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

Chapter 16

LEYFIA VERDIS

Leyfia Verdis was tired of being useless. She was a Level 3 adventurer from Loki familia, and yet there was no one more useless than her. She was a mage, one blessed with the might of magic, and yet during the most perilous times, she found it even difficult to keep up with her chants, hence putting the lives of the people around her in danger.

She was useless.

Yet she did not wish to be. She wished to be strong, wished to stand beside her familia members as they traversed the deeper floors. But until today, she had only ever been saved by them and him.

To this day, she could not get that scene out of her mind. The absolute fear she had felt when those monsters had attacked her during the monsterphilia, and how she was about to lose her life.

And then he had appeared. Blurring past her and shielding her with a magic that had felt so soothing and calming to her, when that silverish hue had covered her, she had felt stronger and more confident than ever, as if no weapon in Orario could pierce her skin.

And then she had realized just who he was, and despite being a new adventurer, she had heard legends of both the Silence and her supposed heir, the Silent. And his life had been a tragedy, for she refused to believe that one whose magic felt as pure and liberating as his could ever truly be a part of the cult of Evilus.

But that would all come later, because right now she was part of a three-man squad headed down to the 24th floor because Ais-san had taken up a quest to investigate the 24th floor on behalf of the Guild.

And now she, Bete-san, and Filvis-san from Dinoysus familia were all rushing down to the 24th floor, and as they came down to the 18th floor, Riveria they met Boris-san to find out what they could about Ais-san's journey.

"Huh," the level 3 adventurer overseeing Riveria frowned as he looked at them.

"You are the second group that has come asking after her," he said, making her frown.

"Who was the first and second?" Filvis-san asked. And she did not miss how Boris-san's eyes narrowed as he eyed the elf girl before he answered.

"Well, the first was from Loki familia, and the Kenki was with them," he added before his face dropped as he gulped nervously.

"And the second person, well, it was him. The Silent," he whispered with a shiver as both her and Bete-san exchanged glances, and she did not miss how his shoulders relaxed at the mention of that name.

"Ohh, so it was him, she will be fine then," and that assurance surprised her. It was the same way Finn-san and others talked about him, it was with sheer confidence, and belief. She wished to inspire such confidence and belief in herself.

"How can you say that?" Filvis-san's voice came from behind, making both Bete-san and her turn towards her.

"What do you mean, Filvis-san?" she asked, surprised that she had not seen the elf display any emotion until now.

"How can you trust him, that boy. Have you forgotten what they say about him. This all could be a ploy from him to harm Ais Wallenstein, I ref..."

"Huh!" Bete-san frowned.

"Do you have any idea what you are saying, elf?" he snarled as he looked down at Filvis-san.

"I hate that bastard a lot, but he ain't no snitch. I would keep my damned mouth shut if I were you," and with that, he walked off with a grunt.

"Be ready. We will leave in fifteen minutes," and she saw Filvis-san's fists ball up.

"Filv..." but the elf girl turned her back on her and walked away, leaving a slouching Leyfia alone with Boris-san.

"Huh. It seems she is still suspicious of him. Well, of course, she would be," Boris-san voiced out, making her frown.

"Why is that?" she asked, not knowing why Filvis-san would suspect Inumaki-san like that.

"Ohh, you don't know who she is?" he asked, and she shook her head. She knew her name, of course, but despite her various attempts to talk to her, the elf only rebuffed her.

"She is called the banshee, the cursed adventurer. And the reason she hates that grey-haired boy is because it was rumored that he was behind the false information that got her whole familia killed on the 27th floor," and she did indeed know of that tragedy, and as she connected the dots.

"Then she..."

"She has legitimate reason to hate the boy. Though I would much rather go down the dungeon with him than her," and she frowned.

"And why is that?" and he looked her in the eye.

"Because she is cursed. Because no one who has ever formed a party with her has ever made it back alive," those words made her gasp, and now her odd behavior and the various glares being sent her way made sense.

"I would be wary of her if I were you, Leyfia-chan," and so she chased after the elf girl whom she found sitting alone on the edge of a cliff.

"Filvis-san," she called out as the elf's face showed a broken expression.

"So you have finally heard," she said and there was so much pain and loss in her tone.

"Just why am I called that name?" she said as she looked at her with that face, and it broke her heart to see her like this.

"You should go and leave me alone. Leyfia. I do not wish for you to die, not because of me," and with that, the elf looked up into the sky.

"The only one who deserves to die is m...."

"Don't say that, Filvis-san!" and she spoke out instinctively as she reached for the elf and gripped her hand.

"You are not cursed, and I will not leave you!"

0000

AIS WALLENSTEIN

Ais Wallenstein had entered the dungeon to get accustomed to her upgraded status as a Level 6 adventurer and had been dealing with a small monster hoard when she had come face to face with a representative from Ouranos and was offered a mission to investigate the aberrant monster behaviour on floor 24.

