Is it Wrong to Live Transmigrated as Bell Cranel in a Dungeon?

Chapter 8: Genuit Heros

"He knows a hero when he sees one. Too few characters out there, flying around like that, saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people. Setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams."

— Aunt May, Spider-Man 2


My eyes slowly open again to the bright blue afternoon skies of Orario. After a moment, a face framed with golden hair looks down at me, "Are you okay?"

Ais Wallenstein had once again knocked me unconscious, it would seem. It's only the next day after we came back from Naaza's Quest. Lili had to take the day off to help at the shop she was staying at - a consequence of missing a day in the Dungeon and heading outside the walls, most likely. So instead of going into the Dungeon solo, I humbly explained the situation with Ais and decided to make up for lost time the other day.

I groan in annoyance and pain, once again I've found myself in a lap pillow from Ais Wallenstein. I roll my body off of her and onto the stone wall floor, facefirst. I don't have to look at Ais to know she had a slightly bewildered expression on her face.

Getting these lap pillows from Ais Wallenstein was really filling me with mixed feelings the more and more I received them. On one hand, I'm getting lap pillows from an undeniably pretty girl. On the other hand…

It's just more evidence of how negligible my 'strength' really is.

I push myself off of her and onto my knees, "Sorry." I apologize for once again getting knocked out and thus losing time on training.

Ais looks at me with confusion and pats her knees a few times. It's an invitation to come back. And not the first I've received.

I shake my head no. Her expression doesn't change, but I have the impression she is disappointed for some reason.

"Is your body feeling better?" She then asks me, as if wondering why I denied going back into that position.

"…Yes," I answer, multiple emotions battling it out for domination. Embarrassment ends up winning I think.

She gestures for me to take a seat next to her. My face seems to always be reddish when we're together, but I feel my cheeks go slightly darker as I sit down at her side. I curse my damn teenage hormones for liking Ais' different immune system or something; I think that's a factor on how ancient humans 'hooked up' in the past.

The rock is surprisingly cold considering how the sky is barely cloudy, but I suppose that's just since rock isn't the best at absorbing heat. I try to relax and lean back into the wall behind me.

"Can I ask you something?" Ais asks me after a moment of silence.

"Eh?" I make a noise, Ais isn't usually the type to start a conversation.

She takes that as permission to ask, "How were you able to get so strong, so fast?"

Strong? Fast? In comparison to Naaza, Ryuu, and Ais, I'm nothing. It's almost a fundamental fact of the power system in this world. Levels provide tiers of strength that cannot be bested until they are reached yourself. My training with Ryuu and Ais has drilled into my head that thinking anything otherwise is just arrogance.

So I'm honest when I say, "I'm not strong…" It hurts just to say it out loud. But it's clear that I'm just a small fish in a very large pond.

Ais' eyes narrow slightly, like she doesn't believe my answer. I feel like she's really asking me 'why are you training so hard when you don't have any natural talent?'

So I then add, "I, well, there's a height I want to reach. People I want to stand by, and surpass. A goal I want, no, I have to reach or I'll never forgive myself…" but it's so hard…

Ais' expression seems to almost be of surprise. She then looked up at the sun and said, "I see. I understand now, we are the same."

I look at her, hiding my disbelief at her words. I couldn't understand how she came to such a conclusion. I couldn't understand, so how could I believe in them?

Ais then lightly yawned and said, "Let's practice afternoon naps."

"...Eh?" I blink, my mood switching from melancholy to perplexed.

"In a Dungeon, you need to be able to fall asleep anywhere, at any time," Ais explains seriously.

But I'm not sure she means to be serious intentionally. So I ask, "...Are you just sleepy, by any chance?"

"This is part of your training," Ais instantly replies. She looks a bit angry. Did I hit a nerve…? But her cheeks… it's only just a little, but they're turning pink.

…So she's just sleepy.

"Well, uh… are we going to sleep here then?"

"Yes," She gives a quick nod as she slides away from the wall, before lying down on the stone surface. This goes without saying, but these stones are hard. To the builder's credit, the path on top of the wall is very well constructed, but there are some uneven places here and there.

But Ais doesn't care about that. She lies right down and starts dozing. So this is the true power of a top-class adventurer?

For someone who has to be able to rest anywhere in the deepest parts of the Dungeon, sleeping here — without any difficulty, I might add — might just be a walk in the park.

"Are you not going to sleep?" She asked me.

"Ah, um… No, I'll sleep," Feeling really awkward as she stares up at me, I make a little space between us before lying down.

I lay there for a few moments, wondering what my life has come to. The sheer incredulity of it all. Is this the absurdity mentioned by philosophers like Jean Paul Satre? This feeling?

I shake my head, abandoning such errant thoughts before looking back at Ais Wallenstein. Going by her light breaths, she is already out like a light.

Fast! Ais, sell a guide for your technique to insomniacs everywhere!

But seriously, I know it's important to regain your strength in the Dungeon, but maybe she's used to sleeping in places like this? Or maybe she was just that tired…?

"…ve, Bell."

…What the hell?

"Make a move, Bell."

I know that voice. What's it doing in the back of my head? That's grandpa Zeus' voice…

Fuck this.

I give the skies above me the most done expression I think I've ever made. Having such lewd thoughts about Ais while she's asleep? Do I want to die again?

…again…

My head starts pounding with a fierce headache, so much so I can't help but wince and grasp my head in a vain effort to ease the pain. I hiss as I take in a few sharp breaths in an effort to calm myself.

"Are you okay?" a female voice asked next to me.

My eyes twitched open. Ah, I accidentally woke Ais up, how embarrassing. I smile weakly, "S-sorry. I'm fine. Just accidently hit my head."

"..." Ais didn't seem convinced, but she returned to her sleeping position and fell asleep as quickly as she awoke.

Thankfully, by this point, my sudden headache had subsided and I sigh quietly in relief.

A nap… a nap might be a good idea after that…


Other POV

From atop Babel Tower, a lone figure gazed at the walls of Orario in fierce, ugly jealousy.

"...Well, I wonder how strong you've gotten then, Bell-kun…"

Freya pouted. She had no recollection on giving Bell permission to consort with anyone besides herself and Ryuu! It's one thing to be close to Hestia, but this…!

That cheating playboy!

…At least the Kenki has good taste…

Freya, conflicted, gives out an order to her 'chariot'.

At least this punishment will give her Odr some experience against sentient combatants.

Would he finally use his second spell while she was watching? She wondered this hopefully as the sun continued its descent through the heavens.


Main POV

Following the long corridors and steep staircase inside Orario's City Wall, we finally arrive at the door that leads to the city and open it. The heavy wooden door creaks as it swings to the side, to reveal a back alley cloaked in shadow.

The alleyway itself is strewn with dirty, wooden boxes, piles of old building material, and scrap metal. It looks like someone was using this spot as a storage area and forgot about it, as well as the door in the city wall. Ais and I make our way through the mess and into the maze of backstreets.

We continued training after waking from a surprisingly refreshing nap, before making our way down here in the late afternoon.

"A-Ais, seriously, don't worry about it…"

"It's not a problem. My stomach is empty, too."

…In the middle of a flurry of swift attacks, you see, my eyes following only the shadows of her movements, my stomach decided to grumble with comically loud volume.

Ais saw me blush out of embarrassment and suggested getting a light snack. That's why we're here now. I know I only ate breakfast today, just still… ugh… my self-esteem is critically low…

Holding back what felt like tears of shame, I followed Ais with my shoulders feeling like they were down around my ribs somewhere.

The unguarded door that Ais had found to the normally restricted city wall was on the outer edge of northeastern Orario. After turning many tight corners in the alleyway, we come out into one of the wider backstreets, close enough to Main Street to hear people busily going about their business.

This spot is filled with houses and lined with fancy, pole-shaped magic-stone lamps. I'm not usually out this way so this is all new to me. My head on a swivel, I take in as much as I can. I can never get over how beautiful the city is.

"Where are we going again?" I ask, my bad mood replaced with curiosity.

"North Main. Tiona first told me about the potato puffs stand over there," Ais tells me. I recognize the name Tiona from my time as a disguised waitress at the Hostess. Tiona is an Amazon girl and one of the Loki Familia Executives.

Anyway, right now, Ais and I are going through the backstreets because we can avoid being seen. And while it's great that we're being so cautious, something else is making me nervous being alone with Ais right now.

Potato puffs… Ah shit.

I pale a little at the realization we are headed right for Hestia's food stand. She still doesn't know about my training because I've held off on getting my Status updated on the daily.

Not that I haven't visited Hestia so far this week. I just did more mundane things like help clean the Church, help board up the roof, and make sure Hestia is eating healthy. That sort of thing.

The hidden room where Hestia lived now had great insulation and wouldn't leak whenever it rained. Which happened more often than you'd think. But that's hardly the important thing to consider right now.

Point being, Hestia viewing my Excelia would have given away my secret training and spy mission on Ais Wallenstein. Which is why I had held off for the past several days.

But I would have to get my Status updated at some point. And if - No, when - Hestia finds out I attempted to avoid her stand, she'd chew me out for the 'betrayal' guaranteed.

I mean, I was going to get a talking to either way. But if I tried to actively avoid Hestia… that would just hurt her. And that I could not allow.

So, I figured there was no avoiding it at this point. Might as well own up to things and hope that Hestia won't cause much of a scene in public. Honestly, I don't understand her beef with Loki, but maybe it's just the taboo of inter-Familia interactions.

So I, reluctantly, do nothing to divert our path.

The sun is still in the sky, but very close to setting. The sky is starting to turn red. North Main is alive with elves, dwarves, and demi-humans of all races heading home after work. We really stick out, being in armor and all… is what I'd like to think. Because they're actually all looking at Ais. I try to act like I totally belong, people subconsciously will believe nothing is wrong if you act like everything is normal. I'm not sure how well it's working.

Ais isn't paying them any attention; her eyes are scanning the buildings. She must have found what she was looking for because she suddenly turns into a side street.

It's not too wide, maybe one of those horse-drawn taxis could fit through, but that's about it. I take a few steps down the street, and there it is. A street stall selling potato puffs. I don't think I'd ever actually seen the stand before now.

I mentally prepare myself as we approach the stand.

"Welcome to our… stand?" The clerk greets us as Ais pulls back the cloth "door" to reveal the one, the only, Hestia-sama. There's a beat of silence as we all look at each other.

Hestia-sama's face is stuck somewhere between a polite smile and complete, utter shock. I swear I could see the reflection of Ais and I in Hestia's blue eyes.

…please, please let Hestia not think this is a date!

"…" I have no words to say aside from a sheepish chuckle as I scratch the back of my head. Sweet and Innocent Mode, activate!

"…" Hestia-sama is silent. I don't think my innocent expression is working.

"Two sweet-bean potato puffs, please," Ais happily orders potato puffs as if everything is right in the world.

Hestia-sama slowly starts to move on autopilot, like she's under great strain, putting two fresh puffs with frosting on them into a bag and saying, "That's 80 valis," as she holds out the bag.

Ais sets the money on the counter, says, "Thank you," and takes the food out of Hestia-sama's clenched hand like this is business as usual.

Hestia-sama, of course, cannot hold her composure at this bizarre encounter any longer. All the muscles in her face twitch as she runs out from behind the counter and in front of us.

The Universe has no intention of giving me mercy, I see. I knew the Universe was cold and uncaring, I didn't need this supporting evidence, thank you.

"—What the hell are you doing?! With her?!" Hestia yelled. As she screeched, she jumped onto me, wrapping her legs around my waist and grabbing my head with both hands as she twisted said hands with the intent to cause pain.

"Hestia-sama!" I complain at the manhandling.

Again, I never told Hestia-sama about the training. By and large, it's not considered good to have connections with someone in another Familia. It's like trying to work at two different retail stores in competition with each other; its not done and you just look like a traitor. That's the culture for the most part.

I know that Hestia-sama isn't on good terms with Ais' goddess, Loki-sama. I know this from talking with both goddesses respectively. Hestia-sama as myself, and Loki-sama under disguise at the Hostess. Coupled with the fact that the goddess really doesn't like Ais herself, either…

I knew that she wouldn't allow me to train with Ais if I told her, so I accepted the risk that something like this might happen, and kept it a secret. It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

"There's a different one with you every single time, dammit! And now, at last, finally, of all people… this woman too?! What's gotten into you, Bell?!"

"Th-there's a reason for this, s-so…!" I stammer an explanation. Not so much out of nervousness to explain the situation, but rather because of the… boobs in my face. There I said it.

"No excuses! Spill it, now! …Get away from her! Get, I say!" Hestia is having none of this in her emotional state, shrieking as she metaphorically dives between Ais and me. She had already done so literally when she had jumped on me.

Ais looks slightly troubled as she glances down at Hestia-sama, who was looking up at her like an enemy.

"Explain! Why are you with the Kenki?!" Hestia then demanded of me.

"Eh, um, you see, we just happened to bump into each other…?!" I try to bullshit her, as a joke. I already know I'm completely busted.

"…NO ONE CAN LIE TO A GOD!" Hestia didn't buy it. The both of us showing up in armor after having obviously been sparing? Well, most of that evidence was on me, but that was to be expected…

Point is, Hestia didn't need her Arcanum to know I was giving a piss poor excuse. Not that I thought it would work. I was just hoping to keep the atmosphere light.

