233 Motivation of the one from below

Yup, it sure took me a while, but here is it.

This chapter was not as big as I wanted it to be, but cutting it into pieces didn't quite go well with me either, even then, I can always make up for its size in the next chapter.

I feel like I should've added at least one more interaction to it.

That's about it, peace.

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/Below, in the Dungeon…/

/CRUSH!.../

/CRACK!.../

/ROAR!/

'A tall muscular beast swung a distorted piece of metal that could not be called a weapon, cracking a monster's skull with a single swing as bits of flesh and gore were scattered around the place…'

/SPLAT!/

'It showed no remorse as it did so, given by the many bodies behind it.'

'Each, just like this one, received only one swing, one attack, no effort.'

'They all died without even giving it the time to break a single droplet of sweat.'

'As another it knew would say, "All bark, no..." whatever it said.'

"Huff..."

'How boring.' It thought as it turned its head around, seeking another foe

'Looking around, the creature saw a maze of walls whose end could not be seen.'

'The once dark and gray walls were now painted red, with a few decorative pieces hanging on them...'

'Plunged into darkness, the creature's eyes shined like beacons, attracting more monsters to it just like boats in the sea.'

/Silence.../

'Or so it should, because this time, no one came.'

'It was all alone.'

/Gaze…/

'Taking this momentary peace, the creature looked at its 'weapon', the now useless chunk of battered material.'

'Was it an axe before? A Hammer? A Greatsword?... It didn't matter, because now, it looked like a distorted rod.'

'It had used it so much… Split so many monsters… Gutted them, broked them, slashed them… That it had now turned into an equally broken piece of iron.'

/Grin…/

'But instead of anger and disappointment, the creature smiled.'

'It was ready now.'

/Clang…/

'So, like many other times before, the creature threw its broken weapon on the ground, unraveling something from a piece of cloth on its back.'

'It was a purely white and blue spear that when moved in the air, seemed to irradiate cold as the air condensed around its tip, creating a small white cloud that followed its path.'

'Forged of unknown materials by a skilled smith, the creature withheld its hold of this weapon as it did not feel worthy of it.'

'To be worthy of this weapon, the creature fought again and again and… Again.'

'It broke an entire mountain of weapons, and pilled an even higher mountain of corpses.'

'And now, after so much bloodshed, it felt ready to unravel it.'

'It wasn't solely a matter of strength, it was also a matter of conviction.'

'The creature believed that focus and determination were both necessary to achieve something greater than itself, it had experienced such a moment in the past...'

'A past that felt distant now...'

'After slaying thousands, its mind was now clear, its motives were now defined, its will... Shaped.'

'And now, it felt ready of wielding this Masterpiece.'

'Though… That in itself was questionable, as the creature could not prove the quality of the weapon… Nor did it understand the intricacies of such.'

'It could only go by the words of those it knew, which weren't many...'

'But for it, that was enough.'

'The creature could feel the Spear, from the way it felt on its massive hands to the way it cut the air…'

'This is it.' It thought as its eyes sparkled in the dark

'A weapon that shall clash with his.'

'It felt extremely proud, no... For the first time, it understood what the word meant.'

'Indeed, there was still a lot to learn and discover.'

/Step…/

'The creature turned around, stepping into the darkness once more.'

'But that wasn't the way up.'

'Because it was time to find a worthy opponent for testing its armament.'

'It knew of more fearsome foes below, monsters that could make even the strongest above tremble...'

'It would overpower them all, and when it was done, then it would rise.'

'With everything it had, with sharpness, precision, knowledge… Power.'

'That was how it was taught, and that would be how it would defeat the one that made it who it was.'

'To turn its foes into its strength, devour their essence and make it his.'

'Once that was completed… It would rise.'

'And nothing would stand in its way...'

"Huff… Huff…"

"Grr…"

'But before it could make its way deeper, it heard a strange noise.'

'It wasn't the sound of a monster's breathing… Those were usually rough, filled with bestial brutality.'

'It was the sound of something smaller, something more… Compact, clear.'

'The breathing of a creature that calculated its own breath.'

"Huff…?"

