THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

Another floor, another set of beasts to fight. This time, There are giants insects the same size at me. They have…

"Kyaa!! Kill them already!!"  Why is a ghost afraid of insects? And why is she afraid? I thought everything that should scare her was already past and gone. 

"Why are you afraid of those anyway?" I slice down an insect while retorting to Maria. I seriously don't understand why she is afraid of them. They don't look so bad, do they?

"Just kill them!!!!" Maria has stayed at the entrance of the thirty-fourth floor as soon s she saw those monsters. But I don't recall ever seeing them in my life. It doesn't matter much since they are weak anyway. Their movements are simple and easy to predict. 

I round them up rapidly then go back to Maria. Maybe I should leave her with Rebecca's body from now on.. Fighting while having her on my back is tiresome. And I really don't like it. 

"Seriously, aren't you a hero? What did you do when you encountered those before?" 

"O-obviously, I left N'donkeu to take care of it. To begin with, they aren't supposed to be that big! They should be around the same height as a selpie! Why did he have to make it so big?!!" 

"But you said you went to the top before? You didn't remember that those monsters were here?" 

"Shut up, okay!! The first floors were really scary so I didn't pay attention to the rest!" Don't tell me she went in and fought while closing her eyes.

"So what if I did?!!" I guess geniuses can't understand us normal people. Though it might not be that hard. I will try it on the next floor…or not. 

"I am not here to enjoy myself." 

"Hngh…" Once again, Rebecca makes a sound, signaling us that the goddess is closer and closer to waking up again. 

I really wonder, what kind of geniuses was N'donkeu? He could use teleportation, he can seal a goddess, he can even create monsters using Angas. Isn't he basically a god himself? Maybe he was like me? Maybe apart from dragons, other people from other worlds tried to send their people here as well.

"I highly doubt it." 

"I do not agree." 

"Please, both of you, stop reading my thoughts. Don't you know about something called privacy?!!"

"We are one so I can hear everything even if I don't want to." 

"Make an effort, Cissa. There are times when you never said anything." 

"I told you that I would monitor you since you are a pervert having naughty thoughts about my sister." 

"Weren't you the shy one who slapped N'donkeu for thinking about kissing you?" 

"T-that's because he was being a pervert when they are other people around." 

"Oh…So I wasn't around that time…" 

"I-I-It's none of your business!!" 

And here we have a bashful and red hero all to ourselves. I wonder if N'donkeu would be jealous if he saw this…Yeah, probably not.

"Let's go. And Maria, why do you not think he was from another world?" 

"Because he said so himself." 

"Eh? That's all?" 

"Yep." Don't just nod like that!! Give some arguments!

"What do you want me to say? He said he wasn't from another world or else he would have already gone to mother to tell him what he thinks." 

"That aline doesn't justify." 

"It is close to impossible for him to come from another world. After all, only us have managed to defeat the Longinus so far." 

"And here you go bragging again." 

"I am not. I am simply stating a fact. And that fact is no world would be stupid enough to send their strongest ones to other worlds while they are struggling in their own." 

"Maybe that wasn't their strongest. Maybe there are people stronger than you guys out there somewhere." (like super saiyans, right?)

"I highly doubt it but you are free to think so if you want. Even so, reducing your own forces in order to help others when you are facing the Longinus would be foolish." 

"Yeah, there are foolish people out there so it might not be impossible after all." Thank you for the retort, Maria.

"They will perish then. Longinus cannot be underestimated. They can stay low and dormant for a lot of time then rise like a fire spreading uncontrollably before you know it. And when they do, everything on their path is consumed." 

"You sound so dark right now, Cissa." Because she is right, Maria. Titanium will be a desert after what the hammer hands did. Even if he won the war, there would have been nothing left to govern there.

"Were you really trying to avenge your people?" Or were just trick into it by Veronica? Or maybe both... 

"That's what I was going to say. He surely wanted to achieve his goal no matter what so that woman took advantage of it." 

"Sigh…Please, stop reading my thoughts."

***

On the fortieth floor, I stumble upon something really really surprising. Three gnolls, but no just any type, alpha gnolls. And what is worse is that they are really agile. Not only that but this floor is made of walls and barrels and everything necessary to hinder my vision.

"AH, yeah, I really liked this floor. Those guys are quite the dancer." 

"Could you say that before I reach this floor next time?!!!" Goddammit!! What is this?!! 

Those bastards dodge my bullets and scripts without thinking, they flee whenever I get near and fire their own earth balls when I stay away. What was he trying to do here?!

"If I told you then it wouldn't have been fun. And you were making fun of me earlier so now, it is your punishment." 

"It's not my fault that you are scared of insects, okay?!" 

I counter an earth ball with Sphere then use Disperse and Tremor right after. I manage to kill one of them but then the other two fire once again. Sphere blocks it but they broke my momentum. I retreat while their guy stands back up. They are as coordinated as humans. Were you guys really going to use this tower for training? A lot of people wouldn't pass this floor if that's the case. Though if you can learn something from here, I think fighting outside would become easier.  Maybe that is the whole point of it. 

"Gaaooo…" The gnoll who just woke up jumps on a wall and looks at his brother. It seems they are trying to establish a strategy. 

"What am I even doing?" What do I even need to fight those guys for? I am wasting too much time here.

"Wait!! Hey!! Don't-"

Before Maria can continue, I use the Dragon's roar while trying to reduce the power enough to not destroy this whole floor. And the result is not what I expected. The room is entirely clean up and there is a huge hole in front of me. The good point is that I can see the sun after so long. 

"You can see the sun…my foot!!!" Maria smacks my head from behind. 

"What? I cleared it right?" 

"What if you destroyed the stairs to the next floor as well?!! Huh?!!" 

"Then we would fly to it. What is the problem?" 

"The problem is that I told you not to do it. You freaking moron!! What do you never use your head?!! You are all brawn and no brain ever since we started this thing!" 

All brawn and no brain, huh… Well, it is true that I have been trying not to think too much for a while. 

"Well, I…Sorry." 

"Don't apologize!! Change!!" I didn't think Maria would so furious that I destroyed a part of the tower. I understand it is a memento of the moments she spent here with N'donkeu but even so, that's a big tantrum she is having there. 

"Were you not the same when you saw her being wounded?" 

"Cissa, don't add oil to the fire, please." 

"As you wish." 

I go to Rebecca's body when I try to carry her, I notice the symbol on her forehead has disappeared. It was here before though. What happened?

"Maria, did not-"

"Hmph!" Maria looks away and disappears. Well, yeah, she is a ghost. "I will come back when you will get yourself together. For now, I am going to obverse silently. Also, if you destroy anything else on this tower, I will be your opponent." 

"I won't so you can come out now." 

"Just continue, and be careful. The following floors are harder for people like you." 

That's not what I wanted to hear but I can't do anything besides apologizing if you are angry. I  hope she will come out later. I really want to know why that symbol on her forehead has disappeared. Maybe she is already on the verge of waking up. Then what Maria was wrong? N'donkeu failed? I highly doubt it but I should be ready. If she moves, I will sever her head before anything else.