[14] Claws, Tongues, and Teamwork

The descent into the dungeon felt different with company. Bell's footsteps echoed alongside mine as we made our way down the spiral staircase, the blue phosphorescent walls casting their familiar glow.

"How far did you make it yesterday?" Bell asked, his voice carrying a hint of eagerness.

"Third floor." I kept my eyes forward, watching the shadows dance in the pale blue light. "The upper floors are perfect for mastering the basics."

"Oh." His tone dropped slightly. "I usually go deeper than that."

"And how's that working out for you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I did almost die the other day."

"Exactly." I paused at the bottom of the stairs, turning to face him. "Look, I get it. You want to prove yourself. But rushing ahead just gets you killed."

"Says the guy who's only been here one day," Bell muttered.

I laughed. "Fair point. But sometimes an outside perspective helps." The familiar blue walls stretched out before us. "Besides, I bet there are things about these floors you've never noticed."

"Like what?"

A goblin rounded the corner ahead of us. Bell's hand went to his knife, but I held up a finger. "Watch."

The goblin charged, its crude club raised high. Three steps before it reached us, its foot caught on an almost invisible ridge in the floor. It stumbled, its attack thrown off balance.

My boot connected with its head before it could recover. The monster burst into ash, leaving behind a small magic stone.

"That ridge appears every twenty paces on this floor," I said, picking up the stone. "The dungeon has patterns, if you know where to look."

Bell stared at the spot where the goblin had fallen. "How did you notice that?"

"By paying attention." I tossed him the magic stone. "Instead of rushing to the next fight."

Another goblin spawned nearby. I drew my sword, keeping my movements minimal. The monster rushed forward, and I simply stepped into its charge, my blade meeting its neck before it could react. The whole thing took less than two seconds.

"Oh," Bell said. "That was... fast."

"Economy of movement," I explained, sheathing my sword. "The less time you spend dancing around, the less chance something goes wrong."

He turned the stone over in his hands. "What else have you noticed?"

"You tell me." I gestured down the corridor. "Lead the way. But this time, really look at your surroundings."

Bell nodded, a new focus in his red eyes. We moved through the dungeon at a measured pace, encountering the occasional goblin or kobold. I let Bell handle most of them, only stepping in when necessary.

"The walls," he said after dispatching a particularly aggressive kobold. "They're not perfectly smooth. There are these tiny grooves..."

"Monster spawn points," I confirmed. "Good eye."

He beamed at the praise. "And the ceiling height changes slightly near intersections."

"Making it harder to spot incoming threats from above." I collected the magic stone from his latest kill. "What else?"

Before he could answer, a chorus of growls echoed through the corridor. Five goblins emerged from around the corner, followed by three kobolds.

"Eight on two," Bell said, drawing his knife. "Should we retreat?"

I unsheathed my sword. "No. This is perfect practice for group tactics." I shifted into a ready stance. "How do you usually handle multiple opponents?"

"Um." He glanced between the approaching monsters. "Hit them really fast?"

"Not bad, but let's try something different." I nodded toward the narrowing passage ahead. "Use the terrain. Force them to come at us one or two at a time."

Understanding dawned on his face. We backed into the bottleneck, forcing the monsters to cluster together as they charged.

The first goblin reached us, swinging wildly. Bell's knife flashed out, catching it in the throat. I stepped past him, my sword finding the second goblin's chest.

"Keep moving," I called out. "Don't let them surround us."

We fell into a rhythm. Bell would dart in for quick strikes while I kept the others at bay. The monsters, driven by blind aggression, couldn't coordinate their attacks effectively.

When the last kobold dissolved into ash, Bell was breathing hard but grinning. "That was amazing! The way we worked together-"

"Save the celebration," I interrupted. "More incoming."

Three more goblins appeared, drawn by the sound of combat. Bell's stance shifted, more controlled than before.

"Funnel them?" he asked.

I smiled. "Now you're getting it."

The next few hours passed in a blur of combat and instruction. Bell proved to be a quick study, adapting his fighting style to incorporate the terrain and positioning I showed him.

By the time we stopped for lunch, we had cleared most of the first two floors and gathered a respectable pile of magic stones.

"I can't believe how much I missed," Bell said, unwrapping Syr's bento. "I've been through here dozens of times, but-"

He stopped mid-sentence, staring at the contents of his lunch box. I opened my own to find a similar sight.

"Is that..." Bell poked at the dark mass with his chopsticks. "Food?"

I sniffed the mysterious substance. "Technically."

"Should we..."

"Probably not." I closed the box. "Remind me never to compliment Syr's cooking."

Bell's stomach growled in protest. He reached into his pack and pulled out some dried meat. "Here. We can share."

