Chapter Text
“What are your intentions with my Riveria!?”
Sitting inside of Elias’ office, the Goddess Loki bore her gaze into the form sitting before her– the unimpressed, haphazard form somehow stylishly slumping in a throne-like chair. How Hestia managed to find such a Child was anyone’s guess, but Loki didn’t currently feel all that interested in that. Glancing towards Hestia– the Goddess of the Hearth currently fidgeting nervously in her own chair–, Loki couldn’t help but wonder if this was Fate currently trying to punish her for all those times she’d insulted Hestia…
Sighing softly as he leaned back into his chair, the Magister looked more bemused than anything else, partially aware of what Loki was insinuating, but also somewhat taken aback that she would come to such a conclusion. Was it because she was overprotective of her Children, or was it because he had unknowingly signaled his desire to court the Elven Queen? Not that he was actually interested in courting her, he simply felt that giving her something was right after all the trouble he had given her.
“I assure you Goddess Loki, I have no such intentions towards Lady Riveria– nor do I have any intentions of courting her.” Apparently his answer didn’t quite satisfy the Goddess of Trickery who now sported a contrived look– that or she was feeling constipated for some reason, it was hard to tell. “...If you’re feeling constipated, might I suggest using the bathroom?”
From gaping like a fish at his statement, to looking terribly incensed, Loki jumped to her feet– her index finger lashing out towards Elias’ direction like a King demanding his guards assault another, her voice following not long after. “I ain’t constipated, ya mangy sod! Are ya saying my Riveria ain’t good enough for ya!?” Red in the face and terribly incensed, the Goddess’ declaration took Elias– and Hestia– completely off-guard, both sharing a look of utter confusion before Elias adjusted his stance a bit, lest he fall out of his chair.
“No? I simply do not see the reason to court her quite yet… Unless you’re looking to get her married? At which point I would suggest asking one of the other Elven Royals currently in Orario.” Unless Loki was aware of the Heroic Spirits populating the Hestia Familia and wanted to secure an alliance through an arranged marriage? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d seen such tactics used after all…
Letting loose a scream of rage– and incensement– Loki proceeded to smack her hands onto Elias’ wooden desk, trying to jump over it and strangle the Magic Caster, her actions only stopped when Hestia jumped onto the Goddess of Trickery. “Lemme at him chibi! Imma rip his spleen out an feed it back ta him!”
Sensing that he had somehow offended the Goddess Loki, Elias decided on a strategic retreat before the Goddess decided to try and rip his spleen out, ducking under his desk and teleporting out of the room– the enraged scream of the Goddess echoing out into the garden below, causing the still present Elven Queen to give an irritated sigh as she made for the location of her wayward child– I mean Goddess.
With Loki currently being chewed out by Riveria– and Hestia being forced to act as witness– the courtyard was once more filled with the joyous cries of children, with most of which were busy playing some sort of mixture between tag and hide-and-seek… without much rules honestly.
As it were, Lefiya was busy trying to keep some of the less hyperactive children entertained by recounting a story– one from her own home forest. It was a tale of a Hobbit (the ancient name for the Prum people) being tasked by the Gods of Old to carry a powerful artifact all the way to an Elven Forest to see it destroyed.
Honestly it was more of a fairytale than an actual historical recounting, many Elven scholars and historians doubted its authenticity– nevermind the fact that no God had ever confirmed it, though then again the Gods confirmed very few things other than their existence– and honestly the idea that the insular, racist, Elves of old would help a Prum was laughable at best, and downright insulting at worst.
Nevertheless, it was an entertaining story and seemed to enrapture most of the children– those that hadn’t outright fallen asleep anyways– and allowed Lefiya plenty of time to observe the surrounding compound.
The Hestia Familia’s home wasn’t quite as big as the Twilight Manor, but it was more spacious in its design, seemingly prioritizing open spaces and natural spaces instead of sterile wood and stone corridors, something that greatly soothed Lefiya’s elven spirit. Some of the flowers surrounding parts of the stone pathways were also of great interest to her, mostly because she didn’t recognize them– not that that was any surprise, it wasn’t like she was some expert in botany or anything of the likes, simply that they seemed… unnatural, for lack of a better term.
