Howdy howdy, I'm back with another chappie. I'm so sorry I couldn't update the story sooner, midterms were hell and I was still feeling the lethargy from my brain running out of power even a week after, so I needed some time to recuperate. Anyway, I'll keep this short, since my exams are over, I'll be updating the story a bit quicker this time, with a chapter release around a week or a week and a half. I'll try to focus more on the story and character development aspect of the story and not just battle after battle, those are only there to keep the story engaging to a point, so there will be more Bell and Lefiya fluff in the coming chapters. Once again, I thank you all dear readers for being so patient with me and the story, I appreciate you all very much!
I do not own Danmachi
Chapter XII: Withdrawal
3rd Person POV:
Not too deep within the caverns of the enigmatic monster-ridden dungeon, the expedition force was once again trudging forward. Faces consisting of different emotions were present, some were lively, some were neutral, and some were tired, but despite the large spectrum of emotions present, there was an overall dejected atmosphere, surrounding the large group like a brewing storm, and for good reason. It had been a good few hours after the skirmish with the monster both of unknown kind and origin, everybody was still recovering in their own way from the attack, whether physically or mentally.
With much of their supplies and settlement depleted, they had no choice but to discontinue the expedition to the deep floors and head back to the surface.
Picking up whatever was left salvageable by the chaos earlier, it was decided by the head of the expedition force, a certain Finn Diemne, that the monster attack had done more damage than what the group could withstand, and though no casualties were miraculously suffered, pressing onward would needlessly endanger them again. So with the decision made; but not unanimously as evidenced by a few audible groans of annoyance or disappointment though acquiesced for they quickly accepted that it was for the best, so they decided to head back to the surface after taking a bit more time to pack up and rest.
Presently, the expedition force currently found themselves on the tenth floor of the dungeon. They had earned their fair share of confused and surprised glances from passing adventurers here and there, and some even approached and inquired about the reason for turning back so soon, but received only a vague and enigmatic reply that consisted of something along the lines of a mysterious devastating attack on the eighteenth floor by an unidentified irregular monster would put the lower-level forces that would set up camp there in danger, so Finn decided the best course of action would be to not take any risks and postpone the expedition for now. The captain of the Loki Familia strictly ordered the group to remain quiet about what had actually transpired down on the eighteenth floor until they could discuss matters further with their goddess, who should hopefully bring the topic up with Ouranos and the Guild, for now... they didn't want to cause any unnecessary panic and simply just resorted to warning passing fellow adventurers to be extra vigilant, just in case.
The monsters on the upper floors were barely capable of complex thought, much unlike the more dangerous ones down on the deeper floors. Undeterred by the large mass of adventurers marching about the narrow walls, the opportunistic monsters tried their luck, unaware that it wasn't the adventurers before them that were the prey, but they were.
Cut down before they knew it, the floor soon became devoid of the presence of any monsters for they were no match for even the second-rate adventurers
So with this pace, everybody decided to slow down the pace a bit from a hurried rate of movement to a more relaxed one since it was only just a few floors more before they reached the surface, and as the walls got smaller and it became more cramped, everybody decided to split up and walk in smaller groups.
"How are your injuries Bell?"
The soft voice of Ais was heard inquiring about the albino boy's condition as they walked beside each other
The aforementioned boy beamed at her, easing her worries about his well-being
"Much better! Even though you guys patched me up really well... I still can't believe I'm already able to move after pushing my body to its limits yesterday!"
He had stars in his eyes, it was rather comical
Seeing the boy's child-like excitement, she can't help but smile and chuckle a bit
"That's the endurance of a level six for you... I was also initially surprised once I achieved that milestone, I suddenly found myself brimming with even more strength and energy than I've ever had up until then"
The sword princess admitted, earning a hum of understanding from the boy
"You're amazing Bell... did you know that?"
