Bell POV

The smell of smoke and blood filled my nose. The pleasure district was on fire. People were killed in the explosions or were currently buried under rubble. What was supposed to be a simple rescue mission turned into an all-out war in the pleasure district. Blocking my only way out was Aisha standing at the end of the alleyway her curved longsword in hand.

"So I guess we're doing this then" I sadly stated unsheathing my knife. I didn't bring my bow as it would get in the way. Aisha then raised her sword and pointed it at me "I guess so" she responded her tone the same as mine. "Wait what's going on? Bell that's Aisha remember she can help us" Haruhime said walking towards her. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "She's not here to help. She's here to take you to Ishtar" I said putting her behind me.

"But Bell I'm ok with that Ishtar bought me and took care of me. She gave me a roof over my head and f-food to eat. She protected me and all I had to do was give her my services" Haruhime said her voice breaking. "She did all of that just to kill you in the end. To her, you're just a pawn and a slave" I said pushing her off to the side and having Regis guard her. I stared down at Aisha as she stared down at me. Both of us didn't want to fight the other. But Aisha was being forced to. "I'm sorry it had to come to this," she said.

Haruhime POV

Aisha then charged at Bell who dodged. Aisha's sword hit the ground causing small cracks to appear. Wait why was she holding back? Bell seeing an opening shot a fireball. Aisha bashed it away with her sword and charged Bell again. Bell parried and knocked her blade to the side before punching her in the face. He then kicked her in the side before backing off to get some distance.

"You hit hard for a level one" Aisha winced. "You remember what I told you if we ever fought," he said. Wait when did they have this conversation? "I do," Aisha said getting ready for another attack. Then in a blink of an eye, she appeared in front of him her sword aiming for his neck. He leaned back the sword passing harmlessly over him. He then pushed himself back and kicked Aisha in the chin. She shot forward again and Bell brought his knife up. He intercepted her blade but didn't stop it. Aisha pushed her sword forward and her blade began to dig into his cheek.

He then used a spell I had never seen causing my ears to ring. He then kicked Aisha in the stomach. Then slashed her across the stomach. Aisha then kicked him and hit him with the flat side of her blade. She then slashed aiming at his neck again this time striking true. However, blood didn't come out of his body.

Poof

His body then disappeared into smoke and Bell was right next to Aisha. He slashed her across the hand and elbowed her in the gut. "What? How I thought I just killed you" Aisha said in disbelief. Bell let out a cough as he was trying to catch his breath. "Believe it or not illusions are my specialty," he said chuckling a little bit. Illusions are his specialty? Yet he was able to conjure a fireball so easily which takes years of practice. Not to mention the fact that I could feel he had more magic in store.

Aisha then slammed the flat side of her sword into Bell's head sending him crashing into a wall. Aisha had a sad look on her face knowing she probably just killed Bell. I was sad as well. He was here to save me. But why? I'm impure. A prostitute is the one that brings destruction to the hero. "He's fine," Regis said. "What how do you know?" I asked. "He's taken harder hits than that"

I then heard the sound of rubble being pushed to the side and saw Bell walk out of the hole in the wall a smile on his face. His head was bleeding as well as his mouth. He stopped for a second before spitting up blood and walked back to Aisha. "I'm glad you survived that," she said. "Don't worry it only tickled" he joked his smile still on his face. He then limped forward and it was then I realized how hurt he was.

Aisha charged at him again. She thrusted her sword at his gut. Bell stopped it with his knife. But the momentum pushed him back causing his back to slam into the wall. Bell was still holding Aisha's blade back but only barely. He then brought his elbow down and broke her blade in half. He kicked the broken half. Which was still falling into Aisha's leg. She screamed out in pain before Bell head-butted causing her to stumble back. Aisha put a hand up to her nose and wiped away the blood.

Aisha then threw the other half of her sword at Bell's head. He moved his head out of the way but wasn't quick enough as the broken blade put another cut on his cheek. Both were now panting

"You're really determined aren't you," Aisha said taking the other half of her blade out of her leg.

