DANMACHI: The Silence's Heir (OC x Freya)

Chapter 13

INUMAKI-The Silent

Despite the sheer extent of the attack the number of casualties on the 18th floor were in single digits, including Hashana all because of the presence of Loki familia and himself. And yet the escape of the enemies meant that they had no idea just who their attacker was.

He did have an idea. That magic, the one which had been used on Ais, he knew of its caster and just they were, yet the other two adventurers. He knew nothing about them, but neither di anyone else.

One thing that had come out of the attack was that the suspicion surrounding him had vanished. Though those envious gazes still followed him, it was now clear that he was no longer suspected of the murder of Ganesha familia member Hashana.

And so, with all that cleared up, he found himself in a meeting of the Loki familia executives, who had gathered to decide upon the next course of action. The people infront of him were the three titans of the Loki familia, each of them a Level 6 and a master of their respective fields.

They were the monsters that made Loki familia Orario's greatest familia.

They were Finn Deimne-the Braver, Riveria Aljos Alf-The Elf Princess, and Gareth-The Elgarm.

"You wish to continue on," he asked, and the Loki familia's little captain nodded.

"We do, we wish to capture the escaped criminals to get to the root of this matter and are requesting your aid in this matter," he continued and Inumaki was surprised by the offer.

He had not come prepared for a long journey, though if he put together his own and Ryuu's rations, he could probably get them to last long enough. But still journeying down was not an easy decision.

Bit it was necessary one That magic. Shaldo, he had to see just who had used it. Plus, there was the issue of that masked man and the words he had used. The more he thought of them, the more he found them familiar.

"You will be compensated for it, of course," the captain added as Inumaki made up his mind.

"I will join you," he said as the captain of the Loki familia nodded.

"We are set to leave in an hour. You can inform your other party member about this in the meantime," the Braver added as Inumaki rose up and left the tent and found Ryuu waiting for him outside, leaning against one of the cloaks.

"So, what was that about?" she asked.

"The Loki familia asked me to join them on a campaign further down the dungeon to locate the instigators of the attack on Riveria," he told her, and she nodded.

"And you agreed?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I did," and she bit her lip.

"I am afraid I cannot accompany for you that. I did not get permission from Mama to leave work for so long," she added, and he nodded. He had expected this.

"I know. So, that is why you should return to the surface. I will be joining them alone," he added, and she nodded.

"The one's who attacked us. Have you ever faced someone like that before," he asked, and she shook her head.

"I am afraid not," she added as they made their way to their tent and so forth, and so an hour passed rather quickly and just when it was time for them to go their separate ways, he asked Ryuu to do something for him.

"When you go back, could you check on something for me?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Could you check in the Guild database for an adventurer by the name of Valetta, and whether she is alive or not?" and he saw her frown as her eyes suddenly widened.

"That Valetta?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Indeed, her. During the attack, I am sure that I felt her magic being used. But from what I can recall, she should be dead," he added, and she nodded.

"I will see to it."

"And also pass on this message to my goddess for me," he said, handing her a letter, and she nodded, and with that, he joined the Loki familia.

"Let's go," the captain said as they began to push forth down, and he was rather surprised by the sheer prowess of the Loki familia members.

The three titans were another matter, but the amazoness sisters and that young elf, each member was rather strong. And well, the less said about Ais, the better.

She seemed disturbed in a way similar to how she had been when they had first met all those years ago, her eyes constantly turning towards him before turning away with no words or explanation.

He mostly stayed back alongside the Elf Queen Riveria-san.

"Inumaki-kun," she began as they crossed the 30th floor without any sighting of the enemies.

"Yes," he said, turning towards the green-haired elf.

"Where is your armor?" she asked, and he chuckled.

"I am afraid it is in need of repairs. That was actually the purpose of this outing, to gather funds to get it repaired," and at his words, one of the Amazoness sisters jumped back as well.

"Ah, really?" she asked, and he nodded as she chuckled.

"Believe it or not, we came here for the same purpose," she added, and he smiled at the whole coincidence.

"What a coincidence," he said as they continued forth as she seemed to warm upto him.

