to protect you from them; I'm doing this because..."

He paused momentarily, placing his left fist over his heart before continuing.

"I've already seen too many people die, a lot because I wasn't strong enough. I... I don't want to see-"

The intrusion on his statement came from above, and he jerked his head up to the vast sky.

"Is it them?" she questioned, her heart and other nerves spiking.

"No, it's... someone... no, something else."

Her brows raised.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can feel it when someone is staring at me, and I can get an idea of their intention. But with this, it's just neutral, and whatever is staring at me is past my sig-"

Alarms sounded off in his body. Upon a rooftop next to them, he turned to see the catalyst of the horror-like screams his gaze sense imposed on him. By the time his traditional sight had landed on the dark elf, fractions of a second had passed, and an infernal sound rang in his eardrums.

Whoosh!

Time slowed to a crawl, freezing for everyone and everything around; exceptions were for himself and the arrow spiraling through the air. Their usage of the crowd as their methodology of concealment failed and took on a new role: A sarcophagus. Restrictions on his movement were planted, and the likelihood of a bystander suffering the consequences of the bolt was great.

The closer it hurled toward him, the more a sneer lined his face, leaving him with just one option: He was the one to break his hand free this time, and the black blade was withdrawn with that free hand. A slash down on the shaft splintered it and ensured no harm could befall those around him. The shackles of immediate worry were broken, allowing a revelation to float through the sea of thoughts.

"That moved way faster than Iguza or even the Juggernaut!"

Time returned to its natural pace, and those surrounding the pair soon came to process what occurred.

"AHHHH!" was the cry of civilians desperate to vacate the area.

"What's going on?!" was the general sentiment among adventurers. They, too, started backing up, seeing this as an altercation between high-level adventurers.

But among everyone else, the one other person who understood what was happening was his friend... their target, whose nerves went on overdrive as the bowstring was loaded and pulled back. The attempt to improve from its predecessor crumbled when Bell held out his left hand, bracing it.

"Firebolt!"

The twin-colored fireball of a blue core, lightning, and orange flames smashed against the building's top. A smoke plume arose from the impact, and the gaze of malice no longer piqued his senses. But even with that, he knew better.

"I didn't get him; he just got out of the way!"

His attention turned to the street where they stood, its metamorphosis completed: from a coffin to a ghost town. Without wasting more time, he shouted, keeping his sight on the roof.

"Run!"

[Start SoundTrack: Insanity of Dominator]

Discretion left their minds, and they started to run side by side. Although an ever-growing gap was forming, the elf called out before it could enlarge too much.

"Hey! Slow down!"

His sight returned to her, his pace slowed to match, and a thought bounced in his mind.

"I almost forgot, she isn't as fast as me!"

The cap on his speed was evident, almost to the same degree as the sirens sounding off in him that two pairs of wretched eyes caused.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The rapid displacement of air and their approach were ended by a single slash when they entered his range. The two accountable for the bolts flying in parallel readied another round but were greeted with failure.

"Firebolt!"

Six fireballs flung from his left hand at the dark elves; some went over the building, some hit the lip of the roof, and none made direct contact. What emerged from the smoke were the two archers firing as they leaped to the next building.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Another volley was set loose on landing.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

All attention was focused on dealing with the shards of death. Slashes handled the first three: left, right, and up. The fourth was cut through the middle, and a brief window to formulate thought opened.

"Outrunning these guys is out of the question! I just have to protect her from these-"

Whoosh!

His defenses were almost bypassed; it came one inch from his face until his left hand grabbed and tossed it aside.

"If I slip up like that, I'm the one who's going to need protection!"

"Theausan ayh fragile!" (They are fragile!)

The friend at his side had her pointy ears perk up, and her eyes fired open.

"Huh? What was that?"

Her senses cried out, and the source behind the cry became apparent. A dark elf, whose white robe fluttered, held out his magic staff on the building opposite the two scouts. In an act that resembled duplication, another appeared next to him; their movements staggered.

"Kulknej ayh legion!" (We are legion!)

The black gem at the top of their staffs began glowing.

"T-They're chanting magic? But where's their magic circle?" the elven girl asked herself.

A third mage spawned from the side of the second.

"Have avheuke fooluk crumble agh wallow shal deukpair..." (Have these fools crumble and wallow in despair...)

Their black crystals illuminated more, and her face went pale.

"They're chanting the same magic and finishing each other's lines?! They can do that?!"

Her suspicion turned out to be correct when a fourth mage became visible, emerging from the side of the third.

"Collapuke avheir bodieuk juldas avheir ukuffocaavaumn avhoughavuk!" (Collapse their bodies under their suffocating thoughts!)

Together, the mages placed the tops of their staffs next to the others.

"For kulknej ayh Ul Conqueroruk!" (For we are The Conquerors!)

Sweat dripped down her face when their target was not her but her shield; he was occupied dealing with the ammunition of death. The moment her protector readied to launch more magic, the dark elf force returned the favor in kind.

"Calamiavouuk ro Fooluk!" (Calamitous of Fools!).

A black beam exited their staffs, the lumination of their crystals faded, and the magic was on a collision course for her friend. Before it could make that collision, she pounced on him while shouting.

"Look out!"

They avoided the beam and the resulting blast and were sent down an alley. Bell changed targets when he saw the justification for her act.

"Firebolt!"

A barrage of ten fireballs was sent out, but none bore fruit, past making the four disperse. Bell aided her to her feet, and they continued their escape through the narrow passageway.

"Bell! I'll deal with the mages and their magic! Just keep focusing on what you were doing!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, trust me!"

"Alright!"

The other's responsibilities were assigned, and they emerged on the other side, where the two under her guardian's role awaited, with the four assigned to her catching up from behind.

"The blast area of their magic wasn't too large for the combined effort of four. Even if it is meant for a direct hit, shouldn't it have kicked up more debris than it did? I'll have to make sure first, but I don't think these guys are as threatening as they claim!"

When the four returned to a similar position, their procedure started anew. But instead of acting like a helpless bystander, she reached into her bag of tricks, her magic circle forming around her.

"I wish upon the name of Wishe. Ancestors of the forest, proud brethren. Answer my call and come to the plains. Connecting bonds, the pledge of paradise. Turn the circle and dance around. Come, ring of fairies. Please - give me strength. Elf Ring!"

The color of the circle shifted to that of her lost friend.

"Calamiavouuk ro Fooluk!" (Calamitous of Fools!).

She finished hers in the face of the magic launching from their staffs.

"Become a shield, holy grail of crushing evil. Dio Grail!"

A small white barrier formed at the center of her hand, large enough to block the incoming attack. The smoke cleared, and her face widened.

"I was right! The strength of their magic isn't all that! Even without my wand, I should be able to-"

Whistle

The four mages brought their fingers to their mouths, sounding off the whistle. They returned to running as one and paused their attempts to continue their harmonious melody of magic. A similar event occurred with the archers halting their symphony of shots.