"I told you I'd help. Didn't I" he replied. Help? What did he mean? Did Aisha ask him? Why? Why would he help someone like me? "Don't worry Haruhime. Once I beat Aisha I'll take you away from here" he said his smile still on his face. Its radiance was like a burning star and I couldn't help but be drawn in by it. I then felt the tears streaming down my cheeks. Could I finally be free? No someone as impure as me doesn't deserve to be free. I felt the tears start to roll down my cheeks and spoke in a broken voice.

Aisha POV

This boy doesn't fight like a normal level one. I can't predict if he's going to punch me, cut me, or use his magic. He's unpredictable in fighting. Add the fact his body is reinforced in mana and he's putting up a pretty big fight. If he were a level higher I would lose without a doubt. "Please. Please stop fighting" Haruhime said her voice broken and tears streaming down her face. Bell looked at Haruhime. He was still smiling despite the fact I had knocked the shit out of him. He was bleeding from his head and mouth. His arms had shards of wood in them and his broken armor was digging into his chest. Yet he still smiled.

"Just stop fighting, please. I'll go with them so you won't get hurt anymore Bell" she said fully sobbing now. "I told you I'd save you Haruhime. I'm not backing down" he said. "But why? I'm a prostitute the one that brings destruction to the hero" she sobbed. "So. Just because you're a prostitute doesn't mean you don't deserve to be saved"

"But"

"What's a hero to you Haruhime? A hero is someone who saves people from the villain no matter what. It doesn't matter their occupation the hero will still save them. Now you need to make a choice. Either you want to live and we both love or you want to die and we both die" his tone was dead serious yet his smile didn't disappear. He then charged at me. "I will not make this choice for you. You need to decide if you want to live or die" he then slashed downward at me. I reacted quickly and was able to knock the knife out of his hand.

I then felt pain in my shoulder as he cut my shoulder. What now? It was then I noticed the thin string of mana attached to his knife. I kicked him in the gut which sent him skidding back.

"Make your choice Haruhime because I refuse to leave here" he then charged again. We continued our fight with me knocking him back every time he charged. Yet he got back up and charged again. He was really serious about saving her huh?

"I-I-I" I heard Haruhime as she began to stutter. "I WANT TO LIVE. TAKE ME WITH YOU TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE. I DON'T WANT TO BE A SLAVE TO ISHTAR ANY LONGER" she shouted so loudly that even the gods in heaven heard her. The smile on Bell's face grew wider and he chuckled.

"That's all you had to say" he then charged at me again. What was different this time was that Haruhime started chanting. A felt a smirk spread across my face.

"So you finally decided to start living little sister"

Bell POV

I heard Haruhime start to chant. I had a feeling about what she was doing but I didn't know for sure. I threw my knife at Aisha which she dodged by tilting her head. I then pulled the blade back but she dodged that as well. I then spun in the air and slashed her chest. She spun and did a roundhouse kick which hit me in the head. The force of the kick sent me flying to a brick wall but it didn't crumble.

"Uchide no Kozuchi" Haruhime softly said finishing her chant. A golden light enveloped me and I felt stronger than I did before. So this is Haruhime's level boost. I then charged at Aisha faster than before. She seemed to have trouble keeping up with me as I kept giving her tiny cuts all over her body. When I went for another slash she reacted quicker than I expected causing me to lose my knife. I tried to pull it back but she broke the sting of mana attached to it.

Now only able to use my hands I engaged in unarmed combat against her. I coated my fist in lighting and punched her in the stomach. I blocked her punch with my arm. Then jabbed her in the face. She tried to kick me which I batted aside with my leg. Seeing as she was on her last legs I unleashed a flurry of punches to her stomach. This caused her to wince and with one final punch to the face, she was down on the ground.

"Good job Bell. You won" she said. She was breathing heavily as she was exhausted from the fight and wasn't able to move as the lighting had locked her muscles up.

"Aisha" Haruhime said as she ran over to her. I then felt my level boost go away as I walked over to the two. I took a seat next to Haruhime as she put Aisha's head in her lap.

