No one's POV

The forest on the eighteenth floor was enormously vast. The swath of skyscraping trees spanned the floor from east to west, making up a full fifth of the Under Resort's total area, and its greenery ran flush with both the sweeping grasslands at the floor's center and the enclosing walls on its every side.  The forest at night was very much a dangerous place. Even those acquainted with its byways and thruways could easily lose their bearings at a moment's notice.
The reason for all this buildup was, of course, to provide transition, because, as one might expect in such a forest—Bell and Lefiya were completely and hopelessly lost.

Bell:...And W-we're lost again.

Lefiya: Y-you say that like it's my fault!

Their game of cat and mouse had ended right smack in the middle of the dark woods, neither one of them realizing just how far they'd come until they had no idea where they were. Bell's head hung particularly low, as this was the second time today he'd found himself lost among these trees. Lefiya, however, just continued her red-faced tirade, taking umbrage at everything coming from Bell's mouth.

The two novice adventurers could only pant heavily, wiping the continuous sweat from their brows as they stood beneath the lofty branches. Lefiya had finally caught up to Bell only a few minutes prior. Just when she'd been about to strike down the frightened rabbit with her staff, she'd broken free of her trance long enough to realize nothing around her looked familiar.

The silence was deafening. The road back was unclear. And the deep, dark, spine-tingling forest all around them quickly brought reality down on them hard as they stood there in their cold sweats, silently wondering what it was they should do. Running about recklessly would get them nowhere fast, which meant staying put was their best option for now.

Lefiya: H-Honestly, it's your own fault, you know? You shouldn't have run away! And especially this deep in the forest!

Bell: B-But if I hadn't, I feel like I would've died there.

Lefiya: Just what do you take me for?! I would never kill you! I only wanted to beat you within an inch of your life, that's all!

Bell: Like that's any better?!

Almost as soon as they were able to breathe normally again, the squabbling started. Bell's portable magic-stone lantern wobbled back and forth in time with his words.

Lefiya: Well, you're the one with problems! You just had to go and force Miss Aiz and Miss Asuna to give you special training when you already had someone as strong as Mister Sora!

Bell: But, it was Miss Aiz that asked Sora to train her. And Sora invited me to train with them!

Lefiya: You do realize you're from a different Familia, right?! And not even an allied one. You don't find that the least bit strange?!

Bell: Eh?! But, I thought your Familia and Sora are all friends?!

Before she knew it, Lefiya was rattling off everything she'd been keeping bottled up for so long. While Bell on the other hand counter hers with the fact of his own. Face flushed, she closed in on the boy, leaving him cowering in fear and lost for a counterargument.

Lefiya: Well you thought wrong! Miss Aiz is the Sword Princess, and Miss Asuna is the Berserk Healer and a royalty elf in fact for crying out loud! Lower class nobodies shouldn't be receiving such high class training!

Bell: Huh?! But, I always have a high-class training with Sora! And he is even more famous that Miss Aiz and Miss Asuna, right?!

Lefiya: Even so, you still monopolized them all day long! Having them wait on you hand and foot! I'm... I'm so jealous! I-I mean appalled!

Bell: Ugh...!!

She couldn't stop it now. Her insides were bubbling like a witch's cauldron, hotter and higher and more and more furious as everything came tumbling out. It was one thing after the other after another as she laid bare his every sin, from his time spent training with Aiz atop the wall before the expedition all the way until today, with her own personal grudge rearing its head from time to time. Bell could do nothing but bend farther and farther backward beneath the onslaught.

Lefiya: And then...as if that weren't enough! You...you saw their naked body...!! You saw an elf's Royalty naked bodies! Do you realized what that mean?!

Bell: I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm sorryyyyyyy!!

Lefiya: You did, didn't you?!

Bell: Huh?!

Lefiya: You saw it, didn't you?!

Bell: Saw what?!

Lefiya: Do you really want to make me say it?!

Bell: I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorrrrryyyyyyyyyyy!!

Lefiya felt tears sting the corners of her eyes at the boy's implied confession.

Lefiya: Don't you feel shame as a human being? You're the worst! The absolute worst! The most vile, degenerate human being in all of existence!!

She screamed, eyes clenched shut. It was a brilliant, scathing finishing blow, and Bell's body curled in on itself with an audible "Gnnghh!" He took a few teetering steps backward...then let his head fall with a dramatic, soundless slump. The girl's mighty tempest had finally passed.

Lefiya: Haah...haah...

Only her ragged breathing could be heard within the dim quietude of the forest, the exertion forcing her shoulders up and down with each breath. Still, the boy said nothing. He had no rebuttal. No excuse. His white hair hung down over his eyes like the ears of a dejected rabbit. As the magic-stone lantern in his hand continued to exude its light, Lefiya turned her eyes away. This was the first time since she'd met him that she'd been able to speak her mind. She'd let everything out, all of it, and as she stood there in awkward silence now, she couldn't help but think that she'd gone too far.

Lefiya(mind): I got to say everything I wanted, but... I may have gone to far...

Just as she began to feel truly guilty at her one-sided verbal bludgeoning of the boy...Gurgle. Bell's stomach rumbled.

Bell:...

Lefiya:...

