Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 376- Charon, The Psychopomp

The next day, Ai was hunting for the black creature.

“Where the hell could it be?”

Ai began to search for any signs of settlements that had people. She searched for six hours to finally find one in the plains.

“It’s so nice to have an adventure here!” said the village head. “Please eat!” They offer her some very lightly purple-tinged soup.

“It's fine, really! I’m just here in case that creature shows up.”

“Well, regardless you will need your strength.”

The settlement was no bigger than a village of five homes. Most of the people are middle-aged to children, with few elderly people.

“I’m fine, really. I have my own food so you guys can just eat your fill.” She nods. “I will be waiting for when the creature comes.”

Ai waited outside on the plains by herself until night came.

In the dead of night, Ai’s fox ears twitched.

“!” Her eyes opened wide, and she stood up to see a figure in black across the plains.

She focused her eyes to see what it was, but all she could see was a solid black figure; they were as dark as Fafnir’s hair, riding on what she thought was a motorcycle.

“No… It couldn’t possibly be one, could it?”

The figure then went towards the village.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“!!!”

It was clear as the night under the crescent moon they were under that they were, in fact, riding a motorcycle; the sound of it was something from another world.

“You’re not getting to them!"

Ai draws her blade and makes a beeline for it. As a level 8 adventurer her speed was phenomenal.

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!!!

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!!!

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!!!

Ai quickly intercepts it within a few moments of her spotting the creature.

“Got you!!”

She jumped up, coming down with her sword, ready to cut it into two.

"!" The figure felt a intense killing intent. The figure quickly dodged her attack out of pure instinct.

SWISH!!

FWHOOSH~!!

Her slash blasted a fair, strong wind brush through the area.

Charon stopped to look at Ai. She radiated a lethal feeling that should not be underestimated.

'Dangerous.'

They didn’t hesitate; Charon drew the oar Elysium gifted to them and swung with all of their might.

Whoosh~!!

“!”

It was insanely fast. Ai quickly jumped up, spinning her body for another attack using her bodies momentum.

Swish~!!!

Charon then headbutted Ai’s swing. Had Ai got better footing the helmet that covers Charon's head would have slit them.

CLANG!!!

The attack reverberated through the area. The kinetic force ran up Ai’s arm while that same force went through Charon’s body as if it were liquid.

“Hoh?” Ai smirked, still in the air. This mere exchange was but only a few brief moments. “Aren’t you something?”

Looking at Ai, Charon felt he had seen Ai before.

‘?. She looks familiar?’

Before Charon could think more about it, Ai, as gravity was pulling her back to earth, kicked Charon’s bike to jump back.

THUD!!

“!?” Charon and their ride were knocked away, but with quick action, they used their oar to fling themselves back straight up. While in the air, Charon revved their bike loudly. “VRRRRRRRR~!!!”

The wheels began to ride on the air, and sure enough, Charon began to ride on thin air.

“Ooh,” Ai said, amazed as she gazed up at Charon, a figure in complete darkness.

“… Who are you?” Charon asked, tilting their head in confusion.

“You can talk?”

“I can.” They slowly descend back to the ground, and they also put their oar away into their ride.

Ai did the same in sheathing her sword.

“Can I ask why you are killing innocents? These people are simply living their lives.”

“Let me ask you first.” Charon slowly approaches her while still on their bike. “What is your name, warrior? Your fate is... unknown.” They tilt their head even more. “How puzzling. You also look familiar."

“My name is Ai Zephyr! Now you name yourself!” She puts her hand on her sword handle, ready to attack.

“Ai Zephyr—!?” They finally remembered where he remembered Ai from.

They get off their ride and walk to her as their bike fades away and their helmet reforms back into a hat. The shadows that cloaked them disperse as they greet Ai.

“!!” Ai could see a deathly beauty in this spirit. Their attire is just lavish enough to not detract from their deathly presence.

“I am honored to have met you, Mother.” They kneel before her as regally and politely as they can.

“M-mother!?” It shocked Ai to be called that by them. Given the whole chain of events there was only one person who was responsible. “T-then you must be one of Cirrus’s spirits, huh?” Ai had a bit of a fluster look on her.

“I am.” They stand back up. “My name is Charon, Grand Spirit of Prospering Souls. I have been tasked with guiding souls over to the Elysian Valley. My apologies for this turn of events. Had I remembered sooner the artwork my father had of you, I would have informed you to avoid this energy and time wasted.”

Ai was taken by how polite they were and that Elysium made art of her.

"O-oh, no problem at all!” She wryly smiled. “You are pretty tough as well to just headbutt my swing.”

“Father said my magic was my greatest strength. That only one who has reached the pinnacle of this world could ward me."

Ai could tell. Their speed alone was that of a level 9. Yet now, with Charon before her on their own two feet, they seemed weaker.

