“Nngah!” A scream and a thud. A head resting on a pair of soft thighs. “Nngoh!” A second scream. Another impact. Again, a lap pillow. “Nnguh!” Again and again he was robbed of his consciousness. Again and again, Aiz’s lap. “Gaargh!” The blue sky swallowed the boy’s screams. It was a gorgeous day. The midday sunlight poured down across the hustle and bustle of the massive city, its warm, enveloping glow extending all the way to the two atop the city walls. Aiz ran her fingers through Bell’s bangs as he slept peacefully atop her lap, her gaze turned blankly toward the sky. Around her drifted tiny echoes from the busy streets far below. Her golden eyes narrowed softly amid the wonderfully glorious weather. It seems I can’t control my own strength, after all… Her eyes wandered before returning to the boy, his eyes still closed. Inside, she could feel her heart sink. It was the fifth day of their training, leaving only three days before the expedition. Bell had asked if she could train him for a full day, so Aiz had been doing nothing but engaging him in practice duels since early morning. She was giving it her all, instructing him relentlessly just as Lefiya and Filvis were having their own crash course within the Dungeon. And yet, try as she might, things hadn’t progressed as smoothly as she’d hoped—the number of times Bell had been knocked out was evidence enough of that. “I can’t do it. I’m not like Finn and the others…” Aiz muttered under her breath, shoulders slumping. Not only was she failing Bell, she was letting Lefiya down as well, having broken their promise to train for the day. She felt hopeless, as though she couldn’t face either of them. The scabbard of her trusted sword, Desperate, lay next to her on the rocks, swathed in a brilliant sheen of sunlight. And yet… She felt like she finally understood the meaning behind the smiles Finn and the others had shown her during the training sessions in her past. Striking her down, lifting her up. Striking her down, making her shine. Shaping a person the same way a smith would temper a sword…Slowly changing them into a new form before polishing them. Perhaps there was joy to be had in that, something only teachers could understand. Even Aiz could understand that emotion thanks to the boy’s swift, palpable growth…or so she felt. She looked down at the white rabbit running so earnestly up the mountain, determined to reach its peak, never resting or dozing, and before she knew it, she was smiling. Instinctively, she reached a hand out to run her fingers through his white bangs. “…” She waited, and finally, ever so slowly, Bell’s eyes fluttered open. His rubellite eyes stared blankly up at the sky spreading out overhead. Still a bit dazed, no doubt, from just having woken up, he simply lay atop her thighs…until Aiz abruptly, earnestly— —dropped her head forward to peer down at his face. “Are you all right?” “…Bwah?!” Seeing Aiz’s face suddenly pop into his field of vision, the boy let out a (maybe slightly delayed) yelp of surprise. He stumbled off Aiz’s pliant thighs and shot to his feet before turning around, cheeks burning. This wasn’t the first time he’d woken up like this. Aiz had been doing the same thing every time he lost consciousness since their second-day practice sessions. While it had its origins in the whole Mind Down incident, now it had become almost natural. She certainly didn’t want to just leave him there on the cold stone while he was out of commission—and besides, it felt pretty good. It was a relaxing, calming way to release tension and unwind. A gentle, comforting respite between sword fights where Aiz could rediscover that something she’d forgotten so long ago. Her eyes followed Bell curiously as he stood by fretting—perhaps he was upset—before giving her thighs a soft, inviting pat, seemingly urging him not to get to his feet so quickly. This only made Bell shake his head fervently. “You’re sure you’re all right?” “…Yes.” Aiz beckoned the frozen boy again, and he took a seat beside her. She glanced over to see him with his head turned, looking in any direction but hers. He pressed his back against the parapet behind him, then pulled away, then pressed against it again, his cheeks still flushed. Allowing herself a short break, Aiz circled her arms around her knees, close enough that her shoulder was just touching Bell’s. She couldn’t help the twinge of worry directed at the boy. “Do, uh…Do you think I’m…getting any better?” he said. “…Why do you ask?” “It’s, well, I mean…Lately I, uh…keep getting knocked out, so…” he started as though readying himself, his gaze still fixed forward. While it might have been a bit shallow of her, Aiz couldn’t help the little spark of happy surprise that blinked in the back of her head—the number of times Bell had brought up something not directly related to their training was so low she could count it on one hand. The corners of her mouth trembled slightly, eyes never leaving him as she responded candidly. “You’re growing. Really…To a surprising degree.” “U-um…but…” “The reason you keep getting knocked out is probably my own fault…I keep mistaking the amount of power I should use.” “That—! It’s not—! You shouldn’t think