Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 47 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! Finn has been injured and his team have been further split up within Knossos with the sadistic Valletta Grede hunting them down. Hestia Familia is following Cassandra after Bell listens to her about the horrific dream that she had the night before. There may yet be a chance to avoid the terrible fate that was foreseen. What is Gareth’s group experiencing in the depths of Knossos?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 47 – First Raid of Knossos (Part 2)

Deep within the strange man-made labyrinth, Gareth’s group cautiously entered a wide and expansive room with a raised walkway on one side that was built into the wall and held up by support pillars. As the group looked around, all they saw were flat floors, walls, and ceiling. The huge room just seemed to be completely empty.

“This room…” Tiona spun slowly to take it all in.

“…is huge.” Tione finished for her sister as she looked at the walls with no doors other than the one they’d come through.

An older-looking man stepped out from behind one of the support pillars up on the walkway and got everyone’s attention instantly. He had semi-long, scruffy white hair and a small goatee of the same color. His face was slightly wrinkled and his skin was unnaturally pale, as if he hadn’t seen sunlight nearly often enough. He wore a loose white shirt and loose white and black pants with a red sash wrapped around his waist. Over the red sash was a leather tool belt that held various chisels and a mallet. His hands were covered in black work gloves and his forearms and chest were protected by leather armor.

“So, we meet at last, Adventurers of Loki Familia.” The old man said, revealing that he had a red left eye.

“Hey!” Tiona pointed at the older man. “That’s the guy we were looking for! The one from the picture!” He matched the description and drawn picture of the old man that they’d gotten from the God, Njord, in Melen.

Tione crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at the older man. “Am I right in assuming you’re the human that struck a deal with the Sea God in Melen?”

“Something like that, yes…” The old man nodded just slightly, though he wasn’t even looking at the Loki Familia Adventurers any more. “…and you say that you’re looking for me? I would rather not have met you.” He started to mumble to himself. “There is never enough time to complete the grand design that our ancestors left on our shoulders… Even if it is finished one day, I will most certainly not be around to bear witness. How I loathe this human body…if only I had the boon of longevity bequeathed by Elvish blood… Haaah… If only…”

Tiona looked annoyed at the man mumbling to himself. “Hey… We’re talking to you! Pay attention!”

“Just who in the world are you?!” Tione demanded, also getting fed up with the strange man.

While Tiona and Tione were trying to keep the man’s attention, Gareth was examining the man and the large room closely. ‘No sign of Monsters… That man plannin’ to face all of us on his own? Only a trap would make sense…but where?’ The ceiling was flat and blank; the walls didn’t have any indentations in them were something like a projectile could be fired from.

“I am called…Barca.” The man said as he put his left hand on the side of his face and pushed his scruffy hair upwards. “I’ve been tasked with luring you deeper into the shadows of the abyss…”

Gareth noticed a small red orb built into the floor, the tiny speck of color almost lost in the sameness of the wide floor. ‘A red orb…just like the doors on the way here…’ His eyes widened as he realized what they were all standing on. He whipped his head around to warn his group. “Everyone, jum-”

Barca pushed his shaggy hair our of his face and opened his left eye as wide as possible, revealing an odd golden wire frame within it and a red ‘D’ that started to glow. “Too late.”

The floor fell open, revealing it to be a massive trapdoor as the entire group from Loki Familia fell into the darkness below.

Tiona nearly cursed as the group fell. “A trapdoor?!”

“WAAAAAHHHHH!!!” Several of the Loki Familia members cried out in shock from the sudden fall.

“Farewell, Loki Familia. I bid you a pleasant nightmare.” Barca said as he watched them all fall for a second or two before turning away and walking for the open Orichalcum door at the end of the walkway.

One of the falling Loki Familia members, Nik, had one of his eyes closed as he threw a rope with a sharp blade on one end at the wall. The tip of the blade broke off as it hit the metal walls. “Damn it! Can’t pierce Adamantite!”

“Ais!” Gareth called out to the only one that might be able to get out of this free fall. He held out his huge axe to her as a platform. Ais put her feet on the flat side of the large axe and Gareth swung it upwards, launching her towards the still open trapdoor.

“Awaken, Tempest!” Ais activated her magic and the green wind swirled around her, shooting her upwards at even greater speed, clearing the trapdoor entirely and landing on the walkway that Barca was on.

Barca looked over his shoulder at Ais in some surprise, though it was hard to tell with his slightly sunken facial features. “A human who can overcome the ancestors’ trap? This is a surprise.”

Ais was already closing in on Barca, propelled by her wind. “Open that door!”

“However, I mustn’t allow myself to be captured.” Barca lifted his shaggy hair away from his left eyes again as it glowed slightly. Another Orichalcum door clammed down between him and Ais with a loud bang.

Ais stopped only a couple of centimeters from slamming face first into the door. ‘Orichalcum!’ Looking back at the—now closed—trap door on the floor, Ais couldn’t help her worry overflowing into her voice. “Everyone…!”

-Elsewhere in Knossos-

A trails of blood drops on the floor marked the path that Raul, Aki, and their small group had taken with the injured Finn.

“Stay with us, Captain!” Raul said urgently as Finn was lying on the floor, a bandage already soaking through with blood over the cut on his neck.

“Raul, nothing is working, the wound won’t close!” Koko, a Sheep girl, fretted over Finn’s injury.

Raul looked at Finn as panic began to seep in. “Why the heck not?! All those potions had to have done something! Why…?”

Aki’s eyes widened as she realized what it must be. “A curse!”

“A curse?! But when could that have happened?!” Raul questioned her, confusion pouring off of him. “The Captain didn’t get hit with any strange magic! None of us have!”

“No, Raul…” Aki shook her head once. “That woman’s strange sword, it was a Superior Grade. The curse was built into the blade!

“A curse weapon?!” Nicol, a Raccoon girl, cried out as she glanced over her shoulder from where she was standing guard with her axe. “Does that mean they have the rarest of rare items over there?!”

Chiffon, an Elf and mage that specialized in swordsmanship, grimaced at what that would mean. “If they have a Hexer, it’s possible to make them… The Captain’s wounds won’t heal no matter how many items we use or how much healing magic we cast unless we break the curse…”

Koko looked at Chiffon and then back at Finn. “But we don’t have any Healers or items here that can break it!”

“We have to escape as soon as we can or…” Aki said, only to trail off. ‘Escape? Am I being serious? We don’t know where we are, let alone where the exit is. Valletta is Level 5. The red-headed Creature is probably stronger than Level 6. The Violas that come in a never-ending stream are about Level 3. Not to mention they have Monsters that we’ve never seen before, and there are surely First-Tier Adventurers in the Evilus remnants’ ranks.’ Aki’s mind was already analyzing the situation logically and it was entirely bleak. ‘Compared to that, we’re a small group of two Level 4’s, two Level 3’s, and a Level 2. On top of that, we must protect an injured Party member. That’s a staggering difference in power. But most importantly, if we don’t do something soon, the Captain will die!’ Too many negatives had piled up and Aki’s mind wasn’t able to come up with any way to overcome them all in this situation.

Raul noticed Aki’s distress and the way the other three were all on the verge of giving up. ‘Captain…what am I supposed to do?’ He looked at Finn in desperation.

“Chiffon…” Finn’s voice, weak as it was, got everyone’s attention. He looked at the Elf with a small smile, the most support he could realistically offer at the moment. “Freeze…the wound.”

“Eh? C-Captain, are you sure?” Chiffon asked as she looked at the blood soaked bandages over Finn’s neck.

