At the Hearth Mansion; Hestia and the members of her Familia continues to eavesdrop on Zagreus and Bell's private conversation because of their curiosity as they just keep on listening to the father and son's voices.
"I see…" Zagreus spoke as he continues to stand by the window with Bell beside him. "you've gone through that much horrible times in the past, did you? I know about the incidents over the past few months from Makaria….but hearing it from you directly? it gave me a better and clearer view on how much you had to face in this city."
"yes…" Bell replied with a small nod as he had just told his father about everything that he had been going through ever since he first arrived to Orario; he kept a few minor details out on a few events but he was certain that one day; he needed to tell it to his father. "It was hard at first, but when I met my goddess and the rest of my friends…" the young man soon smiles a bit. "things got a bit better over time."
Zagreus glanced at his son for a moment before he looks outside.
"I know about the Xenos, Bell. there is no point keeping them a secret from me in our conversation." said Zagreus as Bell made a surprised noise while turning his head to look at the Kaiser. "but I suppose that you believed that their existence might be a surprise to me and the other Kaisers. You fear for their safety if we were to know of their existence in the Dungeon." The man then glanced at Bell for a moment. "don't worry. i will keep their existence a secret from Makaria and the others until the time is right for me to tell them."
Bell looks shocked at his father and so did Hestia and the others.
"H-How…how did you know?" Bell muttered out as Zagreus looks at his son for a moment before to the outside.
"The Mind Link magic that Makaria used on you at the time of her arrival. It doesn't just share her memories to you. It worked both ways." Zagreus replied while placing a finger on the side of his head. "if she shares her memories to you; your memories get shared to her." he then lowers his hand and looks back at Bell. "Do not hate her for doing so without permission. I am the one who ordered her to do so."
"w-why?" Bell muttered out. "why did you…?"
"It is to learn of Orario's past, present, and possibly its future." Zagreus replied while looking away. "The Kaiser Familia had been away from Orario for almost 15 years. We've left it vulnerable to chaos for far too long" His gaze soon hardens while his colored eyes glows. "The banishment of Zeus and Hera Familia, the dark days of Evilus' rein, and many more. we Kaisers cannot forgive ourselves for allowing this to happen to the city that we grew up within and had been protecting for decades." The room instantly went cold and tense as Bell started to have a bit of difficulty in breathing while having cold sweat sliding down his face and shaking hands. "the chaos that once spread and infected this city….we will erase it and bring back order."
Zagreus' double-colored eyes glows menacingly as the Kaiser looks at his own reflection from the glass window.
Bell started to gasp for air as his lungs felt like they're getting the oxygen sucked out from the ominous power that is radiating from Zagreus. This also occurs to Hestia and the others who could feel utter terror growing in their hearts.
Zagreus continues this pressuring power of his for a few more seconds before his glowing eyes stopped glowing and the pressuring and tense atmosphere in the room slowly blows away which allowed Bell to take big gasps of air for his lungs.
Bell continues to gasp for air while Zagreus glanced and gaze down at his son for a moment before he glanced to the doorway.
"Be grateful that you are my son's allies and comrades that he trusts with his heart, Hestia Familia." Zagreus spoke out in a deep yet menacing tone. "I will overlook this matter of your eavesdropping just this once but know that I won't be so merciful should there be a next time." His eyes flashes in their colors while a small yet powerful aura of a shockwave pulse out from the Kaiser. "Now leave us be and do try to keep your curiosity to yourselves."
It didn't take a minute as Zagreus and Bell heard hustling footsteps going somewhere that indicates Hestia and the others had quickly run somewhere far from the living room.
"w-what was…." Bell whispered out while looking at the living room's doorway.
"Your Familia had eavesdropped in our conversation." Said Zagreus as he turns and started walking to the couch where he sat down upon while taking his cup of tea into his grasp. "I suppose that their curiosity had gotten the best of them." He then sips the drink slowly with his eyes closed but he soon placed the cup back to the table while slowly opening his eyes just a sliver. "This is why you should leave this Familia, Bell. they do not trust you at all."
