A Waning Silence

by JL Davenport

She was meant to leave and to die causing destruction throughout Orario. But instead, Alfia, the Maiden of Silence, found herself captivated by the young child her sister had left behind in this world. And so, Bell grew up with one extra guardian, and the ripples from that small change will change his story a great deal. Bell/Harem.

10. Chapter 10

Is It Wrong To Love Another Woman?

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Author's Note: A chapter that's not overdue! It's not late! It's roughly, more or less on time!

Once again, my "I'll keep each chapter to 10k words so I can get them out quickly" plan continues to crumble, but I'm actually pretty happy to have this chapter out in such good time, even if I did blow beyond my word count expectations. In the end, I added a bit more than Bell and Syr having sex, so there's a bit of an exploration there, and a lot of exploration for Syr's character too. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.

A few quick notes:

I've had a few people ask about the term "Meders" and corrected me to "Meters". I appreciate you looking out for me, but that's actually a quirk of the setting, Danmachi uses "Meders" instead. I know, it sounds weird, but that's how it is. It's clearer in the LN's but the anime and Gatcha both mention it in passing too.

I've used the name Hörn instead of Helun, as you may know her, for Freya's attendant. I tossed up on this because to English speakers "Horn" is a bit funny, but the name suits properly from a mythological perspective, Hörn was one of the names Freya used to disguise herself with when she went out searching for her Odr. Hopefully using the Umlauts makes it a little less silly looking.

I'm still taking suggestions for Bell's new title, but I've had so many good ones I've completely thrown away my original idea and I now know what I think I'll go with. Feel free to suggest something though.

And, as always, remember that FFN automatically opts everyone out of email notifications every few months, so make sure you reset that periodically if you don't want to miss updates.

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"Bell Cranel…" the God of Wine drew the name out, tasting it, rolling it across his tongue, before shaking his head, finding it not to his liking, "What's your opinion of him?"

"Irrelevant, utterly irrelevant," Filvis answered calmly, "Weak, hopelessly so, and without knowledge or talent, nothing but a childish ambition- he's practically everything Lady Alfia isn't. Naïve, foolish, far too trusting, and innocent beyond reason- no doubt it's only due to her presence that he hasn't already been scammed out of everything he owns. In the old Orario, he would have been mugged for that fancy knife of his and left for dead."

"Well, you can thank Gale Wind for that," Dionysus snorted, raising his glass in a mocking toast towards the corrupted warrior of justice, "Then what is his role in this? Does she actually love him? Or is he some tool of hers?"

It was difficult to imagine a level 1 adventurer playing any significant part in the events that were yet to unfold, but with dark and forbidden rituals there were many things that a willing or unwitting body could be used for. A living bomb, a walking spell-trigger, or perhaps he was just a simple patsy Alfia intended to set in the right place at the right time, for whatever purposes she sought.

Filvis shook her head, "It's impossible that he's a part of anything. He's far too earnest, and much too honest for anything like that, he can hardly even lie to save his life. He truly believes that he came to his city to become an adventurer, he's chasing after that ambition with everything he has. Whatever she's planning, he isn't aware of it… but, if she truly did care for him, then why would she have brought him with her? Someone like him will only get killed in the chaos."

Taking a long draw from the chalice, he nodded slowly. Filvis's words were only a supposition, but they were a logical one that was hard to deny. After many long years, The Maiden of Silence had returned to Orario to wreak her revenge, and if she truly cared for her nephew, it was hard to imagine why she would have placed him directly in the crossfire, "That's true. That woman's magic is truly terrifying… anyone who remembers those days knows it well. It's said that if she were to draw on her full power, she could destroy an entire level of the Dungeon."

Magic strong enough to make Nine Hells kneel, and power unstoppable enough to bring Ottar to low, Filvis shuddered trying to imagine it. For all that she was currently a solitary figure bundled up quietly and unassumingly in some forgotten underground church, and for all that her interactions with the woman had been more infuriating and demeaning than anything else, it couldn't be forgotten that Alfia was truly a terrifying woman. In many ways she made all their plans completely obsolete… after all, what use were schemes and plots when this one woman could level the entire city single handed? It was ridiculous.

But, of course, nothing was ever that simple. Alfia had her own plans in the dungeon City and whatever they were she had shared little to nothing with her allies so far.

"Then it's unlikely she cares about the boy enough that taking him hostage could be used to control her," Dionysus swirled his words carefully as he rotated his glass idly under his chin, "But it's equally unlikely that he has no value to her, and to what she intends, if she brought him all this way."

A stalemate then. Bell Cranel was too important to ignore, but not important enough that they could make use of him. Still, that was fine. Alfia was an ally of convenience; they'd had their own plans long before she'd arrived in the city and nothing about her arrival had changed that scenario.

"For now, best to simply let things lie and to keep drawing her into our fold, bit by bit… Hmm, and I think-" reaching into his pocket, the God of Wine pulled out a small willowy looking stick. As soon as he drew it out into the air something akin to a fresh breeze washed over the room, and -for just a moment- a sense of peaceful ease brushed against the edges of Filvis's ruined soul. She couldn't help but purse her lips slightly as she took it from him, goosebumps spreading across her arms and a wellspring of regretful self-loathing churning within her breast, "It's about time we gave yet another little sign of our sincerity. She must be just starting to crave another one of these branches by now."

Branches from the Sacred Tree, the one true leverage they did have over the Incarnation of Talent. It was hardly a cure, but -for a time at least- they could offer her relief from the disease that wracked her body and which restrained the limits of her power.

It was a tenuous leverage at best, Alfia had demonstrated an ability to survive all this long while without any such gift, but it was a surety all the same. Living in Orario, surrounded by the great and powerful, was a far cry from living in some far corner of the world surrounded by mud and dirt. Even if she hadn't consumed the first branch, she would eventually, and after that would come another, and another… but always offered at their mercy and their discretion.

"I've heard news that the Guild dismissed her nephew from their care yesterday, it seems he's well on the way to recovery from that harrowing ordeal of his. Why don't you go see her and offer her our best wishes?"

Nodding her ascent, Filvis turned and made her way out the room, closing the door behind her and leaving her God to his plotting and to all the work yet to be done.

Walking through the hallways and out into Orario's evening chill, Filvis let her plans for the night unfold in her mind. Dealing with Alfia was always a tricky proposition and without knowing just how much she did or didn't value Bell, Dionysus had certainly put her in a difficult spot with regards to what she was even to say. Overt sympathy might be laughed off, while lacking concern may easily engender offense. This was hardly a job to be relished, but it was a job she'd received from her beloved Dionysus-sama, so she relished his trust instead.

At least, she comforted herself, with the white-haired boy still recuperating, she was at least going to be spared the indignity of going out on another date with him. That was a small mercy at least. Of course, knowing the frustrating Maiden of Silence as she had recently, it was just as likely that she would be told to return only upon Bell's recovery, specifically for that reason.

Filvis sighed.

Yet, surprisingly, she found that thought agitated her a lot less than she'd expected. Instead, when she pictured the young man and imagined the state he must be in right now, she found her heart squeezing just slightly. He was always so bright and so warm, brimming with joy and boundless energy, even knowing such a thing was always expected for any adventurer, it was difficult to imagine him laid up injured in some hospital bed.

Bell Cranel was an innocent soul. Even as far as she'd fallen, the dregs of the Elf that remained within her was still troubled to imagine him wounded, or in pain. Even if she'd found it humiliating to be forced out on dates with a human boy, like she had, no small part of Filvis would much rather endure that than see him lying up in that underground basement, covered in bandages or blood.

It wasn't… she found herself conceding as her thoughts twisted… it wasn't as if she'd had a bad time walking around Orario with him. He'd always tried to look after her, in that naïve, foolish way of his, and as lonesome as her life was these days, the way he'd so happily imposed his company on her was very similar to Lefiya, and not altogether unwelcome. They'd each tried to learn about the title she'd been scorned with, just for the sake of understanding her, and they'd each reached out to her regardless.

At that thought, and the memory that there were now two people in the entire world that had held Filvis's hand, and that only one of them was an Elf, a small trace of heat burned across her cheeks. And, for just a single second, Filvis found herself hoping that by the time she arrived at the underground basement, Bell Cranel would have recovered and been back on his feet, that she could verify his wellbeing.

It would almost certainly mean getting sent out on yet another farce of a date… but… if she didn't see him, then he'd start falling behind on his Elven language lessons. The heat on her cheeks cooled and her heart settled on that explanation. Filvis, of course, hated wasting her time. It would be pointless to have taught him anything if he went and forgot it all between their lessons.

Uncharacteristically, Filvis still hadn't said anything to Dionysus about her dates, and especially not about the fact that Bell Cranel was now apparently her boyfriend. She'd begged Lefiya for secrecy on that topic the next time she'd seen her, but given how excitable the pink Elf could be, she had a sneaking suspicion that she'd let it slip sooner or later. She could only hope that the news stayed within the Loki Familia.

Dionysus-sama was all she had left in this world and all he was everything she'd pledged herself to while she yet remained.

She hadn't yet emotionally prepared herself to tell the God she adored that she'd been spending her time dating another man.
And more importantly, she hadn't steeled herself nearly enough for the way she knew he would simply accept it with a smile, or the way he would calmly encourage her to continue going along with Alfia's whims.

The first man to touch Filvis, the first one to hold her hand and walk with her, had not been the man she loved. And she was the only one who cared about that.

So, for now at least, as long as it remained nothing but one of Alfia's whims, she would say nothing. The time she spent with Bell Cranel wasn't important enough to taste Dionysus-sama's time with, and she was far too mortified herself to bring it up without any cause.

She sighed, yet again.

Somehow, despite all the planning, all the secrecy, and all the things they had yet to do, Bell Cranel ran through her mind far more than made any sense. Her thoughts should be occupied entirely with the terror and power of the highest-level adventurers in Orario they had to manipulate, had to mislead, and had to overcome. But instead, an unranked, untitled white-rabbit bounded though her thoughts instead.

Really, now that she was walking through the crisp streets, and lost entirely in her thoughts, she realised she was surprised at just how relieved she was to know the young adventurer was recovering, and at just how quickly her steps were taking her towards the cities western quarter. Obviously, it was convenient for their plans, if anything serious had happened to him, it would have made Alfia unpredictable.

But more than that… she was just glad. Despite herself, and despite what she'd become, she was just honestly relieved.

It was stupid and it was beyond pointless, but she'd come to rather like Bell Cranel.

Of course, just like how she'd come to find a kinship with Lefiya, that connection left her concerned.

He'd always talked so passionately about becoming a real adventurer and getting stronger, it was something he obviously cared a great deal about, but she'd never truly given it all that much thought or taken it particularly seriously, not beyond giving him some advice or offhanded comments in passing. Orario was full to bursting with brash and unworldly travellers, all freshly arrived and ready to throw themselves into the legendary dungeons for fame and fortune… and often just as ready to quit within a few weeks after they truly realised just how real the risks were, just how difficult it was to get stronger, and just how few vallis they were gambling their lives for in the upper levels.

But now the rumours were saying that Bell had been the one to solve the Minotaur incident. Somehow, impossibly, the news was circulating Orario that the weak and hopeless young man she'd shown around had killed not just one, but two Minotaur. It was absolutely ridiculous, and the fact that Loki Familia had been present only made that clear. She knew for sure that Lefiya would certainly not hesitate to save an adventurer in need, and reports had said that they'd been seen carrying the battered and wounded Cranel out from the upper-levels. By any logic, he had done an incredible job just surviving against foes like that, the idea that he'd actually been responsible for killing them was beyond unreasonable. And yet the rumours persisted. And while the Loki Familia was away on their expedition, it seemed there was no-one to clear them up.

Which left her concerned. Because if they were true, if they had even a spark of truth… then she would have to acknowledge that she'd misjudged him, that Bell Cranel was a true adventurer.