Finn nodded, feeling weak and heavy, likely an effect of the curse along with the unhealing wound. “It’ll buy…some time.”

Chiffon nodded quickly and cast her magic as finely and controlled as she could, freezing over the injury and the bandages to stem the constant blood loss.

“Raul…” Finn looked at the leader of the second team of Loki Familia. “…it’s time for you…to put everything you’ve learned…to use.” He gave Raul a small grin, projecting belief in the young man that he’d personally taught and guided on leadership.

“FIIIIINNN!!! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!” Valletta’s voice echoed through the corridors. “You better not kick the bucket before I get there! You’ve gotta be the last! I wanna see the despair in your eyes when I slaughter your friends right in front of you!”

Raul’s eyes widened at how close the voice sounded. “E-Everyone, go! Go!” He gently helped Finn onto his back and the group took off further into the man-made labyrinth.

-Outside the Entrance of Knossos-

It had been hours since the exploration of the labyrinth had begun, but there hadn’t been any communication between the large group that went into the labyrinth and the ones waiting outside as guards and potential reinforcements.

Alicia Forestlight, a lovely Elf woman that greatly respected Riveria, jogged out of the labyrinth doors with another Elf woman. The two of them having been sent to try and scout and see if they could find any trace of the others. “It’s no good! The door up ahead closed! We can’t get in!”

Loki narrowed her eyes at that. “They’re trapped inside then. Not totally unexpected, but what’re ya thinkin’, Riveria?” She asked the High Elf and Vice-Captain of her Familia.

“No matter how many Orichalcum doors bar their path, Gareth would still be able to break through Adamantite walls should worse come to worst. The fact that he has not done so leads me to believe they have fallen victim to a trap.” Riveria said after only a short moment to consider things.

“Then…let’s say they took a tumble down a hole… Ya think Finn and the others would be able to get themselves out?” Loki asked as she hid her worry for her ‘children’, not wanting to bring down the morale of those waiting on standby.

Riveria walked over to one of the brick walls at the side of the first Orichalcum doors. “Were this an ordinary labyrinth, I would say ‘Yes, without question’.” She jabbed the butt of her staff against the bricks, cracking them and picking up the largest piece that feel off. “Just as I thought…” Riveria said with a slight narrowing of her jade green eyes. “This is partially made of Obsidian Soldier.”

The Obsidian Soldier was a golem-like Monster that could be found within the Dungeon starting from the Thirty-Seventh Floor. Their bodies were composed of a highly magic resistant black rock. Their Drop Item was the same highly magic resistant black rock and it sold for a very high price on the surface.

“It is safe to assume this material has been blended into the bricks that cover the Adamantite.” Riveria said as she looked down into the corridor and all of the brickwork covering the walls. “This fortress is not only physically solid, but resistant to magic as well. Attacking from outside would only result in damage to Daedalus Street and the sewers. Even I am unable to completely destroy it.” She held her staff standing tall at her side. “I can only imagine the conditions inside… Finn’s spear is likely useless to break the walls.” Riveria looked at Loki seriously. “The labyrinth before us is nigh unprecedented. I do not know what led to its creation, but what is certain is that it is based on a deep-rooted belief far beyond what we can imagine.”

“Hmm…” Loki rolled options around in her head. “Riveria. Doesn’t your magic circle have some radar bits and bobs?”

Riveria raised one of her delicate eyebrows at the unfamiliar terms. “While I am unsure what ‘radar bits and bobs’ are…I can discern the difference between people and Monsters within the circle of my Rea Laevateinn. However, the effect is merely horizontal. I have no way to ascertain anything below.”

Loki decided to at least gather what information they could. “How about ya make the biggest circle ya can and cancel before the flames start comin’ over and over again? Darn inefficient but worth a shot. Could ya try it out on this floor?”

“Understood. I shall.” Riveria agreed to the idea, wanting to do something while they were cut off from the others.

“Alicia, grab a few people and whip up a map of the place.” Loki said as she looked at the other Elf woman. “I ain’t got a clue how huge it’ll turn out to be but we’ll move Riveria around to find out.”

Alicia nodded once. “Right away!” She took off to gather a group that could fight if necessary, but was focused on mobility.

Loki kept thinking even as the others prepared to do some scouting and mapping of the floor that they could reach of this strange man-made labyrinth. Some things just weren’t adding up and it was niggling at the back of her mind.

-Knossos ~ Control Room-

Barca watched the various groups that Loki Familia had been split into through a large bowl of strangely dark water which swirled in multiple places to show different areas within Knossos. “As instructed, I have dropped Loki Familia down to the eighth floor.”

“Thank you, Barca dear. You’ve been a great help.” A tall man with long purple hair and matching purple eyes, wearing a ragged black robe with grey designs and purple hems said with a small amused smile on his lips. “I’m going out for a stroll, so hold down the fort here, won’t you?”

“As you wish…” Barca said, almost absently as he continued to watch the Loki Familia through the strange magical device.

Another man approached from the shadows with his head slightly down and his hands on his hips. He was tall, rather muscular, and had black hair and red eyes. Just like Barca, he had a ‘D’ within his left eye. He wore googles with translucent smoky quartz lenses, a slightly dirty leather jacket, beneath it he had a white shirt with a popped collar and leather chest armor. His pants were simple, dark blue workman’s pants, the same as his brown leather boots. On his leather belt a large knife, that could pass as a short sword, was sheathed.

“Damn, Knossos is noisy today. Working on somethin’ big, are you, bro?”

“Do not call me that, Dix.” Barca said without even looking at the other man. “We may have been born from the same woman’s womb, but even in jest, never refer to me as your brother.”

Dix adjusted his goggles with one hand and then raised his middle finger, flipping Barca off. “Relax, just joking around. Me, related to your kind by blood? The thought makes me want to puke. Your ilk are nothing more than slaves to the curse.” He lowered his hand and waved off his annoyance with Barca. “So what’s all this damn ruckus? I can’t get any work done with all the screamin’.

Barca still didn’t look at Dix even once. “Loki Familia has pursued as all the way into Knossos.”

“Hold up… I haven’t heard jack about this. Yer tellin’ me we’ve got some new assholes comin’ for us?” Dix grumbled out in annoyance.

“Dix, join the battle.” Barca ordered without moving his eyes away from the strange magic item he was using to watch the Loki Familia. “Valletta’s negligence has allowed a wolf and a fairy to roam unchecked, they must be dealt with, as our ancestor would wish.”

Dix scoffed at the order. “Why’s it gotta be me, eh?”

Barca didn’t even seem to be blinking as he looked into the dark water. “Should the situation get further out of hand, there won’t be time for your work or that hobby of yours…”

“All right, all right, fine.” Dix scowled at the new task thrown at him. “Can’t say facin’ Loki Familia is a dream come true…but hey, home is home, and I like those odds. I’m takin that new spear though.”

“Do as you wish.” Barca couldn’t care less what Dix did with the cursed weapons that he’d made at the request of his Deity, as long as Knossos was protected.

Dix grabbed a spear that was red and sported two large blades in a ‘bident’ formation and four smaller, horn-like protrusions below the main blades. “Just what I’d expect from a Mystery wielder. Yer ready for anything, ain’t you, o great Hexer?” He slung the spear over his shoulder as he walked away. “Well, I’ll be on my way. Got me some Loki Familia to hunt.”

