CHAPTER 5 TO BATTLE
A roar of applause swept through the crowd.
One of Ganesha Familia’s tamers had just issued a command and a once-uncontrollable monster took a seat on the arena floor.
The Coliseum, located in eastern Orario, stood high above the surrounding buildings. Energy swirled within its walls, threatening to bubble out over the top.
“Gotta hand it to Ganesha’s guys, that was amazing! That one made taming look simple. I could never pull that off.”
“Very much so. The chances of successfully taming a monster are extremely slim, and yet he pulled it off in front of a large audience…”
“It’s all part of the show. Not only did he tame the monster, he pulled off all those flashy moves at the same time to up the entertainment value. I’d pay to see something like this any day.”
Tiona, Lefiya, and Tione had come to the Coliseum to see the main event of the Monsterphilia. Arriving early in the morning, the three girls had claimed very good seats in the stands. Thoroughly impressed by the best that Ganesha Familia had to offer, they talked among themselves and the crowd.
The very colorfully dressed tamer took a bow and was received by another round of enthusiastic applause. The tiger monster looked like nothing more than a well-trained house cat as the man guided it out of the arena. Once they were clear, the arena’s eastern gate flung open to reveal a very masculine tamer and a dragon standing over seven meders tall.
“They caught something that big in the Dungeon and dragged it all the way up here?”
“Of course they didn’t. They tracked one down outside the city. Most monsters born outside the Dungeon are much weaker, but dragons are always powerful.”
The three girls had a great view of the arena from their seats, a couple of rows back from the front.
All of the applause was suddenly replaced by thousands of gasps in unison. “Uaahhh!” Tiona tilted her head to the side, squeezing one eye closed. Lefiya covered her ears and took in a deep breath.
“Wait, don’t you think this is a little strange? Look at that creature. Wouldn’t it make more sense for it to be the grand finale?”
Somehow the elf’s voice was loud enough to be heard by her friends. Tiona straightened her head and blinked a few times before taking a closer look at the monster.
It was by far the most powerful and intimidating monster they’d seen today. The festival was scheduled to continue for a few more hours, so there was no reason for it to take the place of other monsters. The more Tiona thought about it, the stranger this timing seemed to her.
In that case, there was a reason for the organizers to change the order—as in the next monsters couldn’t make it to the arena.
“Also…don’t the Ganesha Familia adventurers look a bit anxious?”
“Ah, you noticed that, too?”
The Amazonian twins scanned the crowd. Sure enough, many people wearing Ganesha Familia’s emblem were running in and out of a private box on the top lip of the Coliseum. Most likely, their god, Ganesha, was inside. Other members of the familia were working their way through the crowd, talking with anyone who looked strong. Their body language told the girls that they were asking for something.
Tiona and the others couldn’t help but feel that something bad was going on. The anxiety on the Ganesha Familia members’ faces was impossible to miss.
“What shall we do?”
“…We could go and ask?”
Tione answered Lefiya’s question as she stood up from her seat.
The three girls squeezed their way past other people seated in their row and ran up the aisle to the exit.
“What’re Ganesha’s kiddos doin’, Misha?”
“Ehh, um, well, they’re moving to protect the people. They’re working with us to evacuate the east block.”
“Hrrrm…Can’t expect much out of ’em in that case. Best ta leave the monsters ta Aiz.”
Loki talked to a very nervous Guild employee as she looked around the area.
Order had been restored to the courtyard surrounding the Coliseum. Guild employees wearing black suits rushed into position as Ganesha Familia adventurers formed battle parties. A few adventurers had been pulled from the crowd inside to help; they stood in an unorganized group, waiting for orders. Finally, a Guild employee directed them to join other groups as needed.
Monster roars could be heard echoing from behind the buildings in the distance.
“Loki!”
“Huh?”
Loki spun around after hearing her name. She waved both arms when she recognized three of her own coming toward her.
They had been unsuccessful at getting any real answers from Guild employees, so the three girls came to her for more detailed information.
“To be blunt, some monsters escaped. I hear they’re still nearby.”
“Wha?! That’s bad, really bad!”
“Yep, sure is.”
Tiona’s sudden surprised outburst had no effect on Loki’s calm demeanor.
The girls bombarded her with questions. Loki just smiled and began to issue orders.
“Would the three of ya mind cleanin’ up if one of the monsters gets away from Aiz? Oh yeah, it’d be better if we had a good view. I’m goin’ up; y’all should, too.”
“Miss Aiz is already engaging the monsters in battle?”
