Perfect Dark | Danmachi

Chapter 24

This could cost us everything.

But for Aiz, it's worth it in my eyes. My heart won't calm until we've found her.

Even though everything we are encountering in the dungeon right now is tearing away at the scar from my previous adventure. I'm focusing on my breathing, trying to keep as steady as I can.

And dead, fucking silent.

We are creeping through the colosseum, holding our breaths while passing by various packs of fighting monsters. The fact that they are fighting each other to gain strength still amazes me. I want to get stronger, so I can protect everyone I love. So why do they want to get stronger?

So they can defeat us? So they can tear us away from everyone we have ever loved?

I'm having a hard time understanding the dungeon lately. Not only has the existence of Xenos made me view things differently, but I've also just been questioning, what's the point? To get stronger of course, but what do we obtain from the lower levels besides fear and terror? Death, and defeat...?

With what Hestia said the other day, is our true end game goal to defeat the one-eyed black dragon? If we can survive that, do we just live happily ever after?

Ever since being trapped in Freya's dream world, I've come to one conclusion. At the time, things were so murky, confusing and dire. I was on the verge of giving up and I was so, so very tired. But I realized something by being forced to love someone I knew I didn't...

I want a taste of what real love is supposed to feel like.

Maybe that's with Aiz. But maybe, that's with someone else. I'm not naive enough to understand that.

Freya also taught me something very important, and that is the difference between love and lust. Can I really say I love Aiz, when I know very little about her?

Regardless, if she truly will love me or not in the future, I will do anything for her. Nothing will change that.

These surface feelings are clouding my mind, hazing my eyes and heart. I've lusted after Aiz for this long, admiring her from afar. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen! From the time she saved me from the minotaur, from the training she provided me, and stopping in the middle of the city to see if I was okay. Regardless of if I was Freya familia's Bell Cranel, or a lone Hestia familia member, Aiz has always treated me the same.

Am I crazy for feeling this way?

Probably.

I pulled the cloak closer, not wanting it to blow away like it did the time before.

With all the racing thoughts going through my mind, I'm surprisingly calm. I've got a plan if things go south, and it might end in complete mind down, but if I must do it... I will.

I let out a long sigh of relief once we have passed undetected to the other side.

Aiz wasn't trapped down there, and if she was, there were no signs of her body or gear.

I'm not sure what feels worse now. Not finding her or seeing no signs of her. As much as I wanted a conclusion to my worried heart, I'm also relieved. I can take a deep breath, for now.

We press on, retracing our steps to various locations that we remember, wondering just how deep we are going to have to descend before we find any small trace of her.

And that's when it hits me.

"Ryu?" I whispered, pulling her off to the side away from everyone. Welf and Hedin are attacking the monsters in front of us, and I have full faith and trust in them both that they can handle it.

"Yes?" She leans her ear down to give me her full attention as she keeps an eye on Hedin and Welf.

"Do you think... Do you remember that room that we found, by accident?"

Ryu's eyes grew wide, but she didn't break her focus on the other two men.

"It's possible." She finally says after the monsters have evaporated into dusty crystals in front of us.

That answer was enough for me, and as much as I wanted to sprint ahead, I calmed myself and planted both feet in the ground.

"I think I know where Aiz could be." I speak loudly as Welf and Hedin head back towards us.

"You do?!" Welf has a huge smile on his face as he puts his sword away.

"What are you waiting for..." Hedin says in a low bored tone.

I was going to hold myself back from rushing away, but I have full faith they can keep up with me. Their words set my heart into motion, and without another word I sprinted off in the direction of the room I remember.

I remember the exact rock that I cut to bring Ryu and I back to the 37th floor. Maybe, just maybe, Aiz is down in this hidden oasis. There isn't any food down there, but there aren't any monsters either.

I smashed the rock with the Hestia knife, and jumped down quickly, hoping Ryu would remember the entrance, or rather exit.

I felt a burst of adrenaline hit me as soon as I saw the familiar dark blue walls. My legs were carrying me towards the oasis, my heart hanging on to hope.

As I turned the corner to the last stretch before the room ahead, I noticed blood stains on the ground. My head is confused as I hope that it is Aiz's blood. Should I be hoping that?

Rounding the corner into the room, I see them as my heart swells and sinks. Her blonde hair covered in blood, leaning on Riveria near a small fire.

"Aiz! Riveria!" I shouted so loud it hurt my own ears. Running towards them I readied a potion and tossed it over their heads, hoping I had made it in time.

Aiz was barely breathing but seemed alive.

Riveria's eyes shot open as if life had just been breathed back into her. Her soft and broken voice was quiet as I knelt closer to her. "Aiz, poison, leg."

The familiar purple poison was creeping onto her face, as it seemed Riveria had expended all her mana to try to keep it at bay. I nodded, a fire igniting in my eyes as I took out hakugen. I removed the poison spike from her leg and squeezed my eyes tight before stabbing her leg with my knife.

As if her lungs had closed and finally started to reopen, Aiz gasped for air.

I put both of my hands on her shoulders as tears welled up in my eyes, relief washing over me. She was alive, and I found her.

I handed Riveria a potion, then took the cap off another one and held it to Aiz's lips.

After the potions seemed to be working, I'm pretty sure Aiz passed out again. I scooped her up in my arms, and Riveria walked next to me using my shoulder for support as we made our way towards the secret entrance.

Looking down on the sword princess's sleeping face, I smiled wide.

We found them! We saved them! Aiz... is alive!