The Fallen Argonaut
Rated; M (Blood/Gore)
Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Patreon: Elier01
Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.
AN: Hey everyone, I just wanted to announce that I've launched a Patron for those interested in supporting me in my writing as some people have asked for it. It includes three roles. One for simply supporting. One for chapter progress updates and one where you can even commission 3k words a month from me. Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. See you at the end of the chapter!
64: Until Death Do Us Part
=Orario=
Bell's mind raced as the message had been delivered to him. The description of that man… the one in fully plated armor, almost like a knight with power enough to practically single-handedly take down Rakia on their own could only be one person.
The only other level 8 on the continent apart from Ottarl. A previous executive of the Zeus Familia… the knight of knights. Kaius.
A man that worked for the empire, which did not bore well whatsoever… and he was clearly leading him into a trap.
But what choice did he have? Artemis and Rethusa didn't stand a chance in hell in defending the village against Kaius, let alone him and whatever troops he'd brought along.
Trying to quell his panic, he focused his thoughts on what would be the next step, logically… and to do that, he needed to evaluate his options.
They gave him that ultimatum, but they didn't give him a timeframe… probably to give a sense of urgency. He most likely has some time until they resort to the promise. Two days at most.
That's plenty of time, now what to use it for. Maybe, request assistance from Loki familia to- no, the city will need them for preparations. This entire ordeal will begin something akin to war.
The Empire had remained to the north for its entire existence, raiding, pillaging, and destroying anything within that region. Now that they've moved southwards, Orario has to take action. It's too much of a security risk to simply leave them be.
Thus, the most logical course of action the guild will take is to issue the top 3 familias to act as a vanguard within a 'reclamation' expedition towards Rakia with a goal to drive the Empire back and reclaim the land.
Maybe he should set up a meeting with Loki, Freya, and his familia. Have Elora act as his representative as he goes to make sure Anfesera isn't burned to the ground.
Yeah, that sounds like a plan.
"-yon?" Bell blinked before looking towards Henderson.
"Sorry, what was that?"
"It was nothing, you simply looked lost." He answered back as Bell nodded.
"Yeah, I hadn't expected that message. If you'll excuse me, I have some things to do." Bell quickly left before anyone could interrupt him, leaving Henderson, the advisor, and the somber and quiet Ares staring after him.
=Twilight Manor=
"WHAT!?" Riveria, the normally calm and collected high elf exploded, startling many of her pupils as Bete glared at her for a second, though his irritation at the noise was dwarfed by his surprise at her loss of composure.
"It is as I said, and I can scarcely believe it too. Rakia has fallen, at the hands of what are practically the actions of a single man." Finn sighed as a pin could be heard drop to the floor in the ensuing silence.
"That's… how? They'd have to be at least level-" Riveria froze as realization set in, her body going rigid at what was insisted. Her eyes locked onto Finn's blue ones, asking all questions that were needed and getting all the answers she was hoping weren't true.
"No… Kaius…" She hissed, almost spitting the name in disgust. He was one of the reasons she hadn't liked Zeus familia all that much. The man had always struck a chord in her that set her off in all the wrong ways.
Like the man, she was looking at- no, speaking to, was foul.
When the Zeus and Hera familia were practically wiped out, and the only survivors known being Alfia and Zald, she had wanted to protest at their banishment alongside their patron deities, but hadn't had a say in it at the end. Loki wanted it done, and they could not affect that decision in the slightest.
It didn't help that Finn fully supported that decision either.
But then she found out he was alive… and for a long time, she had been glad for their banishment since he had no right to return due to it. He had been too well known as an executive of the Zeus Familia.
Instead, he went to the one place that proved her instincts true.
The Empire. The most loathed country in the world and one that was the source of quite a few children's horror stories.
And now… they were at their doorstep, alongside Kaius… but that leaves one question.
"...but why?" Riveria uttered, interrupting whatever Finn was saying to everyone else present. They were standing in the middle of the dining hall after all.
"Pardon me?" Finn asked, tilting his head.
"Why would they go through with an attack now? What was the reason? They could have done this much earlier, so there has to be something that led to this."
The entire room was silent, Finn trying to come up with an answer before the doors were practically slammed open as protesting calls could be heard.
"Because of me." Everyone had instinctively drawn their weapons at the intruder within their home before they saw who it was.
Ais was the first to calm down with Fiona being second, the two trusting him the most out of everyone in the room.
"Bell, isn't it rude to barge into our home without at least giving us a heads up?" Finn asked.
"Not when the situation calls for it. We started this alliance on the grounds that either one of us can rely on each other's strength when we need it, correct?" Bell asked as Finn nodded.
"Well, I need to call upon that now. I'm heading off to Folksvangr after this to ask for Freya Familia's assistance too." That caused everyone to gasp out in surprise, even Finn as it was something no one had expected.
"Freya Familia? Things must really be desperate. They aren't friendly at even the best of times." Finn warned as Bell hummed along.
"I know. But soon, the guild will send out a notice, calling on the top 3 familias to act as a vanguard to reclaim Rakia from the Empire. Orario simply can't take all these refugees. The streets are packed so tightly we can barely breathe." Bell said matter of factly. Thinking on it, Finn had to agree that what was said was the most logical conclusion.
"You may be correct… but what did you mean with this being because of you?"
"Fifteen years ago I was framed by a goddess of beauty, and we have in good authority this goddess of beauty within the empire, most likely providing her Falna to a good portion of them. My best guess is that due to me coming to Orario, she felt the need to act as if it's only a matter of time until I get stronger here." Bell reasoned.
"But… how do you know that it's specifically why?" Fiona asked as Bell turned to her.
"Because I got a message carried through the highest-ranking officer in the Rakian army, straight from Kaius. He wants me to meet him at the mountain within the forest of the damned… or he burns the village, my home, to the ground with everyone in it." Bell answered back as Finn's eyes widened.
"So… in order to get to Anfesera, they had to clear a path through Rakia to do so. That makes a startling amount of sense." Finn added as everything went quiet.
"Very well, when should we arrive?" The prum asked, nodding towards Bell as his eyes looked at him with determination. For a split moment, Bell blinked in surprise, having expected him to have to argue a bit before having him agree. It quickly melted into a smile instead.
