437Chapter 80: Floundering
Bell:
Bell shifted awkwardly upon a chair in his home's kitchen. It was connected to the entryway of their home and let Bell survey the entire interior. Doing so gave him a great perspective of exactly how high tensions were running. The only thing missing from Bell's fears was the crying and screaming. It was odd how silent all of Kirito's girlfriends had grown.
Some stalked around, some sat and stared at nothing. None of them cried with one exception. Yui was curled up against Hestia, the last vestiges of her tears still coming out as Hestia rubbed the young girl's back.
No one talked now that the explanation was done. No one blamed Bell or suggested plans for getting Kirito back. In the blink of an eye, it was done. Now they had to pick up the pieces of what was left.
Bell glanced out the window which was letting in only faint light from the night sky. It was gradually getting brighter as dawn approached. It had been around three hours since Bell and Hestia had staggered through the door. Most of the familia was still awake, waiting for them, and the rest were quickly woken up.
Nothing productive had happened since then. No one had left to talk to allies or began theorizing on how to reclaim him. They all understood. Getting Kirito back was impossible.
As Bell was sinking deeper into a depressed state fueled by mounting exhaustion, the front door banged open with a fury. Asuna strode in like a great spirit as she commanded the room.
"What happened!?"
Bell shrunk into his chair. Kirio's–his father's–sword sat still sheathed before Bell on the table. Bell did not have the courage to draw it.
I promised Kirito…
Even as Bell dissociated, the temperature in the room was increasing. The girls didn't want to admit that Kirito was truly gone while Asuna raged.
"We got a notice about a truce!" Asuna continued. "Loki wants to sign it! If she does, we'll never get Kirito back! How could you all let this happen!?"
"How could you!?" Rain yelled back. "Aren't you his favorite girlfriend that's never around!? Maybe if you were, we could have stopped this!"
"H-Huh!? Don't turn this on me! We have to act now! Let's find Freya's home and–"
"Asuna," a calm voice interrupted her. Bell hadn't noticed that Lefiya and Astrid had come with her. "You're making them feel bad just to relieve your guilt. A member of Loki familia should act better."
"I…" Blushing, Asuna bowed. "I'm sorry. I just can't accept this. I don't understand! Why? How?"
"...It's my fault, Asuna." Bell found himself saying. Perhaps it was the bead of guilt in his stomach, pushing him to seek judgement. None of the others had given it to him so far after all. "Kirito was holding his own, but I lost almost instantly. If I was stronger Hestia and him could have escaped."
Asuna pursed her lips and stared hard at the sword on the table. After another long moment of silence, she sat in the chair on the far end. "Can you please explain in detail?"
"Ahh, yeah." Taking a deep breath, Bell analyzed his audience. None of the girls had heard anything. They hadn't cared then–only taking away the fact that Kirito wasn't coming back.
Bell looked over at Hestia who gave him an encouraging nod. So, Bell described how the three of them had gone to the guild to report on their expedition and the ambush they had suffered. Asuna's eyes widened then. The three Loki familia members were clearly unsettled hearing about the assault. Bell added a few details about the meeting for their behalf before moving on to the main event.
Main event?
The thought paralyzed Bell. He had been on the thirtieth floor, ensnared by an opponent's magic and tried to murder Kirito. Kirito had covered up that it was Bell who had taken his eye.
Sinking once again into a depressed silence, Bell's story faltered.
Hestia cleared her throat. "Well, as the only other person there, let me take over for a bit. As Bell was saying, those silly guild people were real panicked so they kept us there into the early hours of the morning. Then as we were walking home, Freya ambushed us! Urgh, I was right to hate her! Freya and her 'I'm-too-cool' attitude really piss me off!"
"Goddess Hestia…" Asuna almost growled with incredibly poorly constrained anger and impatience.
"Freya sent her knights after us. Hildrsleif and Dainsleif." Bell took the story up. "I-I couldn't do anything."
"Of course you couldn't," Lefiya sighed. "I've heard stories about Freya trying this before. The only god that ever kept her in check was Hera. But why? Why did Freya kidnap Kirito?"
Bell shook his head. "That's not what happened. This was all related to the ambush. Freya heard what happened and umm…" Bell glanced at Hestia.
"She blamed me," Hestia whispered, taking over again. "She said that I'm endangering Bell and Kirito, so she tried to take them both from me."
"Wait, Bell too!?" Lili yelled, jumping up. With shot Bell a harsh glare. "What does she mean!? Please explain, Captain Bell."
Bell flinched. Putting up his hands in surrender, he gave his best answer. "W-Well, Hildrsleif put a blade to my neck and then Kirito… well he threatened to kill himself…" While everyone gave him incredulous looks, Bell pressed forward. "He basically forced Freya to choose between us. Kirito convinced her to take him which well… left me here."
"He fulfilled his job as captain right until the end," Rain whispered wistfully. "I'm proud to call myself his girlfriend, no matter what familia he is in."
There was a fair amount of agreement to this statement. Asuna however, looked far from pleased. She remained silent however, staring sullenly at the table.
"We have to free him."
Asuna's words created a wave of unease. Once more, it was her familia members that spoke up. "Asuna, no!"
"You can't! If you don't die, you'll start a war. Or worse!"
"He saved me…" Asuna whispered. "I can't leave him to this fate! I can't bear thinking about him nearby but unable to meet because some woman stole him!"
"The contract stops us from doing anything," Astrid reminded her in a kindly if not frantic voice.
