Hello everyone and welcome back. Things improved for our dear protagonist last chapter, but as I warned you at the end of said chapter, such internal darkness doesn't dissipate so easily, and Bell might soon find that even the adorable smiles of a little dragongirl aren't enough to deal with the pain in his heart and the scorn of an entire city. That said, it is time for us to begin the next chapter, so let us begin.
Author's Note: Personal request, please don't argue in the reviews. I do read them and I'm happy to accept legitimate criticism and even a funny flaming now and then, but I've noticed on several occasions you guys use the reviews as a platform to argue with each other and I'd like to ask you not to do that. I won't block you or anything, it's just a personal request. Thank you.
I do not own Danmachi
They had reached the water levels and the sight of the aqua paradise further raised the slowly returning spirit of the Expedition, though they were all more than ready to rest.
"I'll go on ahead and clear our path," Achilles offered, smiling softly at his son, who's restrained, but very present smile further invigorated his adopted father, who now felt as if he had been given a second shot at life.
Achilles sped off, tearing through whatever monsters he found along the way and clearing the path for the remaining adventurers.
"Lili will make sure to collect all the magic stones," the prum member of the Hestia familia declared, smiling as her own hope expanded with each step.
"I'll help you out," Geneve said, giving Rei a peck on the cheek before joining Lili as they, and a few other adventurers, set off to collect their prizes.
All in all, a sense of hope and renewal could be found in the heart of the Expedition, though it was not distributed evenly amongst its members.
Cassandra and Daphne still worried over Naaza had stayed by their unconscious captain's side, hoping that she would soon wake.
Chigusa was in the same boat as she refused to part with the comatose Ouka as he was carried via stretcher up the Dungeon.
The remaining members of the Hera and Zeus familia, while happy that Bell was doing better, found their spirits dampened by poor Imilce who, like Naaza and Ouka, refused to awaken, even after being fully healed of her wounds and swallowing several mana potions.
Then there was Anya.
The catgirl had been nearly as despondent as Bell had been not so long ago, despite the efforts of the other waitresses and Mia. The only time she was pulled from her deep misery was when her eyes lifted and fell upon the one responsible for her sorrow.
How can you smile after what you did to Allen? She asked as her eyes bore into the back of Bell's head and her fists tightened with contempt, only to quick unclench as confusion appeared. But was that really his fault? That bastard Dionysus was controlling him, wasn't he? But does that actually matter? Can I really just stand by and do nothing after what Bell...after what he did?!
Her head fell again as her conflicted emotions tormented her, and it was only the intervention of Mia's soft hand pulling her close that stopped her from being overwhelmed and going mad.
"Deep breaths, Anya. Deep breaths."
Anya snuggled into the motherly matron's side as tears appeared in her eyes.
"I don't know what to do, Mama."
"I know, but for now, that's fine. Just let it out," Mia told her.
And so Anya did, softly crying as she held tightly onto the matriarch of the Hostess of Fertility.
Bell was not oblivious to any of this. His ears had picked up their words, despite the distance and, perhaps as a side effect of his skill or perhaps as a result of his torment at the hands of the Imperator Monstrorum, he could now sense the anger, rage, fury, and wrath of others and Anya's, though tempered by sadness and confusion, was strong enough for him to taste.
You murdered her brother. Did you expect her to hug you and offer you one of Mia's specials? His dark thoughts asked.
The small smile that had appeared thanks to Wiene's efforts fell into ruin and his head fell in shame and self-loathing.
"Papa? What's wrong?"
Bell turned to his little dragongirl who's worried eyes now bore into his own.
"O-Oh…nothing's wrong," he replied, trying to smile. However, both his smile and his words were utterly unconvincing and Wiene frowned.
Suddenly, the girl pulled her hand from Haruhime's so that she could wrap her arms around Bell and bury her head into his torso.
"I don't like to see you sad," she stated before looking up at him. "So, I'll make you happy just like you always make me happy," she vowed.
Tears pricked at his eyes and a genuine, if tainted smile, appeared as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Thank you, Wiene."
She smiled and buried herself back into his chest.
"I will also do all I can to make you happy," Haruhime seconded, joining the conversation as she smiled at the two of them.
The warmth of her smile made Bell's heart jump and, despite the situation and his previous promise, he could not help but feel a swell of love in his heart as he gazed into her beautiful emerald eyes.
"Thank you, Haruhime."