"Meet my wife outside the manor in an hour alongside Freya. She and Bache will act in my place for the meeting. I have a goddess of beauty to talk to." Bell answered, his back turning to them as he began marching out of the hall as if to prove how seriously he took his own words.
"Wait!" Fiona called out, causing him to freeze for a second. Glancing backward at the girl with one eyebrow raised, he waited for her to continue.
"Why won't you be at the meeting?" She asked as Bell studied her for a second before sighing.
"I have to head to Anfesera, even if it's a trap. They may give me a day or two, but I can't risk it. There are too many people I care about there." He answered truthfully before exiting the hall before anything else could be heard.
"We should probably talk some sense into him. He's walking into a trap!" Riveria said, aiming the words toward the prum who nodded.
"Ais, can you follow him? Out of everyone here, he's most likely to listen to you." Finn asked. Ais didn't even need another word before she left, following the path of her friend.
"Just hope the lad doesn't get himself killed" Gareth added.
=Orario=
Skipping across the rooftops, Bell stared at the closed-off manor where the Freya familia lived on the other side of the city slowly closing in.
He really didn't know how this was going to go at all. He knew that they'd exchanged looks with him nodding at her at the hearing, but that was the extent of their interaction since he'd nearly killed her at the Arena.
Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes glancing backward as he recognized an incoming presence that he knew all too well.
Gold hair waving in the wind with wind surrounding her quickly approached him as he turned around.
A moment later, the wind caught up, stopping right in front of him as her golden eyes met his rutile ones.
"Ais? Was there something else? I don't have a lot of time." He asked as she nodded slowly, trying to find the words.
"Bell… are you sure you need to go alone? You can bring someone with you." She suggested as he looked up for a second before sighing.
"It's too risky, Ais. What if they notice more than one person? Then they'd attack the village either way and no matter how strong I am, I'm not foolish enough to think I can block an entire army on my own without some getting through, even if I had some help." She seemed to contemplate his words for a moment.
"I just don't want you to get hurt." Bell blinked, tilting his head as his eyebrows raised. That was not the answer he expected, but definitely not appreciated.
"Ais, we are adventurers. Getting hurt is a part of the job description." He chuckled a bit as he said it as she couldn't help but do the same.
It practically was. Once you became one, it wasn't a question of if you'd get hurt, but when.
"Okay… just be careful… and return in one piece." Her eyes softened, face melting into one he'd only seen a glimpse of as she seemed to hesitate, one hand moving forward.
'Is she?' He questioned before breathing out of his nose, a smile spreading on his face as he figured he'd gotten her hesitant intention correctly.
Throwing caution to the wind, he softly placed his hands on her waist and pulled her in, enveloping her in a soft hug with his arms moving to wrap around her shoulders due to their height difference as she gasped in surprise. Her arms were outstretched for a second with her eyes wide as saucers as she tried to comprehend what was happening.
It took but a moment for her mind to catch up with her rapidly beating heart for her eyes to close and her arms to return his gesture, wrapping around his midsection as they stood there for a moment, Ais basking in his warmth in the cool air.
If they had been anywhere apart from this inconspicuous roof, they'd have garnered a bunch of attention.
"I can't promise to come back but… I can promise to do everything in my power to do so." He said softly, feeling her nod against his chest in confirmation of his words.
"Mmkay…" she mumbled, noise muffled as he chuckled at her. He let her stay like that for a bit longer before softly pulling away, her eyes opening and looking at him softly.
"Can you make sure nothing goes wrong here while I'm gone?" He asked.
"Mhmm, I will."
"Alright, that's good. I- I have to go. Okay? You know, to…" He turned and pointed towards Folkvangr.
"Okay… See you when you get back, Bell."
"Yeah, I will." With that, he shot off again, Ais staring off towards his form disappearing rapidly towards the Freya Familia home in a complete blur.
Her lips curled upwards as her hand reached up to her chest, clutching at the metal chest piece while her cheeks reddened, thinking about what happened.
'Maybe… Maybe there is hope…' She thought to herself as her heart filled with warmth as she glanced one last time at the blur in the distance, just as it disappeared over Freya Familia's walls.
Just maybe, there may be a future where she got what her heart desired.
With that thought, she turned around and headed toward her home with a smile on her face that wouldn't go away, somewhat ignoring the loud explosive noises going on behind her.
That was just Freya Familia saying hello.
=Folkvangr=
To say that the Freya Familia did not take the sudden intrusion of one Bell Cranel well was an understatement. The moment Bell landed on the ground, some random level 4 had already launched themselves at him as he tilted his head as his blade shattered against his armor.
"Really?" He asked right before dodging to the side of a hard jab from behind, catching it before twisting it around, eliciting a sickening snap as his bones bend in unnatural ways before throwing him down into the ground with a large boom.
"Okay, ca- Woah!" A spear flew past his face as he dodge right on time, his eyes darting towards the culprit only to roll his eyes.
"Hello to you too, Allen." He greeted with a heavy dose of sarcasm in his voice.
"Leave… now bunny brat!" The cat called out.
"Not nice to see you too. Now, I'm here to see Freya, and I am under the impression that it's something she'd want to do, given her obsession with me." He said simply and to the point.
"Wh-"
"Allen! Stand down." The instant Ottar's voice carried over them, everyone froze with Allen still snarling toward Bell. The large Boaz walked calmly over towards Bell before nodding at him.
"Bell. Is there a specific reason you want an audience with Lady Freya?" Well, at least he liked Ottar a lot more than the feral cat still glaring at him. At least this man was easier to talk to.
"Yes, and it's important. It has to do with the Empire… and Kaius." He added the last part, knowing that'd interest both him and the entire Freya Familia. He knew they held a sort of hostile rivalry with Hera and Zeus Familia. They wanted all of them exterminated and with Kaius still being alive, they'd want him gone.
"Okay, I suppose that is reason enough. Walk with me." Bell blinked at the request before nodding slowly, the two walking towards the large manor as Allen was left there with the rest of the Familia.
"I hear you had quite the adventure down in the dungeon. The 73rd floor? Impressive." Ottar struck up a conversation as Bell found it somewhat odd. He had never seen the Boaz this talkative before. It was a nice change of pace all things considered.
