It was early in the morning when Bell was cleared to go back to the dungeon again, after a visit from Miach and his familia. One of his children, Cassandra Illion, apparently a healer herself, checked on him, nervous as she was, and proclaimed him healthy. Though there was a weird event where she muttered about the burning danger that they might face and that they should be careful, prompting a slap over her head by Daphne Lauros. Looking back, Bell thought that was a bit too harsh for what was a friendly warning, weird sounding 'prophecy' or not. It was a bit suspicious that everyone, including Kojiro, were just as dismissive of those words. In the end he shoved those thoughts aside, instead focusing on the fact that his body was back to a hundred percent! Not only that, the good news didn't stop there. By now the Hestia Familia was alone, the Astraea Familia having to leave early due some sort of emergency in town and wanting to support Ganesha.
"Tadaaaaah! Your favorite blades, back and newer than ever!"
Hestia presented the sheathed blades to him, hidden in pristine looking white covers with golden diamonds decorating them. Bell couldn't hold back a giddy giggle, his arms twitching as he carefully reached for them, afraid they might disappear like a dream. After what felt like an eternity he grasped the sheathes. Adjusting them to his belt, he took a deep breath. Nodding at the others of the Hestia Familia, who were smiling in anticipation, he drew them out in one swift movement of his two arms. Gasps sounded in the room, his included, as they stared at the work Hephaestus did. Two blades in a Far Eastern style. One longer than the other, a katana and a wakizashi. Both decorated with a pitch black cross guard, the same color as the rest of the blades. Then there were the inscriptions. They reminded Bell of the runes he saw in Altena and he could tell there was power behind them the moment he held them in his hands.
"They are beautiful... !" He whispered in awe, swinging them a few times, surprised at how light they felt.
"What are those symbols?" Haruhime asked quietly, her eyes following Bell's swings with wide eyes. Hestia laughed for a moment before putting her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest.
"No idea! Hephaestus made them!" She shrugged nonchalantly at the incredulous stares she received."Something something magic probably?"
"Wow. True wisdom from the gods," Solaris said dryly, her arms crossed. Puffing up her cheeks, the goddess threw her arms up in the air.
"I'm the goddess of hearth, not the goddess of magic or swords, gimme a break!" She snapped her fingers at Bell, who sheathed the blades by now, her smile returning. "Anyway, these blades will grow in strength with you!"
"That sounds like cheating," Kojiro commented. Hestia scratched the back of her head with a sheepish laugh.
"Hephaestus said the same and never wants to make weapons like these ever again, hehehe."
"You should apologize to her."
At Haruhime's frown, she recoiled.
"Geh." Clearing her throat, Hestia opened her arms, trying to laugh away the jab at her. "A-Anyway, they are useless in the hands of those not blessed by me, so in emergencies, you guys can use them too!"
"Not my kind of weapon."
"Ditto."
"Err, unarmed?"
As the other members of the familia answered on by one Hestia clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"I said emergencies!" Shaking her head she turned to Bell, expecting smile on her face. "Sooo, what are you calling the Blades of Hestia?"
They all turned to the goddess, eyebrows raised.
"Blades of Hestia?" Bell repeated, not sure if he heard that right. Puffing up her cheeks, Hestia crossed her arms with a huff.
"Hey, I commissioned them, so I got part of the name!"
The group shrugged and agreed with that logic. Not that Bell minded, he would gladly dedicate part of the name to Hestia anyway. But then he froze up, a heavy feeling settling in his stomach. Nervously he raised his hand with an awkward laugh.
"Speaking of commission...uhm... How much did this cost?"
"Nothing for those with a limited lifespan to worry about!" Hestia shouted, louder than ever as she showed a bright smile. Yet something was off about it. It was way too... Zen. As if she suffered through a terrible event and her mind grew stronger after it broke once. The fact her mouth twitched did not help. Nodding slowly, he looked back at his own hip, staring at the swords before looking back up.
"...Goddess, how much-"
"Bell." Hestia slammed her hands down his shoulders. Despite his new level, he winced at the force. Hestia's smile was still present, yet as she opened her eyes, they were devoid of any happiness whatsoever as she somberly nodded. "In times like these, ignorance is bliss."
"I know the number." Solaris shuddered, shaking her head before looking at Bell with an equally empty look. "You really don't wanna hear it."