"Only if we sign it! We can reject their peace offer."
"We could," Lefiya agreed. "If you were captain of Loki familia. Finn will never go for it."
"...You're right." Asuna stood up in a huff. "If Finn signs this agreement and refuses to get justice on Freya… I'm leaving the familia."
Oddly, neither of her familia members looked all that surprised. It was only then that Bell understood. They'd been expecting this to happen at some point. Asuna's relationship with Kirito put her in a situation where she couldn't be fully trusted to keep their familia's also let her join Hestia familia. Now though…
Before Bell could ask the question, the door to their home was blasted open once again. From the concerning noises that were emitted upon its collision with the door stop, Bell was pretty sure they'd have to pay for repairs.
Stepping through the entryway, bearing a crumpled piece of paper in one hand was Kaguya with an apologetic looking Alise following on her heels. The redhead bowing as she crosshold the threshold. "Pardon our interruption. I couldn't stop this hothead."
Kaguya was not listening and instead focussed in on the Loki members. "Ahh, so you got one of these as well? I would have lopped the heads off of those prums if they were tall enough to properly cut."
Astrid hesitantly approached and took the crumpled paper. "Yes, Loki familia is currently debating the merits of agreeing to Freya's truce."
"And?"
"...We will likely accept."
"Tsk." Kaguya began stalking. "Astraea won't go for it. She could never sign something so stupid but…"
"She won't want us interfering," Alise murmured, her face troubled. "I understand that Kirito is now a member of her familia. But why is she making these deals? I would normally attribute such an action to fear of losing."
Bell spoke up once more. "Freya promised Kirito that she would. They were his idea."
"What an idiot!" Kaguya growled, throwing her hands up in the air in an exaggerated fashion. "If he had resisted and not made deals, then we would have grounds to rescue him! Call out Freya for breaking the rules!"
"He did it to stop us from risking ourselves, didn't he?" Leafa asked dully.
"Most likely," Sachi sighed while many others nodded in agreement.
"But we don't have one of those truce things," Strea pointed out. "Why?"
"Likely to bait us into attacking," Lili reasoned. "Freya is leaving us the option of challenging her to a war game for the purpose of winning Bell."
"But… doesn't that mean she is breaking her promise to Kirito?" Bell asked confused. He looked over at Hestia for confirmation. "Would Freya do that?"
"She said she would stop the city from devolving into open war. We aren't important enough to forge a truce with. There are only three big players in the familia dynamic: Freya, Loki, and Astraea."
"Can never underestimate Hephaestus familia," Kaguya muttered but did not disagree.
Bell's stomach sank as he stared again at the sword in front of him. He knew what he should do. In his mind, he could see himself standing in front of everyone, unsheathing his father's sword and showing everyone as it bleached itself from black back to white.
But what am I trying to convey? Bell agonized to himself. Strength? Leadership? A symbol of rebellion against Freya?
Bell remained stuck in his thoughts, unmoving as the conversation began to die around him. Hope was flickering on the verge of dying. There was a big problem in front of them currently, and Bell couldn't see a way around it. No way but one.
"Kaguya, Alise, convince Astraea to sign that truce."
"HUH!?"
"Bell! Just because Kirito gave you the sword back–"
"We need them, idiot!"
A deluge of complaints and insults washed over him from his own familia members. Never before had they turned such vitriol toward him. Lili and Haruhime abstained obviously, but they didn't run defense. Bell didn't want them to.
Standing up, he laid a hand on the hilt but did not draw it. "This is a Hestia familia problem. The fault lies with us for being too weak to reclaim Kirito."
"And?" Rain growled for the coalition of girls that were glaring at him.
"We get stronger. Stronger to the point where we can take on Freya familia by ourselves."
"That's…"
"In half a year we'll be strong enough to fight them head on. We get stronger faster than they do."
A pause of disbelief followed his words. Then a small voice from the back cut his words to shreds. "Will enough of us survive that long?"
It carried extra weight coming from Sachi. Her bangs were just long to hide her eyes when she looked at the ground.
"We will all survive," Leafa said strongly. "Anyone dying would be an insult to my brother!"
"There's no way to get strong enough in half a year without taking massive risks," Philia sighed. "Also, haven't you heard? Freya familia is leaps and bounds above all other familias in terms of fighting other adventurers. It's all they do after all."
"That's true," Kaguya admitted. "They are masters of their craft. Even the lower level adventurers cannot be disregarded. However, that same strength is their weakness. Ego and individuality are their core traits. Fighting each other comes with the side effect of creating rifts between people."
"Aren't they all basically competing to try and win Freya's heart?" Silica asked.
"Only the weaker ones from what I can tell." Kaguya answered that too. "The elites… They aren't a friendly bunch, but they seem to have slightly different aspirations. Then there is the secretive healer section of the familia… No, I doubt you would stand a chance after another half a year of training."
"...What if Astraea familia trained us?" Bell asked. "If you subjected us to routines similar to what Freya familia does…"
"H-Hold on!" Alise broke in. "Are you insane!? There is no reason for you to risk killing each other!? That's the only way it works, you know? If you don't feel the threat of death, you won't get much stronger. We don't have a healer strong enough to save you."
"I agree with Alise," Hestia said. Her voice was firm and she brooked no argument. "There is no way I'm letting you engage in something that Freya thinks is a good idea."
