Hello everyone, the Opulent Neckbeard here for the second chapter of this story. Well, that is pretty obvious I guess considering we're here. First of all, thanks for the support and whatnot, I know that Danmachi isn't as popular as Shield Hero, but I enjoy things regardless with how things are panning out.

Speaking of, towards the beginning of the last chapter, I forgot to mention an Easter egg involving The Sapphire Empress where Zofie was mentioned, but not name dropped by our hunter. Her name will be revealed this chapter since I haven't done that either.

Now Reviews!!

Anxiety King and Rowan) Here is the second chapter, so yes, I am continuing it.

KingJGamer) It is a bit of a self inside joke where I only really think of specific scenes first, and try to get scenes together. Lots of mental hijinks and all.

WwGaming) Haha, Doot Master go Bonk.

Rathaloski) indeed.

Pownbattle) I had the idea bubbling in my head since 'The Sapphire Empress' began of the other side of the spectrum of what happened to the Hunter that slayed Zofie originally. So here we are.

TorvaMessor) Glad you like things, hope you continue to enjoy things as they progress.

Nikkless) Apologies for the lack of posts, just had been lazy lol.

With those first ones out of the way, how about we get things started, eah?

Chapter 2: Hestia's Reinforcements

(The next day)

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!? Not only did you go up against a level 3 adventurer WITHOUT a Falna, but you did this mere HOURS after you arrived to Orario. What do you have to say for yourself?!" Eina yelled at me from the room we were in after I explained things. Fubuki was as innocent as ever as she chowed down on some food I bought before arriving.

"To be fair, I haven't been this sore since I was just in training, so it could have been worse if you asked me." I said as I was almost sprawled onto the chair. "Besides, the albino kid is safe, so I'd say it's a bit of a win-win for me."

Eina just facepalmed at my antics, seeing that I might be as bad as Bell from what I have been told about him. I only laughed light heartedly at her dismay.

"Do you at least have an idea to join a Familia soon? It's bad enough with Bell, but I don't think I can handle two reckless ones in such a short span of time." Eina asked me after sitting down, rubbing her temples to prevent a headache that was forming.

"I do actually. Thinking about helping Bell out in the Hestia Familia. He could use a more experienced member on his side." I responded, straightening up slightly to get a sore spot out of my legs for now. "I just need to find this Hestia first to see about joining. Maybe Fubuki can too , though she will need room to grow into at least an adolescent before she can really fight."

"At least you have planned things out…" Eina muttered a bit, appearing as though to warn me about Bell. I didn't press it to save her the rant.

"Ya know… you remind me of my Handler to an extent, though I doubt you could empty out a canteen like she could." I gave a small laugh. "I do miss her antics back home. Made me feel like I fit right in back in the day." I felt the nostalgia take me in for a bit, before it took a melancholic turn. "I bet she has found a new Hunter to succeed me, same with Taiyo."

"Taiyo? Who is that?" Eina became curious as she noted my mood shift.

"Taiyo was my Palico, raised her since she was just a kitten. Without her, I would've died a long time ago." I pulled out a picture under my armor, showing an image of Taiyo and I in the Seliana Gathering Hub during an event with some other Hunters, each with their own Palicos. Eina at first looked confused at the other Hunters in the image, but realized they were just wearing some weird animal heads akin to deer.

"So this was what your Guildhouse looked like? It seems more cozy than here." Eina said as she was looking at the background of the image more.

"Well it was more than just a place to accept quests. To us Hunters, it was a home away from home, and the people in Seliana knew that. Our culture sort of embraced the dangers of Monster Hunting, so a few things were over the top back home. You've seen some of my weapons, right?" I asked with a joking tone.

"I have heard… Remember why I called you in?" Eina deadpanned.

"Oh… right…" I responded awkwardly. "I should just go and find Hestia… so bye?" I just kinda… slicked out after that, Fubuki jumping onto my shoulders for comfort.