Ais watched the whole exchange with a twisted heart and heavy stomach.
I shouldn't feel like this. I should just be happy that Bell feels better, she tried to convince herself, even as her fists tightened, but I don't.
"It's difficult, isn't it?"
Ais's head spun around and she found Ryuu beside her, looking at the little family a few paces away.
"Seeing them like that. It makes me feel as if my heart's being squeezed. Jealousy mixes with hopelessness and I feel like I'm falling into a bottomless pit," the elf turned to the Sword Princess. "Now you know how we've felt when he's with you, Ais Wallenstein."
"Bell chose me," Ais defended, her voice harsh from jealousy.
"Indeed, but it seems you forgot Hestia-sama's words from not so long ago. The moment we see a chance, we will take it," the elf reminded her, "because we love him just as much as you do, Ais Wallenstein and will fight to be by his side just as hard as you fought to earn your place there. The battle will not be with sword or spells, but we will be just as determined to win it, and," she turned to Haruhime, "with enough victories, however small, you may find your place next to the man we love, usurped."
Ryuu turned to leave as Ais watched on.
Am…am I really at risk of losing him?
She turned to the little family and the smiles of Wiene and Haruhime made her heart sink into despair. However, that all changed when her golden eyes fell upon the smiling face of her lover.
Seeing his happiness, as restrained as it was at that moment, reminded her of how much she loved him. How much he loved her. How much they meant to each other.
No.
"I won't give him up." Ryuu stopped and turned back to meet the determined eyes of the Sword Princess.
However, instead of being worried or frowning, the elf smiled.
"Good. If you so easily let us take him from you that would mean you didn't really love him and were just wasting his time, or worse, using him, which is not something I would ever be able to forgive."
Ryuu continued on, allowing Ais to turn back to the three.
I will not lose you, Bell, and I will destroy that darkness in your heart, just like you destroyed mine.
The Expedition finally reached the 18th floor and a sigh of relief collectively passed through their ranks.
"Alright everyone, just a little further and then we can rest," Finn announced.
A few people cheered, but most simply picked up the pace as they headed towards Rivira.
However, the Hestia familia and co. stayed back as they had some goodbyes to say.
"This is where we have to part for now, Wiene," Bell told her, his voice shaky and his eyes glassy.
Wiene's eyes turned glassy as well, but she promptly hugged him again as tightly as she could.
"I'll miss you, Bell. Please visit soon," she pleaded.
Bell, now crying a bit, managed to smile and hugged her back.
"I-I promise," he replied.
I'm breaking another promise.
No I'm not. I will see her again. I will stay alive. And I will make up for everything bad I've done! His true self shouted back.
How do you plan to make up for murdering and eating someone? The dark voice questioned.
His true voice didn't have an answer and so Bell simply hugged Wiene tighter.
When the two parted, the other Xenos stepped forward.
"Take care of yourself, Belluchi. I mean it," Lyd said with uncharacteristic seriousness. "I want to see you again too, and I'll be real mad at you if you break your promise to Wiene."
Bell nodded and soon received a proper bear hug -or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, lizard hug- from the big monster.
Next was Ray, who quickly pulled him into another tight hug, her softness of feathers and the warmth of her body easing his troubled heart, if only by the smallest of margins.
"Be well, Bell," she softly said into his ear. "I know you are in so much pain right now, but please don't let it consume you. It would hurt us all so much if we lost you." Bell's arms tightened around her waist. "And don't even think for a minute that Gros's or anyone else's death was your fault. He came to rescue his friend and he would thump you on the head if he learned you felt guilty over his choice." Bell's arms tightened further as tears pricked at his eyes.
"I-I'm not sure I…can do that…R-Ray-san"
"Perhaps not now, but in time, you will," she promised, before pulling back and cupping his cheeks with her wings. "You are a wonderful person, Bell, and though right now you can't see it, that is the truth," she pulled him down and kissed his cheek. "So please, make sure to keep your promise. We all want to see you again," she paused and a bit of red rose in her cheeks. "I want to see you again."
She parted from the young man who had not failed to see the blush nor failed to realize what it meant.
Ray.
The rest of the Xenos stepped forward to say their goodbyes, hugging and reassuring Bell as best they could until, at last, with one final family hug with Wiene and Haruhime, they departed headed back down into the Dungeon.
"You will keep your promise," Haruhime stated once the Xenos were gone. "I know you will."
