cybresamurai: Yep, I figured that some would pick up on that event. But, I think transforming would require someone to believe that the girl is an actual goddess? They knew Blanc was a CPU to begin with, so it just required the belief to come with it? Ehh, not so sure how about that theory either, but for this case I have to say I prefer Nep being her adorable human self. I would've also liked to see their reactions to Purple Heart as well, so I do have plans for that... more explanations at the end of the chapter!
Shirosaki Kizuro: Thank you!
Raiden312: Ah, true that. One of the many things Neptune values the most is her pudding. But let us all have the hope that Neptune's morals will pull through pudding bribery as well, ahaha. Anyway, thank you for your support, and yes, Hestia being Hestia, we know how she is when it comes to her precious Bell-kun. As for Neptune and her HDD... well, I've actually come upon a decision on that, and I kinda have a preference for Neptune being human instead. There's an explanation for that at the end of the chapter. Lol, that's true, I was surprised at the inconsistency with Neptune's cooking skills, unless maybe she's a selective cook instead? Or maybe I'm just overthinking things and it's just the whole "it's just a spin-off, therefore another alternate Neptune" deal, ahaha. But oh, once again, thanks for that reminder! You had a point with that one, so I made the necessary changes.
TinfoilxD: Yes, it is my goal to make this fic as cute as Nep is. Ahaha.
Guest: Yep, Neptune can show some surprising maturity from time to time. Oh, and you're a reader from that fic too, haha, I didn't expect that; so I just wanted to say thanks for the support and don't worry, I will start working on my other fics. Just gotta release this chapter first.
nyamu: I like to think of Neptune as someone who chooses -when- to be competent, though. But the laziness is undeniable, ahaha. I totally imagined Neptune saying those words though, ahaha, you made my day with that one.
Harutora75: Hello again, Harutora75! Thanks for all the support you show to my Neptunia fics!
CPU of Planeptune Plutia: Hmm, true, it might be too overkill for Histy to also be doing the cooking of all things. But Neptune never struck me as the type who'd be that independent to do all the work by herself... so maybe she ordered food instead? ...But then again, Nep's kinda unpredictable with her laziness, and they don't give much in-depth info about the Neptunia cast so who can tell, ahaha.
Garoil: Thank you! And thank goodness I'm somehow managing to prevent OOC-ness. I do plan on making a couple of references from time to time. It's just as you said, continuity didn't really matter that much because of the lack of the fourth-wall, ahaha. Hestia finally appears in this chapter, so we can all see how she reacts to Neptune now.
Once again, thanks to the people who faved/followed! Special thanks to my beta reader Rawrko for helping me with this chapter!
DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything... other than my ideas, I guess?
CHAPTER 4:
Monster Festival? Totally Not Dangerous, For Sure
With a battle cry, a Goblin comes rushing, arms swinging and sharp claws out, but Bell side-steps with each mad swing the monster made, further adding to its irritation. Undeterred, he senses movement from the back and makes another move to dodge yet another Goblin's swing, while at the same time bringing out his dagger and dispatches it with a slice at its side.
With that one taken care of, Bell's red eyes scan the remaining enemies in the vicinity. 'One down, three more to go... Better not get overwhelmed at this point. This place is quite difficult to move in...'
And this certainly would have been a difficult fight... if he was alone.
"Chesto!"
With a few swift, precisely-aimed slices to a Goblin's chest, the Magic Stone from its chest comes tumbling out, making the Goblin slump over and shrivel up to ashes.
"Got another one!"
Encouraged by Neptune's assistance, Bell returns his focus on the remaining Goblins around him; and, after dodging their attempts at swinging at him with their arms, he uses his dagger to slash and finish them off.
"...I guess that's all of them." Bell glances at the Goblin corpses around him, seeing that there weren't anymore left.
"Well, then that's that—Bell-kun! Above you!"
At Neptune's warning, Bell takes notice of the large shadow looming above him and quickly dodges just as the creature had dived down on the spot he was previously standing on.
A brown, four-legged creature with a long tail was crouched onto the ground, making hissing noises as its thin tongue slithered from its mouth.
"Oh, it's that overgrown lizard again," Neptune remarks.
There really wasn't any other way to describe it. It literally was just a large lizard monster that prowled around in the Dungeon, hence the name [Dungeon Lizard]. It would latch onto the ceilings and attack unsuspecting Adventurers this way, often using its brown color to camouflage itself within the walls of the cave-like area.
However, all in all, it was still just one of the many low-leveled monsters on this floor.
The only thing that made this monster a bit more challenging to take on was that it would constantly jump and climb around the walls which made it hard to land a direct hit on. Waiting, or making it land onto the floor, was one's best bet to make a decisive strike, which was exactly where the monster was on right now.
Not wasting any second of this opportunity, Bell sprints towards the lizard and jumps in the air. Wielding his dagger in a reverse-grip, he pierces the monster on its back. The pressure that was exerted from landing the blow from above combined with Bell's increased strength had managed to pierce through the monster's hard scales, making the monster screech out in pain before it lifelessly slumped into the ground.
Seeing that it wasn't moving anymore, Bell gets off from its back with a look of concern. "Ah, I heard something connect roughly with my dagger. I hope I didn't damage the Magic Stone..."
"Meh, don't sweat it. We've managed to get a whole bunch of Magic Stones from the other floors anyway," Neptune tells him.
"Well, that's true..." It was just another low-leveled monster after all. Even if he did harvest a Magic Stone from it, it would be the same fragment as the Goblins or Kobolds that one encountered on this floor.
Bell proceeded to collect the Magic Stones and some of the loot that managed to drop out from the rest of the monster corpses that were laying around (Neptune still couldn't stomach the idea of cutting inside a monster's bloody flesh), and decides to finish their dungeon exploration up to this point.
They were currently on the 4th floor, so they made their way up to the entrance for a total of three floors.
They had actually made their way to the 6th floor today, which Bell wouldn't normally do due to the high risk in doing so (at least at his level). But he had to admit: Neptune accompanying him gave the confidence he needed to brave the high-risk floors. With her prowess at fighting, he felt he could accomplish at least this much. If she can slice through monster flesh with a wooden sword, there's no reason not to trust her abilities.
Seeing Neptune battle like that made something flare up within Bell. His passion to grow stronger; to be as strong as that someday. Can he do it though...? If he trains against tougher monsters, will he manage to catch up to -her- soon?
'Still...' He brushes away those thoughts as wishful thinking on his part. Things are fine the way they are now. Reaching the 6th floor is good enough. Anymore than that is pushing it at the moment. He can't be too impatient or else something might just happen to him. He promised Kami-sama he wouldn't leave her alone. The pace he's going through right now seems decent, since compared to before, Bell does admit he's a lot stronger now. This surely must be the effect of the status growth Kami-sama had informed him.
Since he and Neptune managed to go through from the 1st until the 6th floor, along with repeated monster encounters on their way back until the 4th, they've made a lot of progress. That's more than enough for today, especially when one compares to the normal pace he usually goes at.
Neptune's head tilts slightly as she examines Bell's face with a look of concern. He's been unusually quiet this entire time. "Bell-kun, you have this broody look on your face. Are you monologuing something like a first-person perspective protagonist?"
Neptune's voice snaps Bell out of his thoughts. "A-ah, well... I was going over a few things in my head..." he replies awkwardly. Now that she mentions it, another concern does rise up from within his mind. "Come to think of it, Nep-sama... is it really okay for you to have spent time here in the Dungeon? Eina-san said that you're not supposed to go until you're a full Adventurer..."
Gods were the ones who give humans the strength to be able to take on the monsters inside the Dungeon, that is, the [God's Grace]—otherwise known as the [Falna]. They only gave a blessing such as that to the ones in their Familia. As a safety measure, the Guild makes it a requirement that one must have joined a Familia if one wanted to become an Adventurer, so at the least it is assured that one is bestowed with the god's grace; and, therefore, you will not die easily.
He understands Eina's concerns about this matter, since it is part of her duty as a Guild member to prevent incidents from happening... though Neptune, being her carefree self, didn't look like she was bothered at all at the possibility of violating rules.
"Of course it's fine! Technically, I am -about- to become an Adventurer anyway, so it's still legit," Neptune replies confidently. For she was Neptune, seeker of loopholes for her convenience!