How much did they pay?! Bell began to sweat nervously, feeling that the Blades of Hestia grew heavier by the second. Haruhime stammered, unsure what to say while Kojiro... was as nonchalant as ever. Maybe he thought whatever they paid was worth the blades…or he had no concept for monetary value. Anyway, once the group calmed down, they all stared at him in expectation. Bell began to fidget under their stares.
"Er... "
"We're waitin'."
At Solaris' prompting, Bell took a deep breath. Well. Here went nothing. While feeling a bit embarrassed he couldn't help but smile a bit as he patted the handles on his hip.
"...Homebringer."
They broke for the sake of others, to bring them back safely. It only felt right to name them after the purpose that Bell chose. The path of the hero he decided on. It may have been simple. Foolish even... but just as Kojiro said. Just as grandfather said. Fools were the best candidates for heroes.
"Blades of Hestia: Homebringer... " Hestia tasted the words on her tongue. Giggling she flashed a thumb. "I like it!"
"It's not bad at all," Kojiro hummed thoughtfully. Haruhime nodded with enthusiasm.
"Fitting indeed!"
"It's official then, wohoo!" Solaris cheered, slapping his back a few times. As he stumbled a bit, the captain turned to Hestia and nodded at her. "Now that that's outta the way, we'll be on our way, goddess!"
"Good luck!"
With that, they moved towards the dungeon, with new energy, companion and weapons in hand.
/
Bell almost met the ground with his face as he stumbled, trying to balance his body after the dash he performed. Spinning around he saw he was easily several meters further than he intended to. The corpse was still in the middle of being bisected before falling down in two pieces, the magic stone shattered as well. He winced at his rookie mistake before staring at his hands and blades.
"Whoa, the difference is a bit disorienting... " He muttered to himself. It was as they said, a flip being switched the moment he was back in combat. The jump in stats and ability was certainly jarring. Everything was so much clearer now for his senses. Yet he still couldn't quite keep up, syncing his mind and body taking longer than he expected. He heard a laugh behind him. Solaris grinned, arms crossed as she nodded knowingly.
"Yeah, that's usually the case I heard." She twirled her hand in demonstration. "Reason why Alise and the others took Lyra to the Deep Floors. Needed to get her adjusted and what not."
Bell sweated nervously at the thought. The Deep Floors. A place Eina loved to tell horror stories to newbies so that they wouldn't get overzealous. It had the opposite effect on Kojiro, but it worked on him. He imagined the group of five, fighting against armies of Oryous. Why Oryous? Well, imagining her in her half transformed form was the closest thing he could use for context in terms of what the Deep Floors could be like. Either her or the giant plant monster back in Yggdrasil.
"Though Kojiro adjusted faster than most. As expected," Solaris said in a grumpy tone. Kojiro chuckled, waving his hand dismissively.
"It was still jarring. Nothing I wasn't used to however. It's closer to my past performance now."
"See, sayin' stuff like that? More question marks." Their captain sighed before glancing at the black blades with a smirk. "So. Homebringer. They good?"
"It's almost scary how sharp they are now... " Bell said with a smile. It was like he could cut anything. The Daisho before was high quality, considering it was from outside Orario, but they were like butter knives compared to Homebringer now.
"My, I am quite jealous." Kojiro rubbed his chin in thought. "Perhaps I should commission my own version for the Monohoshizao?"
"You ain't paying for that. Especially not for that giant hunk of steel," Solaris rejected that dream immediately. The swordsman let out a sigh.
"A pity. Having a Noble Phantasm would have been great." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh well."
Solaris and Bell shared a look before tilting their heads at him.
"A what?" The captain asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A term used for equipment of heroes, among other things. Manifestations of legends so to say," Kojiro explained. The albino smacked his lips with a frown. He never heard that term before. It was weird. Grandfather talked about a lot of things, but Noble Phantasm was never a term he dropped. Still...
"...Shit, it sounds awesome," Solaris said, speaking Bell's thoughts out loud. The two smiled as the young woman pointed at herself. "Mind if I steal that term for future reference?"
"Go ahead," Kojiro said, twirling his hand casually.
"This is the dungeon... "
The three turned to the newest addition of the familia, carrying the supporter bag for them. She looked around, nervously, yet in awe. Solaris let out a snort before flashing her a raised thumb.