Though his face was still pointed downward, the tips of his ears turned visibly red. Timidly and ever so slowly, he began to raise his head. The moment his gaze met Lefiya's, however, it snapped back down.

Bell: That was, uh...well...Don't, uh...

Lefiya:...Are you...hungry?

Bell: I, erm...no? I-I mean, well...y-yes...

He squeaked, his voice growing smaller and smaller.They'd begun their wild chase right before dinnertime. It was likely he hadn't eaten any lunch, either, running around all day as he had within the forest. Lefiya sighed. Their war would have to wait.

Lefiya: You say that, but this place doesn't seem to have convenient food laying around...

A quick survey of their surroundings yielded nothing in terms of readily available fruit. Her thoughts went, instead, to her person, and she scrounged around in her battle clothes...only to discover something located neatly in her breast pocket. The crystal drops Aiz had given her two days prior.

Lefiya(mind): Hnngh... I still have the crystal drop that Miss Aiz gave me...!

Her eyebrows furrowed as she eyed the two tiny teardrop shapes in the palm of her hand. They'd been her badge of honor, so to speak, for saving her beloved, and as they sat there, glittering and sparkling in their bluish-white auras...she let out a sigh. Taking one of the droplets between her fingers, she handed it to Bell.

Lefiya: Here.

Bell: Huh...?

Lefiya: You are hungry, are you not? While it may not be incredibly filling...it should help ease the cravings.

She explained, looking everywhere but at him. Bell seemed stunned. Finally, though looking somewhat lost and altogether apologetic...he took the offered crystal drop.

Bell: But...but this...

Lefiya: Just take it! It's fine!

Bell: O-okay!

Even Bell could feel the shame in Lefiya's words. Lefiya, at the same time, did her best to mask the flush rising to her cheeks by raising her voice.

Lefiya: Before you eat that, I'll have you know... That crystal drop is extremely valuable! It could easily go for thirty thousand valis on the surface!

Bell: Th-thirty thousand valis for this tiny thing...?! This tiny thing... is worth more than my equipment...?!

Bell gave a shocked shudder.

Lefiya(mind): Well, that's for an entire bottle of them...but still!

Lefiya thought, a droplet of sweat working its way down her temple. She watched in awkward apprehension as he brought the tiny drop nervously to his lips, and then she followed suit. Once the deed had been done, they took a seat somewhat unconsciously at the base of a nearby tree to get some rest. The forest was as dark as ever around them.

The Dungeon's ceiling was all but invisible beyond the mesh-like canopy of branches and leaves above their heads. It was cold, too, no doubt a result of the faux night that had settled over the entire floor. There in the faint blue glow of the crystals adorning the tree trunk's base, the two sat side by side, Bell's magic-stone lantern placed between them and illuminating their profiles.

They said nothing, their backs to the tree as they stared into the darkness around them. It was oppressing—this aura of awkward discomfort hanging over the two as they rolled the hard candy around in their mouths. The strange feeling of distance between them said much about the relationship they'd formed.

*Ooooaaaaaahhhhh*

Bell and Lefiya: !!

A roar cut its way through the quiet. The pair's shoulders twitched.

Bell: Monster?!

Lefiya: We should be fine. It came from another floor.

As if on cue, they looked to each other in horror.

Lefiya(mind): Just the two of us, this deep in the forest...! This is no time for us to let our guards down!

Lefiya thought to herself, admittedly too late. It was dangerous in this forest at night. It was most assuredly not a place they could pleasantly pass the time until morning, at least not with just the two of them. The last of the crystal drop dissolving in her mouth, Lefiya rose to her feet.

Lefiya: Still, we need to return to the camp somehow. It's to dangerous to remain here.

Bell: R-Right...

Lefiya quickly glanced in his direction before once again surveying their surroundings. To the left, to the right, behind, in front, and even overhead, the trees grew thick. She couldn't make out even the slightest glimmer of light from the magic-stone lanterns undoubtedly shining brightly in Rivira or Loki Familia's camp.

Lefiya(mind): If I were to use my magic, Miss Aiz and the others would surely notice... wouldn't they?

Yes, a brilliant flash of light, like a firework straight overhead—the ever reliable first-tiers would definitely see it, and so long as they stayed where they were, help would be there shortly.

Lefiya(mind): But... Having to rely on them to come rescue us because of my own fault is shameful! I beed to get us back to camp myself.

Lefiya had at least some self- respect. As reluctant as she was to admit it, the fault here was entirely her own. She had to get them out of this and safely back to camp herself.

Lefiya(mind): I simply need to pull myself together...

She thought to herself, sneaking a glance at the boy next to her, who was currently using his magic-stone lantern to scan the perimeter. He was a Level 2, a third-tier adventurer. She was one level higher at Level 3, a highly ranked mage and a second- tier adventurer. When it came to both Status and experience, she had the upper hand.

Lefiya: Can I perhaps...ask you something? Just how old are you?

Bell: Huh? I'm, uh...fourteen.

As expected, he was younger than her, as well. That would make her his senior. Which made it all the more essential that she come up with something to get them out of this mess—a thought that made her focus sharpen.

Lefiya: Don't fall to pieces now, alright?! Just follow my lead and don't do anything stupid!

Lefiya was remarkably leader-like as she raised her index finger in strict instruction, her other hand still tightly gripping her staff.