Bell only sweatdrops at this. He doesn't think Eina will accept that kind of explanation... He expects another huge lecture from her when they meet up later at the Guild...
It turned out Bell's worries were for nothing. Eina was absent for once today because she had another Familia-related duty she had to attend to, a Guild advisor had explained to him. Well, at least they were able to escape another lecture from Eina today. Neptune had yelled out a "Lucky us!" when she heard about it.
So, he just went on over to the cashier to exchange his Magic Stones for Valis and left the Guild.
As they stepped out, Bell couldn't help but notice that there were considerably less Adventurers or civilians that were around the street. Normally at this hour, it was the time where Adventurers would finish their dungeon explorations and would be on their way home, just like what he was doing now.
Neptune took notice of his constant glances around the street and decides to ask, "Hm? Bell-kun, is something the matter?"
"Oh, I was just wondering why there aren't much people today..."
At his words, Neptune looks around the area herself and does notice that it was less crowded today. "Huh, you're right. Wonder if everyone already went home?"
'Is that really the case...?' Bell found it far too unusual for a normally populated area to be rather empty like this.
"Oh, if it isn't Bell."
The two halt at their steps at the sound of the voice behind them, turning around to see a tall, handsome man with dark blue hair wearing a grey robe smiling at them. Neptune could be heard gasping out, "Pretty boy!" from beside Bell.
"Oh, Kami-sama," Bell looked briefly surprised at the man's appearance before greeting him with a bow.
Hearing his greeting, Neptune looks rather confused. "Huh? Bell-kun, I thought your 'Kami-sama' was a goddess." Unless this he in front of them was actually a she?! 'Pretty appearances are so deceiving!'
"Ah, Bell, is this a companion of yours?" the man asks, noticing the purple-haired girl with the wooden sword strapped on her back, held in place with a clumsily arranged cloth slung on her body.
Bell stumbles a bit at the two questions thrown at him, and could only mutter out a "Erm, uh..." until Neptune responds back first.
"Hi! I'm Neptune! Soon to be fellow Hestia-Familia-Adventurer," she greets with her usual cheerful smile.
The man brightened up at her words. "So you plan on joining Hestia's Familia. That's great news. I'm sure she'd be happy to hear that. It's about time her Familia took in a new member."
"So you're not Hestia?" Neptune asks bluntly, thinking of her earlier thoughts.
The man's face turns into slight amusement. "No, I'm afraid not. I know Hestia since our Familias are well-aquainted with each other. My name is Miach. You most likely confused me with Hestia due to Bell's term. Don't mind him. He's a polite boy like that."
"Yeah, I can see that," Neptune replies with equal hilarity.
Bell, mildly flustered at being talked about, decides to cut in on their conversation. "U-um, anyway! Miach-sama, speaking of Kami... er, Hestia-sama, have you heard any news about her? It's already been two days since she went to this banquet."
"Oh, you're referring to Ganesha's banquet. Unfortunately, I did not attend. I was far too busy with my own Familia-related matters. Ah, that's how it is when you're the leader of a small Familia," he says in false tiredness. "Sorry, it looks like I'm not able to be helpful."
Bell only waved his hands in front of him frantically. A god like him didn't have to apologize! "A-ah, no! Really, it's fine, Miach-sama!"
"Hmm, but today should be the last day of his banquet, if I recall, since the Monster Festival is today. Ganesha hosts the festival as the finale. He always has the need to make things extravagant, that one," Miach adds with a shake of his head at the thought of it.
"Monster Festival?" Both Bell and Neptune ask in confusion.
"Ah, right. Bell, you just recently arrived to Orario, so you don't know about this yet. I assume Neptune-san doesn't either. It's quite the famous event. The Monster Festival is a yearly occasion that's organized by the [Ganesha Familia] where they showcase Adventurers taming monsters from the Dungeon in the coliseum for the entire day," Miach explains.
'So that explained the lack of people...' Bell's eyes widen. "T-taming monsters?! Is that possible?!"
"Yes, taming is one of the many possible skills Adventurers can acquire. It allows the monster to witness an Adventurer's strength and become obedient towards them," Miach replies. "It's an incredibly risky thing to do, however. So one must be a strong Adventurer if they wish to attempt such a thing."
"Amazing..." Bell breathes out. He wasn't aware that the idea of taming monsters was actually possible.
Something like that was only what high-level Adventurers could accomplish. Such a feat was still far out of reach for him.
"That sounds totally cool! I wanna see it!" Neptune says eagerly. They never had such a cool function exist in Gamindustri, because as far as they were concerned, monsters were creatures that needed to be eliminated. Otherwise, they might cause some problems for the people. And they existed for the sake of obtaining items. That was pretty much it. So, it must be pretty interesting to watch how it's actually done.
Also, it was a festival! 'Festivals are always fun!' Neptune thinks.
"Well, the festival is still currently on-going. If you hurry now, you should still make it," Miach replies.
Neptune hurriedly turns to Bell with begging eyes. "Hey, hey, do you think we can go?"
"W-well..." It's not like they had anything better to do, and Bell admits that a part of him wants to see it too... And with the earnings they had from the Dungeon exploration, it should be more than enough, so why not?
(Plus, seeing her look at him with such bright shining eyes... he can't possibly refuse).
"I guess we can go check it out..." he eventually replies, making Neptune cheer.
"Well then, I better be on my way. I still have to buy ingredients for dinner," Miach says, preparing to make his leave. He only takes a few steps forward before he takes on a thoughtful expression as he pauses and reaches a hand inside the paper bag he was carrying, taking out two thin tubes containing blue liquid. "Oh, right, before you two go, I would like to give these to you."
He handed the two tubes towards Bell, which he had automatically reached out to grab them so they wouldn't end up falling onto the ground.
"A-ah, Miach-sama, this is...!?"
"Those are freshly-made potions from my shop. As neighbors, we should be helping each other, right?" Miach tells Bell with an ambiguous smile.
"Ah, erm, but to receive this so suddenly..." Bell tries to mutter.
"If you really want to make up for it, then feel free to purchase more! I'll be looking forward to your patronage to my Familia!" Miach patted Bell on the back, then walked off as he waved goodbye to the both of them.
Bell was left staring at Miach's disappearing silhouette in the distance, still stunned.
"Ooh, I see what he did there! Giving out free samples to see if it's to the customer's satisfaction! It's a marketing strategy!" Neptune whispers to Bell. She was aware of how it worked, since she does give out free demos when it comes to releasing new games in her nation from time to time.
"I'll have to thank Miach-sama for it the next time we meet," Bell says as he places the potions into the holster strapped on his left leg.
"All right then, to the festival!" Neptune announces, raising a fist in the air.
The Monster Festival was currently taking place in East Main Street.
The city of Orario had a total of eight avenues. From the center of the city, the wall spreads out into eight directions. The avenues were distinguished by their respective names, such as North Main Street, South-East Main Street, North-West Main Street, and West Main Street.
"Like a cake", Bell had said, and Neptune got it immediately.
There were a lot of names to list, so Bell didn't bother to say the rest. And admittedly, he could only say names of the avenues he visited, or knew about, since he still hadn't memorized the entirety of the city yet.
Despite the setting sun, the entire street looked like it was still fairly lively. There were still people crowding around stalls, and various decorations placed on the street, such as the flowers, ribbons, and flags depicting what appeared to be the Ganesha Familia's emblem, were streamed overhead.
"It was most likely a lot more active here earlier this morning... It's a shame we didn't know about this event until now," Bell muses with slight regret as he looks around. He was so caught up in exploring the Dungeon today that he hadn't even noticed that there was a festival going on.
Neptune, ever the optimist, merely steps in front of Bell with her usual grin on her face. "Well, even if we didn't get to come earlier, a festival is still a festival! Let's enjoy it while it lasts!" She grabs one of Bell's hands and starts to tug him forward. "Come on, come on! There's bound to be some good food left!"
"A-ah, w-wait, Nep-sama...!?" Bell sputters as Neptune drags him along, his face starting to grow red.
Holding hands with a cute girl was one of the many things Bell was not used to.
"It's done."
Approaching a small girl whose hair was tied up in two pigtails, a red-haired woman wearing an eyepatch over her right eye hands the girl a box, which she eagerly accepted.
The girl opens the box, and inside of it was resting a pitch-black weapon, inside an equally pitch-black sheath.