There didn't seem to be anything left to discuss. Bell held the sword in two hands and addressed the room. "Let's all get a bit of sleep and then pick this up again tomorrow."
Bell waited expectantly for the disagreement. It didn't take long for Asuna to stand up and glare at him angrily. Before the irate elf could attack, a hand on each of her shoulders stopped the tirade.
"That's a great idea Bell."
"Sorry for barging in so suddenly."
With Astrid and Lefiyha apologizing for their friend, they began dragging Asuna to the door.
Alise as well clapped her hands. "That's a great idea, Bell. I'll send Lyu over when we've made a decision."
"Send someone else!" Lili shot back as the Astraea captain dragged her sullen subordinate from the home.
The departure of them signalled an end. Bell left the room with a heavy sigh. Upon reaching his bed, he collapsed into it and instantly passed out.
Asuna:
Blinking awake, Asuna stared out the bright window. It must have been past noon. She didn't remember falling asleep but she supposed she must have. Despite the hour being so late, Asuna did not rise. She just lay in her bed letting the sunlight illuminate the room.
The past week had been a nightmare made incarnate. She had sometimes wondered what it would be like if Kirito was dead. There had been days where it was a struggle to keep moving. Knowing that he was in a familia so near and yet so far away. But at the end of the day, she had not just her memories of their time together, but also the knowledge that they would be together one day.
Now… Asuna did not know if that was true. With no promise of their future anymore, was it any different from him being dead? If Asuna knew he was never coming back, she could simply end herself. She had been trapped in purgatory with only a faint hope glinting the distance. Yesterday had dimmed that hope to the point that Asuna could no longer believe in it.
She had been forced to mentally dissociate to prevent herself from physically lashing out. The guild had declared that the transaction of adventurers was legal. More so because Kirito's demands were met which he apparently gave a statement confirming.
Did Freya charm him? Or maybe he genuinely fell in love with her? Or worst perhaps, Kirito no longer wanted to deal with the girls flocking around him and took the chance to cut them all off.
Asuna knew these thoughts were stupid, most of them irrational, but she couldn't stop them. They whispered insidiously in her ear, bringing her mood down. As she laid on her bed a tear welled up in each eye. "Why didn't I spend more time with him?"
She felt so stupid. They were both adventurers. Their lives were uncertain things that could end at any time. Asuna had known this and still kept clinging to that nebulous future 'someday'.
Like a patient with metastasized cancer putting money into a savings account, neither of them would get to capitalize on their investment. She had screwed up.
On the brink of despair, a boy's words pierced the veil. Half a year.
Asuna wiped her eyes and stood up. Bell was right. There was still a chance here. It would take months of insane training.
"Adventurers live fast for a reason."
At that moment, it all made sense to Asuna. The attitudes that she had belittled from a stance of superiority. The whoring, the fighting, the arrogance. It seemed so natural now. If you were bound to die soon anyway, you may as well enjoy each day you have left.
Level six.
That would be her goal. No, that was probably the bare minimum required. To take on Freya familia they couldn't rely on Haruhime's magic to bring them to the same power, they needed more–an advantage.
Asuna had half a year to level up twice, lure Freya into a wargame, and plot a winning strategy. If she won, she saved Kirito, if she lost, she'd be dead. A perfect gamble.
Smiling mirthlessly, Asuna quickly changed into her adventuring gear and made her way to the captain's office. She could hear the muffled voices of a conversation happening inside. Asuna didn't care and rapped loudly upon the thick wood.
A few seconds later, Riviera opened the door and beckoned Asuna inside. Finn was sitting behind his desk while Loki lounged at the side. Once Riveria closed the door, the four of them were trapped together.
Finn and Loki did not speak, they just stared appraisingly. They were not warm stares, but Asuna couldn't feel any particular pressure from them either. As she composed her words, Riviera opened the dialogue from behind her.
"What purpose do you have with us, Asuna?"
Taking a deep breath, Asuna released it as an inaudible sigh. Meeting Finn's gaze, she tried to speak confidently. "I would like to go on sabbatical for the next half a year." Asuna wasn't quite sure if sabbatical was the correct word, but she thought it sounded official enough.
"Half a year? Asuna, are you saying that you want to be relieved from your familia duties for the next six months?"
"Yes, precisely."
"Be reasonable, you know that's impossible. What would you even be doing?"
"That's personal."
"Well, it doesn't matter," Finn sighed. "I know you're upset that we've signed the truce with Freya familia, but please don't just barge in with poorly thought out unreasonable demands."
"..." Asuna was not surprised. This was the outcome she expected. She had just been trying to take the coward's way out. Ignoring Finn, she turned to her god. "What about you, Loki? Will you grant my request?"
Unlike Finn, she did not immediately deride the idea. Instead, the trickster asked a question–her low voice quiet. "What are you planning to do if I decline you as well, Asu-tan?"
It was the moment for tough decisions. That didn't stop Asuna's hands and voice from shaking as she spoke her ultimatum. "I will request departure from the familia."
"Asuna!" Riveria barked from behind. "Don't be childish! You're a member of Loki familia. As one of us, show some decorum and speak reasonably."
The words washed over Asuna without ever really touching her. Asuna didn't even turn to glance at the gorgeous high elf, keeping her eyes firmly upon the only one with power here.
Loki grimaced, refusing to meet Asuna's eyes. "Come on, Asu-tan. Why don't you throw yourself back into work? This really isn't any different than it was before, right?"
"You shouldn't lie, goddess." Asuna replied quietly.
