No one's POV

Sora and Slyphid's ears were ringing. The sound is like the shrill cry of a child who's just woken from a nightmare. A cry of reason, screaming in denial of reality. The shriek of their instincts assaults the depths of their mind.

Sora: We're at the deep levels...

The whispered fragment of a thought falls from his lips and melts into the darkness. Stillness pierces both Sora and Slyphid's ears. The gloomy blackness of the maze embraces them.

A strange milky color seems to stick to the walls, and the ceilings are so high they couldn't even see them. The scale of the labyrinth is so enormous it seems impossible.

Slyphid: Yeah. This is the thirty-seventh floor. White Palace

Sora:.........

Sora move his head to look around. He didn't see any monsters nearby. No telltale sounds or signs of them, either. He looked around his surrounding trying to figure out which side of the dungeon he was in. Their current location was a tremendously large room. The distance from the center of the chamber, where Sora and Slyphid were, to the walls must be at least four hundred meders.

The phosphorescence illuminating the walls is weak as candlelight. Right next to Sora was the dead body of a huge serpent. It's the lambton, otherwise known as a wormwell, that expired after they sliced their way out of its belly and crawled through a fountain of blood. That was after it swallowed us on the twenty-seventh floor and burrowed its way down here with them in its belly.

Sora:.....

Sora gritted his teeth knowing that their current situation was at absolute worst. The Lambton had taken them back to their nest. It had burrowed 10 floors deep underground. Normally he could easily solo this dungeon, but not at his current condition where both him and Slyphid were severely injured during their assault at Knossos.

Slyphid: It's not just us you should be worrying. We still had Bell and Ryuu.

Sora: I know...

Sora check the elf lying limp in his arms. And in the arm of the Spirit girl was the incomplete hero. Those two were also battered from head to toe after being swallowed by the wormwell and exposed to its toxic stomach acid. Patches of Ryuu's long cape and Bell's battle clothes have been burned away, revealing their bare skin, which was marred with countless burns. Ryuu's right leg, wrapped up in her cape, was bent at a strange angle. It's broken.

As Sora continue looking around, he pull Ryuu a little closer to protect her—or maybe to cling to her. Sora slowly put the elf in his shoulder while the Spirit girl put the white bunny on hers.

Sora: Ryuu....!

Slyphid: Bell...!

Sora and Slyphid call their name. They were begging those two to wake up. With their currently condition, they need all the help they could possibly get. That's when it happens. Pitter-patter. Fragments of stone are falling.

Sora and Slyphid: !!

They froze as the little pieces of something dribble onto Sora's head. They peer up toward the ceiling. The fragments of stone are still falling from the vault of darkness, which blocks their view of the ceiling.

They recognize that noise better than anyone. A noise like something was speeding violently toward this floor. Like a certain object was hurtling down the hole they came through.

That enormous form rises again in their mind's eye. The shell that repels magic. Those all-destroying scythe. And those pure red eyes that glint like fresh blood.

Slyphid: It's the Skull Reaper.

Sora: Yeah. It's chasing us down the worm-well, so it can kill us.

The dying words of that man called Jura—the final unrelenting command of that tamer—have led the monster to them.

Slyphid: Then we need to move now!

Sora: Then let's not waste anymore time!

Sora and Slyphid moved or to be more precise forced their exhausted bodies while still supporting Ryuu and Bell. But, the second Sora did, it suddenly feels like someone lit his body on fire. Hisabrupt movement revived all the agony that was momentarily numbed. His open wounds deep in his cheat drip blood onto the floor. His seared skin is screaming.

Slyphid: Sora!

Sora: Bleh!!

Sora immediately fell to his knees again and vomit. The tremendous pain and wounds in his chest made his eyes teared up and his legs were shaking. Still, Sora grit his teeth and push off the ground with his boots. Slyphid immediately went to his side and aide him even while the two of them were still holding Ryuu and Bell.

Slyphid: Come on! You and me!

They take a step forward. With each step, Sora push aside exhaustion and pain to propel his body forward.

Sora(mind): I can still move. I can still run. Even now, I can still...!

As stone fragments continue to trickle down from above, Sora gather his meager strength and set off. Supporting the unconscious Ryuu behind his shoulder, Sora and Slyphid made a mad dash across the room. But just before they reached the opening that leads to the passage—crash! Something leaps out of the hole.

Sora and Slyphid: !!

Casting a white-blue glow, it hurtles from far overhead into the ground. The room shakes and rumbles. When Sora and Slyphid turn around, they saw its deformed, one-armed silhouette swaying.

There were the familiar silky-joint scale and bony body encased in a shiny white-blue shell. The left arm ends in those destructive scythe. Across the dimness separating them, Sora and Slyphid could see its two red eyes glowing eerily. No question about it. It's the ultra-destructive monster that had taken the former Astrea Familia, Skull Reaper.

Skull Reaper:...

Whirl. Like it's pinning them with its gaze, the monster rotates its neck. Its glowing red orbs meet the two people's eyes.

Skull Reaper: oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Sora: ?!

Slyphid: Run!

As soon as it roars, Sora and Slyphid turn on their heels and dive into a passage, leaving the room behind. With their current condition, they were no match for this calamity. In the end, all they could do is ran. They could hear it thumping after him and Slyphid, raising a hellish commotion.