Bell turned to her and seeing those emeralds he loved so much holding not an ounce of falsity or doubt, he smiled tearfully at her and nodded.
"Finn!"
The eyes of the Expedition all turned to the voice and soon discovered Bors and the other residents of the Dungeon town rushing towards them.
"Hey Bors," Finn greeted as warmly as his exhaustion could allow.
"Gods above," the Rivira leader looked over the Expedition. "Is this all that's left? What the hell happened down there?"
"A lot," the Loki captain replied as his heart grew heavier, "but we succeeded in defeating the Evilus and rescuing Bell."
"That's some comfort I suppose," Bors replied. Finn could tell he wanted to ask a hundred more questions, and the Braver knew many of the questions he wished to ask, but his fellow adventurer held back and gestured for them to follow him back to the Dungeon town. "You'll stay in Rivira tonight. Don't worry," he quickly added, "even I'm not so callous or greedy as to charge you after everything you've done and been through."
Finn's smile returned.
"Thanks, Bors."
The Expedition headed into Rivira, aided by its resident adventurers, who took the wounded, handed out food and potions, and did all they could to check in on the surviving members of the great battle in the deep.
"You can put them in here," Bors offered, gesturing towards the large room.
"Thanks again," Finn reiterated.
"Stop thanking me, this is the least I can do," the one-eyed adventurer replied as he watched the three comatose adventurers laid gently on the beds in the room. "Our mages and medics will help the wounded, so the rest of you should get some rest."
No one in the Expedition was going to argue with that.
"Alright everyone, you heard him, go get as much rest as you need, that's an order. And don't worry about tomorrow. We'll only leave when everyone's fully recovered…or…as recovered as they can be," Finn stated.
Everyone nodded and split up into their given familias, or at least, most of them did.
"Bell." The young man turned to find his lover before him. Ais gently took his hands before capturing his eyes with her own. "Would you mind staying with me tonight?"
The Hestia and Loki familia all turned their eyes to the two with a few losing control of their suddenly unhinged jaws.
That…didn't sound like an innocent request, Riveria noted.
She wasn't the only one who noticed this and the would-be lovers of Bell all began to fidget, wanting to prevent Ais's desired time alone, but also knowing that it could do the Hestia captain good.
"I…" the old, adorable Bell made a reappearance at the request, knowing full-well that the others were watching them, while also recognizing that her request did not sound entirely...decent. Before he could muster a response though, an unexpected, but excited voice jumped in.
"Why don't we all hang out tonight?!"
Everyone turned to Tiona, who, though beaming, seemed somehow…off.
She's jealous like the other girls and doesn't want Ais to get a chance alone with the rabbit-dragon-boy, Tione realized, but she also feels guilty about it.
The busty amazon rolled her eyes and shook her head, but smiled at her sister.
You have to fight for your man, Tiona, even against a friend. You won't be able to forgive yourself if you don't at least try.
"Sounds good to me," Welf jumped in, wanting to prevent any chance for the young women of his familia to revert to their old habits and go berserk from jealousy.
"Indeed." They all jumped as Alfia suddenly appeared. "I would like to spend more time with my nephew as well."
"Then it's settled. We'll stay together tonight!" Lefiya declared, not wanting the 'dirty human' to spend alone time with Ais.
The Sword Princess herself was more than a little displeased and pouted.
Bell smiled sympathetically.
"We'll spend some time together, just the two of us, when we get back to the surface. I promise," he vowed.
Her eyes widened.
He's making future plans, she thought, her heart thundering with joy and hope, that means he thinks he has a future.
She didn't voice her thoughts, she merely smiled and kissed him, uncaring of the looks from the other ladies or Bete's gagging.
"Okay," she said after pulling back.
She began pulling a stunned Bell down the corridor, with a group of jealous young ladies following close behind, while the elder adventurers chuckled.
Achilles sat smoking on the edge of the Rivira inn's roof. It had been a few hours since they had joined together and since then, instead of getting rest, they had played games, talked, laughed, told stories, and acted like one big happy family.
For which I am immensely glad, he thought as he let out a stream of smoke.
"I was wondering where you went."
Achilles turned and discovered his boy a couple paces behind him.
Bell walked over and sat down besides the elder adventurer, his eyes pointed up to the star-like crystals of the 18th floor.
"Just wanted a smoke and I know you guys don't like the smell," Achilles joked.
"I think we're all a little used to it by now. Except Lili, she'll never accept it," Bell joked back, making his father smile.