The boy was surprised by her sudden compliment and was about to respond until she cut him off again
"No, you're much more than that... the first time I met you, you were at the mercy of a minotaur, which I assumed wasn't too keen on showing you any at the time, and then... who would have thought... just half a year later you'd catch up to me"
She said with a tone that vaguely resembled sadness, which the boy noticed
"I don't mean to sound arrogant, but after years and years of hard work to get as strong as I could, this is only what I can do... and you come and overtake me in less than a tenth of the time I've been an adventurer"
Again, she assured him that she didn't feel any sort of bitterness or anger for the boy
"A-Ais-san..."
Once again, he was cut off
"That's why... I need to know Bell, how did you do it?"
He could feel that there was a deep sense of urgency in the way she asked that question
Initially hesitating to answer, he gave in to her demands, he owed her this much
"I'll be honest with you Ais-san... in my first month of being an adventurer, there was nothing special about me... I grew at the same rate as everybody else, with regular weekly dungeon crawls providing no more than some ten-point increase in stats, around double if I really tried hard..."
Her eyes widened at this, unable to believe what he had just revealed to her
"B-But how...?"
If this was already unbelievable to her, his next words would be even more so
"Then, everything changed once I met you..."
He admitted with a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks, which went unnoticed by the blonde swords master as she was infinitely more interested in what he just said
"O-once you met me...?"
She couldn't understand how she was the cause of the boy's explosive growth, she hadn't even the slightest idea
"Ever since the day you saved me from that minotaur, I felt a fire light inside my being... "
He was pretty much pouring his heart out to her, but she was much too tactless to read between the lines and understand that this was pretty much a confession from him
Her eyes were wide and her breathing hastened, she felt like she was close to the truth
"Ever since that day, I made a promise to myself and vowed to keep it..."
He masterfully spoke so as to leave her on the edge of her seat
"And that is...?"
She pressed for him to continue
"I vowed to catch up to you, to become a capable adventurer worthy of standing by your side"
As if she weren't already surprised by his previous words, this specific sentence made her knees weak
"B-Bell..."
Now he was the one to interrupt her mid-sentence...
"I tried my hardest to get stronger, and with every tribulation thrown my way, I came out on top... all in the pursuit of you"
His smile became gentle
She was left momentarily speechless by the boy's sincere resolve, on one hand it was very flattering for her that he admired her that much and tirelessly pursued strength to reach her, but on the other hand, she felt that he was mistaken and shouldn't put her on such a high pedestal...
"Don't worry Bell, I can safely say that your goal to stand beside me has been met"
She jokingly pointed out that they were already standing beside each other, earning a minor pout from the boy which she found to be kind of cute
"But please don't put me on such a high pedestal, I still have a long way ahead of me..."
She trailed off but was cut off by a kindhearted chuckle from the boy
"Then, I guess that makes two of us!"
His smile was infectious, it couldn't help but spread over to the blonde girl, brightening up her gloomy countenance ever so little
"I guess we do..."
She agreed but then decided to change the subject
"By the way... how is the little vouivre girl?"
Evidently struggling to reconcile the two words together in a single sentence, she nevertheless asked him
This further widened his smile
"Oh! Wiene and the rest of the Xenos are doing fine! They're avoiding venturing out too much from their base for now since the entire fiasco that occurred on the surface though..."
He admitted, glad that she was at least starting to open up to the idea in a way, slowly but surely she was starting to tolerate the idea of there being sentient monsters. At this point, it is debatable whether the Xenos could be considered monsters, for they seem to be much more human than other members of the human and Demi-human race.
"I see..."
She looked down at her feet with a troubled look, her demeanor like that of a berated puppy
Bell, seeing her in such a state, changed the topic up a bit
"Would you like to come with me and meet them sometime?"
He offered to her, causing her head to snap back up as she looked back at him with a look as if he had grown another head
"I... I don't know..."
She started, but Bell cut her off
"If it's about what occurred previously, don't worry, they told me that they understand why you acted the way you did, you and the entirety of Orario... but I'd say that if you were to try and make the effort to get to know them instead of immediately dismissing them just because they're creatures of the dungeon, then it's a step in the right direction!"
He told her, which made her eyes widen
She took it as the only way she could make amends for what she did; or nearly did, and start off on the right foot
"I... I'm honestly not ready for it yet... but I might... with time"
She admitted, showing her hesitance
But despite that, it was more than enough for the boy
'As long as she tries to make an effort I guess...'
