Little Goddess Going on the Rescue Mission
"I'm sorry, Hestia." Takemikazuchi apologized as he bows to his friend.
The scene shows Hestia in her church with Melpha and Echidna, they are joined by Hephaestus, Miach, and his Familia Doctor Naaza as they listen to what happened with Takemikazuchi's Familia when they were in the dungeon.
"Damn, doing something like that would get you to feel guilty." Echidna commented.
"Oh, you poor children." Melpha said, feeling bad for how Takemikazuchi's were desperate, but she can also see that what they did was not good.
"So, you're saying they purposely lure a pack of monsters toward Bell's Party?" Miach asked.
"That what it sound like to me." Echidna said.
"Even if they were desperate, it was still unacceptable." Takemikazuchi stated, disappointed at how his children would do such a thing.
"Seriously, I can't believe you guys would even consider doing such a thing and it was all from stupid Ouka's idea! You! Of all people!" A short girl yelled at them.
"Izumi, use your inside voice." Takemikazuchi said to the girl.
"I'm sorry, God Takemikazuki. But I can't keep myself calm about what my so-call seniors did, doing such a thing goes against everything we stand for! And all because some monsters were chasing you around! You could've thought of a better plan since you're supposed to be my seniors!" Izumi scolded her fellow Familia members.
Izumi is a short girl with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail and amber eyes. She wears a black and red samurai breastplate and pauldrons, with a long red scarf around her neck. She wears a white tied loincloth, a metal band on her right leg, and on her feet, she has small black shin guards, sandals with white tabi. Breasts size: DD-cup.
"Spicy kid, you got there, Take." Echidna commented.
"She's a really big fan of our culture from our homeland." Takemikazuki said with a soft chuckle.
"If it were up to me, I had you guys do some painful exercise training for an entire week with no rest nor meals!" Izumi stated.
"(She's right, we deserve to be punished for what we did.)" Mikoto thought agreed with Izumi's suggestion for punishment.
"If my children don't make it out of there alive, I will blame you until the day I die." Hestia said a little harshly as she turned around to face Take's children, and her mood change.
"That being said, I'm not going to hate you, I promise." Hestia believed in holding grudges would do her good.
As if the Heavens themselves are helping her with requesting Take's Familia to help her, a bright golden light shine through the broken window behind Hestia as she reaches out her hand to them.
"So, will you please help bring mu children back home?" Hestia asked.
All of the Takemikazuki including Izumi felt like a sudden jolt from within their bodies upon seeing the short Goddess looking more divine and their hearts are wash over, sensing this Goddess caring about her Familia and wants them to come home to her.
"As you command." The seven bowed onto one knee and said in union.
This makes Hestia happy that she's gonna get some help with finding her Familia. Melpha is also mood from how Hestia was able to convince them to help make up for their mistake and help them feel at peace like any Gods would.
"Well, the Takemikazuki Familia are in, what about you, Goddess Hephaestus?" Echidna asked the blacksmith Goddess.
"Wish I could. You see, the thing is that I really can't help you much with the search party. I don't any of my best members, they're currently down in the Dungeon with the Loki Familia." Hephaestus informed.
"I don't mind sending Mikoto and Ouka down to the middle floors, and Chigusa would probably be fine as their supporters. But I'm afraid the rest will slow you down." Takemikazuki offered three of his children to go.
"Hey! Why can't I go into the Dungeon? I've bee training really hard to go into a Dungeon!" Izumi complained a little.
"I know, Izumi. But it's not that time for you to go in there yet just wait patiently just like we agreed." Takemilkazuki ordered.
"Okay…" Izumi sighed, having no choice but to listen to her God.
"But still, I don't know if three will be enough." Takemilkazuki worried about the numbers.
"I'll help you out, Hestia." Hermes volunteered as he and Asfi walks in.
"Well, well, the messenger God Hermes. Quite a surprise." Echidna grinned.
"Hello Echidna, I see my old drinking buddy is still kicking." Hermes greeted.
"You better believe I am still." Echidna winked.
"What are you doing here? What about your journey?" Takemilkazuki asked shock to see one of his old friends.
"I came running as soon as I heard my sweet friend Hestia was in a tight spot. Why don't you take a little at this." Hermes held a paper for everyone to see.
"What is it?" Melpha asked.
"It's a request I put in for a search party." Hermes answered.
"Oh, isn't that wonderful, Goddess Hestia! Your dear friend Herms is going to help you friend Bell's Party!" Melpha smiled while clapping her hands.
"I don't know, this guy doesn't give off the impression that he's a good friend with the Goddess." Izumi said, staring at Hermes.
"That's right, since we've gotten into the lower world, Herms had nothing to do with her throughout the centuries." Hephaestus mentioned.