that!” Even as Aiz said it, she could feel her mood sink. Her eyelids drooped with a slow, quiet sadness. Bell turned toward her with a jerk, hurriedly refuting her reasoning. Even as her shoulders gave the smallest of slumps, Aiz realized she’d come to understand something lately. Bell Cranell was just a boy. He grew flustered when something went wrong, became dispirited when he was sad, felt ashamed when something was embarrassing, and was simply joyful, cheeks red and smiling, when good happened. Sincere, straightforward, occasionally showing off, and always pushing himself past his limits. A child so surprisingly common he barely fit the mold of other adventurers with their desires for wealth and fame, their dreams and ambitions. And even if the stuff on the inside—his heart, mind, or spirit—was wrong, his body, his physical abilities weren’t those of an adventurer, either. They weren’t even those of the heroes he admired. Even now, as the kind and good-natured Bell attempted to dispel her melancholia, he was still just a boy. “…” As charming as she found that fact, she also found it very strange. Why was it that someone like him, a person so far from what most adventurers were made of, could have achieved such dramatic growth? Aiz herself was easy enough to understand. Pressured by the boy’s growth, her training grew stricter and harsher with every passing day. Even considering the rate at which he kept losing consciousness, the extent of his remarkable growth made it difficult for her to hold back. Bell was racing forward at a speed that more than made up for the inefficiency of her training regimen. Which brought Aiz back full circle to why she’d considered training him in the first place. It was all to understand his secret. She hadn’t discovered even the faintest clue about the path to a new peak that she yearned for. The true nature of the growth so contradictory to his character. Aiz questioned it more and more every time she got closer to him. She paused for a moment, the doubts piling up in her mind, before finally letting her lips part with a tremble. “…Can I…ask you something?” “Huh?” She gazed straight into Bell’s face. And then she asked, with an expression more serious than she herself could ever remember displaying, “Why is it you’re able to grow so strong so quickly?” “Strong…?” Aiz, who had trouble putting even the simplest of things into words, poured everything into that question It made Bell stop short in bewilderment, almost as though such a question had absolutely nothing to do with him. Aiz herself knew it was a long shot, but she fervently wanted to ask it. As though that need had gotten through to the flustered Bell, his brows furrowed in intense concentration as he seriously thought it over. At long last, he began to talk. “…Well, there’s someone I’m trying to catch up with, no matter what it takes. And…somehow in all that running…I ended up here…” He threw a glance at Aiz, his cheeks reddening as he incoherently expressed his thoughts. “…I guess…I have a goal in mind…that I have to accomplish at all costs.” Aiz’s golden eyes widened. Deep down inside, she felt the words of the oath she had made in the past burn in her heart before quickly growing cold. Her golden gaze met his rubellite eyes momentarily, then she silently looked skyward. “I see…” Her eyes took in the blue of the overarching sky as she wrapped her arms lightly around her knees. The breeze combed through her long golden hair. “…I understand.” As the cerulean sky reflected in her eyes, the words fell from her lips. It might not have been the answer she wanted, but it was an answer she could understand. He’d told her that not too long ago, hadn’t he? That he, too, had an objective. Just like her. A goal that she had to accomplish at all costs. A far-off height that she needed to reach. “Me too…” —I have a wish. The words that slipped from her mouth disappeared in an instant, swallowed up by the sound of the wind as her eyes remained fixated on that blue expanse of sky. It was a cold wind, blowing strong from the west. The same rush of air a swordswoman like Aiz was so used to hearing. She sat there motionless, the wind playing with her hair as she stared up into that great big sky as though it were liable to swallow her whole. “I-I, uh…” Bell began. “?” “I…Never mind. It’s nothing…” Even as Aiz curiously tilted her head to the side, Bell tucked whatever he had planned to say back deep within his chest. Aiz was incredulous, but she didn’t pry and let her eyelids close instead. She had a hunch that not even Bell himself was aware of his own improvement. From what she had gathered—from what she had no choice but to gather—all Bell was doing was racing forward as fast as his legs would take him. She knew all too well that those rubellite eyes of his couldn’t lie or swindle or hide things. He told the truth in its entirety, a fact that should have left her wallowing in her own misery. Instead, however, a smile rose to her lips. …Such nice weather. As her conversation with Bell ground to a halt, her eyes crinkled at the warm sun pouring down on them. The sky was so blue today, tiny white cirrocumulus clouds swimming freely in the clear