It wasn’t that they were ugly, quite the contrary actually, it was instead that they were otherworldly beautiful and seemed to contain an absurd amount of Mind for their size. Plants that contained Mind weren’t exactly rare– most herbs and plants used in the creation of potions and Magic Items, especially Elven Staves, were bathed in Mind to some extent, but to see flora which contained so much of it was definitively peculiar.
“[Tempest!]”
Hearing the familiar Spell Chant, Lefiya felt her gaze– and that of the children around her– turn towards where Aiz, Filvis, Aura, Bell, and Emma were currently sparing with the carrot haired man– Ichigo he had introduced himself as. The eastern man– if his clothes were anything to go by– was currently exchanging blows with Aiz, Bell, and Emma while Aura and Filvis attempted to use their Spells to corner him. Not that it was working.
Even sheathed in her wind, Aiz could barely weather the man’s blows– his enormous cleaver battering her like a twig in a storm, while the khyber knife kept Bell and Emma at bay. Both weapons had been wrapped in some sort of cloth– apparently supposed to keep the blades from cutting anyone.
“Too weak! You’re used to being faster than anyone you fight! That won’t work on me though!” Ichigo roared, sending a devastating kick to the Sword Princess’ stomach before– in a move that surprised everyone watching– throwing his cleaver at Filvis and Aura, forcing the two Magic Casters to jump away from the makeshift projectile– its impact with the ground sending up a cloud of dust and shaking the whole of the courtyard– and sending a punch towards Aiz, blue lines spreading down the length of his limb as he made impact with the shield of wind Aiz had tried to make by compressing her [Ariel].
To no avail as Ichigo’s punch tore through it and landed directly into Aiz’s solar plexus, knocking the wind out of her and signalling the end of this impromptu training session as none of the combatants felt any desire to be on the receiving end of such a blow.
“Ahhh~ Welp, that’s that. Ya know, for someone using a rapier, you sure do fight like you’re using a broadsword.” The Substitute Shinigami remarked as he bent down and helped Aiz back to her feet, his inquisitive gaze observing the Sword Princess’ sword. “If you’re gonna keep fighting like that, I’d suggest getting a proper broadsword– or at least learning how to fight using one.”
Before Aiz could make her thoughts known– her breathing still ragged from having her breath knocked out of her– Elysia’s voice pierced through the silence, the exuberant Miss Pink Elf waving towards everyone as she projected her voice loudly. “Food’s ready everyone! Eat while it's hot!”
The declaration of food caused the previously sleeping children– and those lethargically dozing off– to suddenly awaken, before sprinting towards their guardian with gusto at the prospect of food.
Not that anyone could blame them given that even the grown ups were swiftly approaching the tables set by Elysia and Arlecchino– the ex-Harbinger being busy organizing the plates and handing them over while Elysia distributed them to the hungry children.
“Thanks for the food Father! Big Sis Ely!” The children chorused, much to the confusion of the non-Hestia Familiar Members, who looked towards the sole men currently present, causing Bell and Ichigo to frantically shake their heads, gesturing towards Arlecchino who was busy gently reminding some of the children to eat slowly and not talk with their mouth full.
Lefiya– and unbeknownst to her, Filvis, Aura, and Aiz– felt her gaze dip below the neckline towards the ex-Harbinger’s ample bust, before glancing at her own modest bust.
“...I see.” She muttered, unaware that this feeling of inadequacy was shared by the other women, who all seemed to slump over in defeat at the woman who, for some odd reason, desired to be called ‘Father’ of all things!
It didn’t take very long for the food to be devoured– not with Ichigo, Aiz, and the children voraciously consuming everything in their general vicinity–, nor did it take very long for Arlecchino to coax the children back inside for their afternoon nap, leaving the rest of the grown ups to their own devices.