"Um… I'm teaching him how to fight," Aiz, who had been silently watching this unfold, speaks for the first time. I bet it must have been really hard to watch. She tells the truth she knows right away, trying to protect me.

Hestia-sama's neck snaps around, eyes blazing as she looks back at Ais.

Still looking at Ais, she asks me, "Bell-kun, you haven't by any chance shown her…?"

"Of course I haven't. Why would there be any reason to?" I reply, somehow realizing she is asking about my Status.

I guess her concern over Liaris Freese getting spotted by a rival Familia beats out her skepticism at why I'd train with them in the first place.

"I see…" Hestia is slowly calming down. What, did she think I'd just show my status to Ais Wallenstein because I have this annoying crush on her? Rude.

…Okay, calling the crush annoying is a little harsh to myself. I just find all these teenage hormones to be really frustrating. I was fine going through all of this once, thank you. It doesn't help that I think Bell's hormone producing organs are much more… active than in my last life.

Then again, Hestia's question might come from a place of, 'you're already training with that Elf, why are you training with the Kenki?' Which is a more reasonable question to have. I resolved to hint my full intentions to Hestia later.

At this point, the stand owner ushers us away for causing a scene. And we quickly regrouped down a nearby alleyway.

"Listen," I say, trying to keep this whole conversation on track, "This was only going to be a one-week thing, alright? It was just until the Loki Familia's next expedition started. In a couple of days now. So please don't ask us to stop, Hestia-sama!" I finish with a rather deep bow. I, again, mentally resolved to tell Hestia the rest of my intentions in private.

Hestia sighed after a moment, "Fine, whatever. If you're that insistent…"

"Hestia-sama..!" I can't help but feel relieved.

"However, Wallenwhatsit!" Hestia points at Ais aggressively, "If you try anything with Bell-kun, the deal is off. Got it?"

"All right," Ais instantly agrees.

"You're not allowed to try and seduce him, got it?" Hestia adds an additional term.

"Yes?" Ais said in innocent confusion. If my life was actually an anime right now, I'd probably sweatdrop at that.

"You're not going to get your hands on my Bell-kun, okay? I got to him first, after all!" Hestia gives another ridiculous term.

Ais just looked at me and said, "You have a good goddess, don't you?"

"Yep," I confirm with a mixture of honest endearment and exasperation.

"Stop getting along!" Hestia grumbled loudly. Then huffed, "Well, then, I'll be observing the rest of your training session today."

"Eh?" She's what now?

"What's with that face, Bell-kun? It's my duty as your goddess and guardian to make sure my precious child is okay?" Hestia said matter-of-factly.

"Uh, what about your job…?" I reminded her.

"I'm taking the rest of the day off," she replies instantly. She then tells us to wait a moment before returning to the potato puffs stand. I watch her go, a little gobsmacked at the bizarre encounter I was a part of. Sometimes it would be nice to live a little less exciting life sometimes.

I look at Ais, asking her with my eyes if this is okay. She smiles at me and nods. That's something to appreciate about Ais, she's very good at going with the flow even when confused. Now to just not embarrass myself too much for the rest of the day…

Oh, Universe have mercy on me. You owe me!


I'm glad that I used my day off for the Hostess today, as we didn't get to a good stopping point with the training until it was night.

I don't know if it was because I didn't want Hestia-sama to see something embarrassing, but I didn't get knocked out the rest of the day. I got beaten to a pulp, certainly, but I managed to not look like a complete loser.

"Hey, Bell-kun, look at yourself. You're a total mess. You should stop now — Ais Wallensomething is just using you as her personal punching bag," Hestia ribbed me, also making an attempt for me to end my training sessions with Ais sooner rather than later. But I could tell that she was honestly concerned. I doubted that it was a pretty sight to watch. I could at least appreciate Hestia's honest concern for my well being.

"Hestia-sama…" I sigh as we enter the long stone corridor leading out of the city wall, Hestia's words taking potshots at my pride.

There are almost no windows here, it is the inside of the city wall after all, so it's extremely dark. She has a tight hold of my hand as we go down a stairwell. Meanwhile I'm on the verge of digging a hole and hiding in it. Walking me home hand in hand? It was a little embarrassing, okay?

At least Hestia-sama seems to be in a great mood right now, though; I can see the outline of a big smile on her face. So maybe it was worth it?

Is it that much fun to torment me? But then again, after what nearly happened today, I need to grin and bear this. It took a lot of capital to get Hestia-sama to agree to the training with Ais, best not waste those efforts. Hopefully she'll approve of my additional less savory intentions — that of information gathering.

"We've arrived…" Ais said, a few paces in front of us, holding a portable magic-stone lamp - she said it was a necessity for adventurers to have one - in her hand.

Where… where did she get it though? She didn't bring a bag with her, just her armor and weapon? I guess it is small enough to…

I better cease this line of thinking. It's leading somewhere dangerous.

Surrounded by the echoes of Ais' boots on the stone floor, we reach the bottom of the stair and out the exit door. A golden moon and hundreds of twinkling stars fill the dark night sky.

"Um, Hestia-sama? We made it outside, you don't have to hold my hand anymore…" I try to say with futility. Holding Hestia's hand in front of someone else - especially Ais Wallenstein - was a little too embarrassing for my tastes.

"What are you talking about, Bell-kun? This road isn't bright like Main Street; it's really dark back here. You need to make sure I don't fall and hurt myself," Hestia said cutely.

Hestia's true intentions likely had nothing to do with the reasons she gave. However, it is actually much darker on this street than it is on one of the larger Main Streets. That being said, the moon and stars provide plenty of light to see where we're going. The street gets wider as we make our way out of the backstreets.

Feeling a little self-conscious, I glance at Ais to see if she's giving me an odd look for holding Hestia's hand.

But Ais looks normal. She's wearing her normal emotionless expression. Kind of sad, now that I think about it…

…Actually, after a second inspection, I realized that her expression is slightly different from her normal one. Her face is as beautiful as always, but her eyes look sharp, like they're tracking something.

The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stick up and I shiver at the sensation. Someone's watching us, I can feel it with absolute certainty. No, not just someone, someones.

I resist the urge to start looking around everywhere for our tails. But I do focus on our surroundings as casually as I can.

On a second inspection, there are a few streetlights for this relatively small road, but all of them are damaged. It's one thing for a couple of lights nearby to be in need of maintenance in a bad part of town; it's another for the entire street's lights to be dead.

In case it wasn't obvious by now, this was deliberate hostile action. The intent was to lower visibility.

"!" Ais suddenly halts in place. With how on guard I already am, I halt almost immediately after her. Hestia, however, is surprised by the sudden stop and only my hand in hers stops her from falling onto her face.

Trusting more in Ais' sensory skills than my own, I glance her way to see if she's detected our observers.

Ais' golden eyes don't try to hide how alert to danger she is right now. Her line of sight is focused slightly to the side. Sure enough, a large shadow emerges from a small space between two buildings.

'A cat person…?' I think to myself, unsure at first. The figure felt somewhat familiar, and I wasn't sure why at that moment.

The figure blends in with the darkness using black armor, dark clothes, and a black visor over its face. The visor seems to be made of metal and is hiding the top half of the person's face. However, I can see cat ears sticking out of the top of his head. I'm pretty sure it's a man, though he stands about a head shorter than me - which is saying something.

I can tell at a glance that he's strong. It's hard to say how strong exactly, but it's the same feeling I get from people like Ryuu and Ais.

There are about two meters left between us when he suddenly plants his foot in the ground. A light impact echoes loudly off of the stone surface before he vanishes into thin air.

An instant later, a shadow appears just in front of my face. Extremely close quarters. It only took him an instant! Is he as fast as Hiraishin?!

My eyes and body shake in response. Light from the moon sharply reflecting off his metal visor, he silently brings a spear down from above.

Time stops as my life flashes before my eyes. I'm completely and utterly helpless, that's how fast this adventurer is moving compared to myself. My mind instinctively attempts to reach out for the nearest Hiraishin mark - located on one of the stones at Ais' and my meeting place - but I managed to stop myself at the last moment.

For a saber flashes in front of my nose from the side and intercepts the spear just a few inches above my head. Sparks fly all around me as the thin silver saber pushes the spear back with incredible speed.

Time comes back to me. A fresh wave of cold sweat covers my body, my mind suddenly snaps into action, and I take a fighting stance.

The attacker jumps back to get out of range of Ais' saber. But the blond girl silently takes another step toward him. Both of them charge an instant later, colliding in another explosion of sparks. The blows are so fast that I can't even perceive them.

It's… humbling… I try to ignore the growing, cold pit in my stomach.

"W-what–what—what's going on?!" Hestia's panicked screams barely audible over the sound of the battle. The backstreet has turned into a war zone. Hestia and I stand to the side and watch as black and golden blurs clash over and over - unable to interfere.

After a moment, that's when I finally see them.

Above Ais' battle with the cat person, four shadows lurk in the darkness. The shadows leap from the top of the houses, heading straight for the battle.

Sword, whip, spear, axe - I make out their armament. All weapons of which are obviously drawn, glistening dangerously in the moonlight.

"Above!" I call out to Ais.

Ais' momentum changes at the same time I call out to her. It's hard to tell if Ais trusted me so much to immediately react to my words or if she simply already noticed them. Likely the latter.

Throwing the cat person away with a long slash, Ais sends herself airborne, knocking all the new assailants to the ground with one massive spinning swipe. It's a technique I am long familiar with at this point.

Still, my eyes fall open in awe as the metallic echoes of their armor hitting pavement reverberate around me.

"Damn… monster," Standing at a safe distance from Ais, the first attacker spits the words out like poison.

"…" Ais' saber lightly whistles as she silently makes a few practice swings, letting her sword do the talking. Or maybe she was just getting herself ready to take things into an even higher gear. It's hard to say - though her movements give the four on the ground the chance to get up uncontested.

The five attackers then start to spread out around her, holding their weapons at the ready.

My eyes have completely adjusted to the poor lighting. I note that they look like Prums. All of them are wearing the same type of armor and visor as the cat person. As if it wasn't already clear they were working together. I guess it does rule out being some kind of weird coincidence.

Their trap set, all five of them mercilessly spring at Ais from all sides.

"B-Bell-kun, let's get out of here. This isn't our stage…" Hestia stutters, all but begging for us to flee.

She couldn't be any more wrong. For after just a moment of all five attacking, I realize something. There are still more enemies watching us from behind.

This felt like some kind of elaborate scheme in order to have me fight outside of the Dungeon while not getting anyone in trouble due to our remoteness within the city.

Whoever made this potential scheme, they seemed to have underestimated Ais Wallenstein. Because in the middle of metallic echoes and sparking chaos a blond-haired girl is deflecting the attacks without missing a beat.

She has no room to dodge, but the subtle movements of her sword are inspiring. One sword dances around her, blocking all attacks and finding openings to counterattack. Her strikes find flesh more often than not.

This is the Kenki, the Sword Princess.

Even without being able to see everything in real time, her afterimages show me just how truly powerful she is. Our levels are too far apart.

I take a sharp breath – trying to hold back the cold feeling in my stomach. In any case, I've been just standing here for far too long. I can already hear movement behind me.

I flip my head around just in time to see four more shadows jump from the rooftops and run to surround us. Two men, two women. All of them are wearing the same armor and visors as the others.

"Hestia! Stay behind me!" I yelled, no time for honorifics as I drew the Hestia Knife and launched myself at the incoming hostiles. I engage my first target before hearing an answer.

One of the female attackers is holding a dagger, and she closes the distance faster than the others. Her visor is hiding her eyes, but I can still sense their killing intent. She attacks with a downwards swing, but–!

—I can see it!

She's open on the opposite side of the blade! I quickly step into her space.

"Wh—"

"HA!" I project loudly, the first blow is mine. I hit her stomach with a palm strike, the force of the blow sends her flying backward. I don't watch her land as I spin out of the next attack.

A longsword cut into where I was a second ago. Finishing my spinning motion, I lash out with my foot and kick at the adventurer's hands. The force of my kick forces the adventurer to drop her weapon. I pivot with the same foot, performing a backwards-spinning roundhouse kick right into her chestplate – the force sending my opponent out of the fight.

Slow! I observe, realizing that these adventurers' speed and strength are below mine. Considering the fluidity of their moves, they must be on the higher end of Level 1.

This isn't a battle of power, but rather who can best use their strength. And so far, I've been able to exploit weaknesses in their attacks.

I look up to see a heavily armored adventurer lumbering up to us and brace for combat.

"HYAA!"

Belting out a fierce battle cry, the adventurer swings a thick cleaver down over my head. I bring the Hestia Knife up to defend – I didn't have the chance or opportunity to dodge.

Carving a purple arc in the darkness, my dagger slams into the bulk of the cleaver from the side of the blade, at full force. Taking on the full force of his cleaver wouldn't have been ideal, so I manage the timing to hit the side of the blade, causing it to harmlessly hit the ground beside me.

"Whaa?!" He sounds surprised. I guess he wasn't expecting me to be able to deflect his attack with a 'measly dagger'. I use the momentum from the deflection to spin and jump with my right leg and launch a kick that lands square in his face. Ah, that was satisfying!