"What are they planning?!" both friends asked themselves.

The first to receive an answer was the one assigned for archer duty. He twisted his head to her and saw one of the mages mid-lunch, reaching for her. Disappointment was all that greeted the magic user, for Bell yanked Lefiya's hand, leaving the mage grabbing nothing but air. They were sent down another tight corridor when a sound rang behind them.

Clank!

The mage slammed the blade portion of his staff into the ground, twirled about it, and directed himself at the duo. When a hand of obstruction raised at the dark elf, he ran off in a different direction.

"They must know I'm taking her back to Loki Familia!"

Their breaching through the alleyway inundated them with problems past removing them from the main road. Against the circumstance Bell was in, the most he could do was slash down the rounds of doom and the occasional firing of magic that faltered from success.

But unlike the circumstance hoisted onto her escort, her repertoire flourished under such a predicament. When the four mages reconvened, commencing their group chant, she hid a smirk behind her words and the circle surrounding her.

"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree. You are an expert of the bow. Shoot, sniper of the fairies. Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy..."

She braced her right arm and shouted.

"Arcs Ray!"

"Calamiavouuk ro Fooluk!"(Calamitous of Fools!).

Her magic beam broke through the combined output of the four and slammed into one that failed to avoid it. A smile became visible on her face, but it was dropped after the mage shrugged off the damage and caught up with the other three.

"A direct hit, and he's not even slowed down?! But that means-"

She spouted out her thoughts.

"The mages are at least level 5!"

"What?!"

Whoosh!

His response and deviated attention almost cost him, and he was forced to block it with the flat of his blade—a jolt of pain traveling through his arm.

"Who are these guys?!"

Snap. Snap.

The snipers snapped their fingers together.

Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap.

The magic users replicated the action, and together, they vanished; the six dark elves were nowhere to be seen. Ironic that not seeing members of a force seeking to rain down harm on him and capture her was the most frightening when none were visible, but that was a shared sentiment. Even with nerves flying high, they still managed to exchange words.

"Where do you think they are?" asked the elf.

"I don't know. To be safe, you should start preparing that barrier magic."

She nodded, reciting the chant for Elf Ring; her color shifted to Filvis's.

"Become a shield, holy grail-"

Out in front of her, the six dark elves emerged from their cover, firing their instruments of disorder at them. No time was wasted when the pair stopped, and Bell took cover behind her.

"Of crushing evil. Dio Grail!"

All of their attacks were absorbed into the white barrier. Now that they were on the ground, the six's tactics shifted: the mages and the scouts sprinted forth. Their achievement of grabbing her crumbled when she was tugged down a side street to her right. A factor in their favor was that her top speed was less than all present, meaning the gap between her and them kept shrinking.

This closing distance was disrupted by the one there to guard her as he brought her to his front and raised his left hand.

"Firebolt!"

Fireballs bounced about the place, collapsing part of the street and landing the first solid blow, knocking down three of the four mages.

"That should buy us some time." commented her guard with a slight amount of hope in his voice.

He returned to her side, and Argonaut charged in his left hand.

"This will put us back on the main road and give us a straight shot towards your familia's home. I'm pretty sure the rest of them are setting up roadblocks. If that's the case, we'll have to force our way through!"

"Then I'll prep some magic as well."

Exiting the side passage that they sent themselves down, they landed in a part of the city where havoc hadn't reached. That was the case until the chime of Bell's skill rang out.

"Is that Rabbit Foot?! The hell he's charging that up for?!"

"I don't know, but I don't want to be around when he uses it!"

The louder it rang, the more vacant the road became. This quick vacancy was compounded when Lefiya's magic circle appeared.

"Proud warrior, snipers of the forest. Take up your bows before the advancing plunderers. Answer the call of your brethren and ready your arrows. Tinge them with flame, the lamplight of the forest. Release them, the fire arrows of the fairies. Falling like rain, burn away the savages."

Her circle was transferred to her left arm and stored for later. But the window of reprieve closed when her shielder spotted two of the snipers far out in front. He readied his goddess knife and awaited the volley of despair.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Projectiles rocketed toward his front, but warnings sounded from behind.

"That's a different pair!"

Whoosh!

WHOOSH!

The two fired at his front were cut down, and he spun around, running backward. The third was splintered, but the fourth traveled quicker than others, closing the gap faster than anticipated. His one slash at it failed, and he could do nothing except watch this failure become his last.

That was the case until the first proper gust of wind of the day, peculiar in nature, shoved impending death off course, leading to it grazing his skin. He spun back around, sweat falling from his body.

"I doubt I'll get that lucky again!"

Arrows were notched, and bowstrings were pulled back. Seeing this, Bell bit down on his lip before sealing his mouth.

"Let's hope Bete-san's training holds up!"

His air intake slowed, and he shut his eyes against all sound reason. The blade returned to its sheath, and the world became silent. Footsteps against the road, panic of people nearby, and air rushing past his ears turned mute. Father time joined the world of silence, slowing down the clock.

Nothing was seen but the four rounds hurdling toward him that was more prominent than if his eyes had been open. His right hand twitched, and he raised it at the pair in front and their ammunition.

"Firebolt!"

He embraced the kickback of his magic, allowing it to send him into a front flip. While upside down, he sent another.

"Firebolt!"

The flip was completed, his eyes opened, and each fireball destroyed the bolts and temporarily disrupted the snipers' subsequent firing. Though this method was successful, no amount of attention could be sacrificed to anything else. But contrary to this initial belief, he was not alone in dealing with them, as Lefiya made clear.

"Let me help you out!"

Her magic circle formed again.

"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree. You are an expert of the bow-"

"For kulknej ayh Ul Conqueroruk!" (For we are The Conquerors!)

Her focus on Bell's task was shattered when one of her's resurfaced, his crystal at its peak luminous. She redirected her hand from aiming at the ones from Bell's flank to the sole magic user following them.

"Shoot, sniper of the fairies. Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy. Arcs Ray!"

The mage fell out of sight, and a smile was bestowed on his face. In his stead arose another, greater than he. A black robe emerged in place of a white one, and a scythe appeared in place of the staff. The magic beam slammed against the crescent moon portion of his weapon, and he twirled it about him. Once it reached his green crystal, he aimed at her. The magic failed to leave the scythe as she shouted.

"Alio!"

It ignited in the dark elf's face, but to a far lesser extent than his mages, he acted indifferent. All that was done was he licked his lips and chuckled to himself.

"Hehe. Mir. Nalkroro, avhaav'uk sulj mir!" (Good. Why, that's very good!)

Her face would have gone pale if it had not been for Babel, the halfway mark, entering her sight. Hope entered her mind.

"We can make it! If we can keep this up, we can get to my familia!"

Her attention returned to the leader of the mages; the jade crystal began powering up.

"Theausan ayh avhe foddas nalkriuk oppouke uuk! Theausan ayh avhe fooluk nalkriuk avhink avheausan saib ukavand againukav uuk! Our mighav liwo rule ovas gith, allowaumn no oavhas avo defausan uuk!" (They are the fodder who oppose us! They are the fools who think they can stand against us! Our might will rule over all, allowing no other to defy us!)

