Luki moved slowly through the cavernous corridors of the Dungeon, his sword raised in front of him, wary of the situation unfolding around them.
Even Lili, teetering on the edge of collapse, remained alert to every sound and shadow. The slightest movement could mean the difference between life and death.
Fortunately, nothing happened.
The cave simply stretched onward into the darkness, silent and unchanging, as if it were nothing more than an ordinary underground passage.
But that did not make the situation any less dangerous.
After all, one could never be sure which was worse, facing an enemy in plain sight, or knowing they were there but you couldn't find them.
…shhh…
— Uhm…? — Luki suddenly stopped.
— Luki-sama…? — Lili's voice came weak and muffled from behind him. — What is it…? Did the path end…?
— No… It's just that… do you hear that? — He answered quietly, eyes still fixed on the corridor ahead
There was a brief silence behind him.
— Hear… what…?
Luki frowned beneath his helmet.
— This… I don't really know how to explain it. — He hesitated. — Are you sure you don't hear anything?
— I don't hear… anything but your footsteps… I'm sorry…
— No, no, it's ok...
He remained still, body rigid, trying to rationalize it. Maybe it was just exhaustion. Maybe paranoia. The Dungeon was good at playing tricks on the mind.
Still, he could swear he had heard something.
And then-
shhhhhhhhh…
The sound returned.
Luki's elven ears twitched instinctively beneath the tight helmet, pressed against the clothes and metal as if trying to break free and pinpoint the source.
— Again… — he murmured.
— Luki-sama… are you okay…? Maybe we should… stop for a bit…
— No, no. I'm serious.
The sound continued, cutting through the silence of the Dungeon.
Shhh… shhh…
— That's… — Luki narrowed his eyes. — Water…?
He lowered his posture, adjusting the weight on his back, moving as though he wanted to vanish into the darkness.
And as they moved toward the sound, the Dungeon began to change.
The narrow, oppressive corridor gradually gave way to a wider cavernous passage. More patches of luminous moss clung to the stone walls, sparse at first, then increasingly dense, bathing the cave in a soft, bluish glow.
With every step forward, the sound grew clearer. At some point, even Lili could hear it, undeniable proof that Luki had not been imagining things.
Along with it came a new sensation in the air.
Freshness.
And then, at last, the passage opened up.
— Wow... — Luki said, finding the scene before him quite beautiful.
The tunnel widened into a large grotto, its walls and ceiling completely covered in blue luminous moss, the gentle light reflecting softly in every direction. At the center of it all lay the source of the sound that had guided them here.
A small underground basin.
Clear water filled the natural hollow in the stone, its surface rippling gently as thin streams flowed in from the cavern walls before escaping through narrow paths.
Like the birthplace of a river.
— Hey, Lili… — Luki finally said, his voice happier than before. — Didn't you say you wanted to take a bath? Well… I guess now's the time.
He felt her shift slightly against his back.
— A bath…? You're serious…? There's really water here? — Lili murmured.
— Yeah.
She fell silent again.
— That shouldn't be possible… — She whispered, more to herself than to him.
Luki stepped closer to the basin and carefully set his sword aside, placing it where he could reach it easily. Then he knelt and dipped his hand into the water, slow and cautious.
For a brief moment, he was reminded of a scene from the original story. An episode, maybe even an OVA, where Bell and his companions had found a place to bathe inside the Dungeon.
At first, everything seemed safe, almost comforting, until it turned out that a monster nearby had released acid that mixed with the water, melting clothes and turning the whole situation into blatant fanservice.
That was exactly the kind of thing Luki wanted to avoid.
He kept his hand submerged for a few seconds, watching closely, half-expecting some kind of reaction. But nothing happened. The water didn't burn, didn't sting, and didn't react in any way.
It was just normal water.
Only then did he let out a quiet breath.
— As far as I can tell, it's safe… for now. — He said.
He waited.
Behind him, Lili's breathing grew uneven.
— Luki-sama… — she said at last, her voice low. — I… I can't get down by myself.
He closed his eyes briefly.
— I know.
Luki loosened the straps little by little, careful not to rush her. When he finally lifted her down from his back, he supported her weight firmly until her feet touched the stone floor.
Once she was steady, he took a step back.
Silence followed.
Only the sound of flowing water filled the cavern.
For a moment, Lili remained still, as if gathering courage.
— Can you… turn around for a bit?— She said quietly, shy.
Luki did so without question, facing the cavern wall while staying close enough to react if she lost her balance.
There was another pause.
Then a small, strained sound.
— Ah… — Lili let out softly.
She tried to lift her arms. The moment she did, her shoulders tensed sharply, muscles protesting as if even that simple movement was too much.
— Ngh…! — The sound slipped out before she could stop it.
She sucked in a breath and stopped herself, arms falling back down.
She tried again. Slower. More carefully.
The result was the same. She can't rise her arms alone, every time she does it, there's a sharp sting on the side of her lungs, between the ribs.
Her breathing grew more erratic, frustration and pain mixing together as her body refused to obey.
Luki stayed silent.
He didn't need to look to understand what was happening.
After several seconds, Lili let her arms drop completely.
— …I can't... — She admitted, her voice smaller now.
The words lingered between them. They both understood what that meant.
The water continued to flow, indifferent.
Luki turned back toward her, but kept his eyes lowered.
— We don't have to rush, take it slow. — He said calmly.
She shook her head slightly.
Silence fell again, but heavier this time.
— Luki-sama… — She hesitated, fingers tightening around the fabric of her clothes.
— I know this is stupid, but… could you…? — She couldn't finish the sentence.
He answered anyway.
— Yeah. — His voice didn't waver. — I can.
She exhaled shakily, a mix of relief and embarrassment.
— I'm sorry…
— Don't be.