"Chill, foxy! Level two are completely safe up here!"
"If-if you say so," Haruhime muttered, looking down. The captain frowned for a moment before clapping her hands. Getting the renard's attention, Solaris snapped her fingers at her.
"Y'know what, show off your chops when we reach the fog area."
"The what?" She asked, her fox ears twitching. Moments later, she sweated nervously at the approaching massive shadow, rushing at her with a roar and a large club. Turning her head, she gulped.
"Err, I am not certain if-"
"Again, level two! An orc is nothing!" Solaris raised her fist with a grin. "Now kick its ass!"
Instead of doing that she let out a squeak when the club rushed down on her. Yet despite her nervousness, it was like she disappeared. The orc blinked, confused that its weapon didn't hit anything. Turning its head around, it saw Haruhime gasping for air, body shivering. Solaris at the sight raised an eyebrow.
"Geez, she really is nervous." An approving smile appeared on her face. "But fast."
The orc grunted, veins popping up as it began to swung wildly at Haruhime. She yelped. She shouted in surprise. Yet despite her visible panic, not a single attack hit her, as her feet moved like flickering flames. After a while, her expression seemed to harden ever so slightly. A swing from the side. Haruhime raised her arms, hands straight as if they were knives. Then it happened in an instance. It seemed like a simple touch. Yet to Bell's shock, the small push of her right hand was more than enough to cause the orc to spin in the air. With a sharp exhale, Haruhime seemed to pull it down midair, forcing the momentum downwards and smashing its head against the ground. She sighed, before her ears twitched. Yet another orc rushed her and Bell exclaimed in fear when the club actually hit her. However her body seemed to give in a bit too easily, as if absorbing the blow like water. Then she spun around like the wind. She stepped in, her arm tensing up, becoming like rock, and a backfist landed on the monster, smashing its head away.
With the second corpse dropping down, Haruhime relaxed. Then she shuddered at the blood at her hands, returning to the meek girl Bell knew in the Far East.
"That was amazing!" Bell shouted, raising his hands in excitement. Solaris nodded with a smirk, stepping forward and patting the girl's head. Then she took out a knife and moved on to cut the magic stones from the body. But Kojiro was different. With a frown, he approached her, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Haruhime shrunk under the gaze. The man sighed, before putting on a gentle smile.
"You are not used to blood, are you?"
"N-not really." She tapped her fingertips together. "I-I have some experience but... it's very…"
"Icky?" Solaris asked, causing Haruhime to nod.
"Disgusting, yes."
"You really became stronger..." Bell said, his heart filling with pride. It caused Haruhime to blush, who played with her hair once the blood disappeared.
"I'm only good at the wind and water style. Redirection and relaxing one's body." She lowered her head with a sigh. "Fire style is decent for footwork but err... hardening my body with the Earth style is a bit... "
Bell chuckled a bit. It seemed to fit her gentle demeanor, to specialize in the forms mainly used for 'soft' techniques. It was then that Haruhime blinked at him before pointing at his chest.
"Do you not have armor, Bell?" She asked politely. He flinched at the memory, scratching his cheek awkwardly.
"Mine broke against the Enhanced Minotaur." He let out a sigh."Since then I... kinda didn't find anything I liked so far?"
"I have the same problem." Kojiro shrugged nonchalantly. "I just take it as an opportunity to go back to basics. Increase my endurance the hard way. Isn't that right, captain?"
No response. The trio turned to her, seeing Solaris staring off at the distance. Kojiro tilted his head at the sight.
"Captain?"
Still no reaction. Bell realized something was wrong. Snapping his fingers right in front of her face, he tried to wake her up from whatever daze she was in.
"Solaris? Hello?"
"Huh? What?" The girl stared at them in surprise. Back to the real world, Solaris seemed a bit disoriented. Then with a laugh, she stood up, shaking her head a bit. "Whoops. Lost in thought. Sorry."
"What's wrong?" Kojiro asked with a frown. The captain opened her mouth, before stopping herself. Patting their shoulders, she pointed back with her thumb.
"Nevermind. Let's go back. We shouldn't overdo it."
It was obvious she was hiding something. That she sensed something in the Middle Floors. Bell bit his lip. The only question was... what did she sense?