“Nah, not yet.”
“Haah? Okay, then where is she?”
Loki answered Lefiya’s and Tione’s questions with one finger.
She pointed to the upper rim of the Coliseum.
“Up there.”
Her hair rustled in the wind.
Aiz surveyed the city from the top of the Coliseum, blond hair dancing behind her.
She had been granted special access to the roof of the building. Without question, this spot was the best vantage point in the area. She had a clear view straight down East Main and could easily see the places people were running away from at the same time.
She could’ve charged out after the monsters roaming the city right away, but this was a battle against the clock.
—Get a bird’s-eye view and snipe them from afar.
Those were Loki’s instructions.
“…There.”
While she could see them, Aiz had another ace up her sleeve. There was no wind in the Dungeon, but it could flow freely on the surface. Her Magic, Airiel, gave her a wide spatial sense as the breeze spread out throughout the area. She could find monsters in the blink of an eye.
There were eight beasts in her general vicinity. The Guild’s report said that nine had escaped. She couldn’t sense the last one.
But there was no time. Aiz drew the rapier from its sheath at her waist.
“Awaken, Tempest.”
Wind swirled around her.
The crowd erupted in cheers once again behind her. Taking a step forward, she leaned over the edge.
Lightly pushing off, the wind’s support made her float next to the man-made structure for a few seconds.
Her golden eyes locked onto the closest monster. She didn’t blink.
She’d take it down at full speed.
“Lil Rafaga.”
She kicked off the wall.
Aiz careened toward her target like a spear shot out of a cannon.
“?!”
“The hell is that?!”
Impact.
She pierced through the back of her target, a troll in the middle of a backstreet. A group of adventurers had been preparing to take it head-on and had a clear view of her approach. They stood there in awe and surprise as the townspeople who hadn’t evacuated yet dove for cover.
One!
The troll erupted in a burst of ash. Aiz landed on the stone surface of the street with a huge impact, spun around, and dashed toward an intersection—slicing in half the monster standing there.
“—GaAHHH?!”
Two!
No stopping.
Jumping to the top of a three-story building, Aiz ran from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of her next target. She jumped down the moment her eyes caught a glimpse of the beast. She traced its shadow, her rapier piercing the moving target between its shoulder blades.
Three!
The time spent on top of the Coliseum had paid off by dramatically reducing time between kills. Aiz was moving so fast and efficiently that she was reaching the monsters before the other groups dispatched to take care of them even had a chance. All they felt was a gusting breeze before the monster in front of them exploded in a mixture of blood and ash.
Even the robust four-legged deer monster Sword Stag burst into chunks of flesh as she ran by.
Four!
A blond typhoon whipped its way around the city.
“Please evacuate in an orderly fashion! There are no monsters in the area, remain calm!”
“My daughter, she’s gone! We got separated, and…AND…!”
“Ma’am, take a deep breath. Now, what color clothing is your daughter wearing?”
Guild employees did their best to control the chaos in the East Block residential area. With the help of adventurers, they guided the panicking and angry townspeople to safety.
Loki witnessed a conversation between a half-elf in a black suit and an animal person get interrupted by the dying roar of a monster in the distance. She looked in that direction.
“Tough luck, girls, looks like Aiz is gonna finish ’em off…”
Loki muttered to herself from her perch on top of a bell tower.
Her eyes caught gold and silver streaks racing across the horizon before disappearing behind a building.
Another roar of pain rang out a moment later before being instantly silenced.
“But…somethin’ seems fishy about all this.”
There had been no civilian casualties thanks to the quick reaction of the Guild and Ganesha Familia. Judging by the conversations going on beneath her, the evacuation was now complete. What’s more, no one was injured.
The Guild and Ganesha Familia should be commended for their bravery, but Loki had a different theory.
No one dead or bleedin’…This is too perfect to be a fluke…No monster would pass up a chance to snack on a kiddo.
Loki had seen several monsters come within striking distance of screaming demi-humans but didn’t even take a swing. All they did was look around the street, like they were searching for something in particular. There was the occasional outburst of anger as they crushed objects in their way, but not a single one went after the easy targets.
“No tellin’ what’s gonna happen next…”
Aiz finished off another monster down the street.
The only being with the ability to pull off something like this—a navy-blue hood, a lock of silver hair, and a broken smile immediately came to her mind.
“—Hnn?”
Loki looked at her feet.
The bricks groaned and shifted.
She hadn’t imagined it—the bell tower was swaying.
Loki grabbed hold of the windowsill and looked around outside.
