Disclaimer: I do not own DanMachi or any of the Omori's original characters, nor do I make any profit off of my writing.


Bell ducked under the clumsy sweep of the landform ax with a sigh, spinning around so his back faced the minotaur so he could glare at the girl laughing her ass off at him as he continued to maneuver around the monster's strikes.

He crossed his arms impatiently and drummed his fingers along his biceps. His lips stretched into a frown.

A downward stroke of the ax was sidestepped easily, the mighty weapon colliding with the stone floor and eliciting a massive boom! Shards of stone and unrefined dungeon ore scattered across the ground of the fifth floor, each clatter echoing endlessly down the halls alongside the minotaur's bellows.

Bell huffed, finally having enough.

"Can I use your sword or not? All I've got are these stupid guild daggers because somebody won't loan me any valis."

Aiz snorted and nodded, unbuckling her scabbard from her waist even as her hands trembled with muted giggles. She snorted as Bell ducked under another punch by the minotaur.

Desperate spun through the air between the level five and level one adventurers. Bell caught it swiftly, his right hand extending upwards as he spun around and redirected a punch with his left. He gripped it by the hilt, redirecting the horn that was plunged toward his heart with the sheathed blade.

He placed enough force behind the parry to send the scabbard tumbling away, revealing the silver durandal blade in all its glory.

The beast took an immediate step back, not foolish enough to challenge a blade of that caliber so readily. Still, it recognized the difference in capabilities between weapon and wielder.

It glared at the child through two, beady red eyes. Two obsidian horns sprouted from either side of its bovine head and its entire body was covered head to toe in midnight fur. It radiated an aura of strength and hate and it recognized the child before it as lesser.

What could a wet-nosed, level-one adventurer hope to do against a minotaur?

Nothing, simple as tha–

Its head slammed into the stone underfoot with a dull thunk! with its body soon to follow. First, the knees gave way – without the brain to tell them to stay upright, they quickly collapsed. It fell forward, Bell managing to step aside quickly enough so he didn't douse himself in blood like the first time.

He didn't recommend it even as a prank on your half-elven guild advisor, the stuff never washes out.

He nudged the corpse of the minotaur before shrugging and walking off to his right, collecting the royal blue scabbard that always accompanied the Sword Princess.

Speaking of Sword Princesses..

Bell spun on his heel, fully ready to lay into Aiz for abandoning him, again, as he fought the minotaur, again.

Only she wasn't there.

Something brushed against his cheek and he turned to face Aiz with a light dusting of pink across her cheeks and a smirk playing across her lips. If somebody had told him the first time he lived through this that one day he'd be the reason Aiz Wallenstein smiled much less smirked he'd have thought they were speaking out their ass.

But here he was.

In his..

"Aiz, how many times have we repeated this?"

She tapped her chin in thought as she walked over to the minotaur's side, "this is the.. fourth time," she paused for a moment as she hovered over its corpse before tacking on an 'I think' as an afterthought.

Bell couldn't help but chuckle as he joined her and slid Desperate into the monster's chest. He cut a line from sternum to naval before plunging a hand into its chest and wrapping his fingers around the large magic crystal in its chest. He pulled it out and wiped the blood away on his pant leg before turning back to his fellow prisoner of the space-time continuum.

He fell backward as he exhaled, slamming his butt down onto the hard stone without a care for how sore it'll be later. Aiz settled in beside him quietly as the excelia that exploded out of the minotaur's corpse distributed throughout the room.

".. why do you think we're stuck in this loop?"

Their shoulders bumped as she shrugged and goosebumps shot up his back. Even after a year and a half of knowing each other, she still could make him feel all.. tingly with her touch alone.

It didn't so much matter that the year and a half they'd known each other was really only five months repeated on a loop three times.

Her head fell down onto his shoulder as she sighed and shut her eyes, wordlessly taking her sword back from his lap as she did.

".. is it really so bad? Sure, nobody else ever remembers but we still have each other, right?"

