Tsubaki had already run away with Welf held across her shoulder like a sack of potatoes by the time Ais clashed with Ottar.
Welf protested and tried to squirm around. But was knocked on his head by Tsubaki, making him see stars.
"Don't blame me Welf... We were here to save your friend. Not to go against the 'King' and die." Tsubaki whispered to herself while scurrying away faster.
Ouka and Chigusa were the first ones to skedaddle the moment everyone else started to run. With Ouka carrying Mikoto forcefully like Tsubaki.
"Ouka... Let go! We have to save Bell-dono!" Mikoto screamed while punching Ouka in the back. Wanting him to let her go.
"Mikoto... We're here to help Bell... Not to get ourselves killed." Chigusa tried to reason with her.
"And we can't afford to offend the Freya Familia, our Takemikazuchi Familia would be driven out of Orario if we did." Ouka continued for Chigusa while running as fast as his legs could move.
"Bu-But..." Mikoto protested in a stubborn tone.
Ouka and Chigusa however ignored her protests from there.
Naaza was following just behind the Takemikazuchi Familia with her dog tail tucked between her legs. She was merely a little Chienthrope, how could she go against the 'King'?
Hermes and Asfi had already separated from others after entering Rivira.
Hence... No one among them helped Bell when it mattered.
As the saying goes,
Only those who stay with you when the sky falls are worthy of sharing the view when you reach the summit.
...
..
.
Ryuu reached the fainted Bell. Her hand reaching froward to check his pulse.
"He's-He's alive..." The elf said with a shaky voice. Her hands trembling from barley controlled relief.
"Let's take him away from here, Ryuu. Come on, carry him. Quick." Goddess Astraea reached them a moment later and spoke hurriedly while glancing back at the fight ongoing between Ais and Ottar.
"Yes, Goddess." Ryuu quickly composed herself and pulled up Bell in a princess carry. Bell's weight being as light as a feather for the elf.
If only Bell was awake. He would've cried in indignation while asking.
'Why do you all women have a thing for princess carrying me? I should be the one to princess carry other girls... not the other way around.'
Ryuu ran with Bell in a princess carry. Goddess Astraea behind her.
...
Ottar was supressing Ais quite casually without even using his skills. The distance between a Level 7 and Level 5 adventurer was an enormous chasm that not even [Ariel] could close.
The boaz swung his sword. His sword tore through air as the structures surrounding him quaked from the mere vibrations of his swing.
BOOM!
Desperate met the swing. Surrounded by a hurricane of compressed wind.
Clack. Crackle.
Ais was pushed back without suspense in the clash. With Ottar not even being shaken by her.
The boaz was about to continue when he saw Ryuu and Goddess Astraea trying to run away with Bell in his peripheral vision.
"Enough. I don't have time to play around now, Sword Princess." The 'King' spoke calmly. A serious expression slowly appearing on his face.
The boaz did not hold back as he did a simple upwards swing.
BOOOOOOM!
But... the result of that swing was anything but simple.
The ground was split in two from his position all the way to the very ends of the street they were fighting in. Dust and debris raining everywhere.
Ais was flung two streets away in the aftermath.
Ottar ignored everything else and threw his sword towards the running Ryuu and Bell from a considerable distance.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Continuous sonic booms were heard as his sword tore through Mach 5. Reaching Bell's shoulder a moment later. However... Ryuu sensing danger, put her back between the sword and Bell in a split second.
Squelch.
The sword plunged into her back without any mercy.
Muscles were shredded. Ribs broke. Blood splashed.
Ottar did not want to hurt Ryuu. Since she was someone close to his Goddess. But who knew she would jump in between Bell and the sword herself.
Bell's pinky finger twitched the moment Ryuu was impaled. While his fainted form was thrown out of her grip due to the unbearable pain of being impaled.
Goddess Astraea's face flashed with horror as a pained scream tore out from the now impaled Ryuu.
"AHHHHHH..."
Twitch.
"H-Hold on Ryuu... We'll get you to a healer soon. Just hold on for a bit." Goddess Astraea spoke with a pained expression while trying to hold the elf's wounds to stop excessive blood loss.
.
Ottar walked up to the fainted Bell while Goddess Astraea was trying to save Ryuu. His hand moving to grab Bell first.
Twitch.
"Child of Freya... Enough." Those words were simple. Yet they plunged Ottar—a Level 7 adventurer—into the icy depths of hell.
The boaz turned his gaze towards Goddess Astraea. She was looking at him with no expression. Her eyes blank. Her hands still holding Ryuu's wounds to prevent blood loss.
Yet, the pressure in her gaze was something else. The gaze of a divinity.
Unshackled. Unsuppressed. Real.
Yes... She had let go of her carefully controlled godly pressure at this moment.