Lefiya thus took the opportunity to go and find Primo– who had left earlier to go and practice [Zoltraak] at the target range Elias had set up on the other side of the courtyard. With Filvis and Aura leaving with their God, and Emma and Bell following after Ichigo for some after meal exercise, Aiz was left woefully undefended from Elysia’s exuberant love.
Hence why the Sword Princess was currently trying very hard to avoid being caught in another of Elysia’s hugs– for as warm as they felt, she couldn’t help but feel some ominous foreboding sensation that such a hug would leave her unable to move for the next few hours.
How dreadful.
“Mouuuu~ Come on Aiz! Just a hug! One tiny hug! Please!” Undeterred by the cold shoulder she was receiving, Elysia instead seemed spurred on by it, the Herrscher of Origin floating along after the skulking blonde teenager. “I’ll even give you this Jagamarukun in exchange!”
Stiffening up as she caught scent of her favorite snack, Aiz slowly turned towards the smug looking Elysia who was currently holding up a fresh– and thus very hot– Jagamarukun, the potato snack almost gleaming in the sunlight, beckoning Aiz towards certain doom. This- How could it be that Elysia knew Aiz’ one weakness!?
Had she been betrayed by someone!? (Distantly, Lefiya received a concerned look from Primo when the former started sneezing something fierce.)
No! She would be strong! She would not be swayed by such tactics! Even if that Jagamarukun looked delicious and freshly cooked!
“Mouuu~ Alright then, how about five Jagamarukun then?” Undeterred by Aiz’ slowly crumbling spirit of resistance, Elysia reached into… somewhere, and retrieved four more Jagamarukun, each still piping hot and ready to be devoured.
Feeling her resistance fade, Aiz unleashed a monumental amount of mental strength and wrenched her gaze away from the bribe– trying to avoid looking at temptation– She would not falter! Her spirit was strong! Her mind was strong!
“Mouuu, final offer then! Thirty Jagamarukun!”
She would not falter!
She faltered.
That was the only thing running through Aiz’ mind as she nibbled at her– deliciously traitorous– Jagamarukun, Elysia’s arms wrapped around her in a hug. It was no use, Aiz Wallenstein could not defeat the foe that was her stomach.
Thoroughly defeated, Aiz couldn’t help but feel a mixture of success and defeat permeate through her. On the one hand– Jagamarukun!-- but on the other hand…
She was now a prisoner of Elysia’s hugs, however warm and comforting they were.
“Come on~ It’s not so bad, is it?” Utterly unrepentant of her use of such a dirty, dirty tactic, Elysia was all smiles as she gently coaxed the Sword Princess into a lap pillow, the younger girl somehow continuing to vigorously nibble at her snack despite being horizontal and laying on the Herrscher’s lap. “The weather’s good and the garden is beautiful! Come on~ Give me a smile~”
Undeterred by Elysia’s words, Aiz continued to pout as she laid there, though she could admit that the weather was quite good. Not too hot, but also not too cold or windy. The perfect weather to be with family… The same weather that permeated her last peaceful memories of her parents…
She could remember it like it was yesterday, the last time she and her parents had been able to have a peaceful moment. The weather had been just like this– perfect– with the chirping of birds, the scent of fresh grass, and the shade of a tree. Then the Dragon had appeared, that vile creature had appeared and had ripped her family apart, killing her parents and–
“Shhhh~ There’s no need for that, sweet child.” Before she could spiral further into the black flame of hatred, Aiz felt the gentle touch of Elysia’s hand– the Herrscher soothingly running her fingers through the blonde teenager’s hair, her voice soft and comforting. “You are safe here, sweet child. Just enjoy the moment of peace, in this beautiful world we all share.”
Suddenly feeling her eyelids grow heavy, Aiz wondered if she really was this tired from a simple– but highly vigorous– spar, or maybe it was just the weather making her sleepy. In whichever case, she found no reasons not to indulge in a small nap– just a bit, then she would go back to training, to getting stronger…
“Shhh~ There’s no need to rush– all in due time, sweet child.” Humming softly, Elysia laced her voice with Honkai Energy– or Mind in this case– her soothing voice coaxing Aiz into a dreamless slumber. “Hmm~ A little song might help~ That’s what Eden used to do for Griseo…”
Humming slightly– a slight giggle escaping her lips when she felt the temperature adjust slightly, the soft murmur of instruments echoing out to follow her voice. That Elias– he really couldn’t be honest, could he?
