It had been a couple of days since the Juggernaut attack on the Astraea familia. Most of the familia was still in the hospital as Airmid wanted to keep monitoring them for another couple of days.
Ouranus had paid for their medical expenses as well as issuing a gag order on what happened to keep everyone quiet. Information about how to summon a creature to specifically kill adventurers didn't need to be well known.
Bell had been sleeping less than usual. He had no new nightmares of the Juggernaut or any at all, really. Instead, he and Astraea were running damage control with the few remaining members in the Stardust Garden.
Noin had to be forced to sleep as she was terrified of the Juggernaut killing her in her sleep. She kept a dagger in her hand and pressed her back against the wall to keep an eye on her window and door.
When Bell opened the door, she jumped up and charged at him. But he caught her arm and gently helped her to calm down. He was keeping his infinity off in the house now.
"Noin, you're alright. That monster won't get you," Bell calmly stated.
Noin was hyperventilating and struggling in Bell's grip, but his grip remained firm but gentle. Bell slowly moved his other hand and grabbed Noin's dagger.
"Can you let go of the dagger for me, please?" Bell softly asked.
Noin's body trembled as she dropped the dagger and crashed into Bell. She wept and wept as Bell just held her close.
Normally, he'd be uncomfortable doing something like this. He'd done it a few times before swallowing his discomfort to offer comfort to someone who needed it.
But this time was a little different. Bell had latched on to Astraea like a lost child a few nights before and stayed like that for a few hours. He still felt a slight discomfort, but not as much as he used to.
Small flashes of Zald's sword slicing his chest appeared in his mind, but they were faint and not as bad as earlier.
But he wasn't worried about any of that. He knew one day he would tell the truth about who he really was to the Astraea familia. He just hoped that when he did, they'd remember all the good he did for them and the city and not look at him like a monster.
So he held Noin and let her cry. He let her cry until she fell asleep, being taken to the land of dreams.
After she fell asleep, Bell picked her up and set her down on her bed, pulling the covers over her and turning the light off.
"Rest well, Noin. I'll be close by if ya need me."
Bell turned and walked back to her door, leaving it cracked behind him as he left.
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Bell and Astraea kept moving back and forth between the girls whenever they needed help. Astraea had a calm and comforting presence, while Bell's was one that made you feel safe.
Like nothing bad could happen if he was there.
The one who needed their help the most was Maryuu, as she saw the monster charging at her and almost eat her. Had it not been for Gareth, she would've been dead.
Every night since they'd been back, she'd wake up screaming and panicked. Astraea would normally be there to help her, but tonight, she had to help with Noin.
Bell heard her before the first scream even left her lips. He was at her door by the time the second one did. Once inside, Maryuu ran and jumped at him, but Bell caught her.
"Don't let it eat me! Don't let it eat me!" She cried and trembled.
Bell held her and walked over to a chair so he could sit down. He ran his hand through her long blue hair and patted her on the back.
"You're ok, Maryuu. I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe now. The monster's gone," Bell said, his voice gentle.
Maryuu hastily shook her head. "No! No! It's gonna get me! It's gonna get me!"
Bell held her tighter. "No, it won't. I'm here, and I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise"
Maryuu kept weeping and shaking, and Bell left her. He just held her and let her cry for as long as she needed to.
"Shh, it's ok. I'm here, and I won't let anything happen to you."
After a while, Maryuu started to calm down, her senses coming back to her. The panic slowly going away.
Yet she stayed in Bell's arms, feeling safe and secure.
"Bell. You promise not to let anything happen to me?"
"I do. Nothing bad will happen to any of you as long as I'm around."
Maryuu sniffled. "You promise?"
"I promise"
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The last one Bell visited was Nezhe. She was a tough girl, but she had been keeping to herself lately. Barely coming out of her room, only doing so when getting something to eat or use the bathroom.
Her eyes were always red and puffy, and her appearance was disheveled. She says a few quick words and leaves. She'd always tell Astraea and Bell she was fine and to take care of the other two.
"So we can both agree Nezhe is far from fine," Bell said.
The two were currently sitting at the dinner table, trying to ignore all the empty chairs.
"I'm aware she's not alright. I'll stop by her room later if Noin or Maryuu can sleep for a few hours without screaming."
Bell shook his head. "Nah, I'll take care of this one."