expanse. From the city’s eastern district came the echoing sound of the noontime bell, the clear ringing joining the pleasant sunlight wrapping around them. “Mmn…” At that moment… A tiny murmur escaped from Aiz’s petite lips. She instantly flung a hand to her mouth, but it was too late. The warm, sunny weather had enticed a yawn from her. “…?” Right next to her, Bell noticed and turned to her with a start. His expression was a mixture of curiosity and surprise. Aiz returned her hand to her side, recomposing herself as if nothing had happened. Uh-oh… But even as she did, her heart silently muttered. I’m…I’m sleepy… In the midst of all that warm, wonderful sun, Aiz’s eyelids were fighting a losing battle. Waking up before sunrise to train Bell and then training Lefiya in Concurrent Casting until the evening hours—she felt like she’d done nothing but eat, sleep, and train for the last five days with not even a moment’s rest. Even the time she spent asleep was shaved down as much as possible. And now this sunlight, so warm, so narcotic, had become her worst enemy. Apparently even first-tier adventurers could still succumb to this type of fiendish weather. How long would she be able to keep this up? This unmoving gaze of rigidity? Her normal, static features so devoid of emotion? She’d been working so hard these last couple of days, and the lethargy tugging at her entire being was all too real. “Perhaps we should…practice our napping skills.” “Huh?” It was out before she even realized it. Her mouth was running away from her. “You need to be able to sleep anywhere, you know. Even way down there in the Dungeon.” “…” “It’s an essential skill. A quick way to restore your stamina.” Still her mouth continued to run. Aiz refused to look at him, her eyes pointed straight ahead as she talked, but she could feel his gaze on the side of her face, questioning, no doubt confused. She was making things up and she knew it, but as much as she was sweating on the inside, it was too late to backtrack. So she emphasized the importance of it all the more, this “sleep training,” as she called it. There was a chance he might believe it, naive as he was, and Aiz held onto that tiny sliver of hope. “Are you…by any chance…sleepy, Miss Aiz?” Nope. He’d seen through her so easily. She could feel the heat building in her cheeks. “—It’s training.” Aiz turned her head toward Bell with an almost audible snap. “R-right.” Bell found himself unable to keep from nodding at the kind of sheer force only a first-tier adventurer could possess, a tiny trickle of sweat forming beneath his temple. And as they sat there, staring at each other, eyebrows raised, their cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red. “So…uh…we sleep…here?” “Yes,” she replied in a hurry, thanks to her embarrassment. She gave a terse nod before lying flat on the stone floor with a tiny thump. Just about ready to give herself over to the drowsiness that had so suddenly overcome her being, she caught a glance of Bell next to her, motionless. “What’s wrong? Can’t you sleep?” “N…no, I can’t…” She was on her side, and he lay down next to her on his back. Throwing a glance over at Aiz only to have their eyes meet, he hurriedly returned his gaze to the sky. Already on the verge of sleep, she watched as he squeezed his eyes closed in a forced effort to make himself sleep before quietly letting her own eyelids fall. Slowly, slowly, her consciousness drifted off to sleep.
She could hear someone. A voice was reading a story. It was a tale she knew by heart. One she’d heard time and again. It delighted her no matter how many times she listened. Her mother’s voice was soft like the wind, steeped in love, affection overflowing as she recited the words. Her father’s voice was loud, clumsy as he laughed, his kind eyes watching over both of them. This was her favorite time. When the three of them could share: her mother, her father, and her—Aiz. When she raised her eyes from the words of the story, she was met by the most wonderful sight. Everyone she loved, a whole room of people, had joined her mother and father, all of them smiling, all of them laughing. A beautiful, compassionate high elf, an adult prum the very same size as her, a dwarf with his great big mouth open, laughing heartily. And so many more. Animal people, Amazons, and humans alike surrounded Aiz and her family. Aiz felt her cheeks turn pink with warmth, and she stood on her tiptoes, hands waving as she grinned broadly. Such a tender moment. An irreplaceable bond. A precious place. But in a single moment, everything changed. A black cloud formed beneath their feet. From a giant rift in the floor came the oozing black nightmare, swallowing up the world once so filled with light. So black, so black, so black, the shadowy blob canceled out every bit of light. In the midst of all that darkness, Aiz could only watch, speechless, as her father walked away. Armor shrouded in a thin black scarf. A long silver sword. Her father held that gleaming silver blade in his hand as he faced the writhing shadow. Father! She ran after him, desperately calling out to him, but he didn’t turn around. He grew farther and farther away, and her mouth twisted