Heroes

by The Four Crosses

A powerful figure has returned to Orario seeking Bell. What does this person want? What will happen to Bell and all those around him? How will the gods react, and, more importantly, what will they uncover upon their return? (My not so grand return to Fanfiction is here!)

76. Overwhelmed

Hello my dear readers and welcome back. Well, we've finally arrived at the big Expedition battle. Everyone vs. 10,000 hunger and vicious monsters. This will be a bloodbath and, I'm sorry to say, not everyone is making it out alive. Who will fall? Who will survive? Well, it's time for you all to find out, so let darkness fall, let the sword and shields be raised, let the blood flow, and let us begin.

I do not own Danmachi.

---

"Shit! Adventurers of Orario, for everything you hold dear, for all you hope to do, fight! Fight with everything you have!" Finn's voice cried out.

The Expedition roared, the fire and desperation in their hearts turning to power as they charged to meet the titanic horde of monsters and Evilus rushing towards them with murder in their eyes.

"For Orario!" Tsubaki cried as she led the Hephaestus familia into the fray.

"Kill them all!" An Evilus commander cried.

Then, just as the two sides were about to meet, a familiar red-head jumped to the front.

"Sol Aureus!" Welf roared as he swung his blade.

A tsunami of golden fire burst from the magical sword, rushing towards the stunned horde of monsters, before obliterating hundreds of them in an instant.

"I'm not done!" the smith roared as he swung again, sending another wave of beautifully and terrifying magic crashing into the horde.

"I've never seen a magic weapon that powerful!" an Evilus cried.

"And you never will again you bastard!" Tsubaki called as she appeared before the Evilus and cut him down.

The rest of the Expedition crashed into the horde, swords, shields, arrows, and spells flying in a symphony of violence.

"Give! Me! Back! My! Little! Brother!" Welf bellowed with a voice so powerful it was heard over all the noise of the battlefield, before swinging again.

"Fuck! That bastard is going to destroy our army by himself with that damn weapon!" an Evilus cried in alarm.

"First, second, third squadrons, kill that whoreson before he can do anymore damage!" another Evilus commander ordered.

Dozens of Evilus rushed towards Welf, intent on slaying the Hestia familia member and, if possible, taking his weapon to turn the tide of the battle in their favor.

They drew closer and moved to surround him. However, the fools were so focused on dealing with the magic sword user that they forgot that he wasn't alone.

"Ah!" an Evilus cried as two crossbow bolts pierced their knees, courtesy of a steely-eyed Lili, before Daphne suddenly appeared before them and finished them off.

"Raaaa!" Ouka roared before using his new great ax to cut down two more of the attackers.

"Protect Welf!" Lili ordered.

Immediately the Hestia, Miach, Take, and Mania familias surrounded the smith, along with the Pleasure District and Hostess girls.

"Thanks guys," Welf said.

"Thank us by continuing to swing that you lanky, annoying goof!" Lili commanded.

Welf smiled.

That I can do. With this new weapon, I can swing until this whole damn army is gone, he thought, turning his eyes to the weapon. Thank you.

Turning his eyes back to the enemy, Welf stepped forward then, with another mighty cry, sent another tsunami of fire at the enemy.

"How many times can he use that?!" an Evilus screamed in terrified confusion as they watched another section of their horde be turned to ash.

"Even one more time is too much! All squadrons attack that swordsman! Tamers, send every monster you can at him!" the Evilus leader ordered.

The Evilus followed his orders immediately, closing the distance between them and the Expedition forces while the tamers sent hundreds of monsters their way.

"Loose!" Lili ordered.

Arrows, bolts, spells, and bullets all flew towards the incoming foes, tearing through many of them, but nowhere near enough to prevent the Evilus forces from crashing into them.

"Get to the Crozzo!"

"Not going to happen!" Geneve cried as she cut the Evilus member's thigh, sending them to a knee, opening them up for Rei to come in and sending them flying with a double-rabbit kick to the chest.

"Naaza! Krysta! Help me keep those Deadly Hornets off of us!" Lili commanded.

"Right!" the two replied as all three ladies aimed their weapons towards the flying beasts.

They loosed their ammunition, managing to destroy several in their first volley, but soon found their task more difficult as the monsters, now aware of them, began to dodge, weave, and counter-attack.

"Shit!" Krysta cried as she dodged out of the way of one of the hornets as it attempted to skewer her. The monster missed, and plunged into the Dungeon soil, getting stuck for just long enough for Aisha to appear and cut it down.

"I'll keep the monsters off of you, just keep shooting their cutie," the amazon stated.

"Will do," the werewolf replied, raising her guns.

None of them noticed that, while they were distracted by the hornet, a pair of Evilus had managed to sneak through and were now charging towards Welf.

"Welf-dono!" Mikoto cried before rushing to stop them.

Welf turned and saw the pair running towards him.

"Crap," he snarled, as he stuck the magic sword in the ground and grabbed his main sword.

Mikoto, knowing she had to even the odds, quickly grabbed her throwing knives and threw them at one of the Evilus members. The knives struck home, piercing one of the attacker's legs and their back, sending them crashing to the ground. They managed to pick themselves up and turn to face the Eastern lady, only to find their throat opened by a katana.

Mikoto didn't have time to enjoy her victory as a Minotaur suddenly charged forward from the horde and she was forced to dodge out of the way or else be skewered.

She quickly righted herself and eyed the beast which snorted and held up a giant ax.

I now fully understand Bell-dono's dislike of these creatures, she thought, before charging to meet the creature.

Welf, meanwhile, met the Evilus's longsword with his own greatsword, the sound of screeching metal filling their ears.

"I'm going to make you bastards pay for all you've done," Welf promised.

"No, you and all your friends are going to die here," the Evilus hissed back.

The two broke apart, only to immediately clash again, their two swords creating sparks as the echo of metal was drowned out by the surrounding roar of battle.

The Evilus spun his longsword around and attempted to pierce Welf's skull, but the Hestia member dodged at the last open then closed the distance and used an upward slash to cut his opponent from hip to shoulder.

"Aah!" the Evilus hissed.

"That's some good armor you got there," Welf complimented as he raised his sword over his shoulder and turned his hips, "but it won't save you!"

The Ignis swung with all his might and the Evilus barely had enough time to raise their sword up to block the attack.

It did them little good, as the fury and determination of the young man was too much to hold back and Welf's sword smashed through the opposing blade and only the Evilus's helmet prevented them from losing the top of their skull, though, in exchange they were sent tumbling across the Dungeon.

"Ugh," the Evilus member groaned as he picked himself up, blood dripping down his face. He looked down at his weapon, then at Welf.

I have to stop him, but how?

His eyes turned to the magic sword still embedded in the ground a few paces away. Seeing it, the obvious choice was made.

The Evilus ran at something to the side and Welf was confused for a moment before seeing where they were headed.

"Shit!" Welf cried as he rushed to stop them.

The two ran with all their might, but it was the Evilus, having a head start and having already discarded their life, that got there first.

He swung his broken sword with all his might and smashed it against the magic sword, shattering it.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Welf cried as he raised his sword.

Most did not have time to do more than turn to the smith before the magic within the sword, now unrestrained from its confines, exploded with insane force and power.

"Fuck!" Aisha cried as she grabbed Krysta and Naaza and pulled them down.

"Get down!" Lili screamed as she dragged Haruhime to behind a rock.

Mikoto, being the closest to Welf, had the least amount of time, but thinking quickly, she moved behind the minotaur and raised her sword, using both her weapon and its body as a shield against the incoming blast.

The others all did likewise and managed to get as safe as possible before the explosion reached them.

But then there was Welf. Being the closest to the sword and having nothing but his own weapon to guard him, he took the blast harder than them all and was soon flying across the Dungeon, arms, legs, cheeks, and several other locations, burned and torn by the power of his own weapon.

He landed painfully, his white hot sword crashing to the ground far out of reach.

"Ugh," he groaned as pain struck him like a hammer striking an anvil.

"Welf!" the other cried as they rushed to his side.

He managed to look up to see his familia and friends, but immediately discovered that even keeping his eyes open was painful.

"Sorry…about this…guys."

"Don't talk right now, you idiot, just drink," Lili said as she pressed a potion to his mouth.

He drank it down, feeling relief as his pain began to dull, though he could still smell the stink of his own burning flesh.

"Looks like we lost one of our trump cards," Aisha noted.

"Doesn't matter. We'll win, regardless," Lili avowed.

"Of course we will! We're all powerful and can kick these guys' butts easily, nya!" Anya declared.

"That's the spirit! Now come on, that blast gave us an opening! Let's not waste it!" Samira declared before running back to the battle, the amazons quickly joining her.

"Can you handle healing him, Cassandra?" Lili asked.

"Yes…but I can't promise he won't have scars," she answered.

"No problem," Welf interjected, "it'd be a shame if I came back from this adventure without mementos."

That eased their spirits enough to smile.

"I'll leave him in your care then," Lili said. "Do you two need assistance in guarding them?" she asked, turning to Daphne and Naaza.

"We can handle it," Daphne stated.

"I'll continue to give you support from here," Naaza added.

"Alright," Lili stood up, her eyes turning back to Welf. "You're not allowed to die. Bell-sama would be heartbroken if he lost his 'big brother'."

He smiled. "I'm not going anywhere, Lil' Lili. Even if I did, Hephaestus would surely storm Heaven and drag me back."

"And I'll help her," the prum vowed before turning back to the battle, leaving Cassandra to her work.

---

Rei hopped around the battlefield, obliterating Hellhounds, Killer Ants, and Exploding Goblins en masse.

Yet they just keep coming, he thought as yet another fresh wave of beasts and bloodthirsty creatures rushed towards him.

Just then, an Infant Dragon appeared, rushing straight for the bunny-hume and swinging one of its large claws at him.

Rei quickly jumped out of the way and the claw crashed into the ground.

"Alright big guy, let's see what you've got."

Rei rushed forward and began to chant.

"Come forth oh freezy winds of the north. Answer my call and become by sword and shield."

He reached the draconic beast, which attempted again to strike him down with its claws.

"Ice Manipulation!"

A column of ice suddenly burst from the ground and captured the Infant Dragon's claw, making it unable to move.

Rei acted immediately, jumping straight at the dragon's head and using a spinning back kick to knock its head off.

The monster's body fell before turning into dust.

"Too easy," the Mania familia captain stated.

Those words should never be said within the Dungeon, for the Great Labyrinth is a prideful creature and all challenges to that pride are taken gravely seriously.

Suddenly, two Giant Scorpions appeared on either side of Rei, claws and tails raised.

"Crap!"

The Scorpion behind him shot its tail at him, forcing him to jump out of the way. However, in his alarm he had left himself open to the second Scorpion before him which shot its claw towards his head.

Rei ducked as quickly as possible, but could not entirely save himself as the razor-sharp claw managed to cut off the top half of his right ear.

"Aaa!" he screamed as the pain of his hyper-sensitive ears shot through him.