Still, it would be a shame to let such a moment pass her– especially because she could tell that she would have some backup vocals for this one–
“ Some deserts on this planet were oceans once
Somewhere shrouded by the night, the sun will shine
Sometimes I see a dying bird fall to the ground
But it used to fly so high-
I thought I were no more than a bystander
Till I felt a touch so real
I will no longer be a transient
When I see smiles with tears
If I have never known the sore of farewell and pain of sacrifices
What else should I engrave on my mind?
Frozen into icy rocks, that's how it starts (That's how it starts)
Crumbled like the sands of time, that's how it ends (That's how it ends)
Every page of tragedy is thrown away (Is thrown away)
Burned out in the flame
A shoulder for the past
Let out the cries imprisoned for so long
A pair of wings for me at this moment
To soar above this world
Turn into a shooting star that briefly shines but warms up every heart
May all the beauty be blessed
May all the beauty be blessed
(I will never go)
(There's a way back home)
(Brighter than tomorrow and yesterday)
(May all the beauty be blessed)
Wave good-bye to the past
When hope and faith have grown so strong and sound
(Have grown so strong and sound)
Unfold this pair of wings for me again
To soar above this world
(To soar above this world)
Turned into a moon that always tells the warmth and brightness of the sun
(Brightness of the sun)
May all the beauty be blessed
May all the beauty be blessed. ”
Sat comfortably in a courtyard built by people of different stripes and different times, from different worlds and different aspirations, Elysia couldn’t help but giggle as she thought about it properly. To think that a simple wish for family had brought them all here, it was almost poetic–
Running her fingers gently through Aiz’ hair, the blonde teenager finally asleep, Elysia glanced up towards the sky where the Sun glowed brightly above.
“For all that is beautiful in this world– that is why I fight, to preserve this.”
‘ For all that is beautiful in this world, huh? Well, it’s not the craziest thing I’ve ever done. Hahahah… ’
To think that this was how she had convinced Elias to join the Flame-Chasers so long ago…
Descending into his workshop– after he had toyed a bit with the temperature outside for Elysia– Elias allowed a small smile to cross his lips as he heard the Herrscher of Origin’s voice carry across the whole compound.
For all that is beautiful in this world– that is the dream she fought for, the flame she chased, and the legacy she passed on to the next generation.
“It’s a pretty song, isn’t it, Revinus.” Fully stepping into his side of the basement he shared with Morgan– and now Herta, the MoonCancer Servant having claimed her own area in the shared space–, Elias glanced fully onto the brooding form sat before him. Bare of visible restraints, the Creature known as Revis shot him a glare from her spot on the floor.
It might seem foolish to allow a prisoner so much freedom in his own workshop– especially since it wasn’t like he kept most of his things locked up– but that was only to the uninitiated eye. Despite lacking visible restraints, Revis’ actions were quite limited in the grand scheme of things. From being unable to cause too much noise, to being forbidden from climbing up to the main floor, Revis was a prisoner tantalizingly kept close to freedom. Heck, the door to the basement wasn’t even locked, if only she could do away with his Enchantment.
“So, enough brooding. I have a job for you, if you’re willing.” Not even bothering to glance back at her, Elias moved towards his desk where a set of Potions, Antidotes, and other miscellaneous Magic Items had been carefully packaged inside of a [Portable Crate] – a crate whose size was incongruent with its inside, allowing it to store more things than should be possible. Not quite as useful as something like a [Sealing Scroll], but definitively less eyecatching.