Filvis truly shouldn't care. He was one boy in a city of countless. By far the least of her worries.

But all the same, she couldn't help but hope that wasn't the case. That he'd just been caught up in some incident much larger than him and survived through luck, or a miracle. She hoped that all the determination he'd shown her when talking about being an adventurer was all show, and the reckless tales he'd recounted to her of his time in the dungeon were just exaggerated stories. Filvis truly wished that Bell Cranel was exactly as he appeared to be, just another hopeless fool with a head full of dreams and a harsh reality yet awaiting.

Because… if that were the case, if he was just a young boy in over his head, then this scare might be enough to put him off. And then, she would be able to convince him to leave the city before everything was set into motion.

It wasn't much, less than nothing in the grand scheme of what was to come. But even if Filvis could no longer hear such voices, she was sure that the Elf she'd once been was begging her to at least save that one boy.

---

Far away and high above Dionysus's scheming, in the penthouse suite atop Babel Tower overlooking the entire city, thoughts of Bell Cranel were dancing through another woman with just as much concern and as much confusion.

"She's staying at his side tonight then."

It was Hörn that whispered the words aloud, but it was not Hörn that said them.

In fact, the sullen, severe looking attendant that followed Freya around was nowhere to be seen. The grey-haired girl, with one slate-black eye staring dully out and the other hidden beneath her long bangs, the girl with barely any fighting ability, little skills at anything else and who had nothing worth praising besides a slim waist and oversized chest hadn't been spotted all afternoon. And it was doubtful anyone at all had missed her.

Instead, while the words that were whispered were from Hörn, the one who spoke them was unmistakably, Orario's Empress. If anyone were to be granted the privilege of witnessing her right now, they would swear that truth to their dying day. There was no-one in this world that could possibly mistake the worthless, forgettable, pithy mortal woman who existed only at Freya's grace from the vision of perfection currently lounging naked atop the bed's enormous, decadent bed.

Her presence was unimaginable, she was tall, confident and vibrant in ways that simply defied words.
Legs long and slender enough that that their beauty couldn't be captured in a thousand sonnets.
Large, full and perfectly round breasts, soft enough to sink in and more than bountiful enough to drive any man to temptation.
Unblemished creamy-white skin, shining fresh from an hour of pampering in the bath and so smooth that it felt as if any clothing would simply fall off.
Dazzling silver-white hair, hanging all the way down to her (equally dazzling) butt, yet without a single split, tangle or fray.

In all respects, in all manners, in all possible descriptions, this woman was perfection.

And for the moment, for just this little moment, Hörn was her. And for all that she remained unsure about this Bell Cranel, and for all that she worried about Freya's strange game playing as a mere girl, she couldn't help but feel a little warmth towards him just for allowing her to spend more time like this, because, just like all moments spent in this guise, Hörn was happy.

Hörn was Freya's double. Her shadow. The wan and weak reflection that might shine in any mirror Freya deigned to walk past. If you were to shave off a fraction, of a fraction, of a fraction, of a fraction, of a fraction, of a fraction of Freya's essence, you would get Hörn.

Or, at least, that's what she liked to believe.

The reality was a little more complicated.

Once, some years ago, Hörn had just been another miserable orphan girl, a directionless, purposeless soul dying alone in the snow. And then, right at the end of everything, as the cold and despair wrapped around her entirely and she prepared to close her eyes for the final time… A being more beautiful, more fulfilled, more blessed and more warm than Hörn had ever imagined possible had appeared before her. Orario's greatest Goddess had stretched out a hand towards her, offered to help her, asked what it was she desired.

And somewhere in that delirium of shock and loneliness, Hörn's true feelings had spilled out.

I want to become you.

A wish more ravenous and more audacious than anything anyone had uttered to a Goddess before. A part of her was embarrassed thinking back on it, having uttered something so selfish and so ridiculous to someone like the Goddess Freya, but the rest of her held those words warmly in her chest, because they had given Hörn's life meaning.

Laughing in surprise, and smiling at the unceasing novelty of mortals, Freya had indulged her. A single drop of the Goddess's divinity had forged a connection between them.

Freya took up the name Hörn had once had, and Hörn received a better name.
Freya took up the body Hörn had once had, and Hörn received a better one.

Freya was still Freya, of course. But Hörn was no longer the girl she had once been, and that was more than enough. And when Freya went out into the town as Syr, then Hörn was there, to revel in the magic that joined them together and take the appearance of the Goddess she admired.

Walking around as Syr had started as nothing more than a way for her Goddess to gain a small taste of freedom. As a Goddess of Beauty, and as an incarnation of perfection itself, Freya couldn't so much as walk through the streets without causing a scene, and ever were her Familia on guard for someone trying something foolish towards her. Casting aside the thick cloak she usually draped herself in, and walking along the main streets rather than the back alleys she was normally forced to skulk through, when Freya became Syr she was able to walk through Orario with an ease she hadn't known in decades, and Hörn's heart had leapt with the knowledge that she had a played a part in bringing the woman such joy.

But soon enough, those walks and those adventures had grown to more, rather than simply taking on the appearance of some ordinary girl, Freya had embraced the idea entirely. And from there, her role-playing had begun. Like an actress slipping into a role along with the costume, Freya took on the role of Syr along with the appearance, and the ordinary girl took on a life of her own through the Goddess, speaking, acting, laughing, and thinking in ways all of her own.

By the time it had become a habit, Hörn had long since memorised everything there was to know about Freya and her duties, and so, as often as her whims grabbed her or as often as she could get away with it, the Goddess of Beauty would shrug off her true form, and leave everything behind for Hörn to manage while she ran around helping at an orphanage, pretending to be a waitress, or whatever other fancy took her interest. Whenever her Goddess was away, Hörn managed all the affairs of the Familia, from the schedules of the Einherjar, to dealing with the guild, to making public appearances, to approving quests or signing paperwork.

All the myriad tasks, big and small, that came with ruling over Orario's grandest faction were left to Freya's handmaiden. In all respects, the Familia that Freya had built up from nothing ever since she'd first descended into this world was entrusted entirely into her care. And so Hörn threw herself devotedly into the world, as much out of joy at taking on her Goddess's role as in diligence to be worthy of such indulgent trust.

In time it had become normal, Syr had taken up a role in Mia's Café, and soon Freya was at the Hostess of Fertility as often as she was in her own Penthouse.

That was how it had been, that was the routine they had followed for years, and they had all been happy.

And then Lady Freya had met him. That white haired boy with the pure-white soul. The boy that made gave Freya more warmth and excitement than Hörn had ever seen from her before.

And while the routine hadn't changed much, somehow, the meaning of it had. Somehow, her Goddess, her perfect, unchanging, ideal, Goddess had changed.

None of the rest of the Familia understood this, or understood just what it meant. It had only been a month after all, and it wasn't unusual for Freya's whims to leave her dissatisfied or bored with everything around her. If her bed had remained unoccupied for longer than usual, with neither man nor woman called in to bask in the Goddess's passions, then that was fine with them. If anything, most of the Familia shared the same opinion as Hörn, that there was no mortal or deity worthy of their Goddess, and to not have one pawing ungraciously at her was welcome. Particularly for Hörn was always fully aware of the moments of passion and delight Freya indulged in.

But she understood it. Rather than going out to play at being Syr, now Freya went out to go out and play at being Syr… and to meet Bell Cranel. And as small a difference as that addition was, Hörn could feel just how warm, how happy, and how fulfilled it made her. It made her want to thank the heavens that Bell Cranel had been born, and it made her want to curse him for tempting their Goddess away from her role and her safety.

For the moment, caught between those competing desires, Hörn had simply added his name as a write-in candidate for the current "Please call me Onee-chan!" poll, and left it at that.

And for tonight, with the rest of her duties complete for the day, and with the warm feelings flowing through her soul telling her there would be no sign of Freya this evening, Hörn prepared to turn in for the night, to best prepare for the busy day set out tomorrow.

Syr was far from unguarded and only a true fool would start trouble in Mia Grand's bar to begin with. But all the same, -as much as she enjoyed the time she spent as Freya's double- Hörn was alike with the rest of her Familia in that she would much rather it was Freya here in this bed, safe and comfortable, where her every need could be tended to.

However, unlike the rest of the Familia, the connection that Hörn had with her Goddess wasn't just the bonds that tied them or the status on her back. Even when they were apart, even when she was out and about as Syr, Freya was always connected to Hörn through the magic they shared.

Hörn and Freya were linked. Hörn could feel some of what Freya felt, she could experience some of what Freya experienced, and she could hear some of the thoughts Freya had that she revealed to nobody else.

It was that connection that made the rest of the Familia more jealous of her than anyone else, and it was that connection that Hörn treasured more than anything else. Because through it, she could understand Freya in a way none of her other followers could even dream of.

And right now, no matter how much she might miss her Goddess or mourn her absence… Hörn's senses were practically flooded with the sheer warmth and delight that was flowing through the bond. She didn't know exactly where Freya was, or what she was doing. But she knew for certain that she was with Bell Cranel, and she was happier than Hörn had ever felt before, happier than she'd ever been able to make her Goddess, happier than she'd ever imagined possible.

Freya had been delighted all evening, and judging from the tsunami of relief that had washed through her just a short while ago, Hörn could only imagine that the boy had finally recovered from his trial.

And from there, ever since, and to this moment, the sheer joy that Hörn was left feeling through Freya was beyond words. So much so that small visions of him, and of the room he was staying in flashed sporadically through her mind

The happiness, the relief, the pride, and the all-consuming love that Freya felt towards Bell Cranel surged through their connection in an endless wave, wrapping around the sullen attendant like a cloak and holding her tight, until Hörn was left smiling and sighing with that same shared sensation of warm loving affection.

"Hhaa… Lady Freya…"

She missed her Goddess, she wanted to see her Goddess.

"…Bell Cranel…"

But if that rookie adventurer was going to make Freya this happy… then Hörn thought she could at least tolerate his presence. Given the flashes of visions she was already having about him, she thought it likely he'd show up in her dreams tonight. She would tolerate that too.

And so, with her mind set, and her heart fluttering in her chest at the second-hand love towards the young white-haired man, Horn turned over to her side, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

---

Dionysus passed his time with wine and schemes.
Hörn stretched out languidly atop Freya's bed. Wrapping the silken blankets tight around herself and whispering prayers to her Goddess, sleep came to her with warm dreams of a boy whose smile was lodged tight in her mind.
Filvis navigated her way carefully through the backstreets and deserted alleys. Keeping her steps light and hood low, she double and triple checked to make sure nobody was watching her on the way to the basement church.
Hestia and Lilli, snored loudly together on the couch the Goddess usually shared with Bell. Alike in their worry, alike in their exhaustion and alike in having been forced out of the bar together, they were both dead asleep.
Alfia flicked listlessly through the book she was trying to read. Her mind was twisting through a myriad of new concerns that had arisen from this situation, but until her adorable and beloved Bell was back, nothing else mattered.
Cassandra lay flat on her back, trying very hard not to hope for another prophetic dream. Daphne buried her face in her pillow, trying very hard not to wonder if her friend might have another story to annoy her with.
The Loki Familia drove fervently toward the utmost depths of the Dungeon. With their executives blazing with passion and excitement from the Adventure they'd witnessed, and thoughts of that same boy running through their heads, nothing could stand in their way.

The sun set, the moon rose, the stars quietly began to light up the night sky, and just as it ever had, the world slowly turned.

And yet… in this moment, for two people, it may as well have not.

In a private room, atop a popular bar, in a busy central street of Orario, with the distant shouts and cries of patrons echoing below and the sound of hardworking staff ringing out in reply, for a young adventurer and a truant waitress, nothing existed but each other.

"Ahnnn… Bell-kun…" Syr moaned, gasping the name in a heady pant as she marvelled at the way her body thrilled and jolted at his every touch, how her heart raced at his every caress.
"Syr…" He answered, breathing her name into the heated air between them as his lips broke away from hers only just barely long enough for them each to gasp for air.