The first Scorpion, not about to leave such an opportunity unpunished, swung its own claw, smashing into the bunny-person's torso with tremendous and horrid force.

"Gah!" Rei spat up blood as he flew across the battlefield and smashed into a column of rock.

Damnit, Rei groaned internally as he slowly picked himself up, only to find the Scorpions already before him, tails raised to finish the job. Damnit.

""NOOO!"

A blur suddenly appeared, cutting off the tails of both Scorpions, sending them reeling back in agony.

"You do not get to touch him!" Geneve cried before charging forward.

She aimed for the Scorpion that had wounded his ear first, covering her sword in light magic before jumping towards it and piercing its skull.

The second Scorpion now dust, Geneve turned to the first, which was already sending its claw straight at her in an attempt to cut her in half at the waist. However, with spectacular grace, Geneve spun around the claw and quickly removed it from the monster, which once more howled in pain.

Seeing her opening, the spellsword rushed forward and opened the beast's stomach, sending its blood pouring onto the ground before it too turned to ash.

Her foes dealt with, at least for the moment, the dog woman turned back to her captain.

"Rei!"

She rushed over to him, along with the rest of the Mania familia.

"I'm okay," their captain said as he dropped a potion vial. "A bit humiliated," he pointed to his ear, "but alive."

Geneve and the others knew that, for a rabbit chienthrope, having their ears scarred or lost was a great humiliation and greatly affected them both physically and mentally.

I can see it in his eyes. He's mortified, Geneve thought, looking over her captain. But if we're going to get through this, we all need to be at our best. But how can I raise his spirits?

Her mind almost instantly presented her with an idea, one that made her blush.

This is no time to be embarrassed! And now's as good a time to reveal the truth as any, I suppose.

Rei suddenly found his face grabbed by two soft hands and lifted. Then, before he knew what was happening, Geneve kissed him.

The other Mania familia stared on with wide-eyes and slack jaws as their vice-captain kissed their captain.

Rei's face burst in fire and he looked ready to explode when Geneve finally pulled back.

"There. That should raise your spirits."

"W-What?" he asked.

She smiled and turned back to the battle.

"I'll confess to you later. Right now, we've got a battle to win."

With that, Geneve rushed off, face burning red, but smiling like an idiot.

"Well…it's about time," Ivanna said.

"I second that," Krysta stated as she raised her guns. "Guess that means you're not allowed to die or mope, Captain. So come on, you heard Geneve, we've got a battle to win."

The two rushed back to the battle, leaving only Rei and Kaios.

"You okay, buddy?" the renard asked.

"Yeah…in fact," Rei smiled, "I'm great."

Kaios smiled.

"Good. Then let's get back to the fight."

Rei nodded.

"Right."

The two rushed to join the battle, but as Kaios ran, he noticed two Evilus in the distance heading towards an beautiful woman currently in the midst of battle with a Bloodsaurus.

I hate sneaky bastards, he thought as he changed direction.

---

The Hephaestus familia found themselves hard-pressed against the horde of monsters that relentlessly charged again and again.

"Hold the line!" Tsubaki cried as she used her naginata to slay a Green Dragon that had nearly broken through their line. "These bastards keep coming," she growled to herself, before noticing a Bloodsaurus rushing towards them. "Oh come on!"

Knowing she had to stop it before it reached their line, she ran at the great dinosaur, which roared as they closed in on each other.

The beast attempted to swallow her whole, only for the Hephaestus captain to skid beneath its open maw and cut its leg.

The monster cried out, before attempting to stomp the adventurer into paste. Tsubaki managed to avoid all its attempts to make her into Dungeon jam and put some distance between her and the monster. However, as enraged as it was, it would not allow her to leave easily and attempted to strike her with its tail.

Tsubaki ducked then charged again, cutting its other leg clean off and sending the Bloodsaurus to the ground.

The smith jumped and raised her weapon high above her.

"Raaaaa!" she cried as she brought it down onto the beast's cranium.

"ROOOOOAAAR!" it cried as it attempted to shake her off, but she held firm and, using her great strength, she twisted her weapon and plunged it even further into the monster's brain, sending it crashing back down before it turned to black soot.

"Alright, now to get to the lines."

Little did she know, but two Evilus had slowly snuck up on her, expecting her to defeat the Bloodsaurus, but knowing it was powerful enough to properly distract her.

They slunk closer and closer until they were too close to stop, then rushed forward, poisoned blades in hand.

Tsubaki had only enough time to turn to the new enemies before they were upon her.

"Die!" one of the Evilus cried as they both stabbed at her.

Tsubaki raised her arm and attempted to jump back, but it was too late and the daggers plunged into her forearm and gut, sending pain and poison into her body.

"Ugh," she groaned, before her eye narrowed and she snarled. "You think that'll take me down, punks!" She pulled her fist back and smashed into the one on her right, sending them bouncing across the battlefield. She turned to the other Evilus, who attempted to back away and make a run for it, only for Tsubaki to cut them in half, diagonally, with her naginata.

"Ugh," she groaned again as the poison went to work, sending her to her knees.

Shit that's some top tier poison…I need to get to the medics.

She tried to push herself to her feet, but found her legs unable to find the strength to move. Worse yet, several Hobgoblins were now heading straight for her, clubs in hand.

I am not dying to some Hobgoblins! She told herself as she finally forced herself to her feet and readied her naginata.

"Come and get some!" she bellowed.

"Rooooar!" they cried as they raised their clubs.

However, just as they were about to fall upon her, a new figure appeared behind the beasts and swung a flaming sword.

"Take this!" Kaios cried.

The first of the Hobgoblins was cut in half at the stomach and turned to dust. The others, hearing the cry, turned to the renard, but had little time to do much else as the foxman continued his assault.

The second and third Hobgoblin fell before they could muster a defense, but the fourth managed to counterattack, swinging its great club down in an attempt to crush the sly swordsman.

Kaios quickly dodged, then cut off the beast's head. However, just then the fifth Hobgoblin moved to strike him down from behind.

"Don't forget me ugly!"

Tsubaki, using her remaining strength, intercepted the monster and shoved her blade through its face.

"Guh," the Hobgoblin said before dropping its club and turning to dust.

"Ha…ha," Tsubaki huffed before dropping.

"Gotcha," Kaios declared as he caught her.

"Thanks for the help…foxy."

"My pleasure, beautiful," he replied.

Despite the situation, she chuckled.

"Not everyday…I get complimented."

"I'll be sure to compliment you more later, but for now, let's just you to the medics," Kaios stated.

"Not gonna…argue with…that."

---

"Mages! Aim for the Virga!" Raul ordered, pointing into the direction of the giant caterpillars which, even now, were barely being restrained by Bete. "Bete! Get out of there!" Raul called.

The werewolf, hearing the order, smashed one more Virga to ash before jumping back to the Loki familia.

"NOW!" Raul shouted.

A barrage of magic loosed upon the ill-prepared Virga who cried out as their bodies were obliterated by the spells.

"Good work! Keep up the barrage! Bete, we've got things here, keep the stronger monsters away from the frontlines!"

"This is the only time you get to order me around, pipsqueak," the Vanargand vowed before jumping off to fulfill his orders.

Believe me, it's as weird for me as it is for you, Raul thought. However, he and Bete both knew it was necessary. With all their executives busy fighting the 'bosses', it fell to Raul and Bete to keep order amongst their ranks.

Raul turned to the battle in the distance where he saw Finn, Gareth, and the other commanders battling the Demi-Reaper.

Don't worry, Captain, I'll hold the line here.

"Watch out!"

"Gah!"

"Run!"

Raul spun around and his eyes widened in horror.

"A Silver Worm?!"

The Deep Floor beast had cut a swath through the Loki familia, killing and maiming several of its members and, by the blood around its mouth, devouring at least one of them.

No way…we can't deal with this without the executives, the young man thought as he stared at the serpent just as its eyes fell upon him.

The Silver Worm launched at him at insane speeds, determined to devour him too. Raul raised his sword, but could not run as the fear of death had turned his legs to stone.

"Raaaaa!" Anakitty cried as she suddenly slammed into the snake's side, piercing its scales with her sword and knocking it off course.

The serpent slammed into the hill to Raul's left, sending up debris and snapping him back to reality.

"Ana!" he screamed as he rushed towards the monster.

The Silver Worm, enraged at the injury and being deprived of its meal, turned on Ana, who glared back at the creature.

"No one gets to hurt my boyfriend!"

The beast hissed before launching its great head at her. Once more it was deprived of its prey though, as Raul appeared and pulled Ana to safety.

"We need to run!"

"No! We can do this, Raul. I know we can."

The determination in her voice and her eyes startled him and in that brief moment, he felt his strength and courage return.

No, not return. Grow.

He smiled and quickly kissed her cheek before turning back to the Worm, which was glaring at them with vengeful eyes.

"Surround it! Archers, mages, aim for its eyes! No one attack it alone! Overwhelm it!" Raul ordered.

Quickly, the Loki familia surrounded the beast, which began to spin its head around as what it had previously thought of as nothing more than fresh meat, began to fight back.

"Loose!" the Loki commander called.

A flurry of missiles and spells launched at the serpent, striking it all over its body, making it cry out and flail around in pain.

"Stay back! Don't let its tail hit you!" Raul shouted over the battlefield as he pulled out his Noble Bow and took aim at its eye.

Come on, come on, he thought as he waited for the right moment.

Suddenly, a piercing whistle filled the air, turning all attention to Anakitty, who now stood before the Silver Worm, waving her arms.

What is she-?! Raul screamed in his mind, before seeing that the serpent had stopped moving to focus on the chienthrope. She's giving me a shot!

Taking aim once aim, Raul lined up his shot and, just before the serpent attacked his crazy brave girlfriend, he loosed his arrow.

A new whistling reached the Worm's ear just a split second before the arrow pierced its eye, sending agonizing pain shooting through its skull.

The serpent flailed about again before finally falling to the ground, its pain overwhelming its senses.

"Now's our chance! Frontline, attack!"

The Loki familia's melee troops cheered and charged.

They fell upon the downed Worm like a wolf upon a wounded deer. Swords, spears, axes, and knives pierced and cut the scales and flesh of the serpent, slowly but surely tearing it apart.

"Oh I'm not missing out on this!" Ana declared before rushing to join the onslaught.

"That's it! Finish it!" Raul called out.

"You heard him! Finish it!" Ana repeated.

The Loki familia all raised their weapons and prepared to plunge into the monster and finalize its victory. They were foolish to think it would be that easy.

The serpent, having waited for them to drop their guards, lashed out in the blink of an eye, hitting three Loki familia with its tail, smashing their bodies against the boulders around it and reducing them to broken corpses.

"What?!" Raul shouted as the snake rose and continued its counterattack, sending several more Loki familia flying and consuming another. "Get out of there! Get out of there! Archers! Mages! Give them cover!"

The ranged troops attempted to do just that, but the Worm, having had quite enough of them, grabbed a large stone with its tail and flung it at them, forcing them to dodge out the way or else be crushed.

