" Lets start off with what you remember."
Bell was once again seated in Loki's office, fidgeting nervously in his seat as the goddess questioned him.
"If you can't respond, that's fine, but any information you can give us would be of tremendous help."
Bell nodded silently as he breathed in slightly.
"Alright... I'll do my best..."
"Come on Bell! You promised meee!"
Hestia clung to his arm, her high pitched voice echoing throughout the church.
"Iʼm sorry Kami-sama, but Lilli just got news of an unexplored section of floor 9! If we donʼt head there first thing in the morning, all the new drops will be taken already!"
Besides them, Lilli crosses her arms and stuck out her tongue with a gloating smirk
"Argghh Beeellllll, but I wanted to go to the—"
Their argument was cut off by a scream coming from upstairs.
"What was that?!"
Welf rose from his seat, setting aside the paper he was reading, and moved to the stairwell.
"Wait! Welf Iʼll come with you!"
He paused inside the stairway for a moment and turned back.
"Itʼs probably nothing, Mikotos already upstairs, so my moneys on her just seeing a massive spider or something."
"But that sounded like she was in pa-"
Bellʼs complaint was cut short as a flash of silver cut through the dark. A dagger had buried itself in Welfʼs shoulder, and a scream had barely reached his lips when another streak of silver flew across his throat.
A fountain of red burst forth, and Welf collapsed against the wall, silent as he sank to the ground.
"...Welf!"
Bell sprang forwards, abandoning all process of thought, and moved to his friends body.
As he neared the doorway, something moved out of the corner of his eye.
...what the...!
A leg shot out of the shadows, catching his chest and sending him tumbling backwards with immense strength.
"Bell!"
He could barely hear Hestiaʼs cry over the ringing in his ears, and as he rolled to a stop, his eyes fell upon Lilli as she fumbled with the quiver at her waist.
Out from the stairwell stepped a woman dressed in leather and bronze armor. At her waist were several more daggers holstered and strapped to a belt.
Her hands her stained with blood, the red liquid dripping from her hands that swung loosely at her waist.
"Y-you..."
Lilli loaded her ballista and with a shaking arm, fired an arrow at the menacing intruder.
The person tilted her head to the side nonchalantly, and the arrow soared harmlessly past her shoulder and into the door frame.
Lilli gasped and stumbled backwards, her hands already pushing another arrow into place.
But she was too slow. The intruder moved forwards with astonishing speed, and another dagger swept through the air, cleanly drawing out another spray of red.
"...Lilli..."
Bellʼs voice came out shaking, his eyes trembled in disbelief, tracking the figure as she fell to the ground.
"Move Bell..."
Hestia stepped forwards, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Her face was twisted into an expression of rage, and her body trembled with anger.
A blue divine aura leaked from her body, rising up and swirling around her, cloaking her in a shimmering light.
"Turn back. Now..."
Bell had never seen Hestia like this before. For the first time in his life, he bore witness to the wrath of a divine being.
There was a reason why Ouranos had outlawed the release of divine power. As Gods and Goddesses, they held the strength to reshape the land as they saw fit. They were the definition of authority, the holders of absolute power. But Hestia had broken the sacred pact, and the result left him shocked to say the least.
But the intruder only grimly smiled, and drew her last remaining dagger.
"You don't scare me, goddess."
Hestia stepped forward, crossing her arms as she looked up into the woman's eyes.
"Is that so...? Do you have any idea of what happens to those who dare raise a hand against a deity?"
"Something along the lines of eternal torment in the afterlife? Yeah, I'm aware."
She moved her hand into a pouch at her waist, withdrawing a small dark ball.
"But, I guess it's a good thing I'm not here for you then."
Her eyes flitted over and settled upon Bell as she tossed the object into the center of the room.
Hestia gasped aloud, finally realizing their intruderʼs target.
"Bell! Run!"
With a slight puff the ball exploded into a cloud of smoke. The dark clouds billowing throughout the room blinded Bellʼs eyes, eliminating all sense of vision.
I.. I canʼt see her...!
"Hestia!"
Bell cried out for his goddess, coughing and extending his hand in a desperate gamble.
"Firebo-mmph!"
His spell died in his throat as a hand clamped over his mouth and pinned him to the wall.
"No, no. It'd be an issue for me if you ran."
Behind them, the smoke had started to clear. His eyes widened as they met Hestia's, warning her to stay back.
Wait... don't..!
"Leave him alone... please...!"
The Goddess had stepped up behind the two of them and grasped the woman's wrist in her hand.
"Make sure you keep your eyes open for this part, boy."
Hestia's voice broke as her aura began to fade away. On her face, lines of tears had begun to fall from her eyes as she dropped her bluff.
"Please... I'm begging you... don-!"
Wait... did she...?
"MMmmph!"
In front of him, he watched as Hestia took a startled step back, gasping for air.
Her aura was gone, and a glowing blue light shone gently from her stomach. From where a silver dagger had lodged itself into her flesh.
Tears flooded his eyes as he bit down on his captive's hand and forced himself free.