"Well, she does have a point." Takemilkazuki agreed.
"You've never seemed like a very devoted friend to her." Miach pointed out.
"Oh, come on… Man, you guys are a tough crowd." Hermes felt a little hurt from those comments.
"But I genuinely do want to help Hestia, I do want to save Bell, if I may." Hermes said as he placed one hand onto Asfi's shoulder.
"So, I decided to let Asfi here tag along." Hermes declared, much to the young woman's shock.
"She's my top dog. So, we'll be just fine." Hermes assured, and seeing that the decision has already been made, that Asfi will just have to go along with this as she bows to Hestia a little.
"Will that really be okay with you?" Melpha asked.
"Let's hear this from Hestia since this is her call after all." Takemilkazuki said.
"Rescuing my children is my number one priority, and the more help I get, the better. I accept your offer, Hermes." Hestia accepted Hermes' help.
"Good! You can count on me!" Hermes smiled, and Asfi looks at her God a look of suspicion like something is up with him.
While everyone is talking about when to mount the rescue team into the Dungeon about this evening, Asfi brought Hermes to hide behind some seats to have a little talk with him.
"Okay Asfi, what's wrong?" Hermes asked, knowing that something is bothering her.
"Tell me the truth. When you told everyone "We'll be just fine" back there. Don't tell me…" Asfi guessed what her God is planning and wants to confirm this.
"That's right, I'm going with you." Hermes revealed honestly, shocking Asfi.
"Hermes! Gods are not permitted inside the Dungeon!" Asfi reminded him of that rule.
"Look, nobody needs to know. Just be sure not to make any mistakes, it'll work out." Hermes believed with a confident smile.
"…You planned this from the start, didn't you?" Asfi sighed, should've known better than to not see this coming from her God.
"You just focus on protecting me." Hermes laughed while petting on Asfi's head like a cute pet.
"You're taking me with you." Hestia demanded immediately after hearing about Hermes' plan to go in.
"Hestia!" Hermes and Asfi gasped that she heard all of that.
"You two have just been caught red-handed." Echidna chuckled.
"Don't be absurd! Gods aren't allowed inside the Dungeon!" Hermes said.
"And yet you're the one who suggested on breaking the rules just to go see Bell for yourself that if he's okay." Echidna pointed out with a sly grin making Hermes flinch.
"Look, you can either let Hestia go with you or I'll tell the Guild about your sneaky plan." Echidna blackmailed Hermes and Asfi with a smirk.
"You dirty dark elf!" Asfi groaned in rage.
"Damn, you really know how to play your cards." Hermes commented.
"Alright, alright, you got me. I'll allow Hestia to come with us since she's so worried about her children." Hermes gave in.
"In that case, would it be alright with you if me and Melpha go with you into the Dungeon?" Echidna asked the little Goddess.
"Huh, you wanna come too?" Hestia asked surprise.
"Yeah, I've grown to like those two and I want to see how far they will go as Adventurers, maybe do something that has never been done before. Thinking about that just gets me more excited! And Keltan has grown to like them too." Echidna explained and her pet snake Keltan hisses softly.
"But wait a minute? Why are you dragging me into this? I'm a nun and I have to stay in the church!" Melpha asked shock.
"Come now, we all know you're more just than a normal nun. You've also been training in combat to battle against any monsters that come your way, and you even have those special techniques." Echidna said.
"Wait, you know about that?" Melpha shocked to hear that Echidna would even know about "That" as well.
"That's right, and don't you think the Heavens would want you to go protect those who live in the church such as Bell and Leina, Lili and Risty too." Echidna pointed out.
"After all, the Gods themselves right here are hoping for those Adventurers safe return." Echidna gestured to Hestia and the other Gods.
"So, don't you think that's a reason for you to finally take action?" Echidna pointed out.
Melpha started to think that Echidna has a strong point, since it's the Gods' will to wish for Bell's Party come back from the Dungeon alive in one piece then she must answer the call and remember the training she went through too.
"Of course! I, Melpha the Radiant Priestess, will come with you to the Dungeon to help bring back Bell and his Party, all in the name of the Heavens!" Melpha announced with her body glowing brightly.
"Holy Goddess Soul Radiating! She's giving off the strong presence almost like she's a powerful Goddess herself!" Hermes gasped.
"Nanael told me that she has been very devoted to the Heavens, but she never said it was so much that it feels like a big weight on my shoulders!" Hestia gasped.
"Let me get my things then I'll be right with you!" Melpha ran into the basement with the light stopped.
"Okay, looks like I made the right call to accepting your deal." Hermes said to Echidna.
"She'll be a big help." Echidna nodded.