-Gareth’s Group-

“Mrgh!” Gareth punched one of the strange spider-like Monsters that had filled this space when the four of them had landed. The Monster stood no chance against his strength and was torn in two from the blow, killing it instantly. Glancing over at the three with him as they finished off the last of the strange new species of Monster, Gareth took stock of the situation. “Looks like Narfi, Nik, and Stark made it this far.” With the Monsters slain, the group huddled up to discuss the situation. “I’d say we fell about eight floors, give or take. Worse, we got split up from most everybody else.”

Nik bowed his head. “Gareth, sir, I’m sorry that I lost your axe…”

Gareth waved the apology off. “Yer quick thinkin’ saved the others from a hard fall. Nothin’ to apologize for.”

“I saw the shaft get divided into four chutes as we fell. So the trap was designed to split us up.” Nik reported what he’d seen to the group. “From a dim labyrinth to a pitch-black pitfall…even First-Tier Adventurers would need a moment for their eyes to adjust. I actually had one eye closed to prepare for the trap, but could only barely manage to make out those walls in the darkness.”

Narvi looked up at the ceiling, seeing only another closed Orichalcum trapdoor. “The ceiling closed right after we fell.”

“Crafty…ain’t they?” Gareth commented on the trap they’d fallen into.

Three Orichalcum doors opened on a wall that none of them could see clearly, but faint light poured from them as they opened.

“Gareth!” Stark called out, aiming his spear at the silhouettes he could see within the light of the doors. “Enemy reinforcements! Monsters…no, wait, there’s more! People!”

The white robes and masks marked the people with the horde of strange spider-like Monsters as more Evilus remnants. Already, the people had their hands on the detonators to the Kaenseki strapped to their chests.

“On yer guard! They’re gonna blow themselves up!” Gareth roared out a warning as the Monsters and suicidal Evilus members rushed towards the group of four.

“ATONEMENT FOR THIS FOOLISH DESIRE!!!” The people screamed out as they pressed the detonators.

“Run, you lot!” Gareth ordered and all four of them took off just as the first explosions engulfed the area.

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

The new species of Monster weren’t spared in the ensuing blasts, most of them annihilated before they could reach the members of Loki Familia.

“I heard about these guys, but this is crazy!” Narvi yelled out as the four made it around the nearest corner, barely outrunning the flames that were hot against their backs.

Gareth grunted as the hot air from the blasts buffeted them. “Can’t counter ‘em all blowin’ up together like that!”

Narvi, having stumbled on a broken piece of the floor, looked down in horror at what was beneath the floor. “Gareth! We can’t stay here!”

Gareth saw exactly what had made Narvi yell out the instant that he turned to face her. ‘Kaenseki?! Behind every wall of this corridor?!’ The orange-ish stones were stacked and tied neatly beneath the broken part of the floor and it was clear that just behind the thin masonry was far more. The entire corridor was a death trap. ‘In these cramped quarters, we’ve got nowhere to run if one of them goes off here! I might make it, but the young’uns wouldn’t stand a chance!’

“Barca! Lord Thanatos! I, Tris, pray you grant my wish!” A woman of the Evilus cried out as she stood at the beginning of the corridor lined with Kaenseki. She pushed the detonator before any of the Loki Familia could make a move to stop her.

“They’re gonna blow! Run!” Gareth roared out just as the explosion filled the first part of the corridor.

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

Even as Gareth and the others ran as fast as they could, the chain of explosions followed them down the corridor, all of the Kaenseki hidden behind the thin masonry of the floors and walls detonating one after another. The four Adventurers ran, the flames licking at their backs, sweat pouring down their faces as they pushed themselves harder and harder to escape.

BAM

An Orichalcum door slammed closed in front of them, trapping the group of four between it and the incoming chain of explosions. Narvi slammed her hands on the door, while Stark and Nik both threw their shoulders against it as hard as they could. But the door didn’t budge in the slightest.

Gareth made a split-second decision as he turned his back to the incoming wall of flames and wrapped his arms around the other three, hunching over to protect them with his body. At the last instant his fist lashed out and punched the nearest wall as hard as he could.

BOOM

The explosions reached the Orichalcum door and rocked the area, not able to pass the strongest metal in the world. The flames and blast were tanked by Gareth’s body while the others were only subjected to an uncomfortable level of intense heat for a moment.

A few seconds later and Gareth stood back up.

“G-Gareth…you saved us…” Narvi said as they all watched the smoke rise off the Dwarf.

“Are you o-okay?” Nik asked, feeling like he’d asked something stupidly obvious as soon as the words left his mouth.

Gareth grunted out before grinning at Stark, Nik, and Narvi. “Ah, now that’s toasty.” He chuckled to alleviate the panic and fear of the younger members of Loki Familia. “Some Prum once said that this tough body was all I had goin’ for me!”

“H-How are you laughing?” Nik asked in surprise.

“This is Level Six…?” Narvi guessed as Gareth seemed mostly okay.

Gareth felt the lack of burns on his back and knew that the Goliath Shirt that he was wearing, being basically fireproof, had saved him an injury and a great amount of pain. ‘I’ll need to thank that Rabbit Foot lad for this later.’

“But…why… Why did the flames suddenly die down when they reached you?” Stark asked as he’d noticed how swiftly the heat had dispersed while being protected by Gareth.

The crumbling of stone and a dull thud from a piece of metal hitting the floor drew all three of the younger Adventurers’ attention to the wall.

Stark and Nik both looked on in disbelief. “N-No way…”

There was a hole through the Adamantite wall a bit bigger than Gareth’s fist. The flames and heat had clearly vented out of the corridor into the space beyond the wall as they followed the path of lowest pressure and highest airflow.

“That’s pure Adamantite…” Narvi gaped at the sheer strength needed to do what Gareth had done. “Most weapons can’t even scratch the stuff…”

“It was by the skin of my teeth, that one…” Gareth nodded to the three of them.

Nik and Stark couldn’t hold in their surprise. “Bare-handed?!”

Gareth cocked back his right fist. “I’ve had just about enough of these bombs! Time fer a new strategy!” He slammed a punch into the all, shattering more of it, then he punched again with his left hand, then his right again, breaking a hole through the wall large enough for the group to crouch through and escape. “There…now we can pass.”

Narvi blanched when she saw Gareth’s busted up knuckles, the skin torn off and bleeding profusely. “G-Gareth! Your hands!”

“Nothin a potion won’t fix.” Gareth waved his injuries off.

“Y-Yes, that’s true…” Narvi couldn’t argue in this situation.

Nik let out a breath as the three followed Gareth down the new corridor. “Suddenly, I get the feeling that I’ll make it out alive as long as I stick close to Gareth.”

Narvi tried to motivate her friends. “Maybe so, but don’t think like that! We have to help out too! T-Top Tier, here we come!”

“Your voice is cracking, Narvi.” Stark pointed out with disbelief on his face.

‘Well, can’t keep doing that for long.’ Gareth thought about punching through Adamantite walls while applying a potion to both of his hands, enjoying the relief from the ache in them as they healed up. ‘Findin’ the exits the best bet. We need to reconvene with Finn’s squad and get outta here. Been more than a blue moon since we were last in such dire straits.’

-Elsewhere in Knossos-

Line, Runi, Kalos, Lloyd, Anju, and Liza were gathered together in the darkness, managing to light an emergency lantern to give them some light to see by.

“It’s so dark.” Line said as she tried to see beyond the range of the lantern’s light.

“Is it just the six of us here?” Kalos asked as he looked at everyone.

Anju looked down at Gareth’s huge axe and the rope wrapped around it that they’d all grabbed onto to slow their fall and land safely. “We survived thanks to Gareth’s axe and Nik’s rope.”

