Meanwhile, somewhere else, while the sky was still black.
Bell arrived at the top of the tower, where he saw the golden princess who had rescued him from the minotaur.
"G-Good morning Wallenstein-san!"
She waved with her favorite emotionless face.
"Umm... about that, can you please stop calling me Wallenstein-san?"
"Eh? Bell let out a surprised voice as he tilted his head
"I don't like it... please call me Aiz."
"V-Very well... Aiz-san."
She gave a nod.
"Umm.... So how are you going to train me?"
"Let's just fight."
"F-Fight!?"
"After that, I spend my time thinking about how I should train you. In the end, I couldn't figure it out since I never teach anyone else. My experience came from real fighting, so let's fight."
Instantly after she saw that, Aiz's eyes changed as she looked at Bell fiercely, raising a bamboo sword that she put in the ground before.
"Draw your sword, Bell."
"--!!??" Bell froze instantly when he saw Aiz's eyes.
At that moment, he felt [Fear].
"Here I come."
In response, Bell was shocked and unsheathed his sword in panic.
"W-Wait!"
He managed to avoid Aiz's thrust by directing her sword trajectory upward using his sword.
"Monster won't wait, you know."
"Hiii?!?!"
Aiz didn't stop at that. She quickly brought down her hand and used a one-handed slam at Bell.
This time he parried it with his sword using his two hands.
".....!"
Aiz widened her eyes when she saw that.
If the boy managed to fend off the first blow, he probably wouldn't be able to react to the second blow, thought the girl.
But she was wrong. Though Bell's strength is weak as expected, he is not a complete beginner at a battle. His decision might still be slow, but his body remembers as if he was constantly tempered.
Initially, she didn't put much strength in her hand because she would like to see first how well the boy did on their first exchange, but now she grips her sword tighter.
She gradually increased her speed and her power while making continuous attacks on the boy.
Thrusting, slashing, one-handed slam, she was alternating her attack to crack Bell's defenses.
She would move to the side and attack Bell in a position where his sword wouldn't reach. Aiz's bamboo sword is something that she already enchanted before with magic at Goibnu Familia. Thanks to it, her sword wouldn't break easily when she parried her sword with Bell's.
"E-EhhHHh Aiz-san, Aiz-san!! Wait!! Scary Scary!! I'LL DIE, I'LL DIE!! AahaHHHHHHH!!"
Bell managed to reflect the blows using his sword all this time. But he hasn't managed to land any counter-attack on Aiz. On the contrary, he started to miss the grip of his sword as his hand began to feel numb.
(I'll have to do something! Something!! First, I need to create a distance!)
Bell jumped back to create a distance.
But Aiz, who knew what he was thinking, quickly closed the distance with an overhead one-handed slam.
(T-This is my chance! Artemis-sama said this weapon is unbreakable. C'mon don't break on me, sword that I haven't given a name yet!)
Bell gripped his sword with as much force as he could on both of his hands and raised it above his head.
"...!"
Aiz observes Bell's eyes have changed from before. She immediately switches her assault, sending Bell flying with her kick.
"GUHAA!"
Bell was blown to the wall and made a crack there.
Aiz walked to the boy and offered her hand to him.
"S-Sorry... I did it out of habit..."
"N-No, it's fine... Thanks, Aiz-san..." He took her hand and stood up.
"Let's rest a bit."
They were now sitting side by side at the top of the wall.
"That move you used just now...."
"Ahaha... it's crappy moves, isn't it?"
Bell scratched his head as he laughed bitterly.
He was too optimistic that his opponent would keep charging with the same trick instead of changing trick if she was fast enough to do that.
Ais, on the other hand, shook her head.
"No, if I continued my attack, I would have lost as I got repelled back and lost my balance. You're preparing for a counter-attack, right?"
"Y-Yes!" Bell looked happy as he asked back. In response, Aiz nodded.
" Who taught you how to do that?"
"Umm... My mother told me that adventurers have a tendency to relax their guard at crucial moments."
"Yes, your mother is right. Adventurers tend to let their guard down at the most crucial moment, don't forget that, Bell. Is your mother an adventurer?"