Bell nodded into her hair, really her being by his side was the only reason he hadn't lost his mind by this point. He could only relive the same events on repeat so many times without thinking he might be just a little crazy. Their hands slipped into one another as they sat there, an unconscious habit they had formed over the months for whenever either of them was feeling upset or uncomfortable.

Most of the time it revolved around their seemingly eternal punishment for something only the gods may know.

"I'd just like to be free of this curse someday," he turned two tired ruby eyes to the ceiling of the cavern, "no matter what we've tried, it always ends the same. There's so much we have left to do after the defeat of Nidhogg that I can't– I won't stop fighting until we're free."

".. "

"Your mom still needs saving. The damn dragon still needs slaying.. "

If there was one thing Bell had picked up from Aiz over time, it was her hatred of the One-Eyed Black Dragon. He didn't hate it to the same degree, and it didn't poison his mind with spite to the same degree as it once did her, but he did loathe its existence.

It caused Aiz so much pain. It caused so many people so much pain.

He wouldn't let that stand. He'd slay the beast.

He just needed to figure a way out of this time loop first.

Aiz hummed noncommittedly, he knew what she wanted and he knew she wanted it desperately. But Aiz had been driven by her anger for so long. She'd been blind to the world for so long. And when she finally realized the error of her ways she was trapped in an endless loop as punishment.

Life wasn't fair to her and now all she wanted was to rest.

He couldn't blame her, all he wanted was the same. He wanted to be able to live his life and grow old with her by his side. To go on normal dates. To get married. To go on their honeymoon. To have kids. To work regular, boring, borderline masochist jobs.

He couldn't do that while he was stuck in this hell.

He gently shifted his head so his lips pressed against the side of her face and smiled into her temple as she sighed in contentment. They were both blissfully unaware of the slack-jawed werewolf who had been watching ever since the newbie adventurer had danced around a level two minotaur like it was nothing.

Neither of them had noticed him, being far too preoccupied in their own joyous reunion (and Aiz's gleeful betrayal of Bell as she watched and giggled) or by their mournful remembrance of their fate.

Bete had heard everything.

Granted everything just so happened to be about a dozen sentences and one-hundred twenty-eight words, but he had heard enough.

He scratched his cheek as he glanced behind him.

He just didn't understand a damn thing they said.

.. repeated this?

.. stuck in this loop?

.. still have eachother.. ?

Your mom.. ?

.. dragon.. ?

What the shit?

Bete didn't have a single damn clue what was going on, so like any logical werewolf, he turned around and marched back down toward the sixth floor to meet up with his familia.

He needed a damn drink.

Bell paused as a girl called out to him, turning around to see a grey-haired girl in a green dress. She was one of those "girl next door" types, she was smiling over at him from where she laid her straw broom back against the stone wall of the building, and– he really doesn't care anymore.

It's not like going to the Hostess was going to change his motivations at all, he really didn't need to hear Bete's rant for a fourth.. wait, actually the first two repeats they'd tried to play things out to a T.

Well, okay the first time it was more so because he'd thought he was just going to take a nice nap in Knossos after taking Nidhogg and he just woke up in front of the minotaur with nothing more than a standard-issue knife to his name.

So, he freaked out a little bit. It was stressful, sue him.

But they most definitely did not stick to the script this time around, would Bete still rant about him?

Wait, shit. He was supposed to respond to her! He tilted his head to the side in a way he hoped would come off as 'cute' and 'innocent' and not in any way pedophilic.

".. Umm.. can I help you?"

She seemed to be staring into his soul, something he honestly found quite unnerving no matter how many times it happened. He knows she made that joke about the eyes being 'the window to the soul' at the casino, but sometimes he really doubted it was actually a joke with how piercing her gaze was.

"You dropped this!"

His gaze fell down to the small magic shard in her hand.

He made his decision.

With a smile, he waved her away and turned back down the street, "I think you're mistaken! I cashed all of mine in last night!"