Bell: R-roger!!

Bell replied between fervent nods of his head. Lefiya was, after all, a member of Loki Familia. She couldn't allow herself to appear feckless or cowardly in front of someone from a different familia. Pushing down the insecure little girl who so often reared her head in front of Aiz and the others, she assumed a bearing worthy of the reputation and prestige of the largest familia in all of Orario.

She wouldn't reveal the fear and anxiety fluttering in her heart. As determined fortitude flowed through her veins, she led Bell away from the tree and into the night.

Lefiya(mind): Just stay calm, keep your wits about you, never let your guard down...

Lefiya: First of all, gimme that magic lantern please.

Bell: Of course...

She took the magic-stone lantern from Bell, using it to illuminate the forest in front of her as she walked. Bell himself, she ordered to keep watch behind them. For so long she'd been protected by, saved by Aiz and the others. Now it was her turn. She could handle this. She had a duty. Even if it was nothing more than a charade, Lefiya's countenance was one of a true second-tier adventurer. There was no doubt that she'd grown beyond the small, scared child always hiding behind Aiz and the others.

Lefiya: In a time like this, we can't afford to walk in circles. If you find any crystal, break it and give it to me. I'll use the pieces to mark our path.

Bell: But what if we're going in the wrong direction?

Lefiya: It'll be fine. Leave it to me.

This was a role she'd never had a chance to fulfill, what with the entire legion of distinguished elites among Loki Familia's ranks. The scared, anxious lower-level adventurer glancing to and fro behind her was her responsibility as she led him single-handedly through the forest. She used blue crystals to denote their path, breaking off tiny pieces and scattering the glittering shards behind them as they walked. She marked their passage on the trees with a large X, being sure to carve it deep enough that the self-restorative wood wouldn't immediately fill the gouge back up.

And there were other times, too, that she caught wind of monsters nearby, and she and Bell would quickly snuff out the light before hiding themselves in the brush. They let monster after monster pass by them, not wanting to throw themselves into battle unless absolutely necessary.

Bell: Um... Miss Viridis?

Lefiya: Lefiya. You can call me Lefiya... I don't want non-elves to call me by my village clan's name. Anyways, what did you want?

Bell: The members of Loki Familia...they can really do anything, can't they?

Bell asked, undaunted, as he followed behind her unfaltering forward march.

Lefiya:...? What do you mean?

Bell: Erm, it's just...you're a mage, right, Miss Lefiya? And yet you're still so...so...I don't know, driven. Like, even right now, just charging through the forest like some kind of explorer...It's impressive. Makes me think that Loki Familia can do just about anything.

Lefiya: D-d-driven...?!

Lefiya's cheeks flushed without warning at the boy's unadulterated praise.

Lefiya: W-What are you saying out of nowhere? F-flattery won't do you any good, you know?! We should keep all conversation to a minimum!

Lefiya whirled around in anger.

Bell: I-I'm sorry!!

Bell immediately shrank backward.

Lefiya: Really now!

She huffed, eyebrows bristling. She did not appreciate this surprise attack on her mental state. Turning away from the boy and his look of apology, she took off at a brisk walk.

Bell: Miss Lefiya?

Lefiya: What is it now?

Her voice had an edge to it. But the boy's reply was soft.

Bell: I guess...if you weren't able to do anything, you wouldn't be any help to Mister Finn and...Miss Aiz and the others... right?

The second the words left his mouth... Lefiya's feet came to an abrupt stop. But only momentarily. She forced her legs to restart, attempting a slow, careful response as she pushed forward.

Lefiya: This is correct. If I wasn't , then...then I would never be able to catch up to them.

Silence settled over the pair. The gentle rustling of the grasses beneath their feet provided the only accompaniment to their footsteps.
For the first time, they'd reached a sort of mutual understanding. Without even realizing it, both of them existed on the same plane, their hearts beating for the same cause.

And so they continued like that for a short while. Until what appeared in front of them was a tree so tall they had to strain their necks just to see it in its entirety. Lefiya took a moment to survey their surroundings before beginning her investigation of the tree. Even among the many large trees of the forest, this tree in particular was monstrously wide and skyscrapingly tall.

Lefiya: This should be good enough.

Lefiya hadn't just been arbitrarily wandering through the forest. She'd been searching for a tree just like this one, tall and towering over the rest, from which she'd be able to ascertain their location. Using the giant tree at the forest's center, a tree visible even from the passageway leading to the next floor, one could quickly position themselves within the vast forest, making it easier to locate a way out.

Lefiya: I'm going to climb this tree and scout the perimeter. You stay here.

Bell: Ah...okay. Roger that.

Lefiya prepped herself with a mental hurrah, then positioned herself next to the tree, fully prepared to climb the mighty giant...until she took another glance at Bell. She instantly scowled, holding down the hem of her skirt as a flush rose to her face.

Lefiya: You are not to look upward, do you understand me?!

Bell: Huh? I, uh...

Lefiya: Should you even think about it, you'll wish you'd never been born! Am I clear?!

Her voice rose to a threatening hiss.

Bell: C-c-crystal!!