“Tch, like you’d let me refuse.” Crossing her arms, yet rising from the floor either way, Revis made precious little attempts to either attack the Magister or argue against his offer. Despite her words, Revis couldn’t say she didn’t miss the thrill of combat and that the opportunity to be back in the Dungeon killing things wasn’t appealing to her. Especially since that voice was no longer tormenting her “What is it.”
Giving an amused smile, Elias gestured towards the crate and its contents. “Ozen’s waiting on a delivery of materials. Normally I’d handle it myself, or ask Minato, but Ozen specifically requested you since you can apparently Tame Monsters.” Rummaging around his drawers as he spoke, Elias pulled out a flask of some strange pink-ish liquid, handing it over to Revis. “Drink this, it’ll change your body back into an Elf, in case you run into someone.”
Quirking an eyebrow at the strange potion, but not all that interested in knowing how the man knew she’d been an Elf before– or why he had a potion that could turn someone into an Elf– Revis uncorked the bottle and downed it in one go, a sensation not unlike that of plunging directly into a hot bath permeating through her body as her formerly Human-Creature biology reconfigured into that of an Elf-Creature hybrid instead– or whatever the heck she was now that Elias had severed her connection with the Corrupted Spirit.
Clenching and unclenching her hands experimentally and jumping a bit on the tip of her toes to try and get a feel for her new physique, she couldn’t help but wonder if her current appearance was due to her own– recovered– memories of her original appearance, or because of Elias’ potion… Best not to think about it.
“Here, since you don’t have a weapon anymore. Unless you’d rather something else.” Grabbing the boardsword Elias held out towards her, Revis gave a few experimental swings before attaching the sheath at her waist.
“I don’t care. Whether it’s a sword, a dagger, or my bare hand.” Was her blunt reply as she adjusted the broadsword’s position at her hip. “Anything else I should know, or am I just free to do whatever?”
Giving a shrug, Elias simply gave her the [Portable Crate] and a pack filled with supplies. “Once you get to the Seeker Camp, you’re free to do whatever. So long as you don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself. The pack has a few High Potions and a [Teleportation Scroll] that’ll get you back here if you need it. Other than that, I’ll contact you if I need you for something else.”
With his bit said, Elias gave a flourish of his wrist as a portal straight into the depths of the Dungeon’s 1st Floor opened before them, the hole in space delimited only by the angry orange border surrounding it.
Scoffing a bit at how loose Elias’ instructions were, Revis nonetheless gave a nod as she stepped through the portal, part of her wondering if he was limited to the 1st Floor only, or if he was just sandbagging some more. Oh well, more fun for her.
Glancing over to where Revis had been standing moments before, Elias turned his attention over to his newest experiment– a Magic Sword that he had purchased from Hephaestus currently laying on his desk, ready to be analyzed.
At least, until he got a call from Minato–
It was official, Herta hated this entire world and its nonsensical game-like mechanics. Not because it was game-like, no matter what that brat Silver Wolf and that Trailblazer thought, Herta was aware of what games were and even occasionally dabbled whenever the fancy took her.
No, what she truly hated about this ‘Dungeon’ was just how much it felt like her Simulated Universe!... Okay, so not really, because not only would that imply that her Simulated Universe was a game, but it would also imply that it was so badly made that the monsters it spawned could be killed by other monsters for no apparent reasons.
In the few days that had passed since her Summoning, MoonCancer Class Servant Herta had spent much of her time researching everything and anything to do with the Dungeon– which mostly involved trying to puzzle out useful information out of the Guild Issued Books, while asking the other members of her Familia (ugh, what a strange term, it sounded almost sentimental , ugh) about their experiences within said Dungeon.
To put it simply, the information she acquired from the Guild Books was useless, and the information she got out of her fellow Heroic Spirits was either woefully useless– mostly because they either didn’t care about understanding the Dungeon or hadn’t bothered to delve into it at all– or because they themselves had no concrete answers. Hence why Herta was actually partaking in some Dungeon Diving of her own here and now, accompanied by the equally new Heroic Spirit of the Arbitrator– Jeanne d’Arc– and the Heroic Spirit of Assassination– Minato Namikaze– acting as their guide.
