In a dimly lit room within the alleys of Orario, a tense silence hung in the air.
Fels, the enigmatic robed mage, stood motionless before the two members of the Hermes Familia. Asfi Al Andromeda kept her expression carefully neutral behind her glasses, though the slight tightening of her jaw betrayed her stress. Beside her, the Chienthrope Lulune Louie looked like she was about to bolt, her dog ears pinned flat against her head as she sweated under the mage's unseen gaze.
"The parameters of the commission have changed," Fels stated, his voice an eerie rasp that seemed to echo from nowhere. "You are no longer required to eliminate the source of the blockade. Your objective is strictly reconnaissance. You will infiltrate the 24th floor, observe the anomalies surrounding the Pantry, and ascertain the cause. Nothing more."
Asfi nodded slowly, calculating the risks. "A scouting mission. That is significantly more manageable, provided the rumored monster horde hasn't completely sealed the passages."
"Indeed," Fels replied, turning his hooded head slightly toward the trembling dog girl. "However, let me be unequivocally clear. While you are being compensated handsomely for this endeavor, if you choose to abandon this quest, just as Lulune here did with the last commission I gave her, there will be severe consequences."
Lulune flinched at the mention of the 18th floor events, letting out a squeak.
"I am well aware of your Familia's tendency to falsify its records," Fels continued, the threat obvious. "If you fail me, I will personally submit your true, estimated Statuses to the Guild. I will expose your deception and ensure your Familia is hit with sanctions so heavy it will take the next generation to fully recover from them."
Asfi's eyes narrowed, her stoic mask slipping for a fraction of a second. She took a step forward, shielding Lulune slightly.
"That won't be necessary," Asfi said, her voice calm. "We accept the terms. We will not flee, and we will bring you the intelligence you require."
"See that you do," Fels murmured. The shadows in the room seemed to swallow him as he turned, his presence vanishing completely as he departed.
The moment the door clicked shut, Lulune collapsed onto her knees, gasping for air. "I thought he was going to curse me into a toad!"
Asfi turned to her, adjusting her glasses with a harsh glare. "This is exactly why I told you not to take shady jobs off the books, Lulune. You dragged us into this mess."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Lulune wailed, bowing repeatedly.
"Save your apologies," Asfi sighed, massaging her temples. "I am claiming your entire share of the quest reward. I'll use it to repair our kit when we are done."
Lulune froze, her jaw dropping in utter horror. "W-What?! But I have debts! The pub—!"
"Actions have consequences," Asfi said coldly, turning toward the door. "Get your gear ready. We leave for the 18th floor at sunrise."
༻❁༺
Bell Cranel tied his boots with a surge of energy. He could feel that today was going to be a great day!
Yesterday's status update had been so promising that he finally felt ready to dive deeper into the dungeon with Lili!
He strapped his light armor over his chest, his fingers lingering for a brief moment on the sheath strapped to his leg where the Hestia Knife rested. He smiled, very grateful for the gift from his goddess that had saved his life time and time again.
Speaking of her... "I'm heading out, Goddess!" Bell called out, a bright smile stretching across his face.
Hestia poked her head out from her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Be careful down there, Bell! Don't push yourself too hard or I'll kick your ass if you get hurt!"
"D-Don't worry, Goddess, I promise I won't!" Bell stammered with a nervous chuckle, grabbing his backpack. "Besides, I have a supporter! Lili and I make a great team!"
With that, the white haired boy bolted out into the bustling streets of Orario, his heart full of optimism. Because to him, he was getting stronger and thus getting closer to his goal.
With every swing of his knife, every close call with a nasty monster, he could feel his body pushing him closer to the heights where she stood.
He was getting closer to Ais Wallenstein.
He kept that thought close as he navigated the streets toward Babel.
In those very same streets, the girl he was thinking of also ventured. But unlike Bell Cranel and his crystal clear goal for the day, Ais Wallenstein did not have anything specific to pursue.
She walked aimlessly through the market district. Her golden eyes, while not as dull as they had been the other day, still retained a distant gaze. She just couldn't stop thinking about the red haired woman and the lip scarred man who could potentially possess the missing pieces of the puzzle she was trying to solve.
But where could she find him?
And as if the Heavens answered her question, she saw somthing.
Or rather someone.
Through the dense crowd of merchants and Adventurers, a brief glimpse of a tall, muscular figure in a tight black shirt and baggy pants entered her field of view.
It was only for a millisecond, but the Sword Princess recognized him instantly.
She didn't think twice and bolted forward. Pushing suddenly past a bewildered animal person, her eyes locked onto the spot where he had just been. But when she reached it, he was nowhere to be found.
Her brow furrowed as she failed to distinguish him from the crowd. He was like a ghost. Tracking him with her enhanced senses was like trying to track a shadow in the dead of night.
But as a Level 5, her perception was honed to near perfection, just like the rest of her senses. She ignored all other residuals and focused purely on the physical world.
A displaced apple on a cart near her. The slight sway of a tavern sign. The different expressions and appearances of the thousands of the city inhabitants that would overwhelm any lesser person.
Then she caught another glimpse of his broad back turning a corner. Ais immediately broke into a sprint. "I won't let you escape. You are going to give me answers," she muttered to herself with conviction.
While the Sword Princess was using all her perceptive might to keep track of her prey, Toji Fushiguro clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Why is the blonde chick so damn persistent?" he muttered, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. He could hear the faint but rapid tapping of her boots navigating the crowd to reach him.