"No, you need sleep, Bell. It's been days since you last slept. I can see the bags under your eyes."
Bell waved her off. "I'm fine. Besides, I think it's better if I handle this one. What's one stubborn person who refuses to confront their emotions to another one?"
Astraea looked worriedly at Bell. He barely slept for the last three days. Ever since they got back to the surface, he's been running himself ragged with solo patrols and staying up to comfort everyone else.
She was worried he would collapse from exhaustion soon. But she knew he was stubborn, and no amount of pleading or ordering would get him to stop.
She knows what will happen if she orders him to do something he doesn't want to.
"Alright, if your mind's set on doing this, go ahead. But promise me you'll try and get some sleep," Astraea said.
Bell didn't say anything but instead nodded and left the dining room. Leaving Astraea alone at a big table with no one around her.
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Bell made his way to Nezhe's room, but her soft sobs coming from her room. He quickened his pace a little and reached her door.
He softly knocked on the door, getting Nezhe's attention. "Nezhe, I'm coming in"
Bell didn't wait for a response and opened her door, seeing Nezhe curled up in a ball on her bed. Her sheets were strewn about all over the place, and Bell could see the wet spots on her pillow.
"You always barge into a girl's room?" Nezhe sniffled.
"When they're crying, yes."
Bell grabbed a chair and, set it down next to her bed, and sat down. He remained there, not touching her but showing he was there for her.
Nezhe sniffled again. "You should go. I'm fine."
"Tear stains on your face say otherwise. You know you don't have to do this alone."
Nezhe scoffed. "That's rich coming from you."
Bell quirked an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. You've been here two months, yet me and the girls barely know a thing about you. All we know about you is that you don't like being touched, and you have power we've never seen before. You've only mentioned your family once, and that was when you first arrived. Yet all of us could tell you were hiding something from us. You still are now."
Bell sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "Well, you've got me there. I'll admit I do keep a lot of things to myself mostly, but that's because I was betrayed by people very close to me before I came here. So, it's hard for me to trust people. I like all of you and think you're good people, and I'm starting to trust you all. But it's a hard road."
Nezhe sniffled again. "I'm sorry I shouldn't give you a hard time. You're trying to help. Gods, I'm such a bitch for that. It's just, I'm not used to feeling so vulnerable. If it weren't for Gareth, I'd be dead. Game over. I just, I just don't know how to process this."
Bell wanted to reach out and hold her hand, but he stopped himself. Unlike Maryuu and Noin, who jumped at Bell or Astraea to hold them, Nezhe kept her distance.
"Well, the way I see it, you're alive. That's the first step is remembering you survived. After that, recovery can continue on from there."
Nezhe giggled before sniffling. "That's terrible advice."
Bell chuckled. "Sorry, I'm not the best at comforting. All I can really say is I won't let anything happen to you as long as I'm around."
"Is that what you tell all the girls?" Nezhe joked.
"Guilty"
Nezhe smiled before she picked up Bell's scent. He smelled like cherrywood and pine trees. He smelled pleasant.
"Your infinity is off?" Nezhe asked.
Bell nodded. "It is"
"Huh. This is the first time I've ever smelled your scent. Your infinity can mask your smell?"
"Yeah. Wait, I don't smell bad, do I?" Bell asked, smelling himself.
Nezhe giggled again, catching Bell's attention. "No, you smell fine. It's just, that I was never able to smell you before. So it caught me off guard a little."
Bell nodded, keeping his gaze on Nezhe. "Well, is there anything else I can do for you?"
Nezhe was quiet for a moment as she considered his request. "Can you...hold me?" Nezhe asked.
Bell smiled. "Of course."
Nezhe moved over and cleared a spot on her bed for Bell to climb into. Bell did so and wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close. He felt Nezhe relax and put her hands on top of his.
"Hey Bell"
"Yeah"
"This doesn't mean anything, alright. Just two friends sharing a bed."
"That's fine with me."
Nezhe nodded before feeling her eyelids grow heavy and falling asleep.
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Bell awoke the next morning and found his neck to be hurting slightly. He rubbed his neck, feeling two puncture wounds on his neck. Nezhe's face was inches from his own. She was still asleep but must've turned over in her sleep.
"Did she bite me in her sleep?" Bell wondered.
