Zald and Zeus stood in the training grounds of Hearthome. The two watched as new recruits who made the journey here asked to join the once-fabled familia's.
Zald, who was captain of the guard, oversaw the training while his lieutenants yelled drills at the recruits.
"So, how do you feel about this fresh batch?" Zeus asked.
Zald was quiet for a moment as his cold, calculating eyes scanned each recruit.
"I feel as if they won't make a difference in the end. The Night King will arrive, and we'll fight. But in the end, these sorry saps will just add to his ranks."
Zeus nodded before his eyes brushed to the trebuchets and ballistas being built. Thanks to Hephaestus giving them the materials needed, they were able to start construction. Once they get another shipment of supplies, they could start the production of catapults.
"We all knew the outcome when we arrived here. Everyone knows what they signed up for. Or they have some clue as to why they're here. We're just here to buy time for Bell to grow and stop all this."
"Do you think Bell can do it?" Zald asked.
"Well, he has a dragon. That already gives him a leg up."
"You didn't answer the question."
Zeus was quiet for a minute. "He'll have a tough time and might be pushed to his breaking point. But if he perseveres, he'll win."
Zald nodded and continued watching the recruits. He knew a good majority of them would die in the long night. There's a good chance he would die in the long night. But if he could just buy Bell the time, he needed to get stronger and face the Night King. Then, he would be content with laying down his life.
"So how many do we number now? Hera wants a report on our numbers. She also wants to send for stone masons to turn this village into a castle," Zeus said.
"Well, combatant-wise, we number 3,000. Add the civilians, and our numbers are 9,000. So Hera's finally turning this place into an actual fort?"
"Yup, and thanks to the falna, it won't take as long as it normally would have. Two years at most," Zeus answered.
Zald nodded before whistling and catching the attention of everyone on the training field.
"Lunch time! Go and eat! Make sure you're back here in two hours for afternoon drills," Zald ordered.
With a chorus of agreements, the training field cleared, leaving only Zald and Zeus. Zeus's head then shot up, and the old god looked around.
"Something wrong?" Zald asked.
"I have a feeling Bell just did something that made me proud. Ah, I need to send a letter to the boy. Anything you want to say to him?"
"Yeah, if he dies, I'll kill him."
"You'd have to get in line behind Alfia," Zeus joked.
Zald let out a chuckle before the old god walked away. Leaving the tall man alone in the snow-covered field.
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Cassandra tossed and turned in her bed as dreams plagued her mind once again.
An infinite darkness and a land of always winter were all she saw. A land so cold and devoid of life made her frightened.
She saw a mop of white hair flying a silver dragon so large that it covered the moon. She saw him high in the night sky during a blizzard with blue fire shooting at him.
Her vision changed again, this time to the same silver dragon but smaller. The same boy with white hair faced down another dragon. This one was so big its body reached above the clouds, and its scales as black as night. It seemed as if light didn't dare try and invade its scales.
Its one red, piercing eye glared down, and Cassandra could feel the hatred being pouring out from the creature. Like it's very being was hatred given form. A blonde woman lay asleep in its chest, crystallized in a red cocoon.
The one-eyed dragon then let out a roar, and Cassandra shot awake screaming.
"The dragon, the night, white hair."
"Cassandra, shut up. It's the middle of the night," Daphne groaned.
"But I had a vision."
"Another silly dream? Go to sleep, Cassandra."
"But Daphne-
"Shut up and go to sleep."
Cassandra didn't try and protest any longer because of her shy and timid nature. Instead, she pulled her blanket up and tried to fall back asleep.
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"Alright, if you had to choose between fighting six Spartoi or six Minotaurs, which would you choose?" Cruz asked.
"Minotaurs, they're slow and stupid," Aki answered.
"Minotaurs, I can use my superior speed and concurrent chanting to kill them," Alicia said.
"Minotaurs, cause I know I can win," Raul nervously answered.
The group turned to Bell, who was playing with Met. They were outside in the backyard of the Twilight Manor. The two were wrestling as when Met stood on her hind legs. She was nearly as tall as Ottar.
Sliver was resting on Alicia's shoulder.
"What was the question?" Bell asked, letting go of Met.
"Would you rather fight a group of Spartoi or a group of Minotaurs?" Cruz asked.
"Is both an option?"
"Wha- why would you choose both?" Raul worriedly asked.
"Because it sounds fun. Besides, you can't really grow as a person if you don't push yourself," Bell answered.