"Not like I had a choice. Was dragged there against my will. Nearly died who knows how many times. But that's just the life we lead, isn't it? Death is at our doorstep every other day." That elicited a soft, yet deep chuckle from the giant man next to him as he nodded.
"Indeed it is. An adventurer cannot break their own limit if they do not go on adventures… and only true adventurers come out of it alive." Ottar added as Bell nodded. He was right in a way. One had to go on adventures if they wanted to break their limits and progress to the next rank. It was a hard, simple, cold truth. One that was inescapable.
"You do have a point. I would never have come as far as I have if I hadn't pushed myself and looked for adventure." Bell admitted, thinking about all the dangers he'd intentionally sought out and pushed him to the next rank.
"Indeed." The two converse before they stop at a door and Ottar knocks.
"Lady Freya. Bell Cranel has come to see you." There was some light shuffling behind the door as Bell blinked before noticing Ottar sweat dropping.
Okay… that's new.
"Ahem… Come in!" The moment Ottar opened the door, Bell blinked as he entered. The room was an absolute mess. There were clothes scattered across the floor alongside an unmade and ruly bed.
"My apologies for the mess, Bell-kun. Last night was a bit… hectic." She said with a practiced expression, but he was good enough to read a hint of panic in her eyes alongside the curiosity and excitement.
"Don't worry, you should see Elora at times. For an elf, she sure can make a mess at times." Bell chuckled. It was kind of true. Elora was an elf through and through. She valued intelligence, knowledge, and such, but also at times didn't seem like one at all. He remembered the first time he came home to their shared room being a complete mess. He'd just stared at it for a long time before Elora noticed him and panicked.
It was fun watching her scampering across their room, putting things away like a child trying to hide something.
"Though that's not really why I came. I'd like to ask if you'd be willing to come to my home with your top executives in order to get ahead of the Empire in the conflict that's around the corner. Loki familia has already agreed and should be there soon." Bell asked as Freya's composed expression turned sour at the mention of that country.
"Is that so? And what is in it for me?" She asked, putting on an amused smile as Bell rolled his eyes.
"We are facing the last member of the Zeus and Hera familia here. You get the chance to finish what you started." He answered back, withholding any bitter feelings on the subject of their involvement in his family's banishment and for some… demise.
"Oh, that is quite tempting. Hmm…" She hummed, turned around, and walked over to the window.
"Are you certain Kaius is there?"
"One hundred percent positive." He said, the certainty clear in his voice as Freya smiled over her shoulder.
"If that's the case, then consider me and my familia your allies. We will assist in any way we can." Bell sighed in relief as he nodded.
"That's relieving…" He stopped for a second before glancing at Ottar.
"Lady Freya, is it alright if I talk with you alone?" Bell's question threw both Ottar and the goddess off guard.
"Intriguing? Is that an attempt at getting me alone for… illicit purposes?" The way she said that caused him to take a deep breath, killing the incoming blush from him as he shook his head.
"No… it's a personal talk I'd rather have with you alone." The room went silent as the goddess of beauty inspected Bell from his feet up before fixating on his eyes.
No lies were detected in his words, which made her happy in a way. Turning towards her most-priced child, she sent him a nod to signal the Boaz to leave.
Once the door closed, she walked over to her bed and sat down, patting the side of the mattress as she looked at him with a sultry smile.
"Come, sit." She requested. Deciding it was better that way, he followed the request and sat next to her as she turned towards him.
"So, what is so important you'd be alone in a room with me? I am under no impression that I am your favorite person in the world, so it does come as a surprise that you're requesting such a thing without any ill intentions." Her tone was to the point, throwing away all her usual flirtatiousness. It was such a stark difference to how she just acted that he questioned if this was even the same person.
"I promise, I'm not here to hurt you." He said, ending it with a sigh as he paused for a moment. "What I wanted to talk about was you. You're right, you are not my favorite person in the world. Actually, you used to be low on that list." He glanced at her, seeing hurt in her eyes as he kept the gaze.
"That was until I had a talk with someone I'd rather not mention at the moment. It gave me a different perspective on your actions. Why you were so fixated on me? Why do you sometimes act in a way resembling a child wanting a toy? It's because… you feel lonely. Don't you?" Her eyes stayed fixated on him, the purple orbs, wide in surprise yet touched at the concern she saw hinted within the soul embedded in his mortal body.
She wanted to lie, to deny it but…
"Yes… I suppose that I do. It's weird, isn't it? Me? Lonely? The woman who could have virtually anything or anyone in the world?" She said, laughing at the supposed ridiculousness in her words. "Despite all the love I am showered in, day in and day out… it all feels…"
"Hollow?" Bell supplied as she nodded at him.
"Precisely."
"It makes sense. To them, it's love. Simple as that, but to you. It's not really love, is it? It's forced feelings because you have no control over it. These people clamber for your attention because their hearts and souls are pulled towards you due to your status as a goddess of beauty, so they don't really see you. They see your status. Your beauty and nothing else. They don't see the woman." Freya's eyes turned to the side, her expression changing multiple times as he saw her in a way that no mortal had most likely ever seen before. Heck, probably most gods too.
She looked vulnerable, uncertain of herself. She looked almost… human. For once, he could feel a relation to her. This wasn't the goddess of beauty that carried herself with class, chin high as she strutted like she owned the world.
No, this was the woman underneath. The one that was uncertain if she had any real charm whatsoever without her status as a goddess of beauty. If anyone could truly love her for who she was.
"It's why you are so obsessed with me… because I am the only one that doesn't fit that standard. I'm the only one that can see past your godhood." Her eyes glanced up toward him as she nodded slowly.
"Yes…"
Her admission made his shoulders slump as he looked down at the ground. He didn't really know how to handle it from here, to be honest. He'd wanted to find out if his conclusion to what Mia had told him was correct, and finding out that it was only birthed a sort of desire to help her see how wrong she was going about it all.
But how did he tell her that? Tell her that everything she'd done to try to garner his affection had been wrong… had only managed to do the opposite?
She obviously knew that she had been wrong to a degree from her previous words, but how much of it does that cover?
"Do you hate me?" Bell blinked, looking up at Freya whose purple eyes burrowed into his own, as if analyzing every facet of his soul. Probably was if he thought about it.