He slowly got out of her bed, careful not to wake her. He was successful in doing so, and he silently left her room.
Bell felt refreshed as that was the first good night's sleep he had gotten in a while. Although he wondered if Nezhe was a sleepwalker or something.
There was no way she'd bite him in the neck if she was awake, right? Cause if she did, that meant.
A knock on the front door caught Bell's attention. He knew they weren't expecting any visitors, and the rest of the girls weren't due back for another day or two.
Bell slowly walked to the door, hearing another knock as he did so. He had his hand by his side, ready to cast Blue if needed.
But he stopped his preparations to fight as he knew the two heat signatures on the other side of the door. He sighed, knowing he couldn't run away this time and that he'd have to face the music.
"Damn, I really don't want to talk to these two. Not after everything that just happened," Bell thought as he placed his hand on the doorknob.
When he opened it, Argana and Bache were standing there.
"Argana, Bache, so nice to meet you again," Bell said, hoping they'd leave.
"You need to see this," Argana stated, shoving a piece of paper into Bell's chest.
This caught her off guard momentarily as she wasn't able to touch him beforehand. But she quickly shook her shock off as this situation was severe and was not the time for her normal behavior.
Bell looked at the paper and read it over, his eyes widening in shock as he did so.
"Get inside now," Bell ordered, grabbing the two and pulling them inside. He poked his head outside and looked around, not seeing anything.
He shut the door and locked it before pushing a table up against it.
"ASTRAEA! ASTRAEA! ARE YOU HERE?" Bell yelled.
A minute later, Astraea made her way to the entrance, looking worried.
"Bell, is everything alright? What's going on?" She asked.
Bell handed her the paper, and Astraea read it, seeing the bounty on her head. "Oh my. This is quite extreme."
"Yeah, it is. From now on, you're not leaving the house under any circumstances. Damnit, neither can I, as you'll need to be protected."
Astraea put her hand on Bell's shoulder. "Bell, it's not that-
Bell cut Astraea off. "Don't even finish that sentence, Astraea. It's 50 million for your head alone. Every Evilus bastard and their mom could be on their way here right now."
Bell let out an aggravated sigh. "Damnit, why now of all times. We don't have the manpower for this. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit."
Bell saw Argana and Bache in the corner of his eye. He sighed, knowing what he needed to do.
"Argana, Bache. If I asked you to look after Astraea and protect her, would you do it?" Bell asked, staring at the two.
"Of course we would. But you'd know what we want in return," Argana answered.
Bell didn't hesitate for a second. "Fine, after this all blows over, I'll put a baby in the two of you. Deal?"
"Wait Bell-
"Deal," The sisters agreed.
"Alright then. You two won't leave Astraea's side until this is over. After which, I will uphold my end of the deal."
Argana and Bache nodded before turning to Astraea.
"Well, I hope you don't mind us staying. We're your new bodyguards for the time being," Argana said.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Astraea," Bache greeted.
Astraea was overwhelmed by what had just happened and could barely process it all. But what she did know was that she had a bounty on her head, and Bell had just made a deal she knew he was uncomfortable with to keep her safe.
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A few hours later, there was another knock on the door. This time, Bell immediately knew who it was as he recognized the heat signatures immediately.
"Ardee, Haruhime. What are you two doing here?" Bell asked.
"We're here to help keep Lady Astraea safe. Now move out the way," Ardee said, pushing past him.
"But what about Ganesha? His bounty's higher than Astraea's and Haruhime; I can't guarantee your safety here."
"Don't worry about Lord Ganesha. Anything less than Silence and Gluttony themselves won't breach the manor. Anyway, I have the hero stories you lent me. I've read the first two saved the king of curses downfall for last," Ardee said, setting the books in the living room.
Bell shook his head before turning to Haruhime. "And what about you? I can't guarantee your safety here, Haruhime."'
Haruhime's ears pressed against her head, and her tail wagged nervously. "Miss Ardee said we should you protect Lady Astraea. I know I'm not a fighter, but my magic can help you in a fight. Besides, you helped me. It's only fair if I do the same."
Bell sighed before putting his hands on Haruhime's shoulders. "You don't need to repay me. I freed you so you could live your life."
"And I want to live my life by repaying you for your kindness."
