The doors closed behind them with a weight that lingered longer than the sound. Freya's perfume still hung faintly in the cold air—too graceful for a place like this. Hephaestus had left nothing behind—probably because she didn't use perfume.
The room had gone quiet. Not dead—never dead—but settled.
Hestia spoke first, her voice subdued. "...So, you just refuse the invitation from three goddesses."
Luther didn't respond immediately. He stared at the place where Freya had stood, asking for blood and being offered something else entirely.
Charm. Terms. A test of wills.
He turned slowly, the hiss of servos underlining the movement. "It wasn't about them," he said.
"No?" Hestia folded her arms. "Then what was it about?"
He looked at the terminal. "It was about time," he muttered as he returned to his work.
She exhaled, tired. "You should go to sleep."
Hearing this, Luther recalled the last collapse. Deciding not to ignore his need for the rest, he nodded. "You should hurry and get to your work too, or you'll be late."
Hestia made a face at him, part scowl, part reluctant amusement. "You don't have to remind me."
Luther said nothing more. He simply turned and left for his room, the rhythmic hum of servos accompanying each step. As the door closed behind him, he collapsed onto his bed, the faint hiss of his suit's systems adjusting as his mind drifted into much-needed sleep.
---
Meanwhile, Bell and Welf descended deeper into the dungeon, their breaths heavy and their footsteps sure. They had tried to avoid the stronger monsters, but now, on the 14th floor, the tension in the air shifted. The monsters here were stronger, faster—more relentless. Had they not planned just to explore, they wouldn't have ventured this deep.
"I have a very bad feeling about this," Welf muttered, his eyes scanning the shadows. He gripped his sword tighter.
Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and a horde of monsters surged from every direction—hulking Minotaurs, towering Cyclopes, and the low, guttural growls of something even more sinister.
Bell's heart raced. Forget about defeating them—it wasn't even possible to fight one of them, let alone a horde.
Welf was knocked back, crashing into the stone floor with a grunt. Bell barely had time to react before a massive, clawed Minotaur lunged at him. He parried, but the sheer force of the attack sent him stumbling back.
"This isn't good," Bell muttered, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. They were cornered, no way out.
Just as the monsters closed in, a sharp, sudden flash of steel cut through the air. With blinding speed, a figure dropped into the fray, slashing through the monsters with expert precision.
Ais Wallenstein, the Sword Princess, moved like lightning, her sword a blur of silver. In moments, she had sliced through the horde with ease.
"Get up," Ais said, her voice calm as she extended a hand to Bell, who was still recovering from the ambush. "You can't let your guard down on this floor."
Welf quickly pulled himself to his feet, a look of awe on his face. "Sword Princess..." he muttered. "Finally, I don't have to die."
"Thank you," Bell managed to say, taking Ais's hand. He wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or guilty for being rescued.
"Stay close. I'll get you both out of here," she said, her voice steady and sure.
As they made their way back toward the surface, Ais led them through winding corridors and up familiar paths. The dungeon's oppressive atmosphere lightened the closer they got to the exit.
But as they passed the 10th floor, a sudden noise caught their attention. A sharp, mechanical whine followed by the sound of metal cutting through flesh. They turned to see a figure silhouetted against the pale light—Liliruca, her chainsword humming in the air as she skillfully decapitated a Minotaur with a brutal, precise strike.
The Minotaur's body hit the ground with a thud, and Liliruca stood over it, her expression calm but focused. In her other hand, she wielded a gun, the muzzle still smoking from the last shot.
Bell stared in awe. He couldn't believe his eyes. He had seen her in the last few days, but he didn't know she was an adventurer.
"That's one noisy sword," Welf muttered, tilting his head as he observed the chainsword's spinning teeth. "But it sure gets the job done."
Liliruca glanced at them, her eyes flicking between Bell and Ais, then gave a brief, almost casual smile. "Are you going back already?" she said while checking the chainsword.
Ais stepped forward, her expression unreadable. "Where do you get that sword?" she asked simply.
Liliruca's gaze shifted to Ais. "Why should I tell you?"
Bell, eager to explain, interjected. "It's made by Mr. Luther. He should be selling them in his shop."
Liliruca raised an eyebrow. "Bell, you've never even visited the shop, so you wouldn't know. But we don't sell this quality weapon."
"Why? Is there a problem with the weapon?" Welf asked, his blacksmith's curiosity evident. "I mean, besides being noisy, it looks like it could handle a lot of monsters quickly."
Liliruca's reply was simple, almost dismissive. "It's too good for you guys."
Without talking any father She turned and began walking away, leaving Welf to frown in confusion.
"What does she mean by 'too good for us'?" Welf asked, turning to Ais and Bell.
Ignoring Welf's complaint, Ais led them the rest of the way to the surface. Bell couldn't shake the image of Ais rescuing them and Liliruca killing Minotaurs with such ease. It felt as though he was always the one needing to be saved while others did the work.
Her mind lingered on the strange sword. For a moment, she imagined using this to scare Loki.