"w-what?" Bell replied with a surprised yet confused face. "What do you mean?"
"Sit down beside me." Zagreus replied while turning his head to look at his son. "and you will know what I am implying."
Bell looks at Zagreus for a moment before he gulped and started to walk slowly to the couch where he sat beside his father.
There is a quick moment of silence between the father and son, Zagreus looks at Bell for a moment before he looks to the front.
"I've learned from Makaria that you are currently a Level 4 adventurer who has only become one just a few months earlier on." Said Zagreus with his eye glancing at Bell. "you've once received the title as the Little Rookie; the Adventurer who Levelled up the fastest. The Record Holder, correct?"
"y-yes…" Bell replied with a nod. "w-what about it?"
"Your rapid growth, and your quick level up. All of it possible for the one skill that I gave to you when you were still an infant." Said Zagreus as his gaze tensed up. "The Liaris Freese; The Crystallization of Emotions. Rapid Growth. The Skill that is allowing you to grow strong and the Skill that is keeping you alive from the disease you inherited from Meteria."
"w-what?" Bell gasped in surprise. "b-but I don't…t-this skill…i-i…I don't understand."
"you believe that you only possess two skills from your goddess, didn't you?" Zagreus asked while reaching out a hand and then placed a finger to Bell's chest. "but that is wrong. She lied to you. You have three skills. The Liaris Freese is one of them."
"b-but…my Status charts…t-they.." Bell spoke out before he looks in surprise as Zagreus held a blank Status paper that appeared in his grasp.
"if you do not believe my words…." Said Zagreus while handing the paper to Bell. "I can provide you the proof instead."
Bell takes the paper and looks at it for a moment before to his father.
A few seconds later, Zagreus faces Bell's exposed back as the Kaiser places his right hand upon his son's back before his eyes glows and his Status blessing materializes.
The Kaiser pulls his hand away before he takes the blank Status sheet and placed it on Bell's back before snapping his fingers. The paper glows white as the Rabbit Foot's Status disappears.
"it is done." Said Zagreus as he takes the Status paper and reads its content while his son covers himself. "as I had thought, the Liaris Freese awakened earlier than expected."
"what do you mean?" Bell asked as he turns towards his father who handed him the Status Paper.
"the Liaris Freese can only be awakened when the user experiences a strong emotion that overpowers their heart." Said Zagreus while Bell reads his Status, and his eyes slowly widens. "it is a Skill that your goddess didn't want you to know."
"L-Liaris Freese…crystallization of emotion. Rapid Growth…?" Bell muttered out as he looks completely shocked in seeing the one skill that his father revealed to him. "this Skill…"
"it is the skill that allowed you to grow healthy till this day and helped you grow strong." Said Zagreus before hardening his gaze for a moment. "it's also the skill that your Familia kept secretly from you."
Bell looks at the Status paper that soon scrunches up by the young man who grips it hard in between his hands which were shaking as he is very much heartbroken from the fact that he was never trusted and betrayed.
"do not let your anger consume you." Said Zagreus with a stern voice. "if you do, you will regret the actions you make because of it." he placed a hand to his son's shoulder. "take a deep breath and calm down."
Bell continues to shake and scrunches the Status paper even more for a minute before he calmed down like his father asked him.
Zagreus looks at Bell for a moment before he raises a hand and patted his son's head a few times.
"don't blame yourself for not being able to keep a secret." Said Zagreus with a small smile. "Your honesty is a given trait from your mother and i. Someone with such honesty is someone who should be trusted and respected. Your Familia were just foolish."
"but i…" Bell whispers out. "I just….i.."
"it is not your fault." Zagreus stated. "Meteria would've said the same thing if she is with us."
Bell went silent as he reaches a hand to his chest and gently grasps his mother's locket. The young man let out soft grunting whimpers while his father watches him.
Zagreus listens to his son's grunting whimpers as he could tell that he has mixed emotions that are conflicting in his heart.
A few seconds of silence passes as Zagreus stays quiet while looking at his son who continues to battle the emotions stirring up in his heart.
After a minute passed, Zagreus reaches out his right hand and placed it upon Bell's shoulder that he massages a few times.
