Authors Note1: So, this is the prologue of the AisxBell story. We´re beginning at the end of Sword Oratioria LN volume 12. From there on will the story progress.
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I´m exhausted...
Ais walked slowly through the hallways of Knossos, the shaking and screaming had stopped. Light dust filled the air but not to the point that it got hard to breath. Debris and remains of the plants filled the corridors.
My hand hurts..
She continued to walk, hearing mumbles and the sound of someone working, Ais turned around a corner and eventually saw someone, Raul and his group from her Familia. They had sat up a temporary camp in the hallway, many of them seemed to be unable to move due to exhaustion or injuries, those were grouped together and guarded by other adventurers. She saw the Xenos harpy Ray flying around and helping people, the Loki Familia worked together pretty well with them.
Where is he...
Ais greeted the others tiredly, but she kept searching, she had gotten the information that he should be here. It was Raul who showed her the direction and after Ais kept walking for a bit, she found what...who she was searching for.
Bell...
A light smile came to her lips, he sat leaned against a wall, his eyes closed and was sleeping from exhaustion. His armor and bodysuit looked tattered, but he was in a better condition than the most.
She groaned lightly as she turned around and sat down next to him, stretching her legs and finally allowing herself to calm down.
"Bell...you helped us...maybe...even saved us." Ais looked at him, his calm sleeping face let her smile.
"Bell...thank you...I heard your voice...without you...I wouldn´t had defeated Revis..."
Her eyes widened lightly when Bell´s head fell to the side on her shoulder, she looked at him for a moment before she leaned against him, her head against his and closed her eyes tiredly.
"Thank you...Bell..."
Ais fell asleep, she was so exhausted...and she had the feeling she had earned a long sleep.
Somehow...her heart felt lighter when she leaned on Bell...
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"*Hic* *Hic* Fil...vis...*Hic*"
The battle in Knossos had been horrible, adventurers had died...the Loki Familia may had been wiped out...as well as Orario...without the help of many others and the Xenos.
But even so...many had died.
Lefiya knelt in the main room, ash covered her legs...it was all that remained from Filvis. Her best friend had died in her arms..leaving only behind her sword and wand...everything else had turned to ash.
She didn´t cared what Filvis was in the end...she was her friend. Tears flew endlessly over Lefiya´s cheeks, her vision was blurry...all she could do was sob and cry...and stare at the pile of dust.
Filvis was dead.
Lefiya had lost her...forever. They wanted to do so many things together...visit Lefiya´s home forest...watch the special light scene that happened rarely there...now she was gone. As well as the Dionysus Familia and their god...
She didn´t cared about Dionysus...only about Filvis, in the fight she had seen that the true Filvis was still inside that monster.
Her hand clenched into a fist, her whole body trembled with her sobs ... Ashes rose from between her fingers ...slowly the ash drifted up in the air...light broke itself in the ash...looking all too similar to the "crown of light" phenomenon that they promised to watch together.
"*Hic* *Hic* *Hic*" Her sobs came faster and faster.
Something...in Lefiya´s heart...broke.
She didn´t heart the light, tired steps behind her.
"My friend..."
Ryu fell down to her knees, she knew who´s ash that was... She had tears in her eyes as well, Filvis was also Ryu´s friend, not as close as Lefiya and Filvis were...but she was sad.
Gently, Ryu put her arms around Lefiya as the dam broke.
"Ah...Ah...Aaaaaah! Filviiiiiis! Waaaaah...Ahhh...Fiiiilviiiiis!"
Ryu held her shaking, crying friend and cried with her. Lefiya´s crying echoed through the hallways ...some other adventurers cried about lost companions...but no one cried like Lefiya did.
The only things she had left from Filvis, were what she had whispered into Lefiya´s ear in her last moments, the sword "Tear Pain" and the wand "Guardian´s White Torch"...