Lloyd grimaced at their current situation. “Still, we fell int their trap.”

“I saw a few people hanging onto the crevice in the wall that Gareth’s axe made.” Liza mentioned the last thing she’d been able to see before they’d fallen too far.

“At any rate, we need to find everyone else before Monsters find us.” Line said as she picked up the lantern.

Lloyd agreed as he looked around the darkness. “Now, how do we get out of here?”

The group started moving, maintaining a circular formation to not leave any blind spots as they navigated the darkness.

-Above the Second Trapdoor-

“Oh no! Everyone fell in!” Remilia fretted while holding tightly onto Sharon. “Should we really stay hanging up here?”

“Spare me the sob story! And quit moving so much! You’ll make me lose my grip!” Sharon yelled out, barely holding onto the crack in the wall that Gareth had made by throwing his axe.

“Carmillia, hurry up with the light. Remilia and Sharon won’t shut up.” Crea, a female tank in the main formation of the Familia during Dungeon expeditions, said calmly as she hung off of Remilia.

“That was uncalled for!” Sharon shouted down at Crea.

Carmillia, a Supporter for the Familia, was pulling a lantern from her bag while holding onto one of Cera’s legs. “Too late.” She said after lighting the lantern and looking down into the darkness. “The floor has closed already. We can’t get to the others even if we drop down now.”

Remilia glanced down, seeing a bit now that there was light. “Is there any way out of this place so that we can meet up with the others?”

“I’m looking.” Carmillia said as she tried to see anything that would indicate a door or even a small passage they could use to get out of this in-between space between floors.

“Look faster!” Sharon begged as her fingers were killing her from holding up everyone’s weight.

-Tione and Tiona’s Group-

After being split up by the trapdoor, Tiona and Tione were with five others: Elfy, Arcs, Orba, Cynthia, and Cruz. At the moment the group had been swarmed by a horde of some strange spider-like new species of Monster and were fighting to kill all of them so that they could try to figure out their next move.

“What do we do, Tione?” Tiona asked as she slashed Urga through two of the weird Monsters, sending the pieces to splatter across the floor. “This place isn’t like the Dungeon at all! We’re in major trouble, aren’t we?!”

“Calm down! Panicking only gives them an advantage!” Tione yelled back before hacking through two more of the Monsters and leaping towards another group of them with her kukri knives ready to cut through as many of the spider-like things as necessary. ‘Something doesn’t feel right…but, everyone else is okay, right?’

BAM

An Orichalcum door slammed down between Tione and Tiona’s positions, splitting their group even further.

Tione cut down the last three of the new species of Monster before she practically blurred over to the door and started pounding on it. “Tiona?! Tiona?!” Even slamming the pommel of her knives against the Orichalcum door did nothing to make it budge. “Damn it!” She raged at the sudden change in the situation. ‘Separated the exact moment that Tiona and I were split up?! Someone had to bring this door down! Where the hell are they?!’ A brief feeling of killing intent made Tione react as her instincts had been honed to do by years in the Dungeon. “Behind you!” She threw her kukri knife right next to Orba’s head, the Chienthrope man jerking to the side and looking over his shoulder to see a masked man in black with the large knife stabbed straight through his face.

“Where did they come from?!” Orba demanded as over twenty more masked men in black were dropping down from the ceiling to attack them.

“Target Jörmungandr!” The masked man in the lead of the group ordered the others.

Cruz readied his large axe. “These don’t look like the Evilus that Lefiya told everyone about…they’re assassins?!” He buried the blade of his weapon into the chest of the nearest assassin before the man could attack him.

Orba’s sword blocked the sharp claws of the gauntlet the assassin’s wore. “Just how many of them are there?!”

Clatter

The sound of metal hitting the floor got Orba and Cruz’s attention as they looked back to see Tione injured, bleeding, and wrapped in whips that looked like thick, thorned vines. A dozen of the assassins had surrounded Tione, half of them were clearly casting some kind of magic on the Amazon, while the others held the ends of the whips taunt to prevent Tione from moving.

“So heavy…” Tione huffed out, her body feeling weak and weighed down. ‘A curse and anti-status magic at the same time?’ She glared at the assassins. “Why…you…!” The heaviness and loss of strength increased further. ‘Even worse…these thorn whips are curse weapons…!’

“Tione!” Orba and Cruz yelled out as they charged forward.

Tione hit her knees from all of the anti-status magic and the curse from the whips. The instant she did, a larger assassin than the other, wielding a massive, spiked hammer, rushed forward and prepared to bring the weapon down on her head for a killing blow.

Crack

Cruz and Orba stopped, their weapons still buried in the bodies of the two assassins that had blocked their path towards Tione.

The hammer-wielding assassin’s mask had shattered—along with his face—as Tione’s heel crushed both. The assassin burbled something that might’ve been ‘But how?’, unfortunately he hit the ground like a sack of rocks and didn’t move again.

Tione was back on her feet, despite the curse of the whips and all of the anti-status magic being cast on her. “Trapdoors, hordes of Monsters, separated from Tiona’s group, and now assassins with anti-status magic?” A reddish steam started to exude from Tione’s body as a growl entered her tone. “All this on top of not being able to spend time with Bell before this raid?” She flexed and spread her arms, snapping the cursed thorn whips like they were no more than cheap rope. “ENOUGH ALREADY!!!”

“What the hell is going on?! What happened to the anti-status magic?!” One of the assassins holding a now broken whip demanded.

“I-It should be working?!” The assassin next to him, who was maintaining one of the anti-status magics, said in shock. Tione was suddenly in his face, almost like a blur. “Huh?!”

“Oh right…her Berserk Skill…” Orba said as the screams of the assassin rang out for a second before being silenced.

Cruz watched on in a mix of surprise and fear. “It combines damage…with pure rage to make her physical strength skyrocket.”

Orba shook and sweat ran down his face. “Is she seriously angry enough to overpower anti-status magic?” He could barely believe it even as he saw it happening right in front of him.

“I’LL CRUSH YOU ALL!!!” Tione roared out as her fist smashed through another mask, caving in the face behind it, and then she shifted into a devastating uppercut that lifted the next assassin off his feet as his mask, jaw, and neck all shattered simultaneously. The next assassin’s head turned nearly one-hundred-eighty degrees from the kick that hit his cheek. Even as the body flew through the air, Tione’s elbow was already crushing the skull of another assassin. Her hand grabbed the chin of another assassin and with a strong jerk the assassin’s neck snapped, hanging at an odd angle as the body collapsed. In less than a minute only one assassin remained and Tione palmed his face, her grip tighter than an iron claw. “YOU! WHERE’S THE KEY?! FORK IT OVER IF YOU LIKE YOUR HEAD WHERE IT IS!!!”

The assassin, gripping onto Tione’s forearm in a futile attempt to pry her hand off his face, stuttered out. “I-I don’t have it. We don’t control the doors…”

“USELESS!!!” Tione slammed the assassin’s head into the brick wall, shattering it into rubble and painting it with the man’s blood and brains at the same time. “ALL OF YA, USELESS!!!” She raged, kicking one of the corpses across the corridor and into the opposite wall. “Hey, you back there!”

Both Cruz and Orba straightened up in panic.

“If any of ya so much as thinks of dying, I’ll smash your faces in! Got it?!” Tione growled, looking over her shoulder with an intense glare at her Familia members.

“Y-Yes, ma’am!” Orba and Cruz called out instantly, even as they shook in fear.

-Tiona’s Group-

On the other side of the Orichalcum door, things had gone just as bad.