Syr was too baffled by his dismissal of her to even muster up the willpower to respond. It was truly crushing.

In Bell's defense, he'd accidentally forgotten the minotaur stone on the floor because somebody thought it'd be funny to kiss him and his brain practically melted out his ears.

So now he had no money.

He really should've taken that stone she offered, he could have at least stuffed his pockets with some valis that way.

Instead, Bell just continued on toward Babel, resolutely ignoring the incredulous stare penetrating his skull from the top of the tower. He just shook his head in amusement and trekked on, hands in his pockets without a care in the world.

Aiz turned away with a poorly stifled snort as the door opened and a waiter stepped up the table. She tried to hide it, she really did, but it was just so good!

She really was a far cry from the girl she was before she'd met Bell, back then it'd taken no effort at all to keep her face perfectly blank. But Freya's unblinking, wide-eyed stare as Bell Cranel walked out in a waiter's garb with two menus in hand and a faux smile on his lips was just too good.

"Good morning and welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, my ladies. My name is Bell and I will be your waiter for your time in our humble café. Could I interested you in any of our signature teas or perhaps a pastry to start yourself off with?"

Loki took the introduction in stride and handled it as well as she would handle anything.

Completely without tact.

"Shoo, boy. We'll just be here for a moment while we conduct business."

He nodded to her with a smile but didn't leave, instead, turning to Aiz. His faux smile dropping into one far more cheerful as he regarded her, "and you, my lady?"

Aiz would be lying if she said she didn't squirm just a little bit at the nickname.

She fixed him with a teasing smile as she propped her chin up on the back of her hand, "I think I'll go with.. the rabbit stew."

Bell swallowed thickly with an audible gulp as a bead of sweat slid down the side of his neck. He gave her a shaky nod as he scribbled a poorly drawn picture of a smiling sun onto his notepad.

He turned to Freya who was watching his interaction with Aiz with a baffled expression. She jolted out of her thoughts as he spoke to her, "and you, Freya-sama?"

Her eyes flicked back and forth between him and Aiz so rapidly he was almost worried she would somehow give them whiplash.

Almost.

In the end, she settled on trying to mirror Aiz's posture and smiling up at her Odr, her expression dimming somewhat as his face didn't change. Not even the slightest of blushes!

".. and what exactly would you recommend, darling?"

She tried – keyword tried – to give him a sultry look that would bring most men to their knees but she just couldn't seem to follow through as his expression dropped into the most neutral she'd ever seen in her presence.

For Heaven's sake, it rivaled the Doll Princess in its blankness. Her eyes flicked over to Aiz's face as the girl snickered behind the palm of her hand. Loki was completely oblivious to the world, instead, taking to examining the ceiling fan the circled overhead as the magic crystal embedded in the center glowed softly.

Freya ranted internally, just what the shit is happening! This wasn't how it was supposed to be at all! Why is he even working here!

Bell tilted his head to the side with furrowed brows, an expression eerily similar the one he wore when he spurned Syr's advances just four days prior. He tapped his chin in mock thought, "what would I recommend.. what would I recommend.. "

He snapped his fingers as a smile split his face, "aha!"

Freya quickly pulled a smile of her own across her face and straightened out her hair.

Bell leaned in.

This is it! This is it!

Freya was squealing like a schoolgirl inside her mind, fully ready for her Odr to take her. She couldn't care less that they were on the balcony of a popular café overlooking a busy street on the day of Monsterphilia. If he wanted to ravage her right here and now she wouldn't object in the slightest.

Not with a soul like his.

She'd thought at first that his soul was beautiful. When she first saw it she could have sworn it was completely transparent.

But now? Now that she could see it up close and personal as the owner of said beautiful soul stared her down? It was breathtaking.

She was inching closer and closer to orgasmic bliss just by being near it.

It wasn't transparent, no. It must have never been so in the first place, because this soul, this soul was unmistakable.

