Last time Leo updated his Guild Advisor, Eina on what he had discovered within the Dungeon along with introducing Pyra. He then proceeded to return to his Familia's Manor to update his Goddess on what had transpired. Now he has been roped into a shopping trip for new equipment with his Goddess.

The sun had just risen, ushering in the start of another new day in Orario. Within the Twilight Manor, Leo was seen asleep in his bed, Pyra was sleeping in the bed on the other side of the room. Leo gently stirred before sitting up and letting out a gentle yawn before looking over at Pyra who was still fast asleep. "I should probably let her rest. I imagine Lady Loki won't come to kick down our door just yet." Leo thought to himself as he climbed out of bed before he opened his closet before rifling through his clothes. The blonde teen opted for a simple white button up shirt with brown pants and his adventuring boots. Leo then made his way over to the desk in the corner of his room where the journal he started on the lab sat.

            Leo sat down in the chair before opening the journal to the page he started on the Lethal Lysaats and King Lysaat he and Bell had encountered. "With the monsters of the lab being unknown as well, I will need to start compiling a Monster Encyclopedia for other Adventurers to utilize." Leo thought to himself as he began writing down information on the Lethal Lysaats under the sketch he drew of it. While he was absorbed in his writing, Leo failed to noticed that Pyra gently stirred before sitting up in bed, tiredly rubbing her eyes. Pyra looked over at Leo writing in his journal, a gentle smile spreading across her face. Pyra climbed out of bed as she thought of her usual outfit, her pajamas shining before changing into her usual outfit. Pyra walked up to her Driver, stopping behind him while peeking over his shoulder.

          "You really like keeping notes of everything don't you?" Leo looked up from his journal and over his shoulder at Pyra who was smiling at him warmly. An embarrassed blush spread across Leo's face as he let out an embarrassed cough. "Knowledge can be the greatest weapon a human can have, I believe it's important to document anything and everything you learn. You never know when it might help you or someone else." Leo said thoughtfully as Pyra gently hugged Leo from behind. Leo could feel the warmth radiating off the Blade's body. "I think it's wonderful you try to gather information to help others." Pyra said gently as Leo's eyes widened in surprise. Leo had never had someone compliment his pursuit of knowledge, most of the members of his Familia thought he was wasting his time gathering knowledge instead of pursuing strength.

          Before Leo could respond however, the door to the room burst open, a smirking Loki standing in the doorway. "How boring! Here I thought I would catch you two partaking in something risqué. Honestly Leo, you are the child of the Goddess of Mischief, partake in a little!" Loki said in a teasing tone as she smirked at the Driver and Blade. Pyra's face erupted into a crimson red blush as she quickly backed away from Leo. Leo turned in his chair to face his goddess before throwing his pencil at her. The writing tool collided with the goddess's forehead, causing her to let out a whine of pain. "Ow! What was that for?! Is that anyway to treat your goddess?!" Loki whined as she rubbed the sore spot on her forehead casting a hurt look towards Leo, who simply rolled his eyes.

           "That's for making such crass comments. Now what do you need Lady Loki?" Leo asked as he waited for his goddess to answer his question. Loki's mischievous smirk returned to her face as she rested her hands on her hips. "I'm taking you two to Babel! We need to get you outfitted with new equipment Leo, plus we could maybe stop in and watch the tournament today." Loki said in a sing song tone as Leo rolled his eyes before closing his journal and standing up from his desk before stretching. "Very well, Pyra are you ready to head out?" Leo asked as he gave his Blade a curious look. Pyra nodded her head in confirmation as Loki once again smiled at them. "Right then! Chop, chop! Let's get a move on children!" Loki said as she clapped her hands together, ushering the Driver and Blade out of the bedroom.

Babel
After about an hour of walking, Loki, Leo, and Pyra stood in front of the tower that was built on top of the entrance to the Dungeon. "Lady Loki, are you certain that it's necessary for us to pick up my new equipment here? It feels a bit extreme." Leo admitted as he looked over at his goddess with a mildly uncomfortable look on his face. Loki shot Leo a playful smirk before she rested her hands behind her head. "Nonsense! You should at least have decent gear if you'll be leading an expedition! Ah! Looks like we can start heading in, she's here." Loki said as both Leo and Pyra gave the goddess a confused look at what she meant. Leo and Pyra followed Loki's gaze only to find a girl approaching them. She had long blonde hair, piercing golden eyes, a neutral expression on her face. The girl wore a white top, purple skirt, pink knee sock, black shoes, a sword was sheathed at her hip.