"Hey. Hey, what was that magic you used, the one that made you all glow up and get all that powerful?" she asked, and he was surprised by her directness.

"I am Tinona, by the way," she said, putting her hand forward.

"I am Inumaki," he replied, shaking her hand.

"And that is magic that I was born with," he replied, for he did not quite want to share the details with someone so new to him.

And his hesitation must have shown as Riveria taped the Amazoness on the head with her staff.

"Tiona, don't you know it is rude to ask someone questions like that?" as she backed away, the eld turned towards her.

"You do not need to answer her," she said as Inumaki chuckled.

"There is no need for that, though. After all, Ais here already knows about it," he said as the blonde in question gave the nod.

"Huh! You do, Ais-tan," the amazoness now hounded her.

"Tell me! Tell me!"

And as the girl bugged Ais, Riveria-san came close to him and whispered.

"Inumaki-san, there is something I wish to say to you," she said, and he frowned, surprised at the elf's words.

"I wish to apologize for my actions and words from all those years ago," she said, and he was quite surprised by that.

"I let the rumors affect my judgment and only added to your burden. It was wrong and selfish of me, but I only wished to protect Ais from what was happening," she added. It was not really an apology, but he had expected as much.

"It is okay," he said as he waved it away, for he had been rather naive himself back then.

"I can understand what you were trying to do," he said, eyeing Ais, who was cutting through another hoard of monsters in her trance.

"Thank you," she said, her own gaze following his as they both looked at Ais.

"I know it is selfish of me to ask this of you. But please, help her," she said, and he nodded.

"I can only try. For the only person who can help Ais Wallenstein is Ais Wallenstein herself."

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AIZ WALLENSTEIN

She was alone. She was helpless. It was a feeling she was quite acquainted with. She had felt it when her mother was taken from her, when her own father vanished afterwards leaving her all alone in the world.

She had waited for the hero, waited and waited, and yet no one came to save her from the darkness. And in that moment she realised that she was alone, that there was no hero coming to save her. She must do this alone, and so she picked up what she could and tore through monster after monster, fought and fought until her limbs gave out, and still fought some more.

For she must get stronger. And yet, as she remembered the helplessness she had felt as that red-haired adventurer's swing had sent her reeling back, she grits her teeth, cursing her weakness.

She was weak. Complacent. She had thought that in the five years she must have exceeded the strength of the boy she had once looked upto, the only one who had ever stood by her side. The very boy whom she had then wronged with baseless accusations.

And yet, nothing had changed. Even now, years later, he had protected her, compounding her guilt as she cut through another hoard of monsters.

She had to get stronger. She had to apologize.

"We should return," the captain added as they all gathered up, and his words made her still for she did not wish to return. She had to stay. She had to fight to get better.

"We have exhausted our rations and have yet to find any sign of the enemy. It is time for us to return to the surface and regroup," the captain's word was absolute, and both Riveria and Gareth agreed to his command.

"I wish to stay," the words came out of her mouth as everyone turned to look at her.

"I know it is an inconvenience, but I wish to stay in the dungeon and fight," she continued her mindset already.

"You can take the rations and leave me alone, but I wish to stay and fight," she said looking the captain in the eye as her fists around her sword's hilt tightened. She could see the captain's mind racing, and she knew that it was an idiotic request that would not get accepted.

"Let her," another voice cam in support of her. And she looked up and found Riveria stepping forward.

"I will stay with her," the elf added, making her look down in embarrassment at inconveniencing her because of her actions.

"I will stay as well. I haven't gotten much action and could use a bit of warm up," Inumaki-kun was quick to add much to her surprise. She had expected him to argue against it, to condemn her and yet eh was supporting her.

And with support from them, both the captain sighed as he agreed.

"So be it, but I want you to be careful, Ais," and with that, it was decided and so the part separated as she joined Riveria and Inumaki-kun as they continued to go down farther with her taking care of hoard after hoard until they came upon the dungeon boss room on level 37.

The grand room was empty except for them, and as they entered, an ominous presence filled the room one belonging to a monster rex—or commonly called as floor bosses.

