Forward

As he felt himself softly slip into a soothing darkness, the pain kept him half-awake.

The commotion could be heard through Levi's half-conscious state. Chairs breaking, yelling, people running away.

Levi opened his eyes, but the blurriness didn't help him understand what was happening.

His head felt heavy, and as he moved it from left to right he had a hard time keeping it straight. 

Light ringing through his ears was piling on the headache he felt, as he realized the back of his head felt warm.

Trying to focus his attention on the scene unfolding in front of him, Levi squinted his eyes to make out that standing in front of him was Syllia.

"w-... what are you doing," he barely made out.

Syllia promptly turned around to look at Levi, before turning her back to him again.

"It'll be fine, just stay there for now," she said over her shoulder.

Levi tried to see what she was facing, but it was still only shadows to him.

"Move out of the way, young girl, this has nothing to do with you," said a voice Levi recognized.

The adventurer?

"I won't let you," said Syllia in a tone Levi hadn't heard before.

"You think you can stop us?" replied the adventurer.

Levi could now clearly see it was the "papa bear" talking to him moments ago. 

Frightening, his gentle and nice expression remained on his face as he conversed with Syllia. 

Despite his nice smile and warm expression, there was a shadow around his eyes, profound and vile.

A slap.

As Syllia stood, a violent slap resonated loudly.

She faltered a little, taking a few small steps but remaining standing.

"You hit like a girl," she said, as she went back to her previous position.

The adventurer's eyebrows slightly twitched, while his smile grew larger.

Raising his hand, he closed it into a fist.

"Stop, this-" started Levi.

Without a warning, the smiling giant struck Syllia sending her down further than Levi was.

"Take a nap, little girl, we'll handle this," said the man.

Levi could hear Syllia moving debris around, further to his left. She was moving slowly, but he could make out her troubled breathing.

"You're going too far," said Levi as he tried to get on his knees, to stand up.

"Ah, my friend, you don't know far. We'll be taking you now," said the man slowly walking towards Levi.

"Not your friend," replied Levi.

The adventurer laughed loudly, while his smile was still stretching across his face.

"I guess you're right."

Levi was on all fours, mustering the strength to stand up. Lifting his right leg, and half-kneeling, he was breathing loudly.

As he started to put weight on his right knee, to stand up, he felt a hand on his left shoulder.

"It'll be fine, Levi, stay there."

Looking to his left, it was Syllia.

Her dress was in shambles. Her side was exposed, as light bleeding ran down her leg.

Her stockings were riddled with holes. Scratches and bruises covered her legs.

As he looked up, he could see her smile at him.

Half her face was slightly purple, while cuts and bruises layered the part the man had hit.

"You're barely standing, just stand aside," said the adventurer.

Syllia's hand slid off Levi's shoulder as she walked in front of him again.

"[Conjure Water]"

Syllia had raised her arm. As she pointed toward the man, water slowly gathered from all sides.

Around his head, a ball of water formed.

Levi had a relieved sigh.

But as he paid closer attention, the man was laughing.

He slowly walked forward with the conjured water.

Syllia's concentration on her spell remained unwavering.

He slowly lifted his right leg, showing his teeth through his smile.

Levi blinked.

Gone.

A loud break resounded as the business behind Levi had its wall cave in. 

The sound of shattered glass and falling debris.

In front of him, all that remained was the man with an extended leg, with Syllia nowhere to be seen.

Quickly getting up while slightly stumbling, Levi turned around.

Broken tables and glass were everywhere. The building that stood there had partially caved.

The exterior wall collapsed, which made the second floor slightly tilt downward.

Looking around, he did his best to locate her through the broken pieces but nothing of hers stuck out.

And just like that,

something broke.

While he blankly looked at what was in front of him, something rose.

From his shadow, darkness emanated.

As the night was dark, ember floated, creating a dark yet bright canvas through the streets of Sungrove.

Turning around toward the adventurer, for the first time he wasn't smiling anymore.

"You vile rat, disgusting apostate," the adventurer said, as his expression had become fear.

Levi took one step forward, while the other took a step backward.

Levi's expression was devoid of emotions, not even anger made it to the surface.