A few moments of silence passed and the air around them almost seemed like it was back to how it was before the Evilus came crashing into their lives. The easy smiles. The teasing. The comfortable silence. It was all there for one, happy little moment. Then Bell's smile dropped.
"I know I promised Wiene that I'd see her again, and that I made a promise to Ais as well...but," his fists tightened. "I don't know if I can keep making promises like those. I'm...I'm not even entirely sure I can keep the ones I've already made."
Another stream of smoke passed Achilles's lips before he pulled out his pipe.
"I know," he turned to the Hestia captain. "And believe it or not, I really do understand you, Bell." The young man turned to him, his eyes glassy. "Oh Bell," Achilles pulled the boy to his side. "I know all too well how you're feeling. After the battle with the Black Dragon and the revelation of Freya's nature, I was crushed. I wanted to die so badly back then. I was desperate to die. So desperate that I tore at the wound on my chest and bled out into the soil until it turned into mud." Bell's eyes widened and he looked up at his father. "But before I could finish the job, I realized that, if I died like that, I'd never be able to face Briseis or the others, in Heaven or in another life. It'd be too shameful. Too pathetic. So I decided to try and get revenge on the Dragon instead."
"You did?" Bell asked, remembering how adamant his father had been in the past about not going after the great beast.
"Yeah. I figured that would allow me to face my familia again. I spent years trying to find answers, clues, tools, and weapons to fight it, but two things changed my opinion on my quest. One: I had adventurer after adventurer come to me, looking for the same thing I was looking for. A means of killing it. Many had spent their entire lives consumed by their quest." Bell's mind flashed to Ais. "There were also plenty of people coming after me to get revenge for past 'wrongs' I did to them. And that all…seemed like such a waste. I knew they all could be happy if they would let it go and that, undoubtedly, they'd die if they continued on their quests, at least those that were after the Dragon. Still, that wasn't quite enough. The second thing was seeing my own reflection," Seeing Bell's confused face, he continued. "To make a long story short, I was following a lead with regards to the Dragon, or I thought I was, and while I did learn some very important things, none of it was how to kill that monster. In the end, I got into a fight and ended up destroying an entire cult. It wasn't a pretty sight and looking back on it, I am ashamed, even if I believe that the cult was too dangerous to be allowed to continue. I remember looking down at a puddle of blood and seeing my face in the pool. It was a distorted version of myself. Covered in gore, dark shadows under my ferocious eyes, and at the same time, looking so utterly hopeless." He met his son's eyes. "And I knew this was not the captain of the Zeus familia. Not the hero people looked up to. Not the best friend of Briseis. This…man, if I could be called that, was little more than a wild animal. A wrath. A monster himself. That finally snapped me out of it."
"I…I don't know what to say," Bell replied quietly.
"You don't need to say anything, you just need to understand, Bell. Understand that you are not alone in this pain. There are those who understand you," Achilles gestured at himself, "and so many people who love you," he gestured to the now quiet inn they were sitting on. "Understand that you are not alone. We are here for you, Bell, and we will help you through this darkness if you'll allow us."
Tears filled Bell's eyes and his head fell into Achilles's chest.
"I-I…know you'll all h-help me, a-and I love you all for it…b-but I wish there was s-something I could do to…fight back against all t-this…loathing."
Achilles stroked his hair gently, nodding as he listened to Bell's words.
"I wish so too, Bell. I wish there was something physical to fight or to destroy that would burn away that contempt. I mean, I don't think anyone would judge you if you wanted to wail on Dionysus into the next century."
"N-No. T-That…sounds like something the…White Dragon would do."
Achilles immediately regretted his suggestion.
"I'm sorry."
"I-It's okay. You were just t-trying to help m-me," Bell whispered.
Achilles cursed himself, but soon set aside his anger in favor of comforting Bell.
Still, I wish there was something that could be done. Something he could do that might ease some of the burden.
Then, an idea sprung to mind.
"I might just have a solution."
Bell looked up, his eyes sparkling from tears and just a little bit of hope.
"What's that?"
Bete yawned before turning his glaring eyes towards Achilles.
"Care to explain why you woke us up from our much needed sleep, old man?" he spat.
The 'us' were the upper-class adventurers of the Loki familia, the Hestia familia, the Zeus & Hera familias, as well as the Mania familia. Achilles had also invited the Miach and Take familias, but neither wanted to leave the side of their comatose captains, which he had respected. The Zeus and Hera familias had, likewise, been reluctant, but trusted the Expedition and Rivira medics enough to leave her knowing from his look that whatever Achilles's purporse was, it was important.