'However, it knew what that sound was, as it hasn't been the first time it heard it, nevertheless, it was a strange noise it didn't hear every day.'

'It was the sound that was produced when air passed through two tiny holes at high speeds, and it was commonly produced by a certain type of weird creature…'

'One it did not understand very well.'

/Unsheat!/

'That's right, a creature very much like him… Even if it refused to say so.'

'A beast that slaughtered in the tens of thousands, a beast that hunted its own kind… For whatever reasons, often for sport...'

'A beast that hunted, then proceeded to pursue ideological goals, lying to itself so it could justify its thirst for genocide.'

'Because to it, "justice" was honorable, and honor was prestige.'

'Prestige was power, and the latter equated to wealth.'

'And all of that combined was... Justice.'

'An excuse for the law of the Jungle, it preferred more intricate terms to differentiate itself from the other beasts it slaughtered.'

'It made it feel good and proud, because, in its own logic, it was in the right to do.'

'The biggest monster of them all, because it did not have the courage to face its own ugly side, contending to hunt those it deemed uglier them themselves…'

'... For whatever reasons they held at the moment.'

'They now faced, here, in the depths of a dark place...'

'What a strange place to meet, no?'

/Step step step.../

"Heeeey… Hum? What's that… UH! HUH?!?!"

"What's a minotaur doing all the way in the Deep Floors?!" Another one of these strange creatures said as it ran, arriving from deeper down in the darkness

"..."

'Ah… Floors… The Deep Floors, I remember now, that was what they called it.' The creature thought to itself as it observed its enemies

'There were currently two, but there were two more in tow, it could hear them, it could smell them, from their heartbeat to the clinging sounds of their clothes.'

'A golden-haired humanoid and two dark-haired ones with an unusual skin coloration, followed by another golden-haired one.'

'But the last one was different, its ears were a bit sharper, its hair color was a tad darker, and its eyes screamed of immaturity and something else it didn't quite understand…'

'Was it ambition?' It thought

'The creature could not tell.'

"Does it matter why? Although… Yeah..."

"Doesn't it look a bit weird?" The other dark-haired one spoke in an oddly rude tone, it reminded the creature of a certain gargoyle…

/Huff!/

'And to that, the creature displayed its full teeth as it "smiled" widely, finding this all that amusing.'

'It tried to remember, what was the name of this emotion?...'

'But the creature's actions only drew wariness from the group of adventurers.'

"Is it… Smiling? Oi! Something is strange with that Minotaur!"

"You don't say… As if a dark-skinned Minotaur wasn't strange enough…"

"Let's see... White fur, and a single white horn as well… And what is that weapon that it's wielding? I've never seen a Nature weapon that defined."

"It almost looks like… An adventurer weapon." The sharp-eared person said as her own tiny eyes sharpened

"..."

'When she said that, all of their eyes sharpened simultaneously, it seemed they had all arrived at an answer, although it didn't seem positive.'

'After all, the other possibility was simply impossible...'

'Though, whatever their answer was, the creature did not care.'

/Turn around…/

'After taking a look at this unusual group, it turned around and left.'

'It had already fought many of their kind, but none posed a threat, nor was it worth it.'

'They possessed no Magic Stones and their weapons were often out of proportion for it to use... If they lasted long enough for it to be able to use them.'

'If they were not strong and powerful enough, then all the effort spent in them would go to waste, and it had no time for that.'

'It did not enjoy to fight these small creatures, at least Monsters, regardless of their strength and size had a certain brutality it could not look away from.'

'These tiny creatures, however, would flee whenever something bad happened.'

'They did not possess the will to stand to the end, or the courage to let their enemies go to face them another time.'

'Simply put, not worth it.'

'It knew there were strong ones out there, powerful warriors with the power to make its blood boil, but these ones were not them, at least, they didn't feel like it.'

'So instead of wasting time and potentially causing problems beyond its scope, it chose to leave…'

/FWOOSH!/

"!"

'But suddenly, from its left and under a blind spot, one of the dark-haired Humans appeared, slashing its large dual sword at the creature from below!'

/Huff!/

'The beast puffed a strong wave of cold wind in annoyance when it saw that.'