Once outside, and taking in a breath of fresh air, I had a mission in mind, but this time to take it slow, and actually look at things for a change. I decided to stick to the main road for now, heading to the center of the city to see what sort of people were present. To be completely fair, it felt like home, only if we managed to build ourselves a proper city instead of villages. Adventurers adorned in armor, some people leaving little to the imagination, and… is that a boy trying to cross dress? They're rocking the look to be fair, and it seems they have a little harem with them. How cute.

Get back on track, hunter! You have a mission to do that doesn't involve flirting with the nearest local hottie!

Okay, now that I am able to focus some, I am now in the center of the city, gazing at the massive tower. It was much, much larger than anything that I've seen humans make, and some of those airships got pretty damn big too. I didn't want to get myself too distracted however beautiful the scenery was, so I had to unfortunately leave it be for now. It wasn't like I had any worries, it wasn't going anywhere soon.

Now if I remember correctly, it was the first main street to my left, wasn't it? Doesn't seem so busy until further down, though it seemed that Fubuki was more interested in something else. I think she smells food down that road, and who am I to argue with that? Letting our stomachs… and noses, lead the way, we proceeded down towards a possible place to eat.

For the most part, it was a lot of business related places. Pharmaceutical places… or would they be Apothecaries in this case? Eah, they do the same thing, so who cares about the semantics? ANYWAYS! There was a few of those, a couple of open Forges if the heat was anything to go by. Hell, there was even a huge store for clothes… I will defiantly need to hit that place up when I have time after this is said and done, I need some casual clothes.

With the window shopping done per se, Fubuki and I ended up in a decently sized opening, which looked like a food court of sorts. Stalls were here and there, each selling various confectioneries. It was there when I noticed a familiar face… well, one from yesterday at least, never got her name., but those twin tails and big blue eyes were impossible to miss. Same white dress too, though she had an apron on to cover it. Such a shame…

Don't mind me simply admiring from a distance. Oh wait… crap, she's coming this way… ACT NATURAL!

"Hello there, would you… like… IT'S YOU!" Crap, she recognized me. So much for food right now.

"Caught me red handed there. I was looking for Hestia so I may offer my services to kick some Apollo ass." I said with a cheeky grin, Fubuki nodding in agreement.

"I'm Hestia, and you really want to join my familia?!" Oh, so this was Hestia… not who I expected, but then again, my mind was expecting someone like the 3rd Fleet Leader. I shook my head to refocus on the task at hand.

"Yes I do, but…" as if on command, my stomach growled quite obnoxiously. "… Could I get something to eat?" I asked sheepishly as I was kind of embarrassed by how well the timing was.

"Certainly, how many Jagamarukun would you like then?" Hestia asked me, a wide smile on her face.

"I'll go with three, thank you very much." I said, my tone returning somewhat to normal.

"That will be 90 Valis then." Hestia said, and I gave her probably way too much by her reaction.

"Consider it a token of good faith, Hestia." I said, just ny back home, I never bothered to count exacts.

I think I made Hestia's day as she almost skipped happily back to her food stand, and went to cook with a newfound burst of energy. It seems her boss had noticed, and looked over at my direction. The moment of quiet allowed me to look around a little more from my seated position, Fubuki resting on my lap. With my attention elsewhere, I started to notice that some of the people weren't just Humans or Wyverians like I assumed.

Several people had animal features, namely ears and tails, though most were different enough that I could tell a difference, even with my inexperienced eyes in this area. Other people were… well, really short, but they were doing things like normal adults. Either I'm out of the loop, or child labor is a thing. I hope it isn't the latter, truly. Others were much stockier, but also shorter than average, reminding me of the Smithy I oftentimes talked to back in Seliana.