“An earthquake…?”
“Ah-ha-ha, looks like we won’t get a turn.”
Tiona grumbled as the three girls came to a stop. They had been jumping from rooftop to rooftop through the residential district in pursuit of the monsters, but Aiz always got there first.
At this rate, none of them would get away from her, and the girls’ presence here would be meaningless.
Aiz took off again in another direction. The girl’s hair and clothes danced in her wake.
“Feels like we were offered candy but someone else ate it…”
“Oh? You, too?”
“…U-umm, neither of you have weapons or armor. I’m amazed you can say things like that.”
In fact, none of them had any of their equipment at all. Large blades and a staff would only block their view in the stands, and Tione didn’t want to accidentally sit on one of her knives. Wearing armor to the festival would have been just as uncomfortable.
But little details like that didn’t bother the Amazonian twins. They were confident in their ability to fight as long as they could clench their fists, but Lefiya couldn’t even fathom the idea.
“…?”
“Tiona?”
“Is something the matter?”
The girl was frowning, senses on high alert. Hunched over and looking left and right, she looked like an alley cat trying to figure out if she should fight or flee.
She looked at her sister and said:
“Is the ground shaking?”
“…Now that you mention it, yes.”
“Perhaps it’s just…an earthquake?”
But all of them knew that the shaking was much too local to be an earthquake. Only the houses in this area were quivering. Babel Tower was steady as a rock in Central Park. The girls knew something was very wrong.
Their senses had been sharpened from years of Dungeon crawling. Hearing an unexpected sound was a sign of things to come.
Then.
An explosion erupted from street level the moment the girls braced themselves.
“?!”
All three turned in that direction and saw a pyre of smoke rising to the sky less than a block away.
“EE-EEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!”
A woman’s scream cut through the air.
The smoke and dust wavered as it started to clear. That’s when a long, snakelike monster came into view. Its tail was still emerging from between the stones of the broken pavement.
The three girls felt chills run down their spines.
All of their faces turned a shade paler.
“Tione, this one means business!!”
“Our turn.”
The twins sprinted forward.
Lefiya took off just behind them. The girls raced across the rooftops, jumped, and landed in front of the beast.
“What corner of the Dungeon did Ganesha’s guys drag this thing out of…?”
“Is this a new species…?”
The snake’s lump of a “head” leaned forward as the last of the smoke cleared.
Pale-green smooth skin covered its long, thin body. The lump at the front of its body didn’t have a mouth or eyes or anything else to identify it as a head. In fact, it was shaped more like a sunflower seed. It “looked” at the girls, but they didn’t know how it could see them.
A faceless snake stared them down.
“Tiona, we pound it to dust.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“Lefiya, start casting in case we need backup.”
“Y-yes.”
Tione issued orders to the others as they took up positions around the monster.
The ground trembled again as the monster shifted its attention to the twins charging at full speed.
A moment later, it used its entire body like a whip planted in the ground to attack the girls head-on.
“!”
The Amazons quickly jumped out of the way.
Stones flew in every direction as the beast’s body slammed onto the street. Fragments flew through the surrounding houses and buildings, opening countless holes. Another cloud of smoke and debris filled the ten-meder-wide street.
Crick, crick, crick. The monster’s body made a truly unnerving sound as it straightened up once again. Tione and Tiona circled around the creature to attack from behind.
“?!”
“What’s this thing made of, solid steel?!”
Sharp pain shot through their arms the moment their punches connected.
The monster’s skin repelled the attack.
Despite being unarmed, the Amazonian twins were top-class adventurers. Hundreds of thousands of monsters had been literally torn apart by their hands. And yet, neither of them could make a dent in this one. All their powerful fists had done was make the creature flinch. In fact, the creature’s armor had inflicted more damage on them.
Tiona shook her right hand so fast it was a blur, eyes opened wide in shock.
“—!!”
The creature let out a ferocious, angry roar. Perhaps their attacks had done damage after all. It started violently whipping its body around, like an angry bull trying to buck off a rider.
The twins quickly retreated to a safe distance before finding new windows to attack.
“We can’t end this with our fists!”
“Ah, what I wouldn’t give for a sword right now!”
The girls yelled back and forth as they landed blow after blow against the monster but couldn’t seem to land a decisive hit.
The monster was very quick to counterattack, but the girls were too agile. The snakelike creature had turned most of the street into rubble but had yet to make contact with its opponents.
Neither side could gain an advantage. The battle was a stalemate, but neither side was backing down.
Meanwhile, Lefiya had found cover outside of the monster’s range and begun casting a spell.