Bell asserted without hesitation. Still battling the red tinge on her cheeks, Lefiya leaped from the ground with an almost audible bound, flying up into the tree and making her way toward its crown, leaving the boy behind to stand watch. Again and again she jumped, positioning her feet on the tree's many branches. Bell, still down on the ground with his magic-stone lantern, gave the elf a good, long period of time before he hesitantly raised his eyes skyward. Thankfully, Lefiya had already disappeared from view.

Bell: She's already out of sight...She really is amazing...

He murmured in awe at the second-tier adventurer's hands-free ability to scale the tree using nothing but jumps. Meanwhile, Lefiya, oblivious to the goings-on down below, leaped her way onto a particularly large branch not far from the top of the tree.

Lefiya: This is just the tree I was looking for... Even if you're lost, if you can get to a high place like this, you can get you approximate location.

From here, it was just as she'd predicted—above the dome of green leaves, she could look out across the entirety of the floor. She turned her gaze to the left, locating the mighty tree at the forest's center. Between her and the tree towered a giant crystal, emitting its faint blue light. It would seem they were in the eastern part of the floor—close to the easternmost tip, even.

Lefiya: Okay, there's the giant tree... And next to that the huge crystal. Given the orientation from here, we must be exactly in the eastern part of the floors. Near the border. So that should be our direction to return.

She studied the view carefully, memorizing the lay of the land— —when suddenly...her eyes dropped to the forest below.

Lefiya: Huh—?

Hastily, she hid herself within the branches' shadows.Using the enhanced vision made possible by her Status, she trained her azure eyes on the forest floor, where she caught sight of a group of dubious figures enshrouded in long, concealing robes. Their inky black garments melted into the surrounding shadow, completely masking their faces and identities. And, as if their robes weren't enough, each one also donned a dark hood and forehead protector, ensconcing them all the more.

Their attire was a dead giveaway—identical to the dark robes of the crew they'd battled down in the twenty-fourth-floor pantry. There was no doubt about it. These were surely associates of the Evilus' Remnants.

Lefiya sucked in her breath in disbelief. There were two of them on their way somewhere. Their destination couldn't be far. She made a note to herself of the direction in which they were heading, then quickly bounded back down the tree. Carving her way through the latticework of leaves, she gave one final leap before landing with a thud in front of the expectant boy. Bell's eyes dilated in surprise at her sudden appearance.

Lefiya: Turn of the light!

Bell: Eh? Huh?

Lefiya: Now!!

Bell: R-Right!!

In a flurry, he did as he was told. Their one source of light gone, the world turned black around them. Now, at least, they wouldn't be seen by the hooded duo.
Leaving Bell to his confusion, Lefiya attempted to make sense of the situation, her mind racing.

Lefiya(mind): Those outfits... The color is a bit different but those must be members of Evilus. To bump into them here...

Lefiya didn't know, but the Gods held their meeting, Denatus, a few days ago. They reviewed the Ganesha Familia murder case. And Loki's plan for the other factions. She advise that adventurers on the 18th floor refrain from searching at night. As a result, the Evilus side will become more relaxed. And the Loki Familia with their unrestricted behavior, can find them. It was as Loki had anticipated. There was just one miscalculation...

Lefiya(mind): Why am I the only one here this time...?!

Could they be plotting something on the eighteenth floor? Were they going to do what they'd done on the twenty-fourth floor by setting loose those giant flowers and turning the pantry into a plant? What should she do? Return to the campsite and inform Finn and the others? But what if they were unable to find them again? It was already a miracle as it was that she'd caught sight of them in this vast forest. And if she tailed them, she just might be able to get more information on the series of events that had been besieging them since the Monsterphilia...

Lefiya(mind): What do I do...?

Again and again, she weighed her options. All the while, Bell continued to watch her in silence as a grim determination colored her features, and her brows furrowed. As the seconds ticked away urgently in her mind, she finally realized what she had to do.

Lefiya (mind): I need to follow them...

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity if ever she'd seen one. To be able to put a stop to their no doubt dastardly plans before the situation got out of control? And besides, she was simply going to trail them a while—determine what it was they were doing, where they were going. That was all she needed. A simple mission, overall. Once finished, she'd report back to Finn and the others with anything useful. These encouraging thoughts pushing her forward, she made up her mind.

Lefiya(mind): The only problem now is...

Lefiya raised her gaze. Her eyes landed squarely on Bell, still sitting beside her in acute bewilderment. She certainly couldn't leave him here all by himself. Even if she told him exactly how to get back to camp (which she'd ascertained from her earlier treetop ascent), and even if he was able to follow that path all the way there, he'd have a hell of a time at his measly Level 2. And to make matters worse, he had no armor equipped—only his salamander-wool linens—and nothing but a single onyx knife for protection.

Telling him to simply sit tight and wait for her return was also out of the question. As she sat there staring at him, and as he sat there doe-eyed and mystified, she quickly realized she had no choice.

Lefiya: I...apologize, but...could you perhaps come with me for a moment?

She said before rising to her feet and vacating the premises. Then, following the path she'd memorized from her bird's-eye view, she hurried in the direction the two Evils associates had been heading. She moved quickly, maneuvering past tree after tree, all the while attempting to mask her footsteps and stifle her pounding heart and labored breaths. Bell followed behind her in equally fervent pursuit. Though she'd quickly explained the situation, he was still far from completely understanding.