A calm smile graced my face as I look to see the Jagamarukun's sitting there, waiting to be eaten. A simple 'Itadakimasu' later, and I began to munch on the first one. It was honestly pretty good all things considered, though I could tell that it wasn't necessarily made for living off of. Most certainly a nice treat, but not a full meal. Might have to look around elsewhere for an actual meal, so I can do with some more exploring. I will say though, Fubuki seemed to like it quite a bit as well as she was starting to coo a little bit when I pet her soon after.

The snack was a short affair, though it did sit well in our stomachs, so there isn't any complaints there. Now onto the more business side of things. Once Fubuki was comfortable on my shoulders, I walked over to Hestia's stand, and her boss it seemed, who appeared to be in a good mood. It was a quick exchange, just asking where to meet up when Hestia was finished working. The boss there also thanked me for making her day due to all the Apollo shenanigans going on.

"If Apollo wants to ruin someone's day, then he's going to learn the hard way that Karma's a bitch." I said with a laugh, which Hestia and the Boss agreed with. "Anyways, I should head out, leave you two alone for the time being. I will be at the Guildhouse if you need me." And with that, I was heading back, using the route I took to get there back.

On the way back, I decided to explore some more, checking my money since I had spent some since I had arrived. Looks like I still had over 50 thousand Valis in my pouch if my conversions were correct. That should be more than enough to get a more proper meal later for at least a month. Food wasn't important, though, as I was content with how the Jagamarukun's were settling in. Instead, I was wanting to look for a forge to see what could be done should I find monster parts for armor or weapons. Maybe I should demonstrate a weapon or two before letting some random smithy handle them.

I'm not even sure if there will be a Namielle near Orario to upgrade my Long Sword. Is there even a Namielle in this world? Time will only tell for that one. Also when was the guildhouse such a short trip? Also where is Fubuki? Oh crap, did I leave her behind???

Oh, nope, she found Eina, who was talking to that Bell kid. Boy did he look beat up, must have gotten to the dungeon today or something. Eina, the pure heart she is, glared at me when she noticed Fubuki. I shrugged before I went to retrieve the young Barioth from her, looking between the two for a moment.

"I have some good news…. I am joining the Hestia Familia tonight!" I said rather proudly, Bell looking to me with awe, and Eina… well, she looked less than pleased.

"Great…" Eina muttered under her breath, but I caught it. "…Congrats on getting accepted!" she quickly rebounded.

"Oi! Don't think I didn't hear your grimace just a moment ago. I've already shown I can hold my own against those Apollo idiots." I said, stating the facts without trying to stroke my ego too much.

"Ugh, fine! I get it. I just don't want Bell to get any bad ideas when it comes to your 'sense of justice' or what not." Eina admitted, making me pause.

"Ahh… I stand by my actions regardless as I don't think it's wrong to help those who need it." I said with conviction in my tone. "The Fifth Fleet was like family to me, if one person fell, we would jump down to reach them, no exceptions."

Eina was sort of speechless at my words, my determined gaze being unusual from my normally aloof personality. Fubuki noticed this, and nodded in agreement as I more or less decided to be her mom. I didn't expect Bell to be in probably even more awe than Eina. Must be a kid who looked up to heroes or something. In time he will learn that I'm not a hero, just a damn good Hunter. That can wait for now though.

The rest of the time before Hestia's arrival was more or less a case of getting to know the kid, and Eina's relationship with him. The more I listened to their banter, the more I was understanding the pair. Bell wore his heart on his sleeve, but was a bit too green still. That just makes me more inclined to help him in his quest for greatness. Eina on the other hand was a worrywart who didn't like to see others get hurt. She also was a hard and diligent worker, something I can respect.

As for me? They see me as insane. I don't doubt them, everyone back home was. I remember the Admiral was ready to punch an elder dragon that weaponized sound, and nearly caused the New World to collapse. I wasn't too far behind to be honest, but still… the Admiral was an absolute mad lad.

Eventually, Hestia did appear, somewhat exhausted from work, but that is natural when you stand all day I guess. Bell checked up on her, the bleeding heart he was, and it was quickly evident that the room suddenly became just Hestia, Fubuki, and myself.

