Danmachi IF - What if Alfia survived

Chapter 9 -Disturbance in the Daedalus street, despair, aspiration

"Haa...Haa... "Bell was running desperately on an empty street.

His foot is swollen, and his breathing is ragged. Fear was painted clearly that even kids would notice that this boy was scared and never been this scared in his life.

Not so far behind them, a silverback is chasing them with an angry face.

Bell and Artemis were going through the Colosseum when they couldn't locate Syr. Artemis suggested that she may not be in the Colosseum. So now they were wandering aimlessly on the town since neither of them knew anything about it.

"Sorry goddess, I make you accompany me...." Bell said with an apologetic tone

"It's okay, Bell, I don't mind, but Bell.."

"Hmm? What's wrong, goddess?"

"I don't want to say this, but... is this Syr is someone you can trust?"

Artemis hesitated for a while before continuing, unsure whether she should say this or not. She knew it would upset Bell, but if she remained silent, it could harm Bell eventually. She resolved herself and stared solemnly into Bell's eyes,

"Goddess?...what do you mean?"

"I know what I'm saying is unfair, but I'm still gonna say it, Bell, this is just a goddess hunch, but Syr is a dangerous person."

"But Goddess, Syr is jus-"

Before Bell could continue, he was stopped by a monster's toar.

A silverback emerged from the Colosseum.

The unexpected sight of a silverback caused fear among the spectators, who fled the colosseum. It took a glance around and fixed its gaze on Bell and Artemis.

"Eh, goddess, is that monster looking at us?" Bell pointing at the silverback that was hanging on the colosseum wall.

"No way, Bell! Run!"

The silverback who saw that roared and jumped to chase them.

"W-Woah, that monster is chasing us, goddess!

"Keep running, Bell!"

They ran left and right, attempting to shake the monster, but it kept reappear in front of Bell and Artemis as if the monster know where they're going.

Both of them attempted to throw the monster off by going via a tiny tunnel, but when they emerged from the passage, they found themselves on the street with strange buildings that were almost merging with each other.

"This place... Daedalus street!?"

Alfia and Eina taught Bell that Daedalus Street is a labyrinth in Orario. It was a maze where it was rumored that if someone entered it, they would never find their way out. Because the neighborhood had been renovated many times, it had become a complicated residential street.

They were about to change their course, but the silverback was already behind them.

"There's no choice but to go! Let's hide at Daedalus street Bell!"

As soon as they arrived, the residents in the neighborhood saw a silverback pursuing them. The color in their faces changed, cries reverberated throughout the whole street, and the entire area became deserted.

They keep running through the maze-like street in the hope of shaking the monster away. Still, as if it was futile, the silverback launches a surprise attack by jumping from above at them. Bell was blown by the shockwave.