"Yes! She's the one who trains me!"
"I see... You got the basic how-to fight already, but you lack battle sense. As I thought, fighting is the fastest method. Let's continue."
.
.
.
Aiz is relentlessly attacking Bell again. This time, it's the same as before, or even worse now for Bell. Aiz started to incorporate kicks and punches to pressure Bell, this time far faster than before.
Not accustomed to fighting someone that utilizes their body to fight, Bell is having a hard time without being able to read her movement.
Her assaults continue to connect to Bell's body, causing him to scream as he feels agony throughout his body.
(S-She was going easy before, but this is the real [Sword Princess]. It couldn't be compared to before!!!!)
(I-I can't do anything! All I can picture is a scene where I got beaten up no matter how I attack...)
Bell, unable to bear the strain, instinctively moved back as if attempting to flee.
But Aiz didn't let him by closing the gap instantly.
"... You're a coward, aren't you?"
"Huh?!"
"While I believe that being a coward is sometimes a positive thing, it makes you extremely careful when battling someone... but that cowardice came from something else, right?"
"--!!??"
Bell widened his eyes in response.
"You are fearing something else. I don't know what you are fearing."
The image of the ferocious beast that attacked him back on floor 5 revived in his mind.
"I think you will run away when that moment comes."
Bell couldn't reply to her words. Because everything that she said is true. Bell himself doesn't really know, but every time he remembers that giant monster, his body trembles in fear. That moment became a source of trauma for Bell.
He feels frustrated; while trembling, he gripped his sword and put force to his legs.
"....!! Uwaaaahhh!!"
He lunged towards Aiz.
"It's good that you are starting to attack, but you mustn't lose your cool and don't charge blindly."
Aiz effortlessly countered Bell's assault and now launched a counter-attack, knocking Bell to the ground with her bamboo sword.
"...Ughh!"
"Can you get up?"
Bell stands up and returns his gaze to Aiz.
"You're used to pain, and you're good at defending. Your mother must be so strong that you aren't able to counter-attack even once."
"But if you keep being a coward, you won't be able to reach her."
Aiz vanished and reappeared in front of Bell, thrusting him with her sword.
"Gahaa!"
Bell collided into the wall.
Can you get up? Aiz wanted to say that, but she stopped when she saw Bell moved his body and got up.
"Good. Still want to continue?"
"..Yes, please!"
Aiz understood this boy had reached his limit, but seeing him keep rising up made her curious as to what drove this boy to keep standing up. He previously said that he does not want to pull his friend down. But is that all?
"It's okay as long as you keep up with my moves, but it won't be enough Bell. You need to predict your opponent's moves."
Throughout the battle, Aiz continues to educate Bell by exchanging words with him while assaulting him.
"H-How to predict someone's moves?"
"By battling more foes. As you battle more monsters and adventurers, you'll earn experience and see various patterns of movement. When you have enough experience, your instincts will tell you what your opponent will do next."
"T-That's insane...."
"I know, adventurers are too reliant on [Blessing], as they level up, they forget how to fight and instead rely on their [Blessing] to defeat their enemy. I want to train what is left even if you lost all your [Status]."
When she finished her word, she delivered the killing blow to Bell, sending him crawling on the ground.
"Can you get up?"
"...Yes! Next, please!"
Their training continues until the sun has fully set, near lunchtime.
After saying goodbye to Aiz, Bell set out to Babel, then he found a familiar face near the entrance of Babel. She is the adventurer that Bell saved on the final day of the trial. He was briefed before that this girl named Lily would act as a supporter for him from now on.
=
It happened yesterday when Bell was on his way, sending Lefiya to her home.
The brown-haired pallum opened her eyes. She surveyed the room as she found a blue-haired woman reading a book—an unfamiliar room, a woman that she doesn't know.
"Ah, you are awake."
"...Where am I?
"This is my home. I'm Artemis. Goddess of [Artemis Familia]"
"Artemis Familia..."
She doesn't know such familia. Maybe this goddess is new to Orario.
"Why is Lily here...?"
"Did you remember what happened to you?"