"reasons aside, your goddess and your Familia kept your skill a secret because of fearing that if you know; you might accidently tell someone about it which could lead to danger." Zagreus stated while looking at his son. "that is something you cannot deny to be the truth."
Bell looks at his father for a moment before he frowns while looking down.
"they have kept your skill a secret from you for over a few months." Said Zagreus as he pulls his hand away and crosses his arms while looking away. "they didn't trust and have betrayed you because they wanted to keep you safe. This can be seen as a just and an in-just action from two perspectives." He then glanced at his son. "it is in your decision whether should you forgive them or not."
"i-i…I don't…" Bell muttered out as he frowns even more while placing his hands on his knees and grips them hard. "I don't know what to do…I don't.."
Bell began to tear up as he still feels pain in his heart because of his Familia.
Zagreus looks at his son and sees the tears dripping down his eyes, the Kaiser closed his eyes and crosses his arms on his chest.
"come to my Familia's Home, Bell." said Zagreus as Bell slowly looks at his father. "come and stay at the Kaiser Familia's Home. if you feel that you need time to think and do not want to be here. Come with me to my Familia's Home." the Kaiser then looks at his son. "at our Home, you will be welcomed with opened arms and given care. It is also the place where you will be protected and be safe, just like what your mother would've wanted. What do you say?"
Bell stays silent for a moment as he sniffles once while wiping away his tears with his right arm.
"y-yes…" Bell spoke out softly while nodding. "yes, please…"
Zagreus looks at Bell as he reaches out a hand and gently wipes away his son's tears from his eyes.
"don't worry." Said Zagreus. "in our Home, we never lie to you nor will we ever hurt you. I promise."
Bell closes an eye as his father wipes away his tears with a finger, the young man soon nods with a smile before getting a few pats on the head.
Zagreus gave a small smile in return before his face slowly became serious once again.
"Bell, I need to know." said Zagreus in a firmed voice. "when did the Liaris Freese activate? What emotion that caused its awakening?"
"what emotion that caused its awakening?" Bell asked while wiping leftover tears. "what do you mean?"
"the Liaris Freese is a skill that I gave to you in order to regress your disease while allowing you to grow like a normal boy." Zagreus explains. "but when you received your goddess' blessing, that skill lies dormant yet its effect remains. Its full capability awakened when your heart.." the Kaiser gently points a finger and presses it against his son's left chest. "is overcome by a powerful emotion. That is how the Liaris Freese works. What emotion did you experience when you first notice that you were growing stronger?"
"i…" Bell spoke out before he looks down with a confused face. "I don't know….i never knew about the skill so i…"
Zagreus looks at Bell for a moment before he raises his son's face and then gently place two fingers to his forehead.
"stay still, Bell." said Zagreus before his eyes began to glow brightly. "I will see the answer within your memories."
Bell looks at his father confused before his eyes widen and began to glow red.
Zagreus's eyes glows continuously and after a minute died down. The Kaiser pulls his fingers away and looks at Bell whose eyes stopped glowing as well.
"you awakened that skill after falling in love with the Loki Familia's Aiz Wallenstein, huh?" said Zagreus as he hardens his gaze a bit. "seems that you were lucky."
"eh?" Bell made a confused noise from hearing what his father had spoken.
"you have a crush with the Sword Princess, correct?" said Zagreus with a hand raised to the side before lowered down. "your love for her awakened the Liaris Freese and therefore allowed its full potential to be in effect."
"eh!?" Bell blushes embarrassingly at his father before looking down. "um…well…i…that's kinda…um…well…i"
"forget about the Sword Princess and never think about her again." Zagreus spoke out suddenly as his words made Bell forget about the embarrassment and just look at his father in shock. "that little girl isn't someone who you are meant to be with. It is better if you find someone else."
"w-what? but why?" Bell asked in surprise.
"have you forgotten that your mother, Uncle Polemos and your Aunt Thalia are former members of Zeus and Hera Familia respectively?" said Zagreus with an obvious tone in his voice. "their Familias were weakened after their defeat against the Black Dragon and were banished by the Freyja Familia and the Loki Familia. can you really be in love with someone whose Familia caused nothing but pain and hardship to your own mother? Can you, Bell?"