The trees and brush ran thick, making it hard for Lefiya to see where she was going, but her vigorous efforts paid off in the end, and before long, her destination came into view. She slammed to a halt, gesturing for Bell to stop, too, then hid herself in the shadows.

Lefiya(mind): I found them...!

Holding her breath, she curled her fingers tightly around the length of her staff. They were right there, not more than fifty meders away—the two figures she'd seen from high up in the trees. She took a moment to check that they were alone. Then, still keeping her eyes keen for signs of company, she began to follow them. Bell stiffened next to her, not having had much choice in joining this game of cat and mouse.

Bell: Wh-Who are those people?

Lefiya: To put it simply, they're part of a hostile enemy organization.

Bell: An enemy of the Loki Familia...?

Bell whispered, attempting to hide himself in the dense, low-hanging foliage. Clearly, the idea of the strongest familia in Orario having any enemies, let alone the two robed figures in front of them, came as startling news.

Lefiya: Look, stop prying so much. Also, you're too close!

Bell: I-I'm sorry!

Sora had warned them to not involve his Familia in any kind of problems involving Evilus. He told them all when they returned from the 24th floor incident. If he ever finds out, Sora will break his allegiance on helping the Loki Familia gather informations on them.

Lefiya(mind): I'm sorry, Mister Sora. But, this is an emergency.

Lefiya continued her careful, focused pursuit. The two figures were also monitoring their surroundings, making steady progress despite their lack of light. And Lefiya stuck to them like glue, keeping just enough distance to ensure they wouldn't be spotted but not so much as to lose them among the dark trees. It continued like this for a short while until they finally arrived at a certain deep corner of the forest.

They were close to the Dungeon wall. She could tell, peeking between the branches, that they'd reached the end of the line, meaning they were at the very farthest edge of the eighteenth floor's eastern side. The forest had grown considerably sparser. Everything merged into one main path, trees and shrubberies all but gone, and even the branches and leaves overhead had thinned, leaving no room for voyeurs or assailants to hide themselves.

Scattered here and there about the open field were blue crystal pillars, all at least two meders in size. It almost looked like the ruins of a stone circle left over from the Ancient Times. The "Crystal Grove," perhaps? As Lefiya watched, the hooded figures cut through the middle of the grove, directly for the Dungeon wall.

Lefiya: There's no going back now... This must be their hideout.

Lefiya muttered to herself in encouragement. She knew they must be near her targets' goal. Despite the butterflies dancing in her stomach, she eyed Bell meaningfully to signal their continued pursuit. Bell, despite his misgivings, nodded in response. Leaping free of their cover, they dashed straight forward through the Crystal Grove. They skirted from one crystal to the next, noiselessly darting in and out between the pillars.

The whole time, she kept her eyes fixated squarely on the two figures in front of her. It was almost as if they were being led, weaving as they were, back and forth, back and forth, when suddenly— Crack! The ground opened up of its own accord in front of them.

Bell and Lefiya: !!

It happened the moment her foot touched down in a round clearing devoid of pillars. The mighty crack echoed around her as the earth plunged downward, creating a giant hole. Almost as though it had been waiting for her arrival.

Bell and Lefiya: Huh...?!

All of a sudden, she was floating. The floor disappeared beneath her. And her breath quickly got itself caught in her throat. For a brief moment, she could feel the boy's dumbfounded presence behind her. It took a split second for gravity to take hold.

Bell and Lefiya: Uuuaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

And then they plummeted, their screams of terror layering atop one another. Grass, dirt, and leaves plunged with them. Lefiya's gaze rose skyward as she fell just in time to see the "lid" of the hole close up behind them with another rumble. Cut off from the forest landscape and night Dungeon air above them, the ground rose up to meet them.

Lefiya: Unnnngh!!

Bell: Somehow, we landed safely...

Somehow or other, both of them managed to land on their feet, the impact sending up a giant splash of something all around them. The entire bottom of the hole was steeped in a light-purplish liquid. Now that there were two additional bodies in it, the stagnant pool quickly rose from shin height to waist height with an unsettling sqwoosh.

Bell and Lefiya: Hot!!

Lefiya: My clothes!!

Now that they were looking, they saw bones everywhere. Gleaming white bones. More than they could count. Belonging to who knew how many souls. It was clear that all of them had once been adventurers. There were cracks and chips in some of the bones and skulls, as though something or other had bashed them in. There were even a few items of seemingly monster origin floating about—drops, perhaps. Was this some sort of undocumented Dungeon gimmick? Here? In the safety point? Involving monsters, no less?

Bell: And these are... Human bones?!

Lefiya: Swords and Armors... These are the remains of adventurers!

It was hot. Like boiling oil. Their battle clothes sizzled against their skin. No, not sizzled. Melted. Their faces paled as they looked in horror at the bubbling, smoking liquid all around them.

Lefiya: What is this Acid?

Lefiya's eyes watered at the rancid odor of melting flesh, confusion overtaking her thoughts...until Bell's trembling voice broke her from her trance.

Bell: Miss Lefiya... A-Above us...

Lefiya:...What?

She turned her gaze skyward. Something was slowly peeling itself away from the fleshy walls of the hole, lifting its upper body...and enveloping them in its massive shadow.