"You bastard!" Ana screamed as she plunged her sword into the beast before running across its side, making it cry in pain. "No one gets to hurt my familia and get away with it!"

The serpent tried to smash her with its tail, but she evaded it and went on the attack again, just as a few of the archers managed to distract the monster.

Her sword pierced its belly, further expanding the pool of blood that the beast currently resided in. However, the Worm still lived and so, seeking to finish the monster, Ana jumped on top of its back and began to run towards its head. She was just about to reach its head when, suddenly, the snake rolled over, sending her tumbling off its body.

"What are you, a dog?" she questioned, "a trick like that won't-" her voice ended when a shadow fell upon her.

"Ana!"

The Silver Worm's tail slammed into her body from above, sending up dust and creating a crater with her body.

"ANA!" Raul cried as he ran straight for her.

The snake, seeing his prey running towards it, raised its head and opened its mouth, ready to consume him, only to be reminded of the other Loki familia as a new wave of magic and missiles slammed into its head and side, sending it tumbling to the ground.

"Ana! Ana, talk to me!" Raul cried as he looked down at the bloody and broken form of his girlfriend.

"R-Raul?" she replied weakly.

"It's going to be alright. It's going to be alright," he swore as he pulled out a potion and pressed it to her lips. Half of it spilled out, but her body did begin to heal, so he grabbed a second.

"Don't…waste them all," she said.

"It's not wasting! I need to save you! I…" his eyes filled with tears. "I have to save you."

A gentle hand cupped his cheek.

"I'm not going to die…silly. Not when I finally confessed to you. That would be such a waste. We haven't even had a proper date yet. I refuse to die until I get to spend a day with you on Amor Square."

He laughed, his eyes still full of his tears.

"We'll go. The moment we get back to the surface," he promised.

"Sounds like a...plan. I think I'll…need a catnap before that though," she joked. "A girl's got to have her beauty sleep before a big date."

He nodded.

"Then the day after."

"Deal," she agreed.

Her eyes closed, and for a moment, his heart stopped, but seeing her chest rising, he breathed a sigh of relief before quickly giving her the second potion.

"How do we stop this thing?!"

Raul turned back to the battle, finding his familia slowly being overwhelmed by the Silver Worm.

"I'll be right back, Ana," he said, kissing her forehead before standing up.

Sword in hand, Raul strode towards the Worm.

"You almost took her from me, you bastard. You have killed my familia. My comrades. My friends. I will not forgive you for that."

The snake, as if sensing the wrath of the adventurer, turned its scaly head to Raul and narrowed its remaining eye.

"Come on, you legless lizard. Come and lose the other one," the High Novice challenged.

The Silver Worm accepted his challenge and slithered at him at ludicrous speed, shooting its head at him like a ballista bolt.

Raul braced himself, but did not move an inch. A moment later, the serpent's head collided with his blade.

"Ugh," Raul grunted as he was dragged across the Dungeon, his bones creaking, cracking, and breaking under the force of the attack. Yet, he held on, even as his boots were torn apart and his armor dented and destroyed by debris, until, at last, he countered.

"RAAAA!" he bellowed, swinging his sword down and forcing the monster's head down, sending it crashing into the Dungeon floor.

Raul skidded to a stop a few paces away, filthy, disheveled, and with half his armor gone, but ready for battle.

The serpent raised and shook its head before turning in disbelief to the young adventurer.

"There's more where that came from, you undercooked noodle."

The Worm, enraged by all the injuries and insults it had suffered, raised its head again to strike down upon the prey-turned-nemesis, only for a mass of gray fur to come in and kick it straight in the face.

Raul blinked as the snake fell before turning to find Bete before him.

"You are nowhere near strong enough to start using one-liners, lover boy," the werewolf stated.

"I…I thought it was warranted," Raul responded.

"Tch. Reach level five and you can start pulling those lines out your ass. For now," Bete turned back to the serpent, which was rising up again, "let's finish this slithering eyesore."

Raul turned to their foe and nodded.

The two attacked, moving to either side of the beast, which shot its head between them, before deciding to finish off its nemesis then deal with this new challenger. However, the moment it turned its gaze, Bete jumped and kicked its head again, sending it tumbling to the ground.

Raul was not far behind and was soon running his blade through the monster's side, just as Ana had, creating a new pond of blood and gore on the battlefield.

The Worm began to flay its tail to keep the adventurers away, forcing them to retreat.

"We need to finish this and get back to the others," Raul stated.

"No duh," Bete replied. "Got an idea how?"

"Actually…I have one."

The Silver Worm picked itself up, but it knew it was on its last legs. It had to finish its fight now and retreat to heal its wounds.

The knowledge that it had so grievously suffered filled it with new rage and it was more determined than ever to kill the little adventurers who dared wound it so. Luckily, the two were headed straight for it.

Raul and Bete watched as the Worm raised its head for another strike. Finally, with a frenzied hiss, it struck.

"NOW!"

The two suddenly stopped and Raul jumped with his feet pointed towards Bete, who stood behind him. The werewolf then used a double-kick to launch the Novice straight at the incoming serpent.

Raul, with sword pointed straight ahead, shot like a lightning bolt at the snake, who had no time to dodge or even think before Raul's blade pierced its scales, the back of its mouth, brain, and finally the back of its skull.

The Silver Worm, now with a giant hole in its head, lasted just a moment longer before disappearing.

"Would you look at that, his crazy idea worked," Bete noted as he made his way over to Raul.

"Yuck," Raul complained as he looked over his bloody body. "I suppose I should have realized how messy it would be."

"Yeah, you should have. Though," Bete smirked. "You remind me of Cranel back when he was a small fry. Maybe I should call you, 'Tomato Kid', now."

"Please don't."

The sounds of battle and destruction reached their ears and reminded them of the current situation.

"Let's get back," the High Novice said.

"Yeah."

---

"This is insanity," Leanna stated as tore through monsters with her daggers.

"There is no point in complaining, sister, for the insanity is only going to continue," Laura replied, her blood-red eyes turning to the horde that seemed to go on forever.

Leanna's undead eyes turned to the mass of claw, tooth, and wrath and her frown deepened.

"Ah!"

The two vampires turned and found one of the Thor familia mages they were guarding suddenly fall down. They were terribly confused, as were the other Thor members, but that confusion turned to alarm as another mage cried out and suddenly collapsed.

Leanna and Laura rushed over to them as the Thor familia tried finding out what was happening, only for yet another adventurer to shriek and fall.

"What's going on?!" an adventurer screamed.

Leanna eyed the adventurers.

They've all gone pale and are sweating profusely.

"They've been poisoned," she deduced.

"What? How?" another Thor member asked.

"Question later. Get them to the healers," Leanna ordered.

The Thor familia quickly did as ordered, picking up their comrades before fleeing from the unknown assailant.

Laura watched them go, when she felt something crawling on her leg. She looked down and found a bone white spider on her lithe limb a moment before it bit her.

"Well," she said, grabbing her sister's attention as she shot down and grabbed the creature, making sure not to squish it, "I found the source."

"A spider?" Leanna questioned

"And a familiar," Laura added before meeting the spider's eyes. "Too bad for you that we vampires are immune to poison. One of the positives of not having a heartbeat. Now," her scarlet eyes suddenly began to glow, "why don't you tell me who sent you and, more importantly, where I can find them."

---

"Hahahaha, now this is a proper battle! True, unrestrained slaughter!" Argana laughed, gleefully tearing apart monsters and the occasional Evilus member.

"Argana, if you keep going all out and don't hold formation, you and all the rest of us are going to die," Bache stated, watching her sister warily.

Argana stopped and turned, her own eyes narrowing into a glare.

"You've changed, Bache. You've become weak. Sentimental," she closed the distance between them, casually cutting a minotaur in half with an ax she took from an Evilus. "Your desire for that rabbit dragon boy has made you also desire the soft life. To be a weakling hiding behind others, instead of a conqueror."

"I am just as strong now as I was when I met Bell."

"Are you?" Argana placed herself almost nose-to-nose with her sister, staring directly into the other amazon's eyes, headless of the battle, before pulling back and shaking her head. "No. I can see it. The weakness. The desire for an easy life. It's disgusting," she turned away from Bache. "Once we get back up to the surface, if you make it, I'm going to kill you myself."

The Kali captain then jumped back into the fray, leaving her co-captain and sister to replay the words in her mind.

And she meant every word, Bache knew.

She did not have long to dwell on the threat though as, out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed two pale figures rushing to somewhere far behind enemy lines.

Aren't those two members of the Hades familia? She asked.

Something told her that, wherever they were going she needed to follow if they were to come out victorious. As such, she was soon following after them, tearing through any foolish monster that happened to be in her path.

---

"Good my beloved pets. Well done," Shiro said out loud as reports from her spiders came in. Her spiders were proving very effective, poisoning the ranged units and turning the tide evermore in the Evilus's favor. However, she had only sent a fraction of her pets towards this task, as she was primarily focused on finding her target of vengeance.

"Where are you, Ais Wallenstein?" she hissed.

A whistling sound caught her attention and the spider-woman had barely enough time to prevent a dagger from crashing into her skull. As it was, the dagger cut her cheek wide open and she growled in pain, before turning her the source of the weapon.

"You're quick," Leanna coolly said as she and her sister appeared.

"You're members of the Hades familia," she recognized.

"Indeed we are. And in case you're curious how we found you," Laura held up their captive spider, "she told us everything," the vampire revealed before squishing the familiar.

Shiro's eyes screamed murder and she pulled out her scythe.

"You two foolish bitches hhave both made the last couple of mistakes of your lives."

A second later the Evilus member and the vampires charged.

The vampiric twins split apart, aiming to attack the spider-woman from two sides, but Shiro was unimpressed.

"Do you fools think that will be enough to overwhelm me?" the Evilus asked as she spun her scythe around her body, forcing them back.

She's stronger and faster than us. Much stronger and faster, Leanna telepathically said to her sister.

Then we will have to rely on superior tactics and coordination, Laura replied.

Shiro, unaware of their internal conversation, attacked, aiming for Laura to avenge her pet. She closed the distance in the blink of an eye, but when she moved to bifurcate the pale woman, two wings sprouted from the blonde's back, which she used to shoot backwards to safety.

The Evilus's spider was prepared to charge after the vampire, when she heard the distinct sound of flapping and rushing wind behind her. She had barely enough time to dodge to the side, before Leanna was upon her. The second vampire twin had rushed at Shiro's open back using her own wings, her dagger aiming for the spider woman's heart. She missed her intended target, but Shiro did not leave unscathed as Leanna tore open her side.

"You wretched bitch," Shiro hissed, spinning her scythe around to smash Leanna's temple, sending the vampire soaring across the battlefield, this time without the need of her wings.

Shiro was not about to let her off so easily and moved to attack again, only to see, out of the corner of her eye, something red. She turned and watched as her own blood was pulled from her open wound, formed a point, hardened, then shot back into her ribcage.

"Aah!" she cried before quickly smashing the dagger. "Blood magic."