downward in an ugly frown. Just as she turned around to call for help—everyone had vanished without a trace. In their place were weapons. A multitude of them. Swords, spears, axes, staffs, shields. They protruded from the ground like gravestones, forming a circle around her. Aiz found herself lacking words, captivated by her surroundings. There was no one in sight, not even her father. Everything was consumed by the endless darkness. Encircled by the meaningless, broken weapons, she called out their names again and again. Her father, her mother, everyone she knew. And then came a powerful wind. As it tousled and whipped her golden hair, she turned around to see her on the far side of her field of vision. With the same long golden hair flowing down her back—her mother. Her back was to Aiz as she confronted something writhing in the midst of the darkness. Before Aiz’s call could reach her, the shadow flared its gills. A swarm of new shadows sprang forth, entangling her mother, arms outstretched, swallowing her whole. Tears flooded Aiz’s golden eyes. She screamed, and suddenly, in front of her appeared a single sword protruding from the ground. It was identical to her father’s, a silver sword covered with cracks. Aiz pulled that decrepit weapon from the ground and gave chase. —Wait for me! She was no longer a young girl. She was the Sword Princess. And she raced forward, cutting her way through the darkness. —I said WAIT!! Again she yelled at the silhouette of her mother as it melted into the darkness. I’ll make it there. I’ll come for you. And I’ll definitely bring you back, I swear. She vowed to the figure already swallowed by that black vortex. Then she swore to herself. To the young girl left behind, tightly gripping her sword. And then. A brilliant wave of white light slammed down on top of her, obscuring her vision.
“…” Her golden eyes cracked open silently. She blinked a few times to fight off the residual unease of the dream. There weren’t any tears. But her vision was slightly blurred. Still on her side, she gave her eyes a stealthy wipe of her arm. “…?” She was getting her bearings and returning to consciousness when she heard something. A series of soft, sleeping breaths that belonged to someone else. She glanced to her side and found the boy splayed out on his back, eyes shut tight. Bathed in warm sunlight, he was fast asleep without a care in the world, tiny snores whistling past his lips. Blinking several more times, Aiz felt a smile coming on. They were unusually far away from each other, weren’t they? Finding it rather curious, Aiz slowly slid herself closer to Bell’s side. And then they lay there, the two of them, side by side on the stone floor. The boy’s sleeping face was even more cherubic than when he was awake. Aiz reached her hand out gently, as though tenderly handling some precious treasure.
Her fingers touched his cheeks. They were so warm. The heat passed from his skin to the tips of her fingers. His lips parted at the pressure. “Forgive me, Grandfather…” he murmured, as though he were having a dream of his own. Aiz smiled. The way she’d done so long ago, when she was carefree and young. His white hair contrasted so distinctly with the terrifying black shadow of her dream, and she let her fingers run through his bright locks again and again, her eyes crinkling. As unnerving as her dream had been, her heart was already calm. She had a white rabbit to lead her tiny self out of wonderland. That time of tenderness she was supposed to have lost so long ago wrapped around her now like a comforting blanket beneath the gaze of the blue sky.
It was nearing sunset. The streets of Orario were stained a pinkish red as the sun began its descent toward the distant horizon. Set against that vibrant sun, a fierce duel was taking place atop the city walls. The boy and girl came close, then separated, over and over again. Night had almost fallen. A pair of eyes watched their match from far above, perched at the city’s highest pinnacle that stood nearest to the stars. “While I can’t say I’m displeased that she’s drawing out that child’s radiance…” The image of the golden-haired, golden-eyed swordswoman was reflected in silver eyes with every scabbard strike. “…This intimacy they’ve formed worries me.” There was a twinge of jealousy in her voice as she clenched a fist by her side. “Especially if it should end up interfering in his trial.” Her silver eyes narrowed. “Allen,” a high, soprano voice ordered the petite man from up ahead. “Yes?” “A bit of roughhousing never hurt anyone. Give her a warning.” “Understood.” The man replied courteously, his cat ears and tail twitching.