"I need to show you something," the Father On High answered, before stopping and correcting himself, "I want to show you something."
He moved on before any of them could inquire further.
The adventurers followed Achilles until he came to a cliffside of a hill deep in the forests of the 18th floor.
He suddenly pulled out Dragonsbane, which startled them a bit and they began looking around for enemies, only to watch as he cut his palm with the blade and pressed his fingertips into his blood.
The ex-captain then began to trace something on the cliffside until it was revealed that what he was drawing was the symbol of the Zeus familia.
Achilles laid his hand against the symbol and poured a bit of his lightning into the crest before he began to speak.
"I am Achilles Caesar. Captain of the Zeus familia, guardian of its treasures, and gatekeeper. By my command, patefacio."
The sound of grinding stone filled all their ears and, to their shock, the cliffside opened up, revealing a passageway.
"I wasn't entirely sure that would work seeing as I'm not the captain of the Zeus familia anymore," Achilles admitted out loud before turning to the others. "Welcome to the Cornucopia or, as Hera liked to call it, 'the Vault of Dangerous Junk'."
"This…" Bell met Achilles's eyes. "This is where…?"
"We keep those old and dangerous items, yes. Now come on, there's something I want to do before I lose my nerve."
Achilles entered the passage, the others following quickly after once they got over their surprise.
The passage was not overlong, but each step the adventurers took was filled with trepidation and excitement until, at last, they entered a room and, with a quick shot of lightning, Achilles lit it up.
"Wow," Patroclus voiced as all their eyes were filled with the sight of a treasure trove of items. Some were as small as marbles, others were as large as two Silverbacks stacked on top of each other, all were dazzling, yet hummed with power that warned the adventurers that these artifacts were not to be trifled with.
Achilles pressed on after giving them a moment to take it all in, knowing he needed to act before the sinking feeling in his stomach grew to crippling size.
"There's Mjolnir," he pointed out, hoping to distract himself a bit.
"That's a beautiful hammer," Ajax said, his eyes sparkling as he eyed it, taking in the silvery gleam of its body and the intricate golden ruins wrapped around its handle. His gaze lowered and ended at a bright yellow diamond that shined as the centerpiece of its pommel.
"It is indeed," Achilles agreed before tapping a black and blood red box with his knuckle. "And this is Pandora's Box."
A few of them froze at that revelation, remembering what Achilles had told them about the item.
"There's…nothing in it…right?" Tione questioned.
"Of course there is," Achilles revealed. "It's just, at this point, we have no idea what."
There were a few moments of silence before a certain prum stepped forward.
"Lili would like to keep her distance from that thing."
The others were quick to agree and they moved on.
"I was wondering if this would still be here," Achilles suddenly said as he stopped.
"If what would still be here?" Riveria asked.
Achilles reached up and grabbed an item and turned to face them or, more accurately, to face Ais.
"This," he said holding up the item, "is the Hourglass of Kronos."
Ais's golden orbs widened as they centered on the timekeeping device.
It was huge, at least in comparison to other hourglasses she'd seen, roughly comparable to her own torso. It was made of ebony stone and jade, with every gemstone she'd ever heard of wrap around the two ends. Inside was shining sands that shifted colors as she watched, transforming from a deep, royal purple, to a warm orange, and then to a pale blue in a dazzling display that, for a brief moment, made her forget what it was she was looking at.
"This is-"
"Yeah," he cut her off to ensure she didn't reveal more than she meant to, "and it looks like he has indeed been used somewhat recently, I can still feel some divine power radiating through it."
"Who used it?" Alfia inquired.
"My guess? Zeus."
"To what end?" Dido pressed, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"That is not my secret to tell," Achilles answered.
The others not in the know figured that he was talking of Zeus, but Dido quickly deduced that wasn't the case.
He would have simply said that it was Zeus's secret to tell. No, her eyes turned to Ais, he showed it to her. She's at the center of this, but how? Her eyes narrowed further. And why does she seem so damn familiar?
She would not receive her answer as Achilles put the Hourglass down and took a deep breath.
"We're almost to the item I want to show you, but I need to warn you all, this item is not like the others. You need to fortify yourselves right now. This thing is pure malice and will affect you. If you don't think you can handle that, I will not think any less of you if you want to wait here."
