Bell opened his eyes as he heard a soft knocking on his door. He grabbed his glasses and turned on his Infinity before getting out of bed.
Walking to the door, he opened it and saw Ryu standing in front of him dressed in her adventurers clothes.
"Ryu, what are you doing here? Suns not even up yet," Bell yawned.
"Lady Astraea, ask that I wake you. She said it was important," Ryu calmly answered.
Bell yawned again as he shut his door.
"Well, I'm already dressed, so let's get going."
Ryu walked next to Bell as the two headed to their goddess's office. It was quiet as everyone except for them was asleep.
"So I'm guessing you're going back into the field."
Ryu nodded.
"Yes, I believe it's time I stop being afraid and get back out there. The way I see it, if you and Alise can face the silence and get back out there. Why can't I."
"Well, I admire your bravery in this. You faced more than just the Silence. You also were face to face with Gluttony and Erebus. All the heads of Evilus staring you down must've been scary."
Ryu turned and looked at Bell.
"You did the same. Why weren't you scared?" Ryu asked.
Bell was quiet for a minute as he was thinking of how to answer that.
"When I was a boy, my grandfather read me a story about a soldier in some far-off war. He was fighting behind enemy lines as a type of liaison for guerrilla fighters. Every day, he was terrified, terrified that this would be his last day on earth and that he wasn't going home. So, every day, he woke up and said, 'Time to start the day. Rest in peace, you poor bastard.' he already saw himself as dead, and that's what got him through his fear."
"So you see yourself as already dead?" Ryu asked.
"Ryu, I walked all the way over here after just waking up from an 11-month coma. Way I see it, I've already died once."
Ryu was quiet for a second before a question popped into her head.
"Wait, that's when silence and gluttony arrived."
"Oh really, with the way the city feels, I thought they were here longer."
Ryu just hummed as they arrived at Astraea's office. Her theory slowly putting the pieces into place.
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Bell opened the door and held it so Ryu could walk in. After she did, Bell followed behind her and closed it behind him.
Inside Astraea's office were Shakti, Ardee, and Ganesha, along with Loki and her big three.
Astraea was sitting at her desk with Ganesha and his two next to her. Off to the right of the room was Loki and her big three. In the middle of the room was a coffee table and a map.
"What's with the glasses, kid? Got a hangover?" Loki teased.
"No, the reflection from your lack of a chest makes it hard to see," Bell replied.
Ardee and Astraea had to hold back their laughter while Gareth let out a hearty laugh. Shakti's face remained impassive, but if one looked closely, they could see a small smile.
Ryu just blushed at how Bell so boldly talked about a woman's chest, and Loki grit her teeth in anger. Finn and Riveria just wanted to get the meeting over with.
Ganesha just clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention.
"Great joke, Bell, but now that everyone's assembled, let's get this meeting underway."
Ganesha walked to the table in the center of the office. A map of the city was laid out on it with a street circled in red.
"Right here on this street is a known Evilus hideout. We suspect this is one of their stashes of weapons and explosives. We also believe one of their higher-ups will be there."
Finn raised his hand.
"Do we know which higher up?" he asked.
Ganesha shook his head.
"Nay braver, all we know is that it's a possibility, not certain."
"What's the procedure for crowd control? That hideout is right next to the pleasure district and a market. If one of those bombs goes off, who knows how many people that could kill," Bell said.
"That's why we should strike fast and hard. If we reach the armory before they can, we can control the situation," Finn said.
Bell just scoffed.
"That has got to be one of the dumbest plans I have ever heard. Thought you were supposed to be smart."
"You got a better plan?" Loki asked.
"Better than charging in headfirst and hoping for the best."
Bell pointed to the hideout in the map.
"The place is surrounded by markets and vendors. Rushing in there puts them at risk. Our first priority should be locking down the district and forming a perimeter around the hideout. At least a two-block fence that any runner would run into. After making sure the civilians are away, we move slowly and quietly. We have the element of surprise here. We should use it."