Sora: Tch!

Sora and Slyphid dash down the complex passages of the labyrinth. If it catches up to them, they're done for. If they turn into a dead end, it's all over. If they encounter another monster, that'll be it. The only thing Sora nor Slyphid could do in this worst-case scenario was pray. They change directions over and over, dashing down branching passages as Sora and Slyphid tried to give their enemy the slip. But the monster's footsteps didn't fade. If anything...they're getting closer by the second!

Sora: Dammit!

Slyphid: Push on Sora!

With their injuries, Slyphid aiding him, and both Bell and Ryuu were on their backs, Sora was going so slowly he want to cry. Sora could hardly lift his feet. His whole body was screaming out in pain. All the same, Sora and Slyphid flee from the monster with all the strength they could muster. Determined to escape, Slyphid squeeze her left hand into a fist and unconsciously start to gather her energy.

Sora: !!

After making a couple more turns in the maze, the monster has managed to close the distance between them to the point where Sora and Slyphid could clearly see it. It's bouncing in every direction off the floor, walls, and ceiling of the Dungeon at top speed. Even though their fight should have also left it in bad shape, this monster's instinct must be urging it to kill its prey at all costs.

The gleaming red eyes pierce Sora's back. He could hear the scythe of destruction making slicing sounds. Sensing that the threat of the ever-growing bloodlust barreling toward him and Slyphid has reached a critical point, Slyphid swivel halfway around and thrust out her left hand.

Skull Reaper: !!

The monster has noticed. The magic energy. And the air current wrapped around Slyphid's left hand as she charge.

Slyphid: Air Palm Force!!

A huge gust of wind hurtles relentlessly forward. Within the enclosed space of the passage, the turbid stream of wind demolishes walls and ceiling alike as it charges ahead.

From the corner of Sora's eye, he saw the monster flex its left leg backward and bound into a side passage the instant before wind gale swallows it up. A second later, the wind gale explodes violently in the passage. The shot went up at a slight angle into the ceiling. The passage shatters.

Sora: Whoa!

Sora was thrown back by the wind and dust from Slyphid's shot's explosion. As Ryuu and him flew backward, the bedrock above rumbles and begins to fall, as if the whole tunnel was about to cave in. The sound of cascading rock echoes through the floor.

Slyphid: Don't worry...it stops.

Having rolled across the floor and landed facedown, Sora manage to look up at last. As the dust clears, he realize the broad passage has been completely blocked by milky white boulders. They couldn't return the way they came, but neither can the monster pursue them.

Sora: But we're not out of the blue yet.

Sora sat there for awhile with Slyphid also laying her head on his shoulder. The aftermath of her magic has totally drained her mental strength. The fight at Knossos had also drained her as much as Sora was. She was on the verge of fainting.

Sora: Slyphid! Please get some rest! You've done more than you should.

Slyphid: No, I'm not leaving you! We're in this together.

Sora: So stubborn.

Slyphid: Who do you think I got it from?

They were bickering with one another. But from Sora's eyes, he could tell that Slyphid had a powerful desire to let her strength fade away and washes over her. It was when—

Ryuu: So...ra...?

Bell: Miss...Slyphid...?

Sora and Slyphid: !

They jump at the whispered words. When they shifted their gaze toward Bell and Ryuu, who were laying faceup on the ground, Sora and Slyphid saw that their eyes were slightly open. The hazy red-crimson and sky-blue irises peer around until they find them.

Sora: Ryuu...!

Slyphid: Bell...! Thank goodness...!

Sora breath as sigh of relief. He knew that he couldn't let anyone die. And he never go back on his words. Just like he felt with Weine, but with everyone this time. Sora and Slyphid slowly walk over to Bell and Ryuu and sink to the ground on both knees. Sora and Slyphid lift their battered body in their own arms.

Ryuu: Who are you...?

Ryuu asked hazily as she looked at Slyphid who was the one supporting her. She remember seeing Slyphid during Sora's fight with the Skull Reaper, but she never get an explanation. Then Slyphid and Sora gave her a brief explanation since time is not at the right moment. After a slight introduction about Slyphid, Ryuu slowly nodded her head.

Bell:...What is this place?

Sora: It's...the thirty-seventh floor...the deep levels.

Bell: Thirty-Seventh floor...?!

Bell couldn't hide his despair after hearing Sora's answer. He had heard so much about the Deep Floors from Sora, Aiz, and Asuna. Sora explain as simply as he could that they were swallowed by the wormwell, carried to a different floor, chased by the same monster they battled before, and for now have escaped. Bell and Ryuu's eyes glint with understanding, perhaps because memories of the twenty-seventh floor were coming back to them.

She squints at Sora, clearly having guessed just how bad their current situation is. Most likely both their physical and mental strength were gone now. Ryuu just stares at Sora's face with its one crushed eye.

Bell: Uuu...!

Sora: Bell?!

Grimacing, Bell brought his right hands protectively to his left hand. He couldn't feel anything on his left hand where the Goliath Scarf was wrapping it. Then to Ryuu's on injuries. If Sora take her broken right leg into consideration, she might even be in worse shape than Bell. Huge beads of sweat cover her skin.