"...Lily got attacked by an adventurer and was saved by a white-haired human...."
"That would be Bell Cranel, captain of Artemis familia, though I said familia, he is the only member though."
Artemis smiled bitterly as she saw that.
"....ha...." Lily only looked at the goddess as she didn't know how to react to that.
"Oi, Artemis. Did the brat wake up already?"
A silver-haired woman opened the door
Lily blinked her eyes when she saw that moment
(This person looks familiar... Where has Lily met her before?)
"Is there something on my face?"
"N-no, Just that Lily feels like Lily met you before."
"Must be your imagination."
"What's your name?" Said Artemis while looking At Lily
"Liliruca Arde"
"Liliruca Arde, from what Bell said, it seems you got attacked in the dungeon. What happened?"
Lily hesitated for a moment. She wanted to say, why should I talk about herself in front of strangers. But their eyes seem like they don't allow debate.
So, in the end, Lily just talks about the necessary part, she is a supporter, and her familia members betrayed her.
"You're lying about something, aren't you?"
To Lily's surprise, the one who seems like the kindest out of the two women, the blue-haired woman said with a cold tone as she looked at her.
"W-What do you mean by that?"
"You can't lie to gods. You probably know you are in the wrong, am I right?"
"--!!??"
Lily bits her lips, unable to answer Artemis that looked very different from before.
"I won't pry any further. Liliruca Arde. How about working for me?"
"For Goddess-sama?"
"Yes, you said you are a supporter, right? I want you to form a party with Bell."
"I want you to be his supporter and at the same time support his growth, that boy is really pure, as you can see, but at the same time, he is quite naive and immature."
"Ah..." Lily understood what Artemis meant by that, true he did save her without asking any question.
"I didn't say that saving a stranger is a bad thing. It's an admirable thing, but what if he saved the wrong person? What if that person is evil? I'm sure that thought never crossed on that boy's mind for once when he saved you. That's why I want you to be his guide."
After thinking a bit, Lily replied
"...Lily doesn't mind... but are you okay with it?"
"Yes, don't worry, Bell won't do anything unfair or harm you, that boy is just not suited to do that...But...."
Then Artemis' tone changed into a cold voice like before when she found out Lily was lying.
"If the opposite happens, shall you bring harm or deceive him... I swear on my name, I will hunt you to the end of this world, Liliruca Arde."
"...Hii?!"
Lily felt her whole body trembling. She understands the goddess in front of her is deadly serious, and she will really do it. She tried to look behind to the silv-haired woman that was observing them since before.
But then she widened her eyes with a terrified expression.
Alfia didn't say anything. She only glared at Lily. But that glare is to send her a message.
"L-Lily understands..."
"Good, consider this a debt. I will repay you when the time comes."
=
"Good morning Arde!" Bell greeted her energetically
"...Good morning Cranel-sama."
"S-sama?" Bell was surprised when Arde addressed him with respect.
"Yes, what's wrong, Cranel-sama?" Arde tilted her head in confusion
"Umm... the way you're calling me...."
"It's just natural. I'm a supporter, and Cranel-sama is an adventurer, is there anything wrong?"
"Eehhh.... I really hope you can call drop the 'sama'... our position is not different after all."
Arde was silent for a moment as she observed Bell, his troubled expression telling her that he's not lying.
(So this is what Artemis-sama meant by naive huh...)
"...Cranel-sama sure is weird huh."
"W-Weird?!"
"Nothing, let's go, Cranel-sama."
"A-alright..."
Thus on this day, Bell got a new party and successfully cleared floor 10 for the second time.
=
"Ottar, how is the preparation going?"
A lone woman with silver hair was holding a glass of wine in her hand.
"Yes, Freya-sama. The preparation is almost done."
Beside her, a tall guy bowed his head. He is Freya Familia captain, Ottar, level 7.
"Ufufu... then continue. I will look forward to it."
"Yes, I won't let you down."
"Well then... boy, it's about time you show me how much you have grown since then."
She knew well the danger of doing this, but her enthusiasm and love for the boy couldn't stop her from doing it.
The trial she prepared exclusively for the boy.