“AAAGGGHHH!!!” Arcs howled in pain, the flesh near his shoulder bubbling from contact with the venom of a Poison Vermis.

“Arcs!” Elfy and Cynthia cried out as they caught their friend and pulled him backwards, away from the Monsters crawling out of holes that had opened up in the ceiling.

The slug-like Monsters continued to inch their way across the ceiling and spit there incredibly potent venom at the Adventurers below.

“Poison Vermis?! What’re those Monsters doing here?!” Cynthia demanded, knowing they were only found on the Lower Floors of the Dungeon. “The very same Monsters that forced us to camp out on the Eighteenth Floor while returning from our last expedition! We don’t have any antivenin to deal with their poison!”

“More are pouring out of the ceiling! They just keep coming!” Elfy cried out as she tried to pull Arcs further away from the horde of Monsters.

Tiona charged forward with her Urga. “I’ll clear the way! Elfy, Cynthia, grab Arcs and make a break for it!” She spun Urga into a rapid series of slashes as several of the Poison Vermis leapt down at her from the ceiling. ‘Kick, slice, or crush them! I can’t dodge the poison splatter in this hallway!’ She sliced through five of the slug-like Monsters and smacked another three into the walls on either side. “Why couldn’t it be a dragon chasing us right now?!” A single dragon could be dealt with easier than the never-ending swarm of venomous Monsters.

With the path cleared, Elfy and Cynthia carried Arcs as they ran, following Tiona as they tried to get down the corridor and away from all of the Poison Vermis.

BAM

Another Orichalcum door slammed shut in front of them, forcing the Adventurers to stop.

“Another door?!” Tona cried out in surprise.

“Tiona, behind us!” Cynthia called out in panic.

The Poison Vermis horde were all spitting out their potent venom at the same time, quickly sending a wave of the liquid right at the four trapped Adventurers.

Elfy and Cynthia flinched, closing their eyes as they tried to guard against the incoming venom.

Tiona turned and grabbed her Urga with both hands. “Not today!” She sun her weapon faster than she’d ever done before, making it nearly appear as a solid, circular shield between her and the incoming wave.

Elfy opened her eyes as she heard the whirling sound and didn’t feel the incredibly painful sensation of Poison Vermis venom on her skin. “T-Tiona?!” She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

“Magic!” Tiona yelled back, even as splatters of the wave of venom coated her hands and part of her forearms, hissing and sizzling against her skin. “Let them have it!”

“Right!” Elfy thrust her staff out and chanted her spell.

Fwoooosh

Flames swept over the ceiling, torching all of the Poison Vermis to death in seconds. Their charred corpses hitting the floor with soft thumps a moment later.

Urga clattered to the floor as Tiona sank to her knees, her hands sizzling from the venom.

“T-Tiona…your hands.” Cynthia looked concerned and horrified at the state that Tiona was in.

Tiona stood up and turned to her friends with a smile, clenching her hands into fists in front of her. “No biggie! You should’ve seen the stuff I got hit with in Melen, and even that didn’t slow me down!”

Arcs gently pushed Elfy forward as he stood up on his own feet. “I-I can walk…”

“Arcs, don’t push it.” Elfy cautioned the man, seeing the obvious pain that he was in.

“Now’s not the time to give in…right?” Arcs said, despite the sweat on his face.

Tiona looked at her Familia members, still smiling. “Sorry, guys. It’s kinda hard to save everybody on my own.” She picked up her Urga with one hand and raised her free fist in front of her. “So could you save me too?”

“Roger!” Cynthia, Arcs, and Elfy agreed as the group took off, looking for another way out of the corridor.

“Alright, let’s go! Stick together and I know we’ll make it out of this somehow!” Tiona declared with confidence.

-Bete’s Group-

Bete and five others were fighting the seemingly endless wave of Monsters that had been swarming them since they’d been separated from Finn and the others.

“Beat it!” Bete hit one of the spider-like Monsters so hard that it splattered against the far wall.

The Orichalcum door suddenly slid upwards, opening the pathway again, only to reveal a Dix, now wearing one of the Evilus’ white robes partially over his body.

“Get lost in an endless nightmare!” Dix raised his hand as it glowed faintly with a red magic energy. All of the Loki Familia members turned to look at the newcome as soon as they heard or saw the Orichalcum door open. “Phobetor Daedalus!” The glow passed over everyone in a flash of light.

All of the Loki Familia members collapsed to the ground suddenly, as if they’d been knocked unconscious.

“H-Huh?! B-Bete? You s-saved me?!” Rakta looked at the brash Werewolf like she’d never seen him before.

“You were just lucky you were around the corner!” Bete said harshly, having barely managed to snag the Hume Bunny girl and get behind the wall before the red light touched everyone.

Dix scoffed in annoyance from the doorway. “That ambush was perfect, and you still gave me the slip, Vanargand… This is why I didn’t wanna tangle with Loki Familia.”

Bete growled from behind the cover of the wall. “Who the hell are you?!”

“You got shit between the ears or somethin’? I’m with the Evilus. Can’t you tell by looking?” Dix questioned as he rested his red spear over his shoulder, pointing at the white robe that he was half-wearing. “I always hated this get up. It’s a last ditch disguise, but damn, these things are ugly.” He grinned darkly as the unconscious Loki Familia members twitched on the ground. “But enough about that, Vanargand! Yer buddies are in deep shit while you’re hiding out over there!”

“RAAAAHHHH!!!” The four Adventurers roared out loudly as they grabbed their weapons and started beating up each other and the remaining spider-like Monsters in a bloody free-for-all.

“G-Guys?!” Rakta called out, confused by the sudden brutality.

Beter nearly snarled. “A confusion curse!”

“Friend or foe doesn’t mean jack! They’ll massacre everything that moves and turn this place into a bloodbath!” Dix howled in sadistic delight as the Loki Familia members beat each other and the few remaining Monsters, sending blood flying through the air. Think you can stop it?! Like hell you can!”

As the fighting between the Loki Familia members became more violent after the last of the spider-like Monsters had been slain, Bete glared hatefully at Dix from around the corner.

“What’s the matter, Vanargand?! Are ya just gonna let ‘em die?!” Dix mocked Bete from the safe distance between them.

“Tch!” Bete growled out, wanting nothing more than to smash the bastard’s face in.

Rakta watched her friends beat the hell from each other in terror. “Guys?! Stop!”

‘Whew, he really wants to kill me, doesn’t he? Probably figured out that taking me down will end the curse. I’m Level 5, he’s Level 6. I ain’t got a chance in hell if we go head-to-head. Good thing I don’t have to play fair. If he lets his friends hack each other to pieces to come after me, all I have to do is close the door and skedaddle. They’ll take care of each other after that. But if he decides to try and help them, I’ll just curse his sorry ass! And suddenly, a crazed Level 6 who can’t tell friend from foe will be on the loose. I’d have to lift the first curse before casting the second, but I’m far enough away to make it in time. I have you now, Vanargand. The hunt is over.’ Dix thought to himself, assured in his victory enough to continue talking trash. “Hidin’ with your tail between your legs, huh?! What a sorry excuse for a Level 6 you are!”

Bete narrowed his eyes and stepped out from behind the corner, just standing in the open.

‘Gotcha.’ Dix raised his free hand towards Bete, prepared to cast his curse as soon as he saw an opening.

“Bete!” Rakta called out as all four of their Familia members rushed towards the Werewolf to attack.

“RAAAHHH!!!” The four roared out at Bete.