"That's right," Laura stated, dropping her hand.

The Evilus member turned to direct her ire at Laura, only to begin choking as a trickle of her blood wrapped around her neck and tightened into a noose.

"We've learned all sorts of interesting ways to use our opponent's blood against them," Leanna said as she returned to the fight.

Shiro growled before smashing the noose.

"I grow tired of these party tricks," she stated before her eyes flashed.

Laura and Leanna's vampiric ears picked up the sound of hundreds of feet and soon saw a horde of spiders heading towards them both.

The two flapped their wings, sending many of the arachnids smashing into the rocks, but it was not enough and soon, dozens were jumping towards the vampires. Both Leanna and Laura managed to use their daggers and superhuman speed to cut the arachnids to pieces in the air, but in doing so, left themselves open to attack from elsewhere.

Leanna suffered first, with Shiro appearing in front of her, contemptuous eyes boring into the vampire's before her scythe came around to take off her head. Leanna barely had time to pull back and could not entirely save herself even with her speed and reflexes. Her mouth was torn open by the scythe, revealing the teeth within, several of which were torn away along with her flesh, including her vampiric fangs.

"AAAAAH!" she screamed.

"Leanna!" Laura cried and she moved to attack the Evilus woman, but stopped when a shadow appeared over her.

A giant spider, twice as tall as the vampire twin, now loomed over her, and before she could react, one of its gruesome legs struck down, impaling her at the intersection of her neck and shoulder.

"AAAAAH!" Laura screamed, her agonizing cry a perfect match for her sister, before the monster lifted her and threw her across the battlefield like discarded rubbish.

Leanna's situation had not improved. As Laura became the plaything of Shiro's pet, Shiro herself twirled her weapon around and impaled it through the blood-drinker's gut and out her back.

"Still having fun?" Shiro spat, before lifting Leanna up and smashing her back on the stone ground, causing Leanna to spit up a wad of blood. Shiro was hardly done though as she then began to drag the still impaled vampire across the Dungeon, which soon looked like a plowed field, at least if the plow was a scythe and the water was vampiric blood.

Finally, Shiro deposited her prey on the ground.

Leanna coughed up more blood, only to then have her head smashed into the ground by Shiro's foot.

"Pathetic leech," the spider woman raised her scythe.

Laura cried out as the giant spider pinned her limbs to the ground with its own, piercing flesh, muscle, and bone with its long, steel-hard legs. The beast then raised a fifth and final leg, aiming for her heart.

So this is how our immortal lives end, Laura thought.

The spider's eyes suddenly turned up and a split second later, a tanned leg shot straight through the beast, splatting its guts across the ground.

"What?!" Shiro spun around and watched as Bache closed the distance between them, pulled back her fist, then crashed said fist directly into Shiro's skull.

As Shiro flew across the Dungeon, Bache turned to Leanna.

"Here," she said, getting on her knee and bringing a potion to Leanna's torn open mouth.

Leanna drank it as best as she could with her wounded mouth, then sat up.

"You're that Kali familia woman," she said.

"Familias are of little consequence right now," Bache replied.

Leanna nodded and, to her relief, she found her sister running over to them, a potion vial discarded behind her.

"How strong is she?" Bache asked.

"Very," Laura answered, "and she can summon spiders, as you saw."

"Some of which are attacking and poisoning our ranged troops and mages," Leanna added.

Bache nodded.

"We must go all out. We can't waste time here."

"Right. But don't kill her. I need to do something with her first," Leanna stated, getting a nod from Bache.

Laura helped her sister up and the three faced Shiro who was rushing back towards them with murder in her eyes.

The three allies counter-charged, Bache moving to meet Shiro head on, while the two sisters moved to surround her in a pincer.

Shiro swung her scythe, but Bache managed to duck under the swing and then sprung up to uppercut the Evilus member, lifting her a few inches off the ground. This opened the way for the vampires to attack. Leanna used her dagger to cut open Shiro's leg, while Laura opened her side.

Shiro hissed in pain, and when she landed, she spun on her heel to cut the two in half, only for Bache to attack her exposed back and send two kidney punches directly into her back.

The spider-woman's breath shot from her lungs and the Hades twins, seeing another chance, charged her again, Laura cutting off one of her arms below the elbow this time, while Leanna plunged her dagger hilt deep into the creature's hip.

Shiro raised her one remaining arm, which held her scythe, hoping to at least strike down Leanna, when Bache, who was still behind her, grabbed the arm, then shattered the elbow with a well-placed strike. The amazon captain then wrapped the Evilus soldier in a chokehold, shattered both her knees and forced her to her knees.

"I'll kill you a-!" Shiro tried to say, only to lose her voice as Leanna suddenly cupped her face.

"Silence," Leanna commanded as her eyes flashed.

Shiro's jaw dropped and some of the light left her eyes, but her fist managed to clench. Leanna, noting that her prey was still resisting, grabbed her dagger and twisted it, thus destroying the last of Shiro's resistance.

"Glamor," Laura explained to the confused Bache, "a trick of us vampires. Allows us to turn someone into our thrall," seeing Bache's unease, she continued, "It only works on the weak-willed or those in a weakened state," she gestured towards Shiro.

"I would prefer you not reveal all our secrets, sister," Leanna said.

"She saved our lives, I figured an explanation was the least we could do."

Leanna did not reply, deciding instead to focus on the task at hand.

"You control all your spiders?" she asked Shiro.

"Yes," Shiro replied with all the emotion of a statue.

"Can you order them to kill themselves?"

One final flash of resistance shot through Shiro's eyes before it disappeared into darkness.

"Yes."

"Good. Order them to kill themselves."

Shiro's eyes flashed.

"Done."

"Good. Now," she moved Bache's arms, "you owe me a new face."

She opened her mouth wide then plunged down upon Shiro's neck, draining the Evilus woman of the last of her blood before depositing the even paler corpse upon the ground.

"Pah. Horrible vintage," Leanna said as her face began to regenerate, "but I suppose beggars can't be choosers," she said, as she patted her cheeks to ensure they were there.

"We should hurry back, the battle still rages," Bache stated, eager to move on from all she had seen and learned.

The vampire twins of the Hades familia nodded and the three rushed back to the Expedition.

---

Daphne tore through the three Imps before her, but she could not savor her victory for even a moment as the onslaught continued.

"Will you guys just screw off!" she screamed as she twirled around to kill the Imp that attempted to attack her from behind.

Two arrows whizzed by her and embedded in the forehead of two Orcs that were rushing to clobber the fencer.

"Save your energy for fighting," Naaza told her, "we can't waste even a single movement or…" she unleashed an arrow, piercing the heart of a distant Silverback that was about to smash an amazon into the dirt, "we'll all be annihilated."

"I…I know that," Daphne replied as that somber fact cooled her temper, "it's just…"

"Too much. I know. That's why we must keep our heads and protect each other," her captain firmly, yet gently stated. "So that we can all return home. Together."

Daphne met Naaza's eyes and the Miach captain smiled, before unleashing another flurry of arrows.

It would have been cool to join the Hestia familia, but, the Laurus Fuga smiled, am I glad that I joined this familia.

She turned back to the battle and rushed back in, cutting through a Lamia Mormos that was aiming for Lena.

"Thanks cutie! I'll be sure to repay the favor!" Lena cried, beaming like a loveable fool before rushing back into the fray and smashing an Orc's skull in.

"Amazons," Daphne sighed.

Her attention was snapped back to reality as a small barrage of fire rushed towards her.

Dodging to the side, Daphne avoided a painful, crispy experience and turned her eyes towards the three Hellhounds not far away that were already gearing up for another barrage.

"Oh no you don't!" she bellowed, charging the beasts.

Two of the monsters cut off their fire and rushed to meet her, only for the swordswoman to cut through both of them, sending blood and fur splattering onto the ground, before moving onto the third.

The last Hellhound managed to loose its fireball at the incoming adventurer, but Daphne gracefully dodged the flames then cut off the top of the beast's head.

She barely had time to catch her breath when a group of Needle Rabbit attacked.

The first, which came from her right, jumped to impale her skull with its horn, but Daphne, which her great agility, managed to grab its horn in the air, then spun on her heel, dodging the second Needle Rabbit as she did so, and threw the first at one of the rabbits attacking her from behind. The third vicious bunny was unprepared for the sudden action and was struck by the body of its brethren. The first Needle Rabbit was far worse off, as it was impaled on the third's horn and burst into black smoke a moment later.

For all her skill and agility though, Daphne could not counter or dodge everything and it was the fourth Needle Rabbit that managed to score a hit, impaling her left shoulder with its horn.

"Agh!" she cried before stabbing it with her sword, destroying it.

She turned to the second rabbit, which had corrected itself, and went on the offensive jumping at the adventurer. She sliced it in half midjump, before turning to the third and final monster.

The final Needle Rabbit had only just managed to stand up after the bunny-ball to the face, when Daphne punted it across the battlefield, sending it crashing into a distant boulder.

Daphne's breath was ragged now and she looked down at her wound. It was bleeding heavily and she knew she wouldn't be able to go on if it wasn't healed. As such, she took out one of her potions and downed it before taking a deep breath and turning back to the fight.

Her heart stopped.

Before her loomed one of the giant scorpions that had been unleashed on Orario, only this one seemed even bigger and, with the blood on its claws and tail, even more monstrous.

"Daphne, get out of there!" Naaza cried in the distance.

Daphne had barely enough time to jump back before the monster's tail came crashing down on the stop she had so recently occupied, sending rock and debris into her face.

She tumbled backwards, barely managing to right herself before the monster's bloody claw smashed into her torso.

"Gah!"

Spit and blood shot from her mouth as her ribcage was obliterated and she was sent soaring across the Dungeon.

"Daphne!" Cassandra, who, hearing the desperate way her captain had called out, had looked up, only to watch as her best friend was smashed to pieces.

Daphne skipped across the Dungeon and landed with the grace of a dropped sack of potatoes, face down in the dirt.

"Aaaah," she groaned as blood dribbled from her mouth and her body screamed.

The scorpion, being experienced enough to know that it needed to ensure its enemy was dead, rushed to finish her off, tail and claws raised to tear the fencer asunder.

Daphne felt the rumbling of its approach and managed to turn her head just enough to see it running straight for her.

Tears filled her eyes as realization dawned on her.

I'm about to die.

The scorpion raised its tail.

Then, just within range of Daphne's eyes, she saw her captain above and behind the beast, bow raised and eyes burning.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" The Miach familia captain roared, unleashing her arrow.

The missile crashed into the back of the monster's skull, breaking bone and turning its brain to mush, before shooting out its face and embedding into the rock a few paces away from Daphne's head.

The great insect collapsed and burst into smoke just as Naaza landed.

Daphne, in pain and barely able to breathe, couldn't help but smile.

That was pretty cool, Captain. Yeah…I picked the right familia.

Naaza ran towards Daphne, intent on bringing her to the healers.

"Don't worry Daphne, you'll be alright."

She should have been worried about herself.

"NAAZA!" Cassandra screamed.

