"So you mean to tell me there's another calamity walking around? A calamity, you know, the things that had this world on the edge of their seats for a thousand years," Bell asked in shock.

Hermes nodded his head. "Yes, it appears when Artemis and her familia went to subjugate a monster, they accidentally awoke this beast."

"And you're saying this thing has captured her. Hermes, do you understand what you're implying with this" Miach asked.

Hermes solemnly nodded his head. "I do. If we don't act quickly, I'm afraid we'll lose Artemis forever."

The room was silent as the small group processed this information. If they didn't act quickly, Artemis would be sent back to heaven.

"Then let's get going. What are we waiting for" Bell calmly said.

"Alright, wait a minute Bell. You and Anya just got back from saving Airmid. Don't you two need some rest first? Maybe a proper meal?" Nazha protested.

"Nazha dear, we don't exactly have time. Artemis is located in the ruins of the temple of Elsos. By foot, it's a month's journey. By dragon, it'll take ten days. If we don't leave now, Artemis will be gone," Hermes calmly explained.

Bell was confused. If the ruins were that far away, how did Rethusa find them? She would've bled out way before she stumbled across Bell and his party.

"Hermes is your math wrong," Bell asked.

Hermes turned to face Bell. "No, Bell, why do you ask."

Something was wrong. Someone placed Rethusa next to Bell. They wanted her to find him.

"Because her captain stumbled upon us. She's alive, but she was badly injured. If what you're saying is true, she would've bled out before even making it close to us," Anya explained.

Hermes put his hand to his chin as he thought. "Well, that's odd. Asfi, do you have any ideas as to what could've happened"

Asfi shook her head. "No, lord Hermes. Our forward watchman didn't see or hear anyone get past them. Even if Rethusa walked out of that temple, our familia would've seen her."

Now everyone was confused. How did Rethusa, who was missing an arm and an eye and bleeding profusely? Stumble across Bell and his party, which were 28 days away from her.

"I believe I can offer an explanation," A female voice behind them said.

Bell quickly whirled around Dawn's Ballad in his hand.

Standing in front of him was a petite blonde-haired girl. She had golden eyes and small but noticeable dragon horns on each side of her head.

Regis jumped off the couch as he recognized the small girl.

"Oh shit, what's up, Slyvie" he greeted.

Sylvie simply rolled her eyes as she reached down and petted Regis on the head.

"Yes, hello mutt, it's good to see you."

"Still as bitchy as ever, I see. How ya been" Regis asked.

"I've been well, but time for pleasantries can wait. I'm here to offer a solution for your means of transportation to the temple of Esos."

Sylvie had her arms in front of her in a regal-like matter. Her back was straight, and her posture was full of confidence. She was quite possibly the fourth strongest being in the world.

Of course, that number would go down drastically if the gods unsealed their powers. But as it stood right now, Slyvie could kill every person in the room in the blink of an eye.

Well, if Regis wasn't there.

"Right, you're here with a proposition," Regis sarcastically muttered.

"I don't remember saying that?" Sylvie responded.

"Please, I've known you for 200 hundred years. I know how this goes."

Bell and the others just stared at the scene in shock. Bell because this was his great grandfather's first bond, and the fact that he didn't even hear her come in.

The rest were just surprised that an Asura was here.

"Wait, Slyvie? As in the dragon Slyvie?" Bell asked, snapping himself out of his stupor.

Sylvie turned her attention to Bell.

"Yes. I have to say; for a descendant, you're not that bad. You have the talent, just not the training."

Bell scoffed. "Please, I had my bitch of an aunt 'train' me for seven years."

Sylvie hummed. "Yes, you had lesser training, not Asuran training."

"I'm sorry, what?" Bell asked, a little shocked.

"Let me backtrack a little. Each generation of Leywins has had some form of Asuran training. Normally it starts at the age of seven, but your aunt put a stop to that, saying she'd do it on her own and that you didn't need some fake gods' training. It appears she 'trained' you her own way. However, now that you're older and she's out of the picture, you can come with me to Epheotus."