"I should… But I don't. You have wronged me in the past, yes. You almost got me killed multiple times, yes. But I don't hate you. Just… annoyed I guess." She nodded in response to his words as he leaned back, trying to organize his thoughts on the matter and formulate the words.
"Love isn't something you can… claim or force. Not the real kind anyway. You have to earn it by being there for them. Supporting them in a less hands-on way." Bell honestly had no idea where he was going with this, but the way the goddess next to him seemed to gobble his words up like candy spurred him on.
"To talk to them. Share your time and interests with them. To laugh together and help one another. That is love." He turned towards her as he hardened his eyes.
"Not push them further by forcing it on them. Not endangering their lives behind their back or the people around them." He finished as she took a moment before nodding.
"Never did I ever believe that I, a goddess whose domain includes that of love, would get lectured in the dealings of that very thing by a mortal of all things." She chuckled, a little bitterly if he'd picked up on her tone correctly.
"We mortals may not live as long, or see as much. But we learn, change and adapt far better than you gods do because we have no other choice. I think it's because of that, that we can get a better grasp on such abstract concepts than you gods can."
"Is that so?" She chuckled softly. "Too bad we gods are unchanging then." Bell frowned at her next words, a stray thought in his mind as he turned to the window.
"Who decided that?" His question sent her for a loop as she looked at him questionably.
"Billions of years of experience. No deity has truly changed since their very conception at the dawn of time." She said as if it was a stone-cold hard fact.
"But have any of you truly tried? Or did you just find it boring to do so or too much effort? Change isn't easy, especially one as drastic as deep-rooted habits." He said as Freya contemplated the question
Have they tried? She attempted to come up with any real attempt of it that lasted more than what felt like a blink of an eye in her perception of time.
The answer?
No
"...No."
"No?" He asked as she nodded at him.
"I don't like to admit such a flaw, but we haven't really tried. At most… childish attempts at it that ended at the first sign of regression." Bell nodded as he contemplated that.
"Ah… that's… almost disappointing." He said with a slight chuckle as Freya gave him a weird look.
"Say… have you ever tried? You know, to change? To be better?" She shook her head without hesitation as he nodded along in understanding.
"I never had the opportunity. I was always put in a cage of sorts, whether it was Gekai or in Tenkai. Therefore I was never given the opportunity to attempt such a thing."
"Then why don't you try now?" He asked as she stood up and walked over to the window with a sigh.
"It's more difficult than you realize. As you mentioned, most gods are so used to the way they are, but I not only have to overcome that but despite what I tell them, my children can be tenacious. If anyone even so much as looks at me in what they perceive as the wrong way, they would threaten them extensively." Bell snorted at that, remembering the instance where Ais had to protect him back when he was a level 1.
They were silent for a moment as Bell contemplated where to go from there.
"Do they know how you feel?" He asked as Freya turned to him, blinking. It took a moment before she shook her head.
"No, what's the point? They'd not listen to me either way." Bell almost groaned at how resigned she sounded as he stood up and walked up next to her and looked out the window as well.
Her familia was outside, training with Allen going at it hard, clearly trying to put his mind on other things than himself.
"What makes you say that?"
"It never worked before… no reason to believe such a thing now. Only a fool would."
"Well, someone once told me that to be a hero, you had to be a fool. Because fools are the only ones that can elicit true change." She looked back over to him, then back to her children, the words working through her head.
"My, my, when'd you get so wise?" She asked with a slight chuckle as he rolled his eyes. Well, the flirtatiousness was back.
"Fifteen years out in the world, experiencing everything it has to offer. But really, Freya. Give them a chance. Tell them what you really feel and want. Some might just surprise you." He answered, giving her one last look as she nodded after a moment.
Deciding that it was a good place to leave it, he headed towards the door, grabbing the handle, but just when he was about to open it, Freya called out to him.
Their eyes met as she smiled at him genuinely as she tilted her head, the image of Syr popping up in his mind.
"Thank you, Bell-kun." The words made him freeze for a second. Should he? Contemplating for a minute, he sighed before shaking his head with a slight smile.
No, if things worked out. The whole purpose of Syr would be gone. He'd have to wait and see.
"Anytime. I'll wait outside the gates to head to my home" He answered back before exiting, Ottar standing to the side as Bell blinked, realizing he'd actually meant it.
Chuckling to himself and throwing Ottar a nod, he headed out and toward his home. Pointedly avoiding Allen so as to not cause any more disturbances.
=Archian Manor=
When Fina opened the door, she had perhaps expected members of the guild, or Welf and the others.
What she did not expect was to find herself face first with, or more accurately, waist length in front of the Braver and most of the executives along with him.
"Ehm… Hi." She said lamely as Tiona snickered while Finn tilted his head with a smile.
"Hi. Bell Cranel asked us to come here to formulate a plan of action with your familia as well as Freya." Finn explained his appearance as Fina nodded, opening the doors wider and letting them inside.
Walking in, the group took a look around, not having been here in a long time. In fact, the last time any of them were here was before it was destroyed in the first place.
"This looks nearly identical to before they rebuilt it!" Lefiya exclaimed, having been here once before when Haruhime had let her inside.
"Aye, the lad and his family sure did a great job fixin' up this place," Gareth added.
"If you all could follow me," Fina said with a smile as they nodded, following along. Not long after, she led them into one of the lounging areas as they all began filing into the room.
"Make yourself comfortable while I fetch Elora-sama. There is tea on the table with some fruits if you feel a little hungry."
"Thanks!" Tiona exclaimed as she sat down and grabbed an apple, grinning at Fina who left the room before taking a bite.
"Oi, aren't these sofa's a little too nice?" Bete asked, having sat down with his arms stretched wide.
"They do seem of supremely high quality. I'd even go as far as to say it's on par with what I had growing up." Riveria commented, pinching the fabric and analyzing it.
"Bell said he has too much valis," Ais said bluntly as everyone turned to her.
"Right, I forgot about that. How much did he say he has?" Fiona asked as everyone listened in with intrigue.
"Over a billion."
"WHAT!?" Lefiya exclaimed at the number.
"Actually, 1.6 billion now." A soft voice came from the doorway as everyone turned in the direction.
Elora stood there, a slight smirk of amusement on her lips with Bache and the children behind her.
"So, I heard my husband asked you to come for a plan of action. I presume it's because of whatever is going on out there." She pointed towards the window with a clear view to the main street, filled to the brim.