“Unleashed beam of light, limbs of the holy tree. You are the master archer.”
She had no staff to help focus her magical energy. Therefore, she stuck her arm out straight forward and concentrated her energy into her palm.
The spell valued speed over destructive power. While it couldn’t wipe out hordes of enemies, it was more applicable to a wide variety of situations in combat.
Even better, the creature was completely distracted by Tiona’s and Tione’s attacks. It hadn’t even looked in Lefiya’s direction. She had plenty of time to focus and wait for an opening.
The elf’s voice flowed like a musical melody as a golden magic circle spread beneath her feet.
“Loose your arrows, fairy archers. Pierce, arrow of accuracy!”
The spell was complete. All that remained was to concentrate all her magical energy to a single point and pull the “trigger.” Suddenly—
The creature turned away from the twins and looked directly at her.
“Huh?”
Lefiya’s heart skipped a beat. The creature’s quick reaction to the new threat sent a chill down her spine.
The monster that had completely ignored her up until now suddenly had its faceless head pointed directly at her.
The Amazons were already getting out of the way—Lefiya knew in that moment this creature was sensitive to magical energy.
The realization came a second too late.
A sudden impact tore through her stomach.
“—ah.”
A pale-green tendril had shot out of the ground at her feet.
Without any armor to absorb the blow, Lefiya felt the green appendage, as thick as Lefiya’s arm, slam into normal cloth.
“Ka-AHH!” Blood erupted from her mouth, splattering on the ground. She could feel every unnatural crunch inside her abdomen as even more blood dripped from her mouth.
““LEFIYA?!””
The blow knocked the elf clean off her feet. Her eyes rolled into her head as she flew backward. Thud! She landed on her back, body twitching.
Tiona and Tione screamed at the top of their lungs and rushed to her aid. The elf’s feminine frame was much more delicate than their own. A hit like that could be fatal. Lefiya stopped moving, lying eerily still.
The tendril that burst from the ground started to wiggle. At the same time, the creature began to change.
It raised its lump-like head toward the sky. Crick! Crick! Lines appeared—and it bloomed.
“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Its roar reverberated through the streets.
Many petals stretched out to sunlight.
Each of them was an ominous deep red.
They all met in the center, a gigantic mouth lined with fangs. Pollen shook free with every movement.
The flesh inside its mouth was light pink. Its magic stone was visible deep in its throat as the beast turned toward its prey.
“Not a snake…but a flower?!”
Tiona yelled in horror.
The long body was actually a stem. Its faceless lump of a head turned out to be a bud.
The ferocious carnivorous flower turned its terrifying visage toward Lefiya.
Several more tendrils exploded from the ground as the creature’s body slithered toward the helpless elf.
“Lefiya, get up!!”
“GAHHH, outta my way!!”
Tione and Tiona’s path to their ally was blocked by the tendrils. No matter how many times they knocked one of the pale-green appendages to the ground, it would just rise again. Lefiya lay motionless in the middle of a wriggling forest of roots.
The Amazonian twins screamed as the monster’s head hovered over their friend.
No! Lefiya thought.
The creature’s long body blocked the sun overhead. Cast in shade, her body wouldn’t move, no matter how many times she begged it to stand. The cloud of pollen around her had become so thick it was hard to breathe. Even now, she could hear drops of saliva falling from overhead and landing next to her face.
Screams seemed distant. Some residents hadn’t evacuated in time and now watched in terror as the creature prepared to devour her. Guild employees and adventurers did their best to guide the unlucky souls to safety as quickly as possible.
No, NO!! Lefiya screamed in her head.
She commanded her arms and legs to move. Anywhere was better than here. She called on every muscle, every tendon, every nerve to get her away from this creature.
But it was all for nothing. The creature’s mouth was closing in and she couldn’t budge.
“Aa-AAA!” At last, sound escaped from her throat.
Her cloudy eyes reflected nothing but the monster’s incoming fangs and bloodred petals.
NO, NO, NOT AGAIN!
It’s the same as before. Why is it always like this?
That’s going to happen again.
Someone else is going to—
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
Gold and silver streaks flashed before her eyes.
The creature’s head was severed from its body. Lefiya saw sparkling blond hair through her painful tears.
Not from physical pain—that amazing girl had saved her once again.
The monster’s final cries echoed through the streets as its head slammed into a stone wall.
Aiz had arrived at the last possible moment, slicing the creature’s neck with all her strength. She landed gracefully on what was left of the stone street and turned to face her allies.