Her godly presence was something else. It felt as if a eye had silently opened in the sky. Looking down on anything and everything with an impartial gaze.
Only existing to deliver justice for all beings suffering in the world.
Almost all of that pressure was focused solely on the 'King'.
Yet... The dungeon's response to even that was visceral and extreme.
It hated divinity. It loathed the divine. It wanted to end them all.
And now that it had felt that very presence.
It would not let it go.
No matter what.
The whole 18th floor started to shake and quake from it's very foundations...
...
..
.
17th floor of the dungeon.
The Big Wall of Grief.
ROOOOAR!
A monstrous roar resounded across the floor. A black coloured irregular Goliath forcefully wrenched itself free from the wall.
It's gaze transcended floors to land on Goddess Astraea. Pure hatred burned in the monster's eyes.
It wanted her gone.
No... It wanted all of them gone.
...
..
.
Ottar was frozen under divine pressure when Ais flashed to his sides. Lunging at him.
"[Lil Rafaga]." Her chant made winds compress around her. Her parameters skyrocketing as she dragged him away without a regard for injuries.
Ottar had to use all of his strength to protect himself from her charge. Both of them passed through countless walls, obstacles and streets. Crashing straight into the Loki Familia's camp just outside of Rivira.
Crash.
Tiona was shaken when someone crashed into their camp. But the moment she saw a bloodied Ais. She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Ais!!! Protect her!"
The whole Loki Familia mobilised at her scream. Gareth and Bete were the first to react. Flashing forward to surround Ottar from the sides. Finn quickly came out of his tent with a spear resting on his back. His voice resounding across the camp.
"Be careful... It's the 'King'."
Riveria and Lefiya walked out of a single tent. Their staffs already casting spells. Tiona and Tione flashed at Ais' sides. Their weapons pointed at the boaz.
The Loki Familia surrounded the strongest adventurer in a moment.
Someone had touched their Familia member. And now he would bleed, even if he was the 'King' himself.
BOOOM! Crash! Slap!
Intense sounds of fighting started to resound across the Loki Familia's camp a moment later.
...
..
.
"Ryuu... hold on... I'll pull this sword out. You have to hold on." Goddess Astraea spoke with bloodied hands. Her grip tightening across the sword. As she pulled it out of her back in one swift motion.
Swish. Spurt.
"AHHHHHH..." A scream rumbled from Ryuu's throat as she fell to the ground. Blood flowing unimpeded from her wounds now.
Twitch.
"G-Goddess... Leave me be... Take Bell and get away from here quickly. Ottar can come back anytime." Ryuu spoke as blood spurted from her mouth. Weakness spreading across her body. Life slowly seeping out of her.
The incessant shaking of the dungeon increased in the background.
"No, Ryuu... I'm your Goddess. I can't leave you behind." Goddess Astraea spoke with a choke. Tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.
Before Ryuu could reply. A roar resounded from close to Rivira.
ROOOOOAR!
It was here.
The roar came from a monster. With a large body that reached twelve meters and thick black skin. It was closing in on Rivira with hurried steps. As if it's archenemy was there.
Irregular Goliath. A peak level 5 monster.
Goddess Astraea looked at the monster closing in on Rivira. Her face paling in response.
Twitch.
Three of Bell's fingers twitched forcefully. Unnoticed by them.
She took a shaky breath and supported Ryuu to stand up and reach Bell. After coming close, she pulled the unconscious Bell up into her hands.
Goddess Astraea hugged both of her children. One bleeding to death. Other unconscious. Her eyes shook with reluctance. But were soon firmed with a mother's protective instinct.
The only way she could think of to save her children was to unseal her [Arcanum] and kill that monster before being banished back to heaven.
Goddess Astraea looked at her Familia children one last time fondly before her hand, the one cradling Ryuu, slowly rose up to point at the Goliath.
Just as she was about to unseal her [Arcanum].
Bell's hand jerked up to push down her outstretched hand.
Goddess Astraea was shocked. Her gaze moving towards Bell's face.
That was the moment he opened his closed eyes.
But what greeted the world were not those bright red eyes as always.
The eyes which used to shine like rubies were abyssal black now, with no distinction between the sclera and pupils.
Indifferent to existence. Disregarding life and death. Uncaring of everything.
Those were the only words that could describe those eyes.
[Asura Soul Reaping] was divided into three parts. [Soul Reap], [Abyss Submersion] and [Asura].
[Abyss Submersion] was pulling someone else's soul into the abyss to meet the Asura.
[Soul Reap] was feeding souls to the Asura inside him to get a temporary boost in strength.
And...[Asura] was letting this Asura inside him come out to play.
Since the world pushed him so far...
Was the world also ready to bear the consequences?
There is a very fine line between love and hate.
Was his indifference hate...or love?
Only those abyssal eyes knew.