They weren’t that deep yet, having only barely reached the 20th Floor– out of what, nobody seemed to know much to Herta’s continued irritation– which was apparently part of what was known as the ‘Large Tree Labyrinth’ spanning the 19th Floor all the way to the 24th Floor. Typically quite dangerous for even middling Level 2 Adventurers to navigate, it was triflingly easy for the trio of Heroic Spirits to get to– and not solely because they kept running the whole way through.
As it were, Herta felt quite annoyed with how nonsensical this entire place was. First a cave-like layout, then a giant tree of all things, and now a forest. What the heck!? And the creatures that populated it too, all unoptimized. For something that supposedly hated humanity and wanted to kill them deader than dead, this Dungeon was doing quite a poor job at it.
Unless the Dungeon’s hatred wasn’t due to the Dungeon itself, but something within it? No, that couldn’t be it, or else the Monsters spawned from it wouldn’t have an ingrained hatred to mortal life. But then why such inefficient designs, why not just flood the upper floors with High-Class Monsters instead of jobbers? Or was it that the Dungeon was some sort of trial?
Too many questions, and yet too few answers. All that Herta could conclude, for now, was that the Dungeon was some sort of dimensional anomaly that distorted space the deeper into it one went– its current estimate 70 something floors would put the Dungeon somewhere into the mantle of the planet, which would make it nigh-impossible to keep such a location from collapsing from tectonic activities, especially since apparently part of the Dungeon extended all the way to a place called ‘Melen’, which was located at least three kilometers away from Orario.
How exactly the Dungeon was warping space was currently a mystery to Herta– and the other Magic Casters of the Hestia Familia– but that wouldn’t hold for very long!
“You said these are ‘Magic Stones’, right?” Holding up a Magic Stone she had just ripped out of a Wyvern through use of her Magic, Herta glanced over to Minato– the Fourth Hokage giving a nod as he threw one of his specialty kunai at a Firebird, killing it instantly from a blow through the eye– “Hm, interesting.”
Pocketing the stone, Herta watched as Jeanne somersaulted over a gaggle of Bugbear– her battle standard twirling around her form to skewer a pair of Gun Libellula that had gotten too close to her– before landing right atop one of the Bugbears, a twist of her heels ripping its head off, with its companions joining it soon after as Jeanne ax-kicked the rest of the Bugbear in one sweeping motion, before finishing her massacre by throwing her polearm at another Wyvern– the high speed projectile, propelled by Jeanne’s B Ranked Strength, skewering the dragonkin straight through.
“It certainly is interesting. To think the Gods haven’t done much to remedy this thought…” Huffing a bit as she retrieved her flag, the Maid of Orléans couldn’t help but feel as if the Gods were too busy squabbling amongst themselves instead of trying to deal with the Dungeon. Then again, perhaps their squabbling was what kept the Dungeon from overwhelming the surface– you never knew with Deities after all. “I don’t think I’m comfortable sending children to war…”
Giving a sheepish smile, especially when Jeanne gave him the stink eye– she knew the Fourth Hokage had trained his fair share of child soldiers– Minato rubbed the back of his neck as a [Shadow Clone] sealed up any Magic Stone or Drop Item they had acquired. “Come now, it could be worse. According to Lady Hestia, the olden days were practically unlivable.”
Scoffing at his diplomatic words, Herta nevertheless kept her own thoughts to herself– for once– as she instead busied herself with examining the corpse of the Wyvern Jeanne had killed. According to what she knew, the corpse would remain until its Magic Stone was removed, which put into question why Drop Items existed to begin with.
Waving her keystaff towards the carcass, the Genius ripped out several scales from the beast before taking its Magic Stone and– just as expected– the entire body gave a ‘poof’ like noise and vanished into dust, even the scales she had removed from it. This was… not quite puzzling, more so vexing. She theorized that the reason behind this had to do with ‘Mana’, with the Monsters being powered by Mana, it stood to reason that once their source of Mana was removed, they would dissipate back to dust… whatever this ‘dust’ was.