"b-but..A-Aiz-san is…" Bell muttered out. "s-she wouldn't and she…"
"and what? she helped you train to become stronger?" Zagreus asked with a raised eyebrow. "you both were strangers and she offered to help you even though you two were of different Familias?" he then hardens his gaze "at the time, you two were just strangers and yet she offered to train you out of goodwill? Bell, don't you find that a bit strange?"
"Strange? But Aiz-san was just offering to train me in order to apologize for the incident that her Familia accidently caused and…" said Bell as he explained about the incident when a run-off Minotaur that chased and nearly killed him if the Sword Princess haven't come and saved him. "and then..with her help I became strong…and then…"
"She was after something from you and because of that I disapprove of her." Zagreus stated in a very stern voice as his eyes glows menacingly. "forget about Aiz Wallenstein, Bell. it is for your own good."
Bell looks dejected at his father as he tilts his head down with a very sad frown.
Zagreus sees his son's expression which made the Kaiser sigh while closing his eyes.
"if you are against my words, then I will check her first to see if she is who you believe she is." Said Zagreus as Bell looks at his father once again. "if she is a kind, beautiful, and nice person that your memories showed me, I will allow a relationship between the two of you." The Kaiser then opens his eyes and looks at his son directly in his eyes. "but if she is not…."
Bell looks at his father for a moment before he nods in understanding what he was implying.
"yes…I understand." Bell spoke out as Zagreus looks at his son before he nods back.
A few hours later, at the Hearth Mansion's second floor; Hestia and the others were just standing around by the stairs and are looking at the closed door to the living room.
"He knew we were listening in on their conversation." Welf spoke out with a rather unnerved face. "He let it be until he decided to go for the more private and important part."
"The Bloody Kaiser…is frightening." Said Mikoto as Haruhime nods in agreement.
"What do you think he is telling Bell-sama now?" Lili asked Hestia who has her arms crossed and a hand cupping her chin. "it must be very important and private, right?"
"I don't know." Hestia replied while shaking her head. "We just have to wait until Bell-kun comes out."
Everyone looks at their goddess before to each other as they couldn't help but feel curious and anxious to know what conversation that Zagreus is having with their captain.
The group continues to wait as nearly 5 minutes passed and when another second passed, they heard the living room's door swinging open.
Hestia and the others went to the stairs and instantly saw Bell exiting the living Room with Zagreus behind him.
"Bell-kun!" Hestia called out as she and the others instantly went down the stairs. "are you done?"
Bell didn't respond to Hestia's question as he just looks all darkly at the goddess and his comrades.
"Bell-kun? What's wrong?" Hestia asked looking confused to Bell's darkened expression.
"why…why did you lie to me?" Bell spoke out as he looks straight at Hestia. "Why did you lie to me, my goddess? How much you lie to me?"
"eh?" Hestia looks awfully confused. "I don't…"
"I've told him about the Liaris Freese Skill that you and your Familia had kept from him." Zagreus spoke out as Hestia and the others look shocked and surprise at the Kaiser who looks upon them with emotionless yet disapproving looking eyes. "you lied to Bell and kept him in the dark for how long? 6-8 months, is it?"
"Why...why didn't you tell me?" Bell spoke as he looks darkly at his goddess and Familia members but in his eyes; there was a certain pain that is growing within them. "you kept it a secret from me for so long….and never told me." He then started to look angry as he takes out the once Blank yet now is filled with his information Status Paper that revealed the Liaris Freese Skill. "I am always loyal to you, my goddess! I trust you so much yet you never told me about this one skill of mine. you told Welf and the others but not me? The one who should know about it? why? Why!?"
"I! I d-did it to…i-it was to protect you!" Hestia quickly retorted to defend herself as she looks scared and anxious because she believes that Bell's trust on her was gone in an instant. "I was afraid that you would tell someone! I-I was trying to protect you! you always get excited when you learn that you got something great! And i! I was afraid that someone will try to take you if they learn about this skill of yours!"