"Yes. Did Bell not say anything to you?" Riveria asked as she shook her head.
"No, he was in the shed doing some tinkering when this all started. He must have headed out to investigate." She explained.
"Yeah, but he still could have told us what he's up to," Bache added as the elf gave her a look.
"Is that so? Well, since you are all here, we only need to wait for Freya Familia to arrive."
"Freya Familia? Why woul- Oh, of course. Top three familias. That's what the guild would do according to protocol, so he did it for them." Elora chuckled as Adrienne walked forward and sat down on the sofa next to Tiona with the rest following suit.
"He shouldn't be too long. Freya can be a handful, but he can handle her." Aralaya added as Elora nodded.
"That he can. Now, Finn, could you cue us in as to what exactly my husband wanted us to discuss." The elf asked, her amber eye boring into the prums blue ones.
"A course of action for one. How shall we respond to the Empire's takeover of Rakia." He voiced as she hummed before turning towards Fina.
"Fina, could you fetch us a map? One that shows Orario and Rakia." Fina nodded and headed out, coming back a minute later with a map that was quickly spread across the table between the sofas.
"From what we know, Rakia has taken these parts as their own, with Rakia itself as the main foothold," Finn said, borrowing a pen and drawing a line for indication.
"Yes, though they must also have outposts for scouting purposes as well. Perhaps Adelle village could be one such. It's situated on a hill with a good view of the surrounding area and roads. It's practically perfect for one." Elora suggested.
"Ehm… Trudid village could serve such a purpose as well." Aralaya chimed in with Riveria turning to her alongside the rest.
"How so?" The elven princess asked as the girl leaned forward and pointed at it.
"Well, it's keeping an eye on one of the main roads from Orario to Rakia that Adelle village doesn't-"
"And it's one of the rare ones with some defensive walls and towers as well." Jannor finished for her as Finn hummed, contemplating the information.
"That's true… but we also need to consider their original purpose for their actions." Finn began.
"Kaius most likely won't be in Rakia, and neither will his unit be. According to Bell, they are in Anfesera at the moment." That sent a wave of dread through the entire Themis familia at once as all their heads snapped toward him.
"What!?" Elora exploded, interrupting whatever Bache was about to say.
"Yes, they had a message for him to come there or watch the village burn."
"Mom! He can't go! It's definitely a trap." Aralaya voiced to her mother as Elora nodded.
"Definitely not. If anything, we should try to evacuate the village instead."
At that moment, the door opened and everyone turned in that direction just in time to watch Freya alongside Ottar, the Gulliver brothers, Hedin, Hogni, and a discontented Allen walk inside the room.
"My, it appears you all have started without us," Freya said with her trademark smile as the kids stared at her, trying not to drop their jaws at her sheer beauty.
After all, they had never seen a goddess of beauty in front of them before, despite how much they'd heard of them.
"Freya, Ottar. Kind of you to join us, but where is Bell?" Finn asked as she hummed.
"He said he had some matters to attend to outside Orario. Told us to go here for the meeting." Elora instantly stood up, dread filling her completely as she practically slammed her face right in front of the goddess of beauty, not a care in the world for the outraged cries from Allen and Gulliver brothers, only stopped by Ottar and the two elves.
"Outside Orario? Where!?" She asked as Freya blinked before chuckling and shaking her head.
"He didn't say, just that it was urgent." It took but a moment for the rest of the group to understand why Elora was so frantic as Finn's eyes widened.
"That… IMBECILE! Does he want to die!?" Elora screamed, starting to pace back and forth as she bit her nail in worry.
"I do not follow, what is going on?"
"Finn, catch her up on it. I have a husband to lecture." Elora hissed before practically shooting out of the room like a bullet.
"Well… shit," Bache said as her form completely slumped.
"Will she be able to make it in time?" Fiona asked as the Themis familia looked at one another.
"We can only hope."
As everyone worried, Ais stared at the door, her feet shaking as they itched to follow… but she knew it wasn't her place, despite what happened earlier. So she stayed.
Oh, how she wished she hadn't.
=Outside Orario, Road to Anfesera=
A blur of black, red, and white shot past the ground, imprints of feet on the surface of it as the dust was left in its wake and an ear-piercing boom.
There was no time to waste, no hesitation to be had as he knew deep in his heart that he had to do this.
He could not leave the people he'd grown to care for so deeply to fend for themselves in such a situation.
He knows he should have consulted Elora and his family, but there just wasn't any time.
Saena needed him.
Astremis needed him.
Everyone needed him.
And so, he had left after guiding Freya's familia to his home and giving them instructions to where he guessed the meeting was taking place.
It had only been ten minutes since then, but he was already far enough away that the walls weren't even visible on the horizon anymore. Only Babel was.
It just went to show how fast he was now. The village wasn't far out now, and he'd be there in less than a minute.
As time passed, he eventually saw the village in the distance. No flames thankfully and before he knew it, he stopped dead center of it which looked completely desolate.
Letting his senses work, he detected the presence of people in the houses and sighed in relief. He needed to see Artemis, Saena, and Rethusa. Without daddling, he sprinted to the chief's house and banged on the door.
He waited for a few seconds before repeating the action.
"Saena! It's me, Bell!" He called out. A moment later, shuffling was heard before the door shot open as the Saena revealed herself, eyes wide before a bright smile spread across her face.
"Oh, thank god! Bell, some really horrible people have come here and-"
"I know, I'll handle it. Can you evacuate the village while I make sure they won't retaliate?" he asked as Saena nodded, blinking at the interruption.
"Yes… I can do that. What about Elora and Bache? Aren't they with you?" He winced at her question before shaking his head.
"No, I kind of left before I could tell them." He instantly received a disapproving look from the chief as he sighed.
"Look, time was of the essence. I just need to make sure you're all safe and take care of everything here. I'll talk with Artemis, and get her to assist in the evacuation. I'll meet up with you at Craydon Village. Okay?"
"Okay… just be careful. These people, they're strong." She warned as Bell nodded.
"I know, I'll handle it." The chief seemed to want to say something more, but he left before she could, heading straight for his old home.
The moment he arrived, he called out for Artemis and Rethusa who opened the door almost immediately.