And so, from the ground emerged a skeletal creature with hollow red eyes.

"Udaeus," Riveria san gasped, her face pale in worry, for Udaeus was a monster capable of decimating parties. As the high elf prepared her staff to cast magic, and Inumaki-kun took out his spear, she stopped them both.

"Stop," she said as she stepped forward, taking out her blade.

"I will face it by myself," she said, as she took out her sword and geared up her magic.

"Have you lost your mind!" Riveria-san balked at her suggestion, but she looked the high elf in the eye.

"Please," she pleaded, and something in her gaze must have convinced her. The elf backed off with thin lips as she whispered into the air.

"Tempest!" and a win erupted underneath her as she raced forward, avoiding Udaeus's attack as she jumped up and aimed her sword at his skull.

"Aerial!" and yet her attack did no damage as the monster swung its arm at her, sending her tumbling back despite her attempt to block it

She felt her arm crack as she pushed herself back up.

She could not stay down. She had to get up. She had to get stronger. She had to for she was alone, for no hero was coming to save her. Not anymore.

"TEMPEST!" she screamed as a literal storm erupted around her as the monster screamed so loudly that the whole cave shook before it reached for the ground below as it took out a blade of its own.

Yet she pushed forward once more as skeletal kobolds emerged from underground at Udaeus's scream, as he summoned his armies and yet she did not stop as she pulled back her blade.

"Aerial!" she cut through the whole army before she jumped up once more, this time screaming once more.

"Aeri..."

And yet, before she could even finish her chant, Udaeus swung its own blade at her.

"ARGH!" she screamed in pain as she was sent rocking into the wall. As her vision turned, the scarlet, and blood began to drip down her face and arm.

"I am coming in!" Riveria-san screamed as her vision blurred.

"NO!" she screamed as she tried to push herself up on her shaky legs.

"What..."

"NO!" she said, and yet Udaeus had thrown a massive dark spike at her, and she tried to push herself forward once more.

"Tempes..."

"Rho Aius!" and as she failed, she felt an all too familiar silvery flower bloom infront of her as Udaeus's spike hit the shield while a shadow covered her.

He stood there, once more looking down at her with what she feared was hate and contempt or perhaps even disgust, as he shielded her once more. As he shielded her useless and weak body once more.

"Have you forgotten my promise to you, Ais," his words made her heart skip a beat as she gathered the courage to look up and saw him smiling down at her.

"We are a team. You and I, and nothing is going to change that," he said as he offered her his hand as he had done to a young Ais.

"But I am weak; I am still that little girl waiting for someone to save me," she balked, and he scoffed as he helped her up.

"You are not weak, Ais," he assured her as he looked her in the eye.

"You are strong. You have always been strong. As for needing a hero, you need no hero, not anymore," he said as a bright smile appeared on his face.

"After all, you are the hero yourself, Aiz Wallenstein," and with that, she was reminded of the thousands of people who looked upto her. Of the young adventurer, she had saved herself.

And behind him she saw the shield crack, as Inumaki stood there unmoved looking at her.

"Now let's do this, like old times," he offered and with a reinvigorated heart she nodded as she gripped her blade as he whispered.

"Astaraxis!" A silvery hue covered her, and that familiar warmth spread all over her, and she felt her magic get more powerful.

"Tempest!" she roared as the winds answered her call, before Inumaki-kun suddenly brought down the shield.

"Now!" he ordered as he pushed forward himself, spear in hand, slashing wildly with monsters dying all around them. She followed after him, her eyes set on the massive form of Udaeus, as she geared up her strongest magic.

"Lil..."

"And as they came upon the last throng of them, he stopped as he pushed his spear into the ground and screamed with all his might.

"GOSPEL!" the scream sent a massive magical shockwave through the area, wiping out all of Udaeus's minions as she jumped up from behind him as Udaeus's blade rushed towards Inumaki-kun.

He did not move as his eyes remained focused on her as she geared up her heart and unleashed her strongest magic.

"...RAFGAAAA!"

BOOOM!

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