"Alright, who taught you that? Because there's no way you came up with that yourself." Cruz said.
Bell chuckled. "What I can't be smart and good at fighting? You know who raised me, right?"
"Alright, that's a fair point," Cruz muttered.
"Oh, don't be so down, Cruz. Being gifted just means Bell will have more responsibilities," Aki cooed.
"Yeah, I guess you're- wait, what's that supposed to mean?"
Aki didn't answer but giggled.
"Ok, well, back on topic, you can't choose both."
"Aw, you're no fun. Fine, Spartoi, since I haven't fought against them yet. Might be fun," Bell answered.
"I don't think fighting monsters is supposed to be fun," Alicia commented.
"Only as miserable as you make it," Bell added.
Met then ran and jumped on Bell, causing him to tumble forward.
"Alright, you wanna go again, you little cheater."
Bell and Met then continued to wrestle while Met had a happy look on her face.
Aki leaned close to Alicia's ear while Cruz and Raul talked about how many chickens they could fight at once.
"You're staring. See something you like," Aki teased.
Alicia let out a small squeak before looking at her friend.
"What, I can't look at Bell having fun with his pet?" Alicia asked.
"No, you can. But you're only staring at Bell. Does his magic interest you that much? You're even taking care of his dragon."
Aki glanced and saw Silver peacefully resting on Alicia's shoulder.
"Dragons are magical creatures that were believed to be extremely rare. The dragons the dungeon bores aren't true dragons. This one is. An elf like me is drawn to magic like that."
"Right. So, what do you think of Silver? Don't you hate dragons?"
"I hate the dragons from Dragon Valley. They've done a lot to my home forest, and I want to get strong enough to stop them. But Silver isn't one of those dragons. He's just a baby."
Alicia then scratched under Silvers's chin, causing the baby dragon to smile in its sleep.
"So you like Silver because he's a baby dragon, and you're very interested in magical creatures?"
Alicia nodded and continued to watch Bell play with Met.
"And what about Met?" Aki asked.
"Fluffy. How do you feel about Met?"
"My base instincts tell me to run because she's a dog. But Met's friendly and would never hurt us. She's also really fluffy."
"Loki said Bell trimmed her fur before we got back," Alicia added.
"So that means she was even more fluffy than before. I want to see her fur like that."
Cruz and Raul looked at the two, gushing over the dire wolf.
"He's using the guy with pets trick," Cruz said.
"Oldest trick in the book. So why do you think 7,000 chickens?"
"Because at that point, I'd probably get bored and let them take me down."
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"You're really carrying your weapons around during the festival," Aki asked Bell.
After the group was done in the backyard, they got breakfast and began to wander the streets as Monsterphelia started.
"You know how much these things are worth. I'm not going to leave them sitting around the house. Also, why aren't you carrying weapons?"
"Because we're here to enjoy the festival," Cruz answered.
"The festival where monsters are brought to the surface and show off to the populace?" Bell inquired.
"Yes, that's what Monsterphelia is," Alicia answered.
"Uh-huh, and what if the monsters break out? What then? You're all unarmed, and high-leveled monsters are roaming the street," Bell asked.
The group stopped in their tracks and slowly turned to Bell, who gave them a cocky look.
"It is a good thing I'm here. I even bullied Raul into carrying his," Bell pointed out.
After getting over the revelation, Aki grew a teasing smirk. "Oh, Raul, you'll protect me if the big bad monsters break out and start rampaging across the city, right?" she cooed.
"I uh well, you uh I," Raul mumbled, trying to get his thoughts together.
"Just say yes and get her to shut up," Cruz complained.
"S-s-sure," Raul stuttered out.
"Oh, you'll be my knight in shining armor," Aki cooed, her tail playfully touching Raul.
"Aki, stop teasing the poor man. Gods, take your flirting elsewhere," Cruz muttered.
"Fine, fine but Bell-
"Don't you even start," Bell warned.
"Oh, you gonna try something. I have my knight with me," Aki triumphantly said. Raul just slowly shrank in the background.
The group arrived at the coliseum, and it was already jam-packed with people. As they were pushing through the crowds, trying to get to the entrance, Cruz saw a stand that caught his eye.
He told his friends to wait and pushed his way through the crowd. Once he got to the stand, he saw a multitude of different animal pendants ranging from a dog to a rabbit. Picking one that he'd think would fit each of his teammates, he paid the stall owner and made his way back to his group.
"So some girl catch your eye, and you ran off?" Bell joked.