"GaaHRK!" The mountain of metal stumbles backward, dropping the cleaver before falling with a loud crash.

"Bell! The others!" Hestia's voice shrieks over the metallic echoes.

They've spread out into a triangle, Hestia and me in the center, all charging at us at once!

I almost forget to breathe as I make a split-second decision and reach out to grab the cleaver from the street.

"Hestia! Down!"

Her head slides just under the heavy blade as I spin and swing with all my might at the oncoming attackers - wielding the cleaver like a baseball bat.

"GaHAA?!"

My first swing with a long, heavy weapon hits all three adventurers in unison, the flat of the blade sending them all to the ground with massive damage.

The hilt is uncomfortably large in my hands; any dreams of wielding a sword like Kubikiribōchō from Naruto are dashed, it simply doesn't suit my body's small stature. Still, my attack was effective.

"Oooohhh! Bell-kun, that was so cool! I love you again!" She praised me, forgetting what situation we were in.

"Please focus, Hestia-sama!" I reminded her sharply.

In the midst of everything that was happening, I lost my composure for a moment when Hestia jumped onto my chest and wrapped her arms around me. Just because my opponents are out for the count, doesn't mean this is over!

There is still another battle going on. Countless sparks fly in all directions as Ais continues her deadly dance of sword and metal. Something has to break the stalemate!

An idea comes to my mind… I know it won't work. But that won't stop me from trying! I drop the cleaver, raise my right arm, and take aim.

Bracing Hestia against my body with my left arm, I watch my targets between my fingers while focusing on my palm.

"Ais!" I call for her attention.

I see her glance back at me after calling out to her. A swift nod later, she jumps clear of the attackers.

"Firebolt!"

Six blasts in succession. The current limit of my Firebolt spell, Rapid-Fire-Style.

In less time than it takes to blink, six separate streams of flaming plasma sear the night air on their way toward the men in dark armor. For a moment, the entire backstreet flashes scarlet.

They hit the targets head-on with a thunderclap, a new wave of sparks erupting on the spot. But there they are, the cat person and all four Prums, standing in a sea of scarlet flames, completely unfazed, before walking out of the fire.

"Magic with no spell…" One of them mutters.

"This is worthy news. There is no doubt she will be pleased,"Another concluded.

she will be pleased. Those words echo in my mind. That all but confirms it for me, this is another one of Freya's tests!

Wait, was that Allen? Anya's dickhead brother?

I was kinda shocked. I wasn't expecting something from Freya so quickly. This wasn't in the show?*

But worse still… I knew it wouldn't work, but to be completely useless against them… I feel so small, like I could break at any moment.

Taking quick, short breaths, I slowly lower my arm. I have never seen the difference between me and top-class adventurers so clearly. There's no comparison… I'm too weak to breach the divide… The flames didn't even phase them…

"Too flashy. This fire will draw too many eyes," one of their number warns.

"I realize that… That's enough, withdraw!" Allen looked skyward for a moment before issuing that order. All of the rest move at once.

The Prums retrieve the adventurers I took down before disappearing once again into the shadows. All that is left are a few weakening patches of fire in the street left over from my spell.

"Bell-kun…" Hestia said shyly, getting my attention

"Ah! Excuse me, Hestia-sama…" I said sheepishly before letting go of Hestia-sama — she was still pressed against my body by my left arm — and giving her a quick apology.

Rather than stepping away, she stays close to me and reaches up to my cheek and asks, "Are you hurt?"

Her eyes are full of anxiety as she asks me if I'm okay. But I haven't the heart to lie. I may not have been physically hurt at all, but I took a different sort of damage after this encounter that isn't so easily healed. Even with magic like Ryuu-san.

She can probably tell. That makes me even more depressed. More than likely she can see that, too. With the warmth of her soft fingers on the side of my face, I somehow manage to force a smile, but say nothing.

Just because I can lie to a god, doesn't mean I want to lie to her. It was best to not say anything at all. That's the lie I told myself.

"No injuries?" Ais asked as she walked over to us.

"Ah, yes, I'm uninjured. What about you, Ais-san…?" I replied, purposefully not using the common phrase of 'I'm fine'.

"I, too, am in good health," Ais replies, not a scratch on her. Even her face is back to its normal emotionless state.

She just now saved me – who knows what those Freya Familia members would have done to me should we have been on the wrong side of that encounter… Damnit, Ais is always rescuing me. I bite my lip and force my brain back to normal to ask a question.

"So who were they? Attacking us out of the blue like that…" I wondered if Ais recognized them, it would be helpful to have confirmation that they actually were from the Freya Familia.

All of their faces were hidden, and I couldn't tell if there was a Familia insignia on any of their armor. Not only did they attack when we were alone, they destroyed the magic-stone lamps as well. Given all that, this was clearly a planned attack with a specific target. I was pretty confident from their words that they were Freya's. But they could be some black-ops unit or mercenaries working for Ishtar for all I knew.

"Ambushes happen, all the time," Ais said nonchalantly. Like she was commenting on the weather.

"They do?!" I asked incredulously, surely not in the city streets!?

"Yes, however it's rare that they happen outside the Dungeon…" Ais clarifies. That sounds more like it. I don't think the Guild would appreciate behavior reminiscent of the Dark Period, after all.

"There's something I can't understand. If they were after Wallensomething, that's one thing. But they were after us — no, after you, Bell-kun," Hestia realized sharply.

"Well…" I say slowly, a little surprised that Hestia made the same deduction as me.

"On top of that, your attackers were about your level, like they were chosen specifically for you," Hestia continues perceptively. She then asks, "Do you know of anyone who would attack you like this, Miss Wallensomething?"

"…Quite the opposite. There are too many," Ais replies after a moment of thought.

"Yeesh, Loki's got one dangerous operation going on over there," Hestia commented.

"I apologize…" Ais said sincerely.

"Uh…W-well, that doesn't matter. Let's get out of here right now. Someone was bound to hear that explosion and see smoke," Hestia says, probably surprised at Ais' honesty in her apology.

It's safe to say that Freya was behind this, I thought to myself, and that only I realized that fact. Not that I planned on shouting from the rooftops that she did it. It wouldn't do much good except to stress Hestia out if she knew. Another secret…

The conversation ends with us deciding to leave this street behind. With everything that's happened, not only will townspeople come to investigate, but some people from the Guild might descend on this spot at any moment.

We need to put some space between us and avoid getting caught up in a bad situation. That's the plan for now.

As Hestia takes off at a brisk pace through the thin backstreets, I follow behind her.

That's when I feel it again. My whole body twitches. It feels like a hawk snatches my heart out of my chest. In my mind, I can feel a strange gaze, and a seductive smile.

Freya

…would it kill you to stop sending shit to fight me for five minutes?

The roars of a Minotaur echoed in my ears.

…What was I going to do about that? I didn't even know what day or when or where…

I continued to run behind Hestia, eyes shadowed under my bangs, as I wondered if I had gotten myself in over my head all this time…


"Level 6…" I mutter to myself in a daze, doing dishes at the Hostess on autopilot. It's only been a day after the attack in the alley. When I went to the Guild like usual, I saw the official notice that Ais Wallenstein really had ascended to Level 6. The gap between us was that much further now. It didn't help that the growth of my stats seemed to be grinding to a halt. Was Liaris Freese malfunctioning? Or was the Excelia gain not enough to push me any further? Was my will that lacking?

When Hestia attempted to update my Falna not a single point had gone up, for fuck's sake! After multiple days of training with Ais Wallenstein! What was wrong with me…

"What are you muttering to yourself, Cranel-san?" Ryuu suddenly said from next to me.

I jumped a little at her presence, "Ah, um, n-nothing, Ryuu…san…"

Ryuu had been very vocal about not using suffixes of 'sama' or 'sensei'. She'd also been staring at me a lot the last few weeks, but hadn't otherwise acted any different. Until now. She's not one to start a conversation usually.

"Liar," Ryuu accused me, helping dry the dishes next to me. It seemed she was finally confronting me after all those weird looks? It didn't seem like her to do so…

"How exactly am I giving myself away this time?" I ask jokingly with a hollow laugh.

"Your eyes," Ryuu reveals, silencing me instantly, "Others may miss it, but I can see it. The fear, the anxiety, the desperation."

I felt like I was stabbed. I was hardly expecting Ryuu to come out of nowhere and start laying out the feelings held deep in my heart without any remorse. But maybe I should have, if anyone could understand these feelings, it would be Ryuu.

A few moments pass in silence, I think Ryuu is giving me an opportunity to gather my thoughts or to let the conversation end in a whisper. I almost hesitate to say anything, but Ryuu is the one who has seen me at my most pathetic, so her view of me can't get much worse so…

"...I'm having a hard time coming to terms with my own arrogance," I reveal to Ryuu, who listens silently. "I've talked a big game multiple times of wanting to be some kind of hero, but I'm just a small tadpole in an ocean of much stronger fish. I've been lucky so far, to have someone save me when I run into odds I can't overcome. But my luck will run out eventually. And I wonder and fear that when the time comes, I'll end up being nothing more than a weak, coward…"

There was a moment of silence as Ryuu digested my words. She then says, "...It seems I was mistaken."

"Huh?" I ask, confused by her statement.

"I thought I was talking to Bell Cranel," Ryuu says sternly, almost hatefully, "the boy who without a Falna challenged adventurers far beyond himself without hesitation. Not the cowardly existence I see before me."

My mouth opens in shock as her words reverberate throughout my skull. I think I hear a dish splatting into water.

And that anger she had. Part of it was directed at me, but my intuition told me that Ryuu was blaming herself for some reason. (1)

"I don't know who you are," Ryuu continued, "The Bell Cranel I know faces insurmountable odds without hesitation. His resolve to grow stronger is unmatched. When other adventurers would give up or complain, he instead asks for even more intense training. He inspires others with his kindness, instead of wallowing in self-pity. That is the Bell Cranel I've come to respect–!"

"!" I'm stunned. Absolutely and utterly. I could hardly believe her words. I… I had no idea that Ryuu thought that way about me! I… I've barely done anything?! How…

"You…" I say breathlessly, "believe in me?"

Ryuu raised an eyebrow incredulously, "Was that not apparent? Did you think I only trained you out of some sense of pity? No. For while it was foolish, I found your interference that night we met to be very heroic. You had no reasonable hope of victory, but you stepped forward to defend your ideals anyway, without hesitation. That is the person you are at your core, Bell Cranel. It would do you well to not forget yourself, it is unseemly."

My whole body felt warm as Ryuu's words praised my pathetic self. Ryuu… believed in me? All this time? Truly? In me?

I could feel my eyes begin to water, emotions swirling in my chest like a hurricane. Though watery, I could still make out Ryuu's resolute and firm expression. Her sky blue eyes were sharp like sapphires. She gave off an aura of confidence and determination.

My heart was beating a mile a minute and the longer I looked at Ryuu the hotter my face felt. I–! I think I've f—

"Well?" Ryuu then asked me, "Have you remembered who you are?"

I looked at Ryuu with red-faced awe. All of her words… were the words I needed to hear from perhaps the best person to deliver them. Even if Ryuu hadn't meant it that way, I felt incredibly loved at that moment.

I'd rather die than let anything happen to her… I thought to myself then. This feeling of happiness… I wanted to protect the person that birthed these feelings in me. I wanted her to feel happiness like I was feeling. I wanted her to keep on believing in me!

"...Yes!" I declared resolutely, with a blinding smile, "Thank you, Ryuu! I– thank you!"

Phew! I almost blurted out 'I love you' at the end there! It would have been true, but I'm not worthy enough to say those words to Ryuu yet. Nor do I think she'd be ready to hear them. But, all the same, the cold ball I've felt in my stomach the past weeks was gone, replaced with a warmth in my chest that refused to go away.

Ryuu nodded to herself in satisfaction, "Good. Then, when we resume our training, I'll be sure to increase the difficulty. I think I will start with throwing knives at half of my strength."

I pale, "Half… strength…? Knives…?"

"You expressed interest to me about learning throwing techniques," Ryuu explained, "I am not an expert, however, so while I learn the art it can double as dodging practice for you. The middle floors have many monsters with ranged attacks so it will be good practice for you."

I felt weak in the knees for a completely different reason than I would have a few moments ago, "I-I s-see…"

Despite knowing how much my future self was going to be in pain, it still didn't dispel the giddy feeling in my chest.

…I'm not a Masochist! Any man would get excited at spending time with the people he loves! Not that anything untoward would happen! MY INTENTIONS ARE PURE!

I completely ignored the pleasant burning sensation on my back as I got back to doing the dishes, suddenly finding myself to look at Ryuu with a straight face.


"...You've been blushing whenever you so much as look in the general direction of a certain elf. Would you like to comment on that?" Syr asked me, mischievousness blatant in her tone.

"Syr…!" I moaned in mock-frustration, face blushing a little as I was unable to protest her true words.

It was currently the same evening, I was chatting with (getting teased by) Syr outside the Hostess – dressed in normal male street clothes – on my way to go see Hestia for the evening.

However, it was at that moment when suddenly Lefiya Viridis ran up to me. She pointed at me and declared, "I'm not going to lose to you!"