His arms were cradling her on the bed. Hers were around his neck. His legs were pushing hers apart. Hers were lifted up around his waist. Their mouths each sought out the other, as their tongues moved gently together in a slowly deepening dance. There was no rush and no need to hurry between them, only the slow and careful exploration of their desires, and each other's bodies. They had all night, and they had the rest of their lives, this was what each of them wanted, this was the affection they wished to hold onto as tightly as they could for as long as they lived.

The time passed only slowly, and as it did, any lingering sense of distance, hesitations or resistances softly melted away. Soon enough, their clothes remained the final, thin, barrier between them.

Ah, sweet bliss. She could barely believe it.

Syr's world was spinning dizzily with delight, as her hands clung tighter around him as her embrace grew more passionate by each passing second. This was what she'd dreamed of all this time, this was the moment she would have sold the world for. And it was far better than even she had ever imagined. So often, since she'd met Bell, had she imagined the moment when she would finally capture the skittish white-rabbit that had stolen her heart- she had wondered how pure his soul would be at that time, how dazzling and radiant, would she just be overcome by it? And indeed, it was everything she might have hoped for. His soul was truly beautiful, pure-white, and perfect beyond words. Since his fight with the Minotaur, she could see how it strained and pulsed against the limits of his container, how ready his entire vessel was to grow and expand to even greater heights. And, since the moment she'd accepted his love, it had been even more incandescent than ever, so brilliant she was sure it would illuminate all the Heaven's themselves.

His soul was like an unbelievably, impossibly pure gemstone, perfectly cut and presented, and so utterly unique she had never seen the like before and may never see such ever again.

And yet, Syr had barely even looked at it.

Instead, her eyes only saw his smile.

Whenever their kisses broke apart, whenever her head fell back down into his arms, whenever she gasped for breath or just from the sensations rippling through her body, it was Bell's smile and the warm, pure love in his gaze that stole all her attention. Truly, there would be time for marvelling at gemstones later. For now, while he was smiling at her, while he was holding her, while he was caressing her and whispering her name, and tracing his fingers along her cheeks, and… while she was with him… All she wanted to see was him, 'Ah… so this is what it means to be truly in love…' it was an incredible feeling, exactly like what she'd expected but thousands of times better than she'd dreamed, almost enough to make her re-evaluate her thoughts on Aphrodite.

Just lying in his arms was making her heart beat out of her chest. Feeling his lips against hers, his arms around her and his fingers touching her made her core pulse with heat and her cheeks flush with excitement. But seeing the unrestrained, earnest adoration in his eyes, and seeing the way he smiled at her was enough to make her melt entirely.

If anything, it was hard to believe this was even reality, this hadn't happened anything like Syr had ever imagined! The Bell that'd stolen her heart was timid, shy, kind and overly polite, he blushed and stammered when she teased him and he had no idea how to talk to or treat women. She'd thought it would take months for him to truly look her way, or to find the confidence to start pushing back when she teased him. She'd expected that she would have to take the lead every step of the way, she'd been quite looking forward to it! Syr had enjoyed countless fantasies about how she could play with him, or help him, or support him, and then, when the time was right and when she'd worked up the courage, she would confess her feelings, openly and plainly, to him and watch his face as he tried to respond.

The Bell-kun that blushed cutely and averted his eyes when she teased him was adorable… but the Bell-kun that faced her directly and earnestly confessed his love for her, the Bell-kun that pushed her down to the bed and told her that he was going to take the virginity she'd offered him, the Bell-kun that kissed her so deeply and so tenderly... was something else entirely! He'd taken her completely off-guard and off-balance in the most wonderful way possible, and instead Syr was the one blushing and stammering, trying to keep steady as he left her swooning, and as his every touch sent a hot, wet, need throbbing through her core.

Where had this come from? Was this the answer he found in the dungeon, or a confidence he felt with her alone? She didn't know, but it excited every one of Syr's feminine instincts, and left her utterly unable to hold herself back. Even when he made the most audacious request from her, even when he told her he was with another woman, instead of feeling jealous or angry, it'd only made her want to take hold of him, it'd only inflamed her need for him even hotter! And her words had been no lie, she knew that now as much as she'd known it then, Syr truly could accept it. So long as Bell continued to give her attention like this, so long as he smiled at her, and touched her, and held her… Her heart raced in her chest, her body sang with delight, and her world was filled entirely with him and him alone.

Syr was so happy she could just melt.

"Mmm, Bell-kun… I love you!"

Syr was in his arms, lying beneath him, calling his name and urging him onward. He could hardly believe it.

Bell's world felt like it was pulsing around him with bright white joy, it was like a warm and gentle fire that lit up his very soul, hotter and brighter with each time her arms squeezed tight around him, each time he felt her body tremble or shiver against him, and with each time he heard a small gasp slip unbidden from between her lips.

Ultimately, Bell had to admit, his grandfather had been right. The Dungeon and the Dungeon City weren't anything like he may have imagined them, but Orario was truly home to the most beautiful women he'd ever laid eyes on and it was surely here, where adventure and affection were so entwined, that the soul of a "Man's Romance" surely resided.

Even so, it wasn't his grandfather's dream that Bell was chasing anymore. He'd inherited the man's feelings, and he carried them with him, but the dream that Bell sought ahead of him was the one that Alfia had pushed him towards, the one he'd found with his Goddess.

He loved Syr.

It'd taken him far too long to realise that, or maybe just to allow himself to do so.

But no matter what, he understood now, just how much he'd relied on her and just how much he cherished her.

Even without Alfia reminding him of how impossible it was for a regular person to achieve anything great in the Dungeon city, and how unrealistic his ambitions had been, Bell had always been aware of just how insignificant he must seem to the rest of the world. And if there had been any lingering hopes there, the depression and desperation of his time searching for a Familia had made that unmistakably clear. He was just a Level 1 nobody in a massive city, yet another hopeful come to the big city without a clue, dreaming of throwing himself into the Dungeon in the hopes for fame, power, or (in his case) simply somewhere to belong and someone to belong with.

And yet, no matter how insignificant and how foolish he must have seemed, from the very first day he'd met her, from their very first interaction, Syr had been looking out for him. He'd always helped him, she'd always supported him, and she'd gotten so worried about him that she'd called in favours from one of the most powerful Familia in Orario, far above her station as a simple waitress, just to try and protect him.

He'd received an embarrassing amount of help just to make it as far as he had. And, just like with his Goddess, Ais, Riveria, Eina, Ryu and Lilli, it was safe to say that without Syr, Bell would have been much worse off, most likely he wouldn't have survived even this long. However, unlike any of them, he'd never understood anything about why Syr had always done so much for him, or how he could possibly be worth the care she always so gently offered him.

After finding out about the Grimoire it'd finally become completely impossible to just tell himself it was nothing but simple human kindness, and yet, even though he'd understood that, he'd still been too timid and too cowardly to face her feelings, not when he'd been certain that a gentle rejection was all that awaited him (she couldn't possibly have been serious!) and not when he'd been so lost about his own feelings (even with his Goddess's help, he was still only slowly learning what it meant to love). All this time, he'd dithered, and vacillated, and run away… And yet, when he'd finally managed to understand himself, and finally gathered up the courage to face her, she'd accepted him all the same. Happily, completely, adoringly, as if he was everything she'd been waiting for, she'd returned her love just as eagerly as he'd offered his.

He couldn't possibly imagine what he must seem in Syr's eyes to be worthy of her affection, but he would never doubt the sincerity of her feelings. She'd entrusted her heart, and her body to him, and he cherished both without reservation. All that remained was to earn them, to become the man that was worthy of standing next to Syr, of loving her.

The love beating in his chest for the cheeky, silver-haired waitress was no less than the love he felt towards his Goddess, or towards Ais. And the happiness he felt having Syr in his arms right now was just as radiant, and just as pure as what he'd felt taking Hestia into his embrace, or all the time he'd woken up with Ais wrapped gently around him.

He understood that it was egotism beyond belief for someone as insignificant as him to even dream of holding such affection towards any of those women, let alone all three of them at once. Defiling a Celestial Virgin, and yet still chasing after the Sword Princess, and even then, embracing the waitress who'd always supported him so kindly… it was greed beyond words, and probably beyond anyone's measure, a desire reckless enough he was sure even the Gods would be ashamed. And yet, he couldn't hold himself back, not anymore.

It was his Goddess's acceptance that had let him face his own heart, and it was the adventure he'd found in the Dungeon that had given him the courage to keep moving forwards- no matter how shameless, egocentric or greedy it may be.

And Syr had accepted him.

She was older than him, she was more worldly and more mature than him, she was breathtakingly beautiful and endlessly confident. He was sure that a woman like her could have any man she wanted, and she could certainly have any man all to herself. But she'd chosen him all the same.

It really was almost unbelievable.

Looking down at her beneath him, at her beautiful face flushed red and her eyes shining with nervous excitement was enough almost to squeeze Bell's heart to a stop. This was something he'd barely even let himself daydream about, having always scolded himself that it was rude to even think of her so lewdly, or that he was getting full of himself just imagining that her teasing might be serious.

But there was no doubt about it now. He could feel just how warm and how small she felt in his arms, a reminder of the incredible femininity that Syr possessed, powerful to instantly stoke a desire to protect her, as well as ignite seemingly every other desire he'd ever felt towards the waitress all at once. The feeling of her creamy-white, perfectly soft skin against his fingers. The caress of her silken, silvery hair running smoothly over his arms. The wonderful squish of her chest against his own. The alluring sight of her modest uniform hiked up around her waist. The excitement of feeling her long, bare legs spread out around him and linking tentatively around his waist. The sensation of having her every shiver, tremble, sigh and moan reverberating through him. It was all wrapping around Bell in a wonderful, irresistible tide, igniting every one of his instincts and stoking his body hot with desire.

It was all proof that she was here. She was with him. She wanted him just as he wanted her. She loved him just as he loved her.

Bell was so happy he felt like he could burst.

"Syr… I love you, too. I think I always have."

Unconcerned with the passing of time, the city night echoing around them, or of any other worries, their lips and their bodies came together over and again, hungrily seeking each other, and greedily falling into slowly growing desire. And with each passing minute, the Hostess of Fertility's modest, respectable, spare room grew hotter and hotter, filled with the heady warmth of young passion and the sounds of a long-love finally fulfilled.

The eager, urging moans, echoing out between their kisses, bouncing from the walls and electrifying the air.
The sound of their embrace growing hotter, and deeper with each passing moment, their bodies clinging tighter and tighter together.
The gentle creak of bedsprings as they rocked in place, her hips grinding against his, and his chest pushing down onto hers.

Releasing her head into the mattress, Bell's fingers teased through the silken strands of her silvery hair, and then across her cheeks, and down the side of her neck, stroking and caressing her, marvelling at her flushed skin and radiant smile every time she pulled away to gasp for breath, or to shiver in reaction. Her fingers slid along his neck, over his shoulders, and through his hair, and she moaned and trembled happily with each passing discovery as his tongue danced with hers and as her hands explored his body, but all the while, Syr's hands remained tight around him, as if fearing to let him go, or simply too desperate to hold him close.

There was no signal or sign between them. But he was long past second guessing himself. He could feel her desires urging him on, and he could feel his own, smouldering hot with need.

Breaking their kiss, Bell pulled back for a moment, bracing himself atop her. And as he did so, he couldn't help but take a second to marvel once more at the sight of Syr below him. Even fully clothed, even in the stodgy waitress uniform she wore, the vision of the woman he loved spread out beneath him was more than enough to bring the young adventurer's world to a shuddering halt. Her flawless white skin was flushed red with excitement, her grey irises were smoky with yearning need, and her ruby-red lips were parted, hanging open as she panted lightly, the heat of her breath fogging just slightly in the night air. And all the while her hands were firm around his shoulders, her fingers urging him back down towards her, and her hips twisting and squirming against his own as her legs tightened around his waist.

