Level Up <3>

A loud roar reverberated across the room. The Goliath, who was surprisingly fast attempted to squash Zephyr but he dodged it with ease.

Zephyr sidestepped and proceeded to cut off the Goliath's right hand, The Goliath roared in pain while Zephyr scaled it's arm.

With a strong slash, he was able to separate the whole arm from the Goliath body. While Zephyr was still in mid-air he suddenly got hit by an attack that he couldn't react to.

The attack sent him flying to the wall, causing the wall to cobweb from the impact.

"Gah.." Zephyr spat out blood, the attack was devastatingly powerful. Zephyr saw that the right arm of the Goliath had returned.

"Regeneration?!" Zephyr's eye widened, but he didn't have time to be surprised as the Goliath charged at him again.

With a swift motion he jumped off the wall and downed a potion to soothe the pain, Zephyr gripped his sword and delivered an arc of aura that cleaved the Goliath's arm again.

This time. Zephyr wasn't so careless as he immediately dashed towards the wall. Using the wall as footing he jumped towards the Goliath.

He reinforced the Aura coating the blade and his arm, and with a swift and smooth motion, he slashed towards the Goliath's neck, managing to decapitate it.

With it's head separated from it's body the Goliath finally fell down. Zephyr heaved a heavy sigh as he sheathed his sword.

As Zephyr walked away from the Goliath's corpse. He turned around to pick a dropped potion.

'Hm? why hasn't it exploded ye-' His thoughts were interrupted by the Goliath gripping his legs.

The Goliath roared as it slammed Zephyr down to the ground multiple times, with each slam, Zephyr's mind blanked, just barely managing to defend his body using Aura.

It finished it's tantrum by throwing Zephyr to the wall once again. But this time, it punched the wall Zephyr was in repeatedly, ensuring that Zephyr would be in a world of pain.

After the Goliath's rampage, Zephyr was left with not feeling his left arm anymore, it was a mangled mess.

It was a miracle that only his arm and a bunch of ribs were broken, he used a lot of his Aura to defend against the Goliath's assault, coating his left arm with his Aura. Making it take most of the damage.

Zephyr tried to stand up, he didn't want to die here, he couldn't. It was just the start of his journey.

"This is the most terrifying day of my life." Zephyr looked at the Goliath that was panting, forcing himself to move.

"Death is practically behind me, waiting for the right moment to claim me, I'm afraid of the moment it would succeed." Zephyr paused

"but that doesn't mean I'll give up here, I still need to brag to Bell about my stories." A broken smile formed on Zephyr's face.

Zephyr stood up, pain assaulting his body as he chugged two bottles of health potions, healing most of the broken ribs but not all of them.

"Assemble, breath of the land - my name is Alf, [Veil Breath]." Veil Breath, a spell Zephyr copied from Riveria.

Zephyr was covered in a green mana barrier as his defense was heightened and his Injuries slowly healed, it didn't last long so Zephyr leapt off the wall.

Sustaining a good height as he almost reached the ceiling. He used his right hand to bring his sword high in the air.

His aura flared, he used his aura to envelope his sword, materializing an Aura Blade, it glowed a bright blue as it illuminated the room, the Aura Blade was bigger than him by atleast 2 times.

Zephyr roared as he plummeted down, aiming to cleave the Goliath in half, The Goliath In one last final attempts, brought it's arms up to defend against the upcoming attack.

But it was useless, Zephyr brought his sword down, a blinding light spread out throughout the room, as a big explosion shook the floor.

As the smoke cleared, Zephyr could be seen lying down on the ground, with a giant magic stone that was cleaved in half.

Zephyr took deep breaths, he was on the verge of Mind Down.

He took another potion and poured it on his arm, the wounds healed but it was still a mangled mess.

"You'll need a little while longer." Zephyr got up, his legs weak, using the last reserves of his Mana he reinforced his legs.

While he still had Adrenaline pumping in his body he ought to get out of here. The 18th floor could wait.

