452

[Ryū: Lvl 99]

[Asai de Trichia: Lvl 97]

[HP: 180 MP:159]

[Title: Monster]

"EAT THIS YOU OVERGROWN GECKO!"

With one hand gripping tightly upon the celestial beasts' whiskers, the human yanked so hard, that the beast couldn't help but yelp as its jaws opened up. Wide enough for Asai to plunge [Solace] into his throat, brimming with [Chaos] as it erupted and exploded within his throat down to his long stomach. Causing Ryu to dip and twist through the air, trying to fling the insect of its nose.

Try as it might, its two frontal claws, just like a t-rex's was unable to reach its stub.

"You think this is my first time riding a rollercoaster without the safety belt!? HA!"

Unable to fling the human off, it did the next best thing it could think of. Nose-diving directly into the hard ground. Confident that whilst it could pass through the ground like magic, the human with its physical-vessel would be no more. Swatted and flattened like the fly it is.

Holding on as he may, Asai soon found himself to be freefalling, as the dragon had left him behind. A quick glance towards his left hand, and he realized the whiskers he had been holding onto as if they were reins had been plucked out. Curious as to their utility, the man stored the [Celestial Whiskers] into his [Inventory] 

Ryu tore through the ground was so much ferocity, that he managed to trigger earthquakes as the ground soon began to collapse and fall. From the gaps, Asai could once again see the previous red shrine and the long red path of tori gates that had passed through. 

[Cotton] !

Whilst the original Cotton attached itself upon Asai's back and bestowed him with [Glide] 

The other four, summoned from his shadow clones swiftly flew down to attach themselves upon Bethel, Mel, Olivia and Sora's backs. As such, even when the ground under them crumble and collapsed, they began to gently glide down instead.

Luckily for Asai, Rosemi had been ordered to return. If not, one of the party members would be lacking wings by now.  Asai, now having caught up to the others, asked to see if they had found any other clues that could potentially help their current situation.

"Bethel, give me some good news."

"Duke, I have none. Apart from those red circles and the music that's still playing..."

Thinking back on it. The duke was curious as to why Kami would even be here, and to be playing musical pieces one after the other at that too. Initially, believing it to be just for fun, he had shrugged it off. However, grasping at straws and thirsting for an oasis, he started to wrack his brains as he believed it to be some sort of clue.

"Concentrate on the music, it has to mean something." 

""Yes sir!""

..

Bethel glided ever closer to Mel, who was struggling to keep the wind out of her eyes, as she wiped the tears away.

"So, enjoying your return to adventuring?" What could be considered freer than to explore a dungeon, whilst also sky-diving through the heavens? She thought.

"I- I think I'm ready to retire to be honest!" Wondering to herself, as to why in the heavens would her previous persona even enjoy such a high-risk and perpetually dangerous occupation. She started to pray to every god and goddess she knew.

Seeing both Olivia and Mel pray, Sora's thought processed landed upon a couple guesses that sounded insanely ridiculous to her. Asai, catching sight of her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, quickly inquired.

"What is it? Whatever you're thinking of, it's probably better than what I'm thinking of! Just tell me!"

Throwing another [Massacre] off into the distance, and right into Ryu's face, that was rapidly approaching their position. Asai ignored the 10 explosions as he quickly recalled [Solace] to prepare another.

Trying to ignore the roar that blasted into their eardrums, Sora threw away whatever embarrassment she was feeling and opened up.

"In Par'Talucca, we have bed time stories. Myths or folk tales and such. In one particular story, a legendary warrior named Ryujin was hired to slaughter a mythical centipede that attacked one of the many old kingdoms. Having successfully accomplished his task, when the king asked him for his desires, the warrior only asked for a barrel of rice!"

"Rice? Got it."

Without even confirming the validity of the story, Asai chucked two barrels worth of rice into the jaws. Utilizing [Knife Throw] the mana lingered upon the containers long enough to ensure they flew and resisted the pull of gravity.

Having slapped the dragon, then rode upon it, and then giving it a one-sided shave before pummelling it with dozens of explosions. Asai now found it ridiculous that he was feeding it. However, now wasn't the time to second-guess any of his prior actions.

"What's done is done~"

Receiving gifts of rice, Ryu's flight and rapid-consecutive attacks actually slowed down, as it no longer utilized its flames.

"Ryu's mouth is closed! Any other stories you want to tell me?" Unable to feed it further additions of food, Asai shot his glance back towards Sora who was flipping through the hundreds of bed-time stories she once loved.

On the side, Olivia and Bethel couldn't help but question the absurdity of the dungeon. There were no instructions, guides, tips or arrows to follow. ""What would've happened if Sora didn't enter with us!?""

"Um. Urashima Taro the fisherman. A fisherman saved a turtle upon a beach by scaring the children who were bullying it away, as thanks, the turtle offered Taro a sea trip to visit the underwater palace of Ryujin-"

"Next, that's definitely not it!" "I see no turtles, and I see no water!"

"UMMM! Dragon's are rumoured to hide their magical sacred pearls within their throats, and with it they can summon storms and thunder-"

"Next!" "I've already dropped bombs into his throat, and I'm pretty sure Ryu ate it like a snack, as if it was chilli!"

"Ah Ah! There was one a little boy named Haru, every day without fail, he would ring the giant bronze bell that hung within an old and abandoned shrine. And upon hearing the bell, birds and sparrows alike would flock to him for feed. A full year of ringing and feeding the birds without fail, through rain, snow and heat. And eventually, upon the last day of the year, rather than the little birds and sparrows, a celestial dragon appeared to dine upon his meal."

"A bell. Got it."

Plucking out chimes, bells and even the larger-variant, meant for cows. Asai rung the little bells, jingling and jangling.

"I don't think that's it, any more stories!?" Seeing Ryu remained indifferent to the man who appeared to be mad or bipolar or both. Asai shot his sight back upon the dhan. Hopeful for the next clue.

"Asai! There!" Mel, having nothing to sate her nervousness but to listen in on the odd children's tales. Was first to point out into the distance. 

Following her line of sight, Enhancing his vision range with mana, Asai noticed the large red shrine that had a bronze bell dangling within it. Albeit, the shrine appeared to be heavily damaged as it was currently still free-falling along with everything else that had fell from the world above.

"I hope this is it!" Knocking his arm backwards, and generating great amounts of torque, Asai launched his furthest hitting ranged ability.

[MASSACRE] 

Launching his beloved dragon-spear into the far distance, in which it quickly split into 10 before decimating the landscape. Large clangs echoed through the plains as the bell couldn't help but spin and twist as the explosions sent it tumbling around and against the rocks. Causing the bronze ball within it to violently bang and clang.

Glancing back with great hope. Ryu evaporated out of existence with a snarl, as it was still missing one side of its whiskers.

To stop their current free fall, 

[Kami: Lvl 99]

Appeared out of no where, her kitsune-fox mask shifted towards the side of her head as she kindly smiled upon the group. Her overall size was colossal, as she was literally a titan. A single finger of hers could squash a human, thankfully, she was a friendly.

Whilst she caught everyone else upon her palms, she deliberately made Asai fall into her cleavage as her miko-uniform was greatly pushing the two heavenly-dumplings together.

Without speaking a word, she took them towards the next arena.

kophzi