Another Giant Scorpion suddenly appeared beside the chientrhope and, before Naaza could do anything, it grabbed her right leg with its claw.

"Aaah!" Naaza screamed.

This was only the beginning of her torment though, as the scorpion dragged her up into the air by her leg, then smashed her, face first, into the ground not far from Daphne.

No! The downed fencer screamed in her mind as she tried desperately to get up.

The scorpion raised Naaza again and smashed her down again, this time on her back. Then, as blood dripped down Naaza's abused body, it used its razor-sharp claw to cut off her leg.

Naaza's eyes widened, as if her body and mind could not understand what it was feeling, before looking down at her bleeding stump. Then it hit her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Naaza's scream shook the Dungeon and her eyes, crazed with pain and fear as her trauma replayed before her very eyes, filled with tears.

"NO! NO! Not again!" Naaza cried as she grabbed what was left of her right leg.

Lost to the world as she was now, Naaza did not see the scorpion raise its tail.

"NAAZA!" Cassandra cried.

"Hey asshole!"

The scorpion turned just in time to watch Aisha cut off its tail.

The monster screamed as Aisha landed then, with burning eyes, she jumped and used her sword to cut it in two.

The other amazons landed around her and quickly moved to rescue the wounded Miach familia.

"We got you. We got you, cutie" Lena said as she and the others gently picked up the both of them and headed towards Cassandra and the healers.

Aisha, for her part, picked up Naaza's severed leg and rushed to join them.

---

"Naaza. Daphne," Cassandra cried as her gravely wounded comrades were placed down.

"Cry later, Cassandra. They need you," Aisha stated, placing the leg down next to Naaza.

Cassandra, glassy-eyed, turned to the amazon, then nodded, wiping away her tears and snot so that she could begin saving them.

"We need to keep the monsters off the healers," Aisha declared.

"Easier said than done. Our lines are thinning by the second," Samira pointed out.

"Then we'll just have to fight harder, or have you suddenly gone soft on me, Samira?" Aisha questioned.

The amazon smiled, as did the others.

"Not even a little bit," she attested.

"Good, then let's tear these guys new set of assholes," Aisha commanded.

"Glad to see your time with the virgin goddess and bunny boy hasn't made you any less kinky," the Bite said, her smile turning playful.

"Are you kidding, it's made me worse due to being so pent-up, which is why I'm going to vent all my frustration out on these bastards," the Antianeaira returned before rushing back into the horde.

"There's the Aisha we know and love!" Lena cheered before she and all the others rushed in after her.

Aisha spear-headed a charge through the horde of monsters, using her Great Padao Zaga to cut through two Minotaurs before moving on to her next prey.

Together, the amazons cut a swath of destruction all around the Expedition, providing them some desperately needed breathing room.

"Loose!" Aisha heard being called in the distance. A moment later, missiles and spells upon the monsters, obliterating hundreds of them and causing a resounding cheer from the Expedition.

"That's more like it!" Aisha cried. "Come on, let's finish these weak little shits and claim our rewards!"

The former Ishtar familia cheered and charged at the incoming monsters, ready for anything.

Or so they thought. In fact, this was the last time they would all be able to fight together.

---

Sharay tore two Almiraj apart, beaming with amazonian battle glee when she saw a Ligerfang in the distance.

"I'm going to turn your fur into a coat!" she declared as she prepared to charge. "Huh?" she turned as she sensed something next to her.

Her brow furrowed as she took in the sight of a Crystal Mantis glaring at her. However, this one was different from any she had seen before, for instead of being a colorful creature that captured the eye, it was entirely black, its shadowy gems seeming to consume the light around it, rather than reflect it.

The monster suddenly charged and she was shocked by its speed, barely having enough time to dodge out of the way.

"What the hell?"

The insect quickly turned around and charged again, but this time she was ready and moved to meet it.

The Mantis raised its spear-like legs and prepared to impale her, but she preempted it by jumping up and punching it square in the face.

The beast fell back as she landed.

"Ugh," she groaned as she looked at her fist. The bone felt broken and her skin was bruised and torn. "Since when are you guys so tough?"

She turned back to the giant bug, only for her eyes to widen again as she found it was already attacking her again, its leg aiming for her skull.

Acting on reflex, Sharay caught the leg, but was forced to her knees by the force of it.

"Ugh. You…little prick. I'm going to-"

A second leg fell upon her and impaled her just above her breast.

"Ah," she gasped, her wide eyes staring at the limb embedded into her torso.

Her hands dropped, allowing the first leg to pierce her sternum and forced her to the ground.

"AAAAAAAH!" Sharay screamed as the double-dose of pain shot through every veins.

The Berbera, hearing the scream, all shot around.

"Sharay!" Aisha and the others screamed as they rushed to her.

Samira was the first to reach the monster and with a bellow, she jumped into the air.

"You fucking bug!" she roared as she kicked it, sending the beast crashing to a nearby boulder. The remaining Ishtar familia jumped on the beast and tore it apart while Aisha ran over to Sharay.

"I can't believe I…lost to a bug," Sharay whispered as blood poured from her mouth.

"Don't talk, just drink," Aisha tried to give her a potion.

"It's too late," Sharay told her as her eyes began to darken.

"No," Aisha denied, trying again to give her companion the potion, but Sharay merely smiled at her.

"Sorry I tried…to take Bell…from you…Aisha. He was just…too…cute."

With that, Sharay closed her eyes and departed the world.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Sharay. He really is too cute to resist," Aisha replied before gently setting her friend down and kissing the top of her forehead.

Samira, who was watching from just behind Aisha, clenched her fists and focused back on the monster horde.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

Samira ran straight into the horde, uncaring of her life or limb, desiring only to punish those who took a member of her family from her.

The other Berbera were not far behind and soon the former Ishtar familia was rampaging through the beastial lines killing everything in their path.

"Die! DIE! DIIIIIEEE!" Samira screamed with all her wrath.

The slaughter continued and more monsters fell to the amazonian fury. However, even the vengeful rage of the warrior women of the Pleasure District could not overcome wave after wave of monsters, especially not ones backed by Evilus members.

A spectral spear suddenly shot from the distance, piercing Fallujah's leg, making her scream.

"What?!" Samira cried as she saw another comrade fall. She began to search for the source of the spell, finally finding an Evilus member some ways away preparing a volley of ghost-like weapons.

"Raaaaaa!" the amazon bellowed as she rushed towards the outlaw, intent on tearing his head off. However, between her and her target was dozens, if not hundreds of monsters, all of whom were just as eager to kill her as she was to kill the mage.

"Get out of my way!" she roared, tearing through a Ligerfang, then a Minotaur, before smashing the skulls of two Imps together.

A specter sword shot past her, narrowly missing her throat and she refocused on the spellcaster who proceeded to send one weapon after another at her.

Samira dodged an incoming spear, then a spinning ax. She used an Needle Rabbit to take a flying sword, but she failed to see another spear heading towards her before it pierced her shoulder.

"BASTARD!" she bellowed as she tore the spear out, only for a Battle Boar to smash into her side, shattering her arm and ribs and sending her bouncing across the Dungeon.

"Samira!" her companions cried.

The remaining amazons, including Aisha, rushed to her, but there was still a small army of monsters between them and their fellow Berbera.

"Ugh. Piece of shit," Samira groaned as she got up and eyed the Boar, which was snorting as it prepared for another charge. "Come on then, piggy. Mama wants some bacon."

The Boar accepted the challenge and charged, Samira counter-charging a moment later.

"Raaaa!" the amazon cried as they closed in on each other. However, at the last moment, she jumped, spinning over the monster, which attempted to gore her, and landing behind it. As it skidded to a stop, Samira rushed in, flattening her hand into a spearpoint and shoving it into the boar's side.

The beast bellowed as her hand entered its side and grabbed its magic stone.

"Guess who's a ham dinner, piggy!" Samira cried before ripping out the stone, causing the Boar to explode. "You."

She dropped the stone and turned back to her original target, the Evilus mage, who was preparing another wave of spells.

"Time for you to die," she growled.

She ran straight for the spellcaster once again, but this time, focused only on him, dodging the monsters and his spells until she was only a few paces away.

Suddenly, a pair of Minotaurs appeared between her and the mage.

"Like that's going to stop me!" she roared before jumping as high as she could into the air.

She soared over the bulls and regained her view of the mage.

The Evilus member, though shocked at seeing her soar over the monsters, quickly turned his spells up towards her and unleashed them.

She twirled in the air thus dodging the first two weapons, but in her current position, she could not dodge them all and soon a spectral sword impaled her through her stomach.

Pain shot through every corner of her body as she descended towards her enemy who, she could see, was smiling.

"I'm not dead yet, you little prick!"

The Evilus mage immediately lost his smile and his face soon contorted into a look of horror as he realized that Samira was still closing in.

"Take it like a man!" she roared as she fell upon him.

Her fist collided with his face with such force that his head spun around, and Samira heard a 'crack' before both she and the mage's corpse fell upon the ground.

"Told you I was going to kill you," she mocked as blood poured from her stomach.

Around her, the monsters moved in to feed upon her flesh and she closed her eyes.

Suppose I always knew it was going to end like this, she thought.

"Samira!"

She opened her eyes just in time to see her former familia destroy the monsters around her.

"You're a damn fool," Aisha said as she slowly brought her former subordinate into her arms.

"Can't really…" Samira coughed up a wad of blood, "argue with that."

Lena pulled out a potion, but Samira weakly held up a hand.

"Save it. It's going to…" she began coughing again, "take more than that, and you'll need…as many potions as you can. Don't waste…it on a corpse."

"Samira," Lena said as her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey…no tears. There's worse ways to go," the dying amazon consoled. "But I expect the rest of you to make it out of here…alive. Too many of the…Ishtar familia have fallen already."

The amazons, those that weren't fighting off the surrounding monsters, nodded with tears in their eyes.

"And you," she pointed at Aisha, "you'd better get that bunny butt," she commanded with a bloody smile. "I didn't get a romp in the sack with his papa, so I expect you to avenge me by devouring that bunny like a proper lioness."

Aisha, a tear slowly descending down her cheek, nodded.

"Promise."

"Good," Samira said before her head fell back and her soul headed to Heaven.

Aisha's hand tightened around her friend, before she lifted one to close Samira's eyes.

"We need to get back to the others," she stated as she lifted the fallen Samira's body.

"We can help with that!"

Suddenly, Anya, Chloe, and Lunoire all appeared, destroying the monsters around them and opening the path back to the Expedition.

"We need to get back quickly. The line is cracking and we need all the help we can get," Lunoire told them before smashing an Imp with her fist.

Aisha and the amazons nodded and they all retreated back to the lines which, as the waitress had said, were beginning to buckle and crack under the relentless assault.

---

The Hostess girls escorted the amazons back, fighting through monsters and beasts of all shapes and sizes before reaching their lines.

It's gotten even worse, Lunoire thought as she looked over what remained of the Expedition. "We need to split up and fill in the gaps," she said to her friends.