"Don't worry little sister I'm alright. Boy wonder here just incapacitated me that's all" she said chuckling a little. "You hit really hard" I panted sitting next to Haruhime. "I'm a level three no shit I hit hard. But you hit hard yourself"

"That's cause my fists were covered in lightning"

"You're a lightning deviant. Anything else ya hiding" she joked. "Nope" I lied. We sat there for a few minutes Aisha slowly but surely getting her muscle back. I was tired and my body hurt all over. But I did it I saved her. I had won.

"Keh Keh Keh Keh" I heard an ugly laugh come from the other end of the alley. I quickly turned around and saw an ugly toad of a woman.

"So this is where you've been hiding little Haruhime" she croaked. I quickly got up to my feet grabbing my knife in the process. I could see the looks of fear on both Haruhime's and Aisha's faces. "Oh what's this a little rabbit wants to play," she said hanging her axe by her side. I didn't reply I needed to focus. I was getting ready to fight again. But I didn't have to as behind the ugly woman I saw a giant of a man calmly float down as if gravity didn't apply to him. He towered over the woman.

With his sword in hand, he stabbed the woman through the gut and tossed her away like nothing. Now it was my turn to be sacred. This man was powerful. I knew he had a mana core but I couldn't sense it. The presence he gave off felt like Alfia's but a lot stronger. I could feel my hand which held my knife start to shake. No my whole body was shaking in fear but I knew I had to stand tall.

"Oh. You can tell I'm stronger than you yet you're still willing to fight" he put his hand to his chin. "Do not worry young one. Today is not the day we fight. Get stronger so that one day I may fight you to the fullest" he said before he flew away. Once he was gone my knees gave out on me and I fell to the ground. I started hyperventilating as I felt as if I just stared death right in the face. I felt my head spin and the world close in on me before feeling two hands caress my back. I looked up and saw both Aisha and Haruhime were calming me down.

"Shh it's ok deep breaths," Aisha said.

"H-he's gone now we're all safe" Haruhime added. Thanks to them I was able to catch my breath and was able to sit down with my back against the wall.

"Who the hell was that," I asked swallowing the lump that was in my throat.

"Freya's captain Ottar. Or as of right now the strongest adventurer in Orario and one of seven white core mages in the world" Aisha said.

"I never felt anything like that before. The pressure he gave off just with his mere presence. I felt like I was going to pass out"

"Yeah he's scary but he's gone now so we're ok," Haruhime said patting my shoulder. We then saw a bright golden light take the form of a pillar which brightened the night sky. Aisha then fell forward. I caught her before she landed on me and steadied her against the wall.

"Aisha are you ok" Haruhime worriedly asked. Haruhime then felt weak herself but she was already sitting. "That light it must be Ishtar. She's been sent back to heaven" I said watching the two girls' faces light up. "We're free. We're finally free" Haruhime cried hugging Aisha who returned it.

"Come on let's get out of here," I said standing up and offering my hand to them.

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We met up with Welf at the entrance to the pleasure district. More help had arrived at that point. Both the Ganesha familia and Loki familia had arrived and were coordinating rescue efforts. The Astraea familia were no doubt on their way.

"You look like hammered shit Bell," Welf said walking up to us. "I feel like shit" I joked as I limped forward. He looked next to me and saw both Haruhime and Aisha with me. "So I assume it went well," he asked a knowing smile on his face. "Yeah went perfectly" I joked. Welf then threw my arm over his shoulder to help me walk. I thanked him and we began our walk towards the Stardust garden.

Gonna end this here as it's a good stopping point to pick up in the next chapter. Also, I'm changing the power system a bit since Danmachi's power system is so vague. So here's how it will go. If a level 1 adventurer has a mana core they're stronger than a normal level one.

Depending on how strong their mana core is can either help them fight someone of a higher level or won't matter depending on how strong the adventurer is. Pretty much if a level one has a strong mana core they can give a level two without one a run for their money. Now if the level two also has a mana core then the level one that challenged them won't stand a chance. I hope this explanation helps somewhat.