"But if we evacuate the street, they might get tipped off and run away," Finn said.
"Ok, and that's what the net is for. Honestly, for the so-called smartest man in Orario, you sure use some dumbass tactics."
Finn just clicked his tongue but remained silent.
"Damn, Finn getting outclassed by a kid. Or would you be the kid because of your height?" Gareth chuckled.
"Hmm, I agree with Bell on this one; however, I have one thing to add," Shakti started.
"Instead of a two-block perimeter, we should widen it to at least four, maybe five. That way, we have more room to work with."
Bell just shrugged his shoulders.
"If you got the manpower, use it. My only concern is making sure people don't die because of our recklessness. Not rush in headfirst and risk getting everyone killed."
"You have something you want to say, kid," Loki growled.
Bell didn't even spare her a glance.
"I've already said what I've wanted. The little guy's plan would've resulted in either everyone getting killed or a lot of people getting killed."
Bell then put his hand to his chin.
"Something still feels wrong, though. Got this nagging feeling in the back of my head we're heading into a trap."
"Ooh, maybe you can use your spooky ghost powers to scout ahead. They can't hurt you if you do," Ardee said.
"Spooky ghost powers?" Shakti asked.
"Don't worry about it. Sure, I could walk into a building that's rigged to blow and see what happens. But we'd lose any evidence or leads we can get from this hideout."
Loki looked at Bell in suspicion. The glasses, his spooky ghost powers, as Ardee put it, and his ability to tank a building-sized explosion without a scratch. He was hiding something.
"Fair point," Ardee said.
Bell then yawned again.
"Now then, is this why I was woken up? To be informed about a raid taking place."
"Yes, Bell, although it seems you've got a handle on things. The quick thinker you are," Astraea complimented.
Bell shrugged.
"What can I say? I had good teachers," Bell said. Yet his voice held an underline of sadness, which most people in the room picked up on.
The meeting adjourned, and Loki and her big three left while Ganesha and his two stayed. Ardee ran up to Ryu and grabbed the elf, happy she was okay.
Ryu just blushed and stuttered at the close contact but didn't resist. Ganesha walked to Astraea to talk while Shakti made her way to Bell.
"I don't believe we've properly met. My name is Shakti Varma, and I'm the captain of the Ganesha familia. My sister has said a lot of great things about you."
Shakti stuck out her hand for Bell to shake.
"Sorry, I would shake your hand. But I don't like being touched. It's nice to meet you, though."
Shakti gave him a warm smile as she took her hand back.
"No problem, so I hear you have spooky ghost powers," she joked.
Bell chuckled.
"Your sister just calls them that. I don't have ghost powers."
"Nuh-uh, you have something that keeps me from touching you. Like an invisible shield or something," Ardee pouted.
"As you can see, Ardee is very grumpy about the fact she can't grab me like she can Ryu."
"Grumpy?!! I'm not a toddler."
"You sure?" Shakti teased.
Ardew crossed her arms
"Hmm, big sis."
Shakti laughed and grabbed her little sister, ruffling her hair as she did so. Ardee tried to push her off but failed until Shakti let go of her.
"Alright, we need to go get ready, Ardee. Come on," Shakti ordered, yet the smile was still on her face.
"Oh ok, bye Bell, bye Ryu, see you later," Ardee said, waving goodbye.
"Shakti, could you and Ardee wait by the entrance? I have something I need to discuss with Bell," Ganesha asked.
Shakti and Ardee bowed.
"Of course, lord Ganesha. Ardee and I won't be too far if you need us," Shakti replied.
"Ryu, could you walk with them?" Astraea asked.
"Of course, Lady Astraea"
The three girls left the room, leaving only Bell and the two gods.
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"So it's come to my attention Alfia can break through your infinity," Ganesha asked.
Bell nodded as he took a seat on the couch.
"Yup, I have no idea how. But she can"
"Meaning your plan to defeat them won't be as easy as we originally thought," Ganesha said, holding his chin in his hand.