"Then why does Welf and the others know!? Do you trust them more than you trust me!?" Bell retorted back while shedding some tears. "why do they know!?"
"we forced her!" Welf cuts in as he went and got in front of Hestia and Bell. "you were growing so fast and it was something we couldn't understand. Me and the others pressured Hestia-sama into telling us about your Status a few months back. We did it to have a better understanding so that we could help protect you!"
"You would try to protect Bell by learning about his secret skill for yourselves?" Zagreus spoke out as looks at the Crozzo smith while pulling Bell back from his Familia before he stood facing the group with his eyes closed and his head tilted down a bit. "How greedy can you be?"
"What do you mean?" said Hestia as she looks a bit accusingly at Zagreus for telling Bell about his secret skill that should've remained a secret.
"I mean what I have spoken." Zagreus replied as he opened his eyes that were glowing menacingly. "you, the goddess of Hearth. You kept this secret from Bell because you are jealous. I know very well that the Liaris Freese was awakened within Bell when he met this Aiz Wallenstein of the Loki Familia." he then hardens his gaze. "I don't know how you can call yourself a goddess when you're just a selfish, egoistic, and jealous person who wants Bell to be her one and only. you're just like a child claiming a toy for their own."
Hestia looks at Zagreus in surprise and shock as the Kaiser knows so much about her and the others but the same couldn't be said vice versa.
"You all are influenced by greed and jealousy." Said Zagreus as he looks at Hestia and the other members. "Wanting Bell for yourself, wanting to learn about his secret for yourselves, and wanting him to stay with you for yourselves…you people are nothing but worthless and ungrateful traitors who should never be my son's companion."
"w-we're not traitors!" Lili interjected. "w-we would never betray Bell-sama!"
"can you really say that when you're someone who once nearly killed him?" Zagreus asked as Lili gasped with widened eyes in reaction to the Kaiser's words. "I know very well that you nearly killed Bell once in the past, Liliruca Arde. You betrayed him and nearly got himself killed. Can you really not call yourself a traitor who had kept an important secret from him? when you yourself betrayed him once?"
"t-that's…." Lili spoke out but she couldn't think of any words to retort Zagreus' words.
"and you." Zagreus looks and points a finger at Mikoto who tensed up. "you try so hard to amend what you did to my son, aren't you? I know very well that your original Familia nearly caused my son to lose his life when your own Party did a Pass Parade on his party, right?" the Kaiser hardens his glowing gaze at the eastern Kunoichi. "You learn of his secret even though you are only a temporary member of the Hestia Familia? how foolish can one be?"
Mikoto frowns in guilt as she looks down while having no words to say in return.
"you as well.." said Zagreus as he turns towards Haruhime who looks scared. "you're formerly from the Ishtar Familia, correct? The one Familia that had nearly caused Chaos upon Orario, right? You got my son kidnapped and you helped your Former Familia to do so, right?" the Kaiser's glowing gaze became even more menacing. "But I shouldn't be so surprised because…..what could I expect from someone who is a prostitute of the Ishtar Familia, right? You're just a slut that isn't worthy to be trusted by anyone."
Haruhime tears up as her fox ears drooped down while she had a very guilty and sad expression on her face.
"And you…" said Zagreus as he looks at Welf who is looking anxious and nervous. The Kaiser looks at the red haired smith for a moment before he looks away. "you're a Crozzo. Someone who is hated by many Elven people. Their hate for your ancestors would one day inflict harm to Bell." he then glanced back at Welf with his right eye that glows cold icy blue. "you call yourself his friend but you're in fact just bringing him harm instead."
"t-that!" Welf retorted but he looks down with a frustrated yet guilty expression on his face. "that…"
Zagreus looks at Welf for a moment before to Hestia.
"I don't know why a goddess like you even exist." Said Zagreus with a dark yet venomous tone. "you're childish, idiotic, possessive, and most of all selfish. Someone like that can't be called a goddess at all." his glowing eyes gave an even more menacing gaze at the loli goddess. "someone with such a personality….can only be called a worthless and incompetent maggot."