Elf Ring was recited on her end, and she held her hand up.

"I'll need to be on the safer side!"

"For jiak kij avhe Sorcerer, agh kulknej ayh Ul Conqueroruk!" (For I am the Sorcerer, and we are The Conquerors!)

The smile worn on the dark elf's face became twisted, the corner curling up in a psychotic manner.

"Become a shield, holy grail of crushing evil. Dio Gr-"

Crunch!

BOOM!

[End SoundTrack]

Buried away in a distant corner lay the orchestrator behind closing this movement in their malevolent melody. A bowstring had been at full draw since they started running... running to him. Like sheep, it was inevitable that they'd flock to him... to their demise. A foolhardy resistance was all they could mount, for even with the unexpectedness in their arsenals, they could not change this destined outcome.

Fifteen years, they have been searching. Fifteen years, they have been plotting. Fifteen years, they have been awaiting—awaiting for this moment.

Once their uniform eyes landed on her, fate took hold. It is laughable to think that a boy serving as your guardian would be sufficient to protect you. His mockery of the scouts ended when he entered their world, where neither he nor their prey were the wiser.

When hunting game that knows it is being hunted, allowing the quarry to think itself safe is a crude simplification of what is needed. It needs to be conditioned, allowed to unearth patterns, and deceived when the time is right.

Viridan's idea that they endeavored to rip her shield away was the seed of deceit they planted. The sole task of stripping the boy's focus off her was nothing but child's play. When they did, all the pieces aligned.

Two sound-breaking arrows flew in parallel, lodging themselves into her shins. A mixture of blood and pieces of bones was sent out. As her face transformed, recognizing what had occurred, the out-of-breath Captain smiled.

Pant. Pant. "Gotcha!"

"AHHHH!"

She landed face first onto the ground, letting out a shriek that freed Bell from his self-imprisoned focus. He slid across the ground and sprinted back over to her.

"Lefiya!"

"Dominaavion ro Imbecileuk!" (Domination of Imbeciles!)

Half of the emerald crystal's brightness vanished as a green beam rocketed at Bell; the defense granted by his friend no longer existed. The last his vision held was a wave of green, and he was sent into a flower shop's display window.

"Ugh!"

"Ahhh!"

In addition to his painful groan was the woman running the shop, running out a backdoor upon the events unfolding. He lay there, his front torched by green flames, his back stained with a mixture of blood, glass, and soil; the latter two tainted his white hair. The Argonaut charge was dispelled, and his vision started to flicker black.

The four who had been distracting him were rushing at her. His breathing increased, his sight restored, and his teeth slid across one another.

"I need to get up! The-They're going to capture her! They're going to kill her!"

Hope seemed lost, for the magic annihilated his body, causing any attempt at movement to border on insanity. But with each step the four made, his will continued to increase.

"I can't let her die! I promised her that she wouldn't! Push through the pain!"

Closer and closer, they approached, with fear of the inevitable entering her eyes. The veins in his neck started popping. A white flame entered his eyes, and white particles wrapped around his right hand.

"I refuse to have my friends suffer because of my weakness anymore!"

"Fire...BOLT!"

His body operated on sheer will as a focused flame with a blue core and white on the edges was launched. In place of the four rushing at her, a blinding white engulfed her sight. What came from the temporary blindness was black mist, light armor, daggers, and smoldering bow and arrows.

"They vanished like monsters!" a thought shared between friends.

He limped over to her, his mind circumventing all injuries done unto him. After seeing her injuries, he raised her onto his back.

"You fucking bastard!"

No movement could begin when the Sorcerer leaped down from his vantage point, aiming his weapon at the two—malice infused with his green eyes.

"Dominaavion ro Imbecileuk!" (Domination of Imbeciles)

"Firebolt!"

A collage of green, blue, and orange met between the two. Dust and other rubble kicked up, and when the cloud vanished, so did they. Looking at the ground, the lack of a black dagger confirmed his suspicion.

"They got away..."

"Where are they?!"

The Captain ran up to the Sorcerer, his hands bleeding from squeezing too hard.

"I'm going to flail him like a fish! I'm going to use his corpse for target practice!"

"Well, he and Viridan have escaped our sight. Let us now head to our emergency post."

"But-"

Smack

A red imprint of a hand landed on the Captain's face.

"Do you wish to tell Centi you didn't follow his orders?"

"N-No..."

"Then shut up, and let's head to our post. He will attempt to return her to her familia, and when he does...they won't make it."

[Start SoundTrack: Ruler - Execution]

Pant

Pant

Pant

His encumbered breathing bounced off the walls of the alleyway that he found himself limping down. Blood from her legs dripped down to his and collected behind them when his will-turned strength no longer allotted him the energy to raise his feet.

With every dragging of his feet, every drop of crimson liquid, every ounce of pain returning, and with every second of time passing, hope abandoned them.

Hope that they'll both see the end of this day, hope that he'll get her back to Twilight Manor, and hope that he'll be able to keep his promise—all of it was leaving.

"We need... to keep... going.", thought the boy with his teeth gritting.

The respite of pain began diminishing, and so did his pace. Their crawl slowed to a standstill, and a puddle of red formed beneath them.

Pant.

Pant.

"I need... keep going. But I... can't."

The elf on his back muttered.

"Bell. Let's... Let's rest here. Just for a bit."

He nodded before aiding her off him, her back pressed against a wall. It was the last ounce of energy bestowed on him. He fell to one knee, and his arms slummed to the side.

"One minute... I just need one... minute."

"Alright. I'll... keep watch. You can close your eyes."

Within moments of her words reaching him, he lost the strength to keep his eyelids open. His face lost all tension, and it became at ease. He fell into a slumber at such speed that one could think he was faking, given how he stayed kneeling while asleep. It was almost surreal seeing him find this peace, given their situation—peace not gifted to her.

She found herself swiveling her head all around as if she were an owl. The beating in her chest doubled in speed and intensity. Air's entry and exit from her body followed suit. Her pointy ears listened to everything around her—a plethora of sounds blended to generate an ambiance of tearful terror.

Her sight focused on the source of her cribbling.

"This is it... I'm going to die."

She formed fists, shut her eyes, and shook her head.

"Why can't those damn dark elves think they have the wrong person?! They're going to kill me for something I haven't done! It's not fair! It's not-"

Snore

Her actions stopped, and her vision shifted over to the resting boy. The anger about everything was let go.

"It's not fair... to drag you down with me. Just because this is how I meet my end, it doesn't mean that you should-"

Cough.

The train of thought decoupled from the tracks when her self-appointed guard opened his eyes. In the insignificant time, a more than significant amount of strength was sent back to his muscles.

His first action was lifting one of her legs; red ran across her face. He examined the extent of the damage without the threat caused by the entrapment of a shortening amount of time. He held up a rag acquired from his back pocket to her.