Sora: Please heal yourself! Use your magic on your own body...! Slyphid... Is still healing mine...

Sora didn't have any items with him. He had used up every last bit during his assault against Knossos. Given that, Sora beg Ryuu to use her recovery magic.

Ryuu:...

Maybe she's still groggy, because she keeps peering at Sora with her half-open eyes. Eventually she parts her lips very slowly.

Ryuu: I sing now...of a distant forest...A familiar melody...of life...

Haltingly, in a raspy voice, she begins to chant. Finally, as if she's wringing out her last drops of strength, she places her hands on Bell's face.

Ryuu: Noa...Heal.

The surprised look in Bell, Sora and Slyphid's eyes can't stop what happens next. A warm glow like dappled sunlight filtering through treetops envelops his face. Bell scream at her.

Bell: No!! Not me! Please heal yourself! If you don't, you'll...!

Even as Bell was screaming, the wounds on his face are closing and the pain is ebbing from his closed eye. The healing power centers on his neck but also flows to his wounds and burned skin. Bell's energy level even flickers up slightly from zero. Having seen his right eye open, Ryuu lets her hands drop like a marionette whose strings have been cut.

Bell: Why did you heal me?!

Sora: Ryuu...?! What's the meaning of this?!

Ryuu:...I can't...I can't move on my own...I'm useless...

Sora and Bell:...!

Ryuu: That was the last of my mental strength, too...

Struggling to breathe, Ryuu brings her hands to her broken right leg.

Ryuu: So it makes sense...to heal Mr. Cranell, to let him live.

Sora: That makes no sense whatsoever!

Sora yell angrily at Ryuu, who for some reason was smiling despite their situation. That smile irritated him. He was angry at her for being noble at a time like this. Sora didn't want to hear the words her lips are forming. She's probably right.

They were wounded from head to toe, utterly exhausted, and completely alone. They have no physical or mental strength left, and not a single item. They were facing obliteration. That darkness called death was poised to swallow them. In exchange for saving Bell's life, she is about to let something else go.

Ryuu: Sora... Lady Spirit... and... Mr. Cranell...leave me...

But just as she's about to say the definitive word, they hear something. Clack-clack-clack-clack. A sound comes echoing toward them. It's a dry sound, like a broken marionette abruptly laughing.

Sora, Bell, Slyphid, Ryuu: !

That sound was clearly abnormal. It's not a human voice, but it's not a Dungeon noise either. Their eyes were drawn to the darkness beyond the reach of the phosphorescence, in the opposite direction of the cave-in. Something was there.

Something was lurking in the darkness. A drop of sweat falls from Bell's chin onto Ryuu's tense face. Sora and Slyphid's face had also smitten. A moment later, the thing that made the sound silently appears.

Bell: Wha—?

The instant Bell saw it, a second-guess his eyes. A white mask is floating in the darkness. There are two twisted horns and two black holes hovering in space. It looks like—The grim reaper...? Bell was thinking of death's messenger from imaginary tales—the skeleton wearing a black robe and carrying a sickle.

Death has come for them as they suffer. At least, Bell had that illusion for a second. But there's that sound again—clack-clack-clack. The mask bounces up and down like it's crowing. Like a monster gleeful at finding prey.

Bell: !

Bell gulp. He was wrong. It's not a mask. It's a skull. It's not the Skull reaper. It's a monster.

Bell: ?!

He grab the hilt of the knife at his hip and draw it. Shielding Ryuu, Sora, and Slyphid, who couldn't move at all, he stood and raise the Divine Knife. The monster clacks its mask like it's laughing at him.

It's a first encounter worth noting. Bell's debut battle in the deep levels—and maybe his final battle—is with a sheep.

Sora: A Skull Sheep.

It's a midsize sheep-like monster that appears in the deep zone, measuring around 140 celches high. Both the face with its two empty eye sockets and the rest of the body are made of bones, as the name suggests.

They belong to a larger family of skeleton monsters. Even though they don't have flesh, skin, or organs, large numbers of these highly unusual monsters manage to wander around the thirty-seventh floor.

A typical example are the spartois. The appearance of these skeleton warriors is so shocking that even lower-tier adventurers who can't make it past the middle levels know about them. Milky white maze a den of the undead, the other named for the White Palace.

Bell:...?!

As Bell dredge up the facts he learned from Sora before leaving on the expedition, he run his eyes over these monsters that defy the laws of biology. The skulls seem to float before Bell in the dusky passage. As to what's below, he didn't have a clue. That's because the rest of the bones are covered by skin.

Skull sheep are different from other skeleton monsters in that a long, wide skin reaches all the way to their feet, so just the bony hooves are visible. This skin is about as far from clean as you can get. It's dark and torn here and there so it looks like they're wearing a ragged old robe. It makes sense that Bell would mistook this thing for the grim reaper.

As far as he could see, only one skull is floating eerily in the darkness.

Bell:...

The monster aims its empty sockets in Bell's direction. Now and then it shakes its skull, sending its strange clacking melody through the Dungeon. Bell was paralyzed by tension, unable to decide whether to wait for it to make a move or strike first himself. Suddenly, the eerie noise stops. The skull approaches until it's right before Bell's eyes.