It was a truly incredible sight, and it was a sight that belonged to him alone. No other man had ever seen this side of Syr. Once again, Bell was sure he couldn't possibly be worthy of this honour, but once again, he was filled with determination to live up to it.

Even dazzled by the sight, he kept control of himself. His fingers slid down to the apron strings around her neck.

"I'm taking this off now."

Syr's eyes went wide, and once again she found an electrifying delight jolting through her.

It wasn't a question. As gentle as he was, he was speaking to give her room to object or stop if she'd changed her mind, but that was all. Her gentle, timid and shy Bell-kun wasn't asking her permission, and he wasn't ashamed of his intentions. He was being perfectly clear what he wanted.

A shiver ran through her as that thought seared through Syr's mind with all the heat and all the excitement she'd ever dreamed it would.

Bell was making it perfectly clear that he wanted her. There was no mistaking it, no shame in his words or his actions. He wanted to hold her, he wanted to kiss her, he wanted to strip off her clothes, he wanted to take her virginity, he wanted to make her his woman. The Bell she'd yearned for so desperately for so long wanted her just as badly.

"Ah, I, uuh...hha…"

And Syr found she couldn't speak, she could barely even look at him, he was far too dazzling! Her cheeks were flaming red and her body was pulsing hot with months-worth of pent-up desire! She'd never expected him to act like this, she'd never once imagined he would take the lead like this, it was far too confident and far too incredible!

She was completely captivated, she was the one left stammering and blushing, able to do little more than just nod her assent and tug on his clothes to tell him she wanted the same.

Being the polite girl she was, her shoes had already been left by the door when she came in.
The apron only protected Syr's modesty for a moment longer under Bell's attention, quickly finding itself undone and folded (as carefully as he could manage with one hand) at the side of the bed.
Her dress only lasted slightly longer, with him having to take a few seconds to find and to fumble with the buttons before taking careful hold of the hem and shimmying it up and over her head.
By now, Syr's own desires were raging hot and she had absolutely no patience to wait for that. Assisting him in pulling off her work-clothes, she tugged them out of his hands and discarded them carelessly over her shoulder.
Similarly, having finally -regretfully- released her arms from around his neck, Syr's hands wasted not even a second in pulling at the thin hospital shirt Bell had been dressed in, and it was quickly rendered the same fate as her dress, falling to a pile on the floor somewhere to the side of the room.

Which now left him shirtless, and her finally, fully unveiled before him.

Having only, mostly, seen Bell's back before when reading his Magic, the sight of him now made for quite a sight for Syr's eyes. He was still just as slender as she'd remembered, bordering on scrawny, and yet all the same, she could see the traces of musculature starting to shine through from his everyday efforts. With her heart pounding, and thighs quickly thrumming with sticky, wet heat, she couldn't help but trace her fingers over his chest, playing her fingertips across his abdomen, and feeling the strength still building within his body for herself.

It was only when her eyes finally returned to his face a moment later, to that same beautiful smile that'd ensnared her soul, that she noticed the way he was staring at her, and the fact that he hadn't moved yet.

"Ah…"

That same timid, awkward, shy Bell-kun who would never do anything more than sneak the occasional glance at her breasts or ass was practically drinking in the sight of her. Braced atop her, as she lay spread out on the mattress, stripped just to her bra and panties, his eyes were travelling shamelessly up every millimeder of her skin, as if engraving the sight into his soul. In short, Bell was finally learning just how much work that thick, stodgy uniform did in blunting Syr's incredible curves. Her heavy, round chest shaking lightly with her every intake of breath. Her creamy-white skin, soft and perfectly smooth, all the way from her slender shoulders, to her taut flat stomach, to the devious curves of her hips. Even just the way her hair was fanned out now beneath her, framing her face as she smirked eagerly up at him. She was beautiful in a way that competed even the perfection of the Goddesses. It was all an absolute feast for Bell's eyes, and now that he wasn't holding anything back, it was a meal he happily indulged in.

"Do you like it, Bell-kun?" she purred, dropping her hands back above her head and thrusting her chest a little off the bed as she shifted her hips under his waist and presented herself to him, "Is it everything you hoped for?"

He gulped, swallowing heavily as he took a moment to process her words. But right as she thought she'd stunned him to silence, or that he was about to stammer something, burn bright red and turn away… His hands ran gently across her shoulders, and his fingertipped traced their way boldly down her body, leaving her shivering and gasping lightly in response as they trailed across her nape, down across the heft and softness of her breasts, and along the slender sides of her waist.

"Of course it is," he answered finally, his eyes shining with the exact same absolute sincerity as always, "To the point it feels dangerous. I, um, I've always thought that you were incredibly cute, and that I couldn't understand why someone like you would spend so much time with me. But now… Uh, I mean, ever since I've realised how much I love you, ever since I woke up… It's even more so… If that makes sense? When I look at you, I keep thinking you're even more beautiful than ever. It's like my heart's squeezing tight in my chest, I can barely stand it, like I can't hold myself back at all!"

"!"

And once again, Syr's attempt to take control, to lead him on with a purr and a wink, collapsed spectacularly.

Once again, she was the one left blushing and simpering. And the hands that had been attempting to frame him before her eyes were now covering her face as she found herself flushed so hot, and with her body pulsing with such incredible delight that she couldn't even bear to look at him. Even with just the featherlight touches of his fingertips across her, she felt like her entire body was burning up, and even just the sensation of him staring down at her, and having him talk about her like that, she could feel electrifying bolts of pleasure surging up her spine. Her head was filled with white fog, her heart was pounding in her (substantial) chest, and her breath was fogging the air between them as yet another moan slipped between her pursed, red lips.

Ahhh! It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair at all! When did he learn that kind of confidence? Was it even confidence at all, wasn't it more like just reckless honesty!? Like, rather than building up his courage to face her, he was just so purely, innocently, open with her, as if he trusted her so deeply and so intently, he didn't need to hide anything from her anymore.

Was this how powerful Bell's love was!? Was this what true love with her Odr was!?

It wasn't fair at all!

He was meant to a pure, naïve, sheepish young man, and instead he was leading her on by the nose and making her entire body and soul practically beg for him!

It was right then that Syr finally accepted that any hope of her retaining even some semblance of control, or of pulling off her usual affectionate teasing was just impossible. His ridiculous, open earnestness and the sheer purity of his intentions had completely defeated her. It was just too much, she was blushing too hard, her heart was yearning for him much too powerfully, her core was throbbing hot with such hot, wet, need she could barely even think straight anymore.

She couldn't even answer him, because she was sure if she even tried to talk right now, with her body openly trembling in delight, she would only be able to moan.

"Ah, sorry…" misreading her reaction, Bell awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. And her body practically arced off the bed towards him in response to losing his touch, "I'm not very good with words, that probably sounded… Um, well hopefully you…"

"N-No, B-Bell-kun," forcing her words as steady as she could make them, Syr suddenly realised her eyes were wet, swimming with unshed tears, "No… It's not, it's jus-just… it's just, it's not… It's not fair if Bell-kun is going to say things like that. I already love you too much… If you're going to be that serious, if you're going to make me that happy, th-then, then I won't be able to do anything at all."

He smiled, his face flooding with relief. And her heart skipped two beats.

"Then you don't need to do anything. I'll take the lead, okay?"

Ahhhh.

Once again, her body was flushed with such joy and such desire she couldn't dare try respond. Looking at him through the spread fingers still covering her face, she simply nodded.

With his declaration set, Bell released her once again for just long enough to gather up the blankets that'd been thrown back around his waist and pull them up, wrapping around them both as he settled back atop her once more. Now finding herself huddled within the man she loved, wrapped up tight within the covers with him, his body pressing gently down on hers, and her own locking instinctively around his, Syr could only smile. Even like this, even after saying all that, when his mind must surely be full of all kinds of things and he should have been going mad with desire… Bell was still trying to take such gentle care of her, he was still worrying about her. As if she could even possibly feel the night's chill with the way his every touch was leaving her blood racing.

But of course, the shared heat now passing between and the small sense of exclusion -as if all that existed was the two of them, hidden beneath the bed's covers- was far from unwelcome.

And so, with her lips seeking out his once again, and with her body singing in delight as she was pulled into his arms, Syr surrendered herself eagerly to his lead.

---

"Hmmmm…" Daphne sighed, stretched out atop a mildly comfortable pile of cushions in the middle of her friend's room, "It's gotten late…"

It was about time she left.

"Yeah… But at least we don't have much to do tomorrow."

In contrast to the red-head's uncharacteristically relaxed appearance, Cassandra was sitting completely upright, perched atop her bed and hugging her pillow against her (substantial) chest.

"You mean, you don't have much to do tomorrow. I have all the organisation and formation details to take care of, and I've got to deal with the other team leaders after breakfast."

"Ah, um, r-right…"

And yet, despite her words, the Apollo Tactician made no move to actually leave. Ultimately, regardless of her occasionally harsh words, Cassandra was the only friend she had in the Familia and the time they spent together was something of a shared refuge from the rest of the life they dealt with in their gilded bird-cage, neither was ever quick to leave the other's company.

The Apollo Familia had only recently returned from a relatively successful expedition to the lower levels, so regardless of the red-head's complaints, her obligations hadn't truly returned in earnest just yet…

…Which was probably why, rather than heading back to her room, Daphne pulled herself upright in the stack of cushions and gave into a small impulse that had been tugging at her imagination or a while now.

"Hey, Cassandra?"
"Yes?"
"I've just been thinking, about those dreams of yours…"
"O-Oh?"

Never too often, yet not infrequently enough to become rare, the two girls' topic of conversation would wind up shifting back to the dreams Cassandra had been having recently, and all the vivid, lurid, things she'd seen in them.

Daphne knew better than to indulge in any of this, she knew she shouldn't be encouraging her friend's fantasies. It was already worrying enough that the self-proclaimed prophetess believed her normal dreams were some kind of warning they should be paying attention to, giving any credence at all to the idea that these ridiculous wet-dreams might be some kind of vision of the future was beyond even ridiculous, it was outright lunacy. Daphne absolutely, certainly, completely, unquestionably, definitely, knew better than to indulge in any of this.

…

And yet, Daphne just the same as Cassandra, was still just a lonesome teenager. She was still a curious girl, kept resentfully like a God's prized possession as part of his collection, and kept without hope of any romance, love, or anything like the images Cassandra wove in her remarkably vivid descriptions. More than probably anyone in the world, Daphne could understand why Cassandra wanted to escape into the world of dreams and pretend they were real. And just as much as that, Daphne could understand why those same dreams had eventually taken on a far more sexual bent.

"Yeah… I, hah, I was just wondering…" even if they were just dreams, and even if it was just two girls sharing a silly fantasy, Daphne couldn't keep her cheeks from flaming red as she imagined it, "About that guy you're always talking about, the man of your dreams."

As expected, Cassandra's reaction was just the same as ever. Sitting a little straighter, bursting with a sudden rush of heated ardour, with her face flushing lightly but her eyes dancing with excitement, there was absolutely no doubt that the Bluenette was in her element. Even if Daphne couldn't possibly believe these were visions or foretelling's or anything of the sort- the way Cassandra described them, the things she described, were so vivid, so descriptive, and so full of emotions she'd never before seen from her friend. Even Daphne couldn't help but get caught up in the fantasy, just a little.

"That, Bell of yours, just how big is he, anyway?"

"Um… Well, I guess, Bell-sama isn't too tall, he's just a bit shorter th-"

Daphne coughed.

"N-No… I mean, uh, how big is he?"

Cassandra squeaked, but Daphne threw up her hand to forestall her friend's response.

"H-Hey! Don't say that's private, this… it's not like he actually exists or anything, and I'm just curious. You talk about him like he's some big deal, so, I was just… Anyway, tell me!"