"I'm going to see if I can remove it. Um... this will hurt a lot, so bite down on this."

Her teeth chattered, and her body ran cold. She snatched the rag from him.

Gulp. "F-Fine."

The rag was bitten down; her face scrunched as she anticipated the pain.

"Do... it." She muttered through the cloth.

His hands wrapped around the wooden shaft of the arrow and started tugging.

MMMPPPHHH!

Tears swelled in her eyes, her moans of agony filling the alley.

"...stop..."

He released his grip only to see that the arrow hadn't budged an inch. He scrounged for ideas.

"Can you heal yourself? Maybe it'll give you... us a chance."

The chants for Elf Ring and Riveria's healing magic were whispered. When it came time to cast it, she pressed her right hand onto his cheek.

"Luna...Aldis..."

"Huh?"

Wounds were mended, burns were cleansed, and blood spots were removed. Of all the things the magic did, what it couldn't was justify her action.

"Wh-Why would you do that?! You need it far more than me!"

"Idiot. The bones in my shins are shattered. I... I can't heal that."

More water formed at the edges of her eyes until they couldn't contain it. Streams of tears ran down her cheeks, their end destination that of the ground. Her shoulders were held onto by the boy before her, his face starting to panic.

"T-They haven't captured you yet. I can still get you back to your familia! We just... I just-"

"Liar. You're such a terrible liar."

She slumped forward, hair covering her face, and bit down on her lip.

"...go..."

"What?!"

"You heard me. I can't run, but you...you can. You can sprint over to my familia and bring them over here."

"How can you say that?! You aren't well hidden, and it'll only be a matter of time before they find you! They'll kill you if I go!"

"And they'll kill you when they find us together."

Bell shook his head.

"Th-That doesn't matter! What happens to me is not important! I promised you that I wouldn't let you die!"

"I don't think the power to make that true is held by either of us anymore. But even if I did die, would it really be that bad?"

Bell's jaw dropped.

"W-What are you talking about?!"

Sniffle

He brushed her hair to the side and unearthed a face that screamed out in pain—pain not inflicted by the wounds but something deeper.

"I miss her. I miss Filvis-san."

She reached into her garb and pulled out the blade of her deceased friend. She held onto it with both hands, her gaze attached to it.

"She gave me this, asking that I do right by her, that I would get strong for her. But I can't..."

Her left hand rested on his right, and when she lifted his off her shoulder, she inserted the blade within the sheath into his clutches.

"I'm going to reunite with Filvis-san. I want you to keep her blade to remember me."

"D-Don't say that! There... there has to be-"

"There is nothing left that you could do. So please, don't throw your life away for me. I'm not someone you should sacrifice yourself for. This is my end; it shouldn't be yours too."

Memories of his time on the 37th floor were brought to the forefront of his mind. A vision of the state Ryuu was in overlaid on his elven friend sitting before him. His pearly white teeth ground against each other, but when he found the words...

"You should take Viridan's advice... boy!"

[End SoundTrack]

Fear echoed out from the darkness. Further down the alley, the dark elf in all his royal green armor emerged from the shadow. Behind his back were his arms, and behind the smile plastered across his face were his thoughts of wickedness.

Hehe. "I mean, you couldn't possibly hope to escape with her, given her current state."

Bell's eyes quaked for but a second. His blood flow increased, and a sneer aligned his face. He stood from his kneel, placed the forsaken blade on his waist, and withdrew his goddess knife. Deja vu passed over him as he pointed the reverse-gripped blade toward the dark elf.

"Oh? You wish to try and fight me?"

The dark elf leader covered his left eye with one of his hands.

"Your ability to make foolhardy mistakes seems to know no bou-."

"Hiyaaaa!"

Amid his sentence, Bell closed the gap between them. He swung down onto the head of the still-smiling elf, but his mind screamed out before the blade could connect.

"There's someone else with-"

A fist from the abyss slammed into his face, and he flew back into the air. His eyes flashed, and he recovered into a backflip, returning to standing before his friend. The source of his failure stepped out from the veil of shadow.

[Start SoundTrack: Stalfos Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword]

"Allow me to handle this." commented the Commander.

Centi couldn't help but have his smile grow and cross his arms.

Haha! "Alright, have it your way. Do make this entertaining for me and a valuable learning experience for him."

"With pleasure."

Blood dripped from Bell's mouth, staining his teeth and leaving its prominent taste on his tongue. The back of his left hand wiped it away, his mind still recovering from the sudden shock to his being. The shock from the jolt of pain worsened when the second in command held one of his twin swords up.

Bell's gaze returned to his friend, and his free hand took the loaned blade from his waist. He took his stance and locked eyes with his opponent. Red and green were stuck in a staring contest. The former couldn't help but quiver while the ladder lacked emotion. This brief game was that, brief.

His goddess knife jabbed at the stomach of the dark elf, the attack sliding him with it.

Clank!

Metal resonated when the bottom blade intercepted his move. His string didn't end there. The blade in his offhand switched to a regular grip, and he spun counterclockwise.

Clank

The slash at the dark elf's head failed to cut anything, but air, for the top portion of his foe's weapon halted progress again. Both failures didn't perturb his offense, for a glimpse of an opening was spotted. He twirled in the other direction, aiming a high kick to the head.

The combination of attacks was nigh instant to the injured elf, but despite their speed and intensity, none did anything except reveal the disparities between the two combatants.

The kick to the head was found frozen in place when the open hand of his enemy held his shin. No time was given to react when he was lifted off the ground, and the grip on his shin tightened.

"AHHHH!"

Waves of pain washed over him as he felt the bones starting to creek. His audible cry of agony didn't persuade him against trying to take another swing at the dark elf. Instead of greeting an opposing blade, his weapons fell out of reach when he slammed face-first into a wall.

"UGH!"

He found himself being slammed by the opposite wall, his back taking the full brunt of the attack—the feeling of bones rattling, with some fracturing, coursed through him. The ground met his back when his leg was released as he lay face-up.

There was no time to breathe as the bottom blade thrust toward him. A few white hairs were cut as he rolled out of the way, and his roll transitioned into a leap that returned him to his feet. Neither action prevented the enemy from headbutting him. Pieces of bone and globs of blood flew out, and he staggered back.

Clank!

His reflexes turned a fatal slash at his face to a deep gash by raising the short sword in time. A small window opened, and he drove the longer blade forth. The free hand of the other combatant held his wrist and stopped the move. His wrist was turned and turned, nearing the point of fracture, the blade falling from his clasp. A secondary jab faltered when his legs were swept, and his sight turned to the ground. His now empty left pressed against the floor.

"Firebolt!"

He turned into a top, the incoming blade was knocked away, and he found himself at his starting spot again.

Pant

Pant

The Commander remained expressionless.

"This guy might be as strong as Ais-san and the others!" thought the boy, dripping with blood.

WHOOSH!

His fallen short sword was close to zipping past him had he not grabbed the handle in time.