"And you shouldn't call me out when I'm just trying to make ya feel better, ya know? Darn it, Asu-tan, there's nothing you can do about this! I'm sorry… but he won't be the last person you lose."
"He isn't gone!" Asuna stamped her foot angrily. "You all are too cowardly to help after losing to that dragon, so I'll do it myself! Besides, we were bound to separate at some point. I was always going to return to my old world."
"You don't understand," Finn spoke, his voice somber. He wasn't reprimanding Asuna, though, just speaking a sad fact. "But how could you? Either way, you are correct, Asuna. I was foolish to think you'd be an executive one day. I was unable to wrap my mind around you leaving our world… but that was my shortcoming."
"Finn, you aren't saying!?" Riviera gasped.
The leader nodded. "I approve your leave Asuna. You will keep your room and be removed from all job lists including expeditions. However, I reserve the right to contact you about important jobs."
"...Do I need accept all important jobs?" Asuna asked hesitantly.
"No. But I assume you will. You care too much about your friends' lives to abandon them."
Asuna nodded to that. Finn was right, and helping them out wouldn't cost her much. Also… "If you want me for expeditions… I can join."
"I will consider it."
Considering the conversation done, Asuna bowed deeply. "Thank you for your time." Leaving the room, Asuna left her old life behind and started her new one as a vigilante.
Leafa:
Once again, Leafa found herself in the courtyard of their new fancy home. Slashing away with her sword early in the morning. Nothing had changed from her routine before coming to this world. Nothing except the blade in her hands. What had once been a simple wooden shinai had become a long curved elegant katana. The single slashing edge split the air with ease. Leafa could swing it with incredible speed and precision.
Again.
And again.
What had once been a routine of one hundred strokes and recently morphed into two, three, four hundred, increasing daily until it was nearly one thousand. It was the only thing that she could think to do. But while her swings could stop her from spiralling, they couldn't drive back the mist that encapsulated her mind. It had settled over her like a blanket that wouldn't budge.
Each strike of Leafa's sword made it swirl but the fog would not part or lift. Try as she might, she was gradually becoming lost inside of it. Every swing was turning into a holding pattern. An action of futile resistance against the forces pressing upon her.
The sun crossed above the edge of the house, bathing Leafa in sunlight. She stopped swinging to raise a hand against it.
"What…?"
It was only at that point that Leafa noticed her exhaustion. She had stopped her count and thinking back on it… How long had it been?
Her body felt weak. Pressing a hand to her throat, Leafa finally noticed how parched she was. She had worked herself to exhaustion through hours of precise swings.
Falling to her knees, Leafa's cramped hand was unable to even release her blade. Leafa's vision swam as he she heaved desperate breaths. She wasn't even sure how she had worked herself into this state. It felt like there should have been an earlier warning.
"Leafa! Leafa, are you okay?"
"H-Huh?" Blinking away the fog in her vision, Leafa looked up at Mikoto.
"How long have you been out here?"
"I-I don't know."
"You… Oh well. Come on, let's stretch."
Leafa tried to nod and rise. The combination of the movements caused her vision to flash black. She came to while falling to the ground. Before Leafa could catch herself, Makoto slid into position to support her.
"Woah. Lay down, it's alright. Have you been sleeping?"
"Yes… Or well.. I try to." Leafa admitted. Her head hit the soft grass and she almost passed out again. As the sun above left her eyes half closed, Leafa told Mikoto the truth. "I go to bed and despite the sadness, I fall asleep for a little while. I get nightmares. About what my brother is going through, about our future without him. It wakes me up, I toss and turn and cry myself to sleep and the cycle repeats until I come out here and train."
"Oh, Leafa," Mikoto sighed heavily.
She had expected the sympathy, but there was also a strong mix of exasperation in the way Mikoto spoke.
"What?"
"I'm confused about the way you all are acting. What would you do if Kirito could see you now? How disappointed he would be?"
"Easy for you to say," Leafa glared at Mikoto.
Mikoto met her gaze easily and only smiled softly like she was dealing with a child. "You otherworlders really are soft, aren't you? I thought all the death in the dungeon would have prepared you all but… I suppose not."
"...That we aren't prepared to die?" Leafa asked gruffly. She hated being told that her feelings were wrong. She had known for a long time that the emotions she felt towards her brother were wrong. The elation that she had felt when she learned that it was now okay for her to express herself to him. That desire had driven her to follow him into this world.
"Calm down, Leafa. All I'm saying is that you've never lost anyone before, have you? You've seen dead adventurers in the dungeon, you've almost lost your friends… but this is your first time grieving."
"...Yes, it is." Leafa averted her eyes, embarrassed. She had gone and gotten herself worked up about something unrelated. The time they had shared, Leafa would remember it fondly.
Will I though?
As the mental worries tried to seep in, Leafa mentally stomped her doubts down. She knew that she would have regrets, but it had been amazing. Going on dates, holding her loved one's hand, kissing… They were seeds of warmth in her heart.
"Who did you lose?" Leafa asked quietly.
"My parents," Mikoto replonded, staring at nothing in particular. "Before I was taken in by Take Mikazuchi at the shrine. All of us who joined up were either abandoned or orphaned. Take's kindness really helped me recover and come out of my shell. I'd offer to try and do the same for you all, but you don't need me, do you?"
"We have each other…" Leafa murmured in agreement.
"And more importantly," Mikoto smiled down at her.