"I'll join the Hestia familia," Anya said seriously.

"I'll fill in the gap left by the Miach familia," Chloe stated.

"Then I'll stay with the amazons. Go!"

The two cat girls ran off, leaving Lunoire with the amazons.

She looked over the Berbera and could feel the misery radiating off them.

It's never easy to lose comrades, she thought as her eyes fell to the two bodies now placed with the other fallen adventurers. There were dozens of them now, and it seemed impossible for them to escape the Dungeon without losing at least half of their Expedition. No, the bounty-hunter-turned-waitress thought as her fists tightened, it's not impossible, she faced the monster horde, not if I fight like hell.

"Too many people have died for you assholes. I won't let you take anymore without a fight," she smashed her gauntlets together then attacked.

Her first target was a Dungeon Worm trying to eat a pair of amazons.

"Take this!" she cried before she smashed its head.

The worm dealt with, she turned on a Wyvern. The draconian beast noticed her coming and attempted to strike her with its tail, but she easily spun over its attack then broke its spine with a single fist blow.

A Silverback appeared and attempted to crush her with its fist, but the waitress casually raised her arms to block the blow.

"You'll have to do better than that, monkey-boy," she said aloud before forcing the ape's arm back. As it flailed backwards, she punched it in the gut, making it bend over, before smashing her fist into its chin, sending its head flying backwards and breaking its neck.

A roar caught her attention and in the distance, she found a Mammoth Fool heading straight for her.

"Alright," she said as she lowered into a squat, "bring it on, big guy."

The Mammoth charged forward, recklessly killing smaller monsters that happened to be in its path, as it aimed its tusks at Lunoire.

The waitress waited for the right moment and then, in the blink of an eye, caught the Mammoth's tusks.

"Ugh," she groaned as the beast pushed her back.

Stone scraped against the waitress's feet and thighs as the ground gave way behind her, yet still she held on until, at last, the Mammoth's charge was stopped.

"My turn," she grinned. She secured her hands on the tusks, shifted her feet, then with a roar, she lifted the entire monster off the ground, spun it around, then threw it back towards the horde.

Those around her watched in amazement as the Mammoth flew, but Lunoire knew her impressive toss wouldn't be enough to kill it, so she jumped after the hairy beast, cocked her fist back, then punched it with all her might, sending it shooting down into the monster's below, killing several of them under its mass before it burst into nothingness.

Lunoire landed and looked for another target when, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw something incoming.

Rolling to the side, she barely managed to avoid being roasted as several Firebirds, evidently not liking her slaughter of their monstrous kin, decided to take her out and began to launch streams of fire at her.

She dodged this way and that, but knew something had to change or she would eventually be hit.

Just then, an arrow caught one of the bird's in the eye, killing it, while a spell did likewise with another bird.

"Give her cover!" Raul called over the battlefield.

A moment later, two tanned figures ran past the waitress.

"We're still here, cutie," Aisha said as she and Lena ran past.

Lunoire watched as Aisha lifted the smaller amazon then threw her at the Firebird, which was unprepared for a human missile and was promptly destroyed.

Aisha ran off to ensure Lena got back safely, leaving Lunoire alone again, a fact which was quickly taken advantage of by a Hobgoblin leading group of its smaller brethren.

Lunoire rushed to engage the Hobgoblin and tried to smash its skull with her fist, however it blocked the blow with its arms, though it was sent aback by the strike.

The waitress was prevented from pressing her attack by the other goblins, which numbered over a dozen, all of whom attacked her at once.

She dodged the first attack, then smashed the second and third goblin. The next few came at her too quickly to counter, so she ducked and weaved her way to safety and prepared to counter-attack. Before she could, however, the Hobgoblin returned and clotheslined her.

"Agh," Lunoire grunted as she tumbled backwards. She managed to quickly right herself and deal with two goblins that moved to finish her, but that left her open to the Hobgoblin again, which shot a kick towards her temple. She brought her arms up to block, but in her current position she was unable to resist the force of the attack and was sent tumbling once again.

"Now I'm mad," she said as picked herself up, her eyes immediately finding the Hobgoblin.

Pushing herself off the ground, Lunoire shot straight towards the Middle Floors monster, destroying two more goblins on her way there. She cocked her fist back and the Hobgoblin raised its arms to protect itself. However, at the last moment, Lunoire spun around behind it and used her other fist to smash the back of its skull, destroying it.

The Hobgoblin dealt with, Lunoire turned her focus on the lesser Goblins and quickly dispatched them.

"Ha…ha," she huffed, "alright, who's-AH!"

A Goblin that had been slowly sneaking up on the adventurer finally struck, stabbing a sharp rock into the back of her knee.

Lunoire fell to her other knee and the Goblin raised its improved weapon, but didn't get the chance to use it as the waitress grabbed its head then smashed it on the rocks below.

"Shit," she growled before taking out a potion. "I was hoping to save this for something more serious but," she downed it, "I can't be stingy right now."

Her knee healed, the former bounty hunter rushed back into the fray.

---

Chloe parried the sword with her dagger, then cut the Evilus's throat with her blade.

"You bitch!" another roared before attempting to cut her to pieces with their own daggers.

Chloe easily dodged the attacks then casually threw her knife into their foot, making them cry out and drop their defenses. She quickly grabbed their head and twisted it around, snapping their neck, then grabbed her knife.

You bastards don't deserve mercy. I've done some bad things in my life, but nothing compared to the horrors you've unleashed, she thought as she turned her eyes to the remaining Evilus. And you're going to pay for it all.

She attacked, aiming for the two Evilus guarding their mages, which were unleashing spells at the pinned down Expedition.

The one on her left carrying a warhammer moved to meet her, but just as they were about to meet, she threw a second knife into their skull, ending their life before they knew what happened.

The second Evilus rushed forward, swinging their scimitar as they attempted to behead the waitress assassin.

Chloe leaned back, letting the blade casually pass by her throat, before sending a knife jab at their eye. Her enemy managed to dodge the blow before attempting to cut through her side. Chloe casually parried this before shoving her knife up under their chin and into their brain.

The body dropped, allowing Chloe to turn to the mages, but the moment she took a step towards them, the ground below her began to glow.

Wha-?!

A magic mine exploded, sending Chloe into the air, before she crashed back down.

"Ow," she groaned as she slowly lifted herself up. Her eyes turned to her leg, which was heavily damaged by the explosion.

"Lightning Snake!"

Her head shot back to the Evilus mages, one of whom had just shot a spell at her.

"Shit!" Chloe cried, bringing her arm up to block.

The spell struck her knife, sending its electric tendrils throughout her body and rendering her arm useless.

Crap! She thought as her arm fell and the Evilus mages prepared more spells.

Thinking quickly, she pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it down. The mages shot their spells, but it was too late as the former assassin managed to get away.

Hiding behind a rock, Chloe pulled out a potion and downed it. As she waited for her leg to heel an Imp tried to attack her, but she threw a knife into its head, killing it and allowing her time to think.

Alright, what to do. What to do. Hmmmnya.

The mages watched and waited for the catgirl to reappear. Suddenly, several smoke bombs were suddenly flung over a nearby rock and exploded all around.

"Shit! Back-up, she's going to use the smoke for cov-"

The Evilus's words ended when a knife flew through the smoke and went through their mouth.

Thanks for making it easy for me, Chloe thought as her ears twitched.

The last two mages, terrified by their comrade's death and the unseen enemy, moved to run for their lives, but that was when Chloe burst from the smoke, tackling them both to the ground and embedding her daggers into their spines.

Now you can't hurt anyone else, she thought, looking down upon her slain foes. "Also," she rummaged through their bags and pulled out their potions, "you won't be needing these."

---

"You're really annoying, nya!" Anya cried as she attempted to stab the Troll with her spear.

The monster batted away her attack with its greatsword, before attempting to cleave her. She easily dodged and managed to cut its arm, but that only seemed to enrage it more and swung its sword again, forcing her back.

"Grrr," she growled before killing several Needle Rabbits that had mistakenly thought she was too distracted to notice them. "Syr better pamper me good for all this trouble. And I definitely get to some bunny butt grabs along with Chloe when this is over!" she vowed before going on the attack again.

The Troll attempted to cut her in half at the waist, but the catgirl slunk to the ground, let the giant sword sweep over her, before jumping back up and thrusting her golden spear through its knee.

The monster groaned and fell to its knee, but as Anya moved in for the kill, it suddenly struck out, forcing her to block with her spear, though the strength of the beast was enough to send her back.

More Goblins came running at her and she quickly dispatched them, but as she turned back to the Troll, she noticed the Goblins' bodies did not dissipate, but began to grow and glow.

"Oh nyoo!"

The Exploding Goblins lived up to their name and Anya had little time to put any distance between her and the dying creatures before she was hit by their blasts.

Anya landed on her back, hard, groaning as pain rushed through her nerves.

Suddenly, the Troll appeared above her, eyes ablaze with tormented wrath and it pointed its sword at her chest.

"Nya!" she cried as she rolled out of the way.

The sword embedded in the ground instead of Anya's gut, but as she got back on her feet, the Troll backhanded her, sending her crashing right back to the ground.

"Make that…a double helping of head pats...and bunny butt," she groaned, getting back on her feet as the Troll dragged itself over to her.

He raised its sword above its head once more and brought it down. Anya, wounded but still quick as an excited kitten, readily dodged the attack then used her spear to sever one of the arms of the monster, which roared in agony.

The catgirl moved to finish the monster, slashing the Troll's torso, sending up a spray of blood, before plunging her spear all the way through its gut.

"Nyow will you please die?" she requested.

It's answer was to grab her face.

You've got to be kidding me! She thought right before it smashed her back on the ground.

Blood poured from the Troll's open gut as it raised its sword one final time and brought it down, aiming for Anya's skull. She managed to save herself by twisting her head, but it came at a cost as the sword cut off the tip of her right ear.

"AAAAAAH!" she screamed, the sensitivity of her ears making the wound agonizing.

Desperate, in pain, and thoroughly pissed off, Anya kicked both her legs into the Troll's stomach wound, causing blood to pour down her legs, before she then ripped the wound wide open, sending gallons of blood everywhere, and finally destroying the monster.

"Screw you, ya big jerk," she cursed, tears in her eyes as she touched her maimed ear.

---

"Hold the line! Archers, focus on any gaps that open up! Mages, focus fire on the strongest monsters!" Lili ordered.

The adventurers immediately followed her orders, having already learned that, alongside Raul, Lili was the most natural of their younger commanders.

"Haruhime, boost as many people as you can! Now's not the time for secrets!" the prum cried.

"Yes Lili-sama!" Haruhime replied as she began to chant. Soon, the beautiful golden light began to surround her and her given champions. "Uchide No Kozuchi!"

Aisha, Mikoto, Ouka, Lena, and the newly recovered Daphne all found themselves boosted and, with their new found strength, they attacked with a new fervor.

Haruhime slunk to her knees as the strain of her magic sapped her strength.