Several long seconds passed. Red faced and stiff, the bluenette Mirabilis stared mutely at the floor between them. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

Then slowly, with visible hesitation and with her eyes still visibly turned aside, Cassandra raised her hands up turning her palms inwards and spreading them apart… spreading them well apart.

Daphne balked.

"Wh-What, a-huh, you've got to be kidding me! Are you serious!? That's just stupid!"

"D-Daphne!" Cassandra huffed, pouting and teary eyed as she quickly dropped her hands to her lap, "Yo-You're the one who asked!"

Whatever Daphne may have expected, and whatever she may have imagined herself (just slightly, just for a moment, just as an idle fantasy when she'd been unable to sleep), was several notches smaller than what Cassandra was now implying.

"Th-That, but, I mean, come on! I know this is just your fantasies, or whatever," as with the type of eager submission her friend so happily described, she once again had the impression she was unearthing all the other girl's hidden kinks, "But you're being ridiculous! You must get that, right!? If you spend all your time dreaming about guys like that, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment! What're you going to do when you actually meet a guy you like, a real guy, there's no way he'll be able to measure up to that!"

Daphne shook her head. Once again, her friend's dumb fantasies had been exposed as exactly that. It just wasn't possible, or even if it was possible, it was just… just… something like that? Really!? And Cassandra really imagined herself having swallowed all of… it was just…

Once again, the usually composed red-head's thoughts swirled and de-railed, and once again she found her cheeks flushing red and her imagining going into dangerous places as some of the previous images her friend's words had conjured up were edited with this new information.

But where Cassandra would normally wilt and falter under Daphne's blunt dismissal, instead she shook her head. Even if her warnings and visions were ignored and even if nobody ever believed her, she believed in Bell-sama. In this alone, she had the strength to stand strong, or at least to argue back.

"Ah, no… It's not… I never hha… I never imagined anything like that before this, I… Daphne, you don't know just how scary it is like that…"

"Huh?"

Cheeks flushed, eyes shining and massive chest bouncing hypnotically with every panting breath she took, Cassandra steeled her will. Once again, the timid, awkward, and introverted girl that Daphne had always protected treated her to another absolutely uncharacteristically lurid description of the future she'd witness and the events she'd experienced.

"It's not just about the size, it's… he's so good with it, and it stretches you out like… it's as if your entire body is filled up with him, and you can't possibly even think of anything else! And he always, he knows exactly how much you can take, s-so, he's always so careful, just holding you right at your limit as you lose your mind! It's so big, it's like it's like you're spread open an-and, and wrapped around him, and it's as if you've got no control over yourself at all! When you're… when it's all the way inside, it's as if it's pushing against all the most sensitive spots inside you, pla-places you di-didn't even know existed… and he knows exactly how to move so… so it's as if he's scraping over them all at once! Don't you think it's scary, thi-thinking there's no way you can possibly fight back? Even if you enjoy surrendering, every single time? Even when you think you want to pay him back, for everything he's done, or when you know he's exhausted and want to try look after him… y-you just end up wrapped around him, screaming and moaning and going crazy until you pass out!"

"I-I… I see…"

Cassandra didn't talk much or often. And when she did, she only truly ever talked to Daphne. Even in the private time they shared together, even during girl's-talk on nights like this, it was almost always Daphne doing most of the talking. Cassandra was happy to smile, and laugh, and to prompt her friend's stories or complaints without needing to add much from herself.

It was only like this, only ever when the conversation turned around to her fantasies, the visions she'd seen or her Bell-sama that Cassandra ever took control of the conversation. And it was only ever times like this when she got into a roll, and started spilling all the feelings she'd held inside, that she couldn't stop.

She talked about how incredible it was when he cradled her in his arms and treated her gently, filling her completely. And about how intense it was when he began using his power, overwhelming her until she was just left cumming and crying out, until her mind was seared white and she was left lying unconscious beneath him. She talked about being on her hands and knees, feeling her innermost walls wrapped tight around him deeper and thicker than she'd ever imagined possible, till even her womb was pushed back inside her. She talked about being on her back, gripping the sheets or his shoulders, writhing and panting, and being driven to maddening ecstasy one step at a time.

Some of the stories were new, some of them were ones Daphne had heard before, but Cassandra was thoroughly in her element now and the bluenette's storytelling continued into the night.

The scent of argelica herb filled the air, and the prophetess's usually quiet, gloomy room was filled warm with the sound of two lonely teenage girls sharing a fantasy together.

And, despite herself, despite all her misgivings, and the fact that she knew better than all this…

…Daphne found herself chewing on her bottom lip and twisting slightly in place atop her seat as the stories continued. As the details and descriptions of Cassandra's recounting filled her imagination, as the stories and details of Bell-sama filled the night's air, Daphne's cheeks flushed as red as her hair, her breath came just a little faster, and a dizzying, sticky wet heat began to pulse from between her legs.

It was just a fantasy.
And it wasn't even the kind of fantasy she preferred, she didn't think she felt anything like the same desire to be dominated and overwhelmed her friend obviously did.
But, it was quite a fantasy.

---

"Ah, Bell-kun! Nh… Bell-kun! NGhhh, B-Belll-kun!"

Syr's voice melted and shook, trembling through the air as her head tossed from side to side and as her body jolted and shivered, arching off the bed and clinging desperately to him beneath the covers.

Being a bright and fashionable young woman, Syr had spent several hours walking through Orario's shopping district before purchasing the underwear she'd chosen for today. Having spotted it through the window as she'd been passing by, the waitress had been utterly charmed by how the silver-grey bra and panties set had so perfectly matched her hair colour, and then she'd been delighted to find that the large cups both propped up and supported her chest, making her already-sizable bust seem even more impressive. Twisting around in-front of the mirror to marvel at the way her already tight, round ass was framed so pertly only made the decision easier, but what truly sealed the deal was the wonderfully cute patterns sewn along the edges as an outline. She hadn't expected to get anywhere near this far, so she certainly hadn't chosen them today with the thought that he would see them just yet, but she was very happy that he had.

And Bell, as a young man who was yet to learn to fully savour a woman, had been so focussed on her the whole time that he hadn't noticed any of that.

Without any experience from Hestia to help him, her bra had caused a good deal of confused fumbling on his part before he'd finally managed to undo and remove the clasps. Similarly, while he'd become slightly adept at removing (or more often than not, leaving) thigh-highs, the sheer black stockings that she wore along with her uniform had earned a few moments of concern before he'd carefully taken them into hand along with her panties, and rolled them down her legs together.

Syr, for her part, had been absolutely no help at all in this endeavour. For all her teasing and all the previous comments that had made up so much of their relationship to this point, the feeling of Bell's hands around her as he carefully undid her bra, the sensations of his fingers sliding across her waist as he slid her stockings over her hips, the thrill of having him so gently pulling her thoroughly soaked panties from her skin and all the way down her legs… Each and every one of those had left such wonderful, electrifying bolts of excitement surging through the young maiden that even if she had wished to help him, her body simply hadn't listened. Instead, she'd clenched her legs together uselessly, twisting her thighs in place, and panted his name between shocked gasps.

It didn't make sense, for all that she'd spent all those months and all those nights dreaming of this moment, but somehow just the sensation of her Odr, of Bell, stripping her, caressing her, drinking in the sight of her… It was enough to drive her to the brinks of dizzying pleasure. She was meant to be far more composed than any of this, but Syr knew for sure that this instant had been engraved in her heart, that she would remember the sight of his smile and the warmth of his touch as he slid her panties down her legs, for all eternity.

Syr wasn't a cynical woman, but Freya was a fatalistic Goddess, and so somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd wondered if her luck would simply run out. Everything about this night had been going better than she'd ever imagined, better than she'd ever dreamed, so at every moment she'd wondered if the next would be the ridiculous circumstance that would get in her way- that the locked door would burst open with an interruption, some sudden cry from outside would demand their attention, or perhaps that Bell would simply lose his nerve. It wasn't until this moment, until her hands were holding (and discarding) the thin underwear he'd been issued from the Hospital, and her arms were wrapped around her without an instant of hesitation or doubt in his mind, that she truly, completely understood. There was no-one else around, there was nothing to interrupt them, and no reason to stop.

At long last, after all her waiting, all her yearning, and all her dreaming, the two of them were tangled up together without a single thing between them.
And it was driving her crazy in the most incredible way possible!

His every touch was inflaming her body beyond reason. His kisses were soft and gentle, and his caresses just as tender. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Syr was aware that Bell was clearly no expert, the slight clumsiness and undirected nature of his ministrations, the way he slid his fingertips over her thighs, or curled them around the edges of her breasts, the way his palms kneaded across her rock-hard nipples without quite dragging over them, it all spoke to his lack of experience.

And yet, it felt better than anything she'd ever experienced in her life!

His fingertips traced a path along the side of her waist, and her voice rang out in joy!
His kisses broke away from her mouth, moving down her neck, nuzzling into her nape, and she clung to him as her body jolted in response!
His hands filled themselves with her breasts, squeezing, stroking, kneading her chest to a gentle rhythm, and her vision flashed with white as her world spun!
His caresses ran up along the bare skin of her inner thigh, and her eyes squeezed shut involuntarily as her voice rang out with delight!

It was all too good, much better than she'd ever anticipated, much better than she could possibly have prepared herself for! She couldn't bear it at all, just feeling him atop her like this, just feeling his bare skin running over hers was enough to scatter her thoughts and leave her panting raggedly, with naught but a dizzy smile on her lips.

'Ah…I see…' pushing through the fog of love-drunk bliss that was clouding her mind, a small drop of reason finally took form, 'It's because I'm new to this too…'

No matter how much experience Freya might have, Syr was a maiden. Because she got her fill of any affection she wished as Freya, until she'd met Bell, she'd never once sought out anything romantic or sexual as Syr at all. Rather than just being a neighbourly girl, Syr was now realising she'd lived all this time practically like an Elf… This wasn't just the first time she'd been in bed with a man, this was the first time she'd done anything erotic of any sort! She'd never even touched herself, much less been caressed by a man! Whatever pleasures Freya may have known, echoed through Syr with an incredible intensity, filling her with sensations the waitress had never once encountered, and the fact that it was her beloved Bell-kun, made her body react a thousand times more powerfully!

This wasn't some mere act, Syr truly was giving her first time to the man she loved. And that realisation left her even more hopelessly lost in the fog of pleasure than she'd already been.

His fingers dragged over her nipples once again, and Syr's moan rang out even louder than ever! He pressed against them just a little more firmly, rolling them between his thumb and forefinger, and her entire body flushed warm with delight!

"Bell-kun, hhaa… Bell-kun!"

She couldn't help but call out to him. She couldn't possibly resist him. Even just this much, even just the feeling of his warm, bare skin against hers was driving her mad! His every touch sent her core aching to feel him. She could feel how desperately wet her pussy was without even looking. Her nipples throbbed with electrifying sparks of pleasure just at feeling his barest touch against them.

Even just the feeling of his presence atop her left her feeling ready to melt entirely into him. A level 1 adventurer's strength still absolutely eclipsed her own, and no matter how timid, small, and insecure Bell had always seen… right now, with his body atop hers, with his arms cradling her so securely and with her very soul trembling joyously at the feeling of being possessed by him… he felt like more of a man than she'd ever imagined. It was almost scary how easily and how completely he completely destroyed all her sense of control, just how quickly she was turning to putty in his hands. But how could she not love this? How could she not drown entirely in this moment? She'd already surrendered any hope of taking the lead, and she was getting what she'd always wanted, in the most incredible way possible, all that remained was to give herself up entirely to him.

"Nha… B-Bell-kun!"