"After what you have done, I hope that is not all you have to offer."

Grrr!

Bell sheathed the loaned weapon before holding up his left arm; it braced with his right hand.

"Firebolt!"

The top blade graced a furry of firebolts in the tens, and their trajectory changed to the ground. Bell jumped to the wall on his right as the cloud enlarged, sticking his black blade into it.

"Firebolt!"

Another wave of magic exited his palm, increasing the smoke screen. When this barrage of magic finished, he leaped at his opponent and stuck out his hand behind him.

"Firebolt!"

The countering force of launching his magic surged the speed of the downward slam at the dark elf.

Shink!

"Is that all you have to offer?"

Before the dust settled, his back was pressing into a wall. The Hestia Knife fell to the floor when a hand encased his neck.

"Ack!"

"I wonder, will I crush your airway, or will I just rip out your vocal cords? Let's test."

Fingers started pressing into his neck; some started to pierce the flesh. More crimson liquid continued to gush from the opening wounds. Black spots took larger portions out of his vision. Just as he was about to lose consciousness and his life, a word broke free.

"...fire...bolt."

The magic caused the grip on him to vanquish.

Pant.

Pant.

Pant.

CLANK!

A few seconds to savor was all there was to offer, and he was thrown back into the punishment loop. He arose by a hand grabbing his hair after piercing the ground with the twin blades.

"Your tenacity is almost commendable. But your-"

A quick draw of Filvis's short sword resulted in being the largest of all falters. It wasn't blocked; it was forced into his chest just below his collarbone.

"AHHH!"

"Are you done yet?"

His right hand held an ember of flames.

"Firebol-"

As the magic began leaving his right, it was placed onto his chest. With no chant or ability to stop it, it fired point-blank into him. It burned his body and made him go limp.

"Yeah, you're done."

Bell's head slammed against the wall, leaving an impression of him. He was forced to remain put by double blades punching through his shoulders.

"To finish what I was saying, your brain must be fried to think that you could defeat me."

Three punches were delivered to Bell's face: left, right, left.

"If I were Captain or even Sorcerer, you would've succeeded. But you have nothing to close the gap between you and me. You don't have special magic or abilities."

A punch in the center of his face splattered the viscous red liquid.

"You certainly don't have the skill to best me even if you and I were even. Yet, you thought you could protect Viridan."

The blade in Bell's chest was twisted. His scream of agony was nothing but a whimper.

"Do you fear... death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished?"

A red-tinted foam spat out from his mouth.

Cough. "...no..."

"No? It seems I must correct that."

His chest was turned into a punching bag—one that wasn't hit with full strength to make it as unbearable as possible. His ribcage rattled, two fractured, and one snapped. When that broken bone sounded out, his head found itself the next subject of torture. It was slammed multiple times against the wall within seconds, his white hair a dirty red.

"S-Stop..." said Lefiya, her voice too weak to reach anyone else's ears.

The Commander backed up a few steps and kicked Bell's stomach. A mixture of vomit and other bodily liquids was ejected onto the leg.

"This is Rabbit Foot? The famous Record Holder? I see now that the accolades tied to your name are nothing more than fanfare."

The dark elf flicked his leg, having the bodily fluids removed. It followed with the Hestia Knife being picked up, and he began his inspection.

"This knife, on the other hand, seems to live up to its reputation. Do you think I should test this out, Centi?"

"Haha! I don't see why not."

The smile of the dark elf leader dropped.

"Make him suffer."

"It would be my pleasure."

The black blade caressed Bell's cheek, but no amount of pressing cut skin.

"Huh?"

Slashing at Bell's wrist caused the same phenomenon to occur.

"How peculiar. It lost all of its cutting power."

The dark elf leader scratched his head.

"Perhaps his knife has some sort of lock on it—a biometric check, maybe. It's quite impressive, unlike its owner."

The Commander tossed the knife back to where Lefiya was lying.

"Knife or not, it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is his current torment."

"S-S-Stop! P-Please!"

The elven girl pleaded again, finding her voice. But all it was greeted with was a smile.

"I'm sorry, there must be something in my ear. Can you repeat that louder, Viridan?" Centi taunted.

"..."

"No? Then carry on, Commander."

The Commander's hands were placed on the temples of Bell's head and started pressing together.

"AHHHHHH!"

A scream garbled due to blood was forced out of him. His eyes started to bulge, and were getting ready to pop out of their sockets. The sight became too much to bear.

"STOP!"

Peering over at their crying target, Centi couldn't help but grin.

"Please, let him go!"

Snap

With the snap of his fingers, Centi showed how well the escaping pair played into his hands. Light was restored to the dark section of the alley. Behind him were his personal guards, the elites, and the Executive. The twelve dark elves had been watching them the second Bell had set her down. He reached into his rear pocket and spoke up.

"That's enough, Commander."

[End SoundTrack]

"What?!" the leader of the elites exclaimed. "He killed four scouts, four of us! His head should be mounted at the end of my glaive!"

"Yes, it should. But we are nothing without our creed. It's what separates us from the other two. Besides, we've already won. His living will not change that."

A large flask was tossed to the Commander, who removed both blades from Bell's shoulders and attached them to his hip. The dark elf picked him up again, forcing the liquid down his throat before he was thrown back to where Lefiya was.

His body went from knocking on the reaper's door to mending itself far better than earlier. Broken bones were slotted back into place. Wounds seal, and he could feel his mind return to him. Yet, he couldn't help but lay flat on the ground.

"Hahaha! To think Captain could get us to this position with only a fifth of my men."

"It did come at the cost of four of his scouts. I can't imagine he'd be thrilled about that."

"True, but after his mourning for them subsides, he should feel proud having avoided Ganesha Familia getting called in. That would've put us in an uncomfortable time crunch-"

[Start SoundTrack: Fate/Apocrypha: Savior]

Centi halted his speech upon witnessing Bell reach for the black blade before him. It aided him in getting to his knees, where he removed Filvis's from his chest. His attempt to stand failed, and he returned to kneeling.

"Even with all that mermaid blood you consumed, I am shocked to see you try standing. But, like I said from the start, I am not fond of needless bloodshed. That lesson Commander gave you was more than needed, but killing you serves no purpose. You have learned a valuable lesson about what your actions entail, so I will allow you one last chance to walk away. More like limp away in your case. HAHA!"

Veins throughout his body became prominent as he struggled to stand. But said struggle ended when Lefiya reached out and held his left hand; both held Filvis's blade. She offered a wholesome smile to ease the impact of her words.

"It's... alright, Bell. You did everything you could. Just tell my familia... tell them I'm sorry. And remember, Ais-san deserves a great guy like you."

His eyes fired open at hearing the last part of the words she thought would be her last. Both blades were sheathed, and he found the strength to reach his feet. A little chime rang as white particles gathered around both of his arms. A white flame roared on his back and raged inside his gem-like eyes.