"But we do have a solution, and if Bell allows me, I will tell you about it," Astraea said.
The two gods looked to Bell, who only nodded, giving his consent.
"Bell has a skill that provides accelerated growth. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. It also allows him to break past the natural limit set by the falna," Astraea explained.
"Which means if we can get him enough excila-
"Then I can get on par with Zald and Alfia and even the playing field," Bell finished.
Ganesha nodded as he still held his chin.
"Hmm, very well. If needed, you will have my familia's full support at your back. But we can go over those details later. We have a raid to prepare for."
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"This sucks," Ardee mumbled.
Ardee and Bell were stationed on a roof overlooking the back of the hideout. Their job was to watch the door in case anyone got out.
"Well, I do agree with your sister. We don't know what's in there, so it is best to have a first-rate adventurer outside. I just chose to tag along with you because Ryu is with Illta from the Ganesha familia."
"Aw, does that mean you've taken a liking to me? You know we are all alone, Bell."
"Don't even start"
Ardee just giggled as the two watched the door.
"You know you're fun to be around Bell. I enjoy your company."
Bell let out a nervous smile.
"Oh, uh, thanks. I...enjoy your company to"
Ardee leaned closer to him.
"Are you flustered?" she teased.
"Keep it up, and I'll smack you."
"Oh, you wouldn't smack little ol me. I'm too cute and adorable for you to harm me."
Ardee could tell Bell was giving her a side-eye under his glasses.
"Right, whatever you say, Ardee."
Ardee leaned closer to Bell.
"You didn't deny me being cute and adorable."
"I'm aware"
Ardee leaned back a little and gave Bell a confused look.
"Wait, you think I'm cute?"
"Yup"
Ardee looked back to the door, blushing.
"O-oh"
Bell smirked.
"Oh, don't tell me you're flustered now?" Bell teased.
"I'm not."
The back door was thrown open, and a member of Evilus ran out. Bell ran and jumped off the roof, tackling the woman to the ground.
"Well, at least it wasn't all sitting around and watching," he joked as Ardee landed next to him.
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"Well, that was absolutely boring," Ardee complained as she and Bell were in front of the hideout.
"Hey, come on, at least we got to hang out."
Ardee smiled.
"Yeah, that was nice."
The Ganesha familia had locked the area down and had caught all the members of Evilus inside the hideout with no casualties on either side. However, no higher-up was located inside the hideout.
Could it have been bad information? Or did the higher-up leave before they got there?
"I'm just glad the raid went well, and nobody got hurt," Ardee said.
"I am too, but Braver pisses me off. Rolled on in and took all the credit," Bell scoffed.
"Oh, don't worry, you'll get your moment to shine," Ardee comforted.
"You gonna take my picture when I do."
"We'll get Iska to clean you up for it first."
Bell just smiled and shook his head.
"That's if she can touch me."
"Well, maybe if you turned off your spooky ghost powers, we could," Ardee grumbled.
"Mom...Dad...where are you?" a small girl cried out.
Ardee looked at the girl and saw her walking around, tears streaming down her face. Bell just gave her a small glance.
"I'll go help the kid," Ardee said, walking toward the little girl.
"Want me to come with you?" Bell asked.
Ardee looked back at him with a smile.
"It's sweet you want to help, but you might scare the child with your appearance."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bell asked.
Ardee didn't respond and kept walking to the child. Once she reached the girl, she crouched down and offered a hand to her.
"Hey, it's OK, don't cry. My name's Ardee, why don't you come with me so we can find your parents?" Ardee softly said.
The girl sniffled.
"Really, you'll do that for me."
"Of course, now why don't you tell me your par-
That's odd. Ardee opened her mouth to speak again, but no words came out. Something wasn't right. Ardee raised her hand to her neck and felt blood.
Her blood.
Ardee couldn't breathe, and she looked at the small girl who held a bloody knife in fear. She watched as the girl smiled and pulled out Blaze Rock.
Ardee felt someone grab the back of her collar and yank her back right as the blaze rock exploded, sending Ardee into darkness.