The Sorcerer Killer scratched his jaw as he used some civilians as cover, slipping by just as she passed without noticing him.
He was highly tempted to just drag her into an alley and put her out of his misery. But he was already late for the job, his unofficial lunch break had ended over an hour ago.
He had been guarding that stupid pantry for a day straight with absolutely no Adventurers trespassing on the job site. Not that anyone would, considering Toji had strategically placed food and nourishment for the starving monsters of the floor. With their path to the pantry blocked, the monsters crowded around Toji's tempting bait, forming a living wall of beasts that made any Adventurer think twice before getting near.
He was out of that shitty environment to take a break from the boring job, and now he was being stalked by doll face, just great.
As much as he wanted to murder the Loki Familia's prized Sword Princess in broad daylight, it was bad for business. Furthermore, it would be doing it for free which was against his policy.
He needed to lose her trail and head back. Being caught slacking would damage his reputation with those deep pocket clients.
Toji took a sharp right, ducking into a narrow dark alleyway that smelled strongly of urine.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going, fucker? This is our territory!"
Toji paused. Blocking the alley were five rough looking Adventurers. The leader, a chubby raccoon man, stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.
Canoe squinted, a snarl spreading across his face. "Wait...I know you," Canoe said. "You're that bastard who did this to me!" He held up a hand, showing off a pinky finger still wrapped tightly in bandages, the very same finger Toji had shattered to dust.
Of course, Toji did not remember that, because why should he?
Canoe smirked. "Lucky me, having you wander right in here. Think you can get away with what you did?" He gestured for his allies to ready themselves. "We'll make sure to carve that scar on your lip a little wider!"
Toji just stared at them. It seemed he was going to have to do a little unpaid overtime after all. "I don't have time for you, fatass."
"What did you say—?!"
Canoe didn't finish the sentence.
In five seconds, five broken, groaning bodies littered the alleyway.
Toji stepped over them without a second glance, rounding the next corner and slipping back out onto the main street.
Ten seconds later, Ais skidded into the alley. She stopped, her sword half drawn, only to find Canoe and his gang violently decorating the pavement with their broken bodies and blood.
"Too late!" Ais clicked her tongue in sheer frustration. The trail was dead. She had missed him again.
Back on the main street, Toji scanned the crowd. He needed camouflage to shake this blonde bitch off his trail.
His eyes landed on a familiar head of white hair standing next to a tiny Pallum girl wearing a backpack almost three times her size.
It was perfect.
Before Bell could take another step toward Babel, a heavy hand clapped on his shoulder out of nowhere.
"I'm joining you today, brat," a deep voice said from behind him.
"Whoa! Toji-san?!" Bell jumped in surprise, spinning around to see Toji standing directly between him and Lili's massive backpack, perfectly hiding his large frame from view.
"Wait!" Bell's eyes lit up with starry eyed excitement. His captain had finally decided to join him for a dive? was he dreaming?! "You want to party up with us? Are you sure?!"
Toji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, shortstack threatened to revoke my sofa privileges if I don't check on your progress," he lied easily, his eyes scanning his surroundings for doll face. "Don't expect me to hold your hand, though."
Bell beamed brightly. "Don't worry, we can handle ourselves!" He pointed to himself and then to the silent Lili.
Toji just nodded without a word, shifting his body slightly to hide his presence as the annoying Sword Princess emerged from the crowd, looking frantically everywhere for a trace of him.
"Where is he?!" Ais used her heightened perception to desperately scan the plaza near Babel, trying to figure out a possible lead. Then, her eyes shifted to Babel itself.
"The dungeon." She concluded he must have gone inside.
She bolted forward, passing through Babel's gate and making for the staircases, desperate to close the distance on her target.
"Annoying bitch," Toji muttered. He would need to move slowly to ensure he didn't catch up to her.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Bell suddenly exclaimed. "Toji-san, this is my supporter, Lili. She's been a real help!" he said, introducing the silent Pallum.
"Supporter..." Toji looked down at the Pallum, evaluating her for a single moment before turning his attention elsewhere. "Whatever. Let's get moving," he dismissed, starting to walk.
"A-ah, of course!" Bell followed behind without a single complaint.
Lili, however, had partially frozen when his cold eyes landed on her. Her blood ran cold.
Who is this guy? A high-level adventurer? The way he had just appeared out of nowhere without her even noticing raised alarms in her mind.
Yet, even with those red flags, Lili found her greed pushing her to follow the duo.
But her greed did not render her stupid.
"Master Bell," Lili called to the white haired boy as they began their descent into the dungeon, flashing him a sweet smile. "Who is your friend?"
"Oh! This is Toji-san! He's...well, he's my Familia captain!" Bell replied happily, seeing no harm in sharing the information.
Lili's eye twitched slightly. If he was the captain, then it meant he was at least a level higher, which meant she couldn't execute her plan.
"Out of curiosity, Master Bell, what level is he?" she whispered, trying to sound coy and childish.
Bell chuckled. "He's actually Level 1, like me! But he's stronger though," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, completely unaware of how vastly he was underplaying the gap between them.
'Level 1? That's practically nothing!' Lili thought as a sinister smirk threatened to break her cute facade. Her plan was still a go!
Toji briefly gave a glance toward Bell and the Pallum. He could read her entire existence with a single look.
