"Sorry to have caused all this fuss. He came at me from behind; I never saw it coming!"
This guy gives me the creeps.
That was my first thought as I looked at the man. He had a blithe grin on his face, and his dark hair was long for a man, and noticeably unkempt, with stray hairs poking up this way and that. There was even a gray streak. Overall, he had a somewhat sloppy look about him.
"Are you hurt, sir?" asked Ardee.
"Not a scratch, cutie," the man replied. "Thanks for getting my wallet back."
I would not call it a wallet. It was more like a small cloth drawstring bag. In any case, Ardee handed it back to the man, after which he introduced himself. "My name is Eren," he said. "And what are your names? I overheard that this young lady was from Ganesha Familia, but what about the rest of you?"
"I'm Alize Lovell!" Alise declared. "Captain of Astrea Familia!"
"…And you may call me Lion. I'm also part of Astrea Familia." I noticed that he gazed at Ryuu for some moment longer than he did at Ardee or Alise. After which, he looked at me.
"I am Arin Karl… from Loki familia." I introduced myself, still trying to make sense of his gaze.
"Astrea Familia," the man called Eren mused. "The followers of the goddess of justice…" He had paused after Alise and Ryuu had introduced themselves and began to ponder something under his breath. He appraised the two girls for a moment, then a smile appeared on his lips.
"…I see, I see! Real, live emissaries of justice, then! It's a good thing we met, I tell you!"
"…Hmm? What are you talking about?" Ryuu furrowed her brow, while Eren raised his arms playfully.
"I'm saying, it's a good thing you two saved me. I know I already said this, but bravo, really. Bravo."
Ignoring the look of mild concern on the girls' faces, the 'god' went on. "As for what I'm impressed by, it was that discussion on justice the four of you had. The morality of gray, beyond good and evil…I couldn't stop listening! Especially to you, elf girl."
"Me…?"
"Yes, you. Noble and uncompromising, yet unable to come to a clean solution. Like a baby bird, struggling to make sense of the world. Your heart is the purest here by far." That I agree, since Ryuu had not gone through an experience that can change her or give her some learning over life yet.
Eren was a strange god. Unlike others, or more like an unknown god for me, as I don't remember a god that goes by that name, and he almost seemed to revel in uncertainty. However, his divine charisma was the real deal.
"I want to see what you make of this age—and what this age makes of you. Ahhh, I just can't wait to see what answers you reach."
I saw a tiny spark in the eccentric god's eyes as he stared deep into Ryuu's. I quickly stepped forward to cover Ryuu from his gaze. And it seems Alise was thinking the same thing as she grabbed Ryuu's hand.
"I don't like the way this guy talks!" she said. "Get back! I bet he's a freak whose laugh sounds all Bwuh-huh-huh!"
"Oh, don't say that! I'll really be offended! I'm not like those other two-bit gods, I tell you!"
"Yeah, that's what they all say!" yelled Ardee.
"Oof! What a blow!" said Eren, doubling over as though he'd been punched in the gut. "I had you pegged for a peppy tomboy, but to think you're an airhead to boot…"
"…In any case," he said, dropping the act and returning upright. "I'd love to stay and have some more fun with you girls, but it's getting late, and I have things to do."
"Will you be all right by yourself?" Ryuu asked. "I don't see any of your followers around. Perhaps we could escort you back to your home."
"Oh, that won't be necessary," the man replied with a grin. "I'll see you around." He gave a light wave and walked off, disappearing down shadowy streets.
"The Guild is always telling gods not to wander round by themselves," Alise sighed, "But he isn't the first to break the rules, I guess."
"Many gods aren't willing to listen to rules set by mortals," Lyu agreed, "but even for a deity, he was an odd one, don't you think?"
"More like a creep one. Ryuu tries to maintain some distance from him." I don't mean to be controlling of her, but his presence was making my 7th sense flare.
"Oh, is that jealousy I sense?" Alise said with a smirk.
"More like worry than jealousy," I answered Alise.
"Right, back to the patrol!" Alise declared. "It's time to clean up these streets and bring peace to—"
"Arin, Lion, Alise," came a voice from overhead, and a figure dropped from the rooftops. It was Asfi, apparently in some rush.