'Even if these tiny creatures had decided to challenge it, then at the very least, they should've taken it…'

'Seriously.'

/SMACK!/

"GAH!!"

""?!""

/FWOSH!/

/SMASH!/

""TIONA!"" The other three exclaimed at the same time as they rushed ahead

'To their utmost surprise, the weird Minotaur moved its right arm sideways, hitting Tiona square in the chest before she even had the chance to react, sending her flying like a cannonball to the walls of the cavern.'

'Brutal and efficient.'

'It wasn't even possible to see her body, that as how deep she had been buried into the rocks.'

'Each of the three of them had different expressions as they saw it all happen, surprise, anger, wrath, confusion... But their thoughts were all similar:'

'They would crush this fucking monster!'

…

/At the same time…/

"..."

'Ah yes… Exactly the same.'

'Every single time, the result was always... The same.'

'One would charge, underestimating its power due to its appearance, followed by them being crushed under its fist.'

'And then finally, they would scream their names in 'righteous' anger as they charged right after.'

'Was it not enough that it did not want to fight?' The creature thought to itself as it saw the 3 warriors from above run towards it

/Crack…/

"Hm?"

'But in an even greater bout of surprise… The Humanoid female it had just squashed into the wall surged from within the rubble, touching her head in a display of annoyance.'

"..."

'Seeing this, the creature's eyes opened wide, it was the first time this had ever happened.'

'A strange feeling surged within its chest, something it couldn't quite explain...'

'Yes, it had understood... Happiness and Surprise.'

'It was happy to be proven wrong, to have learned something new, to have found an opponent worth fighting.'

'So it raised its spear slightly, it wasn't by much, but this was its fighting stance, or better put, observing stance.'

'It had deemed them as foes.'

'Before striking, the hunter observed...'

"Ouch! That hurt!" The lady exclaimed as she pulled her head out of the wall, shaking her head in the air as she removed the dust from her hair

"Tiona!" Her sister exclaimed as she approached her, standing in front of her

/Fwoosh/ x2

'At the same time, Ais and Lefiya appeared, creating a triangle formation with Tiona in the middle and the wall on their backs.'

'They were now all watching this strange monster that by now, they had all assumed to be an Irregular.'

'And a pretty strong one.'

"Are you okay?" Tione asked as she took a side glance at her

"Huh? I'm fine, a bit sore in the arms... Hey!! Don't look at me like that!"

'Looking at the silent Minotaur in front of it, Tiona said "It's fast… Super fast! If I hadn't lifted Urga on time… That would've certainly hurt!... Like, a lot!" while she inspected her blade.'

/THUD!/

'It looked pretty fine, so she let out a sigh of relief as she took a step forward, this time, it was heavy and full of determination.'

"So! It seems we've gotten ourselves a big one!" She said with a smile as she rested Urga on her back

"Don't try to change the subject, next time, don't fucking rush ahead you darned idiot!" Her sister complained as she looked at Tiona fiercely, unconsciously letting her accent out

'Whenever her anger took to her head, Tione's hidden accent and way of speaking would surface, and if it was appearing now, it meant she had received quite the shock.'

'This made Tiona sober up, it didn't feel good to make her sister worry like that.'

'Though...'

/Whistle…/

'Tiona whistled as she looked away, despite everything, they were still sisters.'

'And with that, it seemed the conversion had ended…'

'But not the tension.'

"..."

'While all of that happened, Ais was caught in a starring context with the beast in front of her, trying to figure out its weaknesses.'

A minotaur? All the way in the Deep Floors?

I thought they weren't supposed to be able to move like this?...

Enhanced Species?... No, too strong for that.

'She shook her head.'

Doesn't matter, a monster is a monster, and in this case, when things make no sense and are way outside of the norm… We call it Irregulars.

'She started studying its strength based on what they saw.'

Speed… Very fast.

It struck Tiona with enough speed to barely give her enough time to react... Level 6?

And it didn't seem like that was it all.

Strength… Plenty. Tiona was sent crashing against the way with such force she cleaved a large hole in it.

The stone of the Deep floors isn't so easy to break, much less to this degree.

Only Gareth can do it without much effort like that... Albeit comparing this monster to him is a bit...