A raging white fire, burning hotter and brighter than any supernova found in any galaxy.

She could practically feel its warmth. Its love.

She reveled in the feeling.

The smile slipped from Bell's face once again and he fixed her with a critical and damning stare.

"I'd recommend not charming a bunch of monsters from the dungeon and telling them to hunt me and my goddess down so you can pleasure yourself while I fight for my life."

Oh yes, she can practically feel his coc

Wait, WHAT?

Freya sputtered as she retreated backward, pushing herself away from Bell's blank face and onto the second chair behind her.

For his part, Bell didn't even flinch as Ottar appeared on the balcony, a clump of shattered roof shingles left in his wake several streets over. He just dipped his head respectfully with the same dead-eyed stare, his blank expression only faltering for a moment as Aiz clenched her stomach and snorted.

Both Freya's and Loki's heads were spinning back and forth between the two drastically different reactions they had come to associate with the two children.

Well, Loki had never seen Bell before much less met him, but his face know was certainly different from how he appeared when he first walked up to the table.

She should probably get this meeting back on track.

The red-haired goddess walked two of her fingers along the table as she placed her chin atop her other palm, "so.. what's all this 'bout releasin' monsters?"

Bell smiled and didn't that just prove her point? Was this kid bipolar or something?

"Well, Freya here seems to think I am her Odr and it is her duty to make me the best version of myself. As a result, she devised a plan to charm and release monsters captured for the taming event onto the streets of Orario and have them hunt my goddess and I down so that she may watch me fight for our lives and pleasure herself as I do so."

Loki nodded, "right.. "

Freya had yet to blink since his recommendation, something he would have found quite impressive if Ottar wasn't kneeling beside her and continuously applying eye drops to keep her eyes moistened.

This is by far the weirdest interaction I've had in any reset.

If Aiz's flabbergasted reaction was anything to go by, it was the same for her as well.

Now, they'd never actually confronted Freya about her plans at Monsterphilia before this time around – mainly because it took them three tries to even realize what was happening. The only reason they were doing so now was because the fight is highly unnecessary for Bell's overall growth.

And also, they were bored.

Messing with people was just a good alternative to mindlessly going through the motions another time.

Bell would have felt slightly ashamed that it had taken so long if it wasn't entirely Aiz's fault. She went to this same meeting three times in a row (and never once telling him) without knowing what it was about in the slightest!

How'd she even manage that?

Welp, doesn't look like Freya is going to snap out of it.

He took a step to the side and bent over to pick the knocked-over chair the goddess originally sat in up. He righted it before taking a step closer to the downed woman and nudging her foot with his o–

"UUUUUuuuuooOOOoooooo!"

Bell sighed and stepped backward as the minotaur's landform ax split the air before him. A second later it exploded into a mist of blood and gore, giving way for Bell to make eye contact with a furious Sword Princess.

And she was glaring at him. Him!

She took a step forward, her lips drawing back in a snarl, "you will never," she shoved a finger into his chest as he took a step back, "and I mean never do something like that again."

Her sword clattered to the ground as she dove forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing into his chest and uncaring for the blood that once again covered his body. Bell tentatively wrapped his hands around her back and hummed a soft melody as he shut his eyes, forcing the tears that threatened to spill out.

He briefly retracted one of his arms to run a finger along the skin of his neck where the 'King' chopped his head off. He chuckled bitterly as he lost control of his tears and wept into Aiz's shoulder. At least they knew now that if they died they repeated the loop again, but does that mean Aiz died too? He wasn't sure how he felt about that, nor could he really blame her for dying with him. He doubted he could go move on without her.

Fifth times the charm?


Author Notes:

Before you all try to 'Is It Wrong to Not Want to Meet My Soulmate' me again and get me to continue my one-shots far longer than I had meant to, I think this one is perfect as is. No need to expand on it.

I mean if you all want to I will. It's really fun to write and I really like the idea, but like it wasn't meant to be a long-running story.