Bell: ?!

No sooner did Bell heard the sound of hooves striking the ground than it was on him. The reason is the skin covering everything. Bell couldn't see it pawing the ground or preparing to move, and that caused his blunder. Bell was depending too much on visual information, so he missed the signs of its rapid approach.

Below the twisted horns, the jaw hangs open. Bell couldn't read any emotion whatsoever in the mask of bone, but the countless fangs are hideous. Snapping out of his daze, Bell abruptly bend to the side.

Bell: Whoa!

The skeleton sheep jumps over his head, which is touching the ground. Its surprise attack having ended in failure, it lands with a clatter. Bell jump up and lunge forward to protect Ryuu, who was lying next to Slyphid. He was just getting ready to make an offensive move, when—

Bell: What...it's gone?!

His enemy has disappeared without a trace. All he could see is the still-smoking aftermath of the cave-in, and beyond that, dusky darkness.

Bell: What the...? It vanished?!

Sora: Wrong...the skull sheep's robe...!

From Sora's position at Bell's feet, Sora groans the name of a drop item. Bell jump a little.

Bell(mind): He's right.

The skull sheep's skin doesn't just cover its body. It also helps the sheep blend in with the duskiness so pervasive on this floor, like a human hunter wearing camouflage clothing. In other words, skull sheep can conceal themselves in the darkness.

First they terrify their prey with the eerie sound of their bones, then they silently creep up and devour them. That's why adventurers have nicknamed them death hermits!

Bell(mind): Where is it, where is it...where's it gonna come from?!

Bell swivel his head back and forth. All he saw is darkness. His enemy must have covered its face with its baggy hood, because Bell couldn't see a thing. His confusion serves its spying perfectly. His thundering heartbeat interferes with his sense of hearing, which is all he have to rely on, and steals his calm as well. Just when he'd reached peak anxiety, Sora speaks up again.

Sora: To your Right...!

Bell: !

Bell hear the hood being flipped back and bones creaking. He escape its strike by a hairbreadth, but it's a bad start. The sheep grazed Bell's right arm, and the draft it sends his way makes the abrasion burn. He say graze, but a significant chunk of his arm was torn away. Its robe fluttering, the skull sheep ignores his gaping and lands on all four hooves.

Bell: Oww...!

The moment Bell look back, gripping his forearm... The monster's fangs are making a clacking sound as they chew. Bits of Bell's stolen flesh were hanging from the joints in its jaw and neck, which are stained red. There's no question Bell felt terror at this horrifying monster—no, at the Dungeon itself.

Bell:—!

The skull sheep can't hide its raging bloodlust. It shakes its body several times, then lowers its head so it grazes the ground. It's crouched low, and Bell was guessing its hooves are planted firmly beneath the robe. His adventurer's instinct flashes red. The next instant, bumps rise on its skin.

Bell: What?!

The bumps are caused by protruding bones. Missiles aimed at its prey pierce the inflated skin from the inside. Three "bone lances" speed toward him. They're spikes—no, stakes! He was not able to completely evade this long-distance attack that his enemy implements by elongating a part of its skeleton. The lances gouge flesh from above his right shoulder and his left armpit.

Bell: Ouch!

Bell avoid being pierced like a kabob, but he was still stagger, at which point the skull sheep charges forward like it's intent on finishing him off. Retracting its elongated bones, it paws the ground and flies at him. Those sharp, bloodstained fangs are about to sink right into his neck!

Skull Sheep: Yaaaaaah!

Bell: !

Just before his flesh is ripped open, Bell thrust out his left arm. The sheep latches on to that instead, knocking him over. Bell's back slams against the ground.

Ryuu: Mr. Cranell!

Sora and Slyphid: Bell!

Sora, Slyphid, and Ryuu's shout twines around the monster and him, who are tangled together. Bell could tell right away that they were surprised. That monster's fangs aren't sunk into his flesh. He made it bite his left arm on purpose. The arm with the black band wrapped round it. The Goliath Scarf. This protective gear is so hard it even repelled the claws of that monster on the twenty-seventh floor. The sharp fangs clack up and down, trying unsuccessfully to crush the scarf. For the first time, Bell sense an emotion—perplexity—coming from the skull sheep.

Slyphid: Wind Style: Gale Palm!

Slyphid who's watching could take it any longer. Ignoring her weak mental state, she thrust her palm forwards where she sent an air wave towards the Skull Sheep who was still on top of Bell. Aiming directly where the Magic Stone is... the gale crushed the magic stone glittering as it floated in the hollow cavern of its trunk.

Bell: Huff...puff...huff...!

Ignoring the pile of ash that cascades over him, Bell stare up at the ceiling, panting. That was a single fight. And he was this wiped out. These are...the deep levels.

Sora: Slyphid...!

Ryuu and Bell:...!

They all saw Slyphid collapse at the dungeon ground. She was panting heavily and was on the verge of having a Mind Down. It was no surprise. They had been battling three days in Knossos with multiple strong Creatures. Especially 'that person' that had appeared. They haven't eaten anything yet and they immediately went straight to rescued Ryuu. It was clear that she was exhausted.

Sora: Slyphid...! I'm sorry...! But...

Sora suck a deep breath and said to Slyphid or to be more precise, a command.