Bell blinked in surprise as Regis groaned. Miach quickly shot to his feet, however.

"Why does it sound like he doesn't have a choice in the matter" he wearily asked.

"He does. But I'm offering him a deal. If he chooses to accept it, he'll be able to reach Goddess Artemis quickly and be able to save her," Slyvie explained.

"I accept," Bell said without hesitation. He probably should've asked the terms of this deal beforehand, but it didn't matter to him. If he would have to break his body and mind to save Artemis, he would.

"Now wait just a minute, Bell," Nazha worriedly said, shooting to her feet and grabbing his shoulder.

"Yeah, think about this," Anya added.

"I've thought about and made up my mind. But I'll ask the terms of this deal," Bell said.

Miach just looked at Bell in silence. He knew there was no changing his mind once it was made up. Only supporting his decision.

Was it unfair?

Absolutely. But Miach knew if Bell went to the homeland of the Asuras, he would become stronger.

Much stronger.

"The terms of the deal are as follows. I will open a teleportation gate and drop you right in front of the temple of Esos. In return, you will have a month to get your affairs in order before I return and we go to Ephetous. Alone" Sylvie explained.

"So no Regis," Bell asked.

"Correct. Only you will be allowed to come. Are you sure you're ready" Sylvie answered.

Bell had already made up his mind.

"I am, but I do have one question, however."

"Ask away"

"Are you my mysterious backer"

Sylvie nodded her head. "I am"

Bell took a deep breath. "I see. Alright, let's go. The sooner we save Artemis, the better."

.

.

.

.

"When I said let's go, I didn't mean for you to come along," Bell said, frustration in his voice.

"Bell, I'm my own person. I will go where I please," Miach responded.

Bell threw his arms in the air. "But I don't want you here."

Miach frowned. "Bell, you are my child, and I will not stand by while you destroy yourself!"

"Damnit, Miach, that isn't the point here. I just fought Uto with Shakti and barely won. If I didn't fake my death, we would've both died. Now I have to fight something equivalent to a calamity, and I don't know if I can keep you safe!"

Miach sighed as he raised his hands in the air.

"Then I will remain outside with Nazha and the Hermes familia."

Bell gave Miach a level glare. "You better. I've lost too much already. I'm not losing you to"

Bell then stormed off and headed to the command tent Hermes and Regis were in.

Miach looked over at Nazha and the rest of his familia in worry.

"Has he seemed more? Self-destructive since he woke up," Miach asked.

"I've noticed it too. He seems to be in such a rush to get stronger that he forgets about his own well-being," Nazha added.

Anya meekly raised her hand. "I, um, after we saved Airmid, something bad happened to Bell. I don't know how but Agrona controlled Uto's dead body and did something to him. Bell has refused to tell me what. All he says is that Agrona tried to break him but failed."

Miach put a hand on his chin.

"Hmm, I do remember Regis being in a panic before everyone left. He said he wasn't able to go on the training expedition with everyone as he had to take care of something."

"Maybe he broke Bell out of whatever Agrona did to him," Nazha said.

"Is Bell going to be ok? He's not going to do something reckless, is he" Anya worriedly asked.

Miach sighed. "I don't know, but after this, we're gonna sit down and have a nice long talk. All of us, this needs to stop before he gets himself killed.

.

.

.

.

Bell flipped the tent flap open as he walked in. He saw Hermes standing in front of a chessboard with Regis lying next to it on the table.

"Good, you're here. Let's go over the plan," Hermes greeted.

Bell stood across from Hermes, his arms crossed. Hermes held up a queen piece and placed it in the middle of the chessboard.

"Right here is Artemis."

He grabbed a king, a knight, and multiple pawn pieces.

He placed the king next to the queen and held up the remaining pieces.