Something feels off, Aiz thought between strikes, bathed in the light of the setting sun. “Bell. You’ve really taken a beating this last hour. Are you sure you’re all right?” “I’m…I’m fine! Really!” Their arduous training atop the city walls had acquired an audience in the form of a young goddess. A few hours ago, after their so-called “nap training” had ended, the two of them had decided to head down into the city for a bit to shore themselves up with a meal. It was when they stopped to purchase Jyaga Maru Kun, Aiz’s favorite food, that they ran into none other than the goddess of Bell’s familia, Hestia. The young goddess was working at the stand when the two had waltzed up, unassumingly, to buy themselves a few of the meaty potato snacks. Needless to say, they’d nearly gotten their heads bitten off once Hestia’s rage had been ignited. While the reaction was to be expected—seeing her own child hanging out with a member of another faction they weren’t even close to was enough to make anyone fly off the handle—something about the adverse reaction hinted at a residual grudge on the part of the goddess. At any rate, after a bit of explaining from Aiz and a bit of desperate persuading from Bell, Hestia had finally, reluctantly, agreed to let them continue their training. There was one caveat: “You have to let me sit in on today’s training session!” Which was why the young goddess (and Bell’s new guardian, so to speak) had accompanied them to the top of the city walls. She needed to make sure nothing happened to her adorable little follower, after all! The goddess Hestia…What was it Loki always called her? Aiz threw a quick glance at Hestia in the far corner between her bouts with Bell. The young goddess boasted delicate features that toed the line between adolescent and young lady. Possessing twin pigtails done up with blue blows that matched the color of her eyes, she sported a surprisingly ample chest despite her petite stature. “Hey! Watch what you’re looking at!” The girl raised her hands in objection to Aiz’s wandering gaze, her breasts swaying with the movement. The sight of all that bouncing finally reminded her what Loki’s epithet was: “That busty Jyaga Maru midget tramp.” Now she had a pretty good idea why Loki and Hestia had never really gotten along. All the more reason why Aiz couldn’t tell Loki and the rest of her familia about her training sessions with Bell. “Nnguh!” “You’re sure you’re all right?” “P-perfectly fine!” Bell responded, recovering immediately from a particularly damaging blow from Aiz. He was being even more stubborn than usual, as though he were especially motivated. As proof, he’d yet to lose consciousness even once since Hestia had joined them atop the wall. Like he was determined not to lose face in front of her. “You can do it!” came Hestia’s cheers of support as he received hit after hit from Aiz. As much as the corners of Aiz’s lips wanted to creep upward, she held them still—nothing but a humorless solemnity graced her features as she swung her scabbard in relentless onslaughts. The sheer determination behind his every strike and block, his every desperate flail of his dagger only spurred them on faster and faster. The high-pitched clangs of their colliding weapons echoed out into the sky above. Time drifted like the clouds in the evening sky, forgotten, and before long, the dark blue of twilight had overtaken them. “…Shall we end on that note, then?” “Ah, sure. Thank you for…for everything.” Aiz lowered her scabbard, looking up at the moon overhead, and Bell felt his strength leave him. His body was peppered with bruises, but she had to hand it to him—he’d remained conscious the entire time. Even now, he continued to fight off what must have been an overwhelming urge to collapse. Aiz narrowed her eyes as she gauged his current state and then began packing up her things to head in for the night. “Good work today, Bell! Feels good getting the stuffing kicked out of you now and then, doesn’t it?” “L-Lady Hestia, I-I was really trying my best out there!” “So many hits and not a single drop of blood or tears! Miss Wallen-whatever-her-name-is doesn’t think much of you, nope! She doesn’t, she doesn’t!” Hestia rushed to Bell’s side, a giant grin on her face as she violently pounded him on the back. At the same time, Aiz calmly slid Desperate back into its scabbard. She could still remember the violent reactions whenever Hestia had seen her strike her follower in the past. —“Just what do you think you’re doing?!” —“Keep your hands off my Bell!” Strangely, though, she’d been remarkably calm and composed during this most recent training session. In fact, she seemed almost elated at Bell’s battered, bedraggled state—or perhaps at Aiz for doing the battering and bedraggling. Giving the young goddess a curious cock of her head, Aiz turned her gaze away from the parapets to take in the city below. It had grown considerably late by this point. The streets were filled with the dazzling glow of magic-stone lamps and the bustle of adventurers returning from the Dungeon. Time had gotten away from Aiz. She’d been training since the morning, after all, and though she’d already told Tiona and the others she probably wouldn’t be back for dinner, she had a feeling there’d be a few scolding remarks from Riveria’s general direction. Quickly gathering up her things, she vacated the premises with Bell, still wounded by Hestia’s comments, in tow. They took the stone stairs down to the city proper. After countless steps, they ducked under a door at the base of the wall and emerged into a back alley at the edge of the city’s northwestern district. “U-um, Lady Hestia? We’re outside now, so could you…maybe…let go of my hand?” “Are you crazy, Bell? Look how dark it