Sora: I order you in the name of Sora Yatagami, the Spirit Master, rest up inside my body. Return when you are half-way healed.

Slyphid: No...! Why...!

Unable to disobey Sora's Spirit Command Call, Slyphid with a disheartened look, immediately turned into her Spirit form and head towards Sora's body. Ignoring his injuries, Sora stood up and pick up Bell and Ryuu. Once again, Sora supported both of them on his shoulder and set off.

Sora: We've gotta get away from here...! If we don't hurry, other monsters attracted by the sound of the fight will soon arrive.

They've got to escape somewhere and let this exhaustion pass. Sora run forward desperately. Blood is dripping from his chest non stop. He had been bleeding buckets since his fight with the Skull Reaper. The wound from Knossos had opened up once again. If he's not careful, he'll get dizzy. But with every step forward, his mind and body were cruelly reduced. But he press on. To survive, he press on. Like a defective marionette, Sora continue to move forward.

Ryuu:...Sora...stop...

Ryuu sounds like she cannot stand being carried along on Sora's tortured procession any longer.

Ryuu: Put me down this instant and go on with Mr. Cranell.

Sora and Bell: !

She's acting like she's a mere piece of luggage. Like all she'll do is slow both of them down. That's what goes unspoken in her whisper. He furrow his brows as deep as they can go.

Sora: I don't want to!

Ryuu: Sora...

Sora: Me and Bell will never leave you behind!

Bell was insisting on it like a stubborn child. Ryuu turns her pained eyes toward the ground. Abandoning her isn't an option. If he did, he'd stop being Sora Yatagami. He'd never be able to rescue anyone again! He scream out the words his raging emotions dictate:

Sora: At my current state... I cannot fight at all...

Ryuu:...

Sora: If we want to survive... We need to rely on each other!

Blood rushes to his chest. The words won't stop even though a monster might hear him. But at the same his my instincts seem to unconsciously understand the situation. To survive, Ryuu's presence is crucial. So he keep on yelling even though it uses more of his precious energy.

Sora: I need you! Bell needs you! We need you! We need your help to guide us out of here! As I am now, I'll be even more useless than you!

Ryuu:...!

Ryuu's eyes are wide open. She presses her lips closed and won't say a word. She's weighing the options—the merits of freeing him from her weight versus the merits of becoming the brain that leads him forward. After spending some time in mental anguish, she speaks quietly.

Ryuu:...I'll watch for monsters. You focus on moving us forward...

Bell: Ms. Ryuu...!

Ryuu: Just as you said...it seems there's still a use for me...

Light has returned to the sky-blue eyes that were so full of resignation. The shadow of death has lifted from her tattered body. Her petite lips form an ironic smile, as if to say, Fine, it was a rash decision. I lost my cool.

Ryuu: Sora...please head for a room...a dead end, as small as possible...

Bell: A room...?

Sora: A good idea. We'll hole up for a while...If we damage the walls...no new monsters will be born...and we'll be able to get some rest...

Bell:...!

This battle-hardened second-tier adventurer gives precise orders. Her suggestion startles Bell, but she's right. If they hole up in a room, they'll be freed from this forward march that risks death at any moment. They have a direction now. A way forward has opened up. Following Ryuu's orders without question, Sora start to search for narrow passages.

Bell(mind):...But our actual situation hasn't gotten any better...!

They'll still be wiped out if a pack of monsters finds them. If one spawns from this wall in front of them, it's over. This exhaustion was stubborn. If Sora let his attention waver, his knees will collapse under him.

Bell(mind): If we get to a room, what next? Even if we rest, then what? Is there a way back from the deep levels? A way to return to the surface alive?

Bell turn his back on these dark whispers eating at his heart, close his ears, and put his my energy into escaping. He focus on putting Sora and Ryuu's words into action. If he doesn't, he won't be able to move.

Their face lit by the faint phosphorescence, Bell felt his way along the milky white wall. Their breaths intertwining, they wander through the Dungeon.

Bell, Sora, Ryuu:...?

They had probably wonder for few minutes. Suddenly Sora narrow his eyes. There's something ahead of them on the left. A dim light is blinking from a narrow passageway. At first, Sora thought a monster must be moving back and forth in front of the light's source, blocking it. But the instant he realize the pattern is regular, his eyes pop open. Is it...flashing?

Bell: No way...Is that a magic-stone lamp?

That kind of flashing light is out of place in the Dungeon. But it is familiar on the surface. Bell's incredulous whisper turns to certainty. No question about it. This light isn't natural phosphorescence, it's...man-made!

Bell: Sora, Ms. Ryuu, it's a magic-stone lamp! There's a person down here, an adventurer!

Ryuu:...Yes, that light...is...

Sora:...

Ryuu' responds to Bell'a delirious shout with a surprised whisper of her own. But Sora look suspiciously.

Bell: Monsters don't carry lamps! There must be a human up ahead!

With a little cheer, Bell squeeze into the passage branching off to his left. He'd forgotten all about the pain that was tormenting his whole body. He step has a spring to it now.

Adventurers have been rescued from the brink of obliteration by other adventurers more than once. Most of the time, they'll fight together on an emergency basis even if they don't get along in regular life. Bell had heard about these outlaw morality stories, and now he was one of them.