           This was Ais Wallenstein, the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia. "Lady Loki, you requested I accompany you here to Babel." Ais said in a monotone voice as she directed all of her attention towards the trickster goddess. Loki smirked at Ais before gently grabbing Leo by the shoulder and dragged him into view of the Sword Princess. "I'm sure you know Leo Barclay here, a fellow member of our Familia. His gear was damaged on a recent trip into the Dungeon. Since I want him to lead an expedition in the Dungeon soon, I figured you could help him pick out better equipment." Loki said in a sing song tone as Ais's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise before she turned to look at Leo. Leo wasn't at all surprised that Ais was giving him that blank stare, why would a low level Adventurer like himself be put in charge of an expedition?

             "Very well, that should be easy enough to do." Ais said in her ever monotone voice as Loki happily clapped her hands together. "Perfect! Now let's get going! Wouldn't want to waste all day in Babel!" Loki said happily as she ushered the other three members of the group towards the tower. As they walked however, Leo felt Ais's intense stare on his back as a shiver ran down his spine. "Did you do something to upset her?" Pyra whispered to her Driver, as the Sword Princess's gaze was making her nervous as well. Leo however was in the rare situation where he had no answer, he had never spoken to the Sword Princess until today. "No, I highly doubt she knew I existed before today!" Leo whispered back to Pyra as he found the whole thing rather strange. The Driver and Blade continued to walk, not wanting to disturb the Sword Princess or anger her further.

Shopping Floor
The group found themselves on a floor lined with different store fronts selling various wears for the Adventurers who brave the Dungeon.

"Here we are! Now Ais, you got help Leo with his armor. Pyra and I will search for a new weapon." Loki said before she grabbed Pyra by the arm before she started dragging the Blade into a nearby blacksmith shop owned by the Hephaestus Familia. "H-Hold on, why are we splitting up?" Pyra asked nervously only to be ignored by the trickster goddess as she was pulled away into the store. Leo and Ais watched them go with a look of confusion and boredom respectively. "Should we follow them?" Leo asked Ais as he looked over at the Sword Princess. Ais simply nodded her head before walking into the blacksmith shop, Leo following after her.

              Leo and Ais looked through the shelves that had armor lining them, searching for pieces that would be appropriate for an Adventurer of his skill level. "My knowledge on armor is rather lacking, what do you recommend Miss Wallenstein?" Leo asked his companion, turning to look at her, only to nearly jump out of his skin when he found her staring intensely at him. "Did Lady Loki selecting me to lead an expedition anger her that much? Leo thought to himself as now he was genuinely concerned he had done something to anger his fellow Familia Member. "You party with Bell Cranel of the Hestia Familia frequently correct?" Ais asked in her ever present monotone voice as she gave Leo a curious look. Leo's nerves immediately subsided as a look of confusion spread across the teenager's face.

"That is correct, why do you ask?" Leo questioned Ais as a suspicious look spread across his face. Leo couldn't even begin to fathom why Ais would be interested in his Dungeon exploring partner. "We crossed paths in the Dungeon once, I saved him from a Minotaur. Did he ever mention me?" Ais asked bluntly, her neutral tone not once faltering alongside her blank expression. A look of realization dawned across Leo's face as he remembered hearing stories from other Familia members about Ais saving an Adventurer from a Minotaur. "So Bell was the person she saved, that would explain his newfound adoration for her." Leo thought to himself as he was starting to piece together what exactly the Sword Princess wanted from him.

"He did mention you during our last trip into the Dungeon. It seems you've become quite the inspiration to him." Leo said as he risked a small smirk spreading across his face. Ais nodded her head before she turned her attention back towards the armor on the shelves. However Leo could've sworn he saw a ghost of a smile on the Sword Princess's face for a brief moment. "I must be imagining things." Leo thought to himself before Ais suddenly handed him a breastplate. "You wield a two handed cleaver correct? Medium armor like this should supply you with adequate defense to pair with such a weapon." Ais explained before she also grabbed a set of armored pants and armored boots as well. Leo looked the breastplate in his hands over before nodding his head in understanding. Ais then lead Leo to the fitting rooms so he could try the armor on.

One Hour Later
Leo and Ais exited the blacksmith shop with the armor being delivered to the Twilight Manor. Once outside they found Loki and a blushing Pyra waiting for them. "Took you two long enough! Did you help get Leo sorted out Ais?" Loki asked in her usual mischievous tone as the Sword Princess gave a quick nod of her head. Leo approached Pyra with a worried look plastered across his face. "What did Lady Loki do?" Leo asked bluntly, knowing perfectly well the reason for Pyra's embarrassment was linked to the Goddess somehow. Pyra fidgeted in place nervously for a moment before letting out a sigh. "W-We found you a new sword in about half an hour. She then dragged me to a clothing store and made me try on different outfits." Pyra squeaked out meekly as she looked down at her feet in embarrassment.