Leafa blinked. Then she blushed as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. "Onii-chan isn't dead. We can still get him back! Bell's plan!" Jumping to her feet, Leafa felt those seeds within her blossom into something more. They weren't just past times of happiness, but the foundations of a path forward.
With a new wave of energy, Leafa leapt forward and pulled Mikoto into a tight hug. "Thank you, Eternal Shadow! You're the best!"
"P-Please don't call me that!" She whined.
Laughing gaily, Leafa skipped away from Mikoto. "I need to go round people up! We have so much work to do. We've already wasted a week, moping ar–" the wave of energy ended.
Collapsing to one knee, Leafa's breaths began to come raggedly. "Maybe… after food and some sleep."
"A good idea," Mikoto agreed laughing. Proferring an arm, she helped Leafa back into the house.
Hestia:
"Is there really nothing you can do? Are you not the god of justice, Astraea?"
"Hestia," Astraea sighed. The goddess was as perfect as always with her straight brown hair and glistening emerald eyes. However, a hint of fatigue and annoyance had crept into her expression. She took a moment to compose herself with a sip of tea before responding further. "We've discussed this before, yes? From Freya's point of view, what she did was just. She liberated Kirito from your poor management of him. You reached a peaceful settlement to keep Bell and help bring stability to Orario in a time of uncertainty. For the average citizen, Kirito's actions are borderline heroic."
Hephaestus–who was the final person present–nodded along to Astraea's words. "You've already heard the guild's response on this Hestia. When you agreed to sign Kirito over, you lost any right to complain later."
"We could have all died if I hadn't though!" Hestia yelled. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So if a robber approaches me and demands my wallet and I give it to him and he forces me to sign a paper saying that we made a deal, is it legal?"
"If you get something back, basically, yes," Astraea sighed. "You bring up a good point. Orario's legal code doesn't really take pressure into consideration. I believe the guild devised it that way so that they could always lean on unruly familia's with financial penalties without doing anything illegal."
"This is bullshit! And I honestly don't care whether it is legal or not. Astraea! What Freya did is not just!"
For once, Hestia witnessed as the goddess bowed her head in shame. Her agonized whisper was almost too soft for Hestia to catch. "I know."
"Then help me!"
Astraea only stared at the floor.
"Do you truly know what you ask of her?" Hephaestus asked Hestia seriously. "Do you know how we suffered, unsure about the fate of our children's souls?"
"W-What?"
"Hestia, helping you is paramount to sacrificing some of our children. Freya has groomed her children to be powerful and merciless. A war game–or worse–would result in losses. Also, there is a factor that you aren't considering."
"What part is that?" Hestia replied. She was reeling from the fire in her friend's lone eye. The red light smoldered inside like the last ember in a forge.
"Freya's charm," Astraea answered for Hephaestus. "There is no way for anyone to beat her if she starts cheating."
"Yes. Well… no one except you, correct Hestia?"
"I-I…" Hestia was well aware of her position as one of the virgin goddesses, guardian of the hearth. She provided a place of comfort and safety free from temptation and corruption. Or at least… she theoretically could.
"You fell in love with your children," Hephaestus accused. "First Kirito and now Bell. You, who should have never felt romantic love, have had stirrings of that kind, correct?"
Have I? Hestia wavered. Then she nodded slowly, cheeks reddening. "Yes, I did."
"Are you still a virgin?"
It was a rather inappropriate question to ask a normal person. Hestia knew that she was not a normal person. She was a virgin goddess. To lose her virginity would make her only a goddess. Not useless, but her powers would be strongly weakened. Hestia didn't care for her powers and hadn't seriously considered the consequences of falling in love until now. She was supposed to be the counter to the terrorism of charm. Yet when Ishtar had rampaged through the city, she had done nothing.
If Hestia set Freya off… She had no faith in her ability to counter the goddess of beauty… As she was at least. Hestia didn't often think about her other, ancient side. If she gave into her vernal wrath… I wouldn't be me anymore. Bowing her head in defeat, Hestia answered honestly. "I am. My relationship with Kirito did not progress in that direction. B-But I… I don't want to go head-to-head against Freya. She scares me."
Hephaestus snorted. "Which is somewhat funny since you're one of Freya's favorite people."
"Why is that?" Astraea asked curiously.
"I think it is because she knows that Hestia counters her powers. It makes Hestia someone that Freya cannot simply walk over if she were to go all out."
"Hmm, true," Astraea nodded thoughtfully. "I must admit, I'm not happy about how this has all played out. I don't like sacrificing children for the greater good."
"What other choice do we have though?" Hephaestus asked.
As the three goddesses sighed in defeat, the mood turned morose. Hestia didn't blame her friends. She wouldn't have been eager to throw her children into an extremely deadly situation either where they have nothing to gain from it. Unable to take the gloom any more, Hestia walked over to the window and pulled open the curtains, letting in a bit more light.
She looked out at the river that flowed through Orario. They were seated in a private room in one of the city's most expensive tea shops. One of the perks of bullying a guilty Astraea–you got expensive gifts from it. The scenery was beautiful. They had paid for not just the luxuriant teas, but one of the best views as well. From the third floor, she could see a long distance.
None of it means anything.
Kirito had been her first child. Captain of her familia and its beating heart. Like the keystone of a bridge, his sudden absence had sent the rest of it crumbling into the river below. Hestia could only hope that when the rapids faded, they were able to build something from what remained.