He thought with a smile
"That's all I ask"
He nodded at her with a soft smile, giving her some sense of ease
Then, at the corner of his vision, he saw a certain elf timidly walking by herself. It appears that she is purposefully distancing herself from the group, which is unusual.
And that is exactly what Bell Cranel thought so he parted with Ais for the time being and decided to strike up a conversation with the lone elf
Approaching her, he found that she didn't acknowledge his presence, or more like didn't register it as she was very much preoccupied with her own thoughts, perhaps dangerously so as it is reckless to get even a little bit distracted in the dungeon.
Seeing that his approach didn't seem to grab her attention, he called out to her
"Lefiya-san?"
'???'
That seemed to snap her out of her thoughts as she raised her head as she scanned her surroundings to find the one who called out her name
"Ah! Bell Cranel!"
She exclaimed in surprise
"Hello there, you seemed a little bit preoccupied earlier..."
He started a conversation with her and she started to get nervous around him for some reason
"A-Ah no... it's nothing I suppose..."
She told him, but he didn't seem too convinced with her tone
"It's about the woman we fought last night, right?"
As if he had read her mind, her eyes widened at the boy's perceptiveness
"W-Well..."
She started, but he continued
"What's on your mind Lefiya-san? You can tell me"
He offered an ear, which Lefiya seemed a bit reluctant to take
'Should I talk to him about it...? For some reason, I feel like I can trust him with my thoughts...'
She concluded that she wanted to talk to somebody about what's been on her mind for the entire morning and who better than the person who she'd fought alongside at that moment
"It's just... I'm still bothered by what you said about what she said to you... about her wanting to wipe out the Loki Familia..."
She spoke softly and meekly as if the words coming out of her mouth were taboo
Bell's smile dropped into a monotonous countenance as he kept quiet and continued to listen to the elven maiden's words
"I-I knew there would be certain people who'd dislike us simply for being at the top... but to actually find out that some people are actually trying to get rid of us... I understand that Evilus is a radical group that would get rid of anybody that was a hindrance to their plans but it still doesn't sit right with me"
She shuddered, ever since they took the young elf into their embrace some four and a half years ago or so, she had come to cherish her entire Familia and its members, and yes... including the chronically annoyed Bete
Bell didn't quite empathize with her feelings, but at the same time, he was able to. For his Familia was basically unknown and inconsequential just a few months ago, and now it's one of the; if not the fastest rising star in the city, and that sudden burst from out of the water doesn't sit right with a lot of people who suspect foul play, earning them a lot of enemies and naysayers.
Comparing that to the Loki Familia who've clawed their way to the top of Orario piecemeal by both respectable and unscrupulous means, they arguably stand as the symbol of Orario's might, rivaled only by the Freya Familia.
"I think I can understand what you're saying..."
He admitted and continued before she could respond
"We were just some nobodies a few months back, but now that we're gaining traction... it seems a lot of people are coming for our necks"
He didn't want to sound arrogant for it was simply what he had observed for some time
She seemed to nod at this, at least she didn't react negatively...
"Mhm... I can't imagine the pressure of having to constantly stay vigilant as the new record holder of Orario who wasn't satisfied with the fact that he took the title from Ais-san and went on to jump a few more levels in no time at all"
She gave a light jest with a smile to lighten the mood as she seemed to have noticed that she was being negative again
"Not as much as someone that has to live up to the image of one of the strongest Familias in the city"
He returned with a smile of his own
"But going back to the topic, it just means we'll have to be more careful this time..."
He said as the elf slowly nodded, agreeing with his words
They also unknowingly mentally agreed to become stronger now that it seems that the enemies they'll be facing are now such a caliber
Just as the conversation between them had died down as a comfortable silence enveloped them, the albino boy suddenly remembered something
"Ah, right! How are your injuries Lefiya-san? I've been meaning to ask you"
He asked as Lefiya startled
"Huh? I-I'm alright now"
She admitted, seeing that the boy was concerned for her made her face warm
'Calm down Lefiya, he's probably just being nice that's all...'