"Were… were you standing by the door?" Bell asked as Rethusa practically dragged him inside the house and closed the door.
"Orion! I'm glad to see you safe and sound." Artemis said with a smile as Rethusa imitated the gesture.
"Yeah, just wish it was under better circumstances." He responded before giving her a serious look.
"Can you help Saena evacuate the village? I'm going to keep Kaius busy in the meantime." He asked as she nodded.
"Kaius?" Rethusa tilted her head as she asked, confused. Bell turned to her before realizing that they probably didn't know who was attacking them.
"The leader of the people that are here." He answered shortly with an explanation as the redhead nodded.
"Okay, we can do that. We'll round up Adriel and Alysha… new members of Artemis Familia." Bell nodded, glad that they were rebuilding before turning back to Artemis.
"Stay safe, alright?" He asked as she nodded.
"I will, Orion. You stay safe as well." She answered back, putting a hand on his chest softly with a smile.
"Of course. Saena knows where to go, so talk to her first. I have to head into the forest. By now, Kaius should know I'm here." His words made the goddess and her child look at one another nervously before Bell left. Leaving them to gather up the village and evacuate.
They just hoped that everything would go without a hitch.
Outside, Bell left and headed into the forest, deciding to bide time as he walked at a leisurely pace, using his senses to get a feel if anyone or anything was going to attack.
He already knew there were eyes on him, but he felt no real hostility from them. At least not the immediate kind. They simply watched him, letting him go deeper toward the cliff in the distance.
It was hard to see it as the thick trees blocked his view for the most part, only getting a glimpse of the rock formation sticking out, but what he was able to make out was multiple people standing atop it.
The central one clearly being Kaius, given the knightly armor he wore if his enhanced vision was to be trusted.
Okay, he had some time now, probably ten minutes before he was there, and he needed to come up with a plan.
They definitely had to have a plan themselves in order to take him down. A simple ambush seems too simple, especially for a former Zeus Familia executive and the knight of knights.
It wasn't a large number of people either. From what his senses were telling him, there were four people, though one seemed to be different from the other three. There were two more trying and failing miserably to stay hidden, keeping their eyes on him. Bell almost wanted to laugh as he heard every step they took.
From the information he had, he'd say that they had to have an ace up their sleeve that'd level the playing field. Kaius without a doubt would be difficult. He was level 8, and definitely high in that level as well. As for the other two… level 7 perhaps? Mid tier? Maybe high.
It was hard to tell without some doubt from this distance.
Then the question remained. What was this ace up their sleeve?
Thoughts wracked him as he began the climb, heading up the back of the cliff as he came up blank for what it could be. It wasn't a good sign, but he knew that if he didn't hold back, he'd be able to handle them. Asterius was far stronger than Kaius, and more than enough to make this challenge seem almost trivial in comparison to that goliath of a Xenos.
Eventually, no more trees were around him as the two following him stayed behind, the peak of the mountain coming closer and closer.
When he reached the top, only two remained of the four he'd sensed and seen glimpses of, making him frown.
As he headed closer, the man in armor turned to him one arm to the side with another on the hilt of his sheathed sword.
His armor was almost blinding silver with gold trims that accentuated the coloring which utterly screamed 'Knightly'. It looked like a picturesque image of a white knight from a fairytale.
At his midsection was a sort of mark, hanging from both sides with an emblem on each. A black background with an umbral eye superimposed over a four-pointed white star. The eye's umbral shade, spiking outwards, taking the shape of mandibles at every curve of the star with a spike in each corner of the glow that if crossed, formed an X. It was almost like An umbral eye from which an abyssal glare can be almost felt, nigh divine in origin, yet a tangible desire of control tugs at the hearts of those who gaze upon it
He had seen the emblem before. It wasn't that of the Empire, but it did belong to the highest-ranked troops of the Empire. 'The First Legion' led by the man right in front of him.
The knight of knights. Kaius.
The woman to his side, and the only other person in sight with long, deep black hair that was colored like the abyss, her eyes an encapsulating violet. By all accounts, her facial features would have cemented her as a beauty, if her emotionless eyes actually held any, to begin with.
She wore a robe, reminiscent of a mage, but far more tailored towards battle with studded black colored metals at places, the robe itself being a deep and dark purple as they matched with her eyes and contrasted with her hair.
He noticed a shortsword at her hip, probably a secondary weapon in case enemies get too close with the staff in her hands, clearly being her major weapon, meaning she was most likely a mage.
He'd only heard of one person this could be. One of Kaius' two lieutenants, Varede, and their resident mage and tactician.
The question remained though. Where was his first lieutenant, Nakul? It sent an uncomfortable surge up his spine knowing that their assassin was not here, meaning he was hiding somewhere.
And he could not sense him wherever he was which was something he was not used to… okay, just keep his senses sharp in case of any changes around him.
"Bell Cranel. So you finally came. For a minute there I thought you'd leave your village to burn overnight." Kaius' voice was gruff, with a hint of smugness to it. Like he felt like he was at an advantage.
"Kaius I presume," Bell said as Kaius nodded, the woman beside him turning to the side, taking a slow and tentative step as Bell's eyes snapped to her as she froze.
"What'd you call me here for- in fact, what do you have against me, to begin with?" Bell's question caused the older man to chuckle as he reached up and took off his helmet, letting it clatter on the ground, revealing black slicked-back hair, almost as if he used too much gel. A well-kempt goatee with a chiseled jawline with a scruffy beard underneath.
His eyes were vermillion as he stared into Bell's rubellite ones for a second before moving to answer.
"That's quite a question, but to answer. You are primarily a hindrance to my deity and masters but also the one thing remaining of that woman. That cold-hearted witch, Alfia." He answered, hissing the last part as Bell clenched his hands. Taking a calming breath, he knew that it was best to stay calm and focused. Letting anger take over would be detrimental to his situation.
"Masters? Deity? Do you mean whoever this goddess of beauty who ruined my life? That deity?" He asked as Kaius nodded, moving around as Bell circled with him. Varede followed along as she kept staring at him.
"Perhaps. You'll find out soon enough. As for the other part of the question, I've called you here to kill you." He answered bluntly as Bell frowned.