But… Why is it looking at us like that?

'The Minotaur never moved from its spot, it was simply watching them from afar, menacingly holding its Spear with its tip pointing down.'

'Its position and patterns were a bit strange, nothing she had ever encountered before.'

There are many strange things about this situation…

The monsters' bodies on the ground… The broken weapons… The way they all died.

We thought there were adventurers here, so we followed to see if anyone needed rescue…

But were those… Pieces of scrap metal... This monster's... Weapons?

'Ais came with an absurd theory, shaking her head as she refocused.'

Whatever it is, it's a monster.

And all monsters deserve death.

There'll be plenty of time to think after it's dead.

And if it's truly an irregular, then it's our job to kill it now, before it grows out of proportion.

To have reached this far from the Middle Floors, this Minotaur must be quite old.

Every once in a while such Irregulars are discovered, it's not that uncommon.

Though it's my first time seeing one so far from his original birthing floor.

'Irregulars would often pop here and there, and they would quickly grow beyond their respective species.'

'This Minotaur was a clear example of how dangerous they could be.'

'It had killed a large number of Deep floor monsters, and given its strength, it had already reached Level 6 Status.'

'It had to be exterminated, now.'

'The moment she thought of that, her eyes changed, and the Minotaur saw that.'

/Huff/

'It puffed a turbid stream of cold air, freezing the ground beneath its foot and covering it with a thin layer of ice.'

'When that happened, the Minotaur looked at Ais with a deep gaze, making her own pupils contract as her expression went ashen…'

'Because… She felt as if this monster had just… It understood what she wanted to do.'

'And it was mocking her!'

/Clench…/

'She clenched her grasp on her rapier, she couldn't be angrier.'

'Something was strange, very strange, but she did not care…'

/Wind… Sha sha…!/

'As chaotic wind started revolving around her, she met his cold gaze, giving it one of her own.'

Whatever is happening… I don't care.

This monster's life... I'll end it now.

"Tempest." Ais chanted as she pointed her sword forward

/Fwoosh fwoosh!/

'The wind went berserk, but under her control, it flowed into a controlled stream, revolving around her body and weapon.'

"!..."

'Lefiya saw Ais' expression and nodded to herself, not saying much.'

'For several months, she had changed her mindset and started working towards a goal... A goal of becoming someone worth trusting.'

'Of being a backline one could believe in!'

/Chant~.../

'She took a step back and started to chant, while the twins marched forward.'

/Clang!/

'And it was at this moment the Minotaur raised its Spear, smashing the bottom of it against the ground.'

/Grin/

'And it grinned.'

'Because these strange beings in front of it weren't as weak as the others before…'

'It seemed… It would be having some fun.'

'So it pointed its Spear forward and waited.'

'A standoff between an unknown monster and a group of Elite adventurers!'

…

/BOOOM!/

'The silence was broken when Tiona, once again, charged forward with her Urga in hand as the ground beneath her shattered into pieces.'

"You'll not get the best of me this time!" She screamed as she sidestepped to the side, giving space for her sister to run next to her

/FWOOSH!/

/SLASH!/

'One on the right, one on the left, a large slash, and a small one made to the monster's sides!'

/CLANG!/

""!""

'But against their expectations, the Minotaur blocked their combined attack by positioning its spear sideways, deflecting their attacks with a flick of its wrist.'

'Effortlessly.'

/Step step…/

'Tione and Tiona eventually retreated to the backline, confusion plastered on their faces.'

"... Elf Ring!" Lefiya exclaimed as she finished her chant, creating a brilliant ring of white light around her body

'She had finished her preparations, it was time to shine!'

/Chant~.../

'So she started to chant while everyone continued their fight...'

"Something's wrong!" Tiona said as she scratched her head

"No shit!..." Her sister replied as her expression grew a bit red

"It doesn't wield the spear in the same way other monsters do, it's like… I'm fighting Captain for the lack of a better term and the disgust it brings me to say that."

"But most of all… Why is it still there?" She asked as a strange feeling grew in her stomach

'Indeed, despite their clear aggression, the Monster only stared at them from afar.'