"Still, I wish there was a way for us to help you, Hestia. With your children probably lost and hurt in the Dungeon." Takemilkazuki apologized, feeling helpless to not being able to do anything for his friend.
"Yeah, since your kids are the blame for this." Echidna teased a little painfully for Take.
"Forget about it." Hestia shook her head, not wanting to hate one of her closest friends.
"I can sense it, I'm certain Bell, Leina, Lili, and Risty are still alive. The blessing I gave them hasn't faded." Hestia closed her eyes and felt the lifeform of her children still alive in this world.
(With Bell's Group)
"Are you sure your sword will be able to hold all of us when we go down this rope?" Leina asked, looking down at the makeshift rope slide.
"Don't worry, my sword is super durable. I made it myself." Welf bragged.
"Less talking, more getting a move on." Lili said.
"Is that rope even clean?" Menace asked, showing a little disgusted expression that she doesn't like dirty things.
"No worries, I'm sure you can clean your hands once we get the village." Bell assured.
Everyone in the Party starts climbing down the rope, getting to the bottom with the rope being long enough to reach and going down one at time.
(Back at the Church)
Hestia smiles, believing that fate is going to bring them together soon.
"Hestia." Hephaestus said, getting her short friend's attention.
"If you happen to run into Welf, could you give him something for me along with a little message, if you don't mind?" Hephaestus asked a little favor.
"Of course." Hestia nodded, glad to do something for her dear friend.
Hermes and Asfi walk out of the church with the former looking up at the sky for a moment before speaking to his child.
"Asfi, be honest. Will five strong people like them be able to protect both me and Hestia?" Hermes asked.
"Well, Echidna might be something we should be grateful for since she's known to be a strong dark elf though I'm not really sure about Melpha's strength in battle. So, I believe our chances are good." Asfi stated, seeing there are many strong fighters going with them in the Dungeon.
"Hmm, well, just to be sure that our chances are a grantee, let enlist one more." Hermes said, knowing just the person for the job.
(With Bell's Party)
Bell and the others are making some good pace by going through the pit down to another floor while supporting each other the best they can, especially with protecting Menace a little since she's not much of a strong fighter.
But right now, most of the group look like they're feeling something gross is crawling up their noses because of the awful and fucking stick in the air around them.
"No, no, no, I cannot take this anymore!" Menache yelled.
"Honestly! You're doing this to torture our noses, you barbaric bulky woman!" Menace insulted Risty.
"Oh, is it really barbaric that I'm holding something that is protecting our very lives?" Risty growled and held the small but very sticky bag.
"I have you know this kind of stuff can be pretty damn useful to keep us alive! But if you don't like the smell then why don't you go get eaten!" Risty held the bag closer to the others.
"Risty! Take it easy, Menace is just feeling on edge right now! So, place don't hold that in front of us." Leina tried to calm everybody down.
"Looks, as disgusting as the smell is, this is going to keep any monsters away." Lili assured.
But then a Hellhound came up to the ground ready to unleash its fire breath to burn them alive.
"I got this." Welf said, holding out his hand toward the Hellhound.
"Ignite Heretic Spell: Will-o-Wisp!" Welf casted a spell causing the fire breath attack to go inside and build up inside the Hellhound to explode from the inside.
"Oh my, I never knew such a simple spell could do that." Menace surprised.
"A great spell indeed. I assume it uses the enemies' own magic to make it self-destruct." Lili figured out how that spell works.
"Yeah, never knew when I have to actually break it out and use it." Welf chuckled.
"Are you okay though? You've been casting that same spell a lot and you must be super tired right now." Bell concerned for his friend.
"Don't you worry about me, I still got plenty of fight left in me." Welf smirked that he can keep going.
"Okay, we better get going." Leina said as they continued walking.
(With Freya)
Freya is watching down from her floor and she can see that Hermes went to see Mamma Mia probably trying to ask her for a little favor, and she already knows that favor involves the certain white bunny boy from Hestia's Familia.
"Just what are you plotting?" Freya wondered what Hermes is up to.
"It's no matter. But know this, the only one who gets to toy with him is me." Freya proclaimed and allowed a single drop of her red wine drip down to the floor.
(Back with Bell's Group)
The Party just heard a loud rumbling sound and felt the ground shaking a little; they could feel the fear growing inside.
"Risty, I don't smell that stinky stuff anymore." Leina gulped.
"Because we don't have any of that anymore." Risty revealed the bad news that the stinky bag is no longer emitting the awful smell. And they turn to see something coming towards them.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Bell and the Group are doing their best to make it through the middle floors while trying to reach the 18th floor, but help is on the way with Hestia and others going on a search and rescue mission to bring her children of the Hestia Familia back home.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!