This was the weapon that was made exclusively for Bell's use. This was what the petite girl, Hestia, had been begging to be made by none other than Heaven's best blacksmith, Hephaestus.
With the power of dogeza (and convenient friendship connections), Hephaestus had eventually given in. The weapon had taken up nearly the entire day's time to create, and had only been finished now.
"Hephaestus, I know that you're the one who made it, but can I at least name the weapon? This is the testament of my love to Bell-kun, so how about I call it the [Dagger of Love]?!" Hestia says excitedly.
"No, having a name like that will diminish the quality of the weapon..." Hephaestus replies, cringing at the name. "But, there's no denying that this is a weapon that was made with your blessing."
With the inscriptions Hestia herself wrote on the blade, this meant that no one other than people she had given her blessing to will be able to wield the weapon.
"The [Hestia Knife]... how about that instead?" Hephaestus suggests.
"Eh...! Ah, nonono...! That's too embarrassing...!" Hestia covers her face with her gloved hands in supposed embarrassment, her twintails seemingly reflecting her mood as they were actually twirling with her.
Hephaestus sighs in bemusement at Hestia's antics. "Don't forget. You still have a debt to pay. I won't let you back out on it."
"I know, I know!" Hestia was far too caught up in her happiness and just waved off her friend's statement, hurriedly packing the dagger and wrapping it up in some cloth. "I'm off then!"
"Ah, Hestia! Shouldn't you take a break first?!" Hephaestus calls out, but the small goddess had already run out of the shop.
Once again, Hephaestus sighs. That girl was far too excitable for her own good. She's been doing that "dogeza" for two days straight without eating, so she shouldn't be forcing her body like that...
Back outside, Hestia was running out in the streets, carrying the newly forged weapon in her arms, the excitement evident on her face. She wanted to give this weapon to Bell as soon as possible. That child, surely, with his emotional personality, will react greatly once she shows her gift to him.
Would he praise her and look upon her with adoring eyes? Or maybe, maybe... he might actually give her a hug! Hestia squealed at the thought.
'Ah, but...' She comes to an abrupt halt. When she thinks about it, where would Bell be at this time of hour? He should be returning home from the Dungeon, but that child had the tendency to stay in the Dungeon until nighttime. He's been staying in the Dungeon longer lately, most likely trying to train himself. For that Wallenwhatsit girl...
Hestia puffs out her cheeks in irritation at that thought, until her attention is eventually drawn to a leaflet that was placed on a nearby shop's window.
'Oh, right, Ganesha had that Monster Festival scheduled today...' Another thought suddenly comes to her. 'Knowing Bell-kun, it's his first time here in the city, so that excitable child must have went there to watch it!'
A confident grin spreads onto her face. She was absolutely sure about this! As his goddess, she knew everything about Bell!
Looks like she'll be heading to East Main Street.
"HEY, TAXI!"
Amongst the loud cheers and cries of awe coming from the audience, Eina watched silently from the sidelines.
The Adventurer standing in the middle of the wide open space in the center was dodging the monster's incoming attacks with graceful movements, making the crowd react as their loud cheers would resound throughout the entire coliseum with every skillful act the Adventurer would perform.
Eina had to admit that she was impressed with the crowd's enthusiasm. Though night was starting to fall, the audience hadn't let up with their cheers ever since the event started earlier during the day. She supposed it made sense, since monster taming was quite a rare skill for an Adventurer to possess. Only those who had a great amount of potential and experience could possibly pull it off. And for the other civilians who did not go to the Dungeon, witnessing monsters up close like this must be a rare sight for them to see. They had showcased different monsters of varied sizes and types, switching in with Adventurers who would show off different styles of taming the monsters, keeping the crowd entertained.
Also, the people were most likely looking forward to the night celebration the Familia had planned on doing after the main event, hence the reason why they had arranged for many stalls and shopkeepers around the coliseum area. And, also, why the Familia would always occupy the coliseum for the entire day. The God Ganesha was not one to hold back whenever it came to hosting parties, Eina thinks.
However, that didn't mean she approved of the event entirely. Monsters were very dangerous creatures. The very reason why the tower of Babel was constructed was to keep away these threats in the first place. Actually bringing them out of the Dungeon was a great risk. This is why the Guild would always supervise this event to ensure nothing happens.
From beside her, Eina's colleagues looked to be greatly interested with the show in the same manner as the audience was. They had been staring at the display with wide eyes and had been murmuring and talking amongst themselves during the entirety of the event.
Perhaps she's being too strict? Her fellow guild officers had been enjoying themselves, and the day was just about to end; and nothing bad had happened so far, so she should be at ease.
And yet, something within Eina still couldn't help but worry...
A cloaked woman stepped out into the center of the dark-lit room, nonchalantly walking as if she were on a stroll, seemingly unaffected with the low growls and roars from the monsters surrounding her.
Her eyes scan among the few remaining monsters in their cages, and comes to rest upon one sole monster resting in the very corner of the room. She approaches it, stopping directly in front of the iron bars it was confined to.
The monster had fur as white as snow. Just like that boy, she thinks with a smile.
The monster leers at her with a threatening snarl, but as soon as she removes the hood of her cloak, the monster grows silent.
The rest of the monsters from around the room also come to a pause at the sight of the beautiful woman standing before them.
"Come." She unlocks the door to the monster's cage, using the keys she had taken from a guild officer on-duty. The said guard was lying unconsciously along with her colleagues.
Breaking in was an easy feat. As Freya, the Goddess of Beauty, her entire being was -beauty- itself. No one can resist her.
She reaches out a hand and caresses the monster's cheek.
Ahh, to think that she would find that boy to be here. She had visited the coliseum out of boredom with nothing else to do, and found her day to be rather dull until she spotted his presence.
That boy, that child... with her [Discerning Eye], she saw it. The color of his soul—it was transparent. Full of endless possibilities. He was brimming with innocence and spirit that was utterly hard to come by in the [Lower World]. The moment she perceived this from within him, she became entranced.
He was growing so fast. She wanted to see more of his growth. And she was willing to do anything in order to accomplish it.
There is a possibility he might die. That thought had briefly crossed Freya's mind, but she quickly brushes it off with a smile.
Even if that child were to die, she will follow his soul, and claim it as her own.
She did not want such a beautiful soul to go to waste. That child was simply so interesting; she can't help but want to tease him a bit. She was acting akin to a child who saw a new toy and wanted to obtain it no matter what the cost.
She stares into the monster's hazy eyes, envisioning that boy's form and conveying her thoughts towards it.
'That child... play with him for me, please?'
Hestia hops off from the carriage, paying the driver for the traveling fee, with a "Thanks! Keep the change!" as she sprints off further into the streets.
The driver stares blankly into the coins in his hand. 'This is the exact amount.'
Leaving the carriage and the driver behind, she continues to run excitedly towards her place of destination, rapidly glancing around the people she would pass by as she went.
Suddenly she spots a tuft of white hair over by the distance. Hestia grins. That was unmistakably Bell! His fluffy white hair made it impossible to not be spotted! Making her way through the crowd, she raises a hand up in the air to catch his attention.
"Bell-ku—" The words die in her throat.
The people in front of her had walked away, clearing the path, letting her get a good view at Bell's direction.
He was there, but he wasn't alone.
Beside him, there was a cute purple-haired girl who was dragging him along, excitedly pointing out various shops and stalls that were nearby. Though Hestia noticed that Bell looked slightly uncomfortable at the physical contact, he was smiling with that girl. They looked like they were enjoying themselves.
Hestia gapes at the sight, the weapon slipping out of her hands.
Were they... dare she say it...
On a -DATE-?!
Hestia, who was currently frozen in place like a statue, eventually sinks down to her knees, overcome with a new wave of depression. The people who were walking by would look down at her oddly, but all of them had enough decency to leave the girl alone and continued to pass by her silently without making a fuss.
She had been gone for only this long... and she already got replaced?!
Completely unaware of the currently agonizing goddess's presence in the area, Neptune continues to tug Bell along with her.
"Ooh, look, look! They even have crepe here!"
"A-ah, Nep-sama, didn't we come here to watch in the coliseum? If we don't hurry, we won't be able to view the event anymore..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know that! But we gotta at least have some snacks to eat while we watch, right? Do they have popcorn here?!"