is here! You need to hold my hand tight to make sure I don’t trip or anything!” The three of them made their way through the streets beneath the darkness of the twilit sky, Bell and Hestia’s lively exchange in sharp contrast to Aiz’s still calm. —Then her ears perked up as her intuition as an adventurer alerted her to something. “…” She became still, eyes shifting back and forth to examine her surroundings as Bell and Hestia carried on their horseplay beside her. It was a fairly wide road, deserted aside from herself and the others. Put another way, it was too quiet. The complete lack of even a single other person was almost abnormal. Everything was submerged in the murk of nightfall, the stars and moon above providing the only light. Not even the surrounding buildings offered any illumination from magic stones. A stealthy glance to a side of the road revealed a fancy magic-stone lamp pole that appeared as though it’d been smashed with some sort of blunt weapon. —We’re being watched. A back alleyway devoid of life, purposefully blanketed in darkness. Aiz’s delicate brows slanted sharply. She could feel someone watching them. Next to her, Bell sucked in his breath, his embarrassment from Hestia’s grip on his hand cut short the moment he noticed Aiz’s face. Not wasting a moment, he looked around to investigate their surroundings. Meanwhile, Aiz came to a stop, staring long and hard at a corner at the side of the road. “—” “—ngh!” “Whoa!” Bell immediately froze as well, prompting a surprised gasp from Hestia, still unaware of the situation. Aiz watched the path before them. She peered into the shadows permeating each and every narrow crack between the countless dwellings lining the wide road. She pierced the darkness with her glare: Come out, now. And it did. At length, the one who had been observing them emerged from the shadows. A catman… Clad in black armor, black linens, and a black visor, he seemed to melt into the darkness itself. He was male—that much she could tell—and slightly shorter than Bell, but the metallic visor covering his upper face made it impossible to discern his identity. The light of the moon illuminated the black and gray fur of his feline ears and tail. From his right hand protruded a silver spear that was at least two meders long. He radiated bloodlust, like a cat unable to stop itself from killing a mouse despite its owner’s scolding, and Aiz felt herself instinctively revert to Sword Princess mode. “?” There was a thud as he kicked off from the stone. He was by Bell in an instant. Time seemed to stop. The appearance of the shadow in front of him was so sudden, Bell didn’t have a chance to respond. The catman’s spear came at him in a flash—but so did Aiz’s already unsheathed sword, Desperate, blocking the strike with lightning speed. “—Gnngh!” “?!” The spear was knocked away. The Sword Princess would not be ignored. The silver flash that was her sword struck again at his spear, now raised in self-defense. Sparks went flying as she drove him away from Bell. The young catman flew backward, and Aiz took a silent step in front of Bell, who was still in shock. Her golden eyes were steely as she stared at him, an enemy who’d cleared out this stretch of alley to lie in wait for them. He showed no signs of answering for his actions now. Their eyes locked. Then they simultaneously leaped forward. “H-hey, hey, hey!!” But the fierce duel had already begun. By the time Hestia had recovered enough from her gaping astonishment to let out a yelp, Aiz and the catman were entangled in a furious whirlwind of blows. Racing forward, pulling back, leading then countering, give and take, back and forth, again, again, again. The two upper-class adventurers collided in a ceaseless rhythm, oblivious to the lower-class boy and powerless goddess rooted to their spots on the sidelines. Their speed increased even further, as did the rhythm of their alternating strikes. —Who is this guy?! Aiz’s eyes narrowed. Physical skills on par with her Level 6 abilities? Mastery of the spear that could easily rival her swordplay? It was at that moment that she felt it. A presence from far above. Four small shadows emerged atop the three-story building overlooking their duel. He had friends after all, huh? Even in the midst of her fight she could sense them, and she expanded her field of awareness. Then the four of them dropped in without a moment’s delay. Sword, hammer, shield, and ax all fell upon the battlefield. “—Miss Aiz!” Bell cried out from the sidelines once he noticed the surprise attack, but Aiz would not be daunted. She would show them she was every bit the War Princess that so many adventurers feared. With an attack that broke the sound barrier, she fended off her feline opponent before using the momentum to propel her sword upward for a sudden second strike. She then turned toward the four incoming weapons, her entire body a bow and her sword the arrow, taut and trembling with the full force of her might. She released. “!!” A flash. Her sword drew a brilliant crescent in the sky overhead. It carved through space with such speed it left a silver afterimage in the air, repelling four attacks at once. There was a metallic clash