A runt who survives off deception and stealing, plenty of those occupied the supporter profession in Orario.
On top of that, his senses picked up the immediate shift in her scent from anxiety to confidence the second Bell told her his level.
This midget was planning something.
'Whatever,' Toji thought, stepping into their shadow as they entered the first floor of the dungeon.
He could trust the brat to survive whatever she was planning. Toji had a cat and mouse game to manage with the blonde bitch and get down to the pantry ASAP.
༻❁༺
Deep within the 24th floor, inside the massive parasitic camouflage that had overtaken the Pantry, the environment was grotesquely evolving. The usual cavernous terrain of the dungeon had been consumed by a pulsating mass of roots and vines.
At the crystal pantry, a giant plant monster known as a Viscum was greedily siphoning all the nourishment. Its massive roots connected directly to a Jewelry Orb that was surrounded elegantly by a cage of flora.
Rested within the orb was the Demi-Spirit fetus. The Orb pulsed with a colorful light as the Viscum delivered the vital nutrients required for her growth. Slowly, she was inching closer to claiming a female humanoid body by fusing with the Viscum and awaken as a fully born Demi-Spirit.
Standing on a massive root overlooking the grotesque birthing chamber were two figures.
Olivas Act smiled beneath his bull skull mask, his eyes burning with fanatical devotion. "It grows stronger by the hour," he whispered reverently. "Soon, the avatar will awaken."
Beside him, Revis scowled. The redhead crossed her arms, having fully recovered from her injuries following the 18th floor incident. "The monsters outside are becoming restless. The Guild is going to send more flies to investigate the blockade. If they breach the Pantry before it's fully mature, it will be a problem."
"You worry too much, Revis," Olivas chuckled, turning to her. "The perimeter is secure. Aside from the monster horde, we have our...hired help guarding the primary entrance."
Revis's gaze grew cold, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Who?" she demanded.
Olivas smirked beneath his mask at her reaction. "The mercenary. The one who defeated you," he said, entirely unaware that Toji had currently abandoned his post.
The temperature around Revis seemed to grow colder. Her hands clenched into fists, the stone beneath her boots cracking under the sudden pressure. "You dare bring him here without my consent?!"
"He is exceptionally effective," Olivas pointed out calmly. "Also...Enyo insisted."
"I have a score to settle with him," Revis snarled, taking a step forward. "I'll rip his heart out and feed it to the Violas. A greedy insect like him is of no use to the cause."
Olivas stepped into her path, holding up a hand. "Patience, Revis. I understand you loathe him, but he is merely a tool. A disposable wall. Let him deal with the adventurers. If he dies, we lose nothing. If he succeeds, the Avatar gets the time it needs. Do not let your personal bloodlust jeopardize the grand design."
Revis stared Olivas down for a long, tense moment. Finally, she clicked her tongue, turning away in disgust. "Whatever," she spat. "I'm taking him out eventually."
She would enjoy ripping his spine out. And with the sheer amount of magic stones she had consumed recently, the battle would be effortless on her part.
༻❁༺
The journey down through the upper floors was surprisingly fast, a pace that would have left any normal party of low level Adventurers in the dust.
Toji walked in the center of the formation, his hands shoved into the pockets. His posture was lazy, yet his eyes missed absolutely nothing.
Ahead of him, Bell Cranel moved like a hopping rabbit between monsters. The kid had found a good rhythm, slicing his way through War Shadows and other monsters with a grace that hadn't been there the last time Toji saw him fight.
He was adapting, his footwork getting lighter and his reaction time sharper. Toji kept his observations to himself, offering no praise but mentally noting the kid's undeniably fast growth, even compared to talented Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Flanking them, Liliruca Arde, played her role as a supporter. She provided much needed support by picking off monsters in Bell's blind spots with shots from her repeating crossbow, then quickly getting down to strip the monsters of their magic stones and drop items once the battle was over.
They were a good team.
"Let's go deeper, Master Bell! We are on a really good streak!" Lili cheered, her sweet voice echoing off the walls. "If we push to the tenth floor, the drop quality will be so much better and it'll provide good experience for you!"
"I don't know..." Bell scratched the back of his head before smiling. "I think I can handle a scouting run!" he said, practically vibrating with naive enthusiasm. He didn't even pause to consider the stamina drain or the danger of the middle floors for the small party they had. "Let's do it!"
Toji didn't care to voice an opinion. He simply let out a quiet exhale through his nose. If the kid is this naive, let him suffer for his stupidity. A harsh lesson learned in blood stuck far better than a warning anyway.
Toji watched in silence as Lili guided Bell into the main entrance point of the tenth floor. The environment shifted into a damp foggy expanse filled with trees.
"This way, Master Bell! It leads to an overview of the floor!" She led them through a narrow path that, to Toji's sharp sight, led to a dead end cliff.
'She's boxing him in,' Toji noted. He didn't warn Bell, because to him, the kid should have spotted the geographical trap closing around him.
As they reached the cliff, Lili exclaimed, "We are here, Master Bell, look! Over there!" She pointed forward to nothing in particular, but the gesture was enough to catch Bell's attention.
"Huh? I can't see anything through this fog." Bell tilted his head as he squinted near Lili, his vision ending just after a few feet.
"Just keep focusing..." Lili advised. Then, in a flash, her cute, innocent facade evaporated.
She bumped "accidentally" into Bell's side. With smooth nimble fingers, she slipped the black Hestia Knife from the sheath strapped to his leg and pushed Bell forward toward the cliff edge.