Leo pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, not at all surprised by Loki's antics in the slightest. "Lady Loki! Ais, Leo! There's trouble!" The group all turned to see Eina running up to them in a panic. The Guild Worker stopped in front of them before taking a moment to catch her breath. "Whoa Eina, where's the fire?" Loki said in a teasing tone as she shot the Guild worker a playful smirk. Eina quickly composed herself before explaining the reason for her panic. "No fire, Monsters have escaped the arena the tournament was held in today! They are wreaking havoc on Orario!" Eina cried as the goddess's eyes widened in shock before she quickly turned on her heel to face the members of her Familia. "Everyone, we move now. We can't let those monsters destroy the city!" Loki ordered as everyone nodded before swiftly rushing out of the Tower of Babel.

Orario Streets
Leo, Pyra, and Ais ran through the streets as Loki and Eina followed behind the Adventurers as they searched for the monsters. The group heard the screams of civilians as they spotted them running away from a monster. It was a yellow armadillo like creature that had orange spikes covering its body. The creature stood on is hind legs, reaching nearly six feet of height.

"A Hard Armored! Thats one of the two most dangerous monsters of the twelfth floor of the Dungeon!" Leo said in shock as he did not expect such a strong monster to be loose in the city. Ais drew her sword as she faced the Hard Armored, ready to fight. "Leo, stay back and guard Lady Loki and Eina, this monster is too strong for an Adventurer of your level." Ais stated stoically before dashing towards the Hard Armored. Ais swiftly thrusted her sword three times at the monster, however the creature quickly collapsed to the ground, causing the sword to bounce off its spikes.

          Ais stumbled back, letting out a frustrated hiss before recovering her footing. The Hard Armored stood up before swiping its claws at the Sword Princess, who swiftly sidestepped the monster's claws before thrusting her sword four more times at the creature's side. However the monster turned on its heel, having its back face the female adventurer, her sword once again bouncing off its armor. The Hard Armored let out a roar before swinging its tail like a club at Ais, who leaped backwards, narrowly avoiding the spiked tail. Ais slid across the ground before readying her sword once again before lunging forward. The Hard Armored raised its claws above its head before swiping them at Ais, who dropped down sliding underneath the claws. Ais then delivered two powerful thrusting attacks to the Hard Armored's soft underbelly.

The Hard Armored let out a roar of pain as it stumbled backwards. The Hard Armored growled before once again swinging its tail at Ais like a club. Ais didn't have the time to dodge as she raised her sword, blocking the tail swing, but was sent sliding backwards across the ground from the force of the attack. Loki, Eina, Leo, and Pyra watched the battle unfold with concerned looks on their faces. "Will Ais be alright on her own?" Eina asked as she looked over at Loki with concern present in her eyes. "Ais is one of the strongest Adventurers in my Familia, this monster is nothing for her!" Loki said in a confident tone, however the expression on her face indicated she was worried, this monster was smarter than others for some reason. Leo watched Ais do battle with the Hard Armored, a stony look on his face.

          "You want to help her don't you?" Pyra said as she looked over at her Driver, knowing exactly what was going through his head. Leo turned to look at Pyra in surprise before letting out a sigh. "Yes, however as a low level Adventurer, I stand no chance against a monster of this caliber. I would merely get in the way." Leo said in a dejected tone as he knew he wouldn't be of much help to Ais in this battle considering his skill set. Pyra smiled at Leo, gently setting her hand on his shoulder, giving it a supportive squeeze. "Maybe by yourself, but remember I am with you every step of the way." Pyra said as she gently patted Leo on the back. Leo looked at Pyra in surprise before gripping the handle of the Aegis, drawing it from the back of his waist, holding it out in front of him.

           "I trust you Pyra, let's go assist the Sword Princess!" Leo said as Pyra nodded before extending her hand out towards Leo, a stream of Ether flowing out of her and into Leo's body. The blue Ether surrounded Leo as the Aegis opened up and its blade made of pure fire extended out of it. Leo dashed forward as Loki and Eina's eyes widened in horror at the sight of him charging towards the Hard Armored. "LEO!" Loki and Eina shouted in fear as they watched Leo charged towards the monster. The Hard Armored raised its claws ready to take another swipe at Ais. However Leo lunged in front of Ais before slashing the Hard Armored across its soft underbelly. A large cut with scorch marks surrounding it was left in the creature as it let out a roar of agony.