From his shadow, the Goddess was taking form. 

As she slowly rose, she slid against Levi's back like mist on the surface of a lake.

Her skin was a pale, yet dark blue. 

Her hair looked as if they were floating, lagging at every movement she made.

As she went up, she leaned against Levi's back, as if she was hugging him from behind.

Both her arms went down on both sides of Levi's neck. As if they were one, when Levi lifted his arm pointing at the man in front of him she did the same. 

In perfect sync, their actions were one. 

"You sick freak, you dreg, you...-" started the adventurer as he kept walking backward.

His legs were shaking, and as he took one more step he fell, hitting what looked like the remains of a table.

"Stay away from me, you filthy..."

As Levi kept pointing at him, slowly walking forward, from behind rose a tentacle. 

It was black and dark blue and reached 5 meters high. Its diameter at the base was a meter, while it grew narrower at the tip.

Levi's expression remained blank, as the Goddess used her available hand and laid it on his cheek.

Her face got closer to his, as she slightly pulled him towards her, getting her mouth close to his ear.

Levi stopped in his stroll, as her lips delicately brushed his ear as she whispered.

Looking down on the adventurer, as Levi was ready to make the tentacle fall upon him, he felt the ground resonate.

As he turned his gaze to his right, what looked like a whole regiment of guards was running toward them.

But Levi's expressionless gaze turned back to the one in front of him.

It mattered little.

With a stretching sound, the tentacle fell forward, the air whistling on the way down.

"No you don't."

An intense crackling thunder resounded.

Like a shockwave, the wind lifted dust everywhere.

Right before him, a guard in a golden plate armor stood. He looked as young as him, with golden hair and ocean eyes.

He too had a smile, which to Levi at least looked genuine.

How did he get there?

He had simply appeared seemingly out of nowhere. 

Looking closer, he realized the man was holding his wrist, but as he had a firm grip on his wrist, so did the Goddess on the guard's. 

Tremors shook the ground as the embers multiplied. Reality seemed blurred as if they were at the bottom of the sea. Gravity's pull was heavier, many laying a knee to the ground.

The guard's wrist protection was crumpled, as the Goddess' grasp got tighter. 

As both of them stared at each other, the guard's smile wavered as his eyebrows furrowed.

A low hum echoed. As it rose, a layer of pressure pushed most to the ground, unable to stand back up.

The guard who had worn a confident look moments before now had a concerned one. Slowly raising a new smile, he slowly let go of Levi's hand.

"It's fine, let's stop there," he said.

As he let go, so did the Goddess, yet the gravity shift remained.

"I saw what happened," the guard added, " the girl is alive."

Levi's face which had remained emotionless gained a bit of its color back.

"But, if you don't let my guard stand up they won't be able to search through the debris..."

Raising his eyebrows, Levi looked at the Goddess. Without uttering a single word the pressure slowly decreased until there was no more.

As the guard held his wrist, his genuine smile gave Levi small comfort, until the adventurer groaned, reminding him what the people there were capable of.

Quickly standing up again, the adventurer pointed toward Levi as he took a step forward.

"You'll pay for this, you're a dead man you hear me?" he yelled.

Blood splattered, as crackling thunder resounded once more.

Levi couldn't see anything, once again. 

Falling to his knee and holding his forearm, the adventurer started screaming, his hand lying on the ground a meter in front of him.

"I'm sorry for the way you've been treated, know this isn't how everyone thinks of you, apostate," said the guard with a warm tone.

"The church will never let that stand, you're a dead man walking, guard," said the adventurer in between pain-driven groans.

"Last I've checked, the royal family rules this country, and those are who I serve," replied the guard as he signaled the other guards to take him away.

Levi's vision faltered, as he staggered around a bit, trying to stay up.

"Who are you?" asked Levi.

"You can call me Thunder."

As Levi turned around, he pointed toward the debris, "make sure she's fine, I'll never forgive...-"

Huh?

As his head slightly wobbled around, it felt as if the ground moved in front of him. With poor balance, he put a knee down, holding himself with both palms.

The only thing he could see was the scenery roll in front of his eyes, as he fell.