as their arms flew back. The four attackers landed on the ground, fear and dismay coloring their features. Aiz’s golden hair still billowed from the movement. Behind her, the catman hissed. “Tch…Monster.” The golden-haired, golden-eyed swordswoman’s technique and strategy were even more impressive than her nominal Status. Even Bell trembled at her display of sword prowess. The incredible number of battlefields she’d crossed in her lifetime was readily apparent. The additional attackers, who had approached from opposite the catman, finally came into view beneath the moonlight—four prums, all clad in the same black armor and visors as their feline companion. Aiz squinted at the residual tingle in her fingers, left over from the earlier impact. She swung her sword in front of her, and it answered with a crisp swish as it sliced through the air. On her one side was the young catman; on her other, four short prums, overshadowed by their disproportionately large weapons. And then they were off, all six of them moving at once, as though they’d been given some sort of signal. “!!” They came at her from both sides in a pincer attack, but Aiz stood her ground, undaunted. Just like the catman, the four prums boasted abilities and skills that could only be described as first-tier. The five of them surrounded her, delivering wave after wave of attacks in a ferocious barrage that left Aiz with nowhere to move. Giving up entirely on attempting to evade their attacks, she instead focused on fending them off, using Desperate to intercept and repel every enemy strike. It was a moonlight raid in the blackest night. As the ceaseless noise of metal on metal echoed throughout the isolated back alleyway, Aiz fought tooth and nail against her attackers, her sword forming a barrier around her. What were they trying to accomplish? Was it her they were aiming for? A surprise attack against one of Loki Familia’s elites? Just as her mind began running wild at what these mute attackers could want, one of the prums—the one holding an oversize sword—called out from beneath his visor. “Consider this a warning, Sword Princess.” “You’d do well not to do anything rash from now on.” The hammer-wielding prum spoke this time but provided no further context. Aiz’s eyebrows rose in uncertainly. “What are you…talking about?!” she shot out between the report of blades. “Lock yourself away in the Dungeon, little doll. Hide yourself away on this expedition of yours…” the young catman hissed cruelly, “…and die.” Aiz found herself at a loss when she heard the feline’s words. But she didn’t have time to dwell. There was a sharp scream from behind her. “B-Bell!!” ! She whirled around instinctively, still fending off her attackers, to find Bell and Hestia surrounded by yet another group of black-clad soldiers. There’s even more?! She moved to help them only to have her path blocked by a spear. “…?!” “If you refuse to listen, we’ll be forced to take drastic measures,” the catman spat coldly. Standing there, she could hear sounds of fighting from Bell and Hestia’s direction. The quartet of black-clad soldiers leaped at them, as if to deliver a warning to her. She could feel her patience growing thin. Try as she might to escape the circle her attackers had made around her, she simply couldn’t break through. The attacks came at her faster. So fast, her golden eyes widened in surprise. The five shadows were coming at her even more relentlessly now. —I knew it. It’s them. It came to her like a flame, scorching the inside of her chest. Talent like this could only point to one familia. The other great faction long thought of as the counterpart to Loki Familia. Led by that beautiful goddess, their members boasting war records that could rival Aiz’s own. The first-tier adventurers— —Vana Freya and Bringar! The former was a Level 6 bearing the alias of a chariot and thought to be the best in all of Orario; the latter, a group of Level 5 prums with combat abilities far exceeding Level 6 and near-perfect coordination. Aiz found herself immobilized by the relentless, multihit counterattacks of the four-man prum troop. At the same time, the catman sped up, his agility surpassing hers even after her recent level-up, and his perpetual barrage forced her to block more with her sword. She was holding back, inner turmoil forbidding her from revealing her true strength, her spell Airiel. She wasn’t about to allow even a single part of its chant to grace the ears of her enemy. But she was outnumbered. Even Aiz didn’t stand a chance against five first-tier adventurers at once. And if they were to realize that, the battle would be over very quickly. “We’ll say it again. This is a warning.” “Dig too deep and we can’t guarantee your life.” It came from the hammer-and ax-wielding prums this time, further drawing out the battle. Aiz felt her expression falter as they continued to gain the advantage, and the young catman shot her a look of pure ice from beneath his visor. “If you get in her way—we’ll kill you.” With a terrifying slash, his spear grazed the front of Aiz’s silver breastplate, leaving a scratch on its surface. Silver sparks danced before her eyes. “—Miss Aiz!” Then she heard it. The boy’s