"Ha ha, very funny, and no, I got you all something," Cruz sarcastically replied.
He handed each of them a pendent before pocketing the others. There were still a few more people in the second strings that weren't here.
Alicia had a bird pendant. Its carvings were intricate as Alicia could count each little feather on the bird's wing. She attached the pendant to her bracelet. Cruz had gotten it for her because birds were free and curious animals, and that's how Alicia acted.
Raul was given a timid wolf. It was an odd pendant that the stall owner made when he first started. But no one ever bought it before Cruz.
"You trying to say something?" Raul asked, looking at the pendent.
"Hey, just because the wolf doesn't have confidence doesn't mean it's not a wolf. You'll find that inner courage in you someday."
Raul just looked back at his pendant while Aki scoffed.
"Wow, real creative with the cat Cruz."
"Eh, you're kinda basic when it comes to these things."
Aki clicked her tongue but didn't retort.
"You wanna explain why I got a rabbit," Bell asked, holding up his pendant. It was a small white rabbit with red eyes. It had three whiskers on each side of its nose.
"Cause you look like an Al mirage," Cruz answered, a smug smile on his face. Bell just frowned but didn't retort.
After pocketing their pendants, the group began entering the coliseum. They had to make their way through the crowds, but eventually, they entered the lobby.
But they ran into a problem. There weren't five seats available next to each other. So, the group would have to split up, which gave Cruz an idea. Bell and Raul would thank him later.
"Oh, you know what. I forgot to go water my washing machine. Oh boy, I'll be right back. Everyone go on without me," Cruz said.
Before anyone could say anything, he was gone with a proud smile on his face.
"The hell just happened?" Bell asked.
Aki, picking up on what Cruz did, took control of the conversation. "Oh, don't think too much about it anyway. I see two available seats over there. Why don't you and Alicia go and sit together while Raul and I find our own seats?"
Before Bell or Alicia could protest, Aki grabbed Raul and dragged him away, causing the poor boy to yelp. Bell and Alicia looked at each other before Bell shrugged.
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"Good thing I didn't bring Met and Silver. This place is packed," Bell said as he and Alicia took their seats. The two were in the fifth row out of fifty, so they were fairly close to the arena.
"Yeah, I'm surprised it isn't more packed. This event is a big deal in Orario."
"Sucks we couldn't all sit together," Bell said.
"Oh, do you not enjoy my company, Bell?" Alicia teasingly asked.
"No, I never said that. But we're a team, and it just sucks we couldn't sit together."
"Don't worry, Bell. Even if we're apart, we're still a team. Besides, you haven't even met the rest of the second strings."
"Right, there's like, what two of you I haven't met?"
"Yup, Lefiya and Narvi. Narvi's nice; Lefiya, on the other hand, has a personality to her."
"Oh, do go on," Bell asked, slightly amused.
Alicia giggled. "Well, she has an infatuation for Ais. We don't know if it's admiration or puppy love, but she gets quite defensive over her."
"Uh-huh, well, she sounds real interesting."
Alicia nodded before they heard the announcer
"I am Ganesha! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 13th annual Monsterphelia. I hope you're all excited because we were able to get some deep-floor monsters for you today. But that will be later, because for our first event is a monster mashup!!!"
The crowd let out cheers of excitement as five monsters were brought out. One was a goblin. Two were frog shooters, and the last two were silverbacks.
"Now, brave challenger, come out and face these monsters," Ganesha called out.
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"Everything is ready, my lord."
"Good, and do you think your cover is blown?"
"No, my lord, I don't believe they expect a thing. However, they do want me to participate in today's Monsterphelia attack. Your orders, my lord."
"Participate in the attack but find someone strong to fight. Or find someone who could hold off against you for a while. Act like you're trying to kill them, but don't. You mustn't take any lives."
"As you wish, my lord"
"Very well, you are dismissed."
The figure gave a bow and left through a secret entrance.
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"Cruz, why are you here? Where's the rest of the party?" Narvi asked.
Cruz turned and had a slight smirk on his face. "Oh, I decided to wander on my own. Weren't enough seats for all of us to sit together?"
"Oh well, that's too bad. Say, I'm alone as well. Want to spend the day together?" Narvi asked, walking next to Cruz.
"Sure, I'd like that. Oh, also, I gotcha something," Cruz said, reaching into his pocket.
He pulled out a red-tailed fox pendant and handed it to her. Narvi examined the pendant and was touched by the gesture but was curious.
"Why a fox?" She asked.