"Ah!" Bell lost his footing at the surprise bump and fell. Thankfully for him, the drop wasn't as deep as it looked. "What was that for?!" he asked in confusion.
Lili didn't stop to explain herself. In a fluid motion, she pulled small vials of purple liquid from her robes, smashed one violently against the cave floor beneath her and then threw another down the cliff, shattering it near the bewildered Bell.
"Lili?!" Bell called out. The overwhelming rancid stench of monster bait flooded the space instantly, making Bell sweat with anxiety. "What are you doing?!"
"GHRRR!"
The dungeon responded to the scent like a kicked hornet's nest. The guttural noises of Orcs and Imps echoed from every direction, drawing closer to their position.
Lili turned on her heel, clutching the stolen Hestia Knife to her chest and a magic sword in her other hand. Her face twisted into a triumphant sneer.
She rushed past Toji. "You won't stop me!" she yelled, activating her magic sword. It sent a stream of flames engulfing the lazy looking mercenary but it left no damage.
Lili didn't wait to see the results of her attack. She bolted for the exit, never looking back. "Thank you two for being so stupid!" she mocked.
"Bitch." Toji didn't move a muscle to stop her, he casually wiped the soot from her flames off his clothes. He watched as her small form disappeared into the fog, then saw taller silhouettes of monsters drawn by the bait.
Toji casually pulled out his inventory curse.
"Lili?!" Bell gasped, spinning around. The sheer confusion on his face was almost comical as the monsters began surrounding the boy, completely blocking any room for retreat. "Where did she go?!"
He looked up the cliff face, hoping that this was just a massive misunderstanding and that Lili would throw a rope down for him to climb back up.
Instead, the white haired boy saw Toji looking down at him with a distasteful stare.
"She robbed you, idiot," Toji called, his voice flat and devoid of any sympathy for the trapped rabbit. "She took your fancy knife, dropped monster bait, and left you to get eaten."
Bell's eyes widened. "No!" he shouted, his voice cracking. He instinctively reached for his leg, his eyes widening further in horror as his fingers met empty air. "No, Lili wouldn't do that! She's my supporter! She's my friend!" He denied reality with all his might.
"She's a rat who saw an easy mark," Toji corrected coldly. "And you fell for it like the good ol' rabbit you are."
"GURAAAH!"
An Orc lunged, bringing a massive club down toward Bell's head. Driven by pure instinct, Bell dove out of the way, drawing his spare weapon, a cheap blade Lili herself had given him. He slashed at the Orc's thick hide but the blade barely left a scratch mark, dulling right away.
Bell felt terror rising in his spine. "Toji-san! Help me!" he cried out, desperately parrying another blow from an Imp that sent him skidding backward into the dirt.
"No," Toji replied, crossing his arms as he looked down upon the rabbit like a cruel god.
Bell's eyes widened in sheer panic as three more Orcs closed in, their shadows looming over him. "W-What?! But you're my captain! Please!"
"I told you to not expect me to hold your hand, brat," Toji said, his tone utterly indifferent to the boy's impending death. "You trusted the rat. You ignored the trap. This is your mess. Figure it out or die here."
Bell scrambled backward, his chest heaving with terror. He deflected a downward strike, but the sheer force of the Orc's strength was too much.
SNAP!
Bell's spare dagger shattered into a dozen useless metal shards.
He fell hard onto his back, completely unarmed. The Orcs raised their weapons, preparing to turn him into a bloody stain on the dungeon floor.
"Toji-san!" Tears pricked at the corners of Bell's eyes. This was it. He was going to die. He had been a fool and too trusting of a stranger.
Toji stared at the pathetic state Bell was in...then let out an irritated sigh.
His inventory curse offered a hilt to be drawn. Toji's hand blurred as he pulled a Grade 3 cursed tool from the curse: Grinding Edge.
It was a thick, broad knife with a dull unpolished blade that looked more like a slab of iron than a weapon.
With a flick of his wrist, Toji launched the weapon like a bullet.
CRACK!
The heavy blade whistled through the air and buried itself deep into the heads of two Orcs near Bell. The monsters brains were instantly pulverized, falling to the ground with a thud, the dull knife clattering to the stone floor right next to Bell's trembling hand.
"Pick it up," Toji ordered, his voice cutting through the roars of the remaining monsters.
Bell didn't hesitate. He scrambled forward and grabbed the hilt. It was heavy, far heavier than his Hestia Knife, and the edge looked entirely blunt.
"That's all the help you get from me," Toji stated, walking away from the edge of the cliff, leaving for his own job. "That's Grinding Edge. The more things you slash with it, the sharper it gets. Keep a good streak going and it'll cut through almost anything. Falter, and it goes dull again with each fuck up."
Toji looked over his shoulder one last time. "Keep swinging, brat, and maybe you can impress the girl you really like!" he called out with a chuckle, his voice reaching the terrified Bell.
Bell's hands shook as he gripped the weapon tightly, his emotions going haywire.
"GURAAAH!"
There was no time to adjust to the blade. The monsters had completely blocked the confines he had fallen into, and the longer he stayed here, the more monsters the stench of Lili's bait would bring.
The closest Orc lunged, swinging its wooden club that was literally a plucked dungeon tree.
Listening to his instincts, Bell threw himself to the side. The club smashed into the earth where he had just been, sending a shower of sharp rocks into the air.