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Bell glanced at Ardee's retreating form as she walked to comfort the child. He saw her crouch down and hold her hand while smiling softly.
But something was off about the girl. Thanks to his six eyes being covered, it gave him a type of thermal vision, being able to see the body heat people give off.
Now he could see Ardee's and had the shape she gave off memorized so he could tell if it was her from far away.
But the girl's heat signature was off. It was small, but her right hand had more body heat than a girl her age should have.
Getting a closer look, he saw the round shape in her hand and immediately started running.
He was too late to stop Ardee from getting her throat slit, and he pushed himself more, seeing the girl show Ardee the blaze rock.
He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and pulled her back, throwing his body in front of hers right as the bomb went off.
He looked behind him after the explosion and saw the girl gone. Her body completely vaporized from the blast.
He looked back to Ardee and saw her struggling to breathe and covered in burns.
"Shit shit shit. Ok, you're gonna be ok, Ardee, just stay with me," Bell panicked as he fished around his pocket for a potion.
His hand felt shattered glass, and he let out a string of curses.
"Fuck fuck fuck. Ok, think Bell think"
He moved his hands to Ardee's neck to try and keep pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. Ardee looked at him, fear plastered all over her face.
"You're gonna be ok, Ardee, just stay with me. Stay with me, ok I'll get you out of this"
Bell looked around for help, but all the civilians were gone.
Another explosion went off above Bell, and he threw himself over Ardee again to keep her safe. Rubble rained down on him but was stopped by his infinity, keeping him and Ardee safe.
"ARDEE?!!!" Shakti shrieked as she ran to Bell.
"I NEED A POTION!!" Bell yelled as he was trying his hardest to stop the bleeding.
Shakti finished in her pocket and threw him one, which he caught. He quickly uncorked it and poured it on her throat, watching as the wound started to heal.
Ardee's eyes rolled into the back of her skull as he eyes closed and her head went limp.
"Ardee?" Bell whispered as he leaned his ear to her nose. He held it there for a second, and his eyes widened in shock.
"She's still breathing?!!!" He said, pushing himself to his feet.
Another explosion went off down the street, and the two could hear Valletta laughing.
"I killed your best friend. I killed your sister." Valletta sang as she ran away.
"Bell," Shakti growled out. Bell stopped himself from running and looked at Shakti.
"Get my sister to Airmid. I'll hunt the bitch down."
Bell didn't even get a chance to respond as Shakti jumped to the roof and took off running.
Bell quickly made his way back to Ardee and picked her up in his arms. He didn't care that he was touching her at all.
He just wanted her to live whatever it took.
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Bell sat in the hallway outside Ardee's room. His hands were covered in her blood. Since there were no chairs in the hallway, Bell was sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the wall.
He stared straight ahead into Ardee's room, watching as Airmid did her job. Luckily, he could see Ardee's chest rising and falling, meaning she was still alive.
He looked at his bloody hands, and images of Ardee laying there with her throat cut open, struggling to breathe, played over and over again in his head.
If only he had looked at the kid closer, he would've seen the blaze rock before she even went over there. Now, she'd have a scar on her neck and burns all over her body for the rest of her life.
"Fuck" Bell muttered as he punched the wall behind him.
The door to Ardee's room opened, and Airmid stopped out her doll-like face, looking down at Bell.
"I do ask that you don't damage my clinic."
Bell just looked at her from over the rim of his glasses.
"How is she?" Bell asked, ignoring Airmid's earlier comment.
"Ms Varma will be fine physically. Mentally, she'll have lasting trauma for a very long time. The burns she suffered will be permanent, however, so that won't help much with her recovery."
Bell let out a frustrated sigh and leaned his head back.
"Can I- can I see her?"
"You can; she should be awake as my magic was able to rejuvenate her to"
Bell sighed and pushed himself up to his feet but was stopped by Airmid holding her arm out.
"There's a bathroom down the hall. Go and wash your hands first, and chin up. If it weren't for you, she would've most likely died before arriving. You saved her from the worst of the explosion."