Suddenly, the true origin of the "lid" became clear. As Lefiya and Bell looked up in terror, the monster hanging upside down from the top of the hole peered at them from its humanoid torso. It was the only exception to the solid red of the hole, its skin a sickly shade of yellowish green. Its chest and abdomen, too, were colored in vibrant, venomous hues.

Instead of arms, it boasted two long, fat tentacles—feelers of sorts that dangled downward like quivering snakes. Its long lower half writhed and squirmed, attached to the wall like some kind of parasitic worm. Its head consisted of nothing but a colossal eye and a strange crown-like organ floating around it. The eye itself was connected directly to its neck with the crown encircling it like the mane of a lion. It was disgusting to look at, its coloring far different from that of the countless other monsters they'd fought.

Bell: I-Is that a new species...?

Bell's words quivered, the fear and dread palpable in his voice.

Lefiya: It's one of those...brightly colored ones...!!

Lefiya exclaimed next to him as everything suddenly fell into place. This "pitfall" they'd plunged into was none other than one of those monsters, the same as the carnivorous flowers and their roots—a brethren of the creatures born of the corrupted spirit—and its body was the pitfall itself! If she had to guess, those Evilus associates had planted it here as a security measure in order to keep whatever was past the Crystal Grove, some all- important secret of theirs, away from prying eyes. It was a "trap monster" whose sole purpose was to eliminate any and all witnesses to their evil plan.

No doubt, the other adventurers who'd fallen prey to this "Guardian of the Forest" had either been trailing the Evils, similar to Lefiya and Bell, or had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Completely ignorant, they'd been gobbled up by this repugnant creature, and their carcasses had been left to rot at the bottom of this pit.

Lefiya:...

The creature's great eye spun around and around before centering itself on Lefiya and Bell. Its next move was immediate. Both its feelers shot from its body straight toward the two adventurers.

Bell and Lefiya: Gngh!!

They leaped from their spots simultaneously. The giant whips collided with the ground immediately behind them, straight into the middle of the acidic pool.
A massive wave of acid erupted upon the impact as the pit shuddered around them.

Bell: Miss Lefiya!!

Lefiya: I am fine! Look after yourself!

Lefiya shouted back, one arm up to shield her eyes from the spraying acid. They were soaked now, steam rising from their hair and clothes, but they'd somehow managed to avoid the attack. Still, it wasn't over yet, and the whips were quick to begin their second wave.

Lefiya: Hngh!!

Once again, the earth shook around them. The shock was enough to send the bones flying into the air with hollow clatters. Though Lefiya just barely managed to evade the incoming attack, and the resulting rush of air and stone-rattling tremor were enough to make her blood run cold.

Lefiya: Use this!

Lefiya said while taking her hoodie off and giving it to Bell.

Lefiya: Your clothes are made of Salamander Wool, right? The Acid won't easily dissolve it. With my battle clothes, you can use both to block it.

The sheer brute strength of this thing could give the monsters in the Dungeon's depths a run for their money. Even if the adventurers put all their efforts into defending themselves, their complete pulverization was only a matter of time. The elastic-like flexibility of the two tentacles didn't help matters, either—as long as they were stuck inside this hole, they were vulnerable. And the fact that the attacks were coming from straight overhead made defending against them a struggle, to say the least.

Lefiya (Mind): To think there was such a monster here... This must be something Evilus wants to hide. We need to escape somehow... No! I have to beat this monster.

Lefiya's eyes narrowed as she stared at the trap monster above her, whose upper half alone was easily twice her size.
For the Evilus to leave this kind of extraordinary creature here as a sentry meant that whatever it was they were hiding had to be of great importance.
She had to escape and let Finn and the others know.

Lefiya(mind): We need to escape somehow... No! I have to beat this monster.

It was do or die now. There was no way she'd be able to escape without taking the body of that thing head-on. Or if there was, at least, she had no idea what it might be. If they wanted to get out of here fast, their only choice was to destroy that creature's main body, as that was what was currently blocking their only way out. Lefiya's fingers tightened around the grip of her magic staff, Forest's Teardrop.

Lefiya: !!

It was coming. Its great eye goggled and whirled in ceaseless orbit, omniscient in its surveillance as it launched its two feelers at the adventurers. Once again, it was aiming to kill.

Lefiya: Hgh...gggnnnnn!!

Bell was floundering, racing about wildly in his attempt to escape the oncoming attack. He'd never seen this kind of monster before. The Guild hadn't even confirmed it. How was he supposed to defend himself against a monster he hadn't even known existed? Leaping about blindly, he narrowly avoided one attack after another, looking more and more like a rabbit in panic mode.

His sensational rate of growth aside, Bell Cranel hadn't actually seen many battles. In fact, that same growth rate in some ways was actually an impediment— his lack of real combat experience exposing just how fragile he really was. And somehow, as Lefiya watched him, giant beads of sweat leaking down his face, a sense of tranquility passed over her.

The fact that this was an enemy she'd never faced before calmed her all the more. She let the teachings of her mentors in Loki Familia, of Riveria, of Aiz, of Asuna  wash through her. She knew what she was supposed to do upon first contact with a monster, to analyze and deal with it. She might not have the same level of perception as her first-tier adventurer peers, but it was more than nothing, and as the situation accelerated around her, she focused everything she had on understanding the creature in front of her.