"NO! I won't abandon my friend to her death! Call me childish, call me foolish... but if someone can be saved, then I WILL save them!"

An image of his smiling grandfather flashed in his mind.

"I won't let anyone else die!"

"B-Bell..."

Lefiya's expression was sheer amazement. Here was the boy she thought so lowly of, facing death like so few others.

"Sorry, Lefiya. But abandoning you to your death wouldn't be all hero-like, would it? And that's what I want to be. I don't care about the price I'll face. If this is where I meet my end, I'll go out on my terms, knowing I acted like one—putting my life on the line to do what is right!"

Smack

Centi facepalm, covering the left side of his face.

"Is that your final answer?"

"YES! Yes, it is!"

The dark elf leader slummed forward.

"You lack the most basic of survival instincts."

Centi raised his hand into the air.

"Bell Cranel, Rabbit Foot, Record Holder, for interfering with our affairs and eliminating four of us, you shall meet your end here!"

Centi turned to the Commander.

"Finish this."

The right-hand man took a single step forward before...

Ding!

Ding!

The quiet chime from earlier increased in volume. Bell smiled and raised his right hand into the air.

"Firebolt!"

When he started charging, around a minute passed, and this minute was more than enough. His magic shot into the sky, shining white onto those near Babel and visible from across the city. Some had to cover their eyes, and almost every adventurer commented.

"The hell is that?!"

"Is that Rabbit Foot's?!"

"Does anyone know what's going on?!"

With the chatter all around, the dark elf leader, who was bored of this game of hero, looked at the bright fireball dissipating. His cocky aura was replaced with fear and a sneer.

"NO!"

The Commander rushed toward Bell, but Bell raised his other hand at him before he could get into killing range.

"Firebolt!"

The Argonaut-enhanced magic posed enough of a threat for the Commander to cross his arms to block. It pushed him back before erupting, hitting all twelve dark elves to various degrees of energy and creating a massive cloud.

One unfortunate Top-Elite found himself on the ground from the eruption. All the mayhem it caused served as the perfect window for escape, and once the smoke cleared, neither Bell nor Lefiya were there. Centi showed his teeth, a black mist filled the alleyway, and he reverted to his normal tongue.

"Nariin trying u dik to! Nariin trying u baj to gundum trial for to crimes! Dhuzud azat to! Azat ul ukmash ugil ulu reach Loki Familia!" (Forget trying to capture her! Forget trying to make her stand trial for her crimes! Just kill her! Kill them both before they reach Loki Familia!)

[End SoundTrack]

[Start SoundTrack: Goblin Slayer Original Soundtrack - 18. Time of Shudder]

In his arms was his elven friend, carrying her like he had several women before her: a princess carry. The flask he was forced to consume morphed from a display of power to a blunder, manifested in all their ego. At near-full strength, the escaping duo was bestowed a single chance; no room for drastic errors could be made, for this was it.

They blasted out of the alley and back onto the main road at such speed that Bell slid for several feet before propelling himself straight ahead. His emergence from the side street and the firing of his magic led all the adventurers close by to start backing up when his movement kicked up a dust cloud.

"Hey, that was Rabbit Foot!"

"What the hell-"

Seven blurs emerged from the same alley, adding to the dust pushed into the air when they started charging after the two.

"What the hell is happening?!"

The pair had crossed Babel, and the second portion of their desperate escape was underway. Bell was freed from the shackles of her lower speed. He could utilize his superior status and a development ability tailor-made for this scenario. To onlookers, he was nothing but a blur; buildings and the street he was sprinting down whizzed by.

But the elf in his grasp paid no heed to their rapid movement; her focus was on the face of her sentinel after his deed. His expression was of singular thought:

"I'm going to get her back to her Familia!"

Lefiya's face turned a tinge of red as her jaw opened.

"You are so... cool."

The thought brewed in her mind. It boiled over when she recognized what she had added to the pot of thoughts, and she turned a deep red.

"Wait! Am I getting feelings for him?!"

She started flailing, her hands covering her face, now filled with embarrassment and thoughts desperate to be shouted out.

"You're supposed to win over Ais-san's heart, not mine! Damn you, human!"

He caught her attention among her dangling legs, kicking back and forth. A reversion to the socially inept guy resurfaced.

"L-Lefiya! A-Are you alright?"

She uncovered her face and averted his gaze.

"I'm... fine. But why did you shoot your magic into the sky like that?"

He returned to his serious outlook.

"Centi commented about not attracting Ganesha Familia. That's why there weren't more than ten of them after us. But with my magic going into the air like that..."

"Ganesha Familia would get called in. But do you think they'll reach us in time to help?"

A grim expression aligned his face.

"I doubt it. All I know is that they are going to send everything after us now, and they might abandon their idea of capturing you and just kill you with me."

Gulp. "I see..."

"Lefiya, look at me."

She turned her head back to Bell's sight.

"I made you a promise of not letting you die. I intended to deliver on that promise! I WILL get you there!"

A heat accumulated in her chest, and the rhythm of her heart became unusual. It wasn't due to their circumstance; it felt far too distinct.

"A-Alright, but we'll have to do it together."

"Agreed. I know I can outrun those scouts and mages, but I'm unsure about everyone else."

He looked over his shoulder, seeing the six elites, led by the Executive, at a moderate distance behind them.

"All I know is that we have a lead compared to everyone else. Do you still have that magic from earlier?"

Lefiya held out her left arm, the magic circle still surrounding her.

"Yes!"

"And how much mind do you have left?"

"I'd say about two spells worth, but if needed, I can push it to three if I have- LOOK OUT!"

His head snapped to the front to see two Top-Elites emerge from nowhere. As swift as his body could react, he bolted down a sidestreet on his left. The quickness of his decision made an impaling thrust on them both to a deep gash on his face, almost exposing bone. He looked back to see the Executive and his elites getting yelled at.

"Afavas avhem, lat fooluk!" (After them, you fools!)

The sudden direction change had discarded the one saving grace of having a headstart to achieve full speed. Louder and louder footsteps bounced in his ear. Try as he may, his acceleration couldn't increase.

"I slowed down too much!"

Sweat entered his palms, and his throat started shifting into a Sahara. But as it seemed like this would be the mistake to be their last, the girl he was carrying looked behind them. The chant of Elf Ring filled the passage, and the color of her circle changed to Riveria's.

"Harbinger of the end, the white snow. Blow with the wind before the twilight. Closing light, the freezing land. Blizzard, the three severe winters - my name is Alf. Wynn Fimbulvetr!"

Glacier's worth of ice exited her palm, causing the leader of the elites to leap back before leaping over the ice wall. The subordinates were not as fortunate, with half getting part-way frozen and the other half sliding face-first into the barricade she mounted.

Though her move was successful, their problems had just begun. The alleyway they had entered on a whim had an obstacle: a dead end.

A pincer maneuver acting as the clutches of death tightened its grip. The way in front of them was ending, and the way behind was encroaching doom. He looked at the tall structures ahead, and a chime started ringing.