The monster’s entire body was convulsing. It had been mere seconds away from devouring Lefiya, but now its headless body had collapsed to the ground next to her. It wriggled and twitched for a few moments before coming to a stop.
“Aiz!”
The tendrils that had been keeping the Amazons at bay fell limp to the street.
The human girl looked around and knew she’d arrived in the nick of time.
Her magic had alerted her to the presence of an unreported monster the moment she had slain the sixth festival escapee. Just like Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya, she rushed into battle. She saw the mage take a direct hit. Thanks to the wind’s assistance, Aiz managed to enter the fray in time to prevent Lefiya’s untimely death.
Aiz saw the twins rushing toward her, but she cast her gaze toward the elf.
Lefiya was still motionless on the ground. Aiz took a step toward her when suddenly—
The ground in front of her started to crack.
“…!”
Rumbling from beneath the street reached her ears a moment later.
Aiz took a defensive stance as the stones around her shook hard enough to leave the ground.
“Wha—what now?!”
“There’s more?!”
Pale-green stalks rose from the dirt as the twins yelled out to each other.
Three of them, all around Aiz.
Rising up like bars of a living cage, the buds opened wide and bared their fangs at the girl trapped inside.
Their moist breath was hot on her face. Aiz frowned and looked at each of her opponents in turn—when, without warning…
SNAP! A spiderweb of cracks ran through the rapier a second before it shattered.
“—”
“Huh—”
“Wha—”
Words left Aiz and the twins as all three girls watched the splinters of metal fall to the ground.
The blade couldn’t withstand the combination of Airiel and Aiz’s aggressive fighting style. Pushed beyond its limit, the weapon literally fell to pieces.
She had forgotten her own situation in the crucial moment—Aiz slew every monster with the rapier as if she were using Desperate. The last bits of the weapon flashed in the sunlight as they landed at her feet.
Someone was going to be very angry with her.
The first thing to jump into Aiz’s mind wasn’t the perilous situation of being unarmed against powerful foes but the fact that she could no longer return the rapier to its rightful owner.
“—!!”
The carnivorous plants howled.
All three fanged blossoms converged on her at once. Aiz quickly jumped out of the way.
“!”
A small sliver of the rapier still remained attached to the hilt in her right hand. Aiz brought it down on the closest monster.
Pain instantly shot through her wrist as the beast’s skin rejected what was left of the sharp edge. The wind’s assistance made no difference. Aiz took one look at the creature’s undamaged body and gave up trying that again.
“Why are they ignoring us? This time it’s Aiz!”
“They can sense Magic…?!”
No matter how many times Tiona and Tione struck the monsters, all three stayed in hot pursuit of the human girl.
Aiz weaved and dodged her way away from Lefiya. The heads took turns tearing through the air and crashing into the street teeth-first. Meanwhile, more tendril-like roots emerged from the ground to protect their bodies against the Amazons’ attacks.
“Aiz, get rid of your Magic! They’ll follow you until you do!”
“But…”
“We can take them one-on-one!”
The monsters’ snakelike bodies slammed into a line of nearby street stalls, sending them flying in their pursuit of the blond girl.
The Amazonian twins called out to Aiz as they jumped in and out of the way of the mobile green stems. The human protested at first but saw the logic in their suggestion and was about to dismiss the wind protecting her.
That’s when she saw her.
“—”
She caught a glimpse of a small human figure out of the corner of her eye.
A civilian who hadn’t escaped in time.
An animal-person child had been hiding behind the street stalls. Overcome by fear, the girl sat on the stone street, shaking uncontrollably. Their eyes met.
If Aiz tried to dodge the monsters’ next attack to the right, their long bodies would crush the girl in an instant.
She made her decision.
Strong wind gathered around her.
Aiz jumped onto the debris on her left.
Fanged jaws came down.
“Are you all right?”
A hand reached out to assist the groaning and flinching Lefiya.
The elf reached up with a trembling hand, grabbed hold, and managed to sit up.
“Ka-khaaa…kahh…aah…?!”
More blood dripped down her chin as she coughed. A female Guild employee offered her shoulder and helped the elf to her feet.
Her stomach and dry throat felt like they were on fire.
Her lips were illuminated by blinding jade light as she said:
“Wynn Fimbulvetr.”
An arctic blast filled the street.
Aiz and the twins jumped out of the way at the last possible second as chilling white winds overtook the monsters. Their skin, their petals, even the sound escaping from their fanged jaws froze in place. A layer of frost overtook all three of the monsters.