I couldn't even get a word in before she ran off as quickly as she appeared, off in the direction of Babel Tower.

I blinked and looked over to Syr, "...Did I just get a rival?"

Syr pouted, "Bell-kun, you pervert. How many women do you plan on seducing until you are satisfied?"

I blushed in indignation, "I've hardly spoken more than a few sentences to her, much less seduced her!?"

Syr sighed dramatically, "Then again, it doesn't take much to fall in love with someone as amazing as Bell-kun. I bet it was love at first sight~"

I growled playfully, "S-stop teasing meeee!"

Syr just laughed and laughed at me – uncontrollably.

I looked at her, my expression softening as I watched the disguised goddess laugh.

It was the most beautiful thing I've heard in awhile. This Freya was someone I liked very much. Someone I loved being friends with.

I liked her much more than the Freya that sent hitmen after me.

Seriously, Freya, please no more. I know it's too late for the Minotaur in all likelihood, but let's stop there, okay?

Okay?!


Other POV

Freya watched as Bell left, off to make sure Hestia had gotten to her home safely and had eaten and such other niceties.

A part of her was jealous at the attention he gave the other Goddess. But part of her couldn't help but appreciate seeing how he made a point to spend as much time with his Goddess as possible.

But that wasn't why she watched Bell go with the look of a maiden in love on her face.

For not only was his soul shining brightly, but even the physical container for his soul was glowing brightly.

She had first noticed it out of the corner of her eye, so subtle she had almost missed it. But now the aura around his body was obvious to her Divine Eyes. And upon seeing it, Freya knew that Bell had once again found the will to live up to her expectations of him.

'Now…' Freya thought to herself then, 'To strike while the 'iron is hot' as Hephaestus might say…'

She was, of course, unaware of the irony of her thoughts in contrast to Bell's.


Hestia panted as she laid down on top of the covers of her bed, exhausted. Another long day of working at Hephaestus' shop followed by work at the Jagamaru-kun Stall. She was so out of it, she hadn't even heard Bell enter.

"Hestia-sama?" Bell said, getting her head to leave the cloud of exhaustion overrunning her mind.

In his hands was a platter with an assortment of food that would have made the Hestia of 2 months ago cry in joy over.

Hestia felt her eyes water anyway, for the sight of her only child with food made just for her sake filled her with so much love and joy. She knew how busy his day to day schedule was, and how coming to see her in the mornings and evenings made him go out of his way. But he did it anyway. Because he loved her like she loved him.

Yes, Hestia truly loved Bell. So much, Hestia almost thought he was glowing.

*Growl*

…but that was probably just the exhaustion and hunger induced delirium talking.

"Zanks aghaihn, Bellsch-kun!" Hestia thanked her child, words muffled as she shoveled food down her gullet.

Bell laughed before patting her head, she could almost purr from the sensation, and he said, "Don't mention it! And just you wait! I'll try to start heading down into deeper Floors soon so you won't have to work as hard."

Hestia almost choked, but managed to safely swallow what she was eating before saying, "Bell-kun! I've said it so many times I've lost track! The loan is under my name, I'm paying Hephaestus back, not you! I don't want this debt weighing you down for twenty years!"

"And like I've said," Bell retorted to her in exasperation, "If you think that just because my name isn't on the loan that I'm not involved then you must be an idiot."

"How mean! Who calls their own Goddess an idiot?!" Hestia protested, but internally she was happy to see him in such a good mood – as he clearly hadn't been in a good place lately.

She hadn't been blind to his deteriorating mental state. Far from it. She… she had just wanted Bell to come to her first. She didn't think he would appreciate her butting in without his permission.

And… she wanted him to trust her. Because she had a good feeling that he did know why that Singularity Skill of his was blocking her from seeing all of his Excelia. She wanted him to know that she would always be there for him, but that she'd never force him. She didn't want things to be unequal; for her to just be a Goddess lording over a mortal. She wanted him to stand beside her, and for her to stand beside him. As Equals.

"I do," Bell said instantly, "Because you've got to be an idiot to not understand why I want to help you."

"But–" Hestia made to protest, but Bell cut her off.

"I care about you, Hestia-sama," he told her, "Others may make fun of you for only having me in your Familia. But I can see how you put in so much effort everyday to make sure this Familia works. A wise person once said, 'When one endures, it gives hope to others - and themselves'."

"Hope?" Hestia uttered.

Bell continued, "Yes, hope for the future, for tomorrow, for happiness. You give 120% everyday trying to build a happy future for us together. And as the one bearing your Falna, I have my own responsibility to do my part and match your effort. That's part of what it means when I say that 'With Great Power Comes–'"

"Great Responsibility, huh…" Hestia cut in, finishing Bell's words.

Bell chuckled ruefully, "Yeah."

Hestia sighed with exasperation, "I'll admit you're persistent. I'll give you that much…"

Bell clicked his teeth, "You're so stubborn."

Hestia stared at him trying to hide her incredulousness, '…Like I want to hear that from you!? You're the one who didn't talk to me about your problems for the last few weeks!?'

…Ah, who was Hestia kidding? She had forgiven Bell almost instantly, and her heart fluttered as he acknowledged how hard she was working trying to match his efforts to make this Familia work.

"Just you wait," Bell said insistently, "One of these days, something weird will happen that conveniently allows us to pay off most if not all of the debt in one go."

"That's some scary delusion you've got there, Bell-kun," Hestia commented, partially concerned for his sanity.

"I call it the 'Bell Cranel Effect'" Bell said insistently, with a lecturing tone like he was giving a seminar.

"What is the Bell Cranel Effect?" Hestia said with a chuckle, humoring her child.

"It's simple," Bell said, "Weird, stupid, and/or unprobable things are common instead of rare."

Hestia opened her mouth to protest, but after a quick mental review of the past few weeks, she closed her mouth – conceding that maybe he had a point.

Bell nodded sagely, "You see? Just you wait. I'll resolve your debt by the end of the year. Guaranteed."

"Couldn't the opposite also happen?" Hestia wondered.

Bell looked at her for a moment, then said, "...So how was the food?"

"Scary!" Hestia yelped, "Your reluctance to answer doesn't bode well!"

Yes, Hestia had become a believer of the 'Bell Cranel Effect' very quickly. Even Ryuu, who had witnessed the Bell Cranel Effect via the Silverback incident, wasn't as much of a believer as Hestia was. Then again, Hestia had the added benefit of watching Bell through his Excelia, so it was hardly far.

But Bell just laughed and laughed at her reaction to him.

And she smiled, just glad to have the real Bell Cranel back.


Main POV

Steel against scabbard clashed once more. It was a rare moment where I managed to decisively block one of Ais' attacks.

It was two mornings after Ryuu got me out of my funk. And the last day of my training with Ais.

My hidden mission of learning about Ais' fighting style was somewhat of a success. It was hard to learn every detail, since Ais seemed to have trouble controlling her power like Ryuu so easily could. Meaning Ais was at most toning herself down to Level 5 speeds. Something I could only occasionally follow — which was likely only because of Focus — but following didn't mean the same as being able to react.

All I could tell was that Ais was extremely skilled with the sword and was a fan of kicking. On the other hand, she never ever used her hands to attack outside of wielding her weapon — no punches.

It wasn't all that much information to be honest. But maybe that's what I get for having those less than honorable intentions.

As if the universe agreed with that sentiment, I got launched off the ground by a kick to the face.

Despite the stars in my eyes, I managed to roll with the spin my body made in order to roll backwards onto my feet. Even with black spots clouding my vision ahead, I lunged forward and stabbed—!

To be blocked by the familiar thud of Ais' scabbard. But even this was enough for me to grin with excitement, because—

"It's the first time you've been to counterattack," Ais noted, a hint of congratulations on her tone.

I blinked rapidly, willing my vision to return to normal, and continued to grin unabashedly, "It sure was!"

My vision normalized just in time too. Because I got to witness the rare sight of Ais with a facial expression. And not just any facial expression, but an honest to god smile at that. At least, as much of a smile someone as stoic as Ais could make.

"I'm glad," Ais then said to me.

I found her words odd. "What do you mean?" I asked her.

"You had not made any progress at all for so many days," Ais noted clinically but with a hint of confusion, "But it seems whatever had been haunting you has gone. Your improvement in just two days is amazing."

Ah, how embarrassing. Ais easily noticed how my growth had halted due to Liaris Freese deactivating from my bad mental state.

Ais then said, "I had been afraid that I was a poor teacher. Or that I had done something wrong. It's…"

Ais trailed off, looking to the side as she seemingly lost her train of thought.

What an airhead, haha.

I decided to be a bit truthful with her. So I said, "You did have a little to do with what was going on with me. But it was entirely my own fault for having my head in the wrong mindset. I'm sorry for causing you any distress."

Ais shook her head, "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Then…" I said before taking a quick bow, "Thank you very much for the last week!"

I then leaned back up and offered her my hand, "I'm glad I got to see a bit of Ais Wallenstein, not just the Kenki. I hope the next time we meet, we can do so as friends."

"Friends…" Ais said, as if testing the words in her mouth. She then smiled again and took my hand in hers, "Hmm. Sure. And thank you. It was fun."

"Though…" I said, "could you answer something for me?"

Ais tilted her head letting go of my hand, "Yes?"

"What's your deal with the lap pillows?" I asked her, completely serious.

"Deal?" Ais tilted her head the other way.

"Sorry for not being clear," I said, forgetting how unsocial Ais was, "I mean why did you give me so many? Girls typically tend to be more… reserved with them in my experience."

Experience was a bold term for me to be using. But if the sock fits.

"…Because you would recover faster if I gave you one?" Ais responded. She tried to sound confused, but considering how she refused to look me in the eye, I could tell she was lying.

I gave her a completely unbelieving look so obvious that even she could read it.

She then admitted, "I'm sorry… it's actually because I wanted to give you one."

Hnng!

I clutched my chest in mock pain from the heart attack Ais' cuteness had just unleashed. Ais looked like a classic Kuudere right there!

Deep breaths me. I hadn't watched all the Danmemo game events. But I knew enough from the Date A Live crossovers that Ais is a secret Yandere. I best watch myself, haha.

Remember, me, Ais is an airhead.

I let her know as much too, even as I blushed at her cuteness, "Ais is an airhead."

She pouted, "Did you… not like it?"

Shit! A direct question right back! Just because I was capable of lying didn't mean I ever wanted to!

"EH?! I-I… It's not like I didn't like it. But, uh, not in a weird way or anything…" I stammered out a reply, embarrassed with my own honesty.

Ais tilted her head, "So you want me to give you one?"

"H-how should I put it…" I stammered, but also with a bit of exasperation at having to explain myself, "I like getting them, but at the same time, it's pitiful and embarrassing. But when I'm unconscious, I have no choice but to accept them…"

Ais had a glint in her eye, "So you're fine with it as long as you're unconscious."

"Scary!" I yelled out, pointing at her face, "I can tell! You are having some very scary thoughts right now!"

"You're just imagining it," Ais insisted, but I saw through her lie as easily as the time she tried 'teaching me' about naps.

"Lies!" I called her out.

To which she replied by grasping her scabbard one last time.

Oh universe have mercy!

Bang!


The next day, I looked at my Status incredulously. "Oi, oi…"

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength: SS: 1063 - SSS: 1249

Vitality: SSS: 1271 - IVS: 1590

Dexterity: SS: 999 - SSS: 1217

Agility: SSS: 1211 - IVS: 1425

Magic: S: 901 - SS: 1100

Magic:

(Firebolt)

Swift-Strike Magic

(Hiraishin)

Enchantment Magic

Skills:

Liaris Freese - Rapid Growth. Fast growth as long as feelings last. The strength of the effects corresponds with the level of the user's feelings.

Singularity - The user is immune to all mental and spiritual attacks.

Focus - The user's Dexterity is increased when fighting and concentrating on a single target. Use can cause tunnel vision.

Development Abilities:

()

This is a little messed up? Waiting a few days for an update should not have equated to such a high jump!?

After my stats increase started slowing down to a complete stop, they suddenly pick up again? After just a few days of doing the same things as before?

I know that increasing Excelia at Level 1 is easier than when you are a higher level, but the point growth is supposed to be exponentially more difficult you know? It's easier to go from 0 to 100 than 100 to 200.

Scary. Liaris Freese is scary. It's concerning, as I doubt that canon Bell ever got as many points as I did. Though, now that I think about it, I've all but confirmed that Bell's Soul and My own are inhabiting this body. So, there lies the possibility that both of our souls' feelings count towards the Skill. Is this the culmination… what it means by corresponding effects to one's feelings?

The warmth in my chest I've had since Ryuu's talk with me, tells me it's a 'yes'. Hestia seemed a bit bummed though. I guess she was disappointed at not being the one to be able to get me out of my funk. It warmed my heart to know she cared though, which was enough for me.

Now that I think about it, I probably could have confided in Hestia at any time to get myself out of my funk. I guess that's just how anxiety and pseudo-depression work – you find it hard to talk to your support system. And without the support system or good habits you just spiral and spiral downwards.

On a lighter note, I just feel bad for the past me who got pummeled by Ryuu so much that my Vitality got so damn high.