Bell: What good luck!

Imagine meeting another adventurer in a place like this! If they're down here in the deep levels, the party definitely must be upper tier.

Bell(mind): Could it be Loki Familia? Or maybe Freya Familia?

That would be great! Anyone would be great! Now they'll be saved! Now they'll be freed! Bell, Sora and Ryuu, too!

Bell: Hello! Hello! Please, save us!!

Bell gather his energy and shout toward the blinking light. They turn the corner. Just a little longer. The blinking grows brighter. Just a second more now. He could see the entrance to the room. That's his goal! The tension is leaving his face. The relief was unending. Perhaps to hide his joy, Sora remains silent. He doubt about having people down here. With the forces of Orario currently trying to fight Evilus. There should be no one down here. He saw a human form beyond the blinking light and Bell unhesitatingly stretch out his hand.

Bell: Please, save—!

Bell step into the room with a smile on his face. That smile cracks with an audible noise. Sora heard someone gulp. It's was Ryuu. Time stops.

Sora and Ryuu:—

Certainly, there are people here. People surrounding the magic-stone lamp blinking in the center of the room. They're definitely adventurers. Sora could tell from their weapons and protective gear. But he couldn't tell what race they are. He couldn't tell their age or facial features, either. After all, they don't have flesh or skin.

Their slender fingers are white as plaster statues. Their once-beautiful blond hair is dull. The faint but distinct smell of rotted flesh hangs in the air. These are the corpses of adventurers, turned to bleached bones.

One leans against the wall, its pitch-black eye sockets staring at us. Another, wearing a long, flared battle skirt, lies on the ground with its hair fanned out. Another slumps with its hands clasped around a dagger that pierces the red, dried-out clothing, as if the adventurer sank the blade into his own chest. Certainly, there are people here.

Or rather, there are things that were once people. Here lies the tragic end of adventurers who succumbed to the deep levels.

Bell:......Huh?

Bell totter into the room as if he was being pulled forward. The blinking lamp was nearly broken. Like it's been lying here for months. The three silent skeletons tell the same story of passing time.

There was no adventurer to save them.

Bell(mind): Of course not. How did I think they would save us in the first place? What was I expecting of corpses that cannot answer my call nor move to help us? Did I think they would take my hands and dance?

The idea was so ridiculous tears come to his eyes. Neither Sora nor Ryuu's expression has not changed. Their mouth remains clamped shut, as if they had half expected this. Suddenly, Bell's eyes meet the empty sockets of the skeleton leaning against the wall.

Dead adventurer: Welcome! Join us!

His ears deceive him.

Dead adventurer: This is the goal you longed to reach.

Bell:.........Ah.

Strangely enough, it is just what they were looking for: a room with a single doorway. A dead end. Bell felt like the world is crumbling. He pull Sora and Ryuu close and drop to the ground on his knees.

Bell: That's...

He heard a fatal, soul-destroying sound. Such little time has passed since he decided to try to make it through with Sora and Ryuu. A thread of hope has been dangled before their eyes, then yanked cruelly away.

If this is the work of the Dungeon, then she is a crafty, dirty trickster. She crushes his will with unparalleled perfection. Her mocking laughter rings in his ears.

Dungeon: This will be your fate, too.

Just like these adventurers, defeated and abandoned by fate.

Ryuu: Mr. Cranell...

Sora: Bell! Stay strong!

Sora and Ryuu sounds dejected. He couldn't respond. He had no idea what sort of awful expression must be on his face. As if to announce that its role has come to an end, the blinking magic-stone lamp darkens for the last time. The tool that led them to the side of its owners has ended its life. Darkness descends on the room. For the umpteenth time, the darkness of despair arrives.

And then— As if to pull them to the brink of death as they sink into despair, the clacking begins.

Sora, Bell, Ryuu:—

Feeling for a moment like a scythe has been held to his neck, Bell turn. In the darkness beyond the single doorway float three sheep skulls. The monsters have followed the footprints of their prey. Once again terror rises in his frozen brain. The darkness has exposed his cornered heart.

Clack-clack-clack, clack-clack-clack.

These grim reapers are calling to them from beyond the darkness.

Bell:...Ay aw...

Sora and Ryuu grimaces and Bell pull them to him as tightly as he could, shivering in fear. The masks floating in darkness slowly approach.

Bell: Stay away...

Bell wring a faint whisper from his throat. A voice of rejection, of fear, and of entreaty.

Bell: Stay away...

They were merciless. They crush his prayers brutally beneath their hooves. The flock of monster sheep steps forward from the darkness. The taught thread snaps.

Bell: Stay away!

The moment Bell give in to his exploding fear and scream out, the skull sheep kick the ground. With a terrible energy, the three skeletons prepare to charge the room. Bell raise his right hand and thrust it toward them.

Bell: Firebolt!!

Bell concentrate all his mental power into the word. Frantic to sweep away the death that is bearing down on them, he shoot off five bolts of electrical fire. Two of the shots miss their mark and smash the wall of the maze, while the remaining three explode violently into the skull sheep.

Skull Sheep:—?!