"What is it, Asfi-san?" asked Alise.
"Something happened, Asfi?" Ryuu asked since Asfi. I also came to know that Ryuu and Asfi are kind of close. Maybe they bonded over their shared suffering at the hands of their familia and their patron gods.
"It sure has, Lion," the Asfi replied. "And now we have a job. Keeping an eye out for any suspicious behavior." Asfi must have come all this way to spread the message, I reasoned, but I still had one question.
"Whose order is this?" I simply asked her.
"It's from the Braver," Asfi replied." We have to make our way to the middle floors." Asfi announced. Looks like my dungeon dive will be sooner than I thought.
.
.
.
"Waaagh!!"
"I-it's the Evils!"
"Dammit! Can't they just let us explore the Dungeon in peace?!"
"R-run for it!"
We could hear several screams of dread coming from a little distance away as we entered the 18th floor.
I could see one man with blood-red hair that stood out like a severed thumb.
"Oh, don't tell me you're going already? Leaving your friend to die? That's not very nice, is it?" The figure cried out after the fleeing adventurers. In his right hand, he clasped an ordinary dagger. Or as ordinary a dagger can be soaked in blood.
He looked down at the fallen victim, giving a sadistic smile, then stepped on the neck of the fallen adventurer. Even from afar, I could hear the cracking sound the bone made. All this happened in mere seconds.
"Stand and fight, you cowards! You don't have to be heroes, but at least show you're worthy of being called adventurers!" The man was twisted, demented, insane.
He was an avatar of purest evil.
"And if you can't do that," he wailed, "then at least cheer me up! Let me see the color of your blood!!"
"W-waaaagh?!" Like a bloodthirsty demon, Vito lunged for his next victim. The hunted adventurers let out a scream of despair.
"Hands off, stupid."
"…!"
A flash of steel deflected his bloodred blade. He leaped back as Kaguya and Lyra leaped into the clearing.
"Can't believe Finn was right on the money!" cried the Lyra. "What's goin' on in that head of his?! Makes me think about marryin' the hero of our people for real!"
"It's not going to happen! Finn's a respectable prum; he won't go for a sleazy, cunning little brat like you! Also, shut up when we're fighting!"
Kaguya spat out her usual bitter words.
"Leave this to us," said Alise, as the last of us appeared on the scene, pointing westward. "You and your friends, get out of here!"
"Th-thank you!" After the last straggler scrambled away, the psychopath cast an appraising eye over us.
"Who are you?" he mused, almost to himself. But Alise didn't pass up a chance to give her introduction. "We're champions of justice!" she declared. "No evil goes unpunished under our watch!" Asfi and I kept quiet since the less information the enemy has, the better.
"Justice…? Ah, you must be Astrea Familia," said the man, managing to fit an impressive amount of scorn into his gentle voice. "I see, I see. What a foolish, simplistic, and pretentious group."
"Better a pretentious fool than a miserable worm," came Kaguya's scathing retort, delivered with such force it was like she had spat on him. "These foolish boots shall be the last thing you see."
"Hah! What a savage thing for a champion of justice to say! You girls are far less boring than I was led to believe."
We kept our guard up as we studied the man. However, there was little to work with, as he was almost completely unremarkable. His eyes were as narrow as a fox's, and they betrayed nothing. His lips were turned up in a fixed smile. The dagger in his hand appeared to be his only weapon, and even his black clothes looked more like a priest's robe than anything made for combat.
"…Why are you hunting adventurers?" asked Alise, looking down at the corpse by her feet.
"Money? Magic stones?"
But Vito seemed puzzled by the very question.
"Why?" he repeated. "I'm not sure I follow. Do you need a reason to gaze upon beauty?"
"Huh?" Lyra raised a dubious eyebrow. In response, Vito made a grand, sweeping gesture, indicating first the sky, and then the ground. "Why do you turn your head to the blue heavens above? Why do you admire the flowers at your feet? What I do is no different. Only…in this imperfect world, it is bloodshed that I wish to behold."
The man's creepy grin was beginning to be unnerving.
"…You're defective," I spat out. "Defective. Ohhh, yes, I like the sound of that. Of the many monikers my acts have earned me, I think I like that one the best!"