The others shared looks, except for Finn, Ais, and Bell, who knew immediately what he meant.
"The Horn?" Bell deduced.
The others froze as Achilles nodded.
"Yes. Zeus named it Gjallarhorn, but I never thought it deserved a nickname."
A few more moments of silence passed before Galadriel stepped forward.
"Why do you want us to see that item? I'm sure you wouldn't take us to it, indeed you wouldn't show us all this," she gestured at the vault, "without reason."
"You're right, I do have a purpose," he turned to Bell. "You spoke of a darkness inside you. Of fearing it," he took a knee in front of his son, "But you are not a monster, Bell. You have a great and terrible power inside you, but you are not a monster. My hope is that, by confronting real darkness, you might be able to realize that and move forward."
A great and terrible uneasiness filled Bell's stomach, mind, and heart.
How can you possibly confront such great darkness when you can't overcome your own dark heart?
But I can. I can face this darkness and the darkness within me. If not for my own sake, then for everyone I love, Bell's true voice countered with determination.
The dark voice retreated and Bell's fist tightened.
"Okay."
Achilles nodded and rose to his feet.
"Prepare yourselves."
Together, the adventurers all headed through the vault until they came to a separate room, sealed by great doors.
"In here."
Achilles steeled himself, already knowing what to expect, then opened the doors.
Suddenly, everyone was hit by a tidal wave of wrath and hatred so overwhelming that the lower levels nearly vomited under the weight of its malice.
"What…is this?" Rei groaned, barely able to speak under the horrid pressure.
"It's the power, the essence of the One-Eyed Black Dragon," Achilles answered, "and one of the reasons we were so easily defeated by him."
But I will not be defeated again, especially not to your mere stink, Achilles thought as he strode forward.
The others, though weak from the evil they felt, managed to follow after him into the room.
"And there it is," Achilles stated darkly.
All eyes fell upon the item that lay at the center of the room, and not a single one of them did not feel their blood turn to ice at the sight of it.
Easily over two feet long, the night black horn of the great beast was a terrifying thing to behold. Like Bell's horns, it was spiked and imposing, waiting for victims to be impaled upon its countless edges. Yet even the White Dragon did not hold the dread this horn did, for within it were the countless consumed souls that Black Dragon had devoured, and the fires of its millennia-long unquenchable wrath which made even the White Dragon's titanic rage seem small.
Achilles eyed the horn for a few moments before he turned to his son and pulled out the Hestia Knife. He had, naturally, taken the weapon from his boy after the revelation of Bell's dark thoughts, but now he held it out with calm, but purposeful eyes.
"I...don't understand," Bell said as his body fought back against the pressure around him.
"If you destroy it, Dionysus's plans are utterly obliterated. His plan to use the Horn to summon the Dragon and his plan to use you to become a new dragon will both, simultaneously be turned to ash if you destroy it. The Horn itself will be gone, and more importantly, you will prove to that bastard and to yourself that you will not become the Monster of Armageddon."
Bell's eyes moved back to his weapon and, as everyone watched, the old heroic flame in his soul reignited and he took the blade before turning his ruby orbs to the Horn.
The captain of the Hestia familia took a tentative step towards the terrible item, and then another so that he was before the manifestation of malice which, even now, was rolling off it in tsunamis.
Bell's heart began to thunder in his chest as he stared at the Horn and he began to shake and sweat.
I…I can do this. I can do this.
Don't.
He froze as those terrible, yet so familiar voices from the deep called from the deep once again.
Don't destroy it. Use it. Summon Chaos and release us.
No. No, I…I don't want to.
It is your purpose! Why you were born! To liberate us! SO FREE US, TYPHON!
"Use it," another, even more familiar voice from the far off corner of the world echoed in Bell's mind. "Summon me so that we may finish this, my son."
Fear, wrath, confusion, determination, desperation all mixed in Bell's mind and he felt as ready to vomit or faint as he did to destroy the Horn or use it.
"I…can't," Bell revealed, practically groaning under the weight of his conflicting desires.
Everyone around him understood, or thought they did, for they all believed that he was afraid. The malice of the horn had struck fear into their hearts as nothing else had, not even the White Dragon. Why wouldn't it strike fear into even brave Bell's conflicted heart. They all understood. All…but one. The one who knew what the true reason for Bell's dilemma was.
He isn't afraid of it, he wants to use it, Dido recognized, fury and fear mixing together as her hand moved to her ax.