"Hold on tight!"

Without skipping a beat, Lefiya wrapped her arms around Bell.

"Jiak have lat now!" (I have you now!)

As the pair were about to become a shishkabob, Bell slammed his foot on the ground, and they soared into the air.

Shink!

The glaive had missed them by inches. The Executive lifted his glaive from the ground and yelled at his men, who had just managed to catch up.

"Kurrauz avhe oavhas way, now! (Back the other way, now!)

Bell looked back at the seven altering their course upon him and Lefiya's descent onto a roof. A beacon of hope shined bright, for the beacon was Twilight Manor turning visible since this pursuit began. Under better circumstances, both would smile at the sight of it, But as they continued leaping from building to building, neither could contort their lips upward.

Pant.

Pant.

Pant.

Blood continued to fall from the deep cut on his face as his breathing became heavy.

"B-Bell?!"

"I'm alright. Pant. It's just that I've been using my skill a lot, and it's starting to cut into my mind. I think I'm good for only one or two charges of Argonaut."

"Just do your best at saving them."

Nodding his head, he continued following the direct path to Loki Familia.

"Have avheuke fooluk crumble agh wallow shal deukpair." (Have these fools crumble and wallow in despair).

Lefiya's ears perked up, and she looked everywhere the mages could be.

"There has to be something special about their magic. I just don't know what!"

"Cllapuke avheir bodieuk juldas avheir ukuffocaavaumn avhoughavuk!" (Collapse their bodies under their suffocating thoughts!)"

She scanned as best she could, but by the time those words reached her ears, she couldn't delay her action any longer. Her magic circle changed to her deceased friend's.

"Become a shield, holy grail of crushing evil."

"For kulknej ayh Ul Conqueroruk!" (For we are The Conquerors!)

Five mages emerged from the building they were about to run across. All aimed their staff at them, speaking as one.

"Calamiavouuk ro Fooluk!" (Calamitous of Fools!).

"Dio Grail!"

The white shield was raised and blocked the combined attack, Bell bolting past them with the active barrier. When the shield was lower, a different group of five showed themselves on the adjacent building, their magic ready.

"Calamiavouuk ro Fooluk!" (Calamitous of Fools!).

"Bell, get off the roof!"

He leaped forward but lost control mid-air after he was caught in their blast radius. He recovered in time to bring Lefiya close to him and land on his back, taking the brunt of the fall. Said force left both rolling on the ground. Dust was wiped off while he shook his head and picked her off the floor.

"We... we're almost-THERE?!"

From far out in front, a lone scout took advantage of his lowered defenses and fired a bolt at Bell's heart. It would've landed true if Bell had not started turning, making it pierce his shoulder. Pieces of bone, globs of blood, and chunks of cartilage came out; some splattered on the elf girl's face. The surge of agony made him go down on one knee.

"BELL!"

"I'm... I'm alright..."

"You're a horrendous liar!"

"I... know."

By the time he forced himself back up, any chance left to catch his wind had vanished when the seven dark elves rounded a corner. The Executive pointed at them.

"Atigat avheausan ayh!" (There they are!)

Kicking off the ground, he started dashing to their destination. The arrow inside his left shoulder bounced around in the hole it created, compounding the pain he had faced thus far.

"Ughh!"

He winced and turned his sight to the approaching seven, for he repeated his crucial error. The difference was that they were without the benefit of a narrow corridor. It was of no aid that the road they were on was wide enough to dodge the frost magic. He returned to looking forward, seeing the magic ring on Lefiya's arm.

"What kind of magic did you store?"

"I-It's a wide area of affect attack-"

"Use it behind us, now!"

She bobbed her head and aimed behind them. Multiple rings appeared above them.

"Cannon: Fusillade Fallarica!"

The artillery storm sent by the magic rings created a wall that prevented any of the seven from going through for a time. The Executive growled.

Grrrr. Tsk! "Head-"

He ended his speech upon seeing a group of eleven catch his eye.

"Isn't that...shit."

They passed the mages and prevented the elites from continuing their chase. As they neared their goal, the number of obstructions that could be provided was diminishing. But the largest hurdle to leap over entered their sight. All sixteen remaining scouts were lined up, bows at the ready.

This stretch of road lacked side passages, and turning around was not an option. Their only path was through the storm. Bell held Lefiya close to him and whispered.

"Stay as close as you can."

Mhm.

"Hyaaa!"

Full speed was achieved, and he entered the storm with no eye. Two harbingers of hatred hurled at him. He dodged them by spinning clockwise, the method he repeated in the other direction for another batch.

The further he went into the whirlwind of chaos, the more those who aimed at his rear increased. He honed himself in the presence of peril; time and breathing slowed. The same degree from earlier couldn't be achieved, for the arrow in his shoulder was interfering with his senses. But even the pain started to fade from existence when he closed his eyes.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

He twirled to avoid the wave of wallow at his front.

Whoosh!

The fourth arrow's position was detected and was responded to by a bound upwards.

WHOOSH!

A fifth archer sniped at him. His response was holding out his hand.

"Firebolt!"

He was kicked into a spin, avoiding fatal injury, but faced injury regardless. His other shoulder spewed out chips of bone as the arrow found a new home.

"Ackk!"

The return to the ground exposed the largest flaw in the werewolf's brutal teachings. Bell could not achieve the same full spatial awareness without being of a calm heart, which became more taxing the more damage piled on.

Glints of arrow tips shimmered in the sun's rays into his sight.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

All were aimed at his legs, forcing him into the air into an extended front flip.

Whoosh!

That decision proved determinantal for his health as a bolt found itself poking out of his left forearm. More of his crimson liquid painted the elf's face, and she could only watch in horror. When she attempted to help,

"I-I wish upon-"

"Dont! Just save it for an attack!"

"O-O-Okay..."

Having her one means of assistance shut down, a twisted show of seeing her friend turn into a pin cushion has begun.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Bell tried to sidestep them, but one slipped through his dodge and stuck out the area just above his elbow on his left arm. His mouth foamed with the pain continuing to stack on.

The constant torment hoisted on him was closing out as he saw the last pair of four before he and Lefiya would be on the final stretch. The white teeth tainted red were shown, and he started running backward and operating on instinct and luck.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Two bolts fell victim to this combination, but the other two succeeded in hitting his lower back. His vision started fading to black, and he started yelling when he spun back around.

"Keep going! Keep going! Keep going!"

Both friends were nearing their limit, but as chaos littered the road behind them, they were nearing the manor. In the distance, they could both see the two guards standing in front of it.

"What do you think all that screaming was about?"

"I haven't got a clue. My best guess is that it has something to do with Rabbit Foot."

"Hey, speaking of Rabbit Foot, isn't he running this way? I wonder what's got him in such a hurry."

The second guard leaned forward.

"He's carryi- He's carrying Lefiya!"