Why Monster Parts that had been removed didn’t just turn to dust once they were removed and instead only turned to dust once their originator was killed was a mystery. Did that mean that she could collect samples so long as she kept its donor alive? Something to test later. But what about Drop Items? Elias had theorized that Drop Items manifested when a certain part of a Monster absorbed enough Mana to remain after death– which would explain a few things– but did that mean it was possible to force Monsters to create Drop Items by concentrating their Mana into a singular point?
And what about Monster Breeding? Because apparently Surface Monsters didn’t turn to dust when their meager Magic Stone was removed, you just had a body!
Arg! This place sucks! Nothing is consistent! It’s almost like some badly made video game!
Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Instantly putting the trio of Servants on guard, Minato was the first to spot the location where a nascent Monster would erupt– the sound familiar to him after so many dives into the Dungeon– only this time instead of some horrendous error of nature manifesting, it was a… little girl?
Quirking an eyebrow– and glancing over to Jeanne and Herta to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, only to see their own bewildered gazes locked onto the girl– Minato took a few moments to observe her as she seemingly awoke from some deep slumber.
On closer inspection, the girl seemed to possess some characteristics reminiscent of a snake– or a dragon– with scales covering parts of her body, long claws, slitted eyes, and elfin ears– not to mention the blue skin and even blue-er hair– it was obvious that the girl wasn’t a human (nevermind the fact that they had just watched her ‘hatch’ out of the Dungeon’s wall like a regular monster).
And yet, something was different with her. For one, her eyes weren’t glowing the typical reddish glow that Monsters exhibited– which Elias and Morgan theorized was the part of the Dungeon’s method of controlling them, or at least exhibiting its control over them–, and for two she looked more lost than anything else.
Unsurprisingly, it was Jeanne who moved first, approaching the blue child cautiously, yet without ill-intent, her voice soft yet loud enough to be heard. “Hello, are you… are you a Monster?”
Cringing slightly at how heartless her question sounded, Jeanne– and the duo behind her– were shocked when the blue child turned to look at them, her gaze full of child-like wonder and fear, before she nodded slowly, shyly even.
“I- I see. Do you know where we are?” Again, the child seemed to understand Jeanne as she shook her head sideways, but did not seem to be interested in becoming hostile even when Jeanne continued to approach her. “That’s… Alright then, do you have a name?”
While Jeanne was busy trying to play 20 Questions with the blue monster child, Minato and Herta were busy trying to make heads or tails of the situation– which mostly meant that Herta was trying to wrangle some information out of the hapless Fourth Hokage.
“I thought you said that Monsters couldn’t understand human language?” The Genius asked, her gaze more of a glare as she took frantic notes on a notepad she pulled from somewhere. “She’s obviously not a normal Monster, but why? Is it because we were here? No, that can’t be it. If it were that simple, you guys would’ve encountered one before.” Muttering to herself as she glanced between Jeanne and the blue child, Minato took the opportunity to shuffle a few paces back and pull out a crystal ball Elias had given him– apparently a method of long distance communication.
Channeling a bit of Chakra into the orb, the Fourth Hokage was surprised as the device blinked a few times– once, then twice, then thrice– and then Elias’ face appeared on it.
“Minato? Is something-” “Enough about this! Elias! Make us a portal back up! I need my equipment”
Before either men could get more than a few words in, Herta loudly declared her intentions, glaring at Minato and Elias as if daring them to deny her this chance at experimentation, before turning her gaze towards Jeanne and the blue child, intent on wrangling the child back up to the surface for some tests.
“...I see.” He did not, in fact, see. But that was fine. “Welp, I guess you can explain once you’re back up to the surface?” Glancing towards the sheepish Minato, Elias released a sigh as he manifested a portal on their coordinate– both men sharing an exasperated sigh when Herta, having just wrangled the child with the help of Jeanne (more to say that Jeanne had coaxed the child into following them, with Herta smugly leading the charge back to the surface).
“Yeah, it’s a story… You might want to get Morgan and Lady Hestia too while we get back. It’s… something.”