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The catastrophe had been stopped...Orario lived another day. The great Familia´s had protected the city like it was their job, Bell Cranel had dealt the final blow, without him things would have turned out horrible.
Some things returned to normality...some things didn´t...and some things...would change.
Yes some things would change...some for the better...some for...the worst.
But was it really like Dyonisus had said in his last moments?...Had the clock for destruction...started ticking?
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"Bell, are you sure you are okay?"
"Yes, goddesss, don´t worry I didn´t got hurt."
Hestia patted Bell´s back and chest, when she had heard what happened in Knossos she was really worried about him. As soon as they got home, all of the Familia Members were checked by Hestia and the other gods. Everyone was relieved that Orario had finally calmed down a bit...and that no one on their side had died.
"Thanks to all the gods here...*Hic*"
"Goddess?"
"I´m shoo glaaaaaad!"
"Aaah Goddess! Snot, your snot!"
Hestia rubbed her face at Bell´s back, not bothering about the tears and snot...well it wasn´t her back that got covered in...that. But after she calmed down, she wiped him with a towel.
"So Bell...I guess you want your status updated?"
"If possible."
"Hehe, I knew it."
Bell leaned forward on the chair and leaned on the backrest with his chest. Hestia took out a small box she carried with her and poked her right index finger with a needle that was in there.
The drop of heavenly blood fell on his back and in a shining light his blessing...the Falna. Glowing runes appeared that represented Bell´s status and started to move, the runes rose from his back and rotated in the air between Bell and Hestia, after moving for a while they slowly sank down in his back again. Hestia put a special paper on his back, held it there for a while before drawing a circle with her finger.
"Bell..."
"Goddess?"
"Care to...explain...this?"
Hestia´s voice was shaking...when Bell turned his head he saw that her whole small body was shaking...from anger?
"Go...dess?"
She turned the paper around and Bell´s eyes widened...he even shrieked.
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Bell Cranel
Level: 5 .
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Bell was completely fixated on the paper...he head reached level five...after his "adventure" with Ryu on the 37th Floor...and the fight in Knossos where he had defeated Nidhöggr with one attack...
He started to laugh, he couldn´t believe it...he had reached level five! In record time again!
But...Hestia was still...angry?
"Goddess?"
Her finger wandered down on the paper.
"Care to explain...Bell?"
There was a new skill for Bell...or rather a development ability.
"Blood...of Zeus?" The name was the only thing he could read.
"Goddess? What is this skill?"
"Oh...you will get that now...Mister..." She looked annoyed.
Hestia cleared her throat. "Blood of Zeus: Grants the chance to deal thunder elemental damage to a target, chance increased when striking a vital spot or with a critical hit."
"That sounds awesome!"
She continued. "Grants increased stamina...and the ability to make every woman happy...perfect for...Harem...owners..."
Her gaze was ice cold.
"Harem...owner?"
"Bell you cheater! Enemy of womankind! Fiend!" Hestia slapped him with the paper while she pouted...she looked cute when she was angry.
"Aaaaah goddess! W-W-Wait! I have no Harem! This is ridiculous!"
It took Bell a while to calm Hestia down, he didn´t knew himself why such a skill would appear by him...but the part with the thunder sounded interesting. But what meant increased stamina...and ability to make woman happy?
"Ehe...ehehe...ehehehe!"
"Bell?"
"Level 5, goddess! I´ve reached level five!"
Confused or not with his new skill, Bell was still Bell and happy with leveling up...one step closer to Ais...
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What...is with me...
Ais lied in her bed, hugging a small pillow and stared up to the ceiling of her room. She was finally able to go to bed after that day, she had taken a long shower. As happy as she was with finally defeating Revis...
Ais was also sad over the lost people...and the sight of the still crying Lefiya had hurt her.
Still...as soon as she lied in bed...Ais felt weird. She rememberred how Bell had helped them, that she heard him..his voice. It made her...happy. And when her mind wandered to the moment where she and Bell slept side by side, leaned on each other...her face got really warm...and her heart started to pound.