"You're doing great, Haruhime," Lili said as she held out a mana potion. "I just need you to hold out a little longer."

Haruhime met her gaze and nodded.

"I won't stop," the foxgirl vowed, "not until Bell-sama's back in our arms."

Lili nodded and turned back to the battle, quickly unleashing a bolt to save a member of the Thor familia. "Hold the line! These guys are nothing compared to you! Kick their ugly butts!"

Haruhime smiled as she listened to her companion shout encouragement.

Bell really does change us all for the better.

---

"Haruhime-sama's magic really is incredible. I've never felt so strong," Ouka declared as he cut through monsters.

"It is amazing, but don't let it go to your head, Ouka. You still need to be careful," Chigusa said with worry.

"I will be. I refuse to lose my head and put you at risk."

Despite the situation, Chigusa blushed lightly, before shaking her head and focusing fully back on the battle, taking her knife and her place by Ouka's side.

The battle raged on, Ouka battering away or cutting monsters down to size until a Minotaur stepped forward, its own ax in hand, ready to give battle.

The beast roared and swung its ax down upon Ouka, who raised his own to block it.

"Ugh. You'll have to do better than that," he stated, before forcing the bull's ax back and slicing it in half at the waist.

The monster groaned before bursting into smoke. However, the Masuratakeo was given no respite as a second Minotaur stepped forward to attack, bellowing with devouring rage.

It struck down at Ouka like the first, however, this time, luck seemed to be on its side as the boosting magic dissipated and Ouka began to buckle. Yet, luck can only get you so far, especially when you're attacking some young lady's boyfriend.

Chigusa, using her small size to her advantage, snuck under the two axes and then began to repeatedly stab the Minotaur's unprotected gut over and over again.

The monster cried out in pain, allowing Ouka to force its weapon to the side then take off its head.

"Thanks for the save, Chigusa-chan," the Take captain said adoringly.

"Hehe. My pleasure, Ouka-kun," she replied with equal adoration.

Ouka's eyes lifted from his girlfriend's adorable face and, just like that, all the love and affection burned away and turned into terror.

"Chigusa!" Ouka roared before he suddenly grabbed her arm and threw her behind him.

Chigusa, stunned by the cry and sudden toss, fell to the ground behind him. She slowly got up, disoriented and terribly confused, before turning back to him.

Her heart stopped.

Blood dripped down the horn that was not gutting a full foot from the Take captain's back.

"OUKA!" she screamed.

Blood poured out of Ouka's mouth as he used all his strength to hold the beast and ensure it couldn't attack the woman behind him. Chigusa's beloved captain had seen a third Minotaur preparing to charge the moment he had lifted his eyes and, acting on instinct, had put her life before his own. A life that now seemed on the edge of extinguishing.

"Ch…igusa," he groaned as his strength began to fade, "Ru-"

The young woman did not even wait for him to finish his plea before jumping over him, onto the Minotaur's back and beginning to stab it over and over again.

The monster screamed and tried to lift itself, but Ouka was still holding onto it thus making it unable to force the adventurer off its back. The beast then tried to capture her with its hands, but Ouka, as protective of Chigusa as ever, raised his ax with one hand and struck one of the arms as best he could. It wasn't enough to cut off the limb, but it did prevent the monster from hurting Chigusa, which for Ouka, was all that mattered.

"You monster! You evil creature! You…BASTARD!" Chigusa screamed before plunging her knife as far into the beast as she could.

The Minotuar groaned before, finally, it could take no more and fell to its knees before disappearing.

Ouka collapsed and Chigusa rushed to him.

"Ouka! Ouka, talk to me!"

He barely managed to open his eyes and give her a bloody smile.

"Are you…okay?"

"I…" her voice choked with tears, "I can't believe you're asking me that."

He chuckled, though it caused him enough pain to grimace.

"Of course I…asked. It's my duty to protect you. Or…it was."

Eyes full of horror and heartbreak, Chigusa began to desperately shake her head.

"Y-You are not going to…d-die on me! You hear me?! You're not going to die!"

He did not reply, only closed his eyes. Before she could call out to him again though, she heard the sound of more monsters approaching.

She spun her head around and found the horde looking at them with the intent on finishing them off.

Chigusa raised her knife and bared her teeth at them.

"You will not take him from me!" she screamed.

The monsters charged as angry, desperate tears ran down Chigusa's face.

A flash of silver was all the warning any of them received before Mikoto's sword cut the monsters to ribbons.

"You will not hurt them anymore," the honorable ninja vowed, her eyes burning.

"You've got you!" a member of the Loki familia cried as they arrived to take Ouka and Chigusa to safety.

"Please! Please save him!" Chigusa begged as they took him away. She was about to go with them, when she stopped and turned to Mikoto. "Please Mikoto, destroy them all."

"I will," was Mikoto's dark reply.

---

Mikoto had every intention of fulfilling her vow and with sword in hand, she moved to enact it.

She began with two Ligerfangs that were stalking towards her, teeth bared and claws at the ready.

She charged the one on her left, surprising the two beasts, but only for a moment, and both soon rushed to do battle.

The moment before contact, Mikoto jumped over the first Ligerfang, spinning like a windmill to slice open its back and destroy it.

The second beast stopped and charged her. It swiped at her with its flesh-mangling claws, but she jumped back, then immediately shot forwards, cutting off the top half of the creature from its mouth to its tail.

With the felines dealt with, Mikoto turned to three Goblins headed for her and quickly threw three knives into their foreheads.

The Goblins began to expand before exploding, destroying several monsters around them. Mikoto had known they were Exploding Goblins having noticed that the creatures had red around their eyes, a fact she had made sure to pass on.

Suddenly, more explosions went off around her, surprising the Easterling, before a familiar voice called out.

"I thought you could use some help," Asfi said, floating above her.

"Much obliged," Mikoto thanked before she and her ally renewed the fight.

Mikoto cut a swath through the monsters with Asfi acting as cover whenever a monster attempted to attack her from behind. Together, with sword and knife and bombs they reduced monster after monster to dust.

I will not let anyone else I care about be hurt. I will fight as hard for as long as I need and with whatever weapons I need to in order to protect them, Mikoto promised to herself as her hand tightened around her sword and her mind filled with images of all her friends and loved ones. I will protect them.

A vow of protection is a powerful thing…but it should be noted that it does not protect the vower from danger.

"Mikoto-san!" Asfi cried.

Mikoto looked up and her eyes widened as a Virga appeared before her.

"Get out of there!" the Hermes captain ordered.

It was too late as the Virga unleashed a torrent of acid at the ninja.

Mikoto jumped back to save herself, but the acid was too quick and too voluminous and though she avoided being melted down to her bones, Mikoto did not escape unscathed.

A large puddle of acid splashed and hit Mikoto's torso, burning through her armor and clothes and falling onto her skin.

"AAAAAAAAAAHH!" the shadow warrior screamed.

Asfi shot down to her comrade, throwing several bombs at the giant caterpillar, sending it reeling as she swooped down to save Mikoto.

With the Hestia familia struggling and crying out in her arms, Asfi shot back to the Expedition hoping to save the young shinobi from suffering any more. The Dungeon was not about to make it easy for her. Several Firebirds began to shoot their flames at her from all sides and Asfi, carrying Mikoto in her arms, could do nothing but dodge and weave through the attacks.

There's too many of them! She thought. And she was right, for not a moment later one of the Firebirds landed a hit on the Hermes captain's unguarded back.

"Aah!" Asfi cried as her arms weakened and she dropped Mikoto. "Shit!" She dove and barely managed to save Mikoto before she fell helplessly into the horde of monsters below.

Asfi shot back up above the fray, only to be faced with a Harpy before her.

"Are you fucking kiddy me?"

The Harpy shrieked then shot towards her as Asfi pondered her own death and the death of the poor girl crying out in her arms.

"Oh no you don't!"

Ray intercepted the Harpy before it could reach the two adventurers and tore the monster apart.

"Get Mikoto-chan to the medics, I'll cover you!" Xenos cried.

Asfi, stunned, could only nod and shoot off towards the Expedition.

I guess Bell Cranel was right about them as well, Perseus thought before allowing herself a small smile. That's another loss for you, Hermes.

---

"Good work Ray!" Lyd complimented before cutting down a Troll with ease.

"No one gets to hurt our friends without some serious payback!" the Siren declared.

"That's right!" the Lizardman called right back. "Come on! Let's show these whelps what real monsters can do!"

The Xenos cheered and pushed all the harder against the horde, which seemed as stunned to be facing other monsters as did the adventurers who were fighting beside the Xenos.

Yet, as shocking as it was, as much as it went against their instincts as mortals and adventurers, those in the Expedition could not help but be extraordinarily relieved to have these unusual creatures fighting by their side.

"Are you going to let them do all the hard work?! Come on you bums! Show them what adventurers of Orario can do!" Lili roared over the battlefield before loosing another bolt at a Harpy trying to attack Ray from behind.

As odd as the situation remained, the Expedition cheered and rushed back into the fight, exhausted and bloodied as they were.

"Got quite the big voice doesn't she?" Lyd joked to Gros, beaming like a fool.

"For someone of her size, yeah," the Gargoyle replied before destroying an orc with his claws.

"Arles!"

The Xenos turned and found a horrified Let rushing towards something. They turned again and their eyes widened when they found Arles with a Crystal Mantis's leg pinning her to the ground, blood leaking from the wound.

Helga, seeing her mortally wounded friend, immediately rushed to her while Let, enraged, attacked the Mantis and cut open its head with a hatchet.

With the Crystal Mantis's leg no longer jutting from Arles's back, the wound began to spurt blood.

The Xenos rushed to her side and Lyd carefully lifted her up as Helga whined sadly next to the rabbit Xenos.

"Don't worry Arles, we'll get you to the medics!" Lyd vowed, only for the Almiraj to shake her head.

The rabbit turned to Helga and slowly lifted her pocket watch from around her neck and placed it around Helga's neck. She then cuddled the Hellhound's cheek before smiling and waving them all goodbye. A moment later, she burst into smoke.

"Arles," Lyd said, his voice filled with disbelief.

Helga howled, then turned her vengeful eyes towards the horde and charged.

"Helga!" Lyd screamed.

"I've got her!" Gros called before rushing after the Hound.

Lyd watched his friend go, before looking down at the magic stone in his hand then carefully placing it in a pocket and standing up.

"I'm mad now," he stated as his hand tightened around his sword.

---

Helga tore through the ranks of monsters without a care for her own life, only wanting to inflict on her foes as much suffering as she could. Finally though, she reached an enemy she could not simply devour, a Hobgoblin that stood a full two heads taller than the average Hobgoblin.

She growled at it and sent a fireball at it, only for it to block it with a cleaver-like sword and attack her.

She dodged the first attack, but it kicked her hard in the side, sending her tumbling to the ground.

It moved in for the kill, but that was when Gros flew in, impaling his claws into its head and killing it.

"Dying like an idiot won't avenge her, you moron," the Gargoyle said to the Hellhound.