Ais looked at Leo in surprise as the teen looked over his shoulder at the Sword Princess, a small smile on his face. "I know you can handle yourself Miss Wallenstein, but I believe this would go quicker if we work together." Leo said as Ais nodded her head before she stood next to Leo, both of them lunging towards the Hard Armored. The monster recovered before letting out a roar as it once again swung its tail at the two Adventurers. Ais deflected the tail with her sword before Leo swung the Aegis at the Hard Armored, the blade of fire slicing through the armored spikes on the creature's back, leaving a smoking cut on its back. The Hard Armored let out a pained whine of confusion, not expecting its spikes to be cut through. Loki and Eina's eyes widened in shock that the Aegis managed to cut through the monster's armor.

Ais took advantage of the monster's confusion to lunge past it and deliver four powerful sword thrusts into its underbelly, causing it to let out another roar of agony as it stumbled backwards. Leo took this opening to deliver another two slashes across the creature's back, cutting off more of its armored spikes, the wounds left in their place smoking. Once again the Hard Armored roared in agony as it turned its attention towards Leo, raising its claws above its head as it let out an enraged roar. The monster swiped at Leo, who swung the Aegis in a horizontal arc, its blade of fire scorching the monster's claws. The Hard Armored whimpered in pain as it began to curl in on itself, this however left it wide open for an attack.

        Ais dashed around the creature's side before leaping into the air and delivering a thrust attack to the side of its head with her sword. The Hard Armored let out a weaker roar of pain as it once again stumbled backwards. The Ether stream that connected Leo and Pyra went from blue to a brilliant gold as the Aegis's blade only seemed to burn more intensely. Leo dashed forward before stabbing the blade of fire through the Hard Armored's torso, the blade of fire extending and shooting out the creature's back. Leo with all his strength swung the Aegis upwards, the blazing blade slicing the monster in half, its body exploding into wispy energy, a large Magic Stone dropping to the ground where it once stood. Pyra let out a relieved sigh as she cut the Ether stream.

The Aegis closed back up as Leo sheathed it across the back of his waist once again. Cheering could be heard as the civilians came out from hiding, relieved the monster was dead. As Leo let out a relieved sigh, he was promptly slapped across the face by Eina, who glared at him in a mixture of anger and concern. "You idiot! Do you have any idea how risky that was?!" Eina shouted, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she continued to glare at Leo. Leo gently rubbed the sword side of his face, a red handprint visible on it. "It seemed preferable to letting Miss Wallenstein fight the creature slone and potentially get injured or worse." Leo said calmly as he didn't exactly see the issue with his actions. Eina growled in frustration before taking a moment to calm down.

"You owe me." Eina said gently, but sternly to the Adventurer. Leo for his part looked at the half-elf in confusion, not exactly understanding what she meant. "I beg your pardon?" Leo said in confusion, cocking his head to the side in surprise. A mischievous smirk spread across Eina's face that somehow to Leo was more unnerving than Loki's. "After you complete that Expedition with your Familia, I have a few days off saved up. You are going to spend the day with me as an apology." Eina said in a slightly smug tone as Leo only grew more confused at what exactly he was being roped into. Pyra however had an idea of what the half-elf was trying to do, and it annoyed her slightly as Leo was her Driver. "Very well, if it will make you feel better." Leo said in a defeated tone as a victorious smile spread across Eina's face.

Leo let out a sigh before he turned to face Ais, who was waiting patiently behind him. "A pleasure fighting alongside you Miss Wallenstein." Leo said as he offered his hand to the Sword Princess. Ais looked at his hand for a moment before looking Leo in the eyes once again. "Ais, call me Ais. You haven't put together a party for the Expedition yet correct? I would like to join, consider it my way of paying you back for your assistance today." Ais said in her ever monotone voice as she shook Leo's hand. Loki watched her two children come to an agreement, a genuine smile spreading across her face. Loki looked up at the sky, she could tell that whatever Leo had discovered, alongside Pyra, the young Adventurer was definitely going places. The only question on the goddess's mind at this point was where exactly that place would be.

So Leo was able to acquire new armor and a weapon with the help of Loki. However he ended up battling alongside the Sword Princess herself when monsters somehow escaped Orario's arena. Now she is set to join Leo's party for the Expedition into the Lab. I asked this in the last Quest, but what other members of the Loki Familia would you like to see join Leo's team for this expedition? As always leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments! What awaits Leo and his party as they venture deeper into the Lab? What secrets will they uncover? What dangers lurk within it? Find out in the next Quest of Danmachi: Master of the Aegis!