Still these stats are bonkers. Not enough to easily defeat a Level 2 monster or adventurer, but certainly enough to stand a decent chance. At least against monsters. I reckon that my stats are technically higher than the average new to middling Level 2 — not counting those from elite Familias like Loki, Freya, or Hermes. But that's just me guessing.

I reckon that if I continue to accumulate stats like this in future levels that I'll be able to handle fighting 99% of adventurers in the city by late Level 3 — not including elites who are Level 5+. Which is why I'd like to keep my head down until I get ridiculous stats as a Level 2.

Well not completely down, I'd like to get a positive reputation if possible. I just wanted to have a certain degree of caution.

I really don't won't to end up in Ishtar's sex dungeon. Have you seen Phyrne?! Apollo probably has a sex dungeon if his own too. I'll have to remember to watch out for his bullshit.

"Bell-sama!" Lili said, getting my attention, "Are you ready to head in?"

"Yeah," I said, softly saying 'Firebolt' to burn my Status page to ash, "Let's get going."

I was waiting for Lili at our usual meeting spot outside of Babel. We talked on the way inside, deciding our goal was to head down to the 11th Floor.

My stomach also chose that moment to growl.

I patted my stomach in confusion.

I had a hearty meal of five pancakes with a decent platter of sausage and hashbrowns for breakfast not too long ago. Even with an adventurer's diet, I should have been plenty full. But somehow I was hungry already.

It was a weird phenomena I'd noticed the last few days. I'd been getting unusually hungry. For the time being, I had assumed that it was related to my Falna and my rapid growth finally catching up with my physical body. In other words, my body was demanding nutrients to keep up with my Stats.

It was as good a theory as any. I haven't mentioned it to Hestia or anyone yet – since it had only been a few days. Maybe I should go see Naaza about it. She should have something of a medical background, so she would know if this was normal or not.

Still outside of Babel, I put my odd hunger aside as I notice Finn from the Loki Familia. He looked busy, ordering a few adventurers around as more and more of them started to gather around him. Looks like the Loki Familia Expedition being rumored about was finally going to start based on the supplies and banners that were starting to gather around him. I guessed they'd try and set out properly in about an hour. Maybe less.

I was able to set out for an earlier day than usual since Mama Mia gave me the morning off. Something about Syr ditching part of her shift yesterday and getting punished for it. Which was kinda worrying, what was Syr up to? I didn't think too deeply about it, however. I was probably thinking too much into it.

Or?

"Bell-sama," Lili got my attention, distracting me from my train of thought, as we started the descent into the Dungeon.

"What is it, Lili?" I asked, figuring this was going to be some casual small talk.

"Lili could not help but notice that Bell-sama looks different today," Lili said to my confusion.

"Different?" I said questioningly, looking around at myself, it wasn't like I changed my outfit at all or anything.

"It is hard to describe," Lili told me, "Bell-sama just seems to be really happy. Lili thinks it is really good to see."

"What do you mean?" I ask, a growing blush on my face. For Lili to mention something, it must mean something, right? I'm not so transparent that my talk with R-Ryuu has made me so visibly happier?

"It's like Bell-sama is glowing," Lili elaborates cautiously, like she isn't sure of it herself, "but only when Lili sees Bell-sama out of the corner of Lili's eyes."

"Really?" I said with a mixture of interest and concern, "It's not like I have a Skill or magic to do anything like that. But I am in really good spirits. I feel stronger than ever."

I really did. Something about having people believe in me… it weighs you down, but also lifts you up.

"It shows…" Lili said, almost in awe, "It's kind of inspiring, to be honest. Anyway, Lili just wanted to mention it - Lili would not be surprised if Hestia-sama and others noticed as well."

I couldn't be sure why, but this felt like it should be an important observation.

In any case, we continued on our way through the Dungeon as normal. With me either snacking on spare rations or flipping a coin in between monster encounters as we made our descent.

But as we started going through the 9th Floor, I started to have a bad premonition. So much so that when we entered the next wide room with a thick, grassy floor and yellow walls, I stopped.

Lili asked, "What is it, Bell-sama?"

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on their ends.

I cautiously inspected our surroundings, "I think we're being watched," I warned Lili quietly.

Lili's guard starts to go up. I think she's also noticed something is wrong.

"Isn't this a little strange…?" I ask her, having noticed something about this Floor.

"A little strange?" Lili asks slowly.

"There aren't enough monsters," I observed. We hadn't run into any monsters or adventurers on this Floor. Well there was that one beast-person adventurer a few rooms back — that guy was huge. But otherwise the Floor had been devoid of creatures, man and monster.

Now that I think about it, that big guy seemed familiar…

I could feel myself pale a little as a thought came to mind. Surely that wasn't…

Even Lili looks back over her shoulder and whispers, "Now that you mention it…"

The Dungeon has been eerily quiet. We've been here a while, too, the stairwell that leads to the 10th Floor is just a couple rooms away, but we haven't encountered a single monster yet on this Floor. Which is so far beyond the definition of 'weird' that it isn't even funny.

Well, there actually was a group of goblins running around nearby, but they didn't attack us. It looked more like they were running away from something, actually.

Something about this scene was familiar…

My brow furrowed as a thought came to mind, 'This reminds me of the Minotaur… the Dungeon was just like this that day too…'

All the puzzle pieces around me clicked into place. It had finally hit me. I knew what–!

A low roar could be heard nearby at that moment. Like the Dungeon was glad to confirm my suspicions.

Freya! You're like a friend to me! But you're seriously a bitch sometimes!

"W-what is that?" Lili asked, noticing the imposing figure entering the room.

I can't help but freeze up at the silhouette of the massive Minotaur entering the chamber. I can hear the sound of liquid hitting stone. My eyes don't leave the entering figure, but I'm not seeing him. My mind is flashing back to those moments before I almost died.

"W-why is there a Minotaur on the 9th Floor…?" Lili asks in shocked disbelief, her voice full of fear. Her words bring my brain back into focus.

Freya. I wasn't sure whether to be upset with her or glad at the opportunity to overcome my trauma so soon after Ryuu lifted my spirits.

I wasn't so blind to my own trauma. Singularity helped calm me down, but it never took care of the root issue. Otherwise I'd just be a robot constantly as it suppresses trauma. I had noticed my own fear of the Minotaur — I had almost died to it after all. I, in my weak spirits, just hoped to ignore it and hope it went away. Obviously, that wasn't going to work.

Thankfully, however, I was done running.

Yes, that's right! I have to live up to Ryuu's, Lili's, and Hestia-sama's faith in me.

I recognize the sound now, blood dripping to the floor, the Minotaur has already killed adventurers. That beast-man behind us must be Ottar — I hadn't seen him in person or on screen for some time so sue me for not recognizing him on sight. He won't interfere and likely won't let other adventurers try to interfere.

"Lili…" I said quietly, trying not to startle the Minotaur into attacking just yet, "Run."

"But. Bell-sama!" Lili's first reaction is to protest leaving me behind. But her volume alerts the Minotaur to us. The beast glares at us and roars mightily. Its overwhelming power and force wash over my body; I can't hold it back. It's a sound powerful enough to break the fighting spirit of anything the Minotaur comes up against.

Usually, anyway. I refuse to be cowed or to submit.

(Get it? 'Cowed'? It's a bull monster? I'm here all week folks.)

Lili, however, yelps in fright as her fighting spirit is completely depleted. She starts shivering in fear.

I drew the baselard and the Hestia Knife and got in front of Lili. I took a defensive stance, "Lili, run!"

Guaranteeing her safety with a Minotaur around was dubious at best. It was doable, but I'd rather not have to do it if I could help it. So I'd rather she get as far away as possible while I distract and then kill the beast!

But Lili is still stunned, instead of hearing her run I feel her grab the back of my shirt - probably trying to find some sense of comfort or security in the face of what seems like certain death.

I flinch. No, I can't think like that. Oh, how I'd wish I could just Hiraishin her out of here; but not only do I not yet have the training in teleporting with multiple people but I also don't have the Magic required to get her far enough away in a single go. The nearest mark that wasn't on my person was Hestia's Church — which was so far away, I'd never be able to jump that far in one go without the mana reserves and efficiency of someone like Riveria. And that was with waypoints from here to there – not that the Dungeon would let me leave waypoints around for long.

The most Hiraishin will do for me here in protecting Lili would be for flashing her out of immediate danger. Since she still carried that throwing knife I gave her, she already had a mark on her person I could use to warp to.

But I'd rather not do that if I could help it. Magic wasn't an unlimited resource, after all. Pacing myself was important, this was a Level 2 monster, after all.

The Minotaur, which had been marching towards us, decided it was close enough and sprang forward like a cannonball. My hands weren't free, so I couldn't throw Lili away from me safely or throw a marked knife to dodge that way. The only option to protect her was to block!

My arms shuddered under the force of the Minotaur's sword striking my weapons. I was shocked at its strength - I'd never faced a monster with this much power before - thankfully, it wasn't enough to break my guard, but it did make me lose my footing as Lili and I were sent flying until we hit a cavern wall.

I yelped from the whiplash of the impact, but I was fine otherwise. My armor was less lucky since my chestpiece and shoulder guards broke off from the force. More specifically, the straps snapped. Otherwise the armor would have had little reason to be dislodged.

I quickly glanced behind me. Lili's massive backpack cushioned our impact, but Lili was squished between it and myself - so she passed out from the impact.

"Lili!" I can't help but exclaim, hoping my loud words will wake her up but to no avail. I flinch in dismay and start coming up with a plan to fight the beast and keep it away from Lili.

An idea comes to mind. I quickly sheath my weapons, taking advantage of the distance the Minotaur has now given me. I drew several throwing knives that I had pre-marked with Hiraishin with one hand and aimed my other at the Minotaur.

"Firebolt!" I declared, aiming the spell at the lumbering beast. The chamber flared orange as the bolt flew through the room and detonated on the Minotaur's flesh.

I could hear the Minotaur grunt, but even with the smoke I could tell the beast was unaffected. Its hide was too good at absorbing thermal damage!

Taking advantage of the monster's temporary blindness, I began to toss the knives around the room all the while putting some distance between Lili and I. I fired a few more Firebolts to let the Minotaur know I was moving so it would chase me and leave Lili be.

Through the flashes, I can make out minor burns on the Minotaur but it is otherwise unaffected. The Minotaur had halted moving, seemingly stunned at the barrage of magic. But now it was moving again, picking up its pace into something more of a jog to close the distance between us.

I don't think Firebolt will stun it very much from this point on, the beast has likely learned the spell is ineffective on it. At least, ineffective on its outer hide.

With a handful of knives now dispensed around the chamber, I once again drew my weapons. I remind myself to be careful, that sword the Minotaur has could easily remove limbs if I wasn't careful. Dodge its attacks, deflect what I can't evade, and look for an opening!

The first blow has given me a taste of the Level 2 monster's strength. It's no joke. I could still feel vibrations from the impact in my arms. I'd say its strength was equivalent to a Level 2's B-S tier. As a guesstimate.

I'd need to be careful and get a good read on the Minotaur's movements to be able to get good hits of my own in safely. The baselard's reach was decent, but the beast's sword was much bigger in comparison. So not fair.

Curse my small early, teenage body. Using a big sword just didn't work well with my center of gravity. You think I went with daggers and short swords just because I felt like it?

The Minotaur charged at me before leaping in the air for a downwards strike. I bounce on my feet, juking out of the way at the last moment. The force of the monster's attack on the ground, however, once again sent me away with a shockwave.

The shrapnel stung, but I rolled backwards a few times before seamlessly rolling onto my feet. I struggled to steady my breathing. Holy shit this was terrifying. That beast is hella strong. I'm confident now that the monster could easily dismember me if it got too lucky.

My eyes noticed a glint by the Minotaur's feet. A glint of metal. I didn't hesitate to flare my Mind and an instant later I was behind the Minotaur in its blind spot; only a flash of white left behind me.

The Minotaur had no time to react before I lunged forward and plunged the baselard above its waist — attempting to pierce upwards towards the magic stone, but failing to both penetrate deep enough and at too low of an angle. I could tell I was poking its ribs. I guess I got ahead of myself and wasn't patient enough with placing my attack. A simple, easy mistake.

The beast roared in pain as I let go of the baselard, it was moving fast! I tried to back away, but I was too slow and the Minotaur smacked me away with its meaty arm. I flew until I hit a stalagmite with a loud 'bang!' My right hand flinching from the impact at least let me know I still held the Hestia Knife.

My arms, however, were throbbing from tanking the beast's attack - having just managed to block in time.

I chastised myself for failing to flare my Mind in time to simply teleport out of the way. I was too shocked at the Monster's speed and hesitated.

Nonetheless, I rocked back onto my feet. Just in time to hear Lili's moans as she came back into consciousness.

At the same time, the beast yanked the baselard out of its body and crushed it into pieces. I was down to the Hestia Knife and a few more throwing knives.

"B-bell-sama…" Lili moaned as she pushed herself partially off the ground.

I glanced her way, her head was bleeding, she probably banged her head on my armor really bad when we hit that wall. "Lili!" I yelled back as the minotaur charged my way. "Lili, run! Run!"

"N-no!" Lili stammered a fearful rejection.

"Warn others!" I commanded simply, trying to get as much info across with as little words as possible, "I order it!"