“Shut the hell up.” Bete said, his hands mere blurs as he grabbed the heads of the lead two and slammed them into the floor so hard that the stone shattered. The following two got the same treatment before they could even swing their weapons. “Sleep it off, trash.”

Dix stared in disbelief at what he’d just seen. ‘No way… He seriously knocked out his own Familia members! One blow, no hesitation! Effective, sure. But who’d actually do that?! That Werewolf…is one hell of an asshole!’ Bete’s death glare quickly made Dix realize that he was in danger. ‘No time to freeze up!’ He raised his hand and began his incantation. “Get lost in an endless nightmar…” As Bete was rushing at him, Dix had a sudden realization. ‘…hold up. If I set him off now, who’d be his first target? The only one still standing anywhere close to him is…me?!’

Bete’s fist crashing into Dix’s hastily raised guard sent the Evilus member skidding backwards. “RAAUUUGGGHHH!!!”

‘He had it all planned out?!’ Dix realized as he felt his arms shaking as pain flared through them, one was definitely broken from blocking that punch. “Tch!” He grit his teeth at the sharp pain.

“Get back here, you piece of shit!” Bete reached for Dix’s throat as the man leapt backwards to try and get out of reach.

The Orichalcum door slammed down right as Dix passed beyond it and Bete’s outstretched arm was caught beneath it.

“Hah! Hahahahahahaha!” Dix laughed loudly, even as both of his arms were nearly limp at his sides. “Too bad, Vanargand! You were this close, but no dice!” He sucked in a breath as his arms throbbed in agony. “Agh, shit, that hurts! That asshole is a piece of work…! Good thing he’s…”

Creak

The Orichalcum door squeaked as it was slowly being forced upward.

Dix’s eyes widened in a mix of shock and fear as he slowly turned to look over his shoulder. “Hey, moron. Even you have to know how damn heavy that door…” His words died in his throat as the Orichalcum door was lifted enough for Bete to glare death at him with nearly glowing eyes. In Dix’s mind the image of a wolf that forced its way into homes to devour the inhabitants overlayed Bete’s face. He ran without looking back, barely able to carry his red spear in his shaking hands and arms. “God damn it, Barca! Like hell I’m gonna go toe to toe with that monster again!” He rounded the nearest corner and another Orichalcum door slammed closed behind him.

“Tch! He got away…” Bete growled out as he managed to force the Orichalcum door open enough to walk under. “Hey! We’re headin’ this way! Bring the rest with you! Hurry!”

Rakta—currently carrying their four unconscious Familia members—moved as fast as she could. “I can only do so much!”

-Ais-

Ais was running through the man-made labyrinth, trying to find any of her Familia members. So far, she hadn’t found anyone, only a few Violas that she’d slain without even slowing down.

‘This place is way too big. A man-made dungeon…they were building this the whole time? Since when? Even one-hundred years wouldn’t be enough.’ Ais thought as she continued running. ‘I may have underestimated them. The Evilus were wiped out years ago. Our Levels should be much higher than any of their remnants. Only creatures like that red-haired woman pose any threat. Or…so I thought…’ Ais slowed to a stop as a feeling came over her…something almost familiar, but also dark and foreboding. ‘This feeling…’ She turned and took the corridor that the feeling was coming from, only to enter a large room with the floor covered in interconnecting pipes, all of which led to seven large metal and glass capsules, each with a broken section of the glass missing, as if whatever had been in them had forced their way out. “This is…” She looked around at all of the capsules. “The crystal orb fetuses…were here.”

“Drawn to their presence just like a moth to flame…just like Enyo said you would be.” Revis said as she walked towards Ais with her black and red curse sword held in her right hand.

Ais had her hand on Desperate faster than most could’ve even seen.

“It’s been a while, Aria. I waited far too long for this…ever since the day I tasted agony by your hand.” Revis’s cold tone was filled with a desire to return the agony tenfold.

“The orbs were here…where are they now?” Ais demanded as she locked eyes with Revis.

Revis didn’t look like she cared, but answered regardless. “Hidden somewhere else within this labyrinth. Search for them yourself…if you can.” She tossed the bottom half of Finn’s spear forward, letting it clatter on the floor between her and Ais. “I struck down that Prum. The one with the spear.”

Ais denied that with all of her being, louder and more forceful than most had ever heard her. “No! You’re lying! Finn would never lose!”

“Once I finish with you…the rest of your friends won’t be far behind.” Revis promised as she pointed her curse sword at Ais.

In the time it took to blink, Ais had unsheathed Desperate, closed the distance, and clashed with Revis a dozen times.

“You’re taking the offensive? That’s a first.” Revis said as she blade-locked with Ais and then pushed the younger girl backwards with force. “Ah, I see. That was close. You’ll end up dead at this rate.” She glared at Ais. “Use your wind, Aria. I can’t have you dying too quickly.”

“Awaken, Tempest!” Ais chanted and her green wind swirled around her powerfully.

Revis’s next swing tore up the floor, shredding the pipes and stone as if they were nothing more than paper. Ais leaned back to dodge, but planted her feet and swung upwards towards Revis. The Creature brought her larger sword down on Ais and the two weapons clashed powerfully, Ais’s wind and the force of the blow creating a shockwave that shattered the seven glass and metal capsules and cracked the floor. Ais and Revis broke their deadlock and then rushed each other again, Ais coming down from above with a thrust while Revis swung downward at an angle. The wind howled as it spun around the room once before slowing to almost nothing.

“You humans are so easily affected by the deaths of your companions.” Revis said, her sword having hit Ais along her torso, one of the downward hooks had split the Adventurer’s breastplate in two. “Your emotions betray you.” She leaned In, her yellow eyes cold. “I win, Aria.”

A slash of Desperate cut Revis’s face before the Creature could jerk her head back. The green wind that lashed out at her sent Revis skidding backwards as drops of her blood splattered on the floor. Ais stood at the ready, her golden eyes never leaving the Creature.

Revis’s eyes widened in confusion and rage as she saw that even though she’d split Ais’s breastplate, her white battle dress didn’t have a mark on it. “What is that?!”

‘Bell…’ Ais almost smiled as the gift from her boyfriend had protected her, just like he’d wanted it to. Sure, the blow itself had still hurt, but the blunt strike had done far less damage than being impaled by the large hook on the edge of the red and black sword. Thinking about Bell, she once more recalled that she wasn’t alone anymore. She had her friends and her Familia, she had Bell…her wind swirled around her powerfully, more powerfully than Revis had ever seen it as she was forced back a step as Ais’s wind howled throughout all of Knossos, reaching out to guide all of her Familia towards her.

-Valletta Grede-

The half-mad woman staggered through Knossos while absolutely covered in blood. After the tactic that Finn’s miserable companions had managed to pull off, everything had gone to shit.

“Damn useless bastards. “She cursed the assassins that she’d had with her as she hunted down the fatally wounded Finn. “Had to kill every single one to get enough blood to wash that putrid dust off!” She ground her teeth in rage. “Damn it… That slippery piece of trash, Finn…! Burn in hell!” She raged, her free hand clawing the air in front of her.

“Quickly, now!” A woman’s voice was heard down one of the corridors.

“Hear that? Someone’s fighting close by!” A man’s voice followed.

Valletta’s head whipped around and she grabbed her curse sword as she began to follow after the voices.

The group of Line, Anju, Lloyd, Kalos, Liza, and Runi were making their way through the corridors as fast as they could with their injuries and exhaustion slowing them down. They’d not had a bit of respite from the Monsters since being separated from the others. It had taken its toll as they were practically hobbling there way towards what they believed was the way out.

