The Journey Begins in DanMachi

In the corner of her vision, stained red, Ais locked eyes with a girl, and she could almost smell the scent of apples.

...She understood.

Deep within Ais's inner world, the clarity that had always stood in opposition to the black flames of hatred was completely ignited.

Like a summer breeze soaring through the sky, it surged and expanded, meticulously painting every scene hidden beneath the gloom.

It was the emerald eyes of Riveria when she scolded her, the warmth felt when Loki teased her, the praise received while training with Finn, and the rough, low voice of Gareth teaching her how to maintain her weapons...

Ais's heart, which she thought contained nothing but hatred, had actually been filled long ago with other things she could not ignore—the time and memories spent with those by her side.

She understood, she realized, it was all clear now.

Never before had the girl been so certain of the mission and meaning of her own birth.

Her heart was still filled with hatred, but this hatred was born from the destruction and theft of those precious to her.

She would hate, she would swing her sword, she would fight—but it was to ensure that those precious to her would never again be harmed, taken, or destroyed.

Not the other way around!

"Awaken—"

Just a moment before the flames unleashed their power, Ais whispered those words.

The next instant.

The magic residing within Ais was liberated.

Wind.

Wind began to blow through the air.

The clear air swirled and spun, transforming into a swift gale formed of magic.

It caressed her skin and stirred her long hair, bringing a cool, pleasant sensation, yet its shrill whistling sent shivers down the spine.

The moment she felt the wind wrap around her, Ais knew: this was the Spirit Wind, the wind of protection, her mother's wind!

Her father's sword and her mother's wind had never left her side.

She was never alone!

"BOOM!!"

An earth-shattering explosion erupted, a giant spark appearing in mid-air as the scorching heat wave formed a lethal shockwave that surged outward!

But standing in its way was a wall of wind that rose up like a storm!

No matter how the fire dragon roared, trying to bring pain to the world, it was bound by the powerful, clear currents of air, ultimately being completely annihilated amidst its unwilling screams.

When Riveria arrived, she saw Ais standing amidst the blood-soaked ground, leaning on her sword, her body wreathed in a surging breeze that stirred her golden hair as she stared blankly at the sky.

"Ais..."

The girl turned her head, looking at the Elf Royalty with golden eyes brimming with tears, a clear smile appearing on her face that carried a hint of sorrow.

"Riveria, I... I was never alone..."

"...Of course you weren't!"

With a helpless sigh, Riveria stepped forward and pulled the young girl into her embrace.

In a distant corner, Oliwas watched the scene, biting his lip until it bled.

"Next time, I'll make you all pay!"

However, a hand slowly rested on his shoulder.

"I don't think you need to wait for next time."

"Huh?! Who the hell are you? Tired of living, daring to mess with me—"

The foul-mouthed Oliwas let out a shriek like a strangled duck the moment he locked eyes with a pair of deep blue pupils.

And the smile shifted to Noah's face.

72 Toying with the Elf

"I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick."

In the rocky tunnel leading to the surface, Noah carried Ryu on his back, slowly climbing upward.

After resolving the curse through the exchange of bodily fluids and blood-sucking, which created a resonance of magic circuits between them, Noah began the journey back with Ryu.

His intuition told him that the Dark Faction was likely launching some kind of operation on the surface as well.

However, Ryu had been exhausted before entering the Dungeon, and after several fierce battles and sustaining heavy injuries, she could barely walk, tripping over flat ground every two steps.

So, Noah had no choice but to carry her to the surface.

What Noah didn't know, however, was that the reason for Ryu's tripping had little to do with physical weakness—at least, that wasn't the main reason.

I, I actually, in a moment of madness, threw away my first kiss!

Ryu, who had buried her head deep into the boy's back, was now almost ignoring the strange sensation of being supported by those powerful palms against her hips and thighs.

Because the slight swelling still lingering on her lips, and the tingling, faint pain on her neck, were like silent rebukes of her shamelessness, radiating a powerful sense of presence.

You've been bitten on the neck, you've been in a compromising position, so why are you acting innocent now?!

That was to heal!

--Heal? Does healing require kissing? Does it require sticking out your tongue? You're so good at arguing, did the Great Sacred Tree teach you that?

ba yi si jiu ling san qi jiu ba

Th-this, that was also unavoidable, after all, at that time it was too, too...