"Rahh!!" Bell planted his boots and swung Grinding Edge with everything he had at the Orc's exposed flank multiple times, yet it didn't slice the monster even once.
The monster roared, attempting to slam Bell to the ground, but the rabbit escaped its clutches successfully.
Two Imps charged, leading with open claws. Bell ducked, then using the momentum of his evasion, spun the blade into a double hit on the Imps' bodies, crushing their bones.
Surprisingly, the blade bit into one of the Imps, but only slightly, leaving a small gash.
Bell did not have time to check the mark, another Orc bulldozed through the injured Imps, crushing its allies and slamming its massive hand into Bell, swatting the boy away.
"Gah!" Bell gritted his teeth to hold in the pain, his heart racing in his chest.
Getting up with a wild look, Bell launched himself with a roar of his own, ducking beneath the Orc's swing and slashing its leg in the process.
He didn't stop. He rolled back to avoid the upcoming club that would have shattered his head, then used the weapon as a stepping stone to launch himself at the Orc's face, plunging Grinding Edge into its eye, taking the monster down.
Before he could move, Bell was launched backward again by the third Orc. The breath was knocked from his lungs in a painful rush, and he heard something in his ribs crack. He collapsed to his hands and knees, coughing up a spatter of blood onto the floor.
"W-Why?" The words pierced through the physical agony. "Why did she do it? We were a team. I trusted her."
The sound of heavy, stomping feet pulled him back to reality. The Orcs were closing in, their eyes locked onto the wounded rabbit.
Was he going to die down here, betrayed and alone, all because he was too naive?
No.
Bell gripped the hilt of the now sharper cursed tool. He thought of his Goddess, waiting for him in that ruined church. He thought of the golden eyes of the Sword Princess, the heights he had sworn to reach.
Bell forced himself to his feet, ignoring the screaming pain in his ribs. He locked his red eyes onto the approaching horde.
An Orc thrust its club like a spear. Bell barely sidestepped it, letting the weapon graze his shoulder, then he sprinted forward, bringing Grinding Edge down on the monster's extended wrist, cutting it apart.
Without pausing, Bell carried his momentum into a reverse spin when he reached the Orc's chest, slamming the blade into the throat of the crippled beast. Hot blood sprayed, splashing across Bell's face.
Two Orcs swung simultaneously.
"Firebolt!" Bell took down one using his magic, the fire eating away the first beast's face easily but sending a sharp sting through his head due to a lack of sufficient mind reserves.
He darted past the other Orc's swing with gritted teeth, Grinding Edge carving through the thick fat and muscle of his stomach, spilling its guts out.
"Ghrahh!!"
Bell jumped forward, bypassing another Orc's guard, then thrusted upward, stabbing directly through the Orc's jaw, blood soaking his hands.
Only two Orcs remained.
The last two hesitated, their survival instinct momentarily overriding the frenzy of the bait.
Bell didn't give them the chance to decide their course of action.
He kicked up a loose stone, launching it directly into an Orc's eye, then screamed, "Firebolt!" while sprinting toward the beasts, taking the second one out.
Mid sprint, he slipped past a desperate, sweeping club, feeling the wind tear at his hair. He brought the blade down in a clean stabbing motion into the final Orc's chest. The monster core cracked instantly from the strike, its body immediately beginning to collapse.
"Gah..." Bell breathed out in relief, his lungs burning with every gasp. His light armor was dented and cracked. Blood trickled down his forehead, stinging his eyes and several deep cuts across his arms and ribs pulsed with agonizing pain.
But he was alive.
Bell gritted his teeth. His captain Toji had not saved him, nor had he offered even a little support from the cliff. He had abandoned him to fend for himself!
"No..." Bell corrected himself. Toji hadn't entirely abandoned him. If his captain wasn't here, if it weren't for the blade in his hand, Bell knew with absolute certainty he would be a corpse right now.
Bell's legs gave out and he dropped to his knees.
He was tired.
He stared at his empty sheath.
The shock and denial of Lili's betrayal had faded away with the adrenaline of fighting for his life.
Instead, he felt an entirely foreign emotion beginning to bubble up in his chest. It wasn't fiery rage, nor was it pure malice toward the Pallum girl.
It was resentment.
He didn't resent her for tricking him. He didn't even resent her for leaving him to die here. He was an Adventurer, so death was always a possibility, and he had been stupid enough to blindly trust a stranger, thinking she might be different from everyone else.
He resented her for stealing his knife.
She had taken the weapon that symbolized his Goddess's unwavering care for him and his absolute vow to reach the heights of the Sword Princess.
Bell gripped the hilt of Grinding Edge so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He would get it back.
༻❁༺
Ais Wallenstein moved through the labyrinth like a vengeful ghost. Her golden eyes, normally calm and unreadable, were darkened by a semi-frenzied storm of frustration and desperation.
She had lost him. The lip scarred man had slipped her sight completely and the trail had gone cold.
Ais needed answers. She needed them like she needed air to breathe, and now she would never get them. All because she was not good enough to track him properly!
For an entire day, she butchered everything in her path, from the smallest goblin to the mighty minotaur and more. They were shredded into dust by her weapon. She didn't bother collecting their core or stop to rest. Her silver armor was painted with the foul blood of monsters and her pristine rapier, Desperate, hummed a lethal tune as she finally breached the expanse of the 24th floor, where a rumored monster horde had gathered.