"Well, you're nimble like one, and foxes are kind of cute."
Narvi blushed a little. "He thinks I'm cute."
"Now, then, let's go exploring. I wanna see what else this festival has to offer."
"O-ok," Narvi stuttered as she followed Cruz. The two would spend the rest of their day together out in the town. The two even helped save civilians when all hell broke loose.
Narvi didn't think she'd ever see Cruz look so cool before.
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"Oh, looks like there's only one seat left," Aki pouted.
She was holding Raul's hand as she had been dragging him throughout the coliseum.
"Looks like we'll have to find another row," Raul said.
Aki had a different idea, however. "Oh no, this will work quite nicely."
Raul didn't have time to react as Aki pushed him onto the seat and sat on his lap. Raul became a blushing and stuttering mess.
"There we go. Now, we won't be separated."
"Wha- I uh I Um aha what."
"Hmm, is something wrong, Raul?" Aki cutely asked.
"Uh, no"
"Oh, good. I'd hate to make you uncomfortable."
Raul didn't respond and just watched the arena. His heart was beating a mile a minute, and his face was bright red.
"Oh, Raul~ is that your sword poking me~" Aki flirtingly asked.
"Yes!" Raul quickly answered.
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"How do you think it's going over with Aki and Raul?" Bell asked.
"Knowing her, she's probably going all in with the flirting," Alicia answered.
"Is she always like that?"
"With Raul, yeah. Often times she just teases the rest of us."
"So she fancies Raul," Bell chuckled.
Alicia let out a small smile. "Yes, I guess you could say that. Anyone you fancy, Bell. Some special girl back in Hearthome?"
Bell shook his head. "Nah, I never was one for love like that."
"Oh, why's that?"
"Got too much to worry about. Don't need a lover on top of that."
Alicia nodded, but she was curious.
"And what has you so preoccupied that you can't make room for a lover? If you don't mind me asking?"
Bell chuckled. But Alicia picked up on it being more of a tired and defeated chuckle than a happy one.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Alicia was quiet for a moment before answering. "I can try."
Bell looked to the side and responded. "Trying and doing are two different things. Maybe once we get closer, I'll tell ya."
Alicia weakly nodded her head and looked back at the sandy arena below. Bell's words had hurt her a little, but she agreed with his reasoning. The two had only known each other for a few days. There was no reason he should tell her all of his secrets when she wouldn't do the same.
"Candy! Get you cotton candy here!" A man called out. He was wearing a checkered shirt with khaki shorts and had a tray wrapped around his neck. I'm the tray was blue and pick cotton candy.
"Oh, Bell, you have to try this. It's amazing," Alicia said, waving the man down.
The man saw her and took a few other orders of cotton candy before making it to Bell and Alicia, leaving only one blue one left.
"Looks like you're in luck, young lady. You and your boyfriend get the last one," he said with a smile.
Alicia blushed while Bell nervously waved his hands.
"Oh no, we're just teammates, sir. We had to split up from the rest of our party cause of how packed it is today."
The salesman looked at the two with a quirked eyebrow.
"Whatever you say, lad, here ya go," The man said, handing the cotton candy to the quiet and blushing Alicia. She paid the man, and he went away.
"So what is this stuff?" Bell asked, looking at the cotton candy Alicia held.
"O-oh, it's candy they make in this puffy stuff. It looks like cotton, so we call it cotton candy," Alicia explained.
Bell nodded his head, and Alicia tore off a piece before handing it to him.
"Here, try it."
Bell took it and looked at it. "It's sticky."
Alicia giggled. "Go on, try it," she urged.
Bell shrugged his shoulders and stuck the cotton candy in his mouth. The burst of flavor hitting his taste buds. He didn't know what it tasted like, but it tasted good.
"Pretty good, right?" Alicia asked.
Bell nodded his head and took another piece of cotton candy off the cone. Alicia giggled at Bell's childlike wonder.
She remembers her first time trying cotton candy and how she ate the whole thing before Aki could stop her.
"Don't eat it too fast now. You don't want to get sick," Alicia warned.
Bell slowed down but kept devouring it. Alicia just looked at him with a smile on her face.
"Not dating my ass," The salesman thought.
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Laurier laid in her bed holding her pillow. Her thoughts kept wandering to her white-haired savior, and she happily blushed.
"Oh, he was so hot killing all those Minotaurs, and he didn't even break a sweat," She thought, rolling around.
Her mind kept wandering back to Bell, and her face flushed more as she remembered how kind he was.