--Too comfortable? I think your true nature is showing! You always act so righteous and high and mighty, but in private, you're such a frivolous and debauched elf!

No, I'm not!

In a state of extreme self-loathing, with thoughts of 'I want to die, I want to die,' Ryu heard the first words Noah had spoken since leaving the eighteenth floor.

Driven by curiosity, Ryu forgot her emotions.

She raised her head, resting on Noah's shoulder, her sky-blue eyes looking at his profile.

Or rather, she was forcibly diverting her attention to forget her emotions.

"A loss?"

"Yeah, you worked so hard to save someone, only to lose your first kiss. Isn't that a loss?"

Ryu's eyes suddenly widened with a "Ha!" as she straightened up on Noah's back.

"Are you kidding me? Losing my first kiss to you is a loss? And if it's your first kiss, isn't it mine too?"

Noah turned his head, his gaze sweeping overtly over Ryu's chest, revealing a complex look that was hard to describe as pity or disdain.

"Mmm, if you don't think it's a loss, then it's not."

Hearing the sigh in Noah's voice, Ryu's reason instantly collapsed, darkness and killing intent welling up in her eyes.

As the saying goes, lies don't hurt, truth is the sharpest knife.

If Noah had said Ryu wasn't beautiful, or pointed out any other physical flaws, the elf would have scoffed.

But, it was her chest...

I'm still young!!

At thirteen or fourteen, elves are still children! They're little girls!!

What expectations do you have for a thirteen or fourteen-year-old elf girl?!

But just as Ryu's reason reached its limit and was about to explode, Noah's voice came again.

"More importantly, you don't like me, and you won't be with me. Isn't giving your first kiss to me a waste?"

Noah had once told Ais that he couldn't imagine spending his life with any woman.

But that wasn't entirely true; Noah had no concept of women as a species.

While he occasionally appreciated beautiful women, it was no different from admiring the moon or flowers.

No, even those who admire the moon and flowers know what kind of scenery they like, but Noah hadn't even considered what kind of woman he liked.

After all, for a sword, there were only enemies and non-enemies, the strong and the weak.

However, after spending time in Orario and having just unleashed his desires, Noah felt that he needed to make some changes.

Yes, in simple terms, Noah decided to indulge in female company.

Whether he would build a harem or what his preferences were could be explored later, but one thing was certain now: he decided to make this little elf behind him his own.

Did she like him?

Would the elf's extreme germophobia accept him having a harem?

These things were no longer up to her the moment Noah made his decision.

Who told her to see him naked, to take his first kiss and his first bloodsucking? This was crucial to his understanding of the opposite sex.

Consider it compensation for saving her two or three times, yes, paid back over a lifetime.

Now, Noah was about to bare his fangs and thoroughly toy with this elf's heart!

"Me!?"

On what grounds are you saying I don't like you?

On what grounds are you saying I won't be with you?

We've already kissed, do I have any other choice?

A sense of inexplicable grievance and indignation welled up in her heart, easily dispelling the anger in Ryu's mind.

But as she subconsciously tried to retort, the words wouldn't come out.

What should she say?

'I do, I do like you'?

'I do, I do want to be with you'?

In just a few words, the elf's heart was tightly gripped, unable to extricate itself.

Her breathing was ragged, her gaze vacant, and her complexion shifted through several shades, as if she were on the verge of an explosion.

Through the change in her breathing rhythm and the muscle tension transmitted through her palms, Noah could clearly sense the internal conflict Ryu was experiencing at this moment.

How should he put it? He actually felt a hint of pleasure in his heart.

Eh, am I becoming more and more like a villain?

Just as Ryu clenched her fists, her face flushed red, and she prepared to voice her rebuttal—or perhaps her confession—

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Noah looked up toward the ceiling, his entire aura shifting abruptly.

Although she couldn't see his face, Ryu could sense that he wasn't looking at the stone dome of the cavern, but at Orario.

"Hm? W-what's wrong?"

Interrupted like this, the courage that had just welled up in Ryu's heart dissipated instantly, leaving her with a lingering sense of trepidation.

"Wind!"

There was naturally no wind in the Dungeon, yet Noah clearly felt the rhythm of a breeze.

Moreover, he instinctively identified the source of this wind—Ais!

Something must have gone wrong on the surface!

"There's trouble above! Let's go!"