frightened shout. Aiz whirled around to find Bell with his right arm thrust out in front of him. He’d already finished off the four black-clad soldiers, with Hestia on his left arm and Aiz’s current attackers in his sights. The five first-tier adventurers turned toward Bell. Aiz seized that moment to escape from the circle. Bell wasted no time. His voice roared through the air like the sound of a cannon. “FIREBOLT!!” he screamed, forgoing the chant, and six flaming bolts of lightning immediately followed. The sparking conflagrations overlapped, piling on top of one another as they hurtled toward the attackers before swallowing them whole. The explosion was instantaneous. A wave of voracious heat mushroomed out from the impact zone, practically throwing them backward. The flaming sparks exploded into cinders that rained down from the sky, staining the faces of Bell, Hestia, and Aiz—now a safe distance away—a brilliant crimson. The crackling embers bloomed around them. For a moment, at least, the obsidian attackers had been shaken off, lost in the sea of flame brought to life in that small street corner. “I…I cast a spell without chanting…” “You’ll wanna report that. Someone’s going to be pleased as punch.” Meanwhile, the five attackers leisurely walked out of the flames, not bothered in the least by the magic attack of a low-level adventurer. The four prums even had strangely pleasant smiles on their faces. Aiz readied herself, but just when it seemed it would return to blows, the five assailants lowered their weapons. “That’s enough. We’re leaving.” At the young catman’s command, the four prums scattered. Fearing the flames would draw unwanted attention, they moved quickly to retrieve the black-clad soldiers Bell had trounced earlier. Aiz saw no reason to recklessly pursue their attackers. She did, however, keep Desperate at the ready even after they disappeared from view, waiting until their presences were far, far away before finally letting out a sigh. Sliding her sword back into its scabbard, she made her way over to where Bell and Hestia were staring blankly, completely overwhelmed. “Are you injured?” “I-I’m fine! I’m more worried about you, Aiz…” “I’m also unhurt.” Aiz glanced at Bell, Hestia still fretting over him. Though Bell’s magic hadn’t done any real damage to the attackers, that didn’t mean it had been pointless. In fact, his move had helped her out of a pretty tight situation. Aiz still found herself a bit in awe at the boy’s unique fast-casting magic she’d first witnessed down on the tenth floor. She parted her lips in thanks…only to see the white-haired boy avert his eyes, softly biting his lip as though something still weighed on him. It was a curious look, and Aiz found herself wondering what it could mean until he opened his mouth. “Those people…who were they? And why would they attack us like that out of the blue…?” Bell asked with a sort of forced composure, as though hiding his feelings. The way he was acting bothered Aiz, but she responded to his uneasy question all the same. “Surprise attacks like this aren’t uncommon.” “They aren’t?!” “No. Though it is rare outside the Dungeon…” While Bell yelped with surprised, still ignorant when it came to power struggles between factions, Aiz’s mind raced with questions once more. Had they been targeting her while she was cut off from the rest of her familia? She thought back to their warning. Had she pissed off some faction without realizing it? And had Bell and Hestia simply gotten caught up in the whole thing? She certainly couldn’t think of anything she’d done that would warrant a vicious attack like this, but the fact that she’d put the other two in danger filled her with self-reproof. “Can you think of anyone who’d wanna attack you, Wallen-whatever?” “…Too many, in fact.” Aiz was hesitant to answer so directly but also realized it wasn’t exactly a secret with her familia. “Geez! Must be tough in Loki Familia,” Hestia muttered in awe as Aiz thought back to her attackers’ warning. “If you get in her way—we’ll kill you.” Still unsure what the young feline could have been referring to, she tucked the words away for later all the same. Retaliating at the faction level would only exacerbate the situation, something she was sure her opponent was trying to avoid, as well. Which meant she’d need to leave it be for now, as much as it left a foul taste in her mouth. The flames from Bell’s spell had calmed down to something on the level of a bonfire. People were starting to gather, though, so Hestia suggested they skedaddle. Aiz nodded, hoping to avoid any unnecessary trouble herself. Still exchanging words with the young goddess, she started toward a small alley. —Only to realize Bell wasn’t following them. “…?” Still rooted to the spot, he was simply staring off into space. “What’s wrong…?” Aiz called out behind her. Bell turned around with a start. “Huh? Ah, no, it’s…it’s nothing. Nothing at all.” He quickly dashed over to them. Aiz glanced in the same direction Bell had been so intently staring. Toward the center of the city. Where the tall white tower gazed down at the trio from its spot in the night sky.
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