"Oh, his dragon was so cute, too. I wonder what his other dragon would look like."
"Uh, Asfi, what's wrong with Laurier?" Hermes asked, hearing her from her room. She panted.
"I don't even want to know," Asfi muttered.
Laurier's thoughts then took a turn as she imagined Bell pushing her down and stripping her naked. She imagined long hours of passion as Bell had his way with her.
"He he, I'll make you mine one day, Bell."
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Bell's back went straight, and he looked around the arena. He had felt an odd chill go down his spine.
"Bell, are you ok?" Alicia asked, a little worried.
"I feel like I'm in danger."
"Why's that?" Alicia asked, looking around as well.
"I don't know. I just feel like someone is after me. Yet the intent doesn't feel like one of malice."
"Huh, that's odd."
"It is"
They went back to watching the games as an adventurer was fighting a Spartoi. The adventurer expertly dodged and weaved each strike the skeleton sent at him.
He raised his sword up and blocked the Spartoi's weapon, which to them was a sword in and of itself.
The Spartoi looked confused before the adventurer gave it a smile and crushed its skull with her bare hands.
"Woah, who is that?" Bell asked, interested in the woman below.
"Oh, that's Kaguya of the Astraea familia. She and Loki have a decent relationship, so we've been on expeditions together from time to time. She's on the cusp of level seven if I remember correctly," Alicia explained.
As Kaguya walked away, she stopped and turned around. Her far eastern features scanned the crowd before her eyes landed on Bell. She could feel his gaze on her back as if he was checking her out.
In reality, he just thought she looked cool killing that Spartoi.
Kaguya gave him a wink, which caused Bell to look around before pointing at himself. Kaguya giggled and nodded, and Bell winked back.
He lacks social cues sometimes. Alfia compares him to a brick wall unless someone spells it out of him. Kaguya gave him a wave and walked back into the stadium.
"So, do you go flirting with every random girl you see?" Alicia asked.
"Hmm, I don't get what you mean. I was just being nice," Bell asked, tilting his head.
Alicia sighed and shook her head.
"What?"
"Nothing Bell"
The two went back to watching the games, and Bell and Alicia fell into a comfortable silence. They were quick friends and enjoyed each other's company. Even if one was an elf, who was raised to think she was more pure than a human.
"Hey, Alicia. When are we going to the dungeon next?"
"After the festival. Finn ordered us to rest after the expedition. We had to cut our last one short and sent a messenger to Loki saying we were returning early."
"Alright, so after the festival is when you guys will meet Welf."
"I hope he's nice."
"He is. Just don't ask about his family."
"Why?"
"Some bad blood. Once he trusts you enough, he'll tell you."
Alicia nodded and went back to watching the game. She didn't know the last name of Welf. How his ancestors made the magic swords that burned many of the elven forests. She had a deep hatred for the Crozzo's, but maybe Bell could help her accept Welf.
But that train of thought could wait for another time.
The ground beneath everyone's feet began to shake, and before long, a plant-like monster had broken out. It let out a screech, and the Coliseum erupted into chaos.
"What's that doing here?!!" Alicia shouted.
Bell didn't respond as he unsheathed his dagger and put it in her hand. Alicia was caught off guard by the sudden contact until Bell's voice snapped her out of it.
"Use this to protect yourself! There might be other monsters around, so use it to defend yourself!" Bell ordered.
"What about you?" Alicia worriedly asked.
"The Ganesha familia is too worried about evacuation to deal with that monster. I'll jump down and fight it. See if you can meet up with Raul and Aki if you can."
"Bell, wait-
But Bell had already jumped from the stand to the arena. His landing kicking up the sand and causing a small dust cloud.
The plant-like monster looked at him and snarled.
He unsheathed his swords and started down the monster. He analyzed its anatomy and saw the vines under the sand where it was most likely connected to roots. Its head was that of a Venus flytrap, and its teeth were razor sharp.
The monster let out a screech and sent a vine at him. Bell stepped to the side before bringing Longclaw down and cutting the vine in half.
The creature screeched in pain and snapped at the boy. Bell jumped back and expertly dodged the creature. He slashed another vine in half before backflipping to avoid being impaled.
He kept dodging and slashing and figured out how to beat the creature. Taking a deep breath, Bell used his fire magic and lit his swords ablaze.
The monster pulled back its vines and stared warily at Bell. But that hesitation was what gave Bell his opening. Shooting off the ground like a rocket, he slashed the neck of the monster. His flames burned through the vine and wood like a hot knife through butter.