But before the Hera captain could make, what would no doubt be her final move, Ais stepped forward and placed her hand on top of Bell's.
"We'll do it together," she said so gently that all the voices and all the emotions within his conflicted heart and mind ceased in an instant.
She pulled out Desperate and stood beside him, her golden eyes reassuring him.
The sound of a second blade unsheathing made them all turn and they found Achilles now on Bell's other side with Dragonsbane in his hands.
"Together," the Father On High repeated.
Bell looked between the two, taking in their strong eyes and their gentle smiles.
"You can do it, Bell," Haruhime called.
"You can do it," Welf joined.
"Of course Bell-sama can do it!" Lili added.
"We are here for you, Bell-dono," Mikoto avowed.
"And always will be," Ryuu agreed.
"Like you could get rid of me that easily," Aisha smiled.
"Take your time, kid," Ajax told him.
"It's alright to be scared," Galadriel stated.
"But you can conquer that fear," Alfia vowed.
"Especially with Achilles beside you," Patroclus said.
"And Ais," Riveria seconded.
"We're all behind you," Finn assured him.
"So destroy that stupid fucking thing so we can go and get some rest bunny boy!" Bete commanded, earning a slugged arm from Tione.
"You can do it!" Tiona exclaimed with a smile.
Bell looked over all their faces, his eyes wide with shock.
They're here for me. And…they don't fear me.
And how long will that last? His dark voice asked.
His hands tightened around his knife.
Forever, he said without a hint of doubt.
Bell Cranel turned back to the Horn, his heart renewed and his hope reawakened.
Gold appeared in the whites of his eyes and slowly began to move throughout his body through his veins, making his body glow with the power of Indomitable Will.
The golden power spread until it reached his hands, but did not stop there, but continued on into the Hestia blade which began to glow and elongate with the golden energy until it became a sword to match the two beside them.
With his new blade, Bell raised his arms up, Ais and Achilles matching him and then, simultaneously, they all brought their swords down.
The three blades cut through the horn at three separate places, sending it tumbling to the ground, destroyed.
Bell breathed heavily as he stared down at the horn.
It's ove-
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!
The most horrible roar pierced into their minds as malevolent power sent them crashing to their knees.
Dark energy burst from the horn and filled the air, turning it as cold as ice and suffocating them all.
WHY?! WHY?! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TYPHON?!
The voices from the deep screamed in his mind as he felt as if he was going to die.
WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! ANSWER US TYPHOOOOOON!
My. Name. Is. BELL!
Golden light shot through Bell's body again, only this time it was not alone. Anger pulsed in his veins as he rejected these voices in his mind as soon, his dragon horns returned to his crown, his tail regrew, and his wings sprouted from his back. Yet, he did not attack those around him, nor go on a rampage. Instead, he opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of dazzling golden fire.
The golden fire collided with the black energy and, as the other adventurers watched, did battle.
At first, the black energy, the power made by the Black Dragon itself, was overcoming the golden flames, but Bell would not relent and unleashed more and more of the fire until the mass of malevolence found its strength waning and, at last, was overcome and burned to ash.
The moment the pressure disappeared, Bell's eyes rolled back and he collapsed, Ais and Achilles quickly catching him.
"That was…I'm not sure words can describe it," Finn said as he slowly got up.
The others were similarly lost for words until a certain dwarf spoke up.
"It was Bell. That's all that needs to be said," Gareth stated as he smiled at the young man now being held by the two swordsmen.
The others smiled.
"Yes. That's right," Haruhime agreed.
His crimson eye lowered.
"I'm a bit disappointed in you, my hatchling. You should have used it. And yet," his pale fangs gleamed in the moonlight as he smiled darkly, "I must say, that display was magnificent."
Endo
Okay, I keep meaning to get us back to the surface, but I keep finding spots that seem like the best place to stop, so I hope you can all forgive me for this short chapter. I PROMISE, next time, we will get back to the surface, see all our favorite gods and goddesses again and move on to the next part of the story. Pinky promise.
With that promise made, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and encourage you to share your thoughts, good and bad.
With my usual speel out of the way, we've come to the end once again, so I will bid you all a very fine farewell and, again, we WILL get to the surface next chapter, have no fear. I've got LOTS planned for the upcoming chapters, including a certain Queen of the Skies, so I hope you're all excited. So, bye for now everybody and have a lovely week. :)
*patefacio: Open