What..is this...I never...felt something like this...
For a while she lied there...her mind wandered again and again to the moment Bell leaned her head on her shoulder...and she her head on his...
Maybe...Riveria will know an answer...
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"*Hic*...*Hic*...Filvis...*Hic*..."
Lefiya looked horribile...at some point they had to carry her out of Knossos since she was near to a collapse, now she lied in her bed and held the wand in her hands...her tears just wouldn´t stop.
Whenever she seemed to calm down a bit, her lower lip trembled and she saw the last moment of Filvis again... For once she was alone in the room, Elvy slept somewhere else...she couldn´t sleep with the crying Lefiya and she wouldn´t scold her after losing someone that important.
Her hand slowly wandered over the wand...it just hurt...her eyes burned from crying so much...she had a headache...Lefiya felt a sharp pain in her chest.
We have killed her...my Familia...I...have killed her...
"Filvis..."
Lefiya cried and cried until she fell asleep from exhaustion.
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Ais knocked gently at Riveria´s door.
"One moment please...okay come in."
"Good morning, Riveria."
"Ah Ais, good morning."
"Do you..have some minutes?"
The green haired elf handed with a tea pot and two cups. "Of course, what do you need?"
"Ahm...I wanted to ask first...how is..Lefiya?"
Riveria sighed with a worried face. "Bad...really bad, I saw her for a moment this morning...she can barely stop crying...she needs time."
"Oh..."
"She wants to be alone...you know things like these Ais."
"Yes.."
"So, what was the other thing?"
"Ahm...I wanted your advice...I think I´m becoming sick."
"Sick? What kind of?"
"I don´t know."
"You don´t know, but you feel sick?"
"Yes...I feel...weird..."
"What do you feel?"
"It started a while ago...but got stronger after my fight with Revis."
"Did you get hurt? Poisened?"
Ais shook her head. "No, and I got healed afterwards."
"And you still feel..weird?"
"Yes...it...my heart...sometimes...it pounds really fast..."
"Okay..."
"And my face...get really warm...I checked myself in a mirror...my cheeks are red then."
"Hm.."
"I feel restless...sometimes my heart flutters...I get sweaty hands...and...I... I'm losing my appetite..."
Riveria´s eyes widened, the last one could practically mean Ais was really sick. "When does this happen mostly?"
"Hm...it gets stronger...when I´m near to...Bell."
Haaaa...this girl...does it finally happen?
"Riveria...am I sick? An allergy?"
Ais looked really confused and worried.
"I will have to ask you some questions to be sure."
"Okay."
"Does these feelings happen often?"
"In the last time more and more."
"And do they feel bad to you?"
"Hmmm." Ais tilted her head. "Not...really?"
"Do you have sleeping problems?"
"Sometimes...Riveria...Why does my heart pound like this? I don´t understand."
"I need to check one last thing."
"Okay."
"Please think of the time when we were on the 18th Floor, when the incident with Bell Cranel happened and he...saw you...naked."
For a moment Ais looked at her while she lightly tilted her head. Then suddenely she got a deep red face, steam came out of it and she covered her face behind her hands, squealing.
In the past it hadn´t bothered her that Bell saw her naked...now she felt incredibly embarrassed.
Bell saw me! Naked! Aaaaaah!
Riveria couldn´t help but smile as she watched Ais kicking her legs.
My little girl...
"Ais?"
The blond girl was still squealing.
"Ais?!"
"Y-Yesh?" She was hard to understand with the hands over her face.
"I think I know what is with you."
Slowly...she lowered her hands. "You...do?"
"Yes, it´s a pretty serious matter of the heart."
"So I...am sick?"
"Kind of."
"What do you mean..."
"Ais if I would have to ask you, what is your favorite animal?"
"HuH? Ahm...mmh...hmm...a...hmm...white...bunny?"
Riveria chuckled. "Well...that was expected."