The monster's head fell to the ground as its body burst into flames. The monster wasn't able to scream as it turned to dust and vanished, leaving a yellow monster stone behind.
"Odd. Monsters don't normally act like that, and with the way Alicia freaked out, it was supposed to be stronger. Did I get a weaker version, perhaps?" Bell thought.
Bell looked and saw the stands in front of him empty, and he heard no more screaming. Meaning all the civilians were able to get out. Bell went to sheathe his swords but was stopped.
Clap clap clap
Bell turned around and saw two women on the other side of the arena. One was a woman with pink hair and a black jacket sitting on the wall with her legs crossed. She was the one clapping and had a black sword next to her.
The other was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She had crimson red hair and green eyes. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt and black jeans.
"Well done, kid, you killed that Viola, no problem. However, it was a weaker one, so your feat isn't that impressive."
Bell could feel their strength and knew they were both around level five. The redhead was maybe a level six. But one thing that Alfia taught him that stuck with him is that stats aren't everything. Too many people rely on their numbers and not technique, which can allow a person who's weaker to exploit.
But Bell felt a third presence. They were hiding, but he could feel the waves of power coming off of them. This one was much stronger than the other two. This power felt like a level eight.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road, Revis. I wanna see him bleeding and begging," The pink-haired woman said, jumping into the arena.
"Such vulgarity, Valletta. You truly are disgusting."
"Oh, don't talk like that. Deep down, you love me."
Revis clicked her tongue and drew her sword.
Bell carefully examined the two. He knew Valletta's sword was a cursed one, thanks to Alfia's teaching. He knew how to spot one a mile away.
He took a deep breath, calming himself as the two charged. His eyes shot open as he blocked both of their strikes. The sound of steel clashing against steel rang out in the coliseum.
Bell pushed the two back before stepping back and getting some distance. Valletta charged forward, and Bell parried her sword to the side before kicking her in the knee.
Her knee buckled, and Bell blocked Revis's blade with both of his. She pressed her advantage, causing Bell to lean back a little.
Bell pushed forward a little and lifted his foot up, kicking her in the crotch. Revis yelped as Bell broke out of their lock and parried Valletta's sword again.
He twisted his body to the side and got a small cut on his cheek from Revis's sword. He didn't yell out in pain, just gritted his teeth as blood trickled down.
"I thought this kid was a level three? What the fuck is this? We can barely land a hit on him?!!" Valletta yelled out.
"It's his swordsmanship. If he can see our swords, he can block them," Revis calmly explained.
"That's one reason. Sure, you two are strong. I've just simply faced stronger," Bell said.
The two women charged again, and Bell got ready. His breathing was calm, and his heart wasn't racing. In battle, Bell was like a machine. No move was wasted, and he didn't do anything for flair.
He ducked under Valletta's blade and slashed across her stomach. Valletta yelled out in pain and grabbed her abdomen as she felt blood pouring from her wound.
Had Bell used a normal sword, it would've shattered against her level-five durability. But Valyrian steel was by no means normal.
Valletta let out a growl as Bell and Revis continued their dance of blades. Bell was slowly being pushed back, but Revis couldn't land a hit on him.
Valletta ran forward and also began slashing at Bell. He was being pushed back to the wall, but he was calm.
Valletta's swordsmanship was aggressive but sloppy. She left herself open to attacks as her defense was lackluster.
Revis, on the other hand, was much better than her. Her movements were aggressive but fast and refined. Had Bell not been as good as he was, Revis could've overpowered him by now.
But he was trained by the Silence, and she put these two abilities to shame.
Bell parried Valletta's sword to the ground, causing it to get stuck in the sand. Bell parried Revis's sword before slashing down her chest.
Valletta aimed her sword at Bell's face, and he blocked it, causing him to be pushed back. He felt his back touch the wall, and he knew he was trapped.
He raised his other sword and blocked Revis's, and the three were engaged in a blade lock with Bell straining against the two of them.
With his back pressed against the wall, Bell used his analysis skill and scanned every inch of Revis and Valletta for weaknesses. Finding none from his current position, he scanned their weapons and noticed a tiny crack on Valletta's sword.
It wasn't more than a millimeter wide, but it was something he could work with. Lighting his blade on fire again, he pushed back with all of his might against the two.
The fire did its job as the crack on Valletta's sword grew bigger and bigger. She didn't seem to notice until it was too late.