The Sword Princess saw her target and bolted into the swarm without a second thought.
The horde guarding the Pantry never stood a chance. Ais tore into the mass of beasts, a blur of silver and emerald wind, carving a path of absolute devastation until the area was reduced to a graveyard of fading ash and shattered magic stones.
"Haa..." Ais stood amidst the settling dust, her chest rising and falling in heavy breaths.
She slowly looked up, her eyes widening. The heavens seemed to have granted her wish.
The entrance to the Pantry was entirely blocked by a grotesque wall of parasitic roots and thick vines.
And sitting atop one of the roots was Toji Fushiguro.
He was leaning back against the massive plant, lazily biting into a bright blue dungeon fruit. Wrapped around his torso was his Inventory Curse. Toji chewed the fruit, his dark eyes watching his stalker with a completely expressionless face.
He didn't look surprised to see her, he barely looked interested.
Ais's grip on her rapier tightened. Her heavy breathing slowed into a predatory rhythm as she began to approach him, her boots crunching over the ash and remains of the monsters she had just slain.
Seeing her approach, Toji tossed his half eaten fruit into the woods. He stood up and began stretching his arms over his head, his curse slithering from his waist to over his broad shoulders as he dropped down from the root, landing with a soft thud.
They stopped just a few feet away from one another, the air between them growing tense.
Ais's cold stare was a promise of pain. She opened her mouth to demand answers, but Toji beat her to it.
"What's with blonde stalkers in my life? It's getting annoying," Toji huffed with slight amusement, his voice slicing through the tense silence. His amusement vanished a second later. "Why are you following me, bitch?"
Ais didn't falter, her knuckles turning white around the hilt of her sword. "What is your business here?" she asked, her voice far too calm.
Toji raised an eyebrow. He let out an irritated sigh, scratching the back of his neck. "This is a quest. And I have the paperwork to prove it, which means annoying flies like the Sword Princess are supposed to buzz off without asking questions."
He reached into his baggy pants and pulled out the crumpled Guild commission, then lazily flicked it toward her. It fluttered in the air before landing at her boots. "Guild quest. Ecological preservation of the 24th floor Pantry. Very official. Very boring."
Ais didn't even look at the text. She picked up the parchment, her hand crushing it into a useless ball.
"I don't care about the Guild," Ais said, dropping the crumpled paper to the dirt. "I want answers about the red haired woman you fought on the 18th floor. You are going to tell me everything you know about her."
Toji's posture shifted. The lazy mercenary facade vanished, replaced instantly by an apex predator.
"Who do you think you're ordering around, brat?" Toji's voice was dangerously low. "You think because people call you a princess, the world is supposed to bow? Walk away before you get hurt."
Ais's eyes darkened, green wind exploding around her form. "Tell me what I want to know and I won't hurt you," she stated, drawing her blade fully. To her, it was a reasonable condition, entirely failing to register that she was issuing an ultimatum. Her thoughts were too clouded.
A heavy silence fell over the pantry, not counting the sound of Ais's wind tearing at the ground. Toji just stared at her.
Then, Toji smiled.
In a fraction of a second, the space between them vanished.
The first clash between the Sword Princess and the Sorcerer Killer sounded like a cannon going off. They became a blur of wind and blinding sparks, moving so fast the naked eye could see nothing but brief flashes of light where their weapons met.
Ais swung Desperate with lethality, but Toji met her strike with a Kukri, the heavy curved cursed tool drawn smoothly from his worm. The impact sent a shockwave through the dirt, uprooting the nearby flora.
They disengaged and clashed again, the battle instantly migrating away from the Pantry and tearing violently into the wild forest of the 24th floor. Trees were splintered into toothpicks as they blew past them, the environment completely devastated by their clash.
High above the clearing, hidden on a cliff edge, Asfi Al Andromeda watched the sudden explosion of violence with wide eyes. She had been observing Toji and the monster horde, trying to formulate a plan to bypass them, but the sudden arrival of Ais Wallenstein had completely derailed everything.
Asfi shook herself off. This was a godsend!
She quickly raised a specialized communication magic item to her lips. "Falgar! Move out now while we have the chance!" Asfi whispered urgently. "Take Meryl and have her prepare to blow open a new entrance! You go in with the rest and gather whatever intel you can about what's inside that root barrier. Retreat if you get pushed back! Be out as soon as you find something of value!"
"R-Right away, Asfi!" Falgar's surprised but determined voice echoed back.
From her vantage point, Asfi watched the silhouettes of her Familia members dart out from the opposite side of the tree line, sprinting toward the unguarded Pantry.
She didn't linger to watch them. Asfi turned her eyes to the path of destruction cutting deep into the forest and jumped down from the cliff, utilizing her boots to break her fall as she sprinted toward the battlefield. As she ran, she reached into her pouch and pulled out her Helm of Hades, slipping it over her head to render herself completely invisible to the two monsters currently tearing the floor apart.
On her way into the woods, she spotted the crumpled ball of paper Ais had discarded. Asfi snatched it up, storing it away as evidence before rushing into the dense fog.
Deep in the woods, the explosive clashes had suddenly ceased.
Ais stood in the center of a small opening, her wind coating her form. She scanned the thick forest, her golden eyes darting in every direction.
He was gone.
Toji had used the chaotic destruction to meld into the environment. Because he possessed absolutely zero mana, Ais couldn't track him. There was no magical signature, nor was there a physical presence she could lock onto. To Ais's hyper senses, Toji Fushiguro simply did not exist until he chose to attack.