“Hm. I see. So why are you killing innocent people?” Ai wanted to get back on point. “Cir—I mean, Elysium wouldn’t allow that!” She doubts having become a god would drastically alter the core of Cirrus' morals. Afterall it was through Cirrus that Elysium could be born.

“I am not killing them for the sake of killing." They shake their head. "I am merely speeding up their fates.”

“So you're killing them!”

“They are already fated to die.” Their tone did not change a bit. They spoke with a cool and tempered matter-of-fact tone. “The land has poisoned them; the elderly here will die within the week; they will cough and stay in bed in pain, wishing for death. For a price, I would give them a peaceful death and take them to my father’s domain.”

“Price? What price?”

“A gold coin or simply any currency I find worthy in my eyes.”

“And then you will just... take them to Elysian Valley?”

“Yes. I have already brought him a good number of souls. Most of them were from battlefields where they waged war, and some were bandits. By now Father has gotten the process down, more or less from what he said.”

“So… You aren’t going out of their way to kill you, just granting them a merciful death?”

“Indeed. Once they reach Father’s domain, they will be in paradise. Of course, they are free to refuse me, but I will still claim their soul once they pass on, on their own terms.”

“Okay… Well, he must have finished his domain since I left.”

“Yes, he has. His diligence and hard work have finally begun to bear fruit.”

“Oh, that’s nice!” Ai smiled brightly.

Charon looked at her smile. They found her smile almost as warm and affectionate as their creator.

“… Mother, can I ask why you are so far from Orario?”

“I came here to repair a weapon to fight Cirrus—er, I mean Elysium!”

“I see…” They nod their head. "Then, Mother, can I give you advice?”

“Sure thing!” She nods, any information on Elysium is a welcomed one.

“When the challenge begins, you must fight him with the intention of cutting him down.”

“Oh…" Ai didn't expect that. "Thank you? I guess?”

"Then, if you excuse me, I need to get back to work.” As they turn towards the houses.

“Wait!" Ai shouts. "You said for the price of a gold coin you would give them a peaceful death; then could you do anything for a gold coin? Or no?”

“I will do what is requested for a gold coin. I merely stated it that way to prevent foolish people from making stupid requests. Father says I have the choice in how I handle people who make or demand certain requests.”

“How very him, but if I give you enough gold coins for the people here, you won’t go to them?”

“If the price is paid, then yes. Do you wish to spare them from my visitation? You know I will return to claim their souls, right? The elderly will have drawn their last breath in about two months.”

“Yes, your activity here has caused Odin to be wary, so when you do come back, it would be nice if you didn’t get caught.”

“Odin… Hmm… Very well." They nod, they accept the terms set by Ai. "I would like to work without causing too much trouble. Do you have the money? All 97 gold coins?”

“97? Is that how many are at death’s door?”

“As I said, the land is poisoned from the soil deep in the earth to the water and streams. The life you see here is simply nature adapting to the poison. But I must admit, from what a gentleman I recently met informed me, the adaptation was surprisingly fast.”

"Could it be because it’s an elf forest?”

“Possibly. Or it could be the supposed world tree… Hm." They glanced at the large tree in the distance, base of the Odin Familia. They return their attention to Ai. "Regardless, do you have the payment?”

"Yeah, hold on.” Ai rummages through her bag and takes out 97 gold Valis’. “Here you go.”

“Thank you very much.” Charon holds their hands out.

Ai hands them the coins, and they store them within their shadow-like bodies.

“Say, can you give me a lift to Elysium? Or will it be on my tab?”

“For you, no, I will be going there eventually, so it is no problem.”

"Thanks, so what are you going to do now?”

“I am going to get a very rare material I heard from the locals. I shall meet you on that hill when you are ready.” They point to a hill with a single ash tree. They held out their hand. “(Pay my fee and I shall take you.) [Porthméas].”

From their magic circle, a pure black motorcycle appeared.

“Did Elysium also make that magic for you?”

“Yes, Father crafted this magic for me.”

"And... are there other Spirits? I have seen Proanthos, Aries, Leo, and Virgo.”

"Yes, besides me, there are my brother’s Acheron, Lethe, then my sister’s Phlegethon, and Cocytus. While I do the most important work, my younger siblings are working on improving my father’s domain. Then there are my father’s knights. Scorpio, Pisces E and Pisces O, Cancer, and Gemini. They are many others but there is a time and place to speak of them."

“I… I see." Ai wounders how many spirits Elysium made. "I’ll be sure to prepare myself when the time comes.”

“Hm, I bid you farewell, mother.” They bow and get on their ride; it blanketed them in darkness while riding away.

“Hm.” Ai looks at them as they ride away. “They're pretty nice.”