Her sword snapped in half, and Blackfyre became embedded in her collarbone. Valletta screamed in pain as Bell kicked Revis's kneecap inward, causing her to lose her footing.
Longclaw descended, and Bell severed Revis's left hand. She didn't let out a scream, but her sword did drop to the sand, and Revis fell to her knees.
Bell took Blackfyre out of Valletta and was panting as her blood dripped from his sword and onto the sand below.
"Surrender, and I won't kill you," Bell calmly said.
Valletta glared at Bell while Revis just stared at him. Bell just calmly stood there as the wind picked up.
"Goddamnit, Clegane, get out here?!!!" Valletta screamed.
Bell didn't even have time to ask as he blocked a Greatsword aimed directly at his face. Bell felt the bones in his arms creak from the sheer force this man gave off.
He was eight feet tall and dressed head to toe in plate armor. A helmet covered his face, but Bell could see cold red eyes glaring at him. The skin surrounding his eyes was a dark blue. Like the oxygen had been sucked out of him.
Bell was able to push his greatsword up and jumped back to get some distance. All the while, Valletta just laughed.
"You're already dead, boy. You're already dead."
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Alica drove Bell's dagger into a lizard man's head. It dropped to the ground dead, and the man she saved thanked her.
Alica told him to run, and he did so. She let out a breath as the street was clear. She couldn't sense any monsters. Were they all dead now?
"Alicia!" Aki shouted.
Alicia turned her head and looked down the street, seeing Raul and Aki running to her. Alicia took one last look around, hoping to see Bell come out of the Coliseum, but she didn't.
"Alicia, are you ok? Where's Bell?" Aki asked, panting.
"He's still inside. He said he'd take care of that Viola, but I can't sense it anymore," Alicia explained.
"Something else is keeping him occupied, then," Raul said.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go help him," Aki stated.
"Aki, you don't have a weapon," Alicia worriedly said.
"I'll be fine. I have my claws. Where'd you get the dagger from?" Aki asked.
"Bell gave it to me before we got separated," Alicia explained.
"Alright, that's good. You'll be able to defend yourself. Now let's go," Aki ordered.
The three began running back to the coliseum to help Bell.
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"Alfia monsters are roaming the city. I need you out there," Loki frantically said.
"Where are the monsters, and is Bell okay?" Alfia asked.
"Most are near the coliseum, and that's where Bell and his friends went for the day," Loki stated.
Loki didn't even see Alfia leave as all she felt was a gust of wind blow past her.
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Cruz expertly maneuvered his way around a Lamaia. He jumped on its back and snapped its neck, killing it instantly.
"Cruz, catch," Narvi called out, tossing him one of her daggers.
Cruz caught it and stabbed a Barbarian in the monster stone, turning it to dust.
Narvi ripped the head off a Spartoi and threw it at another one. The skull shattered, dazing the other Spartoi, which Narvi promptly killed.
Cruz killed another four Spartoi before the street was cleared.
"Alright, this one's cleared. Let's move on," Cruz said.
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Bell rolled out of the way, and Clegane's Greatsword met sand. Bell made it behind and slashed, only for his sword to bounce off.
"Shit"
Bell ducked under a slash before jumping back. Clegane just coldly stared at him. There was no emotion in his eyes.
He swung again, and Bell dodged the wind pressure, causing another cut to open on his cheek. Bell aimed for the gaps in Clegane's armor, and he hit his mark.
But the Mountian didn't care and kicked Bell aside. Bell was barely able to bring his arms up in time to save his ribs from being shattered.
Bell's body went flying back and slammed into the arena wall, and he spit up blood as he landed. Bell shakily pushed himself to his knees. He didn't feel anything break, but his arms felt numb, and he could barely hold his swords.
The Mountain swung down at Bell, and Bell was barely able to block. The Mountian pushed down, and Bell's defense was crumbling. The Greatsword pushed itself closer and closer to Bell's neck.
Bell couldn't hold him back. He was gonna die. His throat would be cut, and he might possibly be decapitated.
"RAHHH!" Alicia screamed as she jumped on the mountain's back and started stabbing him in the neck.
The Mountain didn't seem to care as he grabbed Alicia's head and threw her away like she was a sack of potatoes.
"ALICIA?!!" Bell yelled as he pushed the Mountain away from him. Alicia had distracted him just enough so Bell could get some leverage.
Bell made it behind the Mountain but yelled in pain as Valletta had thrown a broken part of her sword into Bell's leg.
"You lose, hero," Valletta taunted.