They shriek at the Swift-Strike Magic's direct hit. As the electrical fire pierces their dark robes and splinters their bones, the monsters roll on the ground in anguish. And then they flee, as if the wildly dancing sparks have frightened them.

Bell:...ah.

At the same time, the last bit of strength drains from Bell's body. A Mind Down. It's what happens when you overuse magic. His reserves of mental strength have finally hit rock bottom. While he'd managed not to faint, he literally couldn't move a finger. Unable to relish the relief of having chased away the immediate threat, a fatal despair washes over him.

Sora: Bell...

Ryuu: Mr. Cranell...

Bell(mind): Someone is calling me. But who is it? Who is beside me? This is bad. I can't hear. I can't think. I can't feel. Why am I here? What was it I had to do?

Sora: Bell...

Ryuu: Mr. Cranell...

He was wandering in a maze. A maze with no exit. An endless tangle buried in darkness. He didn't know front from back. Left and right were no longer clear. He couldn't comprehend where he was. The sensation in his hands and feet fades. The sound of his short breaths grows distant. The borderline between reality and illusion disappears.

Sora: Look at me Bell!!

Ryuu: Mr. Cranell—

A darkness where no light penetrates erases his existence. The darkness obliterates his body and soul. He was losing sight of himself—Slap!

There's a dry sound. It takes a minute to realize it came from his own cheek.

Sora: Bell... I need you to calm down.

The throbbing in his right cheek brings his sense of self back from the darkness. Bell look up in a daze. He saw a two pair of azure-blue eyes. The Hero and the Elf were gazing at him imposingly.

Bell: Sora...Ms....Ryuu?

Sound returns. Sensation returns. Reality returns. Their name returns and he call it. The Hero slapped his cheek, the same thing when he was rescuing Haruhime. Now he nods.

Sora: It might be hard, but listen. First, you need to calm down. Breathe slowly.

Bell feel warmth spreading from the hand placed on his shoulder. He obey the Hero's instructions. Breathe in, breathe out. Once more. Bell's lungs, which had been hyperventilating, relax. Cool air flows into his brain and calms it. The mist steadily clears.

Ryuu: Mr. Cranell. You don't have to be depressed anymore.

Ryuu has been quietly watching over Sora and Bell, choosing just the right moment to speak.

Ryuu: We may have stumbled upon the corpses of fellow adventurers, but that doesn't change our situation in the least. So there's no need to grieve.

Bell open his eyes wide at her words. They've been in the worst possible situation from the start—the depths of the depths. Things haven't gotten better, but they haven't gotten worse, either.

Sora: To the contrary, we've found the kind of room we were searching for. We've made progress. So please, don't let this discourage you.

Sora was telling him very clearly that there is absolutely no need to lose hope. And he had to admit, those two were right. But he question their sanity, or rather the strength of their will. How can they have faced those rotted adventurers and still be so unruffled?

Sora: Bell, Ryuu, take 10 minutes.

Bell: What...?

Sora: Please sleep for 10 minutes.

Sora cuts off Bell's surprised protest and brings his outstretched hands before his eyes.

Bell: W-wait, what do you...?!

Sora: I can still managed. So I'll guard you two. I'm telling you to take a nap.

Bell:...?!

Ryuu:...

Sora: Take those 1o minutes to restore your strength as much as possible. And Ryuu, once you recovered those 10 minutes of mind, I need you to used recovery magic.

Sora's speaking very clearly. Finally both Bell and Ryuu accept his command to rest.

Sora: Here in the deep levels, and especially in our situation...10 minutes is the limit. Any more is impossible. Right now, we have to be on high alert for monsters. Resting for more than 10 minutes would be unacceptable.

Bell's gulp at the finality in Sora's tone. He realize what Sora was saying is insane. How much can he possibly recover in 10 minutes? No matter how superhuman adventurers may be after they level up, can five minutes mean anything? As he struggle to vocalize his doubts, Ryuu answers them.

Ryuu: To work toward recovery anywhere and anytime...this is the gift of the adventurer.

Bell: !

Bell was startled. Their words remind him of the words his idol spoke on top of the city walls.

Aiz: In the Dungeon, you have to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime. It is very important to be able to recover your physical strength quickly.

So...Bell's mettle as an adventurer are being tested right now. Bell had to admit he'd only half believed her advice up to this point, but now he realize...she was one hundred percent right. Trust Aiz to hit the nail on the head. His renewed admiration for her notwithstanding, for some reason he have a vision of her glancing guiltily aside. What's up with that?

Sora: Fortunately, your magic damaged the room. It's not likely any monsters will be spawned in the next five minutes. So I will use my own magic to destroy them further.

Sora looks around. The firebolts he used to get rid of the skull sheep caused some damage near the doorway. Large rocks lay in a pile near the door, forming a low impromptu barricade. Then Sora place a hand on the dungeon ground, light of sparks flew and the surrounding area quake even more. That's the only entrance or exit, so assuming the Dungeon prioritizes repair over spawning new monsters, it's the only thing they have to guard.

Sora: Will you be able to restore yourself in mind and body in five minutes? This is a turning point for you—no, for us.

They were in a life-and-death situation to start with. 10 minutes might seem like a drop in the bucket, but aside from accumulating these short rests, there's no way they'll return alive.