Reason being? I had no idea how the contract for a Familia worked… at all.

"Okay, miss savior, I'm going to need you to expose your back for me." Hestia said as she grabbed a small knife.

Stunned by the sudden request, I couldn't help but reply in the only natural way I could. "At least take me to dinner first if that's what you want." I teased, making Hestia's face go red for a bit. I did oblige by taking the jacket I wore off, and lifted the armored shirt as much as I could. Sure, a bit of my top blocked the upper part of my back, but Hestia said I was good.

It was also the first time she, or anyone has seen my scars in Orario. It is the main reason I cover up actually, mainly self consciousness for the largest of them that ran down my spine. What self respecting Hunter would trust someone who claims to kill dragons if their biggest injury was from a damned Kulu-Ya-Ku? Not my proudest moment, for sure, and ever since then, I wore armor that helped reinforce my back so it wouldn't happen again. Up until Fatalis, it worked… until I died.

I look back to see Hestia's face full of concern at the shape of my body, seeing it having been battered and broken over the years. I could see her heart strain slightly from the nasty sight. I could only sigh a little bit, letting her know that being a hunter was dangerous. No gods for protection, no falna to aid us. It was all blood, sweat, and tears that made us strong. I know that the scars will never fade, but they are memories at this point. Things to help me remember the troubles I made to get to where I am today.

With that, Hestia bit the bullet, and cut her hand just enough to draw blood. The blood landed on my back, and I immediately felt a change. My soreness was gone, awareness heightened, thoughts clearer. It wasn't night and day, but it was enough to notice. The sound of a paper being used followed after a few moments so that Hestia could see what my back said as the scarring effected the look of the Falna.

It was probably the longest minute of her trying to process the information I have lived through, but eventually she handed me the paper.

Itari-ten Shiboku

Level 1

Strength: I0

Endurance: I0

Dexterity: I0

Agility: I0

Magic: I0

Luck: F

Abnormal Resistance: B

Skills)

Wyvern Tamer: Any Wyvern or closely related species captured by the user will become friendly to the user and their Familia. WARNING! Limited to Wyvern's not created from the Dungeon originally.

Developmental Abilities)

Master Hunter: Improves abilities against previously fought monsters; Increased chance of rare drops from Monsters.

Magic)

None

"Huh, I already have some stuff here… Is this normal?" I asked Hestia as I was getting my shirt adjusted. She shook her head, but noted that it must be why I was already so strong. "I fought monsters since I was a kid, so it makes sense that I already developed some skills along the way… To be honest, this wasn't what I was expecting a contract to go, but I can't argue with the results."

"Well, whatever advantage we can get to kick Apollo down a peg is good in my book." Hestia beamed a bit. That's when an idea brewed.

"Hey Hestia, mind seeing if the Falna will work on Fubuki? I'm curious to see if it will work." I asked, petting Fubuki who was on my lap. Hestia was equally curious, and elected to try it. A couple minutes later, and we had our answer on a piece of paper.

Fubuki Shiboku

Level 1

Strength: I0

Endurance: I0

Dexterity: I0

Agility: I0

Magic: I0

Abnormal Resistance E

Skills)

Turf War: Improved Abilities against Rival Wyvern species

Hellish Blizzard: Immunity to Cold and Ice damage, Weaker to Heat and Fire

Magic)

Polymorphism (Wyverian – Dormant): Requires Level 2 to access.

Both Hestia and I blinked a bit at Fubuki, who just nuzzle into us for a bit. It was at that moment we both noticed she grew in size by a bit, now about 5 feet in length from snout to tail rather than 3 feet yesterday. She also grew a little fuzz on her arms, and her tusks took a light blue hue, barely noticed by Hestia, but my sharper eyes saw right away. I think I have sharper eyes, I don't know about Hestia honestly.