'As if…'

'From their eyes, the figure of their Captain, Finn, interlocked with this monster.'

'Its actions were just like his during a sparring session.'

'It deemed the difference in Skill between them to be too great for it to even have the need to move.'

'This sentence seemed impossible to conceive when the target was a monster, but it just felt so fitting.'

'Even so, when they thought of this, it made them all extremely angry!'

'A monster, of all things... How dare it undermine them!'

"I'll go this time." Ais said as she got into a stance, her rapier in front of her body, right in the middle of her eyesight

""We'll cover you!"" They all said in unison as they got into position

"... Huff…"

'It was at that moment, the creature took in a deep breath as it also understood the fight was about to start.'

/ROAAAAAAAAAAR!/

/TREMBLE!/

""?!""

'Its powerful scream made the entire floor tremble, with the stone on the ground moving as if an Earthquake had been summoned.'

'Each of them felt the pressure of this monster in a different way.'

'The twins grabbed their ears, feeling the pain of such a loud roar next to them, almost falling to their knees.'

'Ais fell slightly, using her sword to keep standing, going out of her position momentarily as her eyes trembled.'

'Because of this feeling… It was something she felt before.'

'Yes, its skin color, it was an unusual one but not something she wasn't aware of.'

'A Black variant, the rarest of them all... And also the deadliest.'

'It was famed due to a single creature... The Black Dragon.'

'It defined the horror of said monsters, whenever one appeared, disaster followed.'

'As for the last one…'

/Thud…/

"Lefiya?!"

'Lefiya fell face first into the cold hard ground of the Dungeon.'

'And to this, the beast in front of them seemed to smile once more, it's meaning too clear for them…'

'The weak did not deserve to fight it.'

"Ais! Something is…"

/CRACK!/

/SMASH!/

""AIS!!!""

The moment Tiona opened her mouth to voice her own opinion of the situation, she momentarily took Ais' attention from the beast in front of her.

And in this infinitesimal moment, the Minotaur charged forward, vanishing from their vision with its extreme speed, slamming its fists, each the size of a person's head, into her torso!

The next moment, Ais vanished, and the sound of wind rampaging by their ears rang as the Golden-haired swordswoman flew by them, crashing against the Dungeon's walls just like Tiona did before…

The sound of metal and stone breaking resounded soon after, or at least, this was what they wanted to believe.

Because what else would break apart from that?... They did not wish to think about it!

"SHIT! TIONA!" Her sister exclaimed, immediately realizing the seriousness of the situation

"ON IT!"

/FWOOSH!/

'They immediately made the best decision, retreat.'

'Tiona grabbed Lefiya on the ground while Tione went to grab Ais…'

"... Rafaga…"

/BOOOM!/

'But from the wall behind her, Ais burst forth with a powerful explosion as wind surrounded her body like a barrier of light, bleeding slightly from her forehead as she pierced forward with her rapier, passing right by the stunned Tione as she flew like a comet!'

"ROAR!"

'The Minotaur welcomed her eagerly, using its spear to welcome its opponent!'

/Shine…/

'The tip of the Spear shone in blue light, powerful magic gathering within…'

""!!!"" 'And they all realized, that was no ordinary Spear...'

"IT'S A DAMN MAGIC..." Tione exclaimed as she rushed to her sister...

'But the impact was eminent.'

/BANG!/

'The clash of their blades was such that the ground around them shattered by the shock wave!'

'One side of the cavern was blown by the wind, the other, encased within a thick layer of ice!'

"?!"

My wind… Was dispersed?!

'But the one most shocked by this event was the swordswoman herself.'

'The Wind that always protected her… It had been completely and utterly crushed.'

'Her warm barrier was broken, all within a single attack… And it wasn't solely by the power of the Magic Weapon.'

"!"

"ROAR!"

'But now wasn't the time to be shocked, the fight was well underway.'

'With a powerful scream, the Minotaur pushed all of the mist around its body away as it rushed forward once more.'

/CLANG!/

"URG!"

'The Minotaur swung the spear down, and Ais blocked it by putting her sword sideways.'

'The force behind the swing created a 10 M wide crater behind her foot, causing the webbings between her fingers to split open as her legs trembled under the massive weight of its attack.'