Her partners for this quest were Hermes' familia, a rather small but mid-level familia led by the famous Perseus, Asfi Al Andromeda. They were not that powerful when it came to individual strength but they fought rather well as a unit. Something which could be attributed to the qualities of their captain.

"What is that?" the blue-haired girl questioned as they came upon a massive green wall enveloping a whole part of the floor. Immediately, Ais could feel the very same sensation she had felt on Riveria, a sensation that reverberated with her own beingher spiritual essence.

"It's inside," she answered as she placed her hand on the massive wall.

"What? Who?" the Hermes familia captain asked.

"The thing driving the monsters back," she said as she reached for her blade and motioned for Hermes familia to back off. They followed her advice as she activated her magic.

"Aerial!"

BOOOM!

And she thrust forward her blade, and the wall came down, or at least only a portion of it, to allow them into whatever lay hidden behind it. As they entered the area, they walked on, and she was surprised as she saw a massive pillar in the center of the dungeon, one nearly holding the roof of the dungeon, and around it, a massive plant-like creature was coiled.

"There," the blue-haired girl pointed out as her own eyes narrowed as well at the jewel in the center of the pillar.

"It's the same..." and before she could finish her sentence, the ground shook, and she watched as a hoard of those same plant-like creatures emerged from underground.

"Everyone get into..."

And then, as Hermes familia assembled, she was forced to jump in and parry the blade headed for her neck as the red-haired tamer girl appeared before her once more.

CLANG!

She was pushed back as the plant-like creatures attacked, Hermes familia, and as she tried to help them, the red-haired tamer girl came after her once more, but her attacks, which had once been too much for her, were easy enough to read and parry as Ais, locked blades with the girl.

"Where do you think you are going Aria!" the girl taunted as she watched the same greenish wall emerge and separate her from Hermes familia, as both she and the tamer girl separated once more.

Ais's grip over her blade tightened as she looked the girl in the eye.

"How do you know that name?" she asked, her heart steeled in determination to find out how the girl knew of that name.

"Aria!" she clarified.

"That is my mother's name. How do you know that?" she asked, and the red-haired girl frowned.

"Impossible. Aria cannot have a child. You lie," and at that, she appeared right before her, trying to overpower Ais, but unlike before, she brought up her blade and defended against the attack without any issue, making the girl's eyes widen.

"That air. You are not using it," she remarked as Ais answered stoically.

"Because I do not need to."

0000

ASFI AL ANDROMEDA-Captain of Hermes Familia

Lulune's little slip-up had gotten the Hermes familia involved in a rather damning situation. The guild had more or less blackmailed their Familia to investigate the abnormal monster behavior on the 24th floor. Thankfully, they had decided to provide them with support from the Kenki, but now, as her group stood separated from the infamous 'Sword Princess,' she feared that the support the Guild had sent them was not enough.

It was not nearly enough. For they were facing the very masked man that had attacked Riveria, and now he was showing his real prowess as he held her in the air by her throat as her familia lay surrounded on all sides by the Evilus members, ready to kill themselves for their cause.

It was a reminder of the great attack seven years ago when they employed similar methods.

"ASFIII!" her familia members screamed as they tried to fight through the hoard of monsters, and yet they were helpless, much like herself as she tried to remove the enemy's hands from her throat to no avail.

She was a Level 4 adventurer, and though she was not a close-range fighter, she was amongst the strongest in Orario, so for the enemy not even to budge at her power showed that he was stronger than her. Much stronger.

"You should have let the Violas eat you alive," he added with a smirk as she felt her vision blur from a lack of air, and as tears welled up in her eyes, she saw him reach for her knife as he swung it towards her.

"Gae Bolg!" she heard a whisper. Suddenly, she saw those beady eyes behind the mask narrow as she saw him try and jump, only for a red blur to move past that masked face and hit the shoulder.

"AGHH!" the man screamed in pain as he was forced to let go of her, and as she was falling down, she saw many of the violas coming after her.

She tried to reach for her items, yet the arm around her neck still stifled her breathing, and as she heard the screams of her familia members, the captain of the Hermes familia prepared herself for her death when a pair of arms wrapped around her, as she saw a greyish tuft of hair above her.

"Gospel!" she heard again and watched as the violas coming after her were torn apart she slowly landed on the ground, and the arm around her neck was torn off, forcing her to cough up.

"GUKH! GUKH!" she coughed up and took deep breaths as her vision cleared up, and she saw the face of the person who had just rescued her.

"You," she gasped, recognizing those iconic grey hair, red eyes, and those special markings around the eyes.

It was him—Orario's most infamous child—Inumaki the Silent.

"You still haven't improved your close combat abilities, Perseus," he taunted her as he gently lowered her to the floor. Her face heated up as she remembered just how he had been cradling her in his arms like a child.

She had known the boy in their youth a bit. Their relationship had grown terser after their previous captain had died at his mother's hands during the great upheaval seven years ago, and to this day, she had desired to apologize to the boy for her own part in the prejudice and hate he had suffered.