Polymorphism though, that is what caught my attention the most. That meant she could transform into I'm guessing a humanoid form, or that of a Wyverian if the vague title can be trusted. Not even 48 hours after meeting Fubuki, and she already has a power I have never thought could be possible. I wonder what sort of angel she will be as a Wyverian… again, if it is true. Before I could imagine what she could possibly look like, Hestia tapped my shoulder.

"Hey Itari… I want to let you know that I will be busy the next few days. I already have a few children that got transferred from other Familia's today as well to help us. Make yourself at home with them when you meet them, okay?" Hestia let me know the gist of what was going on. "And take it easy on Bell for me? I don't want him to get hurt before the big showdown."

"You have my word Hestia, Fubuki and I will keep him in check." I responded, Fubuki nodding in agreement.

Nothing else really happened that day as far as I was concerned asides from checking up on my weapons still stationed with the guards. Everything was in order, and the guards even congratulated me on getting into a Familia so quickly. With that said, I slept well at the Guildhouse as they had extra room, excited to meet my new comrades in arms for the upcoming battle.

(The Next Morning)

Waking up quite refreshed, I stretched a bit, getting some joints to pop in relief. The room I slept in was extra large in case Fubuki grew further than just the couple of feet from the previous night. She only grew an additional foot in length, now approaching 6 feet from snout to tail. My gander was that she was approaching 50 kilos at this point too, making it a challenge when she decided to greet me the best way she knew how… by perching on my shoulders, piggy back style. I lurched forward from the sudden show of affection before straightening up a bit.

"Hey Fubuki, glad to see you full of energy today." I chuckled tiredly, scratching her chin for a bit before getting her off of my shoulders. Now mostly awake, I got up to get clothed. I didn't opt for my gear this time as I had no intentions of fighting today, rather get to know the team I'd be working with. Instead of my gear, I went for a black shirt, and grey pants. Nothing original, but they were comfortable to be in, and I didn't do my hair up in its usual pony tail, leaving to reach midway down my back. It was a bit of a lazy day for me, and I just wanted to take it all in for a change. I also needed to remember the location as they mentioned a Diner of sorts?

Regardless, I think Fubuki figured it out faster than I did as she has a much sharper nose than I, so I let her lead for the most part, my Clutch Claw being used as a leash of sorts around her tail so she doesn't run off ahead. Soon I smelt the goods, seeing as it was probably the lunch rush. I was never one for waking early, and hunted more often than not at night, so this wasn't anything new. What was new was the attention I was getting, and several mentions of Ganesha were involved. Do they think I'm part of their Familia or something?

Regardless of opinions, I made it to the Diner, only to find that it was packed. A slight but disheartened, I look inside to see if there were any familiar faces among them. I spotted three that I think were there when helping Bell out a couple days ago. Hestia never told me who else she recruited, but at least they were familiar faces. Still didn't change the fact that there were no seats available, even then, a green haird…. Elf, not Wyverian, was staring at me with a cautious gaze. Now It makes me regret not keeping my notes and stuff with me about Fubuki. I did have a journal that I wrote notes on to check her progress, but that could only last so long.

I approached the woman, who got slightly more defensive when it came to Fubuki, but being the good mannered Barioth she has been, it was only to get familiar with her before coming back to me side. "Haha, sorry about Fubuki here, Barioth cubs can be quite curious at times." I said, breaking the ice with a small laugh.

"It's… alright. What brings you to the Hostess of Fertility?" She asked in a calm tone.

"Fubuki and I are members of the Hestia Familia, and we were supposed to meet up with some people. Looks like I came a bit late, and no seats are open." I said honestly, no reason in lying to her even though we just met. "The name's Itari." I said, offering a hand in a handshake. The woman didn't budge despite the attempt at professionalism.

"So you are the one that Bell talked to Syr about. The one who used a weaponized instrument against the Apollo Familia. He never mentioned anything about your pet, however." The woman said, looking again to Fubuki.