"Next to her is Antares, and the knight and pawns are our little entourage. The plan is to head inside the temple and defeat Antares. Be warned, however. Antares has absorbed Artemis and is keeping her in a crystallized tomb of sorts. Now it hasn't fully hardened, so if we act quickly, we should be able to break her out. Any questions"

"So your plan is to just wander in there, break the cocoon, grab Artemis, and run like hell?" Bell asked.

"Yup"

Regis snorted.

"This is worst than our plan to rescue Haruhime."

Hermes just shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I don't really have a better idea. I was hoping to come up with a plan on our journey over here, but you took that deal with the Asura, which hurried us up a bit."

"Well, do you know what we'll be up against," Bell asked.

"Some type of mutated scorpion"

Regis shivered. "Eh, I hate scorpions. Creepy crawly motherfuckers"

Bell let out a small chuckle. It caught Regis a little off guard after what Bell just went through.

"Does that mean you're scared of spiders as well"

Regis decided to play along. It wouldn't be long til he wouldn't see Bell for a while.

"No, I just don't like those crawly fucks"

"So you're scared."

"Am not"

"Are too"

"Am not"

"Are too"

Hermes cleared his throat. "Are you two done"

Regis and Bell both looked at Hermes.

"Yes"

"No"

Hermes just sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, we're heading inside in five minutes. You two can stay here until we leave," Hermes said, walking out of the tent.

.

.

Regis and Bell were quiet for a moment as neither knew what to say. However, Regis broke the silence.

"So you're really leaving soon."

Bell nodded his head. "Yeah, looks like it."

"You know everyone will miss you."

Bell sighed. "I know. But I have to do this. I have to get stronger to keep everyone safe."

Regis let out a sigh. "Are we gonna talk about what Agrona did? Or is that something you're going to pretend didn't happen."

"I don't know. Part of me wants to forget about it. Another part wants to just break down and cry. But now isn't the time for that. We gotta save Artemis," Bell said.

"Kid, you know I care for you? Right"

Bell chuckled. "Yeah, otherwise you wouldn't have put up with my shit for all these years."

"Then, after this, can we sit down and have a talk about what happened? Especially how easily you killed yourself."

Bell was quiet for a moment. He was leaning against the table with his arms crossed. His head was looking down at the ground as he thought.

His ruby-red eyes looked tired. Oh, so very tired. When would his struggle end? Every time he feels like he's grown stronger, strong enough to protect everyone, someone comes along and reminds him just how weak he is.

That even after all he's gone through and all the strength he's gathered. It's still not enough. Every time he gets stronger, or he begins to feel happy, someone's there to rip it away.

"I don't know, Regis," Bell answered.

Regis walked up to Bell and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Bell, this isn't like the cabin. You have people who care for you, and some even love you. Scratch that a lot. Love you. But you're not alone anymore, Bell. You know that, right."

Bell sniffled and wiped his eyes. He didn't want Regis to see the tears.

He forgot Regis's eyesight and sense of smell were better than his.

"I know. But I'm afraid of how they'll look at me if I just break down. I'm supposed to be the hero. The one who swoops in and saves the day. How would everyone react if I just broke down" Bell asked, his voice breaking a little.

Before Regis could answer, the tent flap opened, and Asfi poked her head in.

"We're about to head inside," she said.

Bell wiped his eyes again and motioned for Regis to follow him.

Bell would save Artemis no matter what.

Well, I'm gonna end it here as I want Antares to have his own chapter and want to show the struggle Bell will go through.

It'll obviously be different from the movie, as Bell is stronger and didn't have a mana core. Also, sorry this took a while to come out had to have brain surgery to make sure the stint in my brain didn't fall out, and I had a doctor's appointment after that, plus work stuff.

I was also drawing a blank on how I wanted to set this up, and I also feel as if this chapter is kinda mid.

But I don't want you guys waiting forever cause that's not my groove.

Also, if you think Bell is a little out of character, he really isn't, as he's always been self-destructive with his heroic mindset. Just amp it up to 11, and you have what he's doing now.

Anyway, I'll shut up and see you next chapter.