My eyes widened as I spotted the Minotaur about to attack while I was distracted. Thankfully, I managed to once again flare my magic right before the Minotaur's sword sliced me in half, and I appeared at a random knife between Lili and the beast. "Go now! FIREBOLT!"

I shot the beast in the back of the head, it roared in anger.

"I can't!" Lili insisted with a whimper and plea.

I take the chance to look over my shoulder at her. I put on my best confident smile and say, "Lili! I need you to warn other adventurers away from here! Don't worry! Your Hero will take care of things over here! Or do you no longer believe in me?"

I figured that Ottar was nearby to keep others from interfering or some shit. But that certainly hadn't stopped the Minotaur from finding victims anyway. Lili was the only guarantee against further casualties. And I'd rather not fight the Minotaur by myself while protecting Lili at the same time. I'd do it, but it would be easier to go all out if I had no one behind me.

Basically I just wanted Lili to put a little distance between herself and the Minotaur. It's not like any of the other monsters in this floor were nearby — all clearly having fled from the vicinity of the large predator.

Lili's eyes watered in some kind of mix of horror and awe. Like she thought I was facing certain death but was still comforting her anyway. She looked like she was holding back a sob before she got to her feet and began to run out the way we came from. The final words I heard from her were, "Bell-sama!" crying out like she was mourning a lost lover.

I can't help but wince at her wail. If I die here, Lili will be beyond the event horizon that is Despair. Which is all the more reason to make sure I defeat this beast and come back stronger than ever.

To her credit though, according to common sense this was a hopeless battle. So I don't blame her for her panic.

My eyes narrow as the Minotaur charges again. It tries to kick me, but I dodge to the side, leaving a small cut on its leg as I pass. The beast growls but is unaffected, it tries to cut me horizontally, but for me the attack is so telegraphed that it was simple to roll underneath the attack.

I continue to dodge blow after blow, dancing with death without much armor at all. The large sword slams into the ground over and over, each time showering me with dirt and rubble.

The Minotaur's breath is heavy and ragged. Is it getting frustrated because it can't hit me? Meanwhile, my breathing is even, almost calm. Sure, I'm sweating like there's no tomorrow. I feel like I could drink a lake right now.

This obviously can't last forever, I need to attack at some point to get anywhere. If only I could get rid of its weapon! It was a real pain in the ass!

I really didn't want to tempt fate and end up like Naaza. Caution might as well be my middle name, sue me.

I can feel the beast's rage in its howl - like it's yelling, 'Stand still!'

No thanks, I'm good.

I've realized at this point that I'm quite a bit faster and much more agile than the Minotaur; the beast, however, is much stronger and durable than I am. For a Level 2 Monster, it sure has a weird stat spread. He's just gotta get real lucky once, while I need something to even the odds…

It takes all of my strength to safely deflect another of the Minotaur's attacks, a few close calls have netted me some negligible cuts already. Dust is kicked up as the large sword hits the ground, but I'm used to the shockwave so I'm not knocked over.

I don't have unlimited mana. I have to choose when to dodge or attack with Hiraishin very carefully. But also not so reserved that I end up dead. Classic resource management problem, I guess.

My eyes widen in shock, however, as the beast's head emerges from the smoke of its last attack – its massive horn headed for my chest!

Instinctively, I move to guard with my left arm which has two armguards. I yell in pain as the horn effortlessly breaks through both pieces of armor, destroying them — sorry Eina. I moan in agony as the beast stands up dragging me along as the bones in my impaled arm are caught with its horn in between.

My high vitality stat is the only reason my arm is able to support my weight without breaking or popping my arm out of its socket. Doesn't stop it from hurting so bad I can't think of anything else.

Before I know it, my world shifts suddenly as the Minotaur bucks its head down. I'm sent into the ground with such force I bounced a few times and ended up about 5 meters away.

"Fuuuck!" I growled and gasped in pain and frustration. That was sloppy, I should have been watching out more for the Minotaur's natural weaponry. It's a fucking bull monster, I should have been watching out for a headbutt!

And once again my instincts first tried to block over teleporting away. This is what I get for not using Hiraishin in an active battle situation until now. That one time with Lili and the Killer Ants doesn't count.

Not that I had the skill or need for it until now. And I wanted to hide the existence of the spell for as long as possible.

Still, my relatively new combat skills are being tested like they haven't before. Sparring with Ryuu-sama is one thing, a death match is another. Combined with my lack of experience with Hiraishin in combat, and well, my inexperience shows. Still, I resolve to keep fighting.

My resolve, however, does little to prevent me from struggling to push myself off the ground. Without thinking, I unconsciously tried to use my left arm to prop myself up and instantly regretted it. The pain was so great that my vision had black spots. Needless to say I fell back on my face.

Note to self, holes in your arm hurt. Remember that.

I breathed shakily as I felt the ground shudder from the Minotaur slowly getting closer to me again. This sensation was really familiar…

My grip on the Hestia Knife tightens as I once again begin pushing myself off the ground.

No! I won't let history repeat itself! Stand up, me! Remember Ryuu's words! The kind of person I truly am! Remember how they believe in me!

That's when I felt it, a faint breeze of wind on my face. I saw a flash of gold out of the periphery. I heard nothing for a moment, the Minotaur halting its advance.

Eh? What was going on?

Then I heard her. A voice, a line I'd heard so many times now.

"Are you okay?"

Ais Wallenstein, the Sword Princess, the Kenki.

the fuck is she doing here?!

I'm then surprised at my own anger for a moment. This wasn't exactly how I wanted my next meeting with Ais to go down. I wanted to be seen as a capable comrade, a fellow adventurer. Not someone to be pitied!

I turn my head slowly to see her and her blue and white dress and silver armor. The beast seems afraid of her.

"Found her! Hey, Ais!"

"Heh, ya drag me all the way down here for somethin' this boring? Pathetic!"

More vibrations of footprints through the ground, even new voices in my ears, but I can't take my eyes off her back.

Her eye and the tip of her nose. Ais is shielding me from the Minotaur, facing it down – this fact finally gets processed by my brain.

"You did your best," Ais said to me as she moved to draw her weapon, "I'll save you now."

Save… me?

My heart pounds away in my chest. Everything else in my line of sight suddenly snaps back into color. Everything is white hot.

Save? Being saved? Again? By her? Just like before? Like a pattern? Who?

Me.

"…?!" A fire lights within me, I'm pissed. That spark grows into an inferno that purges all other emotions from my mind.

It's unfair of me, but Ais' assistance is the last thing I needed, and the fact she all but assumed I needed it was insulting.

She couldn't know how important this moment was for me. How important it was to turn those feelings that Ryuu had given me into action. Proof to myself that all the work I had put in - the daily training and grinding in the Dungeon - that it had meant something. That I was walking the righteous path - that I was trying to stop being some loser who blindly followed others and instead was representing something far greater than just myself.

That I was no longer a powerless nobody, but rather someone with the power to stand up for their principles without hesitation. Fear was fine - it was natural and expected. But bravery is moving forward whilst afraid - without fear, bravery wouldn't exist. I could see that now. The emotional pain I endured wouldn't be meaningless.

Ais couldn't see that, I knew this. Ais was just the type of person to help someone when they are right in front of her. She didn't know how much her kindness was a burden. How her help was cheapening my struggle, not making it better for me, my situation.

She didn't mean to pity me, but pity is still what I felt from her. How can she not understand the consequences of her actions? When the thought of potential consequences plague my every thought and action?

All the past week or so, my self-esteem took hit after hit as Ais and others like her effortlessly dealt with everything in their way right in front of me.

It's about time I start fighting my own battles, growing stronger with each victory. So that way I could proudly stand before them, and call myself a Hero.

My legs kick off the ground. I'm up and moving again. Renewed determination to finally face the future, both certain and uncertain.

All those moments where I wondered if I would run when things get tough. I know what my answer to them is without doubt.

"?!" Ais looks at me in shock, I see this out of the corner of my eye. But all my eyes see is the monster before me.

"…can't…" I murmur as I grab hold of her hand. It feels so thin and delicate that I might break it if I squeeze too hard. I gently pull her around behind me.

I'm going forward; it's my choice.

"I can't be saved by Ais Wallenstein yet again!" I yell from the pit of my gut as I clench my dagger once more.

The Minotaur sees me step forward. Its eyes pop open for a moment before it greets me with vicious laughter. As if granting my wish, the beast points the tip of its sword in my direction.

It's time for the real fight to begin. Only one of us will walk away. I'm at peace, I wouldn't have it any other way.


Other POV

Ais stood stock still, unable to move from her place as the boy passed her and once engaged the Minotaur.

He shouldn't have been able to get back up. It's not an opponent he can win against. It's not an opponent he can fight against.

…No, she just didn't want him to get back up. Because, in her experience, the only reason one could take up the sword in such a dire situation is…

Hatred.

To have the same black flames as the ones that constantly burn in her heart. Dirty, vile, mindless rage and despair.

She didn't want to see it in his eyes. For him to truly become like her.

She had been worried at the beginning of that week of training. For his spirit continued to decline and decline. She had wondered where all of his previous strength had come from and where it had gone.

She feared she was making it worse. She didn't want to ruin those pure white eyes that she had glimpsed the first time she met him.

But, in those last days, he returned. And he shined brighter than ever before. It was like they were opposites now. For where black flames of hatred consumed her heart, in his where the white flames of… she doesn't even know. She doesn't understand.

How could she? Ever since that day, she lived the same. Experiencing the same emotions day in and day out. Even the time spent with Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya were just… unneeded distractions.

Yes. Unneeded. She's only humoring her fri– her companions as Riveria, Finn, and Gareth had humored her younger self.

All this to say, she wanted Bell Cranel to stay down. To leave the Dungeon and never return – all with the desire to keep his will untainted by the same darkness that consumes all adventurers.

She didn't want him to become like her.

So she was shocked, that there was no hatred or anger in his eyes as he stood up then. Not truly. For all she could see was determination and…

Was it hope? She didn't know. She didn't understand.

All she could understand was the resolve in his eyes. Resolve that reminded her of Him.

But she didn't understand. Understand what drives Bell Cranel to do something like this. Because he was there, because of that moment that keeps shining in the bottom of her heart that she dare not acknowledge.

All she can know is that he is still white inside and out. The glow that enveloped him… was he even an adventurer? Or was he something more…?


Main POV

My body is light. My mind is clear. My soul is on fire. A massive sword passes my face, and I charge forward. I challenge the monster's howls with roars of my own, and press forward.

My entire body is focused, looking for a chance to seize victory, pressing forward. The only thing that matters is the enemy in front of me.

This isn't some pathetic fantasy. I'm not caught up in my own ego. I'm not daydreaming; this isn't some unattainable wish. I just want this thing dead to rights.

I'm ready to fight and prove that I'm not some weak arrogant fool, but someone who is a heroic man. An inspiration and guardian to all.

I—I want to be… a hero. I've already lived one life with regrets. I won't continue to make the same mistakes here, not when I actually have the power to act. There are no excuses anymore. Just will and resolve.

I've been afraid all this time. But not anymore. Not when people believe in me!

Cuts litter my body. Cuts litter the Minotaur. Neither of us have landed a finishing blow. I can barely breathe, but I keep fighting. I kept moving, never stopping.

I mentally lament how my new audience makes it harder to use Hiraishin. If I use it more than once, then they might be able to puzzle out how it works. I can only use it once at most and I need to make it count.

The battle raged on. We exchanged blows rhythmically, each jockeying for better position. Two sets of legs dug into the grass, spun, kicked, and dodged.

Don't worry about its size. I remind myself, looking up at the monster with a strong calm within me. The cautious fear that had consumed me before was gone. That which was leftover from that first encounter. I was zen.

Free from the despair that bound me all this time, there was no room for retreat. Not unless I wanted to spit on all of my ideals and crush Lili's hope in me.

I engaged the Minotaur's attacks without hesitation now, I didn't think about the risks to my wellbeing, there was only the fight. Besides, I was getting used to its strength and movements bit by bit.

It's big, that's all! Keep your eyes open!

Indeed, the Minotaur possessed amazing strength. I long knew that if I took a direct shot, my very bones would shatter under the force of impact - even with my Vitality, that is the difference between Level 1 and 2. And that's what Minotaurs were known for: being strong enough to kill in one shot.

But that was all.

No matter how strong the attack, it had to hit its target first. Even the great sword in its right hand was nothing more than a slab of metal if it couldn't connect.

My eyes saw things more clearly than ever before. Was this Focus?

My eyes were sharp enough to see everything, from the Minotaur's expression to the movements of its muscles.

As long as I stayed calm, this information told me everything I needed to know. The beast put all of its strength into every attack, muscles bulging menacingly under its skin. However, this not only told me the timing of each attack but the direction as well.

The Minotaur's movements were straightforward, uncomplicated. The beast's attacks were so obvious that I could predict them easily. All that time I've been observing the beast's attack pattern is paying off now.

Besides, I've fought opponents hundreds of times faster than this thing!

Compared to Ryuu-sama and Ais-san, his current opponent might as well have been a tree in the wind. Even the fact it was wielding an adventurer's weapon just meant it had learned how to use a sword, nothing more.