Bell saw the determination in Haruhime's eyes and gave her a soft smile. "Alright, if that's what you want to do, I won't stop you. But I will remind you that I can't guarantee your safety here."
Haruhime nodded. "I'm aware. Which is why I'll stick close to Miss Ardee at all times."
Bell took his hands off her shoulders. "Alright, Haruhime"
"Hey Bell, looks like the amazons found you," Ardee teased, pointing out Bache and Argana with Astraea.
Bell rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I kind of made a deal with them to be Astraea's personal bodyguards."
"Ooh, what type of deal?" Ardee teased.
"Take a guess," Bell groaned.
Ardee giggled with a smug look on her face. "Oh, Bell, you dirty dog."
Bell playfully pushed her head before sitting down on the couch. "Now, are you gonna read this last hero story or not?"
"Fine, fine, calm down. You'll need your energy for later."
Bell groaned as Ardee grabbed the book and sat down with Haruhime next to her. Bell noticed Bache standing nervously off to the side.
"Something wrong, Bache?" Bell asked.
"I like hero stories, too. Is it alright if I, um, join you?" She asked.
"Yeah, sure, go ahead. Argana with Astraea?"
Bache nodded and took her seat. "We've broken our time up with her in shifts. She takes the first one, then it's me after."
"That's smart. That way, one of you will always be rested and ready to fight should the need arise."
Bache nodded and scooted closer to Bell, which Ardee saw. Haruhime was a little nervous seeing an Amazon of Kali, but Bell assured her she would be fine. It also helped that Bache and Haruhime never met before.
"Alright, now that you're all ready, let's begin. Once upon a time, there was a man born with four arms," Ardee began.
The rest of them leaned in as Ardee continued reading. It started at the birth of Sukana, his rise to power, and finally, his downfall.
"Now already weakened by the hero's strike, Ouranus descended from the heavens and sealed Sukana away from the world. But sources say people are trying to break the seal and await his return. The end," Ardee said, closing the book.
"Wow. That sounds a little too realistic," Haruhime said.
"No need to worry, Haruhime. He's been sealed for over a thousand years now. He can't get you," Ardee comforted.
"Hmm, I know he just sounds scary."
"I agree, and I've been in multiple death matches. Sukana is not someone I'd like to face if he gets unsealed," Bache said.
Ardee turned her attention to Bell, who had remained silent. "What about you, Bell? If Sukana got released and you had to fight him. Would you win?"
Bell smirked. "Well, that depends. Would you be cheering me on?"
"Well, duh, of course, I would," Ardee said.
"Then I'd win. Can't make a fool out of myself if you're watching me."
Ardee smirked. "Better not let my sister hear you say that, charmer."
"What is she gonna do if she can't touch me?" Bell joked.
Everyone laughed, and Bell looked at the time. "Oh, it's almost dinner time to get cooking."
Bell got up and went to the kitchen. Haruhime got up and followed him to offer her assistance.
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Three months passed without a single attempt on Astraea's life. Yet the bounty has not been rescinded yet.
Bache and Argana kept their word and were still guarding Astraea as Bell asked. It took some getting used to for the rest of the familia once they were released from the hospital, but they agreed Astraea's safety took priority no matter what.
Once everyone was back, they made a grave for Asta in the backyard to remember her by. Bell didn't know her well, but she was still like a sister to the other girls in the familia.
Lots of tears were shed, but in the end, Bell thought it was a nice little service to send one of their own away.
Ardee and Haruhime had been staying as well, showing their support for Bell and his goal to protect Astraea.
Ardee had recently been making headlines with how fast she was leveling up. She was already at level six within the three months after she nearly died.
Bell assumed she had a skill like his that leveled her up faster based on certain circumstances. Yet he didn't know what her circumstances were.
The two had grown closer, and playful flirting was exchanged between the two of them. Everyone picked up on this and wondered who was gonna make the first move.
Bell himself hasn't been slacking as he was now a level seven. Theoretically, he should be on the same playing field as Zald and Alifa.
Yet he knew he wasn't. Those two could take on a level nine at level seven. Bell hoped he could at least reach level eight before having to face them.
He also still didn't know how to use the reverse cursed technique. He had been trying for most of his life and had always been met with failure. He just needed something to help push him over the edge to get it.
Little did he know that push was about to come.
