To All of Eternity

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Number One

Ichigo looked at the members of the Loki familia slaughtering all of the monsters before them, killing all who dare approach the strongest familia in Orario. It wasn't a display of ruthless efficiency or impeccable teamwork. It was simply that they were stronger than the opponents they slew.

Speed as fast as the wind.

Strength to crush boulders.

Skills capable enough to cut down all which stood.

It strangely brought up comparisons to captains or lieutenants of soul society reaping normal, newborn hollows. A mere formality, one that didn't require much thought or effort.

By what felt an hour or so, they reached the tail end of the 17th floor.

"Man, I wish that the whole dungeon was as easy as this," Tiona complained, yawning a bit from boredom. Her arms held themselves behind her head lazily.

"Don't get complacent, Tiona," Tione scolded lightly. "After all, if it was then all your heroes you admire wouldn't have existed."

Tiona raised an eyebrow at her sister's statement. "Well, not all heroes have their stories in the Dungeon," she corrected. "I mean, there are some pretty epic ones even before the gods descended."

Ichigo walked silently near the back of the group along with the amazons and some other unnamed members of the Loki familia party.

He looked around, his eyes taking in the plethora of diversity among the familia. Everyone was making small talk with each other, merrily or dully talking about a variety of things. They laughed, they grew irritated, and they became bored.

"Say, how long have you guys been adventuring?" he asked the sisters, drawing the attention of the two and an extra pair of ears.

Tiona and Tione looked at him with curious expressions. "Well... I think 6 years?" Tiona offered, somewhat unsure if she was right.

"5 years," Tione corrected. "We're 17 this year and we came to Orario when we were 12, remember?"

Ichigo blinked for a bit as he took a glance at a dissipating corpse of a monster as one golden-haired elf took out its core. "12, huh...?"

"How about you? When did you start training?" Tiona inquired as she kicked her feet a bit.

Ichigo thought for a moment wondering if he should give the time he was a shinigami or when he first learned how to fight. "15 was when I first used a sword," he revealed somewhat absent-mindedly, his thought now wandering to the time he practiced karate. Maybe 6 I guess...

"15? And you're 17 right now, right? So that means you have only been training for two years and you're level 3?!" Tiona exclaimed, drawing more ears to their conversation.

-

A pair of wolf ears particularly paid attention.

"Don't think of starting anything," Riveria said to Bete, taking her time to halt her conversation with Asfi. "If you want to test him, do it another time."

"Tch. He's a fucking liar! There is no way someone can grow faster than Aiz!" Bete roared in growing frustration. "He's not a fucking level 3!"

"It is none of our business," Riveria replied calmly. "Do not pry into another familia's affairs unnecessarily especially one as influential as the Hermes familia."

"Actually, why don't you let Bete do a friendly spar with our newest orange-haired companion?" Finn interceded his presence in the conversation soon followed by Gareth and Asfi. "Will you mind, Perseus?"