“Line… It’s fine… Leave me… Get out of here…” Lloyd muttered out as Line practically carried him.

“Please, be strong! Just a bit further!” Line assured him as best as she could, already near a Mind Down herself from healing the injuries of the group this whole time. “A few more steps and we’ll be safe!”

Behind the corner the group was passing, Valletta had a wicked smile on her bloody face, looking very much like the psychopath that she was. She followed after the group quietly, waiting until they got to a room big enough for her to enjoy the torture and slaughter that she was about to commit.

“Hah…just a little more.” Line tried to encourage the others as they entered a large, rectangular room with an exit straight ahead to the next corridor. Everyone was exhausted, but if they could just get a bit further, they could make it.

A sudden scraping sound of metal on stone behind them made the group freeze up.

“Well, well, well, looks like a few little rats are still scurrying about.” Valletta said with a dark smile on her blood-covered face, a wide and demented smile that showed all of her teeth directed at the exhausted group from Loki Familia.

Even exhausted as they were, Anju, Liza, and Kalos readied their weapons, putting themselves between Valletta and the injured Lloyd, the exhausted Line, and the small Runi. The killing intent radiating off Valletta was nearly sickening, and the fact that they could practically feel the difference in Level only made it worse.

-Outside of Knossos ~ Secondary Exit-

The frozen open door that Lefiya and Filvis had discovered was being used to evacuate the injured. Multiple members of Loki Familia were not only injured, but had been injured with curse weapons and their wounds wouldn’t heal. Riveria and Loki were waiting to meet the returning group, having slain the last of the Monsters in this section of the man-made labyrinth.

“Riveria! Loki!” Aki yelled out as she carried Remilia over her shoulders, sweat running down her face as her stamina was almost spent. “Their wounds are cursed! Vermis poison too!”

Riveria’s eyes widened as she saw how many people were being brought towards her. Her healing magic could may be able to save those that had only been poisoned, but curses fell outside of her ability to deal with.

Loki bolted out of the doorway and turned to two of her Level 2 ‘children’ that had been brought along for surface logistics. “Get to Dian Cecht Familia! Bring Airmid down here, no matter what you gotta do! Find the Hestia Familia too!”

Before either of the runners could move, a loud voice called out…and Loki would swear it was like hearing the most beautiful music in all of Tenkai again.

“We’re already here!” Bell yelled as he and Cassandra led their Familia into the underground sewer passage.

If Loki hadn’t been so relieved to see them, she’d have wondered how they knew to come to this specific, random part of the sewers that were further away from their initial entry point into the man-made dungeon.

The injured and dying were being laid on the ground as the exhausted, but non-injured members of the Familia fretted over them.

“Remilia!” Aki held her friends hand as the other young woman’s eyes were unfocused and her breathing slowed.

“Aki… I’m scared…” Remilia said as squeezed Aki’s hand weakly. “I… wanna go…home…”

“Crea, hang in there!” Sharon called out, not seeing her friend breathing. “Aki! Crea is…!” Aki looked over, seeing the tears in Sharon’s eyes.

“Cassandra! Lili!” Bell called to both that he knew could help in this situation.

Cassandra moved to the center of the area where the injured were laid out and held her staff before her. She knew a lot of them were poisoned, so she started with her Cure Magic first, even if she couldn’t’ remove the curse they were suffering from, she could at least try to buy some time. “Warmth of day, sought by the weary. Sun’s glow that illuminates my wishes. For my words are unheeded by all, spare them plague with the light of the heavens. Cure Ephialtes!” The soft glow of the spell shown from the crystal atop Cassandra’s staff and enveloped the area around her. She poured a good amount of her Mind into her spell, wanting to save those that she could.

“The poison?!” Arcs exclaimed as the pain in his body eased and then vanished, the injury on his shoulder the only evidence that he’d been poisoned at all.

A second later and something unexpected happened.

“The potion is working?!” Koko called out in surprise as Finn’s wound on his neck finally healed.

Riveria’s head whipped around to look at Cassandra as the young woman’s spell faded. “You can undo curses?!” That hadn’t been mentioned at all when they’d asked for Hestia’s Familia’s hep in secret.

Cassandra blinked at the sudden exclamation and slowly shook her head. “N-No… I-I don’t think so?” She wasn’t aware that her Cure Magic possessed that ability.

Lili set her huge green backpack down and flipped it open. “Potions! Low, Mid, High! She began to toss the vials to those that were near the people laid out on the ground. This wasn’t time to think about money or rationing items! “Blood Replenishers!”

“Thank you!” Aki caught a High Potion and uncorked it before easing it to Remilia’s lips. “Drink, you have to drink!”

The injured Remilia swallowed a bit of the medicine, her complexion already looking better as the curse had been lifted from her. As more and more of the High Potion was swallowed, the injuries on her body healed rapidly. “Hah!” Remilia took a deep breath and then coughed as some of the potion had still been in her throat.

“Remilia!” Aki hugged her friend who’d been so close to slipping away.

Sharon was easing a High Potion and a Blood Replenisher into Crea’s mouth. The girl that had stopped breathing for a moment slowly opened her eyes once both vials had been emptied.

“What…happened?” Crea asked slowly, only to be engulfed in a hug by Sharon.

Bell stopped as he saw Ais drinking one of the Mind Potions that Lili was handing out along with a Mid Potion for her injuries. “Ais…” He breathed out some relief to see his girlfriend mostly alright.

“Bell…” Ais smiled as she stood up, a little shakily, and pulled him into a hug.

Bell hugged her back and then looked into her golden eyes. “What can I do to help?”

It was Loki that answered. “A few of my children are still lost in the labyrinth. Can you find them?”

“Line, Runi, Lloyd, Anju, Liza, and Kalos are missing.” Aki said as she left Remilia in Riveria’s hands for now.

“I think I have a general idea of where they should’ve ended up when we got separated.” Sharon said while still kneeling next to Crea.

Bell looked over at Cassandra and the two locked eyes.

“The serpent moves left in the dark as the wicked laugh.” Cassandra recited the final part of her dream again.

“Right.” Bell was fully onboard with believing Cassandra’s dream at this point as he readied his spear. “Welf, Daphne, Mikoto! Guard this place!” He ordered for the first time as Captain of the Familia.

“Got it!” Welf agreed as eh took up his greatsword.

Daphne nodded as she unsheathed her sword. “Right.”

Mikoto drew her katana swiftly. “Yes, Bell-dono!”

All four entered the man-made labyrinth, but Welf, Mikoto, and Daphne stopped just inside the door. Bell, however, took off in the direction that Sharon had given before the members of the Loki Familia had even gotten their wounds healed and their stamina restored by potions and Cassandra’s healing magic. He noticed the dim light of the labyrinth as he ran and took the first left turn, then the first right, then the next left, doing a serpentine motion through the corridors.

“AAARRRGGGHHH!!!” The pain-filled scream told Bell that he was right to believe in Cassandra’s dream as he made a sharp right turn and shot down a short corridor into a large rectangular room.

“Eh?!” Valletta had only kicked the injured man on the Healer’s back to the ground—after backhanding the young woman to the ground and kicking the hell out of her—and stomped on his injury when her senses as a Level 5 screamed at her. The point of Bell’s spear nearly pierced her face, but she managed to jerk her head to the side just in time.

“Firebolt!” Bell cast his spell into his spear.

Boom

The flames exploded from the thin, rapier-like blade and engulfed Valletta’s head.