His hands released her breasts, and her body ached with a sudden disappointment. Her massive chest bounced and shook beneath the covers as her breath heaved in a sudden gasp.
His fingertips trailed down her stomach, tracing a pattern directly atop her skin. The breath stilled in her throat, falling into yet another needy moan, her head tipping backwards into the pillow once more.
His touch spread out, with his right hand coming to rest atop her hips, holding onto her firmly and leaving his thumb to trace along the bone of her inner-thigh. She chewed her lip, writhing and panting, her heart racing and blood rushing at as his fingers wrapped around her and as he took hold of her so firmly, so possessively.
His left hand slid further down, gliding across the contours of her thigh, brushing back and forth gently towards the heat between her legs. Her eyes squeezed shut, panting and gasping, her thoughts were completely lost once more in a haze of pleasure.

And then, right when Syr's world felt about ready to explode, Bell's fingers caressed softly overtop her clitoral hood, and he dragged his fingertips directly over her entrance.

"!"

For just a brief moment, for one spectacular instance, a flash of brilliant, pure white erupted from behind her eyes, and her entire body seemed to sing with delight.

"Gha…Hahha…?"

Slumping back down onto the bed, her chest heaving and panting, and with sparks of bliss still jolting through her, it was another second before Syr blinked herself dizzily back to reality.

'I just came? From just that?'

That was bad. If she was truly this sensitive, then she wouldn't be able to stand it at all! She truly was too obsessed with him, she loved him too much! Her heart was already completely enraptured by him, and now her body was aching to be possessed by him. If it went any further than this, if all the boundaries between them melted away, she would lose her mind entirely, 'Ah… But I want that… Don't I?' it was a pointless question, her legs were still spread wide around him, and her pussy was practically begging for him. More than any sense of pride, or any worries she could possibly hold, with every passing second her need for him was blazing more desperately and more shamelessly, hotter than she could possibly stand.

"B-Bell-kun, I'm sorry, it's, it's too much…" she pleaded, "I can't bear it anymore, please… um… h-hold me tight, okay?"

Even after all this, even after all her dreams and all her desires, still just entreating him like that was enough to leave her cheeks burning red with embarrassment as much as desire.

But this time, at least, he understood her perfectly.

Her legs locked around his waist as he shuffled himself into place, taking her right hand in his and wrapping his other arm around her. Easing himself completely atop her, Bell pressed her down fully into the mattress and -at long last- pushed the full weight of his cock against the hot, wet, need of her entrance.

Syr's eyes shot wide, and her jaw fell open.

Firstly, from the pleasure, the sensation of feeling her pussy lips spread open around his cockhead, and feeling the heavy pressure of his length against her.

But secondly, from the surprise. At just how much of a heavy length was being pushed against her.

Being the whimsical woman she was, Syr had indulged herself in many varied fantasies about the night she would finally spend with Bell, and more than a few times, those same fantasies had twisted around to wondering just what kind of weapon her wonderful hero wielded between his legs. In the time since she'd fallen in love with him, she'd filled her imagination with all kinds of lewd guesses, hopes and even wishes. It wasn't something that truly mattered to her- ultimately Bell-kun was Bell-kun regardless of anything else, and that was all that mattered, but it certainly made for an interesting thought to fill a mischievous waitress's mind during the quiet hours.

Given their positions so far, and the blankets that were still wrapped tight overtop them, she hadn't yet gotten a chance to see his length, only to feel it indirectly within his pants or when their bodies ground together.

Until right now.

Until she was feeling it now pushing in against her pussy lips, and she could feel just how wide her entrance was being spread around him.

Until this very moment, where Syr was suddenly and immediately aware that Bell had absolutely surpassed even her most optimistic dreams! Clenching tight to the hand she was holding, her voice caught in her throat as she felt the thick pillar of cockmeat pressing almost imposingly against her, opening her entrance up against his cockhead- far harder, far thicker, and far more formidable than she would have ever imagined from the gentle, sweet boy who'd captured her heart!

"Are you ready?"

Ahhh, trying desperately to get her unravelling mind back under some semblance of control, Bell's words left her heart jumping and her body thrilling once again. Once more, the cute and adorable Bell-kun showed just how deeply she'd underestimated him! She'd expected him to ask her if she was sure, or to worry she might have changed her mind, but instead, he was simply going at her pace and giving her a chance to object if she had. Not only was he taking the lead, but he was doing so while fully understanding, fully accepting, that she wanted this as badly as he did.

So, this was what it felt like when the Bell-kun she loved so much didn't shy away from her feelings? So, this is what it felt like, being wrapped up in his arms, feeling the force and power of his cock against her, and seeing the warmth and surety in his smile.
Her heart soared, but she somehow forced her giddy thoughts straight enough to reply.

"P-Please… I'm re-ready. Bell-kun… Bell-kun, please, make me a woman. Make me your woman."

He kissed her, holding her tight against him, just as she'd requested. And just a moment after their lips met and their tongues entwined, his hips rolled forwards.

"!"

Her vision flashed pure white, and her head rolled backwards, breaking their kiss as her body jolted and a guttural moan ripped from her throat! His hands held tight to hers, and her fingers clenched around him, and clung desperately to his shoulder, as millimeder after millimeder Bell's thick, hard, cock pushed inside her, and moment by moment, her untouched, inner walls were spread open and stretched out wide around his cockhead.

"!"

He didn't slow down, and he didn't stop. Holding her tight against him, squeezing her hand and kissing her nape, he pushed himself further, deeper inside her- without hesitation, slowly and gently, as tenderly as he could manage, Bell pushed through the final barrier of Syr's resistance, taking her virginity.

"!"

Her moan cut off suddenly, catching in her throat as a sudden spike of pain speared through her and a small trickle of maiden-blood ran out and down her legs, pooling with the other juices spread across her thighs. But even Syr's shocked gasp quickly devolved into yet another moan, as Bell's length sank even deeper inside her, and even more of Syr's innermost walls were stretched out wide around his thick girth.

Bell's moans rang out with hers, filling the room with his own delight. Despite having only sheathed barley more than the head of his cock inside her, and despite how desperately he was maintaining his focus right now -keeping his pace gentle, and using as little force as possible- he couldn't possibly ignore just how amazing it felt having her pussy wrapped around him like this!

"S-S-Syr," he panted her name, moaning it like a prayer into the nape of her neck as he gasped to steady his own breath, "It fe-feels, you feel, incredible!"

This was only the second time in his life he'd ever felt this. It was an amazing feeling, the moment where he and Syr were connected, where he was embracing the woman he loved, delighting both in her body and her affection. Bell was sure this moment, and this night would be engraved in his heart until his dying day.

Being inside Syr was so very similar to his Goddess, but completely different at the same time. Her pussy was just as hot, just as wet, and her walls coiled around him with just the same greedy tightness, while still opening up before him with the same eager pliability. And yet, the way her she pulsed around him, the way she squeezed him, and the way her hips trembled beneath him as he slowly slid deeper within her was so utterly unique, and so absolutely captivating that he knew these feelings could only possibly belong to his beloved grey-haired waitress. Even if someone were to cover his eyes, he believed for sure, that he would still recognise this sensation as Syr.

Already, his blood and pleasure were each running hot, and his heart was pounding like he was fighting for his life. This exhilaration, this feeling of love and satisfaction… this was the dream he was chasing, and sharing it with her why he was chasing it.

Once again, Bell wished he was more charming or better with words, that he knew what to say to express those feelings to her. But instead, squeezing her hand tight and easing himself still further inside her, he simply kept all his focus on being worth her love, of trying to make sure that she felt as happy as she made him.

Syr, meanwhile, was clinging desperately to Bell's hand, to his shoulder, and to whatever still remaining dregs of reason she had left! Her breathing had already turned ragged, and her head was tossing from side to side as her entire body seemed to spark with the bliss flooding from her core! Her thoughts were being seared with pure white light and her body was trembling as the ecstasy surged through her like a wave, hotter and more intense with each passing and second and with passing millimeder of her pussy that was opened up and moulded permanently to Bell's shape. The pain she would feel only once in her lifetime had already faded, and in its place, she was left with nothing but the sensation of being stretched open, and stuffed full with Bell, as if her entire body was being wrapped around him!

Within seconds, her mind was already to collapse.

"Ah, n-no, no, wa-wait, ah, Bell-kun! Nghh, I, nggh… N-No, I'm! Already… I'm cumming! I'm cumming!"

Crashing headlong through a wild peak, Syr's eyes shot wide, and her body locked up around him once again, her pussy throbbing and pulsing around his shaft as her moans reached a fever pitch! A heavy shiver ran up her spine, and then a second an instant later, every part of her was thrumming with electrifying pleasure as her sensitivity momentarily skyrocketed. From the soft mountains of her large breasts -squishing against his chest and rocking in time with his movements-, to the tips of her toes -locked desperately around his waist-, to the very points of her ears -flushed red with exhilaration and delight-, every bit of Syr was flooded with the sense of him.

Screaming aloud, she gasped and moaned, and came so hard that her vision flashed white and lights seemed to dance before her eyes!

"Hha…Huha…Nghh…"

Once again, she only returned -dazedly- to reality a moment later. Letting her head tip over to the side as her body jolted up, clinging even tighter around him, Syr's mouth fell open to a lot, heady moan as her world slowly stopped spinning and her thoughts began clicking gently back into place.

She'd cum already!? Just from that? He'd barely finished deflowering her, he hadn't even put his entire cock inside and just this much was already driving her out of her mind? Another dizzy, eager, moan slipped through her lips at that thought. Exactly as she'd expected, this was dangerous! And just like she'd predicted, it wasn't even his size that was truly dangerous, no matter how good it felt feeling her walls spread to wonderfully wide around his ridiculously thick shaft… what was driving her out of her mind was the way he was holding her, the way he was kissing her, the way he was moving so carefully inside her. She was utterly overwhelmed with Bell's affection, both physical and emotional, and it was heightening everything he was doing to her beyond any reason!

Ah, she was too in love with Bell-kun, and he felt far too good! She could already feel her mind melting, if this kept up then she wou-

"!?"

It was right then, when her thoughts were slowly returning, that Syr realised that Bell hadn't stopped.

"Syr, I love you."

Holding tight to her hand, and to her shoulder, whispering his words of adoration as she trembled and shivered, and came, Bell maintained his same gentle, tender pace. Even as she moaned and cried out, and even as her pussy squeezed around him so tight it felt as if she was trying to milk his very soul from his body, he still pushed himself further inside her. And still her inner walls spread open just as invitingly, and coiled around him just as wonderfully.

"AghH!?"

Having forcefully maintained such a soft, slow tempo, barely more than a third of his cock had been eased inside Syr's hot, wet, tight, and suddenly oversensitive pussy. And Bell neither stopped, nor slowed down.

Which meant that Syr was swiftly thrown headlong through a second peak, before she'd even recovered from her first. And then, just as her body was jolting still and her mouth was hanging wide in a wild cry, she was sent crashing through yet another after that. And then another, again and again- with each further push of Bell's hips, and with each further depths of her innermost walls he stretched out around his thick, heavy girth!

A small, and very loud, eternity passed just like that. And by the time the young adventurer was fully sheathed inside her, the cheeky, confident waitress had been reduced to a red-faced, panting mess. Her eyes were glazed over and mouth hanging open as her body shivered within his arms, and a trail of drool ran down her chin.

And with that -with his cock stretching out every last bit of her pussy, wrapping her most sensitive innermost walls tight around him and pushing even her womb back inside her- Bell stopped.

Releasing her hand, he slid his left hand around her back, using both arms to embrace her tightly just as she'd asked, and waited as Syr gasped for breath, panted raggedly with bliss, and slowly, dizzily, blinked back to reality. It took another small eternity, and no small amount of continuous aftershocks running through her insides as her body accustomed to having his entire length sheathed inside her, but eventually, the glazed look on the waitress's eyes faded away and slipped out of her orgasmic high.

"Bell… kun… love you…"

"Does it feel okay, Syr? It doesn't hurt?"