"Riveria?"
"Ais...you are..."
"Hm?"
The elf leaned forward and smiled motherly. "In love."
Ais made a shocked face...as if it only came to her mind now that this was an option.
"Ais?"
"*Gasp*!"
"A...is?..."
"MMmmmh!" An expression came to Ais´ that no one ever had seen before.
My little airhead...
And like this...Ais Wallenstein discovered...that she was in love with Bell Cranel...she probably would have discovered it on her own...in a few years or so...
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"*Hic*...*Sob*..." Lefiya poked at her food with her fork while she sobbed.
Elfy had dragged her out of their room to eat something...Lefiya was in the room for three days now. Some of her Familia members glanced to her, some couldn´t understand why she cried over the death of that...monster. Lefiya was one of the few people that hadn´t believed the story about Filvis black hair...and no matter what had happened, she still saw her as her friend.
"Still cryin´?"
Lefiya looked up, her eyes were red from all the tears, Bete was standing in front of her, his hands in his pockets.
"Why do ya still cryin´? It´s been three days, stop cryin over a monster."
"ster..."
"Huh?"
"She was no monster..." Lefiya could only mumble.
"Da hell?! You´ve seen her! She was a freak!"
"She was not!" Lefiya got louder.
A few members looked uneasy to them...Bete seemed to be at it again.
"You sayin´ dat look was normal, eh?"
"She had no choice! Filvis was cursed!"
"Tche...it´s always you weak ones that make the most trouble."
"up..."
"What?!"
"SHUT UP!"
Many members got big eyes by Lefiya´s outburst, rarely anyone dared to talk to Bete like that.
"Why don´t you leave me alone, Bete?! What is your problem with bullying people?!"
"Haaaa?! Big words for a weekling!"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Lefiya put her hand on her hip...where she wore "Tear Pain", no one in the Familia had ever seen such an expression on her face.
Lefiya wasn´t angry at Bete...she hated him.
"Don´t you dare talk ill about Filvis! You have no idea!"
"Watch who you are talking to, weakling...Tch...It´s better that she is dead now."
Just as he was turning around, he noticed a faint sound and that the eyes of some Familia members widened.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
Lefiya ripped out Tear Pain and slashed at Bete, carving a wound into his arm as he turned around again. At every other day she would have never done that, but her heart was too fragile at the moment.
She couldn´t stand that Bete talked ill about Filvis...and that he had this habit of picking on those weaker than him.
"YOU DARE!"
Bete made a fist and stepped forward, in exchange Lefiya raised her left hand, a golden light enveloping it.
"STOP IT YOU TWO!"
Before Bete and Lefiya could do anything worse, Finn, Gareth and the Amazon twins jumped on them and pinned both down.
"LET ME GO!"
"Shut up, Bete!"
"Noo! Let me gooo!..Ahhh!" Even now...Lefiya couldn´t stop crying...
That just now...would have consequences...
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"Hehe..."
"Bell? You seem to be in a good mood." Welf closed his boots next to Bell.
"Yes, I´m going to train with Miss Ais again."
"Have fun then."
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Authors note2:
For those wondering, after the incident with Bell and Ryuu ont he 37th Floor, around LN 15, there was this huge outburst of Demi Spirits in Knossos, where Bell one shotted the Nidhöggr demi Spirit dragon, thats where we started here, also it was where Ais finally defeated Revis.
I know this chapter was rather short, but writing the first chapter of a story is not that easy. In contrast to the RyuuxBell story we won´t only read about Ais and Bell here. I want to work with some side characters too.
Lefiya will be one of the main side characters, why?...Because I really like her. Some don´t like Lefiya but after reading the Manga and the LN, I really, really like her.
For now there are about 6-7 big Arks planned, similar to the Ryuu story.
I say it now there will be some chapters that are not "that serious", mostly slice of life later.
The next chapters should be about the normal length for my writing.
Also...the story will be more grim than Ryuu´s.