"AIS! WE GOTTA GO!" Tione exclaimed from the back as she looked at the situation

/HUFF!/

'Looking at the beast in front of her, its clear eyes staring right down at her Soul, Ais understood that, if they stood here any longer, they would die.'

'It wounded her pride greatly, but life came first, this she already knew... She was forced to.'

'This beast had proven to be stronger, faster, and just as skilled as them in combat during the short bouts they had.'

'It was like facing one of the Top Executives… But with the intent to kill.'

'They couldn't remain here any longer, they had to escape, but how?!'

"ROAR!"

/SMASH!/

'Seeing that his opponent was having second thoughts, the Minotaur angrily swiped its leg at Ais', sending her tumbling down in shock as her legs were grabbed by the Monster's hands!'

'Feeling the coldness bearing into her bones, Ais screamed in desperation:'

"TEMPEST AVENGER!"

/BURST!/

"!"

'For the first time since the start of this fight, the Minotaur's eyes grew wary as it let go of her foot, taking a few steps back as he witnessed Ais' transformation.'

/SHUAAA!/

'Blackish wind had taken over the entirety of the cavern, moving in circles like a tornado with Ais as the center, tearing down everything around her as her expression grew tense with anger and bloodlust.'

'Ais drew her sword once more.'

"..."

'But the Minotaur, instead of thrilled, felt… Offended.'

"You…" It said in a coarse tone as it raised its spear in defiance

""?!?!?!""

'The moment she heard the beast speak, Ais' momentum was thrown out of the window as her eyes started to tremble, her courageous persona shattered under the weight of this revelation.'

'Tione and Tiona were too far away to hear it, or see what was happening.'

'Midway through their fight, they had retreated in order to protect Lefiya, witnessing the fight from afar as they believed nothing could stop Ais outburst.'

"Are not… Worthy." The monster continued, looking at her in anger

"..."

'Ais took a step back.'

"Consumed by wrath, the black flames of your past ravage your Soul and Mind, your blade is not yours to wield anymore."

"You are no warrior, you're worse than these beasts."

"!!!"

'Ais took another step back, her expression ashen.'

'The Monster… Spoke true?!'

'The words she did not wish to hear… Not from him, not from anyone!'

"For how long… Will you humiliate yourself?" The Minotaur asked as its spear dug onto the ground

"!"

"I've been looking… Observing."

"The way you moved and acted as you confronted me."

"What is that you're thinking about so much? What is that prevents you from being true to yourself?"

"What is the thing that… Limits your blade?"

/Gasp!.../

'Ais started breathing heavily, she couldn't take this.'

'The sight of the black-skinned monster as it looked down on her from above started distorting her eyes, twisting into something she did not wish to remember.'

"It seems not even you know…"

"No, you ignore it?... Is that your way of coping with your fears?"

"How weak."

'But it then stopped, thinking.'

'Ais, on the other hand, was having a mental breakdown.'

"AHHHHHH!" She screamed as she clutched onto her head, causing the wind to become even stronger

"Ais?! What is happening over there?!" Tiona asked with concern as they slowly woke up Lefiya

...

'In the center of black typhoon, she fell onto the ground, clutching onto her blade as she clawed at her own head, trying to keep her thoughts to herself.'

"How odd, to think it would take a monster to say that."

"You know what he's talking about, and we know he's right." A gentle voice resounded 'behind' her

'From within the wind, a small girl wearing a cute pink childish dress appeared, she had golden hair, but her eyes were dark and heavy, like the center of a deadly storm.'

"To think a monster would point out the darkness within you, and not those you believe in."

"... Shut it…"

"How long will you narrow your heart, seal it away… In ice?"

"We'll never move forward like this, was the choice you made, all those years ago, truly the correct one?"

"To cast away your emotions, to grab the sword for yourself?"

"At this rate…"

"I… Had no choice, I need to fight!"

"Did you truly? Even if so, you have one now... No, you were given plenty of choices."