Hestia looks frightened at Zagreus as she sweated before she looks down with a sad yet guilty looking frown forming on her face.
Zagreus glares down at the group for a moment before he closed his eyes.
"Bell, go outside first." Said Zagreus as he opened his eyes and continues to glare at the Hestia Familia members. "I need to give a piece of my mind to these maggots."
"r-right…" Bell spoke out softly as he nods before he followed his father's words and went out of the Home.
Now Zagreus is left alone with the Hestia Familia members who are just sweating bullets because they are now facing the strongest Kaiser by themselves.
"face upwards, you maggots." Zagreus spoke as Hestia and the others made a confused noise while looking at the Bloody Kaiser who soon raises his right hand and formed a very hard tight grip.
BANG! POW! BANG! KA-POW! BANG!
Zagreus had instantly and quickly delivered several hard knocks upon the Hestia Familia's members who are now on their knees while holding their heads that has steaming red bulges popping out.
"That is for betraying my son and hurting his heart." Said Zagreus while gripping his right hand's fist a few times and then crosses his arms. "along with my gratitude for taking care of him."
Hestia and the others didn't speak a word as they were busy holding their aching heads.
"listen well, Hestia Familia." Zagreus spoke out. "I will be taking my son to my Familia's Home and give him time to decide whether should he forgive you or not for your act of betrayal." His helmet then reforms upon his head and his eyes glows under the visor. "depending on his decision, your pathetic lives will or will not see the next rising sun."
The Hestia Familia felt cold shiver go up their spine as Zagreus' words are threats that are deadly as poisonous venom.
Zagreus glares at the Hestia Familia before he turns and walks towards the door that he opens and then slams shut.
Hestia and the others could only stand behind with sad and guilty frowns on their faces that just grew.
The father and son left the Hearth Manor as they walked in the front yard. Zagreus is silent as he walks but the Kaiser soon glanced at Bell who is shedding some sad tears.
"do not think of them anymore for today." Zagreus spoke as he looks back front. "Those who do not have trust for one another could never be called a Familia."
"but…i.." Bell muttered out but stopped when Zagreus placed a hand on the top of his head and caress it a few times.
"The fact that you are honest, and kind is what makes you Meteria's son. she always wishes that you would be such a person when you grow up." Said Zagreus as he stops walking with Bell and looks at his son directly. "It is not your fault that they couldn't trust you."
Bell looks at his father for a moment before he nods his head slowly and then wipe away his tears.
"come." Said Zagreus as the two arrived at the front gate which the Kaiser pushes open. "let's go and visit your mother now."
"What?" Bell asked as Zagreus merely looks up with his right hand raised to the cloudy dark sky.
The Kaiser's eyes glows and then flashes as this somehow caused the storm to unleash roars of thunders and bright flashes of lightning that focuses on one area in the sky.
Bell looks with wide eyes to the scene as he instantly sees something large slowly descending from the dark clouds.
"w-what is…" Bell muttered out in a baffled voice as his eyes were wide as saucers at the large object in the sky that just descends within the dark clouds. "w-what is that?"
Many people within Orario sees with shocked faces to the dark cloudy sky as the large object descends from within the dark storm that gets struck with bolts of lightning several times.
Near the Twilight Manor, the members of the Loki Familia were on their way back to their Home when the scene above their heads occurred and stopped them in their tracks.
"w-what is that!?" said Lefiya in a gasp.
"Whatever that thing is. It's huge!" Tiona exclaimed.
"Captain..what is that thing?" Tione asked Finn who is looking surprised and baffled with Riveria and Gareth.
"I should've expected that when Zagreus returned. It followed suite." Said Finn as he sweated a bit. "it is after all his Home."
Everyone looks at the dark sky as they see something descend from the thunderstorm which is covered in black clouds that slowly blows away.
"a-are you saying that…are you saying that thing is!?" said Tiona with her jaw dropped.
"The Home of the Kaiser Familia." Gareth spoke out with a nod as everyone witness a large dark castle floating above the sky with a large golden metallic ring that surrounds it while rotating. "the Underworld Castle."