Bell hung his head as he walked away.
"But I wasn't able to stop her from getting her throat slit."
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Bell opened the door to Ardee's room and saw her looking out the window. Her knees were up to her chest, and the blanket was covering most of her body.
She glanced over at the door and closed in on herself more once she saw Bell.
Bell sighed at her trepidation at seeing him but didn't let it stop him. He walked to her bed and grabbed a chair. He sat down after placing the chair next to the bed.
"So Airmid says you're gonna live."
Ardee nodded.
An awkward silence fills the room as neither knew what to say. It was quiet for a very long time before Ardee spoke.
"I never thought it would be a kid that would nearly kill me. They're supposed to be innocent balls of sunshine that you're supposed to protect. Not cold-blooded killers."
"Just goes to show how messed up Evilus is as an organization. Why they need to be stopped."
Silence encompassed the room again as the two didn't know what to say. What could one say in this situation?
"Ardee, why are you closing in on yourself?" Bell asked. He already knew the answer, however.
Ardee was quiet for a moment as she pulled the blanket around her more.
"Because Airmid said I'd be covered in third-degree burns for the rest of my life. I took a look in the mirror, and it's bad."
"How bad?"
Bell already knew.
"20 percent of my flesh is covered in them. I can still feel the pain when that bomb first went off. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead."
"Your thanks are misplaced. If I had taken a better look at that kid, I could've stopped you from getting hurt."
"But you saved me when I needed you most. You're my hero now."
Bell chuckled as Ardee lowered the blanket around her.
Bell felt bad for Ardee as most of the space on her forearms and legs was covered in burns. Her neck was also slightly burnt but not as bad as her arms and legs.
He didn't even know the damage under her clothes but assumed it wasn't much as her armor should've protected her, and to top it off was a scar on her neck where her throat was slit.
"I know not a pretty sight. But some good news is that my neck wound will heal. Just not the rest of me," Ardee said, her voice full of sadness.
Bell let out a sigh as he spoke.
"Ardee, you know about the giant scar on my chest, right?" He asked.
Ardee shook her head.
"No, I never knew you had one."
Bell nodded as he lifted up his shirt so she could see it. Ardee gasped in shock, seeing it cover his entire chest.
"Before I came to Orario. Someone I trusted turned out to be someone completely different. Took me completely by surprise, and well, we fought. I didn't have my power turned on as I tried to talk to them first. Talking never hurt, and I thought they wouldn't hurt me. We were close, and I trusted them, so I didn't think they would try to kill me. I was wrong, and for my way of thinking, I ended up in an 11-month coma. It's also the reason I don't like to be touched."
Ardee's hand reached out to touch Bell's scar but stopped herself for three reasons.
One, she didn't have his permission. Two, she knew his infinity would stop her, and three, because she knew he didn't like to be touched.
She chastised herself for trying to touch him right after he said he didn't like being touched. But he didn't seem to mind that she tried.
"Why are you telling me this story?" she asked.
"Because this scar is a reminder to not mess up again. I don't look at it and feel disgusted by it. I look at it and feel glad I survived and learned a lesson from it. However, our situations are different. But I thought it couldn't hurt to know I know what it's like to have scars you're not entirely proud of."
Ardee sat there and listened to his words. It made her feel a little better knowing Bell went through something similar.
But he was a man, and scars on a man were seen as badass and cool. But scars on a woman and they were seen as ugly or broken. Like they were some windup toy to be discarded after getting a little scratch.
"Thanks, Bell, but our situations are different." Ardee's voice began to break as she spoke.
"You're a man. Scars are cool for you guys. For a woman like me, I'm seen as ugly and a waste of space. Not fit to be loved or cared for by someone special."
Ardee then started crying as she felt disgusted by her own body. Nobody would love her now and only see her as something broken and unfixable.
Ardee froze, and her heart skipped a beat as she felt Bell wrap his arms around her.
"I don't see you as ugly. I think you're beautiful, and anyone who says otherwise can meet my fist for saying so."