"From what I can sense, isn't that a tall order from you? I've fought opponents far stronger than you or your companions. I know you have four others in hiding. Two that watched me on the way here, your other lieutenant, Nakul, and someone else. None of them would make a difference." Bell taunted, the knight of knights shrugging.
"That may be so, but would you really think we'd come ill-prepared?" Bell instantly felt on alert at his words as he noticed Varede's mouth moving as he glared at her and shot forward.
Bell leaped to the side as Kaius intercepted him, his sword smashing into the ground where Bell would have been if not for his quick reaction.
"I don't think so," Kaius smirked as Bell huffed. He was definitely faster than he thought. That'd be an issue.
"Well, fine then. Guess we aren't playing." Activating scourge at its max, he moved once again, far faster than before as the ground and air shook from the blast of his takeoff, only to once again be cut off, his fist smashing into a blade as he felt the man in front of him grunt from the force.
"You-ugh- really are stronger than your level suggests." Kaius chuckled before pushing him off, his arm glowing slightly before turning into a blur, the blade an inch from Bell's throat in an instant as he tilted his head, thrusting his arm up and pushing the blade upwards last moment to avoid a fatal blow.
That had to have been a skill. Perhaps a sort of explosive burst of speed in a single attack.
It would be dangerous… but he could do that too.
Instant-charging Argonaut into his foot, he smashed forward, keeping low before pushing upwards with his outstretched arm, he leaped above Kaius, who turned around in an attempt to find his opponent, only for Bell's fist to smash down onto him hard-
The ground cracked and exploded with part of the cliff to the side, forming a giant dust cloud that could be seen for miles.
"Heh… ouch. That hurt." Kaius chuckled with Bell's fist buried into the palm of his two hands as the white-haired rabbit's eyes widened, right before he twisted hit painfully, using the leverage, Kaius wrapped his legs around his neck as Bell followed suit and flipped and twisted, breaking the hold before throwing him off of him.
Turning back to Varede, Bell launched towards where he felt her through the dustcloud as fast as he could, only for the moment that he was out of it, to see the smirk on her face and a large purple glow around her, converging on her hands, pointed towards him.
"Grand Sigilium!" Before he could react, the glow encapsulated around Bell as he suddenly felt stuck. Like his legs were in quicksand without his status to help.
A second later, everything felt wrong. His back stung like a nest of ants all began chowing on it, his armor felt unbearably heavy and most of all… he felt weak… sluggish as he collapsed to his knees with a guttural scream.
"Guess the curse kicked in. Good job Varede." Bell looked up at him, his eyesight feeling so poor in comparison to what he was used to that everything felt blurry.
"Hey, you good in there. Looking a little out of it, buddy." Kaius taunted as Bell frowned.
"Wha-... what did you do?" Bell asked, trying to move his arm, but failing under the weight of his armor.
His eyes glanced around as Kaius laughed as he noticed Varede on the ground as well, seemingly taxed to hell and back, but holding on.
"Oh, just sealed your status for as long as she can hold the strain. Though I've never seen her this affected before. Guess you've got a lot of points stacked up, huh." Kaius' finger traced Bell's jawline as he talked before sliding it roughly to the side and standing up.
"You can come out now," Kaius called out as two sets of footsteps approached. A man in completely dark clothes, built for stealth walked beside a chocolate-colored woman with long purple hair and brown eyes, encapsulating him with her beauty as his eyes widened, realizing what he was feeling.
'A goddess of beauty!' He thought as he realized just who this was, but that quickly morphed into confusion as he recognized her.
"I-Ishtar?" He breathed out as the goddess glared daggers at him.
"Bell Cranel…" She spat with venom as she walked up to him, Kaius stepping aside. She got down onto her knees in front of him, grabbing his cheeks with one hand, squeezing them together roughly as she force him to turn to her.
Her brown eyes glared into his own with malice he rarely saw in anyone. A deep hatred that seemed to burn so deep that it was like she was born with it.
"Oh, how I've waited so long for this, you tenacious little bastard." She hissed before standing up and taking a few steps back.
"When I heard that you survived my little plot, I had been so livid, but this… this is so much better." Bell frowned, confused at her words.
"W-what… did I… ever do to you…?" He said slowly, feeling weaker by the second as his armor strained on his entire body.
"What did he do to me he says…" She laughed almost hysterically at that, Kaius and his two lieutenants keeping their faces neutral with a hint of amusement before the goddess stopped abruptly and looked back down at Bell.
"I came down to the lower world for one reason. To enjoy this plane of endless possibilities with my sister, but what do I find out after arriving in Orario?" She asked, clearly rhetorically as Bell looked at her with a questioning look.
"That she had been forced to return… due to your interference. Because some meddlesome little mortal decided to play with things he did not understand."
"S-sister? You… you mean Ishtar?...oh." His eyes widened as a deep realization dawned on him.
"You're Inanna." He whispered as she smiled cruelly at him.
"Nice of you to know of me. I wonder what my sister will do to you when you go to Tenkai? She'll have so much fun with your soul. Perhaps eternal torture? Maybe sensory deprivation until madness seeps in?" Inanna noted off as Bell frowned.
"I didn't… send Ishtar back," he said slowly as the goddess of beauty's eyes turned back toward him with a hard look.
"Don't play coy with me, boy. I know perfectly well that it was that whore, Freya, that slapped her off that tower. But she would never have been there if not for you, so in my eyes, you're just as responsible." Bell gulped.
"Now, I will enjoy watching my prized child cut you in half and watching you fall down, helplessly knowing that your family will die soon as well. I will destroy everything you built until all that's left is your soul, which my sister will have all the time in the universe to do with as she wishes." She told him firmly before walking back to Kaius and putting a hand on his chest almost seductively.
"I'm done… make sure it hurts." She said before moving a bit further behind the others and turning back around, staring straight at Bell. Kaius grabbed the hilt of his sword and began his approach toward Bell.
"End of the line…" he said, readying his sword before swiping it forward toward his midsection-
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A dagger flew hard towards Kaius as his sword changed course, deflecting the blade as all eyes turned towards the new arrival.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Bell's eyes widened as he recognized that blonde hair… those amber eyes and that fierce expression on her face.
"E-...Lora?" he breathed out as she stopped in front of him, Kaius having backed up.
She reached over and unsheathed his sword as she gave him a soft look. "I'll borrow this." She whispered before turning around, to face the knight of knights who chuckled.