Dodging attack after attack, girding herself against the pulsating shudders echoing around her, she studied the main body of the beast, focusing her elven eyes, which had originally made the elves "Archers of the Forest." It was then, while scrutinizing the creature's great revolving eye, that she saw it.

Lefiya: Watch where that thing is looking!

Bell: Huh?!

Lefiya: It's eye!! It turns in the direction it's about to attack!

Bell's own eyes widened in startled realization as he immediately looked skyward. That revolting eye was pointed directly at him. Studying the giant, naked
orb, he was able to leap nimbly out of the way just in time as the massive tentacles slammed down beneath him. They hit the exact spot he'd been occupying mere seconds earlier.

Bell: I...I did it!

Bell exclaimed in jubilation after his magic-like prognosis left him unscathed.

Lefiya: Those tentacles are its only weapon! Don't take your eyes off it!

Lefiya followed up before using the same method of foresight to sidestep another incoming tentacle.

Bell: R-roger!

The trap monster's appendages may have boasted incredible power and speed, but if that was the only trick it had up its sleeve, it made for an almost monotonous back and forth. So long as they could continue reading the creature's incoming attacks, they would at least be able to avoid any direct hits. No longer cornered and fighting for their lives, they might actually have a chance to break the deadlock.

Lefiya(mind): Now to figure out how to attack that thing. If Miss Aiz was here, she'd simply jump off the wall to attack it directly...

Lefiya thought to herself, picturing the scene in her head. Yes, she'd jump from wall to wall, ascending the hole like a lightning bolt in reverse, then kerslash!! It would be over. Lefiya quickly shook herself from her thoughts. If either of them was to try such a tactic, they'd surely be bludgeoned by one of those whips the moment they got close. Stupid, stupid! She mentally scolded herself. She had to change her way of thinking.

Lefiya(mind): My skin is burning, and my clothes aren't lasting. This long term battle is turning out to be a huge pain. Not to mention that human is here... I can't afford to lose any more of my outfit!

Lefiya: When I see an opening, I'll blast it with a spell. You focus all your effort on attacking that wall!

Bell: Understood!

The two of them sped off in opposite directions. Unsheathing his onyx dagger, Bell launched himself immediately at the wall, dodging incoming whips as he unleashed slash after slash upon its fleshy pink surface. Heroic blue flashes cut through the air as he sliced at the enemy's insides.

Lefiya(mind): He really is fast... Just like Mister Sora! After chasing him so often. He really doesn't seem like a level 2 adventurers.

Even as she focused on dodging attacks, Lefiya couldn't help the twinge of astonishment tugging at her. As much as she hated it, his agility was top-notch—a fact she knew well thanks to their multiple games of tag. Even now, the way he was weaving in and out of the monster's attacks while unleashing furious slashes looked like a high-speed hit-and-run.

Despite only just leveling up, he was already fast enough that he'd been able to dodge the incoming tentacles' attacks even before Lefiya had given him the advice about following the enemy's gaze. Thinking back now, Lefiya realized Aiz and Asuna themselves had praised the boy's ability to flee from danger back when they'd still been training him before the expedition.

Guilt began to whittle away at Lefiya's conscience—it was her fault Bell had gotten mixed up in this, after all—but in the end, all she could do was believe in the boy and focus on the battle at hand.

Lefiya(mind): It's not even flinching!

While she hadn't been expecting anything revolutionary, if the boy's attacks could have slowed the creature even a little, she might have been able to find an opening to unleash one of her spells. It appeared, however, that things weren't going to be that easy. This hole really was not only a luring trap but an ensnaring prison, too. Their only choice, then, was to attack it directly—the magic stone hidden somewhere within its chest.

Lefiya(mind): But the problem with that is... whether or not I could dodge the incoming tentacles long enough to pull off a spell.

Even if she used Concurrent Casting, the bit of focus she had to devote to the chant itself severely lowered her reaction and response time, to the point where no amount of reading into the enemy's movements was going to stop her from being sliced to pieces by those whips. The closed-in space with limited room to escape didn't help matters any, either.

And that wasn't even getting into the fact that nine times out of ten, these vibrantly colored monsters tended to respond to magic. The instant she started casting her spell, the incoming attacks that had been, until now, divided evenly between Bell and her would all be focused straight on her. While she would have liked to coordinate something together with Bell, she wasn't about to hold her breath with such a hastily formed dyad as theirs. And even she wasn't about to do something as cruel as force a Level-2 third- tier to act as a wall for her against this kind of enemy.

It was then that it happened. The relentless wave of attacks coming at them simply—paused. Lefiya and Bell both stopped short, looking up at the motionless creature with identical expressions of incredulity. Its giant eye was still rolling about, back and forth between the two of them. Upside down and hanging from the ceiling, it gazed upon its nimble prey. Then. The crown-like organ around its head began to glow a brilliant blue.

Bell: Huh—?!

Bell's confusion escaped his lips as Lefiya found herself unable to move. Something bad was about to happen. Something very bad. But this realization came too late. From the glowing blue crown encircling its eye came a devastating wave of high-frequency sound.