If I couldn't handle something like this, I had no chance of catching up to them. The Minotaur's attacks would not connect. I wouldn't let them.

Each swing of its massive sword hit nothing but empty air. Or I used my divine dagger to guide each strike into the ground.

Speed and agility was my trump card, as always. And I used every bit of it to dodge, evade, and defend against every attack. Ryuu's footwork was a godsend, making all of my speed all the more efficient.

"…The heck's up with that knife? Blocking something that big with nothing more than a toothpick?" the familiar voice of Bete asked nearby.

"No, something more than just the knife…" Riveria said.

"Impressive. He's using technique against the Minotaur's attacks," Finn observed matter-of-factly.

A burst of violet light, and the Minotaur's weapon was thrown backward with a metallic echo.

While the Hestia Knife was special in that it improved along with the user's Status, there was no way it could take the nearly two-meter cleaver head-on. Not at my current level of strength, anyway. Add the Minotaur's brute strength to the attack, and it had no chance.

Therefore, I was aiming for the side of the blade. The resulting impact created just enough space for my body to slide past the Minotaur's attacks. It was a keen strategy, but there was absolutely no room for error. Any hesitation and I'd lose a limb – if I was lucky.

It was a technique I picked up from Ais' beatdowns – Ryuu-sama would have just contorted her body out of the way with her innate flexibility, which was something I couldn't incorporate into my own style. In any case, every second and every movement determined life or death.

Every one of the girls' teachings that had been pounded into my body now put me on equal footing with the Minotaur. I realized this now.

"He really is good at dodging. But…"

"The boy can't finish it off."

Oi, peanut gallery stop being so rude! I'm right here!

The Amazonian sisters watched, Tione with a distant look in her eyes and Tiona nervously shaking, as I intercepted the cleaver with my knife and went for a counterattack with the baselard in his left hand. But it wasn't enough.

The Minotaur's breath was ragged as it lined up another shot at me.

"…Minotaurs are hard to cut," The Kenki gave her opinion on Minotaurs. Considering she had taken down hundreds of thousands of monsters, her words carried a lot of weight.

If not for the boosted senses from the Falna, I wouldn't have been able to hear these snippets of conversation.

The bulging muscles all over the beast's body were not just for decoration. Of course they were visual evidence of the monster's overall strength, but their density made them feel like rubber.

In addition, Minotaur skin was an extremely valuable drop item used to create armor with very high Defense. Even if an attack was strong enough to pierce the skin, there was a very real chance the blade would get stuck in the muscles; it's what happened to my baselard, after all. Only a strong direct attack had any chance of slaying a Minotaur.

The Minotaur was one of the few monsters that had broken away from groups. It could do this because its Vitality/Defense was so high.

The Minotaur was categorized as a Level 2 monster. Being at only Level 1, I was in a hole that should be impossible to overcome. That was the Minotaur's distinct advantage. For me, this should have been a wall of despair.

The Status the Minotaur was born with should have been strong enough to overcome any techniques I could throw at it. I, however, get to break those rules if it takes me so long to level up after grinding for so long.

I knew all this from Eina's notes.

"Bell-sama…" I heard Lili's voice echo through the cave, her voice filled with awe. Her faith in me just gave me more motivation and power!

Not losing a beat, the Minotaur used its forward momentum to launch a powerful kick toward my chest. However, I easily saw it coming and used my agility to get out of the way and bring the Hestia Knife forward.

The Minotaur flung the cleaver in front of the knife. Another sharp metallic echo filled the room. The beast roared loudly, in rage or fear? Was it scared of the Hestia Knife?

Without a doubt, the Minotaur realized that this knife was the only legitimate threat that I presented. I had reached the same conclusion, my raw strength just wasn't enough to outclass a Minotaur, even with my insane Level 1 stats. Ottar really trained this beasty really good I tell ya.

The Minotaur only let its guard down the moment my knife was no longer in position to counterattack. If the blade could pierce the muscle, the Minotaur's bones were in danger. The beast was smart enough to understand this.

As I stared into its eyes, sensing its unnatural intelligence and looking at its broken horn, I knew what I could do to land a killing blow.

I just had to put my plan into action.

Jumping back to get space, I cleared my mind. Almost as if signaling 'stay back' I thrust my right arm forward.

The Minotaur's eyes went wide for an instant before—

"FIREBOLT!" An electric inferno thundered forward. Amid explosions and crackles of burning lightning, the beast was forced backward. The Minotaur let out a ferocious roar that echoed off the ceiling from behind the smoke and flames.

"…Was there a spell? That was Magic."

"No… Didn't even see him chant words."

The spell was, of course…

"Too weak."

"Ahh, that won't end it."

"The activation speed was very impressive, but his opponent is too strong. Under the right circumstances, a spell like that could be extremely useful…"

…but that wasn't the goal, the goal was to distract the beast and help create an opening.

A new wave of rage engulfed the Minotaur as I once again charged forward to engage it in combat.

Riveria and Finn seemed to be appraising the battle realistically as I continued my assault, I recognized this in the back of my head.

But I needed to hurry this up. Even going for the one-hit kill by piercing its chest was doomed to fail. My knife was not long enough to reach the magic stone inside… but something else just might.

While the beast was still stunned, I drew my spare, disposable knife and stabbed it into the Minotaur's exposed wrist and twisted it. The beast let out a roar of pain as it dropped its weapon, blood spurting from its wrist as it desperately went to remove the foreign object.

I was quick to take the cleaver-sized sword for myself and turn back to face the beast.

Fighting back the pain in its arm, the Minotaur turned around to find me, and immediately charged forward.

Its left arm thrust forward, it howled as if to say, 'Give that back!' The Minotaur wasn't about to give up its weapon so easily.

"FIREBOLT!" An explosion ensued.

"Mooo?!" The Minotaur's feet left the ground after getting hit by the Magic at this close range. The speed and power of my Magic pushed the Minotaur back. But this time, the beast flew backward with its feet floundering in the air.

The sudden web of burning lightning ensnared the Minotaur, sending pieces of singed fur falling to the ground. But the beast got its footing and pushed through the cloud of smoke rising around it. Violet sparks of lightning ignited the grass, creating a ring of small flames and pyres of smoke around the battle.

Undeterred, I ran through the smoke, carrying the cleaver in both hands. I hoisted the massive weapon above my head and brought it down with all my might.

The beast roared in pain as a thick red line appeared on the Minotaur's chest, cutting through flesh that was thick as armor.

"That hit?!" Words of surprise escaped Tiona's mouth. She was shocked that I, a Level 1, even had the strength to deal damage to the Minotaur. This is what it meant when I said that I was currently going against common sense.

The Minotaur stumbled backward yet again. Blood sprayed out of the diagonal cut that started at the shoulder and ended just below the beast's rib cage. The singed grass beneath was splattered with the dark liquid.

Plan A. Use the Minotaur's own sword to try and hit the magic stone in its chest.

The Minotaur's greater reach due to this weapon was a major reason for why the fight had dragged on and why I had taken a cautious approach to fighting it. I'd rather not get a limb chopped off by being too aggressive.

Now I just need to worry about not developing external or internal injuries from the immense strength the Minotaur has in its hands and hooved feet.

I unleashed all the destructive power contained in my arms as the massive blade cut through the air itself. Thrusting my heels into the ground, I brought the blade crashing down.

While I missed my colossal target, the Minotaur had no time to rest. The next attack was already coming.

"Heh, the kid sucks…!"

"But he is pushing it back."

It was safe to say that large blades were not my strong suit. My stature just wasn't good for it, the physics was wonky to say the least.

It probably looked more like the blade was swinging me around. In a different situation, it would have been a very comical picture: a thin boy trying to wield a blade twice his size and losing.

I wasn't too enthused about Plan A's chances of success, but it didn't hurt to try before using Plan B.

At least, it seemed that my vigorous assault at least seemed to have the Minotaur on the ropes for the moment.

I felt like I had become a bladed tornado. Flashes of brilliant silver surrounded me as my constant screams echoed throughout the room.

The bull-monster was visibly shaking. Still in shock from this drastic turn of events, it wasn't able to mount a defense. Its only hope was to dodge the onslaught.

While the Minotaur managed to avoid a direct shot, more thick red lines criss crossed its arms and legs. Even more of its blood splashed onto the ground following streaks of silver light.

Having an easier time of hitting the beast with the extra range, the cleaver was inflicting actual damage at an incredible rate.

I was slowly getting used to the weight and arc of the large blade. Soon I'd be able to get the precision and timing to actually pull off Plan A.

The Minotaur howled in an attempt to instill fear. The beast's instincts had awakened. Eyes narrowed and teeth bared, it was as if the beast were screaming, 'DON'T GET COCKY!'

Nah, I was feeling pretty ballsy at the moment. I was essentially focused more on getting used to my new weapon at the moment than on getting a killing blow. For the moment.

Driving its heels into the dirt, the Minotaur punched the blade out of the way and charged forward.

We locked eyes, the beast howling sounds that had lost all meaning.

The Minotaur menacingly flexed its muscles. I responded by swinging the sword above my head. This battle would come down to swordsmanship and technique versus primal strength and power.

We charged and collided, going blow for blow, one step forward, one step back. Neither of us showed signs of slowing down. The beasty was doing a mighty good job of not letting its chest get exposed for a decisive stab or slash. Though I had my own doubts that this chipped sword had enough power to cut all the way through to where the magic stone was located.

The Minotaur threw an off-balance kick toward my face, but was blocked by the sword.

I then used the sword to swing myself up and land a kick just beneath the Minotaur's eye. I'd been aiming for the jaw but it had moved.

The impact did little damage, but it allowed me to easily fly past the Minotaur, landing just behind.

The battle raged on. Hoof-shaped imprints in the grass; slices of dirt missing after the deep impacts of the cleaver; even the lights above began to dim. The current stage of our battle was breaking.

Each blow was thrown at full strength with the intent to kill. Neither of us was going to pull any punches now.

Blood-splattered silver sword met horn; sparks flew. I spun and struck again. Trying my beast to look out for or create an opening. But the Minotaur wasn't going to have it, for it was smart enough to protect its vulnerable chest well enough.

I ducked under the Minotaur's punch and turned, using every muscle in my body. The cleaver connected with the Minotaur's exposed side, digging deep into its gut.

However, the blade stopped as it hit abdominal muscles that were as hard as rocks. The force of the collision threw the Minotaur to the side and thus withdrew the blade in one solid motion.

Crack. I thought I heard such a noise come from the cleaver, but it was quickly drowned out by the Minotaur's screams of agony.

But damn. I made my shot to hit the stone, but I failed to get the correct angle. Or depth? How frustrating. I'd have to start transitioning into Plan B.

The Minotaur squeezed its wound shut, eyes bloodshot and fuming. Taking in a deep breath, it thrust its hands into the ground.

Despite being hands, the beast's appendages were so badly damaged that they looked more like hooves. With all four limbs on the ground, it lowered its head. Its hindquarters up high, the Minotaur had become in essence a raging bull.

My watchers were silent, too focused on my battle to speak. Is it petty of me to be glad that the peanut gallery had finally shut up? Don't think I forgot they were there!

The Minotaur had been pushed all the way into the corner of the room, and its only way out was to charge through me. It was on its last legs. Death by a thousand cuts would fell the beast, and it knew it too. So it was going to try and take me with it!

It still had its trump card: the sharp horn on top of its head. And it was aimed right at my heart. The Minotaur was preparing to unleash a rush powerful enough to obliterate anything in its way.

However at this distance, it wouldn't be able to build up enough speed. It could hope for half power at best. The fact that it was this desperate was proof of just how much it had been driven back.

The Minotaur's eyes glinted as its last shred of pride, the one complete horn on its head, took aim. We took in one last breath and for a moment an eerie stillness filled the air.

My gaze noted something on the ground before shooting back up to meet the Minotaur's glare. My plan of action was decided at that moment. And then… We charged.

"Naïve," Riveria criticized.

"Idiot!"

"No, Bell-sama!"

The voices of Bete and the others rang out, punctuated by Lili's screams.

Their cries rode the shock wave of impact, reaching mine and the Minotaur's ears as nothing more than part of the hurricane of sound engulfing us.

In that moment, all eyes shot open as we poured every ounce of power into one spot. Our skins burned with a desire for victory.

A downward strike and an upward thrust. Both hit head-on at full force.

At that moment, the battle seemed to have turned yet again. A metallic crack rang out. A web of cracks ran down the cleaver's blade from the point of impact with the Minotaur's horn. The weapon shattered.

The impact broke the blade just above the hilt, shattering the base and sending the rest of the weapon flying into parts unknown. On the other hand, there wasn't even a scratch on the Minotaur's horn.

A rain of silver shards clouded my vision.

I had followed through with my attack angled to the right, the scrap metal in my hands passing harmlessly by the Minotaur's face.

The Minotaur's attack had been a leftward thrust. We slid cleanly past each other, no damage inflicted.

We locked eyes for a moment. I caught a glimpse of the smirk on the Minotaur's face. It was not a ridiculing smile of a sore winner, but a burly smile of someone desperate for victory. The Minotaur could see its chance at triumph, now that its opponent had lost his 'last' trump card.

Except it had fallen for my trap, for there was an inconspicuous knife on the ground behind it. The beast finally was right where I wanted it, with just the right amount of cockiness in its heart.