Three overgrown flowers were frozen in time. They stood like statues caged in ice that would never melt. The spell turned the surrounding area into a winter wonderland, the streets a skating rink surrounded by buildings and debris that were frozen solid.
Wind whipped fractals of ice through the air, making the area sparkle like the inside of a snow globe under the bright midday sun.
“Nice, Lefiya!”
“Never had much of a green thumb anyway. See? It’s black and blue thanks to these weeds.”
Tiona came bounding toward the elf, all smiles, while her sister vented frustration. Both walked past Lefiya and up to two of the frozen monsters.
Neither of them hesitated the moment they arrived in front of the deep-blue beasts. They even took the same pose.
“!!”
“Take thisss—!!”
Both spun into the air and slammed their heels into the monsters.
Their wheat-colored skin was a blur on impact. Cracks raced across the surface of the ice before the carnivorous plants collapsed into a pile of shards.
“Aizuu.”
“…Loki?”
Aiz turned away from the frigid massacre unfolding at the hands of the Amazons to search for the voice that called out to her.
She found two human figures standing on top of the remains of an item shop. One of them was a little animal-person girl who looked familiar; the other was Loki. Her goddess was holding the young girl in a reassuring one-armed hug at her side.
Loki had a sword in her other arm. A moment later, she tossed it to Aiz.
“This is…”
“Hnn, kinda borrowed it from that shop over yonder.”
She pointed to the remains of a street stand that had been destroyed by the monsters.
Strips of steel sparkled beneath the wood debris. It used to sell weapons.
That morning, the two of them had visited a street stand just like it.
“’Kay, have at it.”
One look at Loki’s smile made Aiz forget to ask her when she’d found the little girl. Instead, she returned her goddess’s smile with a grin of her own.
“…”
Chilled air rose from the sheet of ice covering the ground.
Aiz carefully walked to the base of the last frozen monster.
It stood like a silent reminder of what the carnivorous plants could have done.
Now it was frozen solid, unable to defend itself or run away from Aiz as she drew the new sword from its sheath.
One slash became hundreds in the blink of an eye as lines crisscrossed its body.
Aiz jumped over the monster’s head to deliver one final blow. “Hyuun!” The blade whistled as it sliced through air and beast.
Sheets of ice crumbled to the ground.
Off-balance, the remaining pieces of the monster collapsed in on themselves.
More ice fractals danced in the sunlight, the air shimmering like the human girl’s blond hair.
“Thanks so much, Lefiya! You saved us!”
“M-Miss Tiona?!”
Tiona ignored Lefiya’s injuries and embraced her in a big hug that took the elf off her feet.
The elf’s left eye closed as she winced in pain, cheeks blushing bright red. Lefiya didn’t seem too proud of herself.
Looking as aloof as usual, Aiz sounded relieved as she walked up to her friend.
“Thank you, Lefiya.”
“Miss Aiz…”
“You looked like Riveria…That was impressive.”
Those words made her open both her eyes. Overcome with emotion she’d never felt before, the elf blushed as red as an apple before looking at the ground. Still in Tiona’s bear hug, Lefiya felt her lips find their way into a smile.
“Yeah, yeah, congrats an’ all, but ya still got work ta do.”
Loki clapped her hands twice as she walked between the girls.
The Guild employees were still running around like madmen. It was too early to let their guard down.
“Tiona an’ Tione, would ya mind goin’ underground? Make sure there’s nothin’ down there.”
“Yep, yep, can do!”
“How ya feelin’, Lefiya? You could go with the Guild lady, get fixed up a bit?”
“Ah, yes, I shall.”
The deity’s vermilion gaze next fell on Aiz.
“Take care’a the rest of the monsters. I’m comin’ with ya.”
“Understood.”
The group split up to follow Loki’s orders. Only Aiz and the goddess were left standing on the ice.
“So, shall we?”
“Yes.”
The two started back toward the Coliseum when immediately—
The sound of cheers and applause in the distance reached their ears.
But to their surprise, it wasn’t coming from the Coliseum.
The sound was coming from the southeast, close to Orario’s second “labyrinth”—Daedalus Street.
The sun sank in the western sky, already halfway hidden behind the city wall.
The four girls walked toward home on North Main Street, under a sky of brilliant yellows and oranges.
“Haa! That was a long day.”
“A very eventful day, for sure.”
Lefiya grimaced as she responded to Tiona’s comment. Her injuries had been treated and her body bore no scars, but her once-refined clothing was an absolute mess.