Bell looked at her and saw Valletta holding Alicia hostage, his dagger at her throat. Revis had Raul's sword aimed at his neck while she held Aki down with her foot. Her hand had somehow been reattached.
"Now drop your swords, or we'll kill your friends," Valletta sneered.
Bell looked around the arena and knew he was beaten. His mobility was hampered by the sword in his leg. His arms were numb, and his breathing was ragged. His hair stuck to his face from the sweat, and his friends were in danger.
Bell did what Valletta said and dropped his swords. He reached back and pulled the broken blade out of his leg. His wound started bleeding almost immediately, but at least he could stand now.
"Now then, since I feel merciful, I'll let your friends live. But first, they're gonna watch as Clegane kills you," Valletta taunted.
Bell didn't reply and only glared at the Mountain.
"Clegane, do it slowly. No swords," Valletta ordered.
The Mountain grunted and sheathed his sword on his back before punching Bell in the face. His fist felt like a ton of adamantine flying at Mach speeds.
He went flying and slammed into another wall, causing it to crack under the sheer force and speed he hit it with. He bounced off the wall and landed in the sand, his face bleeding.
The Mountain picked him up and kneed him in the gut before elbowing him in the neck. Bell let out a scream as the Mountain picked him up and slammed his back onto his knee.
He tossed Bell aside, and the boy landed on the ground, his body shaking in pain. Blood was spilling all around him and staining the sand below.
"Woah, taking it like a champ, kid," Valletta taunted.
She heard whimpering and looked to see Alica holding back tears.
"Oh, is watching your friend die traumatic? Well, don't worry, he's not dead yet. Now be a good girl and watch," Valletta said, holding Bell's dagger to her throat.
Raul watched the scene with a pale face. He was frozen in fear and couldn't do anything.
"Why? Why can't I do anything? I'm so damn weak I can't even help Bell. Why does he have to go out this way? What about the army of the dead who will stop them?"
Aki was snarling at Revis, but there was nothing she could do. The woman had a sword at Raul's throat and was two levels higher than them.
Bell weakly pushed himself to his knees. His back hurt a lot, and a majority of his ribs were broken. Blood poured from his nose and mouth, and his vision was hazy.
He could see the Mountain slowly approach him. The Mountain grabbed Bell by the hair and pulled him to his feet. He kept him up with the iron grip on his hair.
"You hit like a woman," Bell weakly taunted.
The mountain punched Bell in the face again, causing the boy's vision to go black. He could still hear but couldn't see.
The Mountain then grabbed Bell's right hand and crushed it. Bell's eyes shot back open as he screamed in agony.
"Ah, it's always the best when they scream," Valletta cooed.
Bell dropped to the ground, holding the mangled mess of his right hand. His fingers were bent every which way.
"Alright, Clegane, kill him. Rip his head off," Valletta ordered.
The Mountain stepped on Bell's back and put his hands on his chin. He began pulling up, and Bell yelled in pain and agony.
He felt his neck stretching and stretching as the Mountain kept pulling.
Bell's head slammed into the sand, and two loud thuds rang in his ears. He weakly lifted his head and saw two gigantic hands on the ground.
He heard a crash and saw the Mountain go flying. A gust of wind flew past him, and Valletta grabbed her throat as blood spurted out from. Revis also went flying and slammed into a wall, all in the span of a few seconds.
"Bell?!!" Alicia worriedly shouted as she kneeled at Bell's side.
"Clegane, we're leaving," Revis ordered. The Mountain grunted and followed her.
"Bell baby, you're gonna be ok, alright. I'll get you to a doctor," Alfia worriedly said, picking Bell up. Bell didn't respond as his head was swimming, and his ears were ringing.
"The rest of you go home now," Alfia ordered as she jumped out of the arena.
Raul, Aki, and Alicia stood there in shock. Alfia had taken down two high-ranking members of Evilus without a problem.
"L-let's go home," Raul said. Images of Bell being tossed around like a ragdoll kept running in his mind, but he had to be brave. Bell was in the face of certain death.
"Y-yeah, we need to tell Loki about this," Aki added. She kept thinking about the blood. There was so much blood.
Alicia didn't say anything. Instead, she walked to Valletta's corpse and picked up Bell's dagger. She'd give it back to him when he woke up.
With a heavy atmosphere, the three began their trek home. Nobody saying a word.
Well Bell got his ass beat. Anyway I hoped you enjoyed sorry this took a while was busy and didn't have time to write.
Anyway I'll see you next time later.