"No…" her voice grew stronger for a moment, but then hitched again once more as he began rocking his hips gently inside her, just pressing his length back and forth a few millimeders, grinding against the deepest, most sensitive parts of her previously-untouched pussy, "Nh… it feels amazing, you're holding me so tight, a-a-and, it feels like you're filling every bit of me… you feel better than I even dreamed."

Beaming happily, with her answer lighting up his heart, Bell met her lips with his own once more. She could barely hold their kiss for more than a few seconds with how desperately she was gasping for breath, but she kissed him back just as eagerly, linking both arms around his neck, squeezing him back with all her the strength she could muster.

He rocked his hips back and forth a little farther, and then a little farther again, drawing upon all the experience he'd gained in Orario so far to slowly, carefully ease Syr into another gentle tempo. Syr's voice lit out in a soft whine as his length withdrew, then cried out louder as it pushed back through her, and with each passing second, he withdrew further, and pushed in deeper… slowly, carefully, softly… for several long, wonderful, vice-tight minutes, until finally his cockhead was dragging out almost the full length of her tunnel, and then sinking all the way inside, all the way back to its new home against her womb.

She felt incredible. His entire shaft was wrapped up tight in the wet, coiling heat of her pussy, and her soft, feminine body was clinging around him just as snugly. It was as if his entire self was wrapped up with Syr, with the woman he loved. It was making his head spin, and it was making his world throb with pleasure. Even just being inside her like this, feeling the way she squeezed herself around him, hearing her moaning and panting voice, seeing the way her face had collapsed in bliss… seeing the sheer pleasure that he was giving to her… it was enough to drive Bell crazy. But the way she visibly and so completely lost herself in the delight, the way he could feel every one of her orgasms pulsing tight around him, feeling every part of her body -from the walls coiled around his shaft, to the fingers locked around his neck, to the tongue dancing so hungrily with his own- was trying to milk every last drop from him!

His masculine instincts, and every one of his hedonistic desires were practically screaming for him to lose himself in this pleasure, to fall entirely into the same wanton passion she was engulfed in and indulge himself in her body until he couldn't possibly stop!

But, for now, Bell resisted.

Syr was just an ordinary girl, she wasn't an adventurer or a deity or anything else. He'd promised to make her happy, he'd promised to be worthy of her love, and that resolve was more than enough to cool his desires and keep Bell's hips rolling softly and slowly. He couldn't go as hard, or fast as his Goddess so often begged for, not yet.

And so, he passed the minutes just like that, savouring the sensation of her walls clinging tight around every millimeder of his shaft as he dragged it back through her pussy, and marvelling at the way she screamed, shuddered, and came when he buried his length back inside her. He drank in the sight of the always confident and mature Syr writhing in ecstatic bliss, with her eyes glassy and mouth hanging open wide. And he steadied his own breathing as best he could, as her entire body throbbed and squeezed around him, and as his own building release thundered harder, and hotter within him.

And Syr, all the while, clung to him with everything she had, with both her legs and arms locked tight around him and her lips seeking his as much as she could stand it, as she hurtled from climax to climax, and as her thoughts were seared clear with pure-white delight over and over.

"B-B-Bell-kun! Thi-This isn't fair! How, how are you so good at this!? You're, nhh… You're being so gentle, an-and it's still, too good! Bell-kun! I'm going crazy! I-It's like you're fucking my brains out!"

"No, that comes later."

He answered her lightly, punctuating his words with the feeling of his cock pressing up gently against her womb once more, her innermost walls stretched wide around him once again, and Syr's own complaints turning into yet another orgasmic scream

"For now, I'm just savouring every second with you!"

"Aah-Ahh, B-Bell-kun! You're so mean! If, if you say things like th-that, I'll, ghhaa, Ah! Ah! I'm cumming! Bell-kun! I'm cumming, again!"

Fortunately for Syr, even as she drowned completely in bliss, she couldn't help but drive Bell to his own incredible highs of pleasure. In every part of her and everything she was or did, from the instinctive ministrations of her untrained pussy, to the way her body was wrapped so greedily tight around him, to the way her very soul was seeking him out, she was left frantically milking him, as if hungrily seeking to draw out every single drop of seed awaiting her.

Unfortunately for Syr, his time spent between the legs of the petite Goddess of the Hearth had given Bell a significant resistance to the feeling of a virgin-tight pussy squeezing the very life out of him. And while Freya's skills in the bedroom may have been the stuff of legend, the silver-haired waitress didn't have any of that technique, her hips shook only clumsily and sporadically against him as her body writhed and shivered beneath him.

And so, the night continued to pass by, as Bell continued his careful pace, and as they each savoured every sensation of the other.
The private back-room was filled with the warmth and sounds of their passion.
The walls echoed loud with Syr's wildly screamed delight, and growing with each passing minute, the sound of Bell's own groans and pants entwining with hers.
The air grew hot and heady, filling with the warmth of their lust and the heat they were sharing between them.
And over and over again, the world that existed only between the two of them was filled with every sensation of two bodies coming together. The wet, hot slapping of flesh upon flesh, the cries and gasps of shared delight, and the dizzying heat of fast rising tension.

Minutes passed by, uncounted and unacknowledged. And as they did, the pleasure within Bell swirled and surged. Before too long, even his desire to indulge in her had been totally eclipsed by the urgent, rampaging need for release!

The warmth and wetness of her pussy. The sight of the woman he loved writhing in unbridled delight beneath him. The sensation of her arms and legs locked so desperately tight around him. The way her tongue danced so joyfully against his and how her lips sought him out even as they each gasped for breath. The sound of her wails, and cries, and screams and the way she simply called out to him filling the air with her love over and over and over. The feeling of her hips pushing up against his, even as they so often collapsed in ecstasy just a moment later.

In everything that she was and everything that she did, Syr was dragging him perilously close to the edge of what he could possibly resist.

Breathing in ragged pants, with his heart racing and arms squeezing tighter than ever around her, Bell's the pleasure and the pressure surged through him faster than he'd anticipated and so deliriously intense he could do nothing but sink into the bliss.

Just like everything else this evening, this was a familiar sensation and the first time he'd ever felt anything like this. It was exactly the same as the embraces he'd shared with his Goddess, but completely different at the same time. The fog of delight that was currently dragging Bell to heaven belong to Syr and to her alone.

And it felt so good, he couldn't help but gasp aloud, barely able to even force his voice steady.

"S-Syr, I'm, I can't hold back!"

"I-Inside!"

Just for an instant, his mind jolted. Was that okay? Somehow, he'd come this far and never once considered that, he was so used to not having to think about that! But Syr wasn't a Goddess, she was just a normal girl, if he-

"Bell-kun! Inside, please!"

She cried out again, begging, pleading, even as her voice shook and as her body trembled. And somehow, suddenly, her entire body seemed to lock around him with a burst of newfound strength, a second wind brought out of sheer hungry desperation! Her arms, legs, and pussy all clenched tight around him with such force and such desire that Bell's own mind was momentarily seared white.

"Gh!"

It was more than enough to stoke every one of his masculine instincts, all the desires buried deep within him, and to send Bell hurtling far beyond his limits! Even if he could pull away from the ferocious hold her legs had around his waist, in that second, he didn't have a single desire to do so! Instead, all his desires, every part of him called out and acted as one!

"Syr!"

Driving himself forwards with a rough scream, breaking his gentle tempo for the first time that night, Bell slammed the full length of his cock right to the furthest depths of her greedy, throbbing pussy! Holding tight to her, as her walls clung even tighter to him, his rough, thick cock speared forcefully through the waitresses' innermost depths, stretching out and overwhelming all the most sensitive points inside her tunnel, and spread her deepest parts wide and tight around his girth.

Until he was sheathed fully inside her, until his cockhead was pushing up against her womb, and until both their bodies were singing in harmony and their vision was exploding with white light.

"!?"
"!"

Scraping and spasming inside her, dragging out against her innermost pussy in ways that melted Syr's mind and left Bell's own seared white, his cock throbbed and pulsed, and erupted!

Thick heavy jets of full, viscous seed crashed out, splashing violently inside the silver-haired girl's virgin womb, filling it in just a second, and flooding it only a second later! Bell's cock continued to pulse, and his balls clenched tight, unloading more and more streams of cum! In one moment her womb was stuffed full, in another her pussy was completely overwhelmed, and with one more his release splashed out between her legs, spilling in heady waves down her thighs and out into the sheets below.

"S-So much!"
"So good!"

To Syr, it felt as if Bell had filled every millimeder of her, as if her entire body was being dyed in his essence!
To Bell, it felt as if Syr was trying to squeeze out every drop he had in him, as well as his very soul!

The world, the night and even the bed they were huddled atop had long since faded from existence for these two. Right now, there was nothing between them, no boundaries, and no hesitations. With their souls joined together and bodies melted into one another, with their love etched as deeply as powerfully into one another as they could imagine, they flew together through the heights of ecstasy.

Surrounded by a pure, true love like she had never known, Syr's soul was filled with a contentment that defied words, a completeness of body, mind, and spirit.
Wrapped up tight in her unrestrained, unflinching affection, Bell's world was filled with a happiness and warmth that was no less than the Hearthfires of Heaven, his ambition and his dream came together as one and his world was filled with joy.

Locked together like that, with his cock buried to the hilt within her pussy, and her walls pulsing weakly around him in a continuous aftershock, it was quite some time before either of them moved once more. And it was several long moments after that before they each slowly blinked back to reality. Without words, or thoughts, their lips came together again, softly and lightly, without the heat or hunger that'd pressed against them earlier, just simply savouring this moment and each other's bodies.

The last few ropes of his release were squeezed out, leaving Bell panting lightly. But still his length remained rock hard, and imposingly thick within her.
The sensation of being filled up entirely with him, of feeling his seed filling her womb and flooding out from her pussy was more than enough to leave Syr lightheaded. But still, she remained locked just as tight around him.

"I'm so glad it was with you, Bell-kun…"
"Syr… I'm really glad I'm with you."

She'd said once before that Bell cried much too easily. It felt like another lifetime ago now, but it seemed that no matter how manly he'd become, that was still true.
But then, her own eyes were wet with happy tears too, so maybe she was just as bad?

Some unknowable time passed just like that.

But soon enough, reality encroached on them once more.

"Syr… I, ah… Is it alright if, we, I know it's your first time, so if you'r-"
"It's fine, Bell-kun. Please, I want it too… As much as you can, as much as either of us can stand, please… I'm yours, forever."

And just as quickly, reality was banished under their aching desire.

And so, the sound, heat and frenzy of young love resounded long into the night!

---

"Hgg… Bell-kun… I'm sorry…"

Looking down at the man she adored, from where she was currently seated directly atop him, Syr's face screwed up with concentration as she weakly braced herself atop his chest.

With her ponytail now undone, her silver-grey hair was falling free over her shoulders, framing her face in exactly the way she'd imagined it would. Her large breasts were hanging free in the air, bouncing before his eyes with just as much enticement as she'd fantasised about. And she was atop him, with her hands held over his chest, and his wonderfully thick cock entirely under her control, buried right to the depths of her pussy inside her.

This was exactly the way Syr had envisioned their night together! She would ease him down into the bed, she would take control, and then with her body capturing his gaze, her hands teasing his skin, and her tunnel squeezing tight around his length, she would guide him firmly but calmly through to heights he'd never imagined! He would writhe and pant under her, his face would flush and he would cry her name and…

…And unfortunately, it wasn't going anything like she'd imagined.

Once again, she had discovered that she simply adored him too much. Her body couldn't resist him in the least. And especially after how many times she'd already cum in his embrace, it was as if she'd already surrendered to him, even as she rode atop him!