A blur of motion dropped from the trees. Ais barely managed to raise her rapier in time to block a devastating downward slash. The sheer physical force of Toji's strike brought her to one knee, the ground cratering beneath her.
Before she could counter, Toji used the recoil to jump backward, disappearing into the thick brush without a sound.
"Is that all the Sword Princess has?" Toji's mocking voice echoed from three different directions at once, bouncing off the massive tree trunks. "Swinging a sword fast doesn't make you a fighter, kid. It just makes you a cheap blender."
Ais gritted her teeth, parrying a sudden thrust from her blind spot. She swung her rapier, unleashing an arc of wind that sliced three massive trees in half, but Toji was already gone, leaving only falling leaves behind.
She had the superior speed, heavily enhanced by her wind magic, but it wasn't enough to overwhelm him. Toji's reaction time, his tactical retreats, and his absolute lack of presence made fighting him like trying to stab a shadow.
"Coward," Ais breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Come out!"
"Coward? How cute," Toji chuckled. Slithering like a snake along a thick branch directly above her, Toji peered down through the leaves. He was calculating his next move. The girl was fast, and that wind armor was annoying. He needed to wear her down.
"I only demand answers!" Ais yelled, her voice cracking slightly. "What is your relationship with her? Are you her ally?! Just tell me that!"
Toji rolled his eyes, dropping silently to a lower branch. "You're a Level 5, top tier adventurer of the Loki Familia, and you're practically begging a mercenary for scraps of intel. How pathetic can you get?"
Ais snapped.
"Awaken, Tempest!" The wind around Ais exploded. It wasn't a directed attack, but a violently expanding dome of compressed wind.
The gales shredded the forest, snapping massive trees like twigs and ripping out boulders, instantly clearing a 15 meters radius of all cover.
"Tsk." Toji was forced to drop to the ground, his boots skidding through the dirt.
As the dust settled, a staredown began.
Both fighters circled one another slowly, the only sound being the hum of Ais's wind and the crunch of debris under their boots.
Toji stopped. He let out a breath, resting the Kukri on his shoulder. "How about we level the odds?"
Ais narrowed her eyes, confused.
"I was born with zero magical energy," Toji stated, his voice echoing in the cleared space. "In exchange for completely discarding magic, my five senses and physical body were granted potential far beyond a normal human. Even when I was a kid, my body was special. And these weapons," he tapped the Kukri, "are special tools. Each carries something that grants me the edge against magic reliant nuisances like you."
Ais stared at him, bewildered. Zero magic? Enhanced strength as compensation? Why was he explaining his secrets and skills all of a sudden? Why was he giving away his tactical advantage?
She didn't understand the mechanics of Jujutsu, nor did she know about the Binding Vow of Revealing One's Hand.
By verbally explaining his Heavenly Restriction, Toji was forcing a vow upon himself, and in return, the world granted him an immediate boost to his already monstrous physical stats.
Ais felt a shift. Her pure warrior instinct screamed at her. Toji's presence didn't grow magically, but his physical density suddenly skyrocketed.
"Let's dance," Toji smirked.
They clashed again, but this time, Ais's speed edge had vanished. Toji's speed terrifyingly matched hers.
Ais thrust Desperate forward. Toji effortlessly deflected it with the Kukri, sliding inside her guard. His free hand blurred, pulling the Split Soul Katana from his curse. Before Ais could even register the movement, Toji sliced the blade upward.
Ais leaned back desperately, but the tip of the katana caught her cheek. It bypassed her physical durability entirely, striking directly at her soul.
Ais winced, an agonizing pain echoing through her entire being from such a thin cut.
But Toji wasn't done. Sheathing the katana instantly, he grabbed the Kukri with both hands and unleashed a flurry of strikes. Ais was forced on the absolute defensive, parrying frantically.
Despite blocking the brunt of the assault, Toji managed to score several cuts on her arms, thighs, and waist.
With every single cut from the Kukri, Ais felt a sudden, unnatural wave of heat wash over her. Her internal body temperature spiked violently. Sweat began to pour down her face, stinging her eyes. Her lungs burned as if she were breathing in ash.
The Fever-Pitch Kukri, a Grade 1 cursed tool, was artificially inducing a severe fever, draining Ais's stamina at an rapid rate.
Ais stumbled, her vision blurring at the edges as the heat stroke began to set in, her wind magic flickering erratically.
She was losing. She was going to be defeated here, and she would never get her answers!
"No!" Ais roared, channeling every single ounce of her remaining mana and wind into one final attack. The green winds compressed around her sword, forming an absolute drill of annihilation.
"Lil Rafaga!"
Ais launched herself forward like a railgun projectile. The sheer kinetic force of her takeoff shattered the ground behind her. The concentrated wind was practically a natural disaster, aimed directly at Toji's chest.
Toji's eyes widened slightly at the sheer destructive speed. His hands moved in a blur, reaching deep into his Inventory Curse.
Toji planted his feet, gripped the Inverted Spear of Heaven tightly, and thrust it forward, directly into the center of Ais's ultimate attack.
The moment the cursed spear touched the compressed tempest, the magic simply...ceased to exist.
It didn't deflect the wind, nor did it cut it. It forced the magical technique to an absolute, immediate halt. The green light vanished, the howling winds died instantly and Ais's rapier met the prong of the Inverted spear with a heavy spark.