Ardee moved her hand and grabbed Bell's.
"I thought you didn't like being touched."
"You look like you could use someone right now. My uncomfortableness for touching can wait a few minutes."
So the two sat there, Ardee in Bell's arms, crying and letting everything out. All the while, Bell had his infinity off so Ardee could feel the comfort of someone who cared for her.
Was he uncomfortable? Yes, the trauma Zald had instilled in him still held firm. But he could put that to the side for now. He would put that to the side.
After Ardee finished crying, she still held onto Bell. She was just glad he was here right now. He was making her feel safe around him, and he also opened up a little about himself too.
Bell didn't resist Ardee holding him or even push her away after she stopped crying. Even as the memories of Zald's sword slicing down his chest ran in his mind over and over again.
His own uncle nearly killed him. All so he could come here and kill people.
After a few more minutes, Ardee let go of him, and Bell let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Thanks for that, Bell, and sorry I held onto you for so long," she said.
Bell gave her a smile.
"It's ok, and uh, if you ever feel the need to do it again. Well, you know where to find me."
Ardee nodded as she laid down on her mattress, her head resting on the pillow.
"I'll get going and let you get some rest, okay? Just get better for me, alright."
"Ok, Bell, I'll see you later."
Bell got up from his chair and walked to the door. He turned his head and gave one last smile to Ardee before leaving the room.
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Ardee watched as he left a small smile on her face.
"He's strong and kind, but he's so far ahead of me. I want to be by his side and help him fight one day. I don't want him to leave me behind," Ardee thought as she closed her eyes.
Drifting off to sleep, she wasn't aware of the skill that had manifested onto her back.
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Shakti pulled an injured Valletta by her hair through the back alleys of Orario. No one was around, and Shakti was glad for it.
Valletta was barely awake and too weak to struggle yet still alive. That was exactly what Shakti wanted as she reached her destination.
She opened a fake wall filled with chains and torture devices. However, there was a lot of dust in the room as it hadn't been used for months.
Shakti threw Valletta inside before shutting the exit behind her. She grabbed Valletta by her hair again and threw her into a chair before strapping her into it, making sure she couldn't struggle.
"Wake up bitch" Shakti growled, slapping Valletta awake.
Valletta opened her eyes and slowly took in her surroundings. Seeing Shakti in front of her, she began to struggle.
"Struggle all you want; it won't help you," Shakti said as she blew away the dust on the tools.
"W-what the hell is this place," Valletta asked, her voice full of fear.
"Oh, this place? It belonged to a murderer who was active 11 months ago. We stopped him, of course, but didn't have a chance to clean out his hideout, as that's when your attacks really amped up. Which is good news for me because no one will know where you are."
Valletta looked around at the tools that ranged from pliers and knives. To straight up BDSM equipment. Whoever this guy was, was sick in the head if he used these on people before he killed them.
"Now you see, Valletta, we're going to spend a lot of time together. I'm going to extract every piece of information I can out of you. Whether you live or not depends entirely on if my sister survives or not. Now then, let's begin."
Shakti then took a knife and severed Valletta's Achilles tendon.
Valletta screamed out in pain, but her mouth was covered by Shakti's hand.
"Shhh, I haven't even started yet. So save the screams for later."
Shakti then drove the scalpel into Valletta's kneecap and twisted it, causing the pink-haired woman to thrash around in her bonds that wouldn't budge.
For the next several hours, no matter how much Valletta screamed or begged, she would get no mercy from Shakti.
Why should she? She was a sadistic woman who enjoyed the suffering of others and sang in delight when Ardee nearly died.
She would receive no mercy as she herself never gave any of her victims mercy, and Shakti was just getting started.
Well, that's the end of this chapter. Bell was able to change Ardee's fate, and Shakti was shown to not be fucked with when it came to her sister.
Because a not-so-fun fact is that Ardee is Shakti's last living family member. So she went a little off the deep end when she got Valletta in her hands.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you all later.