He laughed and laughed, as though there were no funnier joke on this earth.
"Hmm. Yeah, you need to be in a cell for the rest of your life. No doubt about it," said Alise, giving a calm-headed nod. She drew her sword and pointed it at Vito.
Vito deftly flipped the dagger in his hand as though it were an extension of his arm. "I'd rather not."
"Then we'll have to take you there…" Alise, Kaguya, Lyra, and I all readied our weapons, poised to attack. The tension in the air grew like a bowstring, ready to snap, until… "…by force!!"
We moved forward to attack, but he was not alone.
"Lord Vito!" The minion of Evilius joined the fray. The small skirmish was turning into a full-fledged battle.
"Are you one of the leaders of the Evilus, by any chance? I've never heard of them having someone like you!" Lyra asked mid-battle.
"As much as it pains me to admit, I've often been told I have a forgettable face," said Vito with a melodramatic shrug. "Because of that, my friends all call me Faceless."
I can see that, apart from the man's blood-red hair, there was very little that could be used to pick him out from a lineup. His permanent smile and narrow eyes almost seemed like a mask. His nickname fits him perfectly.
He cracked open his scarlet eyes ever so slightly and spoke again. "…Of course, the other reason is that very few who see my face live to tell the tale."
"""Ugh!""" His barbaric smile drew a look of disgust from us, and we once again realized just what kind of monster we were dealing with.
Just then, someone called out from behind us.
"Sorry, we are late!" It was Ryuu and Asfi. Seems like they and the rest of the familia had just finished assisting the fleeing adventurers.
"Ah, your companions have arrived," said Vito without a hint of worry as he watched the girls dash down the hillside like a gale. "I'm afraid I don't much fancy my chances against the lot of you."
"We must retreat, Lord Vito. Remember our objective."
"Yes, yes, I know. Well then, to you girls who dance to the tune of justice, I bid you farewell."
"I am not a girl, though?" And he just wore a thin smile on his punchable face, as he turned and led his troops to the east, into the forest.
Seems like an ambush, no way I am giving a chase.
Alise called after them and made to follow. "You're not going anywhere!" Before I could stop her, Kaguya called out.
"Wait, Captain. They want us to go after them. We won't be able to defend against an ambush in those trees." It was Kaguya who offered those words of advice. She watched as Vito's band unhurriedly left the clearing.
"Are you three all right?" asked Ryuu as she arrived beside us. She peered out at the forest edge for any sign of the retreating enemy, while Lyra cracked her neck loudly.
"All good here, not even a scratch," she replied. "Lost our chance to capture one of their chiefs, though. How about you?"
"We took the adventurers to Rivira and came back to find you," answered Asfi. "All of them are safe, except the ones who got attacked before we arrived…" The girls cast a glance around at the bodies of fallen adventurers that littered the grassy plains. The ground becomes a pool of blood, yup, not a pretty sight, I would say.
"Curses!" said Ryuu with righteous fury. "If only we'd been here a few minutes sooner…!"
"Know your place, you cocky elf. You fancy yourself a hero of myth and legend? Nobody could have possibly saved them all, and you know it." Kaguya brought her harsh, yet sobering words down on Ryuu's misplaced self-pity. But it seems Ryuu has had enough of Kaguya's fatalist attitude.
"Just because my standard is not attainable doesn't mean we should not strive to be better, Kaguya!" she roared. "How can you possibly save the people who need saving if you write them off before you've even begun?!"
"Save it, Lion! Now's not the time!" cried Neze in an attempt to dissuade the pair from their argument.
"Come on, haven't we heard enough?" added Lyra, fiddling with a finger in her ear without even bothering to look over. "I know you two are such good friends, but can't you have this debate somewhere else? C'mon, Captain, say something."
But Alise was kneeling over by the bodies of the fallen adventurers. "…First, we need to carry the bodies back to town," she said in a solemn voice. "We'll return them to their parties and let their comrades decide what should happen next."
She closed her eyes. I could tell she was feeling a myriad of emotions. Once it had settled, she stood up. "And after that," she said, "there's someplace we need to go. Somewhere that's just the thing for times like these!"
Hm? I wonder what place she is talking about.