Taking a few more breaths to compose herself, she smiled amiably at him
"Thanks for the concern, but I should be the one asking you that since you took a much worse beating than I did"
She diverted the topic but actually was concerned for his well-being, she knew that the boy was as tough; not as tough as Gareth but still tough, but the injuries he sustained earlier were nothing to scoff at
"Ahaha... healing potions and magic work miracles I guess..."
He chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at him as if to check for any sign of dishonesty
Finding none, she sighed
"I guess all is well, but please for the love of Loki, think twice before rushing off blindly toward the enemy, you never know what they'll pull"
She scolded him as the boy sheepishly scratched the back of his head
"Not the first time I heard that, hehe..."
He attempted to joke, but seeing that she was being serious decided to give her an honest reply
"I promise not to act in such a knee-jerk way again, I'm truly sorry that I dragged you into it Lefiya-san, it's because of me that you got hurt..."
Like a scolded puppy, his gaze fell down at his feet, the thought of his recklessness resulting in his friend getting hurt left a bad taste in his mouth as his jaw unconsciously clenched
But she seemed dissatisfied with his words as a frown replaced her gentle features
"You idiot human, that's not what I'm mad about! I'm mad that you almost got killed because of your recklessness!"
She raised her tone but not quite at the level of a shout but more like that of a projection
The boy's shame deepened knowing that he had apparently worried her that much, which he found unusual since he thought she hated his guts for some reason
But he simply opted to remain silent
"You're dang lucky I happened to see you when you ran off and I found you just before she finished you off! Do you have any idea how much the thought of what could've happened haunts me?! What if I hadn't found you before she was about to kill you? Or better yet, haven't seen you run off at all!"
Her voice lost a bit of volume, but the weight and impact of her words remained just as significant
His eyebrows furrowed at the thought of him narrowly dying at the crimson-haired woman, but he was even more troubled by how much it troubled the elf beside him
Having no appropriate comeback to this that wouldn't result in her getting angrier, he instead decided to act
Taking her hand nearest to him with his own two as if it came to him as naturally as breathing, he forced their eyes to meet
His grateful and determined rubellite irises met her surprised, flustered, and embarrassed glassy-blue ones
"And I will forever be grateful that fate has decided I should live to see another day as it sent you, its champion... as well as my savior"
Seemingly too focused on properly verbalizing the extent of his gratitude, he failed to realize his actions and how they affected the elven maiden in front of him
Her face exploded in crimson as she was dismayed at the extremely bold behavior the boy was displaying, it was too much for her mental faculties to process as her brain short-circuited and smoke came out of her also red-to-the-tip elven ears.
"W-w-well... a-as long as y-you understand..."
She tried to play it cool but was failing miserably, though the boy didn't seem to notice... but who did notice were a few other members of the Loki Familia nearby, who giggled amongst themselves at the cute behavior their dear Lefiya was displaying
"Ugh gross"
Bete muttered to himself as he snapped his head in any direction but where the boy and the elf were
"Hm? What's got you so lively?"
Tione and Tina looked in his direction but didn't seem to genuinely care about what was bothering the wolf, it appears they failed to notice the spectacle
"Whoa... look at that! Lefiya's acting all mushy with the record holder!"
Raul smirked to himself as Anakitty smacked him on the back of the head
"Keep it down! We don't want to ruin their moment!"
A misunderstanding was brewing...
A few more seconds passed as Lefiya shyly darted her eyes between the fiery and enticing rubellite irises of the boy staring back at her with all the resolve in his being, and the warm feeling of both his soft yet vigorous hands grasping her own feminine and dainty ones.
Yet, as much as she felt embarrassed to death by all the stares they were receiving which she noticed despite their best efforts to present otherwise, she strangely felt no desire to extricate their hands and deprive herself of the lulling feeling of the boy's warmth
'Ah... he's alive'
Conversely, the more time passes her willpower to resist giving in to temptation rapidly depletes
But alas, she must put an end to it
"I-I a-acknowledge your g-gratitude, n-now p-please let go of my hand..."