Sighing, she turned and sat in the chair again. "Hey Hephaeustus, you didn't sign anything, right?"
"No. I believe only two familias received a truce offer. Those were Astraea and–"
The door to the private room banged open. Loki strode in dressed in her usual pants and shirt. And as usual, she glared at Hestia, narrowed eyes full of rage while her nostrils flared.
"You lost me my child with your incompetence!"
"H-Huh?" Hestia responded stupidly.
"You idiotic boobs-for-brains couldn't contain that womanizing idiot who Freya stole and now Asu-tan is throwing a fit!" Loki exploded.
Hestia only partly followed. What she did get was that like Freya–Loki thought Hestia was responsible for this. She waited for her usual surge of anger at seeing no-bits-Loki, but it never came. Only another gust of guilt and sorrow through her barren heart. Bowing her head, she apologized. "Sorry Loki."
"Yeah, that's right! It is… hold on. You just… apologized?"
"I did. I never should have let your girl become Kirito's supporter in the first place and complicate everything."
"W-Well that's…" Loki reeled, looking completely lost. "Odd. Your chest looks just as big but you're talking sense for once. The hell is up with that?"
Both Astraea and Hephaestus started chuckling. The latter shot Loki a wry smile. "Maybe the two of you can finally make up and become friends?"
"L-Like hell! Just because she is talking sense right now, doesn't mean she hasn't created a massive problem for me! Boobs-for-brains here is the last person I want to associate with!"
"...I agree," Hestia added on, albeit more softly. "No-bits there is too jealous of my chest and is too rude."
"Huh? Why would I be jealous of those lumps of fat you lug around!?"
"Loki," Hephaestus interrupted. "Please. If you aren't going to elaborate further on your child, please leave."
"...Fine." Pulling up a chair, Loki sat backwards on it like a teenage boy. "Asu-tan is a member of my familia obviously. But after Finn and I signed Freya's truce well… she's taken a leave of duty to pursue her own goals. I believe she means to work outside of our familia's structure to retrieve Kirito and therefore keep the truce intact."
"Ahh, oh no. I only hope Kaguya is not smart enough to consider that," Astraea groaned. "I thought that her fascination with that boy would help her grow and come to terms with her past, not get her killed."
"Oh?" Hephaestus smirked at the goddess. "So Kirito seduced one of the unconquerables, has he? Well well."
"Unconquerables?" Hestia asked, confused, looking between Astraea and Hephaestus.
Astraea looked away, saying nothing. Hephaestus' words were said in a taunting tone. "Her familia members are basically Orario's most eligible bachelorettes, are they not? However, none of them picked a lover, leading to them being referred to as that."
"O-Oh, I see… Familia policy?"
"Absolutely not!" Astraea huffed. "Each of those idiots has their own circumstances… Really only Lyu outright rejected love. Poor Lyra just can't grab Finn's eye…"
Astraea trailed off as she shot Loki a look. However, the angry, flat, goddess was still muttering to herself with a dissatisfied expression on her face. The topic had gotten completely derailed.
"Umm, so where is Asuna?" Hestia asked.
"Hell if I know. I just wanted to come yell at you," Loki growled. "Also… I have a question."
"Y-Yes?" Hestia stuttered nervously.
"Are you planning on trying to reclaim Kirito from Freya?"
"...I would like to," Hestia responded hesitantly.
"Would like to? The fuck kinda answer is that!? Guess you ran out of smarts for the day. Suppose your thoughts were all turned into milk by those fat sacks on your chest."
"S-Shut up!" Hestia responded. Crossing her arms under her chest. It pushed up her breasts even further. As she shoved her size in Loki's face, the goddess' anger grew more intense.
"Answer, you damn boobs-for-brains!"
"Yes! Of course I want to get Kirito back!"
Loki leaned low over the table to get as close as she could. "If I think for a moment that your actions will put Asuna into danger, I will crush you."
"H-Huh? But shouldn't you be helping me?" Hestia whined, a bead of sweat trickling down her face. Loki's incredible passion was like a force pressing against her. "Asuna has left to try and save Kirito, right? Then the sooner we rescue him the sooner you get Asuna back!"
"That's not how this works," Loki growled. "You transferred his rights to Freya. He is now a member of her familia. While you may not respect that, everyone else does!"
"She could still win him back in a war game," Astraea corrected. "I imagine Freya would agree to terms where Bell and Kirito are gambled. Winner takes both."
"She would," Hestia acknowledged bitterly. "She wants them both."
"And she doesn't take you to be a serious threat," Hephaestus mused. "Otherwise she would have offered you a truce as well. No, no, Loki, I think there may be an avenue here."
"Huh? Be serious Fae-fae. Freya would accept the wargame because she knows she can win it. Can anyone alive defeat the Warlord? How stacked would the odds have to be for Big-boobs here to win?"
Loki's words were a slap in the face but probably true. Pouting, Hestia fired back. "But it is a possibility!"
"Yeah yeah, it's also possible that she'll get drunk and fall from her balcony. Doesn't mean it's worth counting on! Anyway, I'm out of here!"
Hestia watched as Loki turned around and stalked out of the expensive room. Sighing, Hestia finished her cup of tea and rose as well. "Thank you for the invitation, Astraea. If you change your mind, let me know."
With the meeting done, the three goddesses parted and went their separate ways.
Yui:
Taking another step upon the rocky path, Yui's eyes darted around in the darkness. She was alone in the dungeon for the first time ever.
