In Dire Need Of Rest

Recalling how his team had dealt with the previous two groups of arachnids, Nico was not looking forward to their last one. 

Sure, the first one had been relatively easy. But that was only because the Dungeon's shifting had sealed the Demons' method of retreat, effectively trapping them. 

Coupled with a stroke of creativity from Isaac which had exposed several openings for them to exploit, they had taken down the abominations without any huge effort. 

The same could not be said for their following bouts, however. 

Since the first clash had relied heavily on the erratic shifting of the labyrinth, the others were much less easy. The difficulty had been so great, that Nico wished for a moment he was back in the Training Camp, pouring his heart out in the gruelling routine his Instructor had put them through. 

At least then the metal borders of the Camp had protected him from any threats. 

Here, he had no such thing. 

The brown-haired boy only had himself and his teammates to rely on. And while they had eventually emerged victorious, the arachnid's thick and sturdy carapace of ice caused them no shortage of problems. 

The only method they had at their disposal to fight against it was through sheer brute force. Force that would destroy their armour, and allow them to sink their weapons into the soft flesh underneath. 

Looking to his left at the half-blood's battered form, Nico was grateful he was a part of their team. If not, there was no way in hell they would have been able to vanquish such a troublesome enemy. 

'Half-bloods truly are strong. I'm glad I stood up for him back then.' 

Even if they did not form as strong a bond as they had, Nico would have still done the same thing back then. Leaving a positive impact on others was among the many aims he had. 

He did not want to be remembered as someone who brought others down, but one who uplifted them instead. 

…Like a shining beacon of hope. 

Transcendents knew how much more of that they needed in this cruel, harsh and unforgiving world. 

Shaking his head, Nico focused on the quickly approaching battle, his expression swiftly turning focused and calm. Tracing the outline of his spear, he visualised turning his body, heart and mind into a deadly blade. 

As a savage and wild air slowly began to swirl around his figure, the team of five paused, staring at the arachnids with solemn intensity. The chaotic labyrinth had rumbled quite recently, so they knew they couldn't place their hopes on it coming to their aid again. 

They'd be fighting the hard way, instead. 

Inhaling as he gripped his spear, the brown-haired boy's gaze slowly turned wild as well. 

'Come! I'll show them why a cornered human is the most dangerous type of human…' 

In the cold and misty gloom, the sounds of fierce clashing assaulted the stalactites above. The pale spikes hummed slightly, countless vibrations rocking the glassy surface. 

A while later, the relentless struggle for survival finally ceased. 

*** 

'Blazing Fates!' Nico thought tiredly. 

His limbs felt like lead, his heart pounding against his chest like a racehorse, while his mind turned faint as if he were going to black out any moment. 

Shaking the drowsiness away, the boy staggered toward his teammates, stepping over an arachnid's corpse in the process. 

Thanks to a bit of help from Leon, he had shattered the carapace of ice surrounding the skull into an innumerable amount of tiny shards. 

Panting heavily, the toll of pushing his body so far past its limit weighing on his movements like an inescapable quagmire, the brown-haired boy leaned on the jagged wall for support. 

He did not care if any of the sharp rocks bit into his skin or ruined his armour or gloves. 

They had been almost tattered beyond belief. What was a little more damage to add to the mix? 

Not like he would be getting new ones anytime soon… 

Chancing a peek at the map and tracking the movement of the azure mote, Nico swayed, as he leaned into the wall once more. 

'Rest. I just want some rest. Is that so hard to have?' 

Indeed, he was in dire need of a break.

They all were... 

Knowing that grumbling about the situation would help no one, Nico released a deep, weary sigh, before forcing his body to keep moving. 

He knew if he stopped for even a moment, there was a high chance he could not move again. Honestly, it was already a miracle that he still hadn't made a fatal mistake during battle. 

Seemed like his exhaustion wasn't so huge then… 

The corners of Nico's lips rose into a wry smile. 

'Yeah, right? As if I'd believe that.' he chuckled lightly. 

The bone-deep fatigue he felt continued its efforts to drag him down, but the brown-haired boy persisted. Eventually, after much effort, he reached Isaac and Oliver. 

The older sibling looked as battered as he did, having jumped into the close-quarter fray towards the end. 

Meanwhile, the younger archer tried to display a cheerful smile as a greeting but failed miserably in return, his face contorting into more of a wince or a grimace. 

Probably a mixture of the two, Nico thought. 

He couldn't quite tell. Either way, seeing as they all remained standing, a flicker of hope bloomed within his chest. 

Surely if they pooled all their remaining strength together, there had to be at least a small chance for them to come out of their next confrontation alive.

No, that was just pure fantasy. 

This was the Dungeon Boss they were talking about. 

An overlord of the Dungeon. 

A creature like that could beat them ten times over. 

Probably… 

Chasing away the unhelpful thoughts, Nico tried to ignore the weight of despair lingering at the back of his mind. 

Feeling hopeless wouldn't do anything. It'd just be getting in the way. 

It was best to just get the whole debacle over and done with as soon as possible. 

That way he could finally rest easy in the Great Beyond. 

Releasing another complicated sigh, Nico struggled to remain positive. 

As they formulated a futile plan against the Dungeon Boss… 

…the final hour loomed ever closer.