"y-you mean…that the Kaiser Familia's Home is real!?" said Lefiya in shock. "b-but I thought the stories!"
"Every single story written about the Kaisers are all real, Lefiya." Riveria stated as she looked at her apprentice. "even the ones that sounds like fantasy and such."
Lefiya looks more surprised as knowing something that was written in the story is actually real, just made her get the shock of a surprise.
"it's moving…" said Aiz as everyone looks up and saw that the Underworld Castle is floating towards somewhere southwest. "it's going somewhere."
"Should we go and check on it?" Tione asked Finn who shakes his head.
"We shouldn't." said Finn as he held his right hand to his face and looks at his incredibly shaking right thumb. "no one should ever meddle in the matters of the Kaisers."
The Underworld Castle hovers in the air as it is now floating above where Zagreus and Bell are at.
"t-that's….that's the Castle of the Kaiser Familia?" Bell asked with shaking eyes as he gaze at the dark floating castle. "t-the one…written in the story books?"
"yes." Said Zagreus with a nod
Bell soon hears rumbling noises coming from the Underworld Castle as he sees that a round metal platform came floating down from the Home and hovers in front of him and Zagreus.
"come." Zagreus gets on the platform as he stands upon it before looking at Bell. "This will take us up."
Bell looks at his father for a moment before he nods and gets up onto the platform that starts to float upwards in an instant to the Underworld Castle.
Once the Platform was gone from sight, the floating Castle started to move upwards as it ascends straight to the dark cloudy sky where it disappears just like how it appeared.
Within the Underworld Castle that is now floating above the sky thousands and thousands of feet from Orario. The domain of the Home is that of a royalty's castle as everything seems high classed and luxurious.
"I never knew that there could be such a Home for a Familia." said Bell as he looks all around in amazement as he is standing in the hallway of the Underworld Castle that is incredibly luxurious in every level possible. "it's like I'm in the castle of a king."
"it is alike with one, but at the same time different." Zagreus replied as the Kaiser walks in the hallway a bit further ahead than his son while his helmet detaches from his head. "I will have Melinoe and the others introduce you to the layout of the Home later on. For now, we should go to the Elysium Garden where your mother awaits you."
"The Elysium Garden?" Bell spoke out with a curious voice. "what's that?"
"you will know it when you see it." Zagreus replied as he went to a large door by the side that he opens before looking at Bell. "come."
Bell nods before he quickly followed his father as the Kaiser leads his son to many hallways and doorways; each one getting the two to another different part of the Underworld Castle.
After a few minutes, Zagreus and Bell are now standing within a very large hallway where at the end there is a large locked silver gate that has its large locks opening one by one and then slowly swings open to allow light to come out from behind it.
"w-what?" said Bell as he shields his eyes to block the light but after a seconds; his vision adjusted and the young man looks straight to the open gate where his eyes widen and his jaw dropped. "t-this is!?"
From side to side; Bell witness as he and his father enters a large yet luxurious garden that has many beautiful and unique flowers, trees that bear fruits, and small insects of many kinds. The young man felt as if he entered a different world because of how beautiful everything that he laid his eyes upon.
"Your mother had the same reaction when i first brought her here." Said Zagreus from seeing Bell's extremely baffled face, the Kaiser went near a tree and gently caresses its trunk. "but I believe anyone besides a Kaiser would have the same reaction when they enter this place."
"w-what…what is this place?" Bell muttered out.
"this place is called the Elysium Garden." Zagreus replied. "This is my prized garden where every single flower and tree you see here are all planted and raised by myself." He then held up a hand to let a butterfly perch on the back of the palm. "This is also the place where Meteria and I would spend most of our time together."
Bell looks around as he went to a nearby flower patch of sparkling blue roses that look nearly magical to him. He checks the flowers before he got some surprise when a pair of brown chipmunks came jumping at him and started to rustle around in his clothes while causing the young man to scream.
"Careful. This place is home to lots and lots of small critters like those chipmunks." Said Zagreus while letting the butterfly on his back palm settle to a rose and then looks at Bell who did a funny dance from the chipmunks that are running around in his clothes before they escaped by jumping out from below his shirt. "but they are harmless unless aggravated."
