4: Pretty Please?

POV, Matt:

"Sba ba!"

"Sa ba"

"Spys Em"

It's been 2 months since I've been born, I don't know the calendar system of this world yet so I'm simply counting every 30 days as a month. Nothing much has happened in this time but Leana has fully recovered it seems. After a month she had started walking and running normally and now she was full on training. Currently I was sitting with my head resting within Bea's chest as I tried to call upon some form of system. Hand raised, arm out, and a determined face I yelled out once again.

...

Nothing.

I can feel tears lining my eyes in anger as I pouted in Bea's lap.

'Did manga lie to me again? Where was my system! Especially in this world!'

That's right, I had figured out where I was. When mom had been cleared to train again I immediately started crying when she tried to leave. The past month I had wanted to go outside but, no matter how much I gestured towards the windows or doors, they never let me out! So, seeing mom going outside I had to take the chance!

Thankfully after hearing me cry and scream so much for the first time and moms need for an open space to practice, I was taken out of the church. Now, the place where mom practiced was the alley behind the church, it seems that they had boarded any access to it from the the street. It was essentially an illegal extension to the church but, I realized the city wouldn't care once I started to analyze the surroundings. Looking up I felt awe build in my chest. Random stone and brick buildings seemed to loom over the church. Winding streets, vertical building structure, and general poverty alongside the general fantasy setting and limited spells all lead me to one result.

Danmachi, Daedalus Street.

The only issue was the seeming danger I was in as I also realized roughly what time period I was in. It wasn't hard to figure out with the general gloom surrounding the people in the church and the small whisperings of a word I recognized, "Evilus". However, what really cemented the time period was the fact that my mom had a tattoo on her back depicting a staff surrounded by lightning bolts. The Zeus Familia crest. Seeing that she was alone and hiding in a church led me to belive that this was Orarios 'dark period'.

Now, I wasn't a wiz on Danmachi lore so I was less than happy to find this out. I had actually been rewatching Danmachi cause I heard that a new season had come out and thus had only watched the first two seasons before dying. But, from what I could understand from that limited knowledge was, that I was fucked. I'd read online about the 'dark period' of Orario when I was interested in Danmachi like a year ago and from what I know I'm just expecting the church to be attacked at any moment. Thankfully it seems as though we have a little street cred around here because the church heals everyone that asks for it.

But it's still not a guarantee! Which is why I was hoping for a SYSTEM! PLEASE.

Hearing my sniffles Bea patted my head as she spoke,

"Aa-, What's wrong little Ori? Do you wanna go to mommy? Come 'ere~."

Clutching Bea's shirt as she walked over to mom, I still can't help but feel a little complicated. Even if I hadn't spoken to my mother as Matt in years, these feelings had created a distance between me and Lea. Especially after my experience with my aunt, I couldn't trust her just yet.

"Is little Ori missing me? How are you my little one?"

However, unlike my aunt, my instincts felt calm with her. As if subconsciously I knew she loved me. This then just left me with a feeling of guilt instead as I couldn't be the cute baby that she wanted.

'Heh, years of depression and stoicism but a little emotion has me spiraling'

POV, Leana Marcellus:

I am so glad Orio has been more vocal recently. It still isn't nearly as much as other kids but, any time he wants something he speaks just a bit. Although, I don't know why he just points and babbles to the sky sometimes. But, it's also so cute when he looks so determined.

"LEA!"

Hearing a chorus of priestesses yell my name my head instantly whipped towards the church as a couple of our children run into the back alley crying. Handing Orio back to Bea I unsheathe my sword from the ground and quickly run into the building. Coming into the side room I find Natalie holding a couple of scared children as they move towards the alley.

"What's happening Natalie?"

"Some guy ran into the church with a knife in his back, we tried to approach but Lady Verda stopped us! He was followed!"

BANG!

'An explosion!?'

Sprinting past I quickly came into the main foyer, my right hand clutching my blade as I saw a knife come spinning out of the smoke. The knife approached Lady Verda as she tended to an injured priestess. I tensed to lunge for the knife, but quickly stopped my self as I saw her head snap to the knife.

[My holy light, my knight, protect me.]

The visage of an ethereal shield enveloped her and the priestess before she simply looked away, the knife bouncing off of it harmlessly. Making eye contact with me Lady Verda spoke a calm yet cold voice, "Deal with them."

Looking past her I could see the doors of the church broken open as 3 men in cloaks came in grinning, a body beneath their feet.

"I heard this church was a safe haven among the filth of Daedalus street. Now I know why. Looks like the old woman has some tricks up her sleaves."

"She's not the only one protecting this place you scum."

Turning their heads to look at me I could see their disgusting faces twist into a grin even under their masks. Pointing at the bloody body underneath their feet I spoke.

"You have finished your hunt, leave before I make you."

Looking at the other two around him the one who spoke earlier started to laugh.

"And what if we don't want to? Stab me a sword you can barely even lift? Pft, Crippled like that. Although... are you an elf? How much do you think she'll sell for boys?"

"With a body like that, and those eyes... Most people wouldn't even care about her left arm."

"Along with those kids in the back, we could score a twenty thousand at least."

Hearing them my body quaked in rage as I thought about the children of the church, Orio... Breathing in deeply I moved into stance as I slowly let it out. Leveling my blade at them as they laughed and activating the skill that had let me join my Familia all those years ago.

[Mystic Sheathe]

My body flickered as I put my years of swordsmanship experience to work. Flying across the destroyed pews and tables right in front of what looked like their mage. His inconspicuous cloak did little to change the way he held himself. His eyes seemed to widen in fear but I couldn't tell as my sword cleaved through his waist. The other two were quick to react as they quickly made distance, my body spinning with the momentum of the blade to block the two throwing knives.

The sound of a harsh wind seemed to echo through the church as the effect of skill activated. An intense wave of mana followed the path of my blade arc as the mages body seemed to explode in blood and gore.

"What the fuck?"

The bandits tried to get regain their bearings as they moved to attack but, I simply sent a flurry of strikes and quickly put a stop to that.

'The one on the left is level two, but the other is level one. Both seem to be speed oriented thieves'

For a couple of seconds I simply moved, a hurricane of blades and mana as I clashed with the level two. Following my blades momentum using a series of complicated footwork and twisting of my body I pushed the man back while blocking the poison dart and knives from the other. Pushing against the level two's dagger with the flat of my blade I pushed him away with a flurry of mana. Suddenly I halted my momentum and held my blade above my head. Focusing my mind into the blade itself I watched as tiny motes of mind gathered around the blade before twisting my arm. The sound of whistling came alive as I manipulated my blade in a wide sweeping arc before me.

A wall of mana hit the man to my left as I followed through with the movement and threw him into the other. I watched with sharp eyes as they were squashed against the church wall before it finally broke, sending them outside in a heap of broken limbs.

Putting myself into a defensive stance with my left side facing the enemy I slowly shuffled towards the hole. I quickly found first man to collide with the wall. The level one. His entire left side smashed to pulp alongside a broken neck. He was still breathing, but not for long...

The other shakily stood up clutching a bleeding and bent arm. Suddenly he choked and coughed, spitting small fragments of shattered teeth onto the floor as he looked at me in fear. It seems he survived due to the other breaking under him.

"Please-"

Not even holding a weapon he had left himself wide open. I simply lunged as the tip of my blade pierced straight through his eye and into his skull. The grinding of bone and metal reverberated through my blade as I unstuck my blade with a boot to his face.