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Bell bumped into Alise in the hallway leading to the kitchen. She gave him a soft smile. She had recovered well from her injuries by the Juggernaut in spite of the amount of blood she lost. She'd be able to go back to adventuring soon as Airmid ordered her and Ryu especially to take it easy.
"Morning, Bell. Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked.
"Yeah, sure, what do you need?"
"Oh, nothing. I just want to say I'm proud of you. You've really stepped up since the incident on the 30th floor. You took over as captain since me and Kaguya were incapacitated. You helped our members deal with their grief about the situation. You organized a bodyguard for Astraea and did solo patrols, taking down most of Evilus's number. We're winning this dark age because of you, and I just wanted to say I was proud."
Bell felt his eyes water, but luckily for him, his sunglasses covered it. He had never heard those words before. From anyone.
"Oh, uh, thanks. I'm just doing my best, you know," Bell nervously said.
"Well, keep it up. I see us leaving this dark age pretty soon."
The two walked into the dining room, and Ardee threw an orange at Bell. His infinity stopped it in its tracks, and Bell chuckled.
"You do this every morning, and every time you fail," Bell laughed, grabbing the orange.
"I'll get you one day. One day, your spooky ghost power will be no match for me," Ardee stated.
Bell took his seat next to her, and Alise took hers by Astraea.
"So, pretty boy, what's your plan for today?" Kaguya asked, grabbing her fork with her metal arm.
"Kick some ass and take names," Bell answered.
"And after that, you'll let me make you an outfit, right?" Iska asked.
"Maybe one day."
"Oh wait, scared of a little makeover?" Argana teased.
Bell rolled his eyes. "Nope"
The group continued eating breakfast, enjoying each the calm atmosphere that was built around each other.
Despite being from all different walks of life, all these people came together to protect one goddess. Be that for personal gain or out of the goodness of their hearts.
They would all protect Astraea no matter what.
"Say, Ardee, how did your sister react to you being at a higher level than her?" Astraea asked.
"She was jealous I grew so fast and vowed to catch up. Although she'll be eating my dust as far as I'm concerned."
Astraea smiled. Well, it's nice to see a little sibling rivalry. Now the question is, will you catch up to Bell?"
"In her dreams. Maybe if I stopped adventuring for a month, she might have a chance."
"He's just talking scared 'cause he knows I'm gonna blow past him. Don't worry. I'll make sure to get you ice cream for when you're crying."
"Oh, Ardee, it's cute you think th-
The wall next to Bell exploded, causing brick and concrete to go flying across the room. Argana and Alise grabbed Astraea and threw her to the ground, using their bodies to cover her.
Dust filled the room but was quickly cleared, thanks to Bell using Blue. Once the dust was clear, Nezhe picked up two scents of pine wood.
Which was odd as pine wood only grew in the mountains away from Orario. She knew Bell smelled a little like pine wood. But whoever was here reeked of it.
Once everyone got back to their feet, their eyes widened in horror.
"Shit! Quickly get Astraea to Freya. It's the only chance she'll have at being safe!" Bell yelled.
"What about you?!!" Ardee asked.
"It doesn't matter, just go!!"
Bell shot forward and tackled Zald through another wall and away from everyone else.
The others didn't think twice before grabbing Astraea and running to Folkvangar.
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Zald elbowed Bell in the back of the head, causing the boy to let go. Zald kneed him in the guy before kicking him away.
Bell turned on his infinity before hitting the wall and landed on his feet.
"You've gotten stronger, Bell. Level seven in three months. You've done good."
"Don't patronize me, Zald. You and I both know what's about to happen."
"I see you're not in the mood for a chat. Very well, but know this time I will kill you."
Zald shot forward and aimed his sword at Bell's neck. Bell moved his head out of the way, causing the blade to break another wall.
Bell kicked Zald in the ribs, causing the man to grunt. Zald swung his sword, and Bell leaned back, watching it go over him.
Zald twisted his body and made the sword swing down, causing Bell to roll out of the way. The blade slammed into the ground, causing dust to kick up.
Bell could still see Zald, and he charged forward. He dropkicked Zald in the face before rolling on his side and pushing himself up.
Zald swung his sword again, which Bell caught and threw Zald through another wall, causing him to land outside.
Bell threw Blue, but Zald easily knocked it away from him, causing it to blow up a nearby roof. Bell rushed forward and kicked Zald in the knee. Zald swung his sword and used the flat side of his greatsword to send Bell flying.