Bell had just opened his mouth to say something in response, when suddenly a loud noise that erupted from the coliseum made his and Neptune's head whip towards it in alarm.
"What..."
From one of the coliseum's entrances, a white-haired beast burst forth.
Screams resounded from the people nearby.
In a manner akin to that of a monkey, the monster takes a giant leap forward, the chains wrapped around its arms rattling loudly as it moved; its deafening roar echoing throughout the area. More crashing sounds could be heard, coming from the other entrances to the coliseum as more monsters came stampeding out.
"Uh... that's not part of the event, is it...?" Neptune mumbles out slowly, a look of unease on her face.
'No, it definitely isn't!' At the sight of the white-haired monster rampaging towards them, Bell had just managed to snap out of his shock as his hand shoots out to grip Neptune's hand and frantically pulls her to the side, just as the monster had came crashing down on where they previously stood.
Bits of debris flew out from the now-cracked cobblestone floor from where the monster landed. The monster releases a low growl, turning its head in their direction.
Bell's trembling form takes in the monster's large, hunched body. That white fur... he recalls one of the many lessons Eina had taught him regarding about the monsters of different floor levels. This is a [Silverback]. A monster that resembled a large white monkey and only spawned on the 11th floor.
'What is it doing here...?! Have the monsters escaped?!'
The Silverback roars, swinging a fist in their direction. This time, it is Neptune who pulls on Bell to dodge the strong fist that ended up crushing one of the empty stalls behind them.
But the monster doesn't waste a second. Seeing that it missed its target, it turns its head to glare at them, and charges at them with another loud roar. His battle instincts taking over, Bell grabs Neptune's hand again and runs.
At the sound of screaming, Hestia snaps out of her lifeless-like state, and looks at the sight of scampering people around her.
'Eh? Eh? What's happening?'
Her eyes come across Bell and his running figure in the distance, with the purple-haired girl in tow. Right behind them, a white-haired monster was in pursuit.
Hestia's eyes widen in alarm, standing up from her position. 'Ah! Bell-kun!' He was in danger! That monster looked strong... She doesn't mean to look down on Bell, but she knew that at his current level, he won't be able to put much of a fight against that thing.
'...But, with the new weapon, he probably can...' Hestia's hand grips tightly of what was supposed to be where the weapon wrapped in cloth was, only for her hand to grasp air. 'Huh...?'
She wasn't holding anything.
Her face pales as she remembers that she had ended up dropping it out of shock earlier. Did she lose it?! She immediately crouches down on the ground, desperately searching for any sign of the clothed weapon amongst the stampeding feet of the people who were running and screaming in fright. Hephaestus was going to -kill- her if she lost that weapon which had been just made!
"Uwaaah, it's following us!" Neptune cries out as she glances behind.
Bell doesn't say anything, though, a small noise escapes from his mouth that sounded like a frightened whimper as he frantically tries to pick up speed.
He doesn't want to look. The sound of something crashing or getting torn down was enough to tell him that the monster was closing in on them. He can hear his heart pounding fast in his head, accompanied with the nearby shouts and screams from the people who would see the beast. He tries to block it all out. The fear, the shouting. He focuses on the hand he's been holding firmly; it serves as a reminder that he needs to get the -both of them- to safety.
He runs, turning to different sides and slipping through corners in the alley with no sense of direction. He wasn't paying attention to where they were going, or where they ended up to. Nothing mattered as long as they can lose the Silverback that was hell-bent on chasing them for whatever reason.
After running through another alley, his feet come to an abrupt stop. Behind him, he can hear Neptune panting for breath. "Bell-kun, what's...?"
The various turns in the street, the messily constructed walls, unnaturally placed rooms and stairs; the overall complicated structure of this place...
This was [Daedalus Road].
It was named after the designer who had originally built this unnaturally styled area, and because of its confusing structure no one had bothered to live here until it eventually became occupied by poor people. Rooms and homes in this place were built without any sense of planning which only added to the confusion.
It was said that if one got lost here, the chances of returning were highly unlikely.
Bell hesitated to move on. As with most locations, he wasn't familiar with this area. If he and Neptune were to end up getting lost, worst-case scenario was they would end up wandering pointlessly throughout the streets and get cornered by the monster.
His hesitation had delayed them, as the Silverback had caught up. It made a giant leap from the rooftops and dived down, the sheer impact of its landing causing a tremor in the ground, causing the duo to stumble and release each other's hands as they toppled in opposite sides.
The Silverback, not taking its eyes off Bell, lets out another roar as it makes another move to attack again.
The monster was right in front of him. Bell was terrified.
—But, at the same time, he realized this opportunity. It was in front of him; if he runs fast enough, he can slash at its chest—the weakpoint of all monsters. Using that burst of confidence, he grabs his dagger from its sheath and rushes forward.
He swings—
—only to be met with the sound of something shattering.
A large impact, as if something hard and heavy had been slammed into him, was what followed.
"Bell-kun!"
Pinned into the wall, he stares into the face of the Silverback that was breathing down on him, his mind finally registering what happened.
He had slashed at the Silverback's chest. He knew he did. And yet, his blade had bounced off that monster's hard chest, shattering in the process, leaving only a small scratch to at least indicate that something had attempted to attack it.
The monster opens its mouth, showing off its sharp fangs as it roars directly in front of him. The deafening sound makes his ears ring.
Was he going to die here?
Just like that?
"BELL-KUN!"
...No.
Not like this!
In the darkness of the night, he sees something shining with a faint blue light. Wasting no time, he grabs the [Magic Stone Lamp] that was placed onto the wall nearby, turns up the light into its maximum level and quickly shoves it into the monster's eyes.
The Silverback screeches at the bright light that assaulted its eyes, releasing Bell from its hold. Neptune quickly rushes over to him, grabs his hand and runs forward into the narrow streets of Daedalus Road. Bell lets Neptune drag him without anymore protest, fully aware that if they wanted to escape there was no choice but to take the risk and head inside.
As they ran, the people from their rooms would hurry and close their windows shut as they passed by. Bell couldn't find it in his heart to blame them; it was only a natural reaction for people who were powerless over the situation to turn away.
Powerless... just like him.
A sinking feeling settles into Bell's chest. He wasn't able to do anything. He is weak.
A sense of resignation comes over to him as he looks down in shame and willingly starts to slow down.
"Nep-sama... please escape."
Neptune looks back at him in disbelief. "What?!"
"Nep-sama, that monster is after me."
He had noticed it. When he and Neptune had been temporarily separated moments ago, the Silverback had never taken its eyes off him and only concentrated all of its attacks at him. If that was the case, then...
"You're in danger if you stay with me. I'm the one it wants... so please go ahead without me."
He knows that even if he fights back, he won't be able to do anything. He'll be killed if he does.
But it assures him that if at least this girl escapes alive, that's enough for him. He won't die in vain.
Neptune's eyes widen at his declaration, before her face hardens in fierce determination.
"The main character—"
She forcefully grips his slipping hand even tighter...
"—doesn't abandon her friends!"
...then pulls him in front of her and shoves him forward.
Bell lets out a yelp at the forceful shove, as Neptune skids to a stop and hurriedly unties the cloth slung over her body (it falls somewhere along the ground, but she could worry about the act of littering later), readying her wooden sword.
That monster was fast. It would take great leaps using its large legs which is why it could catch up so easily. So if she could disable its legs somehow, then would it slow it down? Neptune herself wasn't so sure how accurate this plan was, but that was the logic she could come up with at the moment.
But the sword she was wielding right now was a wooden one. No matter how strong she was capable of swinging it (or no matter how cool she thought using it was), the fact doesn't change that it was still made out of wood. It wasn't exactly the sturdiest kind of material there was for a weapon. This wasn't Gamindustri anymore. Even if the weapon broke, she can't recreate another one again because the equipment system doesn't exist here.
Neptune stares at the tip of her wooden sword. Should be fairly sharp; she sharpened it before entering the Dungeon after all.
So taking a deep breath, she rushes at the incoming beast, draws back her sword and stabs it straight at its left leg. Neptune must have unexpectedly put more force than she thought she would, as the sword pierced through the monster's flesh all the way to the other side. She looked uncomfortable at the sight, as the monster roars and starts to thrash around in pain.