I accepted a piece, letting the salt and spices wash away the memory of Syr's culinary disaster. "Thanks."

Bell hesitated. "Can I… ask you something?"

"You just did."

He rolled his eyes. "Something else."

"Go ahead."

"Why did you join the Hestia Familia?"

"Why did you?"

"That's not an answer."

"Neither is that."

Bell laughed. "Fine. I joined because Lady Hestia was the only goddess willing to accept me. But she's been amazing, like family." He looked at me expectantly. "Your turn."

"She seemed interesting," I said. It wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth. "And I like underdogs."

"We're not underdogs," Bell protested. "We're just... new."

I chewed thoughtfully on the dried meat, letting the silence stretch between us. Bell seemed content to do the same, his red eyes distant as he stared at the phosphorescent walls.

"You know," Bell said between bites, "you're different than I expected."

"Oh?"

"When Lady Hestia first brought you home, I thought..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "You seemed kind of arrogant."

"I am arrogant."

He shook his head. "No, I mean... you act arrogant, but you're actually a good teacher."

"The two aren't mutually exclusive." I finished the last of the dried meat. "Ready to continue?"

Bell jumped to his feet, offering me a hand up. I took it, noting the calluses already forming on his palm. The kid trained hard, I'd give him that.

"Race you to the third floor?" he suggested.

I shouldered my bag. "What happened to mastering the basics?"

"We can master them while racing."

"That's not how it works." But I was already moving, leaving him scrambling to catch up.

His laughter echoed off the walls as we ran, our footsteps falling into sync. Maybe Hestia was right about this bonding exercise. Though I'd never admit it to her face.

After all, what kind of mysterious mentor would I be if I started getting sentimental?

The sound of Bell tripping over his own feet and face-planting into the dungeon floor answered that question nicely.

"Graceful," I said, helping him up.

He rubbed his nose, grinning sheepishly. "Nobody saw that, right?"

"Just me, the monsters, and probably half the gods watching from above."

"Great."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, rabbit boy. Let's see what the third floor has in store for us."

The third floor looked exactly like the first two - more blue walls, more shadows, more monsters. Bell walked ahead, his newfound awareness evident in the way he scanned our surroundings.

『You haven't used Dismantle once today,』Minerva chimed in.

'Not now,' I thought back.

『When else? You've had plenty of opportunities.』

'I'm working on something.'

『Oh?』Her tone dripped with amusement. 『Do tell.』

A kobold charged at Bell. He sidestepped its lunge and buried his knife in its skull. Clean, efficient - he was learning.

'My magic stat is growing too fast,' I explained. 'If I rely on Dismantle for everything, I'll end up unbalanced.'

『Since when do you care about balance?』

'Since-' I cut off the thought as Bell turned back to me.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

I nodded. Multiple sets of footsteps echoed from the corridor ahead. "At least five," I said. "Maybe more."

Bell's grip tightened on his knife. "Should we-"

"Let them come." I drew my sword. "Remember what we practiced."

『You're avoiding the question,』Minerva said.

'I'm busy.'

Three goblins and four kobolds rounded the corner. Bell and I fell into position, using the narrow passage to our advantage.

『You don't trust him,』Minerva said.

I blocked a goblin's club. 'He's a good kid.'

『That's not what I said.』

Bell dispatched two kobolds in quick succession. His movements were sharper now, more deliberate.

『You're afraid he'll talk about your abilities.』

'I'm not afraid.' I kicked a goblin into its companions, creating space. 'I'm careful.'

『Same difference.』

The last monster fell. Bell wiped his blade clean, grinning. "We make a good team."

"Yeah," I said. "We do."

『Liar.』

I ignored her. "Your footwork's improving."

"Thanks to you." Bell collected the magic stones. "Though I still don't understand why you're spending so much time down here. You're obviously skilled enough for the deeper floors."

『He's not wrong.』

"The basics matter," I said. "Besides, I learn something new every time."

Bell tilted his head. "Like what?"

"Like how you telegraph your strikes when you're tired."

"I do not-" He stopped. "Wait, do I?"

I demonstrated his tell - a slight shoulder hitch before each attack. Bell's face fell.

"How long have I been doing that?"

"Since we started." I sheathed my sword. "But you're getting better."

『Deflection through instruction,』Minerva mused. 『Clever.』

'Shut up.'

Bell frowned. "Are you okay? You keep making these faces like you're arguing with yourself."

"Just thinking." I started walking. "Come on, there's more dungeon to clear."

『You can't keep this up forever,』Minerva said. 『Sooner or later, you'll have to trust someone.』

'No,' I thought. 'I really don't.'

Bell fell into step beside me. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

He punched my arm. "I'm serious."

"So am I."

『Now who's deflecting?』

I sighed. "What's your question?"