"What are you doing here," she asked, suddenly remembering their dire situation.

"I am your backup," he said as he turned away from her. And she glanced back, and saw all the violas surrounding her familia members were now gone, all of them destroyed in a matter of seconds.

She saw the masked man's silhouette step out from a cloud of smoke and dust. And as those red eyes landed on the enemy, he saw them narrow as the smile vanished from his face.

"So, I was right," he began as he raised his hand, and she watched as the only weapon nearly as famous as the boy himself flew back into his hands as the masked enemy stepped out, his mask now broken, revealing his face. The arm that he had just lost healed in front of her eyes.

"It was you, Olivas," and she was taken aback by that name until she recognized both the name and face, and indeed, he was right.

That face. It was indeed Olivas Act, an executive of Evilus thought long dead.

The man smiled as he wet his lips.

"I am honored that you recognized me, Silent," he began as the grey-haired boy got into his stance as the suicide squad surrounded the man.

"But today, your legend ends. As entertaining as it would be to see your despair as the city you so dearly protect turns to ask, I must kill you here and now, for she demands your body. For she wished to see you dead," and she saw his eyes narrow.

"Just who is this 'she' so wroth with me? Perhaps you can tell me," with that, she saw Olivas Act plunge his staff into the ground.

"VISCUM!" with that, the massive pillar in the dungeon shook as a massive monster emerged from the floor, one nearly the size of a hundred Violas, and she paled at the sight of it as Olivas's laughs filled the dungeon.

"You have come to your own grave, Silent," and with that, the boy turned towards her.

"Asfi!" he called out, and her head snapped towards him as she saw his expression turn grave.

"I need you to get your familia out of here," he said and she was taken aback by his words.

"But there are so many monsters here! Let alone Olivas Act, who is at least a level 5 adventurer, and all those evil..."

"Listen to me!" his tone turned grave, as she saw a silver hue envelope her as those red eyes focused on her.

"Get them out now. Or I can assure you all of them will die," and with that she saw him jump up, raced towards the Violas heading towards him, and used that magic—the magic of Orario's most blessed adventure.

"Talaria!" and with that, a pair of wings sprouted around her shoes as she activated one of her most prized items and flew towards her familia members.

"Everyone," she screamed as she took out her battle orbs and flung them toward the violas surrounding them.

"Retreat!

"GOSPEL!" and with that one shout, a whole line of Violas was decimated as she saw him jump towards the massive beast rushing towards him, and yet as he tried to attack the beast opened its mouth and levelled an attack and the grey-haired boy was sent flying back into the wall of the dungeon.

"We should help him!" Lulune added that as she saw the dozen or so Violas rushing after the boy, she was worried as well.

"We wo...."

"Astaraxis!" she heard him whisper. Suddenly, the grey hue covered him, and she saw him blur through the smoke as he rushed towards the Olivas act once more as he cut through a whole horde of violas in the blink of an eye.

0000

LEYFIA VERDIS

Leyfia Verdis and her group were rushing towards the 24th floor when the whole floor shook suddenly as Bete-san frowned.

"We need to hurry. There is a battle taking place here," and with that, he rushed forth, forcing her and Filvis-san to pick up the pace. as they saw a massive green cocoon in the middle of the floor, they rushed towards it only to meet a group retreating from their.

"You! You are the Hermes familia. What are you guys doing here?" Bete-san asked the blue-haired girl leading the group, and she saw her tongue clicking as she looked at them.

"You have to go. You have to go and help him," she said as Bete-san's eyes widened as he blew past them, only for her to ask.

"Who?" she asked, and the answer came quickly.

"Inumaki. The Silent," she said, and Leyfia's eyes widened as she rushed forward, following after Bete-san only to walk into an absolutely decimated land with a singular person standing there all alone, covered in head-to-toe with blood and grime as hundreds and hundreds of monsters lay dead all around him.

While he himself sat on the remains of perhaps the largest monster she had ever seen, by now, Hermes familia had followed after, and she saw their captain gasp as she saw the scenes.

"Impossible," she said.

"He defeated it," she added as she saw those eyes turn back towards them.

"You are too late."

At that moment, another person's face appeared beside him; this one was much more familiar to her, with those blonde hair and shining eyes.

"Ais-san!" she gasped as the Loki familia ace waved at her.

"Hello there, Bete, Leyfia."

0000

And on that day, Orario would learn about the reemergence of Evilus and of one of its executives, someone the people had long thought dead—Olivas Act.

And they would also learn the name of the hero who had defeated this man, and it was the very adventurer they had condemned all those years ago, Inumaki-The Silent, as the guild would go out of its way and make an official announcement regarding their quest and declare the disturbance on the 27th floor as resolved, while clearing up Inumaki the Silent's name from the allegations and rumors that had been permeating about him ever since the betrayal of his mother—Alfia, the Silence.

0000

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