Neptune decides to retrieve her wooden sword, awkwardly trying to reach out for it while the monster was busy with the pain it was experiencing. As soon as she managed to grab a hold of the handle, she hurriedly takes it out, causing the blood from the monster's wound to spill. Neptune cringed at the sight, as she rapidly shook her sword to the side in hopes of removing the stray blood off from it ('Oh True Goddess get it off get it off get it off there's blood so gross—').
The Silverback growls fiercely at Neptune, its eyes blazing with anger. It lets out a louder roar, and charges at Neptune with new-found vigor despite its bleeding leg.
Startled, Neptune could only raise up her sword defensively above her just as the Silverback brings down a large fist down at her. The wooden sword only holds for a few seconds before it breaks in two at the beast's strength.
Neptune's eyes widen, but she reacts quickly and raises her arms in the shape of an x to block the monster's next angry swing. She braces herself as the blow sends her skidding backwards harshly.
Neptune winces at her arms, feeling them go numb from the harsh impact. 'Oh Nep, that thing hits hard.'
She should have been capable of resisting that attack more. She's dealt attacks far worse than this, such as Yellow Heart's strong blows. Compared to that, this should have hurt less.
But that was back when she was a goddess. Here, she was human. And being human meant being as vulnerable as to what the human body was capable of. Neptune supposes she was lucky she didn't end up breaking her bones instead. Ugh, looks like having a human body is going to take some time to work with.
And yet, despite her condition, she yells out, "Hey, I got that sword for free!". Only Neptune could have the audacity to comment on something regardless of her situation. Bell finds himself admiring Neptune even more for her unbreakable spirit. He gets up from his position from the ground he ended up being shoved into, with a renewed determination to survive. She protected him; he won't let that go to waste. He quickly grabs her arm, inwardly apologizing at the wince of pain that flashed into her face when he did, and leads her deeper into the streets, hearing the roar of the beast right behind them.
Hestia runs, the streetlamps illuminating the dark and empty streets. Clutched in her arms was a small piece of cloth containing the weapon. After much searching, she had finally found it scattered among the destroyed items in one of the nearby stalls.
She had to find Bell. She remembers him running with the girl in this direction. At first, she was worried that she might lose track of where they went, but the continuous wreckage that she kept encountering on the way seem to be pointing the direction that they took with the monster following them.
With the help of some people she asked questions to, they ended up pointing her to the area where Daedalus Road was.
Hestia sees a blood trail leading deeper into the streets, hoping that this blood isn't Bell's, and dashes further in.
The two found it difficult to run inside the dark labyrinth-like streets; there weren't many lights available so they would occasionally trip and stumble upon trash or pieces of debris from old buildings. But even so, the two continued to run, desperate to lose the bellowing creature pursuing them.
They eventually come to a stop. It was what Bell had feared. They came across a dead end.
Bell stares at the wall obstructing their path, his face as white as his hair. Behind him and Neptune, the Silverback approaches the two with heavy breaths and steps. They were cornered.
Bell grits his teeth in frustration, clenching his hands that made him unconsciously grip Neptune's hand tighter.
"We can still make it."
At the sound of her calm voice, Bell turns to face Neptune who was staring at the Silverback with a determined face.
"We can still make it," she repeats. "It looks really tired now. If we can manage to get past it, we can get out of here and escape."
Bell follows her gaze and does see that the Silverback was looking worn out now. It was panting heavily from all that running and blood loss, and that wound that Neptune inflicted on its leg had certainly worked since it wasn't jumping around as it used to.
Its large body was blocking their only exit, but if they could find some way to get past it, they'd be able to run away.
The Silverback howls, using its arm to pound the ground, making the ground tremble as nearby debris starts to fall. This was a small and narrow passageway, making them vulnerable to being crushed by the nearby debris.
"Whoa, whoa, this isn't good!" Neptune exclaims, trying to regain her balance. "If we let that white monkey keep that up, we're going to end up brutally crushed by some heavy object instead! We're gonna have to make it attack us directly. Uh, if I call it ugly and fat, will it rush over?"
Interestingly, the Silverback does seem to pick up on her insult as one of its ears twitches, and rushes in with another roar, which the two quickly dodge. It was easier to dodge it this time; the monster wasn't as fast as before due to the wound on its leg.
Using this chance, the two hurry and run out into the end of the passageway.
"Ah, Bell-kun?!"
Spotting a familiar face, Bell abruptly comes to a stop. "Kami-sama?!"
From behind Bell, Neptune blinks at the girl's appearance. Black hair and twintails? 'Noire...?'
"Oh, Bell-kun! There you are! I've been searching for you!" The twintailed girl says cheerfully.
Bell shakes his head with a look of urgency in his face. "Never mind that, Kami-sama! Right now, it's dangerous to be here...!" On cue, a roar in the distance reminded them of the situation at the moment.
Hestia stares at the origin of the sound, and her previously cheerful face shifted into a serious one. "I know. Bell-kun, you will be the one to defeat that monster."
Bell's eyes widen at her declaration. "Eh?! What... Kami-sama, that's not possible..."
Hestia takes a step closer to him, holding out a piece of cloth. "With this, you can." She unwraps the cloth, revealing a black dagger. "Take it, Bell-kun. This is a weapon that was specifically made for your use."
Bell stares at the dagger, slightly awed at its form, letting go of Neptune's hand as he reaches out to take it. As he does, the engravings on the blade seemed to light up slightly in response. "This is..."
Hestia grins at the astonished look on his face. "You're amazed, aren't you, Bell-kun? You can praise me all you want later. Right now, we need to get your [Status] updated."
"Eh? My Status? Why now...?" Bell asks in confusion.
Hestia merely looks at him with half-lidded eyes. "Bell-kun, you don't expect to win with all your might at your current strength, do you? With your enhanced strength, you will surely be able to take it down!"
At her reasoning, and the confidence in her eyes, Bell could find no words to argue with. "I understand."
However, at that moment, the Silverback comes charging through the passageway, having caught up to them. Bell pales slightly at the sight of it, as Hestia clicks her tongue. "We're going to have to do it fast," she says.
"Hmm, I take it your status update thing is going to take a while?" Neptune's voice suddenly asks. Bell and Hestia stare after her as she takes a step forward. A confident smile makes its way into her face. "Then I'll buy you two some time. I'll distract it while you two get it done." Neptune stands unwavering as she stares straight into the monster's eyes. "Your opponent... is me!"
The Silverback's eyes narrow in response at Neptune's form, recognizing her as the one who had stabbed it in its leg. Once again, it roars.
"Nep-sama...!" Bell reaches out a hand towards Neptune in a worried manner, but his face also settles in resolution as he grabs one of the potions he had placed on the holster of his leg. "Nep-sama, drink this! It'll restore your energy!"
Neptune takes the potion from him and examines it for a few seconds ('Is this gonna taste like Nep Bull?') before taking the lid off and drinks, feeling a refreshing wave of energy flow inside her. She hands back the empty container and turns to face the Silverback with newfound strength. "All right! HP restored! I'm feeling pumped up!" And with that, she dashes forward towards the monster ahead.
"Let's do it, Bell-kun," Hestia says from behind him.
Not wanting to waste Neptune's efforts, Bell looks back at Hestia and nods, taking off his cloak and bag, leaving only his black clothes on and kneels on one knee. "Yes."
In front of them, Neptune was busy battling the Silverback. As soon as Neptune nears the monster, she uses the momentum from jumping high in the air to deliver a kick to its chest, pushing it backwards from the impact. The monster growls and charges towards her. In this narrow space, Neptune had nowhere else to dodge, so she slides underneath it instead. She sees the Silverback slightly focus its gaze on Bell and Hestia, and before it could make any sort of move towards them, she yells a "I won't let you!". She pulls at its chains, tugging it backwards, redirecting its attention back on her, and proceeds to attack her again.
"Okay, it's done!" Hestia announces. She pulls down Bell's black shirt and gives him a slight pat on the back. "Go, Bell-kun!"
At her signal, Bell throws back his coat on and drinks the remaining potion he had on him. With his energy restored and [Hestia Knife] gripped in his hand, he sprints forward from his crouched stance.
"Urryoaaaaahh!"
Both Neptune and the Silverback are drawn to the sound of Bell's battle cry, turning to face his direction. He continues to dash forward, crimson eyes glowing in the dark of the night, the dagger in his hand similarly emitting a faint light from the engravings.