Helga nodded as she picked herself up and the two faced off against the horde.

Helga attacked first, blasting away several Needle Rabbits before turning her fangs on some Imps.

Gros was right behind her, tearing apart a couple of Orcs, before showing a Minotaur what a real product of the Dungeon could do.

A whooshing sound was the only warning Gros received before a javelin suddenly crashed into his chest, cracking his stone body and sending him stumbling back.

"What the?"

His cold eyes turned and he found three Spartoi making their way to him.

Each of the skeleton warriors carried a different weapon. One carried a greatsword, another a giant mace, and the last, a lance and shield.

"You die first," Gros said, pointing at the one with the lance.

He flew straight for the Spartoi, which raised its shield to take his blow, but could stop the Gargoyle from lifting it off the ground and dragging it away from its comrades.

The skeleton lancer hit the Gargoyle a few times in the face with the guard of its lance before Gros got sick of it and threw the Spartoi to the ground.

The skeleton quickly picked itself up, but it did not do so quickly enough as Gros immediately struck out, grabbing its shield and ripping it off so hard that he took the Spartoi's left arm with it.

The skeleton monster still tried to counter, thrusting its lance at Gros's head, but he easily dodged then smashed its skull, turning it to smoke.

However, the other two Spartois had reached him at this point and the one carrying the mace crashed down upon him like a meteor, smashing off his right wing with a tremendous blow.

"AAAAH!" Gros cried before spinning around punching the Spartoi so hard it flew a good twenty feet.

He didn't have time to finish off the mace-wielder as the swordsman skeleton attacked.

Gros held up his arms to block the blows, but even his tough hide was cracking under the weight of the blows and he knew he had to act quickly or lose another limb.

Timing it as best he could, Gros managed to grab the Spartoi's sword with one hand, then used his free one to send an uppercut through the skeleton's empty ribcage and knock its head clean off.

The sword Spartoi disappeared, but this victory was short-lived as the mace-wielder reappeared and smashed their weapon into Gro's unguarded side.

Gros grunted in pain as his side cracked, but despite the pain, he managed to backhand the skeleton, sending it tumbling to the ground.

He moved to finish it, only to be sent to his hands and knees as an enemy Hellhound sent a barrage of flame into his back.

This Hellhound did not last long as Helga reappeared and tore it apart, but by then the mace Spartoi was back on its feet and with cold, empty eyes, it smashed its mace into Gros's chin, sending him tumbling onto his back.

Helga tried to intervene, but more monsters appeared, getting in-between her and Gros while the Spartoi slowly raised its mace.

Crash!

Crack!

Crunch!

The Spartoi smashed its mace into Gros's chest over and over, cracking his skin and bringing him closer and closer to death.

The skeleton warrior raised its mace once more and Gros knew it was the end.

I hope the kid doesn't blame himself for this.

A sword pierced the back of the Spartoi's head.

"Lyd," Gros managed as the Spartoi disappeared.

"Gros!" Ray cried as she and the others surrounded him. "Don't worry, we will get you help."

"Don't bother. I'm done for," the Gargoyle stated.

Lyd and Ray's eyes widened.

"You can't mean…" the Lizardman tried.

"No," Ray shook her head, "you're tough as nails and too stubborn to die!"

"No one's too stubborn to die, idiot," he stated. "And my time in this life is over, but don't worry, I'll see you knuckleheads again," the stony monster promised, giving them a rare smile even as his body began to disintegrate. "But just promise me one thing," he continued.

"Anything," Ray immediately replied, even as tears filled her eyes.

"Make sure the kid doesn't blame himself," Gros stated. "I came here willingly. I owed him a debt," he paused, "and…he was my friend. I don't mind dying for friends."

The Xenos, tears in their eyes, all nodded.

"We'll make sure he understands," Lyd vowed.

"Good," Gros's smile grew. "Guess I'll be seeing you morons around."

With that, Gros turned into smoke, leaving behind his glowing, stone heart as a reminder to his friends.

---

"Hold! Hold!" Lili cried as the line buckled more and more and more and more adventurers fell.

"Keep fighting! For Orario! For your familia! For your friends! Fight!" Raul shouted as he fought alongside his comrades as they moved ever-closer to annihilation.

We're being overwhelmed, Lili realized as she watched the horde close in. This is the end. Her fists tightened and her eyes turned glassy. I wish I could have seen you one last time, Bell-sama. To be less jealous and to give you all my love, but it looks like this is the end, she cocked her crossbow, but I'll make it an end worthy of you.

She raised her crossbow as she prepared to meet Death.

All around her, others did likewise. Haruhime prayed. Chigusa hugged Ouka's unconscious form. Cassandra held onto Naaza's hand, doing all she could to soothe her. Raul stood beside Ana as they fought alongside their familia. Laura and Leanna guarded the mages even as they suffered wounds across their cold skin. Even Argana forgot her promise to her sister so that they could fight side-by-side at this, the end.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR!"

The entire battlefield froze as the power of that roar shook them all to their cores.

"What is that?!"

All eyes turned and watched as a giant black figure carrying two axes in its hand rushed forward.

That's-! Lili recognized.

Asterius had arrived and with him the battle turned decisively in the Expedition's favor.

Bell's great rival fell upon the horde like the wrath of a god. Nothing could stop him. Monsters were torn asunder as the black bull charged relentlessly through all foes. Even the Armored Virga could not stand up against him and were soon reduced to nothing but ash.

Just then, a beam of light tore through hundreds of monsters, blinding and stunning the Expedition.

"It's the Zeus and Hera familia!" someone cried.

And sure enough, the veteran adventurers had returned and joined the battle, adding to Asterius's carnage.

"Adventurers of Orario!" they all turned, finding Finn and the commanders before them. "Fight! Victory is at hand! Fight with everything you have left!"

The Expedition, tears of relief and joy in their eyes, cheered and attacked with all that remained of their strength.

"Lili!"

The prum turned and found Ryuu and Alise before her.

"Are you alright?" the Gale asked.

Lili laughed lightly before falling to her knees.

"Lili!" the elf and Astraea captain rushed to her side.

"I thought…" Lili laughed, "we were done for."

Ryuu felt a pang of guilt stab her heart and she pulled her fellow familia member into a hug.

"I'm sorry it took so long to get back, but I'm here now, and I'll keep you all safe."

Lili gripped Ryuu's shirt and began to cry tears of relief and pent up fear into the elf's chest.

"I-I thought that I would never-"

"Shh, I know. I know," Ryuu comforted as she stroked Lili's head, Alise joining to stroke the prum's back.

Nearby, Raul had similarly collapsed, watching as Asterius and the veteran adventurers tore apart the horde.

"Are you alright, Raul?"

"Captain," Raul replied, turning to Finn.

The Braver smiled at him and patted his shoulder with his remaining hand.

"You've done well, Raul. You'll make a great captain one day."

Hearing those words, Raul smiled.

"Thanks captain."

---

"So noisy," Alfia stated as she blew away hundreds of monsters with her spells. "Let us be done with these creatures so that I can rescue my nephew."

"You won't hear any complaints from me," Ajax said as he smashed creatures to pulp with his great mace.

"Me neither. I just hope that Achilles is alright," Patroclus said.

"Knowing that simpleton, he's taken on the biggest and most difficult of foes," Alfia said.

"To be fair, I think this time it chose him," Ajax defended.

Alfia made no reply, instead turning back to the horde to finish it, when suddenly the ground began to shake and a few seconds later a giant black dragon broke through the ground and burst into the air above the battlefield.

"What the hell is that?!" Dido cried as Imilce gasped.

"As I said, the biggest and most difficult," Alfia noted, though even she was unnerved by how similar the monster looked to the Great Beast that had destroyed her familia.

"TELL YOUR MASTER I SAID HELLO!" they heard Achilles scream before blue light shot through the dragon's veins and it burst into black dust.

"Yeah!" Patroclus and the Expedition cheered as the Lesser Black Dragon vanished from the earth.

However, that joy did not last long as The Father On High then began to fall towards the earth and he wasn't doing anything to stop his descent.

"Achilles!" Patroclus cried.

Suddenly, Bete appeared and caught the falling father and soared away with him, heading for the medics.

Patroclus sighed in relief before Ajax patted his back.

"He'll be alright. Don't forget, our captain's the toughest guy in the world. Now come on, let's finish this," the older man said.

Patroclus nodded.

"With pleasure."

---

"Where did that black Minotaur thing come from?!" one of the few remaining Evilus cried.

"What does it matter? We've gotta get out of here!"

"None of you are getting away."

The Evilus all turned and shivered as the sight of Tione cracking her knuckles filled their vision.

"My captain got hurt because of you guys, and I'm going to make sure you all suffer for that," she promised.

Off in the distance, Finn shivered as he swore he heard distant and all-too familiar shrieks.

---

Asterius stared down at the last monster, a lonely little Goblin. The weakest of all monsters.

"Perhaps one day you'll be stronger," he said before bringing his ax down, destroying it.

With that final blow, the battle ended and the Expedition, those heroes of Orario who had suffered so much, lost so many, and who had faced obliteration, came out as the victors.

---

End.

Holy cow! That really was a monster. Not my biggest chapter, but certainly no small fry!

Well, that concludes the grand Expedition chapter. What did you guys think? Enjoy it? Hate it? Think it was repetitive? Think there should have been fewer deaths? Think there should have been MORE deaths? Tell me what you think. Also, if you wouldn't mind, can you guys tell me if I got everyone that should be there? I admit, trying to get all the characters in was really difficult and I nearly missed at least one, so it's possible that someone went unnoticed. If I did miss someone, I sincerely apologize and may go back to correct that oversight. If I do, I'll be sure to tell you.

Now, I'd like to switch gears and make a bit of a personal request to you all, if I may. I'm not sure if any other fanfiction authors do this, but I'd like to ask for your support. If you enjoy this story and my work in general, I would be beyond appreciative if you could go the extra mile and either check out my book, Consuls & Slaves, which you can find on Amazon and Barnes & Noble self-publishing or go check out my newly made SubscribeStar. I'm TiberiusGalerius on there (I would post a link but Fanfiction hates those) and am willing to give out some rewards for patrons, including your name in the credits and sneak peaks at chapters. Heck, even just sharing my book would be greatly appreciated as that would help get my name out there.

I know I'm asking more than I have any right to here and I certainly won't blackmail you into doing it with threats of slower turnout rates for chapters (not that I can get much slower at this point), it's simply a request from a struggling author trying to get off the ground.

If there's any other reward you think might be good or you'd like, feel free to suggest them either here, in a PM, or in the SubscribeStar as I'm open to ideas.

Anyway, that's my shill. I do feel bad about asking it, as it makes me feel greedy, but I hope that, at the very least, it doesn't dissuade you from reading this story. As I said, Heroes will continue on regardless and I'm not going to suddenly charge you for the "privilege" of reading it, this is, and always will be, a request. Thank you.

Now, with my shpeals out of the way, I will once more say that I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and will bid you all the finest farewell. So, until next time, my wonderful readers, bye for now.