—————

Zephyr staggered towards the Twilight Manor. His legs were giving out, and he was also about to pass out. He had used up all his aura to get here quickly.

"Zephyr! What the hell happened to you?!" Gordon, the Gate Guard yelled out.

Zephyr smiled at the sight of the dependable man, his vision went all black as he passed out.

Gordon immediately carried Zephyr to the Infirmary room of the familia.

——————

'Hm? I'm here again, in this white space. The sword is still there, protected by the white orb around it.'

The kaleidoscopic orb now surrounded it, as if it was a new layer of sorts.

Suddenly a voice resounded out from the sword.

"1%.." The Sword trembled, "Synchronization.."

"1% synchronization?" Zephyr mumbled, what did that mean? Am I fusing with the sword or something?

Zephyr had a lot of questioned in his mind, but then a bright light blinded him.

After regaining his eye sight, he saw a cloaked figure. It's white robe fluttered around the air. A divine presence permeated from the figure.

Zephyr stared in awe as the cloaked figure discarded it's cloak.

A woman, a beautiful woman. Her long black hair cascades beautifully from her back to her feet.

Her emotionless eyes dropped down to gaze at Zephyr, her left eye. An ever changing kaleidescope, while her right eye was a golden, living clockwork.

"Soul is fragmented, must relive past lives, this life, one of one hundred." Zephyr head ached as the Divine Being spoke, her sentences were broken, but each word had a certain weight to them that Zephyr couldn't defend against.

"Wait! What do you mean one of a hundred? Does that mean I have 100 past lives?" Zephyr shouted out, trying to question her.

"Find that answer yourself, at the bottom of the Dungeon." Those were her final words as she disappeared.

"The bottom of the dungeon.." Zephyr muttered, he was confused, does she mean that I'll be able to find a fragment of myself at the bottom of the Dungeon?

Zephyr didn't have that much to dwell upon it as he felt himself waking up.

—————

Zephyr woke up, the first thing to grace his sight was the white ceiling of the Infirmary room.

He got up from his position, the first person that he saw was Loki, followed by the Executive Members of the Familia.

"You up now?" Loki spoke up, a mischievous smile still painted on her face.

"Yeah," Zephyr reached out for his left arm. It was still intact and he could still feel it, but he couldn't move it, no matter how he tried.

"Sorry, we could only heal it to that extent. We'll need to go to the Dian Cehth Familia to fully heal it." Loki apologized, her smile a little pained.

Zephyr sighed, it's just as he had expected. "No, it's alright it's my fault for fighting The Goliath."

"You fought a Goliath?!" Riveria got up from her chair and looked at Zephyr in disbelief. Even Gareth had his eyes widen in surprise.

"I wanted a challenge, to be able to face an opponent that could rile me up. But in that reckless search of an adversary, I almost died. Only managing to defeat it with a stroke of luck." Zephyr grit his teeth, cursing his arrogance.

"I see, well it's great that you were able to survive." Finn spoke up, "But still.. defeating a Goliath, a level 4 monster rex, while being level 1. Just what are you Zephyr?"

Zephyr knew it was a rhetorical question, but after the Divine Being appeared in that white space, he also wondered, who is he?

"I don't know..." Zephyr mumbled, his voice like a buzz of a mosquito. But all of them were able to hear it.

"Well let's calm down, for now let's leave the kid alone. He needs to rest up, nearly dying must have shaken you up right?" Loki joined in on the conversation.

Loki placed a hand on Zephyr's hair, ruffling his blue hair.

Suddenly, Finn spoke up again. "Fear is a natural compass, it points to our own courage. It's perfectly fine to feel afraid, for it's in acknowledging that fear will we be able to find the courage to face it."

Finn walked towards Zephyr, placing a hand on his shoulders. "True courage isn't the absence of fear, but the ability to press forward despite it. Good work Zephyr, and welcome back."

———[Chapter End]———

A/N: I already have an idea for the world I'll use when the time comes. But don't worry that won't be happening any time soon, I still have a lot to do in Danmachi.