Using his enhanced speed, he shot forward like a bullet. His eyes dead-set on the monster's chest, he takes a great swing, cleaving through the air in a beautiful arc. What previously was an impenetrable wall of fur was pierced by the blade. The Silverback's eyes widen as it lets out its final, dying roar as it slowly fades into ashes. The dagger that had been stuck in its chest dropped onto the ground with a loud clang. Bell had sliced the Silverback's Magic Stone in order for it to die quickly, which is why it did not end up dropping the said item. But in a life or death situation such as that, Bell did not have time to bother with such details.
Upon the death of the monster, the surroundings erupted into loud cheers, coming from the people who were silently watching from their houses.
Neptune approaches Bell who was sitting down on the ground in exhaustion with a merry smile. "You did it, Bell-kun!"
Bell smiles back at her. "I did...!" He turns to face Hestia with a bright smile. "Kami-sama, I did it!"
Hestia smiles at him victoriously, and suddenly collapses on the ground. This makes Neptune and Bell react with panic.
"Kami-sama?!" Rushing over to the goddess, he picks up her unconscious form in his arms and starts to run for the exit.
"Eh, ah, Bell-kun...?!" Startled at his sudden exit, Neptune picks up his dagger that was lying down on the ground and chases after him.
From a certain location, a cloaked woman watches. She stares after the two figures with a smile, then walks off.
"Huh, for a supposed monster running about here, everyone looks happy..." a girl with her red hair tied up in a short ponytail and closed eyes comments, as she looked around the crowd of people who wore joyful expressions. Beside her, a blonde-haired girl looked on quietly. The red-haired girl taps on a man's shoulder. "Hey, uncle, I thought a monster was spotted here?"
"Ah, you see, about that! The monster was already defeated! A friend of mine in Daedalus Road told me that it was a boy who defeated it!" The man replies enthusiastically.
"Huh? A boy?" The red-haired girl repeats.
"He had white hair and red eyes. Just like a rabbit!" At those words, the blonde-haired girl's eyes widen. "Ah, and I think they said he also had a purple-haired girl accompanying him, I heard..."
"The boy..." The blonde starts to say, and the red-haired girl couldn't help but take note of the high amount of interest there was in her tone. "Is he still here?"
"Oh, I think that..." The man starts to reply, when at that moment... in the corner of her eye, the blonde-haired girl spots a boy with white hair running across the crowd, carrying an unconscious girl in his arms, followed by a purple-haired girl.
The blonde reaches out a hand and takes a step forward to approach him, but with the large amount of people blocking the way, she fails to do so as she watches him run out of sight.
She feels disappointment fill her inside. She had failed to talk to him again.
To that boy, whom she accidentally hurt; she wants to apologize.
But for now, she silently whispers a message to him.
'Good work.'
The time was 10 PM in the evening.
Bell had run into Syr, who was coming back after the commotion in the Monster Festival, and after talking with the owner of the bar, they agreed to let them rest inside the [Hostess of Fertility]. Hestia had been sleeping in the spare room they had on the second floor.
Currently, Bell was seated on a chair in one of the rooms they had on that same floor. Syr, a silver-haired girl dressed in a maid's uniform, was sitting across him; while Neptune sat beside Bell, her face sprawled out into the table in exhaustion, saying that she hadn't ran that much in -years-.
Syr had explained to them that thanks to the Ganesha Familia and guild members' quick actions, they were able to effectively minimize the monster incident. There also was apparently another Familia that helped eliminate the other released monsters, preventing any further casualties.
Unfortunately, they weren't able to catch the criminal behind the incident. The guild officers who had been taken out were affected by a spell of some sorts, so they were unable to remember who had attacked and broke into the monster stables.
In the end, Bell and Neptune weren't able to watch the Monster Festival after all. But at the moment, Bell was just relieved that nothing grave had happened during the entire commotion. According to Syr, Hestia had only collapsed due to fatigue, so it wasn't anything serious. He breathed out a sigh of relief at that.
"Still, Bell-kun... I heard from the others that you were very cool when you defeated that monster," Syr remarks with a smile.
"Eh?! Ah, no, I just ran all over the place... and it was thanks to Nep-sama's help I was able to survive through the incident," Bell replies.
Neptune, with her face still lying down on the table, merely raises a dismissive hand in his direction and lets out a muffled, "You're too modest."
"I agree," Syr adds with a chuckle. "Bell-kun doesn't give himself much credit. The act of courageously standing up to a monster... is a very cool feat, you know? Like a hero!"
"E-eh?! H-hero?! T-that's too...!" Bell responds with a blush in embarrassment.
Syr merely giggles at his reaction and stands up from her seat. "Well, I still have some work to do. The both of you are welcome to stay even after closing time. Just this once, Mama Mia will let the pub remain open late tonight so you can rest."
"O-oh, um, thank you very much!" Syr just gives another smile at Bell's gratitude and leaves the room.
Once Syr had left, Neptune raises her head from the table and shoots Bell a teasing grin. "Aren't you popular?"
"E-eh? W-where did that come from, Nep-sama?!"
A sudden loud thud from nearby startles the two.
"That sounds like it came from Kami-sama's room...!" Bell says worriedly, standing up and rushing over with Neptune following after.
They head inside the room to see the goddess with her face on the floor and her body hanging off from the bed.
"K-Kami-sama?! What's wrong?!" Bell exclaims, hurrying over to her and helping out.
"Ah, Bell-kun... this is nothing. I was just trying to stand up..." Hestia mumbles out, as Bell lifts her petite form and places her into the bed.
"Kami-sama, you shouldn't be trying to move... Your body is apparently very fatigued. What happened to you, Kami-sama?" Bell asks with worry.
"I used dogeza... for two days..." Hestia replies with confidence in her eyes.
"E-eh? Dogeza?" Bell repeats in confusion.
Hestia nods proudly. "Yes, dogeza. The ultimate technique! Takemikazuchi was the one who taught it to me!"
Bell sweatdrops at that. "Um, I see... but why did you do that, Kami-sama?"
Hestia's face softens and takes the dagger that was resting on his waist. "For this."
Bell's eyes widen in understanding. He hadn't exactly learned about how she had managed to obtain a weapon like that in the first place. "So, Kami-sama, how did you..." He trails off as he spots the engraving on the sheath's side.
[Ήφαιστος]—meaning, Hephaestus.
"...Kami-sama, this..."
"Bell-kun, when I would be working in the street, sometimes I would find you staring at that shop's window. I know how much you longed to have weapons like those... and unfortunately I know we're not capable of buying such things. But still, I know how much you have given me your support, and I wanted to do the same for you. So, I asked my friend to make this. As I've mentioned earlier, this was a weapon specifically made for you. This weapon is alive, you know? It'll grow the same way you do when you level up and get stronger! Isn't that amazing?" Hestia explains with a smile.
"But... Kami-sama, how much will it cost..." Bell starts to say, but Hestia cuts him off.
"Don't worry, I've discussed this with her," she responds nonchalantly. She gives him a smile. "There's no need for you to worry about the details, Bell-kun! I'm the one who'll be taking responsibility for it. After all, I am your goddess! You can completely rely on me too, you know!"
Bell looked like he was about to tear up. "Kami-sama...!"
Hestia lovingly smiles at him before her face shifts into an irritated frown. "...By the way, Bell-kun. When are you going to tell me about that girl?"
Bell blinks and follows Hestia's irritated gaze towards Neptune, who had been standing in front of the door the entire time. Upon seeing their stares, she smiles sheepishly. "Oh, don't mind me. Continue your moment."
Unfortunately for Neptune, the moment had already been ruined. Hestia continues to glare at Neptune's direction as Bell tries to explain. "Um, oh yes, Kami-sama, this is Nep-sama, she says she's a goddess from another dimension—"
"EH?! Goddess?! Bell-kun! I was only gone for two days, and you already found a new goddess?! How dare you, Bell-kun! I was thinking of you all this time! And you replace me for this... this girl with weird clothes!" Hestia shouts indignantly.
"A-ah, no, Kami-sama! I would never replace you!" Bell replies, waving his hands frantically.
"Don't lie to me, Bell-kun! I saw you two! You were spending time together! Why, Bell-kun?! I had more faith in you! ...Ah, wait, it's that girl's fault, isn't it? She probably seduced you, didn't she?!" She intensifies her glare at Neptune. "Back off, you conniving goddess! Bell-kun is mine! You can't take him away from me! Your flat chest won't get you anywhere!"
