Perfect Dark | Danmachi

Chapter 17

Dear shame, are you forever?

I've been hiding from her. I'm doing my best to avoid going anywhere I know she might be, and that includes my front doorstep.

I don't know if she heard me, and I can't confirm that until I suck it up and finally meet with her. But there is something holding me back, and this time it isn't because I'm not strong enough.

I'm scared. Scared of what I might do if Aiz felt the same way about me. I also have such a screwed-up outlook on love after Freya, would I even be able to get close to her without flinching?

It would be different, right?

What if Aiz feels, like I did with Freya? Has no interest in me? What if my feelings are completely one sided?

My brain is exploding with negative thoughts, and the only thing I can think of to take my mind off it is exploring the dungeon.

Out of breath from running across the courtyard, I'm pounding on Welf's shop like a mad man. This realization came quickly, but I know no matter what, he will understand.

"Bell?" Welf answered the door, pulling the bandana from his forehead to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Help. Me." I melted into the doorframe, showing every bit of emotion I was feeling.

Welf just laughed and set his hammer down, slowly helping me to the small stool he had set up next to the desk.

"... Is this about a girl?"

How did he know? Of course he knew. This isn't the first time I've come to him about this very same girl. My face was twisting into all sorts of confused and painful expressions, before Welf finally bent down and smacked my face.

"Snap out of it! This is about that wallenwhatits- oh for the love of god, dammit Hestia! Aiz, right?"

I sheepishly nodded before putting a hand to my now red cheek. "I uh..." I began and shook my head before smacking my own cheek. "I told her that I love her... During Freya's charm..."

"Shit, this might be more complicated than I thought." Welf continued to laugh, before he put his hands on my shoulders. "So, you want to go in the dungeon now, right? So you can keep yourself busy?"

I nodded and smiled, holding my thumb up.

Welf put a hand over his face, but it couldn't hide his smile. "You are going to have to confront her someday, you know that right?"

My lips twisted up into an anxious smile as I nodded my head. "Some...day."

Welf held his hand out as an invitation, helping me up from the stool. "You are convincing Hestia, not me."

"...deal."

火

After begging on my hands and knees to Hestia, she finally agreed to let us go. I'm sure she shares the same fear I do, but I was going stir crazy.

I hadn't left the house in a week.

I haven't been in the dungeon in almost two months.

She had one stipulation, and that was we bring Lili.

It felt like old times almost, as we reached the 17th floor. Lili, Welf and I together once again. There was a time that I thought I would never be able to do this with them again.

Minotaur's. We had passed safely up until this point, and we finally came to a halt. The three of us had been breezing through floors easily, but we were reaching a point where we wouldn't have enough potions to continue.

"Should we turn back?" Lili asked, knowing that our odds weren't good.

I turned around to face them, fire burning in my eyes.

"Guys..."

They looked at each other, then back at me with their brows raised.

"I want... I want to try my new skill." I announced, pulling the greatsword from my back. "But, if I do... You might be stuck carrying me."

They sighed, knowing that this was the only way I would leave here with something else on my mind other than Aiz. Giving up, they crossed their arms and agreed. "Go ahead." Welf smiled, excitement behind his expression to see his new creation in action.

I slowly began to walk forwards, staring the minotaur's in the eyes. I know I could probably take down the minotaur's without using my new skill. But after Hestia's explanation, I really wanted to find out what would happen with the incantation.

I held the greatsword with both hands above me and shouted, "Eternal Flame."

The greatsword's rune activated, sending a shot of lightning around the cutting edge of the blade. My body erupted in flames as I invited the inferno in.

Keeping my distance, I held the greatsword up and did two consecutive slashes while calling out the incantation. "......Rend!"

Two slashes of flames came from the blade and connected in midair, before hitting the targets. On impact, the monsters were set ablaze.

Embers floated and danced around me as I used the last bit of my agility to jump from minotaur to minotaur, changing between using rend and heavy strikes from the new sword.

When all the monsters combusted and dropped stones, I finally kicked off from the wall and flew through the air to land next to Welf and Lili. Feeling every bit alive, I was enraged with excitement at the new skill.

There was something I needed to ask Welf, but my time was almost out. Just as I opened my mouth to ask him, the flames died, and I dropped to the ground with a loud thud.

Mind. Down.