"Why don't you use magic?" Bell asked. "I've never seen you cast anything."

My hand tightened on my sword hilt. "Maybe I don't have any."

"But your status sheet-"

"Shows that I have magic," I finished. "Doesn't mean I have to use it."

『And there it is.』

Bell stopped walking. "Are you... mad at me?"

"No." I kept moving.

"Then why won't you talk to me?" His voice echoed off the walls. "We're familia now. We're supposed to trust each other."

I turned back. Bell stood there, his red eyes burning with that earnest intensity that made lying to him feel like kicking a puppy.

『Go on,』Minerva prodded. 『Tell him how you really feel.』

"Trust is earned," I said finally.

"I thought I was earning it." Bell's shoulders slumped. "But you're still holding back."

『He's sharper than you gave him credit for.』

'Not helping.'

I ruffled Bell's hair, my hand messing up his white locks. "You are. Slowly but surely."

His eyes lit up at that. The kid wore his heart on his sleeve - it made lying to him feel dirty somehow.

We cleared the third floor methodically, working our way through the familiar blue corridors. Bell's movements grew more precise with each encounter, his strikes finding vital points more often than not.

The fourth floor fell just as easily. Our routine had solidified - Bell would engage first, I'd watch his back, and together we'd whittle down any groups that tried to swarm us.

"We should skip the safe zone," Bell said as we approached the fifth floor. "Head straight to six."

I raised an eyebrow. "Getting cocky?"

"No, just..." He shifted his weight. "I want to show you I can handle it."

『He's trying to prove himself to you,』Minerva said.

'I noticed.'

Bell took my silence as hesitation. "The monsters change on the sixth floor. No more goblins or kobolds - just War Shadows and Frog Shooters."

『War Shadows,』Minerva said. 『Humanoid monsters with long arms ending in three-clawed hands. Sharp enough to slice through leather armor. They're called newbie killers for a reason.』

'And the frogs?'

『Frog Shooters. One big eye, attacks with its tongue. Less lethal than the Shadows, but they can catch you off guard.』

"You've fought them before?" I asked Bell.

He nodded. "A few times. They're tough, but manageable if you're careful."

I studied him for a moment. His stance was solid, his breathing steady. No signs of fatigue.

"Alright," I said. "Show me what you can do."

The sixth floor looked different. The walls had shifted from blue to green, and the corridors felt more... alive somehow. Like the dungeon itself was watching us.

Bell moved cautiously, his knife ready. "War Shadows like to ambush from corners," he whispered. "And the Frog Shooters-"

A long, pink tongue shot out from the darkness. Bell dodged left while I stepped right, letting it snap through the space between us.

The Frog Shooter emerged from the shadows, its single eye fixed on Bell. Behind it, I caught movement - darker shapes with long arms.

"Three Shadows," I called out. "Bell, take the frog."

He was already moving, his knife flashing as he closed the distance. I drew my sword and faced the approaching War Shadows.

『Remember,』Minerva said. 『Those claws can-』

'Not now.'

The first Shadow lunged, its claws whistling through the air. I parried, metal scraping against bone, and kicked it back into its companions.

Behind me, I heard Bell grunt as he engaged the Frog Shooter. The wet sound of its tongue striking stone told me he was holding his own.

The Shadows attacked as one, their movements more coordinated than the goblins we'd faced earlier. I gave ground, letting them stretch out their formation.

『You could end this quickly,』Minerva said.

'That's not the point.'

I countered the leftmost Shadow's swing, my sword finding the joint where its arm met its body. It dissolved into ash just as its companion's claws raked across my shoulder.

I spun away from the second attack, bringing my sword up in a defensive arc.

"Dante!" Bell shouted. "Duck!"

I dropped without questioning. A pink tongue sailed over my head and wrapped around the nearest Shadow's neck. Bell yanked hard, using the Frog Shooter's own attack to pull the monster off balance.

I took advantage of the opening, dispatching the stumbling Shadow with two quick strikes. The last one backed away, its claws raised.

"Not bad," I said to Bell. "Where's your frog?"

He gestured at a pile of ash behind him. "Got lucky with the timing."

The final Shadow charged. Bell and I moved in perfect sync, attacking from opposite sides. It never stood a chance.

As the monster dissolved, Bell turned to me with a grin. "See? I told you I could handle it."

"You did." I checked my shoulder where the claws had hit. No blood, just torn cloth. "But don't get overconfident. That was only four monsters."

"I know, I know." He collected the magic stones, adding them to our growing collection. "But admit it - that tongue trick was pretty cool."

"It was reckless."

"But cool."

I sighed. "Yes, Bell. It was cool."

His grin widened. "So, deeper into the sixth floor?"