The kinetic force of her charge shoved Toji backward, his boots carving deep trenches into the earth but he remained standing.
Ais's magic was gone, her momentum died and the fever overtook her.
Ais collapsed, her knees hitting the dirt hard. Desperate slipped from her trembling fingers. She braced her hands against the ground gasping for air, blood dripping from the cut on her cheek and the wounds on her body.
Toji stood over her. He was breathing a bit heavier, a thin line of sweat on his brow from the intense clash, but he was entirely unharmed.
He let out a mocking chuckle, tossing the Inverted Spear back into his curse.
"That was your ultimate move?" Toji sneered, looking down at the trembling Sword Princess. "All that fancy magic. All that arrogant wind. And you still ended up in the dirt. You rely so much on your little blessings that when they fail, you're nothing but a fragile little girl."
Ais gritted her teeth. Her golden eyes burned with humiliated fury. With a feral roar, she lunged upward, throwing a messy punch at his jaw.
Toji didn't even blink. He raised his leg and brutally kicked her square in the face.
The impact sounded like a cracking whip. Ais was sent flying backward, her body crashing violently through the remains of three tree trunks before finally coming to a halt in a crumpled heap.
Toji let out a long sigh, walking over to where she lay. He looked down at her battered form. Ais was barely conscious, her chest rising in painful gasps.
"You know," Toji muttered casually, checking his fingernails. "You attacked me while I was on official Guild business. I'm technically permitted to kill you right now. The Guild might even pay me a bonus for dealing with a rogue adventurer."
Ais couldn't speak. Her vision was entirely red.
"But I won't," Toji said, a smirk spreading across his face. He leaned down slightly. "The way you are at the brink of tears because you realize how truly weak you are, has so much more flavor to it than your blood staining my blades."
Ais's breath hitched.
BOOOOM!
Before Toji could say another word, a massive explosion violently shook the cavern.
Toji turned his head. In the distance, rising above the tree line, a massive cloud of dust and debris formed into the air. The parasitic root structure surrounding the Pantry was collapsing inward upon itself.
Inside the cloud of destruction, though Toji couldn't see them, Falgar, Lulune, and the Hermes Familia were running like headless chickens. They hadn't managed to get deep enough to see the Demi-Spirit be born and escorted outside the pantry, but they had collected vital information. They had managed to briefly observe the Viscum and the caged Violas monsters before being caught by the very same Violas and forced to retreat. Meryl used her explosive magic to blow a brand new hole through the eastern wall, allowing them a chaotic escape.
Toji scratched the back of his head, watching the dust settle.
"Well," he muttered to himself. "The Pantry's gone. Can't guard a location that doesn't exist anymore. Guess the job's done."
He turned around and began to walk away, his hands shoved into his pockets.
"By the way...I don't know the red bitch." He decided to reveal the splinter of information merely to preserve his clean record. He didn't cast a single backward glance toward Ais.
As his footsteps faded into the woods, Ais remained paralyzed on the ground due to the intense exhaustion and fever.
"Figured..." A single, hot tear broke free at the answer, tracking down her cheek and mixing with her blood. But her face wasn't one of sorrow. Her features twisted into a furious snarl.
While she had gotten her answer, it didn't hide the humiliating fact that she had been utterly, completely defeated. Her magic, her speed, her desperate drive. None of it mattered.
Deep within her soul, a familiar black flame ignited: a burning, obsessive desire to grow stronger. To never be looked down upon again. To never stop at anything until she could tear through the heavens themselves.
She tried to push herself up, to force her broken body to move.
"Ouch..." A sharp sting of pain in her ribs forced her back down.
Maybe she could become stronger once she was feeling better.
"Uh...Sword Princess?"
Ais froze. She slowly forced her head to turn.
Standing a few feet away, having just removed a strange helmet to reveal her blue hair and square glasses, was a girl wearing the Hermes Familia emblem: Asfi Al Andromeda, Perseus.
They stared at one another for a long moment. The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant sounds of the collapsing cavern.
Asfi coughed awkwardly into her fist, adjusting her glasses. "Do...do you need help standing?"
Ais looked down at her useless hands.
"...Yes," Ais whispered, her cheeks burning red with shame.
She was completely useless...
༻❁༺
And done
I decided to add some original cursed tool concepts like Grinding Edge and Fever-Pitch Kukri. It gives Toji more versatility to deal with his opponents and it fits his assassin personality too
Since people were very impatient with the plot I was going with, I decided to change the Lili and Bell plot to appease them a little. Lili has successfully stolen the Hestia Knife and since Toji had taken down Canoe and his gang she is now free to do whatever she wants for now
I've got a plot going on regarding that
First Toji vs Ais fight: you might say Ais was too nerfed here, and you would be right since she's been fighting monsters for an entire day and she got hit by the Fever-Pitch Kukri, which drained whatever stamina she had left...
Anyway, it's still a win for Toji
The next massive change to the story: Loki and Hermes Familia never saw Evilus remnants, never saw Olivas act, never saw that jeweled orb, never saw Ein, and Filvis and Lefiya haven't even met yet...
I'll fix those, don't worry
Olivas is alive, the demi-spirit is born behind the scenes and taken to Knossos (I think?) Hermes Familia is alive
Next chapter will explore the aftermath and what's going on and the fate of Hestia Knife
Hope you enjoyed this
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