All prerequisites for Plan B have been achieved!

I drew the Hestia Knife, lept forward at the beast again, and vanished in a flash of white before reappearing behind the Minotaur.

I wanted to avoid using Hiraishin in front of others, but I hoped that since I hadn't used the incantation at all, that I might still be able to conceal it for some time.

I bet the beast's eyes widened in shock as I completely vanished once again! It's even funnier the second time!

"That speed!"

"Impossible!"

"How'd he–!"

The voices of the Loki Familia were shocked at my sudden burst of speed. They were completely shocked at somehow losing track of a simple Level 1 adventurer when their eyes were easily accustomed to the speeds of highly trained Level 5s and 6s.

I leapt into the air and drove the knife as deep as it would go into the Minotaur's upper back, right behind where its magic stone was located. Both my hands were on the Hestia Knife as I braced my feet against the back of the Minotaur and began channeling as much mana as I could. Everything I could muster!

One final attack! All or nothing!

The Minotaur roared in pain and made to reach behind itself to throw me off. But right before it could get ahold of me–!

"FIREBOLT!" My magic burst through my divine weapon and directly into the insides of the beast. The monster's body burgled, followed by a blinding flash of light — and the Minotaur's upper body burst into pieces.

More explosions filled the room as flames overtook the still-intact remains of the beast.

Scarlet sparks had reached as high as the ceiling, smoke covering them moments later. The Minotaur's legs, which had mostly survived the blast in one piece, remained upright for a heartbeat before collapsing to the ground.

Next came a rain of charred flesh and blood. The rising smoke colored each of the thousands of fragments as they passed through and eventually hit the ground.

Amid the sounds of the remaining pieces showering the ground, a single magic stone fell from the ceiling. It spun over and over before hitting the ground with a sharp smack.

I somehow fell to the ground, landing squarely on my feet.

The world then faded to black.


Other POV

"Did he finish it…?" Bete whispered in a state of shock. He couldn't take his eyes off Bell, unable to believe what he'd just seen. Bell had his back to Loki Familia, but Bete's question was only aimed at himself.

Bete wondered how long ago it was that he himself had become strong enough to take down a Minotaur. No, how long had it taken him to become strong enough to take one down alone?

These questions ignited a fire within him, his face turning red. What started as irritation flaring up in his gut turned into full-blown embarrassment. It spread to every corner of his body.

"…Mind Down."

"He… he's standing there, out cold…"

The Amazonian sisters stood there in shock. Their voices couldn't hide their disbelief as they looked at Bell, frozen in his last attack position. His right arm was still in front of his body, his hand curled as if holding the Hestia Knife.

…only to deadpan as the boy's unconscious body fell over face first.

"…well, he's still out cold."

The comedic moment, however, did not outweigh the feelings of awe the girls had at the boy who'd spent every last drop of energy to win the battle. It was as if a book were open in front of them, the hero of the story jumping out of the pages.

"…! Answer me, Prum! Just what the hell is that kid…?!"

"Bell-sama… Bell-sama!"

"Hey, I'm talkin' to you…Tsk!"

Bete snapped his tongue at the girl as she ran toward Bell on unsteady feet. The wolf man watched her go, tormented by feelings he couldn't understand.

Then he noticed the state of Bell's back. Armor long since fallen off, his black undershirt had been torn to shreds. His shoulder blades were completely exposed, only a few threads of fabric kept the shirt on his back. That final magic attack had vaporized it.

What's more, hieroglyphs were visible just beneath the damaged cloth.

"...! Riveria! Tell me the kid's Status — now!"

"…Are you telling me to steal personal information?"

Only the skin on Bell's upper back was visible. The explosions from his final series of magical attacks destroyed much of the garment. The slots containing his Magic and Skills were obscured by what was left of his shirt. Despite all the holes, most of Bell's Status remained hidden.

"He's basically begging for us to take a look, isn't he?"

Bete felt it wasn't against the law if the information just happened to come into your line of sight. He fumed at Riveria, for she had the eyes to see at this distance and the knowledge to decipher the hieroglyphs.

If Bell was awake, he would reluctantly agree with this line of reasoning. It was essentially public information at that point.

The knowledgeable high elf sighed and cast her gaze toward Bell. Perhaps she, too, was interested. Her dark emerald eyes found the hieroglyphs on Bell's back.

"Dammit, what's takin' ya so long?"

"Be patient, I've almost finished—" Riveria suddenly stopped talking, her words trailing off.

Bete glared at her. Tiona and the others drifted toward the elf, drawn in by curiosity.

A moment later, the elf let out an uneven laugh. "…Heh. Haha… ha..."

"The heck's wrong with ya, hey?! Son of a…Yo, Ais. Ya can read hieroglyphs, too, right? Can ya see anythin' from there?"

Bete angrily bared his fangs at Riveria. It looked as though something had popped loose in her head, her shoulders shaking as she laughed. So, Bete directed his question a few meders ahead where Aiz was standing.

The human girl was still rooted to the same spot, her eyes focused only on the boy. She gave a quick nod and looked at his back. Her golden gaze honed in on their target with the precision of a blade.

"…S," Riveria said quietly.

"…Huh?" Bete questioned.

"All of his abilities are S," Riveria reiterated for everyone to hear.

"ALL S?!"

Bete's voice joined Tiona's and the others' in surprise. All other words had left them.

In reality, Ais couldn't see Bell's Magic level due to what remained of his undershirt. However, considering what had just transpired she had a feeling it was close enough.

There was one other fact she hadn't told Bete and the others.

It was the very thing that had sent Riveria for a loop. IVS. The boy possessed an ability that went beyond normal limits. It made her eyes spin.

"His name?"

A new sound echoed. A voice cut through the stunned silence. Everyone except Ais turned around to find the source.

With the eyes of his compatriots on him, Finn slowly walked forward while tapping the shaft of his spear on his shoulder. He eyed the human with a calm gaze as he came up to meet the rest of his battle party. Asking his question again, the Prum had a more serious look on his face. "What is the boy's name?"

"Hell if I know… Haven't heard it," Bete answered.

"…Riveria. Please stop laughing like that," Finn addressed the high elf.

"Hee-hee… Ahh, my apologies. What were you asking?" Riveria asked.

"Please check the boy's Status for his name. I'd like to know."

"Yes, that would be good to know. Please wait a moment…" Riveria squinted her eyes in an effort to read the boy's name. But before she could open her mouth, another voice beat her to it.

It was Ais, "Bell." Her soft voice cut through the air. She hadn't budged an inch.

"Ais…" Tiona said quietly. Ais didn't even turn to face Tiona when the Amazonian girl responded. Her eyes were planted firmly on Bell.

"Bell Cranel," They could see the boy's reflection clearly in her golden eyes.

(This update is after Bell returned to the surface, Rivera only would have had the Basic Abilities in the before section and none of the skills or magic.)

Bell Cranel

Level 1 - 2

Strength: SSS: 1249 - IVS: 1412

Vitality: IVS: 1590 - IVS: 1599

Dexterity: SSS: 1217 - SSS: 1388

Agility: IVS: 1425 - IVS: 1499

Magic: SS: 1100 - SSS: 1299

Magic:

(Firebolt)

Swift-Strike Magic

(Hiraishin)

Enchantment Magic

(Hermaphroditus)

Fluid like water. Distortion through the looking glass. Reversal of all things

Skills:

Liaris Freese - Rapid Growth. Fast growth as long as feelings last. The strength of the effects corresponds with the level of the user's feelings.

Singularity - The user is immune to all mental and spiritual attacks.

Focus - The user's Dexterity is increased when fighting and concentrating on a single target. Use can cause tunnel vision.

Argonaut - Heroic Desire. Allows a charge for a counterattack to overcome insurmountable odds.

Inspiring Leader - Subskill of Liaris Freese. Companions that unconditionally believe in the user grow quickly at a portion of the user's growth rate. Companions are more inclined to listen to the user's words. The strength of effects corresponds with the target's feelings and distance from the user.

Development Abilities:

()


Authors Notes

(*) Sorry protagonist, but it actually was in Sword Oratoria. You just didn't watch the spin-off. Whoops.

(1 ) I've talked a big game multiple times of wanting to be some kind of hero, but I'm just a small tadpole in an ocean of much stronger fish. I've been lucky so far, to have someone save me when I run into odds I can't overcome. But my luck will run out eventually. And I wonder and fear that when the time comes, I'll end up being nothing more than a weak, coward…

Yeah, those words wouldn't trigger Ryuu and remind her of herself. Making her think she's corrupted the heroic Bell she met into turning into another failure like herself. Not at all. This idea of 'corruption' will plague Ryuu for a bit. Bell will have to give her a talking to in order to beat that misconception out of her.

But yeah, if the first Minotaur encounter is gonna happen, the second one has to as well. I'd been hinting that Bell had some trauma from the encounter so Freya acted on it.

Why didn't Singularity stop the trauma? It's not permanent like Gamers Mind in those Gamer fanfics. Singularity only has so much 'juice' it can use in a given period of time. Bell's "anti-lie detection shield" takes up so much juice that Singularity only kicks in for serious mental strain. So basically in active combat situations. It isn't a voluntary ability that Bell can turn on or off, it's all instinctual.

And yeah, that's how much The protagonist values his secrets. He's clearly got his priorities straight.

Anyway, let's say that The protagonist knew exactly when Freya was going to release a beefed up Minotaur into the upper floors. He didn't know the exact day or that Freya was still gonna do it. But let's say he knew for certain. The way I see it he has two options: deal with it personally or try to tell people to get help.

The thing is, people have no reason to believe him. If he made his claims without going in the Dungeon, people would wonder that even if he had scouted it, then why is he so clean? Sounds like he's just trying to spread rumors. On top of that the Loki Familia is setting out for their expedition. Most gods would know of the bad blood between Hestia and Loki and just assume Bell is spreading rumors in an attempt to mess with the expedition.

Or say he goes directly to Finn to tell him. One, Finn would still doubt the info for the reason above. And also, like, why should he go out of his way? They have bigger things to worry about at the time than a single Minotaur being surprisingly higher than it should be. They only show up at his encounter with it because Ais broke rank against orders.

All in all, as long as Freya released the Minotaur, then Bell only has two real options. Face it, or let it massacre unsuspecting adventurers.

Bell simply doesn't have enough of a reputation or enough associates in other Familias to spread the word effectively.

As for the fight itself, it was always going to be a pretty even fight. Because the Minotaur is a super strong Level 2, Bell's OP Level 1 stats just allow him to have a good chance without getting immediately swatted. It doesn't help that the Loki Familia enter in midway which makes it harder for him to use Hiraishin.

He's trying to hide its existence for as long as possible since a teleportation spell would turn heads. Gods and Goddesses and organizations like the Guild suddenly asking themselves if all of their security mechanisms are worth a damn or not.

So to minimize the chances of someone like Riveria working out how his spell works, he couldn't use the incantation to make more marks and could only get away with a single use so as to limit the exposure to it from outsiders. So he had to carefully lead the Minotaur to where he had already left marks lying around.

Also, his usage of the Hiraishin even when no one was around was deliberately bad. Not to extend the fight, but to highlight that he was inexperienced in using it in a fight. He'd trained it enough to not get dizzy or throw up, but not enough to instinctively use it to dodge. His skill in using the magic in combat will improve, this was just his first time in a major fight. That time with Lili and the Ants really doesn't count. And let's just say it's a good thing he's learned this lesson now rather than later. A future encounter I'm planning for Bell would go very badly if he doesn't know how to use Hiraishin instinctively.

Inspiring Leader was an idea that came to me based on the character Meetra Surik from KOTOR II. And I think there was at least one fanfic I read that had Bell have a similar Skill. Can't remember which though. Point is, he now has a way of helping his comrades grow a bit faster. Growth rate depends on how close they are emotionally to Bell and how often they are around him, but on average it would be about a 10-25% boost. And yes, anyone who comments that Bell is 'glowing' is affected by the skill. How did Lili and everyone else get affected before it was on his Falna? The Skill was just waiting to get added to the Falna at that point, it wasn't entirely in effect yet, but enough for them to see the 'glow'. The Skill's existence and stuff will start to get addressed in further chapters.

I wonder how Loki will react when she sees Ais' stats suddenly grow faster than they should. Or who else from Loki Familia will get affected by Bell's new Skill.

In her solo monologue, Ais makes reference to a 'him' besides Bell. This is referring to her Father, Albert.

Also, is that a new spell I see? I'll spoil a little and say that it will initially just be seen as comic relief. But it will actually have far reaching implications and consequences along with it – so don't be thinking I'm just adding it in for the hell of it or for the lolz

Bell is having strange bouts of hunger that only disappear after spending time in the Dungeon. How strange…

Next time, Bell finally goes out of his way to track down a certain red-head and starts crafting some stuff.

And sorry for the late post. Life happened. Posts will probably be every two weeks from now on. Exceptions for things like smaller half chapters will probably happen though – as I have a Chapter 9.5 written down, for example. Chapters are consistently about 15 to 20+ thousand words now, so weekly updates just aren't possible for me. As I've only prewritten up to Chapter 11.5 at the time of writing – though, that chapter is large enough word count wise to be its own thing.