Neptune only sweatdrops at her words. "E-ehh...?"
Bell shakes his head, and tries to explain things once more. "N-no, it's not like that, Kami-sama! Nep-sama didn't do anything wrong! She didn't have a place to stay, so I took her in—"
Hestia looks even more horrified. "TOOK HER IN?! Bell-kun, does this mean... you've been sleeping together in the same roof?!"
"Um, technically in the same room, yes, but not in the way you're implying—"
"ALL THIS TIME?! IN OUR HOME?!"
"Yes, but—"
"NOOO! BELL-KUN, HOW COULD YOU—!"
"N-no, Kami-sama, I...!"
"OKAAAAAY, STOOOOP!"
Neptune's yell is enough to finally draw the other two's attention and get them to stop. Letting out a sigh, she approaches the goddess sitting on the bed.
"Listen, I didn't seduce Bell-kun or did anything with him while you were away. He found me in the Dungeon and let me stay at your place since I didn't have anywhere else to go. Bell-kun had helped me out all this time, so you don't have to get mad at him," Neptune explains.
Hestia seems to have simmered down a bit, but still continues to look upon Neptune with suspicious eyes. "...So, 'goddess from another dimension'—" Hestia didn't exactly know what that dimension part was all about, maybe it meant that she was a goddess that recently descended from Heaven? "—Bell-kun may be a nice boy, but I will not be as accepting. As the goddess of my Familia, I have responsibility over it as a functioning faction, not a place to take in homeless people."
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I actually want to join your Familia," Neptune answers.
Hestia blinks at her comment for a moment, before she stares at her with half-lidded eyes. "Ah, listen, newbie goddess. Other gods aren't allowed to join an existing Familia. It's against the Guild rules. Having more than one god in a Familia will cause some unfair balance, you know?"
"Yeah, I know that, so just take me in as a regular human," Neptune replies without missing a beat.
Hestia finds herself pausing again at the girl's words. "...As a human?"
Neptune nods in confirmation, crossing her arms with a nonchalant grin on her face. "Yep, I don't have a goddess's powers anymore. I'm just an ordinary human here. And I even have the records to prove it! Show it to her, Bell-kun!"
Bell blinks in surprise at her words, before remembering the papers Eina had given to him. "O-oh, that's right!" He reaches inside his backpack and hands Neptune's registration paper to Hestia, who reads it over with that suspicious look still on her face.
"Hmm, it says here you're human. Yet you claim to be a goddess? I don't get what you're trying to play here, false goddess," Hestia remarks with an unimpressed tone.
"Nah, nah, you don't get it," Neptune replies, waving a hand. "I -used- to be a goddess. Back in -my- dimension. In here, I've become an ordinary human. Bell-kun likes to keep referring to me as a goddess since he's too respectful."
Hestia could not understand what this girl was trying to get at. So, she simply concluded that this girl was actually a human girl who tricked innocent little Bell-kun's mind into thinking she was a goddess. She turns to give Bell a scolding look. "Bell-kun, really, you shouldn't easily believe girls who go around saying that they're goddesses."
Bell shrinks a little. "B-but, Nep-sama is very strong...! I saw it first-hand!"
"Bell-kun, just because a person is strong doesn't automatically mean they're a goddess! Honestly, Bell-kun, you're too easily deceived," Hestia reprimands.
"Ah, but... there's just something about Nep-sama that feels different, I think...?" Bell adds timidly.
As expected, Hestia continues to stare at him in an unconvinced manner, making him slump over.
"Well, we can put all that goddess stuff aside," Neptune says, her face determined. She then drops down and bows so low, her forehead was touching the floor. "I just want to join your Familia. That's all I ask!"
Hestia gasped at the sight. 'Dogeza...!'
"...Why do want to join my Familia so badly...?"
"Because Bell-kun helped me. So I'll help him out too," Neptune replies honestly.
"Nep-sama...!" Bell looked like he wanted to cry at those words ('Such a sensitive kid', Hestia thinks). Filled with a similar sense of determination, Bell faces Hestia with firm eyes. "Kami-sama, Nep-sama has also been very helpful to me. Because of her support, she has helped me face the monsters in the Dungeon and lets me earn more Valis than I ever did on my own. I can buy meat now!"
Hestia drools at the word. 'Meat...!'
"So, I think Nep-sama is more than capable of joining our Familia!" Bell finishes.
Hestia stares at the unwavering determination in Bell's eyes. Aaagh, when he looks at her like that so intensely with those bright, innocent eyes, she feels like she can't possibly refuse. Bell is so unfair.
She glances back down at the purple-haired girl who was still bowing low. Hestia sighs, now knowing what Hephaestus had felt. She can sense the sincerity this girl had. Her origins were very messed up, but she doesn't seem to be a bad person, at least. She remembers that girl had protected Bell earlier. And Bell himself seems to think highly of her. And she does agree that it's about time he got a partner in the Dungeon. It's dangerous going solo. And the increased income was a bonus too (there would be meat! No more asking for leftovers at work!), aaand it would be nice if her Familia increased.
Seeing the numerous benefits this girl brought, Hestia gives in. The power of dogeza was frightening. With a defeated pout, she stares at Neptune's papers and thrusts an arm out. "Fine, give me a pen."
At her words, Bell and Neptune look upon her with shining eyes.
"Thanks a bunch, Mini-Noire!"
"What kind of nickname are you trying to label me with?!"
Once Bell quickly fetches a pen for her; Hestia signs the papers, approving of her membership.
"All right!" Neptune cheers, raising a fist in the air.
"Now then, I suppose I ought to give you my blessing," Hestia says. "Bell-kun, if you would."
Bell nods in understanding. "Ah, yes." He places the approved papers in his backpack and quietly leaves the room.
Neptune watches Bell leave with confusion. "Huh? What's going on?"
"As a member of my Familia, you need to be under my grace," Hestia explains. "So take off that jacket of yours and give me your back."
"Um, okay...?" Neptune removes her hoodie jacket and removes the straps of her dress, allowing Hestia to have a full view of her back. Now she gets why Hestia sent Bell out of the room; since she's a girl it would be inappropriate for a boy to see her like this.
"All right, just kneel down on the floor so I can work on it," Hestia says, bringing out the needle she always brought with her.
Neptune looks wary at the sight of the needle. "Uh, you're not gonna inject me with something, are you...?"
Hestia stares at her blankly. "No. Using my blood, I'm going to engrave my blessing within you."
Neptune looks uncomfortable. "Uhh, I'm not really on-board with the idea of someone else's blood on me. Can't you like, just say 'I giveth thee my blessingeth!'. That could work!"
"No, that's not how it works! Give me your back!"
"EHHHH—"
From outside, Bell sweatdrops as he hears the sounds of running and crashing coming from the room.
Back inside, Hestia was sitting down on Neptune, who was lying face-first on the floor. It was the exact position she would do to Bell except that in this situation Hestia was humorously pinning down Neptune so she wouldn't escape.
"Ugh, you're making things way too difficult," Hestia complains, ignoring Neptune's protests of "sexual harrassment" that were muffled due to her face being smushed on the floor. She removes her glove, then pricks her finger on the needle and prepares to write on Neptune's back.
As soon as her bloodied finger made contact with Neptune's skin, a bright purple glow suddenly flashed before her eyes.
'This is...!?'
Surrounded by a purple glow, an unusually styled rune/emblem was already imprinted in Neptune's back. Her Status was written with engravings that she'd never seen before. Hestia could still somewhat understand the [Sacred Text] written on it though.
Neptune
Lv. 1
Strength: SSS 1752
Endurance (Vitality): SSS 3409
Dexterity (Technique): SSS 3046
Agility: SSS 3304
Magic (Intelligence/Mentality): A 889
Luck: ?
Magic
[Hot Edge]
[Blast Edge]
[Thunder Edge]
[Ice Edge]
Skill
[Main Character Status]
- Greatly increases Luck
- Outcome of events is affected by her Luck
Neptune notices the glowing light from behind her and twists her head upwards to glimpse at it. "Oh, hey, that's the first time my status screen appeared like that! It looks kinda cool."
Meanwhile, Hestia could only gape at the statistics that were shown. Her abilities were literally off the charts!