It was something that would have been impossible. Yui hadn't really been alone since she had first met Papa for the first time in this very dungeon. Ever since then, there was always someone by her side.
Papa's departure had changed everything. Her world was splintering around her. All of her mamas were trying in their own way to be strong. Each of them had pulled into their own shells and now went through the motions. Each pretending to be fine in their own way.
That had given Yui this opportunity. A chance to escape from their perpetual watch and discover more about herself.
Am I an adventurer? Can I help Papa?
These questions circled in her mind. They were only overshadowed by one other question. Am I truly human? She knew that she wasn't in the way that the others were. Strea and her were artificial intelligences. But Yui could feel and understand the anxiety, tension, and love flowing through her. Were those fake compared to real humans?
She didn't know. But part of her trip into the dungeon had been motivated by something that she had heard. The strength of magic is dependent upon one's will or determination. Machines shouldn't have determination. A deterministic system should always produce the same output with identical inputs.
A low growl pierced the air. The menace contained in those sounds sent shivers up Yui's spine. No one rushed ahead of her to fight the monsters. No one covered her back. Isolated from her family, Yui watched as points of flame blinked into existence ahead of her.
She knew it was unnecessary, but she still stuck out her left arm. Three fireballs were launched at her at high speeds moments after. Yui flinched but they crashed harmlessly against her omnipresent skill. The purple hexagons formed small walls that eliminated the magic.
Yui could feel her mind slip away. She wasn't sure what it felt like for others, but to her it was like a little bit of water flowing from a barrel. The level of available resources diminished by a calculable amount.
345 fireballs.
That was how many more she could block after those three. Yui doubted anyone, even her little sister/mama Strea could calculate the same. It irked Yui that Strea was 'more human' than her.
I'm supposed to be the older sister!
Even as Yui huffed, the hellhounds approached warily. They did not view her as a massive threat, but were clearly unable to figure out why she was unharmed.
Yui let her left arm fall and stuck her right arm out sideways. Although she had only cast the magic once before, the words fell seamlessly from her lips in a language that was unspoken in this world. It was in english from the other world.
"System call. Access administrator privileges. Allow me the permission to remove irregularities. In Cardinal's name we pray.
"Object Eraser."
Two purple circles of light formed near Yui's outstretched hand. One of them moved away from the other. In the space between, a sword was formed. Like it was being unsheathed in the air, the sword appeared as a physical object. The handle was long, black, and unadorned. After a narrow diamond-shaped crossguard, there was a long wavy steel blade. That was not all though, the blade was wreathed in flames that licked the surface of the metal. They danced in a transfixing pattern of reds and yellows.
The first hellhound leapt and Yui swung at the same time. The sword was lighter than its two meter length suggested. Yui's strike was far from precise and likely wouldn't have killed the monster with a normal blade. However, the hellhound was knocked aside by the fiery blade and erupted into a ball of fire. Those flames lasted only a second before a cloud of ash descended to the ground. No magic stone, no drop items.
Yui's magic did not leave anything like that behind. No, she completely destroyed the creature. It was not without cost though. Summoning the blade cost her relatively little magic. However, killing the hellhound took disproportionately more energy than a normal level two adventurer would use. With two more swings, Yui reduced a corresponding number of monsters to ash. That left only one.
It was the biggest member of the pack and had stayed back. Rather than fleeing with the death of its pack members, the hellhound stood its ground. The massive creature's jaws began to brim with fire once more.
Yui once more stuck out her left hand. The ball of fire shot straight at her as if drawn into her palm. The purple shield sprung into existence once more, and then flickered. Yui's eyes widened in surprise as it faded, allowing the final trickles of the fire's power to hit her.
"Ahh!" Withdrawing from the heat, Yui clutched her hand to herself. She had been wearing salamander cloth which saved her from the worst of the burns. She could still her fingers throbbing inside of the seared glove however.
"I'm an idiot…" Yui's skill description flowed perfectly back through her mind. She was only protected until she took direct violent action and at which time she lost her immortality. She was lucky to have been protected at all.
From the corner of her eyes, Yui caught sight of the Hellhound bounding toward her. With a frantic swing, Yui fell down and brought up her sword. The monster's gaping fangs the length of her fingers glistened before her. Its hot breath tickled her face as the monster prepared to rip out her throat.
Moments before it could, the object eraser collided with the hellhound. There was slight resistance and then it was gone. Those powerful teeth and muscles reduced to nothing in an instant.
Sighing, Yui stood up without dismissing her magic. Brushing the ash off her robes, she continued walking down the hallway. Mentally, she double checked her mind reserves. She was hovering just over 50%. Manipulating the pouch on her waist, Yui took out a vial of mind potion. Popping off the cork, she downed the whole thing in two gulps. It had no particular taste, positive or negative worth mentioning. Despite that, there was a bitter aftertaste which persisted long after the liquid was gone.
Ignoring the unfcomfortable taste, Yui focused on her mental reserves that were slowly ticking back up towards full. 60… 65… 70… The rate of recovery was slowed down by the output that she was putting into her magic.
I planned for that though.
Yui's left hand gently touched the top of the tubes in her pouch. The other dozen and a half vials clinked against each other. Yui had stolen them from her familia stores. They were available for requisition but… Yui had just left a note behind telling the person that stumbled upon their absence that she was the thief.
She couldn't have told anyone she wanted the vials without informing them that she was practicing magic. That would have been suspicious enough even during this tragedy to get someone to watch her most likely.