It's only 10 minutes of rest, but it is 10 minutes. Whether you interpret that as heaven or hell is a question of perspective. Which perspective does he take? Bell honestly didn't know. What he do know is that he was feeling less despair and sorrow than he did before. It's thanks to Sora and Ryuu that he could even be thinking about this right now. Each one of their words carries so much weight. Their valiant voice ringing out in this realm of suffering gives him courage. It gives him a tiny glimmer of hope.

Sora:...

Bell:...

Ryuu:...

Still on his knees, Bell look Sora and Ryuu in the eye and nod.

Bell(mind): I should trust them.

With the last of his energy, Bell head to a spot by the wall, avoiding the adventurers' corpses as he go. With a thud, Bell drop awkwardly to the ground and lean against the cool wall.

Sora: You sleep first. I'll rest after you do.

Bell:...Okay.

Taking advantage of the kindness of his words, Bell prepare to close his eyes. He was about to sleep beside the corpses of his fellow adventurers. He was seriously unsure if he could rest in a place like this. But just before he shut his eyes, Sora's quiet blue gaze meets his.

Sora: Sleep well...

His delicate lips smile faintly. That smile reassures him, and Bell was able to sleep. He slip gently out of the waking world. Then he look at Ryuu.

Sora: You as well.

Ryuu: Are you sure?

Sora: Yeah. I can managed.

Smiling at him, she nodded. With that, she rested her weight against the wall. A deep sleepiness surrounded her like a cradle. She did not resist

Sora(mind): 10 minutes...will that be enough?

Sora look calmly at the darkness surrounding him. He had damage the dungeon big enough for monster not to spawn. Though monsters could still come through the exit door, so all he needed to do is to watch those side.

Sora: Kanshou... Bakuya... Please tell me you can transform right now?

The two sword behind him in his scabbard slowly started to glow. The living weapons that had served Sora for so long glow ever so dimly and wrap around the boy's body. It was then he could slowly hear the demon wolf's thought.

Guts: As you are now, with your mental strength out, and Slyphid out as well. I could only come out for 5 minutes. No more My Liege.

Sora(telepathy): I see...

Sora grimace ever so slightly. His plan was so that he could also rest up and let his demon wolf friend guard him up. But summoning the demon wolf would take a lot of Sora's mind, which he currently doesn't have right now. So all he could right now is to control the sword with his remaining power without summoning the demon wolf.

Ryuu: Alise...

A soft whisper escapes her lips. Sora couldn't help hearing. They were in the room with the corpses of their fellow adventurers. He overheard her whispered word. He look at her face, his own mouth shut tight. She looks sad as she meets this person in her dream.

Sora(mind): Of course you would be dreaming about her.

Sora smile sadly as he turn his eyes back to the scene in front of him. Sora heard and sense something. When he look at the doorway, he saw a mask of bone. The skull sheep are back in pursuit of their lives. Or maybe a flock of them was wandering around out there. There's only one...in which case...

Sora: Guts...If it comes over here, slice it.

The demon blade did as it was command and flew out of the scabbard. Protecting its Master's wish it flew in front of the boy protecting him, Ryuu and Bell. The skull sheep looks at Sora with its hollow eye sockets as the demon sword flew, then disappears into the darkness as if in retreat. It probably felt threatened by the sword. Sora let out a long breath and glance back at Ryuu.

Sora(mind): When was the last time I've seen you so vulnerable like this.

Her eyes are closed. Her body is battered. Maybe because of their circumstances, her bloody, dusty face has an ephemeral beauty to it. She looks like a wounded fairy sleeping beside a spring under the light of the moon. Sora's got to watch over her. That's why he was sitting so close. Her warm shoulders, so close he'd bump into them if he moved even a little...

These narrow shoulders have fought so long. Bloodied and feared, Gale Wind threw herself into the stormiest of battles.

Ryuu: Alise...

She whispers the same name again. She's calling it out like a little girl. To think that such a gallant, fierce warrior can also be so weak.

Alise: Sora... Please look after Lion for me...

Sora: Oh Alise...

Sora wanted to keep the promise he made with his so called girlfriend. The promise about protecting this girl who would never intentionally show him her weakness. He felt like that desire was bringing back his strength.

Ryuu:...Alise...wait...

10 minutes are up. Bell immediately woke up. But Sora will just let Ryuu rest a little longer. He was sure it will be okay. Sora let her sleep and continue his watch. He let her sleep so she can keep on speaking just a little longer to the dwellers in her dreams.

(Timeskip)

Not much later, Ryuu opens her eyes. The same old gallant elf is back. Some of the color has returned to her face.

Bell: Please take your turn sleeping.

Sora: I think I'll do.

With his fatigue getting to him, Sora close his eyes. His mind went blank.

Alise: Well, you missed me that much, huh my beloved boyfriend!

He heard a familiar voice. He heard the voices of someone dear to him. He fell into the world of sleep as if at their invitation. In front, he saw the girl with the crimson hair smiling at him.

A/N: Okay, we're finally starting Sora's side of the Dungeon. Since up till now is the Hestia Familia side. I will made some interlude chapters of my own, so some of the might be short chapters. And yes, there will be Sora x Alise love relation in the story, since she's one of my favorite in the Astrea Familia.