The next day Cirrus and Ai, in disguise, went out and bought various things and went into the dungeon.

“Hmm, it has been a while, huh?” said Ai.

“Yup. Swish! Guess we need to go to the deeper floors for an actual challenge.” Said Cirrus.

“Say, do you wanna have another race?” said Ai with a smile.

“… Sure, same bet as last time?”

“Of course!”

Ai makes a line on the ground on the 7th floor.

“Now first to reach the 18th-floor wins! Alright!”

“I’m ready when you are Ai.”

“Then at one! Two!—" she quickly kicked off running.

“Cheater!!!”

Cirrus then quickly gave chase.

Even with a head start, Cirrus was still faster.

“Hahaha!! See you on the 18th floor!!” he said as he dropped into a hole that lead to the next floor.

“Fine then! I never said you couldn’t use magic!”

Running through the dungeon and cutting down monsters, Cirrus takes their magic stones with his shadow by running over them, a reliable method to quickly travel through the Dungeon.

“Hmm guess I grew more used to fighting people, at least Kalion is with Artemis…. Hm? This feeling? No, she wouldn’t!!” Cirrus turned around to see a red figure quickly covering the distance.

‘Ah—'

“—fuck!!!”

Cirrus ran with even more speed, but Ai caught up.

“I’m going to win!!” Ai said as she slices through monsters like a white-hot knife through butter.

“If you can use magic, so can I!!”

“I’m only making it fair!! You’re a level 8!!”

“Guh!! Fine then!! I’ll beat you without magic!!”

The two ran so fast that the only thing passing adventures saw was something red rushing down the dungeon at blinding speeds.

 

18th floor.

“Huff! huff! draw!!” Ai shouted.

“Fuck! Huff! Huff! I need to update my status! Huff! Huff! fuck…”

The two were incredibly winded. It has been a while since they have extended themselves so much.

“W-were really out of shape. Maybe we should go into the dungeon more regularly to get our edge and stamina back.”

“I agree, but first we need to find them,” Cirrus said, looking out at the 18th floor.

“Hm! Let’s get started! Ryuu said the grave is all of their weapons impaled on a dune of dirt.”

“… Well, that narrows it down.”

2 hours later after some looking around.

“Ai I found it.” Cirrus said using an earing magic tool to talk to her.

"Where is it?"

“I’m going to jump on 3, 2, 1 now!”

Cirrus jumped up, and he spotted Ai a fair distance away.

"On my way!"

While Ai gets their Cirrus, turns and looks at the graves. He could see Alise’s rapier he made her. Along with Kaguya, Neze, Lyra, Iska, Noin, Asta, Celty, Maryuu, and Ryana’s weapons and their Familia flag.

“… Sorry I’m so late.” Cirrus kneels before their grave, taking out some flowers he got from some vendors. “Sorry if I couldn’t get more, maybe I should commission Demeter if she could grow some foreign flowers so I can plant them here… Hm, who am I kidding? You lot were more men than women! Hahahaha!!!" He chuckles a bit but slowly goes silent for a bit. “…” Pondering. “Alise, always so fucking narcissistic but caring, Kaguya always dam foul-mouthed yet elegant, Lyra so cunning and brave… fuck….”

           He hung his head low. He places his hands over to his eyes.

“……. fuck….”

Tears slowly slipped through his hands and fall to the ground.

He then falls on all fours with the memories of his Familia coming to him.

The anger and frustration simmered to the top.

‘I could have changed this... I could have saved them. I... I... I should have made sure those fucking vermin were dead!! Fuck!! While I was off playing House and Empire Earth they were—Tch!!'

Cirrus held a deep feeling of guilt. Guilt over not being there when they needed him most. He knows it was to late to do something about it now but there is one thing he promised himself when he met her again. He could be there for Ryuu. Whatever path she picked he would support it.

But that guilt still remained, mixed with his anger and frustration on the whole circumstance of their deaths. His fists curled up so tightly he dug his own nails into his palms.

“Fuck…. Fuck! FuCK! FUCK!!!!!!!!!” he punched the ground in anger, causing the floor to slightly shook with each swing of his punch's.

The floor shook more and more when a voice ran through his head.

“You going to keep crying you big baby!”

“!!”

He stopped mid-swing and look at the grave.

“…. It was you, Kaguya, only that damn mouth can say that to me.” Cirrus collected himself when Ai came by.

“So this is their grave—"

“How long were you watching Ai?”

Cirrus kept looking at the grave while Ai walked up and wrapped her arms around him.

“I figured you needed a moment…  And I do as well.”

“… Hecton.”

From his shadow, several bottles of alcohol popped out and were caught by Cirrus.

“I’m sure they're pretty thirsty.”

“Hm! I am sure they are." Ai knelt besides Cirrus.

"So. Pop!" He opens a bottle. "Where do we begin." He pours one out to them.

"Oh how about when we got the Gojouno's under our thumb! Kaguya would love to hear how her father was replaced as the Family head!"

They spent the day talking to the grave and fixing it up a bit, as well as giving Alise and the others their favorite drinks.

 

---

Shirakusa Ai

Lv. 6

Strength: C613       Endurance: A899

Dexterity: A879      Agility: S900

Magic: E401            Hunter: G

Immunity: G Swordsmen: E

Initiative: H Chain Attack: I

<Magic>

[Murakumogiri]

• Enchant Magic

[Yonbi Kōgō]

• Enhance/ Transformation Magic

<Skills>

[Isshin]

• When focusing intensely Strength, Dexterity, and Agility will increase drastically.

[Yorimitsu]

• When fighting any monster, all stats are drastically increased.

[Nārāyaṇa]

• Great cutting power will be released upon the last second.
  

  ---