Today’s incident had been resolved for the most part. Thanks to Ganesha Familia and the Guild’s efforts, there were no casualties and damage to the city was kept to a minimum. However, the perpetrator was still at large. No one knew the identity or motive, be it a simple prank or the first step in an elaborate plan.
“Looks like the Guild and Ganesha Familia will be on thin ice for a while. It was their responsibility to keep everyone safe.”
“Maybe that’s what the mischief maker was after…?”
“You could be right.”
Aiz listened to Lefiya and Tione’s conversation as she looked down at her own body. A twinge of sadness passed through her eyes.
“What’s the matter, Aiz? Something wrong?”
“…Tiona.”
Aiz looked up at the Amazon and her shoulders shrank apologetically. “Sorry,” she said weakly.
“The clothes, they’re ruined…”
“…”
While nowhere near as bad as Lefiya’s, several seams in Aiz’s clothing were torn and the hemming was frayed. The once-pristine white top was now a blotchy gray.
Her clothes weren’t made from the flexible, strong fabric of battle cloth for the Dungeon but normal everyday material. Of course they wouldn’t be able to withstand that kind of punishment.
Aiz seemed to be trapped by her own sadness, not knowing how to proceed. Tiona made eye contact with her and gently smiled.
“Let’s go buy some more sometime?”
“…Sure.”
Tiona’s smile was dazzling in the red sunlight. Aiz couldn’t help but do the same.
Her cheeks felt warm in the last of the sun’s rays.
“…”
Her spirit lifted by Tiona’s kindness, Aiz’s mind once again drifted toward the boy with white hair.
Just as she thought, he’d been at the Monsterphilia.
After the girls had gone their separate ways, she and Loki pursued the last of the monsters that escaped the Coliseum. But it was the boy who slew the final one.
Although she saw him only in passing, Aiz was grateful that she got to meet him today.
Bell…
His name still lingered in her memory.
Her mind was set; she would find a way to apologize. But there was something else, too.
Part of her was happy that the newbie she remembered had defeated a monster that should have been well out of his league.
It happened on East Main Street.
She had arrived at the entrance to Daedalus Street, but hundreds of people were already there. All of them were celebrating the return of one brave adventurer.
Many happy people all in one place.
A young adventurer had overcome his fear and slain a monster.
He’d gone from a laughingstock at the bar to being celebrated as a hero…and that made her happy.
Aiz looked up at the darkening sky with her usual distant expression.
“Hey, where’s Loki?”
The girls were practically at the doorstep of home when Tiona noticed their goddess was missing.
“She said something came up. Also, she’ll be late, so don’t save dinner for her.”
“Drinking again? After what happened today? She’s something else!”
“Perhaps she needed to meet with another god…?”
The sun sank even lower.
The shadows of the girls on each building grew long and were swallowed up by the shadow of the city wall.
Twilight overtook Orario.
Magic-stone lamps of every color imaginable lit up the Shopping District, in southern Orario.
The night sky loomed over the city, but this district was very much alive. Humans and demi-humans of all shapes and sizes brushed shoulders as they excitedly went from theaters to bars and back again. Adventurers in armor stood out from the crowd. Even a few deities mingled with the masses.
One particularly classy bar was located in a corner of the Shopping District.
Loki and Freya sat around a table in a room so wide and well decorated it was fit for a king.
“My, my, what could be so important that you call me out at this hour?”
“Ya have some idea, I reckon.”
Both goddesses grinned. They held glasses of wine in their hands, but neither took a sip.
Freya looked completely relaxed. Loki, however, was grinning like a child who’d just figured out a secret.
“You’re the one who caused the scene at today’s festival.”
“That’s quite the accusation. Do you have any proof?”
“No need for that kinda wild-goose chase. Facts are facts. No one but you could’a done that.”
Loki gulped down the expensive wine in her glass like it was nothing more than water before continuing.
“Charmed, charmed, charmed, all of ’em were charmed. Ya turned all the Guild workers’ and Ganesha’s kids’ spines to jelly. Then, ta-daa! No more lookouts. Ain’t that right?”
Freya’s beauty could “charm” thousands of people at once.
No amount of reasoning could hold her beauty at bay. Instincts took over as a feeling of ecstasy washed over those who laid eyes on her. It wasn’t uncommon for particularly vulnerable beings to fall madly in love with her at first sight. Her allure was strong enough to wrap some deities around her finger. The children of Gekai didn’t stand a chance.
It just so happened that even monsters could fall under her spell.