"t-that scared me…" said Bell with a gasp as he looks at the chipmunks that ran to Zagreus and climbed up to his shoulder before getting a few scratches from the Bloody Kaiser. "they look…like they're happy with you?"
"I believe they would." Zagreus replied as he scratches a chipmunk's head before getting it snuggling cuddles to his cheeks in return. "Their original home was a forest burnt nearly decades ago. I've taken their parents and grandparents here where it becomes their new home for many years." The Kaiser soon had a small smile formed on his lips. "I'm glad to see that everyone is doing well here."
Bell looks at his father and the chipmunks before he sees that there are many small animals that came approaching the Bloody Kaiser who they surrounded. The young man looks amazed at the scene before he heard some noises from behind that made him turn and soon gets faced to face with a humanoid brown skeleton looking creature standing before him that instantly made him scream in surprise and cause some animals to flee in fright.
"w-w-w-what is that!?" Bell exclaimed as he backed away from the creature as it was standing on two feet and had what looks to be a red core in its chest.
"it's just a Skeletal Servant" Zagreus replied as the Kaiser continues to caress the head of the chipmunk on his shoulder while looking at the skeleton creature that crackles its brown bones a few times before bowing. "it's a golem like familiar that Makaria had created to keep the Underworld Castle maintained along with the Elysium Garden"
"a-a familiar?" Bell asked while feeling a bit creeped out to the Skeleton Servant that leans back up and then walks away to join many other of its kin that are either watering the plants, feeding the animals, or harvesting fruits that are grown. "aunt Makaria could make such a familiar?"
"Nothing is impossible for Makaria who has been entitled as the greatest Mage in history." Zagreus replied as he went to a nearby tree and reaches a hand up to a branch to let it be a bridge for the chipmunks to run up and climb upon it. "Remember that the Kaisers are people who have broken through the limits that no one has ever achieved."
Bell looks at Zagreus as the Kaiser came to him.
"come. Let me take you to where Meteria is." Said Zagreus as he motions his son to follow him into the deeper parts of the Elysium Garden.
A minute later, Bell and Zagreus are now at a part of the Elysium Garden where the area only had white colored flowers surrounding the area.
"this is…" Bell muttered out as he sees that in the center part of the white flowers is a silver headstone that has a drawn sculpted image of Meteria upon it. the item of the attention is also surrounded with more white flowers. "a…grave?"
"Meteria passed away at your home village years back." Said Zagreus as he approached the headstone while waving his right hand up that held a white sparkling rose that appeared out of nowhere in his grasp. "she loved flowers just like I did, so I built a grave for her here." He kneels and place the sparkling rose in front of the grave marker. "I gave her all these flowers so that I can always remember her and always remind her that I would always love her even when she is no longer with us." He then turns to look at his son. "come. Your mother would love to finally meet you again after so many years."
Bell looks at Zagreus for a moment before he nods and takes a few steps forward. He kneels beside his father as both looks at the grave marker.
Meanwhile at the Babel Tower and in the floor domain of the goddess Freyja.
The goddess of beauty is overlooking Orario as always, but her attention is upon the Underworld Castle that is ascending to the dark stormy clouds above.
"how dare you…." She hisses out in a venomous and frustrated tone as her sight is upon Bell but she is blocked by the same wall of furious aura that soon forms the blazing red phoenix that let out a high pitched scream and then the blazing red demon appeared next but the two are now accompanied by a large green giant with glowing yellow eyes, an icy blue wolf that growls, a maiden that is covered with vine roots while sending a glowing yellowish red glare at the goddess. "that boy is mine!"
Freyja gripped her hands into hard fists as her face formed a very displeased and very annoyed face.
The goddess looks upon the scene in her eyes as everything swirls together and formed the black burning silhouette of the woman with the glowing red eyes that glares straight at Freyja.
"Hades…" Freyja hisses as she glared at the black burning silhouette that transforms into the armored demon that glares its cross shaped red eye at her. "Kaiser!"
That's a wrap!
Bye bye