"Agh! You little brat!"
"Noo!"
He rushed forward, ignoring the intruder, and almost tackled Hestia as she sunk to the ground.
"Iʼm... sorry Bell..."
He gathered her in his arms, holding her tight. Hestia seemed to shudder as she slowly turned her head to look at him.
"I really do... love you..."
Her eyes flared blue once more, before turning grey. Her body froze in place and fell silent, and the glowing blue gash grew brighter and brighter.
Bellʼs eyes widened, his mouth hung open, his lips shaking.
The sound of glass shattering filled the room, and Hestiaʼs body grew into a brilliant light before exploding into millions of blue swirling particles.
"...no..."
Bell stumbled forward, his hands searching through the air, searching for something - anything to grab hold of.
"I love you..."
The echo of his goddess replayed in his head, and his eyes welled up with tears. Falling to his hands and knees, Bell was speechless as tears streamed down his face.
Looking down, his eyes met a familiar blue piece of fabric. With a trembling hand, he began to reach out for the ribbon when a sharp impact sent him skidding across the ground yet again.
"...pathetic..."
Bell remained on the floor, his eyes still locked onto the blue ribbon.
"I heard you were supposed to be the ace of this Familia, but I mustʼve been mistaken... what type of adventurer canʼt even stand to avenge his friends?"
Movement entered his sight, crushing the piece of fabric under a blood and dirt stained boot.
"... I guess itʼs expected since this puny Familia has a pathetic goddess to match..."
Bell blinked, and his blurred vision snapped back to normal. Adrenaline and fury flowed through his blood, forcing him to stagger to his feet.
"...hmmm? Whatʼs this?"
"...take... that... back..."
Bellʼs arms and head hung loosely, his voice came out low and threatening.
"Iʼm... going to make you pay..."
The woman laughed.
"Well come on then! Iʼm waiting..."
Bellʼs hands moved to his waist and drew his two knives. Charging forward with his maximum speed, both blades flashed forward as if shot from a cannon.
The woman was still smiling as she easily side stepped his attacks.
He reversed the direction of his blades, sending one towards her throat, and the other towards the area below her chest plate, however she still managed to move to counter his attack.
She moved in a blur, knocking his lower hand away before leaning back, letting his dagger slash through the air past her throat.
"Iʼm not done yet!"
His hours of training on top the city walls with Ais sent his body into auto pilot. Using the momentum of his arm, his spun his body in a tight circle and flung his leg out like a blade towards his opponent.
Just like she taught me...!
Feeling his heel make impact with something sent a shard of hope fluttering through his body. But just as soon as it had come, it was taken away.
His enemy had caught his foot with one hand mere inches away from her head. But the smile on her face was gone.
"...so itʼs true..."
He moved to disengage, but his leg was still firmly held in place by an iron tight grip.
"I can see her style in your movements..."
His eyes met hers, and what he saw terrified him.
"This...is...the best...!"
A smile more horrifying than anything heʼd seen before spread across her lips. Her eyes flashed and shook with excitement, and her voice lost all signs of composure as she practically bubbled with joy.
"...First... Iʼm going to break your spirit..."
His heart grew cold.
"Then... Iʼm going to break your body..."
Fear gripped his body.
"Then... Iʼll dump your body at her feet and indulge in the main dish...!"
Shit...!
She swept his leg out from under him, and let him fall off balance.
As he fell to the ground, he couldnʼt do anything but watch as she closed the distance in a instant and a planted knee in his stomach.
He hit the ground, gasping for air as pain shot through his body.
Giving him no time to rest, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and began to drag him across the floor.
She lifted him into the air, and like a hammer, slammed him through the dining table.
Wooden splinters and porcelain shards rained down on him as he lay on the floor. Every cell in his body screamed in pain as he coughed up blood, but he was given no time to catch his breath.
She moved her hand from his shirt to his throat, grasping him tightly and pinning him to the wall.
"This is going to hurt... a lot..."
She leaned in close, a wicked smile plastered across her face, and for the first time in a while, Bell felt complete, absolute despair.
Iʼm... scared...?
No... I can't give up here... not while I'm still breathing!
Gasping for air, Bell grabbed the force that was choking him and managed to barely pry her fingers away from his throat. In his brief moment of freedom, he managed to get a breath of air before being slammed back into the wall. Latching onto her arm, he channeled his aura into his hands and released his quick chant magic.
"Firebolt!"
With his hand wrapped around her's, the ensuing close range explosion was devastatingly hot, and parts of the flame slipped past his foe and had blasted through the ceiling, resulting in a hail of wood and stone.
"FIREBOLT!"
He kept his grip on the enemy. Dust and splinters fell all around them as the roof continued to collapse, and the hole in the ceiling widened.
"FIREBOLT!"
Even as most of his shirt was burnt away, he endured the pain and cast again.
Breathing heavily, Bell almost felt relief.
She had to have felt that.
But the grip around his throat remained steadfast.
Bellʼs eyes widened as the smoke cleared.