Five dark elves came out of the darkness from which they hid. Three had black gems lit up, and one had his green gem following suit. Sorcerer slammed the head of the scythe onto the ground, his mages to his right. On his left was the Captain, readying another sound-breaking shot. Seeing them, Bell calmed the best he could, given the many arrows sticking out of his body.

"This is it, Lefiya."

The chime of a small bell rang out, and Lefiya began her last spell.

"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree. You are an expert of the bow. Shoot, sniper of the fairies. Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy..."

"Dominaavion ro Imbecileuk!" (Domination of Imbeciles)

"Calamiavouuk ro Fooluk!" (Calamitous of Fools!)."

BOOM!

The black and green beamed rocked toward them, mixing to create a green beam with black wrapping around it. A response from Bell and Lefiya roared out.

"FIREBOLT!"

"ARCS RAY!"

Their magics combined and punched through their opposition. The speed engulfed the three mages and tagged Captain, for half his face got caught in the blast. But the Sorcerer's failed roadblock was the penultimate one they would encounter. From out of nowhere, the Commander charged at them.

"I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY!"

Bell's muscles tensed, and his tongue was almost bitten off. He acquired enough willpower to summon Argonaut to his right foot one last time, and the chime had Lefiya wrap her arms around Bell as she powered through her mind down.

Clank!

A jumping slash onto his head was adverted by Bell rocketing himself into the side of a building, where he ran along the wall.

"YOU WON'T LIVE!"

The Commander launched at Bell, aiming a thrust with his other blade. The end was here, and the deciding move came from Bell. He sent himself off the wall and sprinted into Twilight Manor. Unsure of what to do, the guards ran back inside after him.

[End SoundTrack]

The Commander unstuck himself from the building's side and was tempted to run right in. Centi's hand falling on his shoulder was holding him back.

"Don't."

"Sir!"

The Executive and his six elites ran up to their leader.

"Ganesha Familia incoming! Do we get to paint this-"

"No! We have failed and will discuss this further at the rendezvous."

Spear in hand, Shakti turned to her ten executives, some carrying pieces of the fallen equipment littering the ground.

"Ilta, you're with me. The rest of you, check for any injured and take reports from those who can provide them. I want to know what happened!"

"Alright!" the ten executives exclaimed. Nine broke off in separate directions, and Ilta walked with Shakti.

The two women paced down the street, serving as the epitome of destruction caused by a whirlwind of unfettered hatred transposed in reality. Arrows, whole and fractured, painted the road. Chaos taking form continued to be the case further down the street. Magic burns tainted the black stone bricks, and buildings' tops shared a similar fate.

"Jeez..." Ilta remarked. "Who do ya think Rabbit Foot pissed off enough to do this?! Scratch that, what do you think he said or did?!"

"The more important question is just how strong the group after him is?"

"Huh? What are you getting at, sister?"

"Look around you, Ilta. This doesn't feel too dissimilar to the skirmishes between Loki and Freya Familias. And seeing as one of them has been disbanded for a time, with handfuls of their members assimilating into various familias, it begs that question more than anything."

Ilta crossed her arms.

"I guess that's fair. But, sister, where are we headin'?"

"The place where Bell Cranel fired his magic up. It might give us an idea of what was going on."

When the two arrived at their destination, adventurers surrounded the alley entrance but cleared out once the captain and vice-captain of Orario's security force showed up. Upon entering, they were inundated with a scent too familiar to them. Both readied themselves and proceeded to the source of the stench.

The pungent aroma was part of the side passage painted crimson red. Chunks of bone and other parts of one skeletal structure were sprinkled about.

"Shit!" Ilta remarked. "Ya think Rabbit Foot had this happen to him?!"

"I don't see anything to the contrary, given that there's no equipment lying around. And if he was getting a beatdown like this, no wonder he used his magic like a flair. Although, the only one who could provide a definitive answer would be him."

Ilta scratched the sides of her head with her fists.

"That still doesn't explain why this group was going after him in the first place!"

"That's another thing. We've seen no casualties or injuries so far. This wasn't some brazen attack meant to spread death or terror. This was calculated far better than I first thought."

"Ugh! Now we gotta hunt down a group that's strong enough to mess up Rabbit Foot and is smart?! Great!"

The vice-captain elbowed the wall behind her, denting it.

"Ilta..."

"Sorry, sister. It's just..."

She let out a sigh.

"We were so close to a month without something going on! Come to think of it, this whole year's been nothing but crap happening, and HE'S been involved in almost everything!"

"You're yapping too loud, Ilta. But I won't deny that. The second I find him is the second he's going to answer my quesi-"

The dark blue-haired woman ended her speech when footsteps approached her.

"Ganesha Familia! Thank goodness you're here!"

The voice of a panicked, out-of-breath woman called out to them. Shakti approached her, extending her hand.

"Are you alright, ma'am?"

"Oh, I-I'm fine. Though I can't say the same for Rabbit Foot and Thousand Elf."

The adventurers' eyes flashed open.

"You saw what happened?!" questioned Ilta.

"Y-Yes. At least a decent chunk of it. Rabbit Foot did get sent flying through the display window in my stor-"

The woman's face went pale as she looked at what could be seen in one's nightmare. Upon realizing this, Shakti spoke up.

"Let's continue this outside this alley."

"A-agreeded."

The three of them exited the alley, and the shop owner continued.

"I was behind my register when I heard screaming, and before I could look over, Rabbit Foot got sent through the window! I-I panicked and ran out the back, where I saw Thousand Elf lying on the ground with arrows in her legs. Not moments later, four dark elves sprinted at her before Rabbit Foot shot his magic and... killed them?"

Ilta tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

"You sound unsure."

"Because I am. The four dark elves turned into a black mist. They weren't incinerated or anything; their stuff fell to the ground. I'm sorry, I can't explain it any better."

"Nonsense. You've been more than helpful, miss..."

"B-Brianna Boe."

Shakti turned to her second.

"Stay with her, Ilta. I'm going to have a chat with Loki Familia."

"Whatever ya say, sister."

She began walking over toward the manor. Her forehead was rubbed.

"What kind of mess has Bell Cranel gotten himself into again?"

"Oi! Rabbit Foot!" yelled one of the guards.

"What is going on-" yelled the other, only for his speech to be silenced.

He stood in the dining hall in front of a large portion of her familia; among those present were Aki and Alica. But no one dared say a word to the sight standing there. Blood leaked down his being; a pool of it below him formed. In his clasp was his elven friend. In his body were bolts sticking out of almost every major part of him.

"We... we made it."

He tried to kneel to let her down gently, but all the damage was too great. All the bones shattered, all of his mind gone, and nearly a bucket of blood spilled. It was too much, and he fell, Lefiya rolling across the floor.

"You... made it."

The color in his face was depleting. The glimmer in his eyes was fading. The thread of consciousness was vanishing. He drifted into the lands between life and death. Not before a corner of his lips curled up, as his gaze captured one last thing before darkness took hold.

"I... I kept my promise..."

Just as the thread of consciousness was cut, one last sound reached his ears.

"BELLLL!"