The maximum limit of an Adventurer's parameters was 999 at rank S. And yet, here was this girl with numbers that went beyond that!
'A [Luck] stat...?' Hestia wonders. It's the first time she's seen a parameter like that appear. What got her suspicious was that it was impossible to discern the statistics behind the [Luck] stat. If she had none, it would be labeled as a zero, or it should not even show up at all. Instead, it was listed as a "?", meaning it was undefined.
'...Immeasurable?'
Was an immeasurable stat actually possible...?!
'And what the heck is with this [Main Character] thing!?'
"Uh... so... are we good? My back's starting to hurt," Neptune says from underneath, snapping Hestia out of her daze.
"...Listen, you self-proclaimed goddess," Hestia starts in a stern tone, "Your Status... you are to -never- show it to anyone, understand?"
Neptune blinks at her in puzzlement, before agreeing. "Um, okay, sure." It must be a rule, so Neptune accepted it without a second thought.
"All right, we're done," Hestia says as she gets off Neptune's back. "You can let Bell-kun in now."
After Neptune fixes her clothes, she walks over to the door and calls out for Bell. As he finally comes inside and starts to happily congratulate the girl on her membership, Hestia watches the two converse with wary, narrowed eyes.
Hestia had doubted the girl's claims that she was a goddess (or used to be one, according to her words) because no matter how she looked at it, that girl was mortal. Once a god descends into the [Lower World], their bodies are subjected to the same treatment the humans and earth dwellers did. Meaning, they were forbidden to use any of their divine powers, and had to suppress their divine aura. She hadn't sensed anything from that girl, which naturally led her to conclude that the girl was merely lying about her whole goddess situation.
However, that energy she had sensed earlier from the girl's Status... it was very faint, but she could detect some divine energy flowing from it.
"Ah, but... there's just something about Nep-sama that feels different, I think...?"
...Yes, she agrees with him now. That Nepu... Nepto... Nepyu...
...Self-proclaimed goddess was obviously not your everyday, run-of-the-mill human. Her Status and bizarre taste in fashion was proof of that.
Ugh, it was bad enough that she had Bell's unusually fast growth rate to worry about, but this girl comes in with those outrageous parameters! No matter what, she had to keep this a secret from the other gods. If they found out that these two had extraordinary abilities... the amount of pestering that will happen will be very irritating to deal with. For the gods who always sought out entertainment in their lives, they would practically do anything in their power to make things more interesting. Or even worse, they might actually try to steal them—Bell away from her! She won't let that happen! Ever!
So, she will have to watch over those two. Especially that girl.
To that girl with the unusual appearance... to that girl with the convoluted origins... to that girl with the impossibly high stats... to that girl possessing slight divine energy... to that girl who managed to somehow -obtain Bell's admiration-...
She will be keeping a close eye on her.
'Nepwhatsyourface... just what exactly are you?'
Bell Cranel
Status
Lv. 1
Strength: E 476
Endurance: G 204
Dexterity: E 424
Agility: D 589
Magic: I 0
Magic
[]
Skill
[Realis Phrase]
- Accelerates Growth
- Effects last as long as his feelings are unchanged
- Effects are determined by the strength of his feelings
Affiliation: [Hestia Familia]
Headquarters: A Church's Hidden Room
Race: Human
Class: Adventurer
Achieved Floor: 6th floor
Weapon: Dagger
Money: 18,849 Valis
Equipment
[Dagger] - Bell had bought it from the Guild along with his defense equipment, and spent half a month to pay for it. Had been broken during his battle with the Silverback.
[Hestia Knife] - Given by and named after Hestia. It is a specially-crafted weapon that will grow along with the user. Only those who have Hestia's grace will be able to use it. Has a 35 year loan, 420 installment.
Neptune
Status
Lv. 1
Strength: SSS 1752
Endurance (Vitality): SSS 3409
Dexterity (Technique): SSS 3046
Agility: SSS 3304
Magic (Intelligence/Mentality): A 889
Luck: ?
Magic
[Hot Edge]
[Blast Edge]
[Thunder Edge]
[Ice Edge]
Skill
[Main Character Status]
- Greatly increases Luck
- Outcome of events is affected by her Luck
Affiliation: [Hestia Familia]
Headquarters: A Church's Hidden Room/Hestia's Bed
Race: Human(?)
Class: Adventurer
Achieved Floor: 6th floor
Weapon: Wooden Sword
Money: She lets Bell handle all the money
Equipment
[Wooden Sword] - A sword that was given to Neptune for free. With Neptune's strength, she's capable of slicing through flesh with it. Was destroyed in the battle with the Silverback.
Some trivia:
Dogeza - the act of prostrating oneself on the ground. In Japanese culture, it can be either used to express a deep apology or asking a favor from someone. It's considered as a humiliating act, and doing it when apologizing means that you're willing to degrade yourself just to sway the other person into forgiving you or granting your favor; hence the reason why it's referred to as "the ultimate apology". (The Spirit of Japan - Japanese "Dogeza" Culture. yumi-yuma-yume-dot-wordpress-dot-com; remove the lines).
...Huh, funny thing is, I keep telling myself that I'd make chapters "short and sweet", but next thing I know I end up typing 10k+ chapters like these. Geesh. Ah, well, I guess you readers deserve this much after my long absence. I'm not that good with writing fight scenes by the way, but that was what I ended up going with. Dah.
'Nyways, I'll get some explanations done.
Why the eff is Nep so OP?
Regarding about Neptune's stats, one's Status in the DanMachi world is apparently measured by one's physical capabilities, and the growth of one's stats is affected by the actions that you do (i.e, like in Bell's case, all that running about caused his Agility stat to increase). In DanMachi terms, it's gaining it through "excilia" (experience points). I figured that Neptune, being the energetic slacker that she is and the moves that she can bust out during monster battles; and due to being a goddess she must have obviously honed her skills somehow throughout all those decades, which is reflected with her Status parameters.
Will Nep become even MOAR OP?
Neptune's stats are already maxed out and will remain that way even if she does level up à la Aqua from KonoSuba—
Why KonoSuba?!
...Because inspiration?
So, anyway—
According to the Neptunia wiki, Neptune's stats at Level 999 are around 6k, but because her goddess powers are gone she's only at half her strength. I took the liberty of literally halving her stats and making it 3k. So there we go. Her Magic stat is an exception, since Neptune was more of a physical hitter than a magic-casting person anyway. Her Strength parameter is low for a reason, and will be revealed in due time. As for her Luck, the words "Main Character Status" should already be self-explanatory. And gameplay-wise, she does have the highest [LUK] out of all the playable characters. Once again, MCS.
I guess while we're at it, I'll mention the deal with Neptune becoming Purple Heart and stuff. I've been thinking about it for a while, but I think it's best if Neptune's left being a human all throughout the story. Have Nep learn the difficulties of being human, hardwork and whatnot, so sorry about the lack of sexy Purple Heart. Also, another reason is because Nep's OP enough in the DanMachi world as it is, and when she becomes a goddess she'll become way too OP and that would cause complications since as stated earlier, gods who descended into the Lower World aren't allowed to use their divine powers. If Neptune gets discovered later on that'll cause a whole bunch of aforementioned complications and possible conflict drama stuff.
...Also I prefer Neptune being her cute and moe self and want to squeeze out every single moment of it. *is shot*
However! I do have plans for Neptune's "slight divinity" thing.
Why the heck did the Monster Festival take place at night?
Because! Everything would feel a lot more dramatic if it takes place at night! ...And well, when I first read that part in the LN, I thought it was at night because I got mislead with the whole "Magic Stone Lamp" thing. When I backtracked and read it again and saw the anime, I realized "Oh, it took place in the morning". But I figured, this is a fanfic! With Neptune's presence, everything's bound to end up being different now anyways! ...So there. Speaking of deviations, for those who noticed Bell's stats, they're slightly higher compared to the ones he originally had in the LN because he ended up training in the 6th floor. So he's a bit stronger, but still nothing that powerful that will drastically affect the plot in any way.
...
Also, I've edited stuff and decided to "un-bold" author's notes, because I wouldn't want to overwhelm you readers with large amounts of bolded text with ridiculously long explanations like this in the future.
Welp, that's it for now. And as always, if there's any info that needs correcting, just tell me and I'll do the necessary editing!