As if a train were rapidly incoming, his face went ghostly pale as he pulled away faster than a level-five adventurer could perceive
'Ah... '
She missed the feeling already
"I'M SO SORRY!!!"
He prostrated himself in such a perfect manner you'd question if he performed the action countless times before
Lefiya lifted her now free right hand to her chest in order to check her own heartbeat, it was racing
"I DIDN'T NOTICE I GRABBED YOUR HAND! I'M TRULY SORRY!"
It was almost comical, the way he was apologizing to her that is
Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, she replied
"D-Don't worry about it... I'm not as uptight about that as other elves are..."
A half-truth, she truly was more relaxed about it, but she wouldn't let just anybody touch her even without any impure intentions, those who are allowed such a privilege to do so she considers important to her
'Goodness, this boy...'
Somewhere deeper within the dungeon, around the deepest parts of the manmade labyrinth known as Knossos, which was around the sixty-fifth floor of the dungeon, a woman struggled for balance as she leaned against the wall for support
Bruises and cuts all around her body, a few broken bones, and without an arm and the remaining limping uselessly, she was a pathetic sight indeed
Her breathing was labored as her legs gave out and she leaned her back against the wall as she slid down and onto the ground
"Kuh... curses, I'm losing too much blood..."
She grits her teeth in pain as there was nothing to retard the onslaught of pain coming from the bloodied stump that used to be her left arm, so there was nothing she could do but ride out the storm of relentless pain which was akin to the most terrible torture
Suddenly, her head snapped in the direction of the dark vestibule that led further into the ominous labyrinth as the clicking of the soles of shoes was heard
"Well well, you're not looking too swimmingly there Revis?"
A man, or more specifically an immortal chocolate-skinned man of a muscular build wearing makeup and accessories that are frequently donned by Hindu gods. Crossing his arms in a disapproving manner yet wearing a mocking smirk on his face, making the injured crimson-haired woman's perpetual scowl deepen
"Rudra... did you come here just to poke fun at me?"
She sharply interrogated the Hindu god, whose confident smirk widened
"Perhaps, but I'd rather not push my luck since you're quite scary when you're mad despite your pretty face"
Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she huffed
"Go fuck yourself"
She retorted nastily, much to the Hindu god's amusement
"Feisty, I like it..."
He then turned back toward the dark vestibule from where he came from
"Well come on then, you still need to report to the others on your abysmal failure of a mission"
This caught her attention and her head immediately snapped up
"WHAT?!"
Seemingly as if her injuries weren't there at all, she found herself up on her feet which was no easy feat due to her extreme injuries and exhaustion
"Indeed, a little birdie told me that the prototype monster failed to take out the Loki Familia..."
This was a surprise for her since she didn't expect the Loki Familia to be that powerful, especially since she thought that she caught them off guard
'Unless...'
"Now while I do believe that it being defeated isn't your fault since it was weak anyway, I do believe that the way you approached it was poorly executed, with you getting discovered and all..."
The Hindu god continued, which did nothing to ameliorate the negative emotions whirling inside the injured woman, who looked ready to explode any second now
"It's that damn white-haired brat and elven bitch, they must have warned them somehow"
She spat out venomously, her voice seething with anger
Rudra meanwhile, was interested in what she had just said
"A white-haired brat, eh?"
He mulled over what she said
"Yeah I know, I'll keep an eye on him and the others for now"
Then, the Hindu God's smirk widened into a smile
"Excellent, now come, we have a meeting with the others about Ares' plan to invade, and this time I have a feeling he'll actually pull through this time"
-Fin-
Felt like the ending was a bit rushed because I just really wanted to get it over with and update the story after around an entire month of inactivity. I'll try to make the dialogues between characters more meaningful and productive in comparison to how I used to structure them previously, stiffly rigid and awkward. Anyway, if you want to help further improve the story and the way I write, you can leave your thoughts down in the comments section, I'm grateful to all who've interacted with my story, whether by simply reading it and/or taking the time to point out any inconsistencies or bad writing. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say for now, I'll see you guys in the next one!