Lefiya(mind): A sound wave? My sense of balance...!

The noise was deafening, splitting their eardrums, and all Lefiya and Bell could do was scream as their eyes nearly popped free of their sockets. It was a monster cry, similar to those of bad bats and sirens and capable of restricting adventurers' movements. Only this cry was incredible, stronger and fiercer than the cry of any ordinary monster.

The shriek had enough destructive force to rob even upper-class adventurers of consciousness, rendering Lefiya and Bell incapable of movement in less than an instant. They fell to their knees with sloshy thuds, the otherworldly cry robbing them of all balance.

Lefiya: !!

The creature didn't miss its chance. Its two tentacles, primed and ready, went screeching toward its prey. Their target: Bell.

The world hazy around them, Lefiya's breath stopped in her throat as Bell froze before the imminent attack. A Level 2 up against what could easily be considered a Level 4. A direct hit meant certain death. A one-hit kill. Lefiya screamed.

Lefiya: RUN!!

And Bell did, his body ready to put his emergency evasive maneuvers to the test. But it was too late. The two tentacles streaked toward him, slicing through the air in an instant, and as the boy kicked off the ground, his foot came in contact with one of the armaments that had been sticking out of the acid, sending it flying.

Lefiya(mind): A shield!

A parting gift from one of the adventurers consumed by the creature, the large silver shield somersaulted through the air, Lefiya's eyes widening as its path sent it directly in front of the oncoming tentacles. A second later... an earth-shattering noise shook the world around them, almost like an explosion going off, and Bell's body was launched away like a bullet.

Bell: Gah!!!

He zoomed through the air. The phenomenal impact of the tentacles with the shield sent him careering into the walls of flesh. The collision reopened the wound on his head in a spray of red-hot blood. His body peeled away from the wall, plunging into the pool of acid with a splash. He stayed there, motionless, white steam rising from his frame as the acid ate away at his skin.

Monster:......

The deafening cry coming from the trap monster's crown fizzled into nothingness. Then, one of its tentacles extended like a long spear, shooting straight toward the boy to land the final blow. However—Lefiya was ready.

Lefiya: Unleashed beam of light, limbs of the holy tree!!

In an attempt to thwart the attack, she wove her spell. The magic circle formed beneath her feet, proudly announcing her presence, golden light rising from the acid's surface with a rippling shudder. The reaction was immediate. The tentacle shooting toward Bell veered sharply in its trajectory. Rolling its entire body over, the trap monster changed its target. This time, it was pointed straight at Lefiya.

Lefiya(mind): If it really is one of those brightly colored monsters. It should respond to magic.

Lefiya: You are the master archer!

Monster: !!

Lefiya took off at a dash, her voice soaring as she fled the rampaging set of tentacles. It was the most desperate Concurrent Casting she'd ever performed controlling her web of magic as she flew through the confined space of the hole, all the while continuing her song.

Lefiya: Loose your arrows, fairy archers—!

Lefiya(mind): Here it comes... The reason he got caught up with this...was me...

The whips rushed at her, cutting through the air, the rushes of wind in their wake slashing at her battle clothes. Even as her feet moved at a frenzied clip, she never took her eyes away from the creature's single eye. She used everything Filvis had taught her—to throw aside her defenses, to continue even as her body was battered—simply dodging everything she could as she read into the enemy's movements and continued her chant. Her insides were boiling hot as if to fuel her mad rush, sweat pouring down her forehead and all across her skin.

Lefiya: !!

As she clutched her staff, as she wove her spell, as she dodged attack after attack by naught but a hair's breadth, the trap monster moved its head.
Then that same light, that terrifying blue light, erupted from its crown.

Monster: Huuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggghhhhh   !!

Lefiya: Gnngh—pierce, arrow of accuracy!!

Lefiya raised her voice, face distorting as she competed with the incoming wave of high-frequency sound. Just as she completed the spell, however, the tentacle she thought she'd evaded changed its course, curling like a snake and latching onto her left wrist.

Lefiya:Oh n—!!

Suddenly she was up in the air, hanging by her left arm, before getting forcefully bashed against the wall.

Lefiya: Guuuuhhh!!

The air was knocked out of her. Chant interrupted, the magic circle disappeared from beneath her feet. The trap monster's other tentacle was quick to descend, mercilessly shrieking toward her as she continued to hang helplessly in the air.

Lefiya(mind): Ah—This can't be...

The color drained from her face at the sight of the cyclops's whip filling her vision. In that moment, her mind flashed back to a gold and blue gleam—her golden-haired, golden-eyed, blue-haired, diamond-eyed swordswoman, when Aiz and Asuna had rescued her from those carnivorous flowers. But in the next moment...a white shadow raced toward her...before slamming itself into the tentacle on its collision course with Lefiya's body.

Bell: Yooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuu bastaaaaaaaaaaaard!!

Lefiya: Huh?!

The white shadow—Bell—swung the great ax in his hands with every drop of strength he had left in him and brought it down on the massive whip. The blade struck with a jarring jolt.

Lefiya(mind): Bell Cranel, I really do hate you... You're younger, a lower level... Not to mention from an obscure Familia... Even when it's my turn to protect someone... Even still... You really are a... troublesome unlikeable person!!