He stepped closer, stopping at a respectful distance.
— I'll only help with what you can't do yourself. And I'll tell you before I touch anything.
Lili nodded, eyes fixed on the ground.
— …Okay.
It wasn't how either of them wanted things to be.
But it was how things were.
Silence settled between them again, heavier than before.
Luki moved first, slow enough that she could follow every motion. He knelt beside her instead of standing over her, lowering himself to her level.
— Tell me if it hurts or if you want me to stop. — He said quietly.
She nodded again, this time tighter, shoulders stiff.
His fingers hesitated near the hem of her tunic, hovering for a brief second before making contact.
— I'm going to start here.
— …Mm.
The fabric was stiff with dried sweat and dirt, rough beneath his fingertips. He pinched it carefully, easing it upward just enough to test if she could help.
— Can you lift your arms? Just a little.
Lili tried.
Her shoulders tensed immediately, a sharp breath slipping through her teeth as her muscles seized.
— Ah…!
She stopped herself, arms trembling before falling back down.
— Sorry… — she muttered, face burning.
— Don't be — Luki replied at once. — It's fine. Just… lean on me.
He shifted closer, offering his shoulder. After a brief pause, she rested against him, light and unsteady.
— I'm going to pull it up slowly.
— …Okay.
He did exactly that, inch by inch. Each small movement made her flinch from the pain. She squeezed her eyes shut, fingers curling into the fabric at her sides.
The tunic finally loosened enough to come free.
Luki turned his gaze away immediately, focusing on the stone floor as he set it aside.
— Next is the straps, tell me when you're ready. — He said, his voice steady, deliberately sounding plain.
Then-
— …Go ahead.
His hands moved again, his fingers brushed her bare back by accident, light as air.
Lili sucked in a breath.
— S-sorry… — she whispered.
— It's fine, you're doing well. — He repeated, softer this time.
Bit by bit, piece by piece, the layers that had weighed her down for months were removed. Not cleanly, not gracefully, but patiently.
By the time he finished, there was nothing left between her and the cold air of the cavern.
Lili leaned fully against him now, small hands gripping the front of his armor as if letting go might make everything collapse at once. Her eyes were shut tight, lashes pressed together, not daring to look at him, yet also not wanting him to move away.
It wasn't just for balance, but also for reassurance.
Luki remained still, one arm firm around her shoulders, the other resting where it could support her weight without drawing attention to anything else. His gaze stayed fixed ahead, deliberately distant, even though he knew it wouldn't truly lessen the embarrassment.
Still, it was the least he could do.
But from the corner of his vision, he caught glimpses anyway.
Her body was thin, far too thin, but this he already knew. The curse had left its mark everywhere: skin pale and dulled beneath layers of grime, dark veins standing out unnaturally along her arms and sides.
But there was something he hadn't noticed before, precisely because they were hidden under his clothes, where he couldn't see them.
Scars, many of them, not like you usually see in movies and cartoons, but clear marks of aggression that refuse to disappear.
Luki didn't react to them. He didn't stiffen, didn't avert himself more sharply, didn't let anything show on his face. If he acknowledged it openly, even by accident, it would only make things worse for Lili.
So he simply adjusted his grip slightly, making sure she was steady.
— I've got you. — He said quietly on her ear.
Luki shifted his stance slightly, adjusting her weight against him.
— Let's get in. — He said, more to himself than to her.
Lili nodded faintly, though she didn't move on her own.
He guided her forward, step by step. Her feet dragged against the stone at first, then lifted only when he carried most of the effort for her. She leaned into him completely now, barely putting any weight on her legs, each step uneven and slow.
She was limping badly.
The first touch of water reached her toes.
Lili flinched instantly.
— Ah… — A small and involuntary sound slipped from her lips as her whole body tensed, goosebumps racing across her skin. Her face tightened, eyes squeezing shut as the cold crept upward.
Luki stopped at once.
— It's cold, I know, I know, just put one foot in at a time. — He murmured.
He waited, arm firm around her, letting her breathe through it.
— Slow... real slow.
They moved again.
The water climbed to her ankles, then her calves. Each inch seemed to demand permission. Lili's grip tightened, nails pressing into his armor as another shiver ran through her.
— It's okay, just a little more.
By the time it reached her knees, her breathing had turned shallow, controlled, as if she were bracing against pain.
He paused again.
— You're doing fine, almost there.
Lili nodded, jaw clenched, trusting him enough to take the next step without looking.
Together, they waded deeper, the water rippling gently around them, swallowing the sound of her uneven footsteps.
When the water finally reached her stomach, just above her belly button, Luki guided her to one edge of the basin and helped her lean back against the smooth stone.
Only then did she stop moving.
A sharp breath escaped her nose all at once, almost a tremor, as if she'd been holding everything in for far too long.
— Hh… — The sound was short, strained.
Her shoulders shook as she breathed in again, then out, harder this time. The cold still bit at her skin, sharp and unforgiving, but it no longer surprised her. She pressed her back to the stone, eyes still closed, letting the water lap gently against her.
Thanks to the water level and from where he stood, Luki could see "everything".
And they both knew that.
But both chose to ignore it.
Lili's breathing remained heavy for a while, chest rising and falling as she forced herself to adjust. Her fists clenched against the front of his armor every time a new wave of cold stabbed through her, fingers tightening instinctively as if bracing against pain.
— Easy… — Luki murmured, barely above a whisper.
She didn't answe, just breathed, in and out.
Little by little, the sharpness dulled. The cold stopped feeling like needles and became something steadier, something she could endure. Her grip loosened, fists slowly unclenching as the tension drained from her arms.
Another breath left her nose, longer this time.
Then her shoulders finally dropped.
Lili relaxed against the stone, still leaning into him, but no longer trembling.