"She was a lot smaller a couple days ago. The Falna had accelerated her growth a bit, so yeah." I sheepishly laughed. "Other than that, yea… I used my Hunting Horn to help him and Hestia out. I hope that one Elf guy I hit learned a thing or two of humility since he was the one that ordered the attack I think." I grumbled that last part.

"Right, let me see if your teammates are still here so you guys can talk." The woman said, heading inside, and pointed in my direction with the familiar faces I saw. Looks like my gut feeling was correct with those three, and now I get to have a better look at them once they come over.

Out of the Three there, the small girl was the first that caught my attention. She had a simple red and white hooded shirt, some red shorts, black socks that went up pretty far, and regular shoes. Though what struck me as familiar was her hair. She was the same one that lead me to the Guildhouse originally. The look she gave me wasn't a friendly one, but that was probably down to Fubuki's presence.

Secondly was the only guy, red hair, had a strong feeling of fire around him. He was also the tallest, being a little bit taller than me even. His posture was laid back, but also held some caution for the fact Fubuki again, was present.

Lastly was the other girl who looked more at home in a place like Yakumo Village, or any other popular place in the Old World. She was mainly in purple and red, and most certainly looked the most stoic of the three at a glance, but something told me she was a little nervous. That meant I had to break the ice a little bit.

"So is anyone going to introduce themselves, or shall I start?" I asked in a casual tone, a smile on my face. Getting no answer right away, I sighed. "Alright then, Looks like I will introduce myself first. I am Itari Shiboku, a Hunter from a very far place from here. This here is Fubuki, a Wyvern known as a Barioth. It's a pleasure to meet you all before the War Games begin." I then bowed politely.

The smallest was the first to introduce herself as Liliruca Arde, or Lili for short. She isn't actually part of the Hestia Familia yet, currently part of the Soma Familia, but she volunteered to aid Bell. She also informed me that she was a Pallum, a smaller humanoid race. That answered my question from yesterday.

The guy was next, Welf Crozzo being his name. Seemed like a pretty cool dude, and he says he is a blacksmith. Perfect, now I have someone to help me out when I have an idea for a weapon. He transferred from the Hephaestus Familia for similar reasons to what Lili was saying. Fubuki on the other hand didn't like him much. Her skill makes her painfully aware of his fire affinity.

Lastly was the other girl, Mikoto Yamato, which should be put the other way, bit I won't disrespect her heritage. She was rather formal with me, seeing the similarities between myself and her, though I told her that the formalities aren't needed. She was, however, the most friendly to Fubuki, kneeling down, and petting her head. I was a little intrigued by this to say the least.

"You certainly warmed up to the idea of Fubuki being here, Mikoto." I teased a little bit.

"I heard stories in the Far East regarding creatures not born from the Dungeon with incredible powers and appearances. This one looks like she is pulled right from those stories." Mikoto said, a calm smile on her face. Fubuki warmed up to her quickly as well, nuzzling into her a bit.

"Hmm, what did those stories have to do with?" I then asked, curious myself. Welf and Lili just watched, gathering their thoughts.

"Preserving the balance of Nature, where everything has a place." Mikoto said, making my eyes widen a bit.

"Well, about that… It looks like there's more truth to that than meets they eyes." I said, a smile adorning my face before looking to the three.

"So who wants to hear a story?"

And it is finally done! After three months of drafts and BS coming up, it is done! We finally have our protag's name, she and Fubuki are part of the Hestia Familia, and the War Games is nearly there.

Until then, I have a question for you guys. Should I:

A) Work on a Chapter 3 right away after some reviews come in?

B) Or start on another project? I'm thinking something with NieR Automata and Destiny

I will give it a week or so before I make my decision, as well as time to rewatch Danmachi a bit. Other than that, next chapter should be the last before the War Games as there are a few days left in universe time before the event, and I plan on making some changes by the time the game starts. Namely in the arms that people will use. Itari doesn't have an arsenal for no reason after all.

Anywho, that is all, and I will see you when I post again. Opulent one out!