"For how long will you believe otherwise?…"

"Shut it… Shut up… Shut up, Shut up, Shut up… SHUT UP!" Ais screamed with everything she had as the wind around her burst ever strongly

"Nizel!" Ais chanted as her wind grew in intensity, covering her blade in ominous black wind

/Crack…/

'The chaotic wind twisted at the ends of the blade, its violent and uncontrolled power was like a rabid dog, wanting to attack everything, even its owner.'

'As the edges of her indestructible blade chipped away, Ais ran forward as her anger overwhelmed her mind.'

'Black streaks of fire started to corrode her flesh and blade, charring away everything around her.'

"Hate that burns all, even oneself... How weak." The Minotaur exclaimed as its right foot cleaved into the ground

Who controls who in this situation?

'For the first time in the entire fight, the Minotaur got into a fighting stance.'

'Silently staring forward, the Minotaur's horn shone in brilliant light as it pierced forward together with its weapon.'

/ROAAAAAR!/

'With a mighty roar, the white cold Spear and the black burning Sword met.'

/BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!/

…

/Crack…/

"Ais?... Ais?"

'Not long after their clash, the twins unburied themselves from the rubble caused by the cave's collapse, coughing as they cleared the dust from their lungs.'

'They looked around in desperation, thinking of the worse…'

/Move…/

"AIS!"

'When from beneath a rock, Ais' hand popped up awkwardly.'

/PULL!/

'Tione pulled the girl from the ground, and upon doing so, the two met with a very dispirited Ais who was now holding a half-broken weapon.'

'But she didn't seem upset per se, she was more like… Disgruntled.'

"Are you okay!?" The spirited Tiona asked as she looked around, holding onto Ais cheeks as she shook her head around

"What about the weird Minotaur?"

"..."

'Being remembered of her foe, Ais' expression turned grim.'

"It… Spared me." She said as her eyes went dark

""WHAT?!""

…

/At the same time, on the other side of the collapsed cavern…/

'The Minotaur looked at the rubble in front of it with its arms crossed.'

'It was pondering over something…'

'If it should leave its foes alive.'

'The pile of rubble in front of it wasn't even being considered in its equations.'

"..."

'Its expression wasn't pretty though…'

'If they leave like this, then everyone would know about it… But if they don't, then wouldn't it be a pity?!'

'The swordswoman it had just fought, was clearly not in its right state of mind.'

'It wanted to fight with her again when she was clear of her own motivations and goals.'

'The other two were okay, while the last one… It didn't even remember of its presence.'

'But what gave it the right to put the existence of its companions in jeopardy?'

"... Responsability." The Minotaur uttered as it realized something new

'Yes, it would take responsibility for its own actions.'

'So after a long sequence of rough thoughts, it turned around to leave.'

'It came to the conclusion that, even if they survive, everything would come okay.'

'As in the end, they would bring back allies, warriors that would likely be as strong, if not stronger than them!'

'And wasn't that exactly what it wanted?'

'It longed for the battles on the surface, but with these Humans, couldn't it achieve what it desired the most while limiting the dangers for those around it?'

'Yes… If it couldn't reach those above…'

'Then it would bring them down to where it was!'

'As long as they were all focused on it, then those it cared about would be fine.'

'Indeed this was its hidden desire.'

/Grin/

'It grinned in expectation, its horn shining in weak light.'

"Hm…"

'But before all of that, it had to resolve the problem it was faced with.'

'It had no idea on how to go back now that its path had been blocked, and if it were to break the stone, wouldn't it just force his opponents to charge at him and die like all the others?!'

'It didn't want that.'

/Growl…/

'So it growled in displeasure, taking a step into the dark.'

'It would figure things out from there…'

…

.

.

.

Notes

I've been developing Ais slowly, and you'd be as surprised as me that this chapter came the way it did.

I wanted to start writing about the Xenos' POV, but we somehow got this, somehow, I myself am unsure of how these chapters come to be.

I hope it was entertaining, I really just wanted to jump straight to a massive time skip, but I can't without showing some POVs.

Like... What will the Loki Familia do? They surely have some concerns about some things, albeit I already kind of set up what they'll do, I do have a way as to how I'm going to limit Silver's interactions with everyone.

Hopefully, it makes into the next chapter.

That was all, adios!