"No... damage... at all?!"
His broken voice mirrored his thoughts.
she smiled at him cruelly from the smoke.
"Was that all you had?"
She snickered.
Her smile was warped. Like a demon, a monster, something spawned from the shadows beyond even the Deep Floors.
Feeling a rush of wind, Bell grasped her wrist and held on as she pulled him forward before slamming him into the wall hard enough to crush the stone behind him. Metal shards hit the ground as his armor shattered into pieces.
Is... this... how I die...?
His assailant's demonic laughter echoed through the room, but slowly everything faded away. The sound, the light, everything, turned to black.
—
Bell was awoken by a rough slap. Pain surged through his body once more. And fear filled every bit of his existence.
"Oh no, you have to stay awake until she comes for you!"
She sneered as she loosed her grip enough for Bell to breathe.
"Iʼve gotta have something to entertain me until then, right? But relax, I wonʼt kill you... Only once you lie broken and crushed at her feet, once you see for yourself the anguish on her face... thatʼs when you may move on from this world."
Ais..!
A sudden image of golden hair was pushed into his mind, and Bell once again took action to survive. Dropping his hand to his waist, he pulled out the jet black Hestia Knife and swung it towards the cackling beast tamerʼs arm. He remembered her words now, the lessons that she beat into his body.
When an opponent is most certain of victory, that is when they are at their most vulnerable. That, is when you strike.
"Ooh..! Close one!"
What?!
It hadn't worked. The woman in front of him easily caught his hand, stopping him dead in his tracks.
"I'll take this now..."
She twisted his wrist back and tore the dagger from his grasp. In a single movement, she reversed the blade and forced it back down towards him.
Block! Move!
His arms moved up instinctively to catch her hand, pushing back with every ounce of strength he had left.
She's... so strong..!
He watched as the tip of his dagger inched closer and closer to his throat, when suddenly all pressure vanished.
"Gah!"
What did she do?!
Bell's eyes could barely trace the movement. She had dropped the dagger into her free hand, catching it with ease, before driving the pommel into his stomach.
So... fast!
Bell fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.
Breathe! I have to fight...!
Tears formed in his eyes as the black and white spots vanished to reveal the cold, blood stained stone floor. More blood spilled from his mouth and splattered out onto the floor, and his arm threatened to bend and give out.
On his back he felt a surge of pain, and he cried out as Revis brutally stomped on him and sent him flat into the ground. There was nothing left to do except endure.
Blood once again flowed from his mouth as another savage kick sent him flying to the side. When he landed and opened his eyes, a curtain of red was flowing down his face. There was just too much pain.
Every signal in his body was telling him to die, but he coughed again and tried to sit up.
His feeble attempt to get up was met with a boot to the neck pinning him down. Revis raised her foot and let it come crashing down.
Crunch.
"More..."
Tears and blood spilled onto the ground.
"More...!"
Another impact crushed his shoulder, shattering bones in the process.
"MORE...!"
Bell opened his mouth to scream, but only a feeble cry emerged.
His hand lay limp on the floor, and his breath came in ragged gasps. Tears and blood fell from his face, streaking across his skin and falling to the floor.
The sole of her boot pressed against his neck, pushing roughly against his skin. Black spots danced across his blurry vision, and the room seemed to be spinning in every direction at once.
"Thatʼs enough."
The pressure lightened, and Bell opened his eyes to see a figure had entered the room. His low voice seemed to come from every direction, and his large frame loomed over both him and Revis.
Even with his face hidden in the shadows, his voice resonated with such confidence there was no mistaking the aura of pure strength that came from the new guest.
"You... youʼre a strong one, arenʼt you?"
Bellʼs mind spun in circles, the pain eating away at his sanity as he tried to process what was going on.
Does she sound... afraid?
"You remind me of a certain annoying Prum... no... youʼre stronger."
"Itʼs not my job to kill you, so Iʼll let you have one chance to leave with your life."
He stepped forward slightly, revealing a massive great-sword in his hand.
"I suggest you take it."
"..."
Revis fell silent for a moment before removing her foot completely.
"...it seems that our time is up... but, I can sense her approaching outside."
Bellʼs eyes widened at the mention of her.
"You know... youʼre really lucky, kid."
Revis removed her boot and began to walk towards the stairs.
"Next time I see you though... I have a feeling itʼll be the last..."
With that, she disappeared in the stairwell, her footsteps fading away through the building.
Bellʼs eyes fell to the shadowed figure, watching closely as he sheathed the blade on his back and melted back into the shadows.
Just like that, he was gone.
Turning his head, Bell let his head rest on the cool floor as the darkness threatened to take his consciousness.
But his sight fell upon a familiar blue ribbon, mere feet away.
With the familiar item in view, tears once again fell from his eyes as sadness flushed through his body.
One agonizing movement after another, Bell dragged himself along the ground towards the item, a bloody print trailing behind him.
With a final pull, the ribbon came within reach, and with an outstretched hand, he secured the ribbon inside a bloody fist before his mind finally gave away.