“None’a the escapees hurt nobody. From what I seen, they were lookin’ for somethin’. Somethin’ that a particular boobs-fer-brains goddess wanted to find.”
Pointing out that no living monster would turn down a chance for fresh meat, Loki made her final argument.
“The only one who could change murderous monsters into dangerous teddy bears is you. Plain an’ simple. Can’t figure out what the hell ya were tryin’ ta do…but you’re the guilty party.”
“…Fu-fu. Indeed, it’s exactly as you say.”
“Ho-ho, you’re takin’ this well.”
Loki grinned from ear to ear after Freya confirmed her theory without so much as a denial.
“Maybe the Guild would like to hear ’bout this? Wonder what kind’a penalty they’d draw up for ya…”
Freya kept smiling despite Loki’s thinly veiled threats.
She closed her eyes and sat for a moment. Then she raised her eyelids just enough to flash confident streaks of silver at her counterpart. Then she spoke.
“The eagle feather robe.”
“Huh?”
“The robe that I lent you still has yet to find its way back to me. If you wish to sell me to the Guild, I would like it returned beforehand.”
Loki’s grinning lips suddenly went limp.
“Wha…? You’re talkin’ about the big fluffy one from Tenkai? I just borrowed it! Why now of all times do ya want it back? Seriously, I can’t just whip it outta thin air!”
“That’s not my problem. But, of course, you’re not the type to go back on a promise made to a goddess, now are you?”
Freya’s gaze intensified, the corners of her lips pointing straight up. Loki struggled to come up with an answer.
“Well, but ya know…I’ve really taken a likin’ to it. Would be sad to see it go…”
“If you’re willing to stay quiet about today’s events, and about my activities in the future…I’ll offer you the robe for your silence. Do we have a deal?”
Loki didn’t move. She knew exactly what Freya was saying, what it all meant. Her cheek twitched as her mind raced, weighing the options.
Damn it, she swore to herself as she rested her chin against the palm of her hand.
“That’s dirty, bringin’ up the past.”
“Says the one trying to blackmail me.”
Freya rolled her shoulders, thoroughly enjoying the moment. Loki’s grin had been replaced by a scowl as she leaned away from the table. She slammed her back against the sofa chair like a pouting child. The soft cushions absorbed the blow as the deity’s body sank into them.
“Gahh, don’t be so high-an’-mighty, pissin’ me off. My beloved kiddos got the short end of the stick because’a yer game. Got roughed up pretty bad, too. Be grateful.”
“…?”
Freya looked confused.
That was very uncommon for the Goddess of Beauty. Loki’s thin eyes narrowed.
“What’s with that face? No need to play dumb. Ya know, the tenth one. The bloomin’ snake with the big teeth, puke green?”
“…I set only nine monsters free.”
“…Lyin’ through yer teeth.”
“It’s true. All I wanted to do was distract your and Ganesha’s children. It was not my intention to destroy anything.”
She continued by saying it was just a prank to make some noise.
Both goddesses donned more serious faces.
They noticed that their stories weren’t lining up, like buttons going through the wrong hole in a shirt.
“…’Kay, then, where did that beastie come from?”
“I have no clue. I have no idea where you got the story from.”
They fell silent.
Still making eye contact, a heavy mood descended around Loki and Freya.
Blurry moonlight drifted through the thin cloud cover.
Silver stars twinkled from every corner of the night sky.
Ruins of an old building stood silently on this peaceful night.
Only the stone frame remained standing, around scraps of wood that were once walls. The city of Orario shone as bright as a beacon even at this hour, and yet somehow none of the countless lights fell on the ruin. It was shrouded in darkness.
One figure stood beneath the stone beams, head and shoulders outlined by moonlight.
One solitary being lurking in the darkness.
“Lord Dionysus.”
A voice called out to the figure.
The female appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She approached the figure without making a sound. The moonlight illuminated a feminine body with long ears the shape of leaves and skin as white as snow.
The figure turned to face this newcomer, passing in and out of darkness as she pleased.
The clouds lifted. Moonlight flooded the ruin through the massive hole that was once the roof. The lurking god’s features came to light.
“Were you able to collect it before the Guild?”
“Yes, I present it to you.”
Dionysus’s royal smile was nowhere to be found. The elf, one of his followers, held out her hand. Dionysus took the wrapped item out of her palm.
Pulling back the coverings, he picked it up between his thumb and forefinger.
He held the thing up to the moonlight and narrowed his eyes.
“This could be more trouble than it’s worth…”
Trapped between his long fingers was a magic stone with a glowing red center. It glistened in the moonlight.
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