“GAH!!! YOU LITTLE FUCKER!!!” Valletta screamed at Bell as she wildly swung her curse sword in his general direction.

Bell backed off and kept his spear at the ready. As the flames cleared, Valletta stopped her wild swings and Bell took the opening. “Rise!” He cast Vesta Enhance and felt the boost to his stats. He thrust his spear forward, aiming for Valletta’s heart, only for her to smack his spear away with her sword.

“Who the hell are you?!” Valletta demanded as she pointed her red and black sword at Bell. “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter!” Her wide, sadistic smile appeared again. “I’ll just kill you along with these trash!”

Heroic Will activated as Bell refused to back down in the face of adversity that the psychotic Level 5 posed, further boosting his stats.

When Valletta came at Bell, she blinked as he parried her downward swing with his spear. The point of the spear shot towards her eye and she skipped back, not wanting to be anywhere near the blade that could burst into flames. Putting her speed to use, Valletta circled around and came at Bell from the side. Bell spun his spear as she pivoted to get out of the way of Valletta’s thrust, the long blade of the black spear swung through the air and sliced off the tips of Valletta’s pink hair.

“You little fucker!” Valletta nearly screeched as she attacked Bell ferociously. “I’m gonna hack you to pieces!” She could tell that Bell wasn’t even Level 4, but he was, somehow, almost keeping up with her!

Bell ducked under a wide swing meant to bisect him and swiped the butt of his spear at Valletta’s ankle, forcing her to backstep. Keeping the motion o f the swing going, Bell spun and then thrust his spear forward with all of the strength and speed that he could muster. “Firebolt!”

Valletta had less reach than Bell with her sword compared to his spear. With an enraged snarl, she brought her curse sword up to block with the flat side. The tip of the spear blade hit her sword like a hyper-focused punch from the Monster Rex: Goliath. The flames exploded around the sword and Valletta screamed in aggravation as she staggered backwards. “You think that cheap junk is worth anything?!” She swung her curse sword with all her Level 5 strength.

Ching

The blade of Kokutogenishiki snapped under the force, leaving Bell with just the shaft of his weapon.

“Shit!” Bell cursed at the destruction of his spear, but he took his previous lessons from Ais, Tiona, and Tione to heart and threw the ‘now a staff’ straight at Valletta’s face.

Valletta caught it and sneered as she tossed it aside uncaringly. “I’m Level 5, you little shit! Did you really think that would work?!”

Bell grabbed the Hestia Knife and Zan Kyojin and shot forward at even greater speed as Dual Wield activated, both knife and shortsword merely blurs as he brought them to bear against Valletta. The Level 5 suddenly found herself on the back foot again as the strikes came even faster than Bell’s spear, and they hit harder as well.

“How…the fuck?!” Valletta cursed as she struggled to keep up with Bell’s speed. “Did you just get faster and stronger?!”

Bell’s response was to toss the Zan Kyojin up into the air. Valletta couldn’t stop her eyes from following the path of the weapon, an ingrained instinct to watch for danger that all Adventurers developed over years, so she missed the true attack.

“Firebolt!” Bell cast with his free hand, the blast of flames striking Valletta pointblank since they were practically in arm’s reach of each other already. “Firebolt!” He cast again, but this time it was into the Hestia Knife which erupted into flames as he swung it at Valletta who was blinded by the flames from the first Firebolt.

Crack

A chunk was broken from the curse sword as Valletta made a hasty guard with her weapon. It might be a Superior Grade, but that was nothing much compared to a Divine Weapon. The flames covered the weapon and Valletta hissed as she dropped it, the black and red sword not only engulfed in flames, but the metal becoming so hot that it was literally painful to hold onto.

“Fuck!” Valletta shrieked as she kicked forward, her foot slamming into Bell’s crossed arms as he’d just managed to block the wild kick. With the durability of the Goliath Armor that Welf had forged, Bell was merely sent flying backwards and hit the wall with a grunt, rather than having both of his arms broken. “You little shit! I’ll kill you!”

Bell was already back on his feet, both the Hestia Knife and Zan Kyojin back in his hands, and Valletta realized that she had been blinded by the flames when Bell must’ve caught his shortsword. The look of blazing determination to protect the members of Loki Familia that was burning in Bell’s rubellite eyes made it clear that Valletta would have to kill Bell before she could get to them.

The faint sounds of dozens of footsteps approaching the room made it clear that Valletta’s time was up.

“I’ll kill you one day, you little shit!” Valletta swore at Bell. Only to have to jerk to the side as Zan Kyojin spun through the air where her head had just been and embedded itself into the brick wall behind her. “You fucker!”

“Thunder-” Bell incanted the first part of his second Swift-Strike magic and any further words died in Valletta’s throat as lightning sparked around Bell’s, now free, hand. The bolts arced from his hand and along the floor as the air filled with static. The snapping sound of the electricity alone was loud enough to resound within the room.

Valletta wasn’t a mage, nor particularly sensitive to magical power, but even she could feel the power behind that spell. Even a psychopath knew when their own life was in danger and Valletta turned and ran, disappearing around the doorway of the room as fast as her Level 5 speed could take her.

Ais was the first into the room, Desperate in hand, her golden eyes looking for the enemy that Bell had clearly been fighting.

The lightning disappeared from Bell’s hand as Bete nearly skidded into the room, his eyes swiftly looking over the six Familia members that had been missing. No one was there to see the breath of relief that escaped the Werewolf as he saw everyone alive. He saw Line lying unconscious on the floor, still breathing, but clearly beaten beyond what she could take.

“What happened?” He asked Bell, trying not to let a growl slip into his tone as the rest of the group from Loki Familia entered the room behind them to check on their wayward Familia members, bringing potions from Lili with them.

Ais stood close enough to Bell that their shoulders touched as Bell began to explain the woman that he’d fought to protect the six Loki Familia members. He unknowingly gave Bete a target for the rage that had been burning within him since everything had gone to shit earlier today. As much as he would never say it, Bete was a bit protective over the weaker members of the Loki Familia, and anyone that hurt them would pay the price.

‘I’m gonna hunt that bitch down.’ Bete growled in his mind as he watched over Line being given potions to heal her injuries.

The Lokia Familia escorted their recovered members out of Knossos, Bell helping provide protection on the way back while Finn, Ais, Bete, Raul, Aki, and a few other Level 4 members went back into Knossos to find the remainder of their members that had stayed with Gareth to fight another Demi-Spirit.

The first raid of Knossos was a failure as Loki Familia was forced to retreat.

However, things had still gone better than they could have…as every life that had entered the man-made labyrinth had returned home as well.

-End Chapter-

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First raid of Knossos: Failed.

But as opposed to Canon, everyone survived. Thanks to changes that had come about in a Familia that wasn’t even their own.

Listening to Cassandra’s dream allowed the Hestia Familia to be right where they needed to be to save lives. And Cassandra found out that her Cure Magic can remove curses too!

Bell fought Valletta Grede! A woman he never met once in Canon! And he gave the Level 5 that prefers trapping her prey a real face-to-face fight! Valletta was certainly confused as hell about how Bell seemed to get stronger the longer they fought, not knowing how many ways Bell has to boost himself in combat!

Then she ran scared when Bell leveled his Thunderbolt spell at her!

Even a whack job like Valletta knows when her life is in danger!

With all of Loki Familia surviving this first, horrendous, nearly fatal raid of Knossos thanks to Hestia Familia. It seems very likely that they’ll be more than happy to assist Hestia Familia with their ‘issue’ with the Ishtar Familia.

Will that lead to things changing from Canon again?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!