He simply felt too good! Far too good! She couldn't stand it! He was so big and thick inside her, as if his cock was a perfect fit for her pussy, stretching her entire tunnel out and moulding it to his shape! It wasn't fair, but by now it also wasn't a surprise, just having him sheathed inside her felt as if he was pressing against, caressing, and overloading every single one of her most sensitive innermost spots! And worse than that, looking down at him and seeing how kindly and happily he was smiling at her, seeing his joy and delight, feeling his fingers brushing over her skin or his hands holding so possessively around her waist… it was more than enough to drive her to pure madness!

She'd used up every bit of her strength and willpower just pulling herself down the full length of his shaft, she'd already peaked so many times just getting to where she was, her body had already given in to him and she hadn't even started.

No, more like, she couldn't. Every time she tried to move, ever time she tried to raise her hips up, her body would cry out in delight and all strength would leave her.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, "It's ju-just, my hips ha-have given out… I can't move…"

She would have felt embarrassed if she wasn't currently trembling with pure ecstasy.
And, perhaps, if she hadn't been able to predict exactly what was to come next.

"Ahh-hhhaaa!"

Her voice rang out as his hands clenched tight around her hips.
And then louder again as he slowly eased her up his length.
And then all thoughts or concerns were lost entirely as she cried out in pure, wanton delight over and over again, as Bell showed off the power of an Adventurer with a Status, easily bouncing the older girl atop him.

---

"Bell-kun! Bell-kun! Bell-kun! Wa-wait, it's, this isn't, thi-this isn't fair! It's not fair, it fe-feels comp-completely different like this! It's too good!"

Facedown on the mattress, with her hands having long since given out under her and her hips held aloft only by his strength Syr's body was rocked in place, stronger, faster, harder than anything he'd done to this point!

Night had long since passed to early morning, and in that time, Syr had thought that a small part of her had finally managed to adjust to the sensation of his shaft inside her, of feeling her pussy wrapped up and stretched around his ridiculous, incredible, length! And now, with Bell's hands around her hips, and his cock driving into her from behind, she was realising just how mistaken she'd been! She was well aware that Bell was still holding back, that he still wasn't using his full might against her, but even just like this- feeling his length from a completely different angle, feeling the curve and bend of his cock scraping out and reshaping her pussy around him from an entirely new angle, it was more than she could possibly take.

Once again, both body and mind collapsed into ecstatic delight, and she could do nothing but cry out to him as her world flashed with white light.

---

"Mnmmngh, mmm, mmmhhghhh!"
"Th-that's… That feels good…"

The gloom of night had faded, and the first light of dawn would surely be breaking in just a few hours, but Syr neither knew nor cared anything about what time it was, nor for how long they'd been at this.

She was exhausted, she understood that. Her body was aching in ways that felt too delightful to name and more wonderful than she'd even imagined. Muscles she'd never used before were crying out in fatigue, and it was clear she had no strength left in her, not even the energy to wrap herself around Bell when he pushed her down into the mattress. Her pussy was filled with his seed, her womb stuffed full with it to the point his released was still dripping down her legs. The entire night had passed in a haze of pleasure and she'd long since lost track of how many loads he'd shot inside her, if she truly was a normal girl, she would be pregnant for sure.

And yet, even though the highs of bliss had left her passed out in Bell's arms multiple times, her body was buzzing far too happily for her to stay asleep. And even though she didn't have a drop of strength, resolve or willpower left within her, still her very soul was yearning for him.

Syr had wanted this ever since she'd first met him. And Freya had wanted this since the dawn of her existence. There would be other nights and all the time in the world to spend with him, she understood that, but still she ached with simple need for him. She was too love-drunk, too giddily happy, and ultimately, too obsessed with him to stop just yet.

And so, for the first time since he'd kissed her, Syr had slipped from the bed to where she was currently kneeling on the hard wooden floors. She'd pulled Bell upright, urging him to sit on the edge of the mattress, and now she was right where she'd dreamed of being so many times- seated in place, between his legs, with her lips wrapped around his cock, and his thick length throbbing hot against her tongue. Her adoring ministrations had already licked his shaft completely clean, and -spurred on by his gasps and groans- she'd wasted absolutely no time in planting a kiss atop his cockhead, in wrapping her lips around him, and in slowly easing him right down into her throat.

'It's… so good…'

In her imagination this had seemed much simpler. She'd pictured herself easily bobbing herself up and down the full length of Bell's shaft, she'd imagined how he would writhe and moan and gasp as she held him right on the brink of release, she'd pictured what he would look like when she turned her gaze up towards him, as he begged her to stop teasing him, pleading for release.

In her dreams she'd been Freya.

But Syr was Syr. And Syr had never even seen a cock before, let alone felt one down her throat, or experienced the heady, raw feeling of his length pulsing so thick and hot over her tongue… and Bell's was quite a cock indeed. Every twitch and shudder of his shaft reverberated through her in a way that left her body shivering and her thighs pressed together, shifting and squirming on the spot as yet another electrifying shudder ran down her spine.

By the time she'd worked her lips past his cockhead, the only thing that'd kept Syr's hands out from between her legs was the fact that her fingers were already entwined so tight around his own! And even without touching herself, by the time her lips were bobbing up and down half his shaft, her body was already flying headlong through yet another heady peak!

It was too good. She loved him too much. She was already hopelessly addicted to this.

Unlike her dreams, in reality, Syr didn't think she'd be able to take his full shaft just yet.
Nor did she think she would be able to swallow his entire load when she finally did milk it from him.

But her determination was no lesser for the sake of it. She would learn both those things- and for now, she would get him off, if she had to stay here just like this, savouring and delighting in his length, all the way till morning! And even if she couldn't drink his entire release, she wouldn't let a single drop of it be wasted, she would take it on her face instead!

No matter how eagerly or how repeatedly Syr surrendered herself to him, her overwhelming affection didn't change. It just took a slightly different form.

---

Meanwhile, far away and far above Orario, in a private penthouse suite at the very top of Babel tower, a deliriously wanton and thoroughly overwhelmed voice was ringing out yet again.

"HHNN! Noooo! Nooo! Nhghgh! Nhh! I'm cumming! I'm cumming! Lady Freya! Lady Freya! … BELL-KUN!"

Stripped completely naked, writhing and panting, moaning, and screaming and cumming over and over, Hörn was experiencing a night far beyond anything she'd imagined!

Hörn had thought herself thoroughly used to the feeling and sensations she would receive when Freya was having sex. It was hardly something she savoured (the idea of someone pawing at her perfect Goddess was an unhappy one), but it was something she was familiar with, and the very rare times that Freya had invited her into her bed with Vana Seith active -with them both taking on the visage of the ideal deity Hörn worshipped- the feeling of Freya's warmth and affection flowing back and forth through their bond had been memorable indeed.

But that was all it had ever been. She would experience a dull sensation of contentment, a small rush a joy, and maybe an ebb of warmth if Lady Freya was delighting herself in some way. Their bond wasn't so complete that she could feel everything Freya felt, nor was that something she wished to.

Or at least, that was how it had always been.

Because, until tonight, Freya had never had sex as Syr.
And Freya had never had sex with Bell Cranel.

And both those things acting together were working to send Hörn to heights of madness, envy, and lust that she'd never even dreamed of! Her skin was flushed red, her chest was heaving and panting, her body was soaked with sweat, and her hands were clenched tight around the soaked sheets. And her entire being, from her body, to her mind, to her very soul was sang in perfect harmony as the feelings Freya was drowning in wrapped around Hörn and sent her crashing headlong through climaxes more powerful than anything she'd ever experienced!

She'd already long since undone the spell, even as much as she loved being in Freya's form, this was more than she could possibly take.
And it changed nothing.

As if that horrible, wonderful, terrible, magnificent Bell Cranel was destroying the very sense of reason around her, the bond that had only ever existed when she was using her Seidr continued regardless! And worse, now she was in her own form. It was Hörn truly who was feeling every bit of his love and affection, it was Hörn that was drowning in his warmth and his gentle care.

She'd occasionally experienced brief flashes of visions, seeing what Freya saw during particularly intense moments, she'd seen a few simple sights of Bell Cranel just like that before she'd turned in for the night, and she'd thought nothing of it.

But now that was all she saw! She could see exactly what Freya saw; it was all she could see! Her mind and her world was filled entirely with him! His arms were cradled around the woman he called Syr, but Hörn could see his gentle smile, she could see his tender love, and she could feel just the same protection of his embrace

Hörn's body, soul, and everything that she was belonged only and ever to Lady Freya. She had enjoyed the honour of being invited into her Goddess's bed a handful of times when she'd pleased her in some manner, that was the extent of sex for her, that was all she'd ever known and all she'd ever wished to know.

She had never once seen a man's penis.

But now she was sure that she knew every single millimeder of Bell's cock. And now she knew exactly what it was like to feel it throbbing in her hand, feel it pulsing against her, feel its warmth… and feel what it was to be stretched open around it. Now she knew exactly the same mind-melting ecstasy Freya was drowning in, feeling second-hand what it felt like to have her innermost walls wrapped tight around her length and her thought scattered completely in a heady bliss.

And worse. It was better than she'd ever felt.

In the days to come, she would forcibly assure herself that was entirely due to Freya's feelings. Freya preferred having sex with Bell Cranel to Hörn or anyone else, so it was only natural for her to feel that way.

But in this moment, and in the depths of her heart, an uneasy truth was evident. Right now, she was tossing and turning, kicking, and screaming, panting, and moaning and cumming as Bell Cranel brought her to heights of ecstasy she'd never previously imagined!

"I'm cumming! I'm cumming! I'm g-going crazy! NNh, I love you! I love you! Goddess! Lady Freya! I love you! Bell-kun!"

---

A/N: I tried a new editing/spellcheck system this time, but I ran out of time to use it fully because I wound up pretty much desperately working nonstop on this story over my entire weekend and I'm now uploading it right before I head off to work. I really wanted to make sure I got it done, so I can play the XBC3 DLC. So, I apologise now if I have missed some errors, I'll go over and do a second pass when I've got a chance, but if you highlight anything I'll fix it. I have gone through and done a few sweeps, so hopefully there's nothing too bad.

Anyway, more importantly, damn, 20k words when I was aiming for 10k! I said I wasn't going to give every girl that joined in the kind of overindulgent treatment I gave Hestia, since she was Bell's first. But when I started diving into Syr's character and the monologues, and I realised just how soft and slow the sex was going to be, instead of the usual wild raunch, it just wound up that way, I couldn't stop. Ahh, I like Syr, I like Freya more but I like Syr a lot too.

She's a funny one to write too and very hard to balance the dual mindset between Freya and Syr, as you can see, I've tried my best here to establish that Syr is (while still being Freya) her own person, Freya is playing that role so completely that Syr has essentially truly come to life.

And that's meant in this case, that when it comes to sleeping with Bell, it ends up like this!

Syr has all of Freya's (Bell-related) weaknesses, but without a body that's used to having sex, and is used to indulging in pleasure, he winds up being super effective against her! Essentially, it's inspired by pictures of her like this: (i.)(imgur)(.c)om/ng60w2S(.j)pg (NSFW, obviously).

And, don't you just love Hörn? Isn't she such a cutie? She's so cold and harsh, but slightly soft too, and so utterly overwhelmed with Freya's feelings for Bell she can't help but love him too. She's only had a small role in the LN's so far, but that role has generally been great fun. And of course now, her role will be quite different, since Freya won't be so desperate, and since she's experiencing a much stronger rush of emotions than even in canon.

And lastly, the ever-present reminder, please: I'm current with the LN's but I don't read leaks- if you've read LN leaks from the JP versions, then you know more than me. Don't tell me about it. I don't want to know. I'll read it myself when the new volume comes out, I'm looking forward to it, please don't comment or review with stuff from that.

Anyway, I seem to be back in a more steady rhythm for stories now, so early releases will be going on my (P)(atreon), and as always, if you liked this and wanna support me or help get these chapters out faster, or if you want more information about my story statuses as well as weekly updates and any other details can be found at:

www(.p)(atreon)(.c)om(/)JLDavenport