Bell crashed through multiple walls and ended up in an abandoned street. Zald followed Bell and drove his sword toward him, but Bell dodged just in time.
Zald's sword hit the ground, causing debris and dust to shoot up, which didn't work in Zald's favor. Bell was already on top of Zald, his elbow hitting Zald's face.
Bell jumped back and avoided Zald's sword. The dust cleared, and Bell quickly dropped to the ground to avoid the sword aimed at his neck.
He kicked Zald in the calf while sliding under his legs. But the flat end of Zald's sword hit Bell in the face the second he got up.
Bell stumbled back, slightly dazed. Zald threw his sword at Bell, and Bell was barely able to avoid it. The greatsword crashed into a wall and became embedded inside it.
Multiple smoke bombs then detonated, causing the surrounding area to be covered in smoke.
"Shit, where is he? Where is he? Find him Bell find-
Bell felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and he quickly spun around. But it was already too late.
Zald drove a weird-looking dagger directly into Bell's neck, causing the boy to cough up blood. He dragged the blade down open Bell's chest before pulling back and stabbing the boy multiple times in the leg.
Zald finished his assault by driving the blade into Bell's head before pulling it out and watching Bell fall to the ground.
"A pity. I had hoped to not to do that. But maybe it's better for you this way. You can be with your parents now," Zald said.
He then grabbed his sword out from the wall and continued his pursuit of Astraea.
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"Quickly, we're almost there," Argana said as everyone was running.
They could hear the sounds of the fight stop behind them, and nobody knew who won. But that didn't matter right now; they had to get to Freya's, where Astraea would have the highest chance of survival.
That plan stopped immediately after when a blur took half of her escort out.
Zald appeared in front of the party, his blood dripping down his blade.
Noin, Maryuu, Nezhe, Ryanna, Celty, and Iska we're all easily taken down by the level seven. Leaving only Alise, Ryu, Kaguya, Lyra, Argana, Bache, Haruhime, and Ardee remaining.
Ardee looked at Zald with wide eyes. What was he doing here? Where was Bell?
"H-how? How are you here?" She asked.
Zald looked at them before flinging the blood off his blade. All was quiet as the group waited with bated breath for his answer.
"I killed Bell Cranel."
Ardee's eyes widened as memories of her and Bell came flooding back. Him saving her life. Their time in the hospital. Talking about hero stories going on patrol.
Ardee's eyes filled with tears as she recklessly charged at Zald.
"Ardee, wait!" Haruhime yelled, but she was too late.
Ardee slashed wildly at Zald, which he easily parried. He kicked Ardee in the gut before slashing down at her chest.
His blade met flesh, and Ardee fell to the ground.
Zald didn't give anyone else a chance to react as the rest of the Astraea familia was taken down in quick succession.
Their bodies were covered in slashes.
Bache, Arganna, and Haruhime remained.
"Listen, fox. Take Astraea and run. We'll buy you time, so don't look back," Argana ordered.
"But-
"GO!" Bache yelled.
Haruhime grabbed Astraea's and ran while the two amazons charged at Zald.
Argana jumped up and aimed her fist at Zald's face. He grabbed her arm easily, tossing her aside before curb-stomping her into unconsciousness.
Bache was able to hit Zald with her poison, but he simply laughed before backhanding her into a lamppost.
Bache tried to push herself to her feet, and a kick to the face from Zald stopped that from happening.
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Haruhime and Astraea ran, hearing the fighting stop once again. A feeling of dread started boiling in Haruhime's stomach, yet she pushed on.
Zald landed in front of the two with a crash, causing the ground to crack. The two stopped running, and Haruhime threw herself in front of Astraea, her arms spread.
Zald pushed her aside easily, causing Haruhime to slam into the ground, hitting her head. Zald continued his walk until he came face to face with Astraea.
"Do you have any final words?"
"May I request that you not kill my children after I'm gone?"
"You may. But once they join new familia's, it will be fair game."
"That works for me."
Zald raised his sword and aimed it at Astraea's neck. He got ready to swing, and Astraea closed her eyes.
"Yo. Been a while."
Meant to post this chapter much earlier but fanfic was down all day. Well, have fun with the cliffhanger. Later