Yui was surprised by the strength of emotions coursing through her. The barren pit of sorrow her Papa's departure caused; the guilt at her theft, her worry for her family. They couldn't be fake, could they?
Grappling with that indecision, Yui proceeded further through the thirteenth floor of the dungeon. When she heard sounds of combat, she took a different path. She had no need for a map of the floor. Yui could pull from her memory a map of the entire floor. That alone was not all that surprising. Most adventurers who spent years here had most of the tunnels memorized.
Yui knew she was different though. She could recall the entire labyrinth section from the thirteenth to the boss chamber on the seventeenth and assemble their layouts into a three-dimensional map. It meant that even falling into one of the notorious pit traps would not affect Yui's knowledge. In fact, they were basically only shortcuts deeper if she wanted to go there.
That ability, Yui knew, was extremely abnormal. Even Loki familia's Braver was unlikely to have such a perfect map of the dungeon in his mind. Brains do not store information that way. They weren't software that could freely recall and manipulate information without loss.
Yui unconsciously pressed her free hand against her temple. She wondered momentarily if she would die like everyone else. The fire had hurt, her muscles got sore… but if she wasn't thinking with a brain, could she survive an arrow to the head? Or was this whole body nothing more than a puppet being controlled by a computer in a different world?
Yui hated that she knew all of these things that she shouldn't but at the same time had no information about her own life. Alone now as she was, her life as a daughter seemed so far away. As if she was two different people. Sometimes a bubbly, always happy young girl, on others a piece of software that provided the sought after data.
"Who… am I?" Her whispered words were not alone in the darkness of the dungeon for long. The scrapping of claws over rock introduced a Liger Fang approaching. The monster eyed her disdainfully before lunging. Yui's magic sword touched the monster and it evaporated as well. Based on how it drained more mind than the hellhounds, the liger fang was the stronger of the two.
Walking through the ash, Yui continued on her journey to massacre monsters. Hopefully somewhere in this dungeon, Yui would find something that would let her save her family.
Lyu:
The white-haired boy charged again. His red eyes burned with determination. He swung first with one dagger that she dodged before he brought the second one up in a quick combination. It was extremely proficient. Lyu nodded in approval as she darted around the follow-up.
He was improving rapidly. Particularly at getting within a swordsman's reach. That didn't stop Lyu from lashing out with her free hand. It was an open-handed strike that knocked the adventurer to the ground.
Lyu was currently using every ounce of concentration she had. Not on the fight, but removing the boy's name from her mind. She couldn't let it seep in.
Such a thing–
Bell.
Just like that, Lyu felt her ears begin to heat up. She didn't want to face these strange emotions. The exhilarating sensation of being able to hold someone's hand…
Lyu looked away in shame.
Whether Bell sensed her weakness or it was coincidence didn't really matter. He charged at full speed, quickly slipping into strike range. Lyu flinched as she reacted; raising her blade to block the strike. It never came.
Lyu felt a brief moment of weightlessness start as Bell took out her legs instead. WIth incredible level six reflexes, Lyu grasped onto Bell's shirt and pulled and twisted as she fell.
They landed on the ground, with Bell on the bottom. Lyu's reflexes took over as she instinctively released her sword and restrained the knife-user's wrists. With a human opponent this position was close to a stalemate unless one of them resorted to headbutting.
With Lyu on all fours, her weight and strength was restraining Bell's whole body. From this position, she gazed freely into his face. Bell had stopped moving, his cheeks a bright crimson. He wasn't even trying to escape. Bell's eyes flickered between her face, the side, and down at her body.
"Why are you not using your father's sword?" Lyu asked unbidden.
"It's Kirito's sword," Bell murmured.
"Liar. Tell me the truth."
"T-That is the truth…" Bell wilted under her glare. "It just… It feels wrong to use when he could still return."
"Do you think that you can bring him back without it?"
"...Yes," Bell said.
Lyu only stared at him as he squirmed.
"Can you… let me go?"
There was a certain edge to Bell's voice that made Lyu realize the position they were in. They were not sparring partners anymore but a man and woman, bodies pressed close together. Their legs were intertwined, Lyu's hands grasping his bare wrists. She could feel his blood pounding through his arteries betraying his heightened heart rate.
I want to touch him…
Lyu didn't understand where the emotions were coming from. But she suddenly felt her years of isolation coming back up to haunt her. She could touch Alise and Ardee already. But that suddenly wasn't enough. Her aching heart demanded more.
"Lyu…?"
She didn't respond, couldn't respond. Bell's red eyes grew larger and larger in her vision.
"LYU!?"
Even Bell's practically screeched words could not save her from this. Like a young child tasting alcohol for the first time and having it be a strong liquor; Lyu was helpless before the pull of this sudden urge.
Her lips contacted Bell's as she closed her eyes. That singular point of contact became the only thing in her world. There was a hint of dampness as Lyu felt Bell's softness. There was a strange, personal taste that Lyu had never experienced before.
Then like a bolt of lightning, shame pulsed through her. Bounding away from Bell with all of her strength, her body flew in an arc over five mel in the air.
Landing on her feet, Lyu stared horrified at the still prone Bell. Covering her face in shame, she turned to run.
How could I have done that!? We haven't sworn our love before the great tree!
From behind, she could hear Bell calling out to her but Lyu did not stop. She had broken under almost no pressure. Her principles had crumbled under the sweet seductive words of her familia members and her own foolishness.