"Well, well. Would you look at that? Adding the wife to the mix. Guess you're lucky, you'll get to see me kill her in front of you after all." Kaius said with a smirk as he twirled his sword and got into a stance.
"Oh, I'll make sure you're the one dying… right after I cut your balls off and shove them down your throat!" Elora's voice held such venom that Bell almost didn't recognize him.
Venom aimed at a man that had come so close to taking him away from her. The only man she'd even be able to love.
"Feisty, aren't you? Then come at me!" With a roar, Elora charged, ducking over his counterattack and grabbing his leg, using all her strength to push forward, flipping him over as she backflipped with her borrowed blade coming down hard to where Kaius was, his sword held up and blocking the blow.
"Well, seems someone trained this one well." Kaius chuckled before his hand lit up as Bell's eyes widened.
"Elora… watch out!" He called out, only for his blade to disappear and the hilt of his sword to smash into the side of her face, sending her careening into some rocks.
"Damn, she really got me good on that first one. You picked one hell of a lady to marry." Kaius said, looking at Bell before turning back towards where Elora had been sent flying.
Coming back through the disappearing dustcloud, the two clashed bladed as Kaius expertly deflected each and every blow like child's play.
"You got lucky on the first one, but now I got a read on your speed." He said as he tilted his body, letting a thrust move past his chest as he grabbed her outstretched hand.
"And it is nowhere near enough." His words were followed by him dragging her around like a ragdoll before smashing his free arm down on her elbow, a crack resounding through the area as Elora's pained cry inspired tears and whimpers out of Bell as his heart began clenching at what he was seeing.
His sword she'd borrowed dropped from her hand, only to be caught by Kaius as he kicked her back towards Bell.
"Now, it was fun and all… but it's time to end this." Thrusting his own sword into the ground and getting a solid grip on the new blade in his hand.
He swung hard towards Bell and Elora, the woman now standing in front of Bell as if hoping to take the blow for him as he screamed.
"NOOOOOOOO!"
The blade sunk in. Blood splattered out of her mouth as it dug deeper. Varede collapsed as the tip began entering Bell's own midsection, stopping abruptly as Kaius looked at them.
Elora's eyes glazed over slightly as she looked down at the blade and back up, the ground quickly pooling with a scary amount of blood as her head hung lower… her complexion losing its color.
"Well, see you in the afterlife." With one last kick, he sent them over the edge, plummeting down the cliff, blood trailing behind them from Elora's open wound as the moon showed its face through the thick and dark clouds, raindrops beginning to fall.
Silence… was all that remained as the world wailed.
That's chapter 64… with one hell of a cliffhanger. Dun dun dun! I hope we won't get too much hate for this one, but like we said. Bad shit will go down, and this is only the beginning.
We're back to the dark boys, and its good to be back.
Now, I won't keep you any longer and instead get right into the reviews.
Zasun: I'm glad Freya was acknowledged and not scorned. Mia coming in to save the day. I think the Ryuu perspective was a really nice touch too. Seeing her mental state throughout the interview was well done, though I'm scared to see what she'll do what SHE learns about the familial relation. Full factory reset for a few days probably.
Oh man, family reveal AND Xenos reveal?! That was smooth saving Erebus like you did too, very well done.
Glad Finn isn't a turbo dick anymore and chilled out. He needed it. I would love for the Loki familia to meet the Xenos. I picture it something like "Okay, Bete and Gros, you two go over there and fight. Everyone else, sit over here by the fire so we can talk."
Poor Rakia :(
I don't like your claim of people dying. Just remember Bache can almost level up to 8. She's nigh unkillable by your own rules. We don't really need Jannor or Aralya. Hell Elora too. Adrianne might be too far though. My point being, pls leave Bache alone. :(
And lastly, I tend to lurk in the discord but I gotta say.. nice feet pics man.
Author: Yeah, Freya will play a pretty big role in this arc, so she's about to get a lot of character development. After all, me and Chalister want this to work as an alternative to Danmachi, so it will conclude everyone's storylines in the main series. Well, everyone is important from the point we started with.
Yes, Xenos is revealed, and the effects will show soon, but Finn is definitely going to also get character development, so he will not be as much of a douche and calculating bastard against everybody as before.
As for the dying thing… yeah… hehe.
KneeOil: Well, that was fast. You should do it again. In all seriousness, this was something else. Lots of bombs got dropped on Orario and minds were shattered. Sets up for lots of spicy things in the future and I'm very much looking forward to it!
Also, regarding your response to my last review, why are you talking about grease? What does my cousin have to do with anything when I was talking? Another thing, I told you I was going to say that when you updated again so I'm happy it's out of my system for now. Last is the insufferable part. Of course it isn't wrong to like Wiene. She and Bell make the best parent-child pair. I think you just interpreted it wrong.
Anywho, take your time with the next one. But if you do finish it within 24 hours of me sending this, I'll give you a lemon in the server.
Author: Yeah, got carried away with the last one. It did set a lot of stuff up, a lot of it for the future.
Also, Grease is you .
Though I will take my time with the chapters. Want them to be up to par after all.
Mairsarmy321: Hey man. this was an amazing chapter. I did not expect so many truths to be revealed and it was amazing how Bell managed to handle it.
So crazy how all of Bell's family have gotten all S rankings. What are all their individual levels to date?
Also, not sure how i missed this when i was reading but who is Hespheatus son that you mentioned in this chapter?
Anyways, great chapter and keep up the excellent work. Cannot wait to see what you come up with in the coming Empire Arc.
P.S: what's the discord server of IreJasmine. might join there at some point.
Author: Yeah, guess S-rankings weren't enough for this… You're in for a hell of a time with this arc.
With the discord server, I can send you a link with PM if you want. Well, with spaces since blocks links. So you'll have to remove them to use it but oh well.
Stevenpiskunov2: Wow, and here I thought they had just escaped one hell already and now there is another. No such thing as peace these days is there?
One thing I really don't like is when characters in a story are really nosy, and im not saying that I don't like that you did it, just that characters like Fin or some other gods that want to know what Bell knows. I mean makes sense they would want to know more especially about the dungeon but doesn't mean that they should keep pushing knowing well that the other person probably wont want to reveal their secrets.
And also I noticed that they have said the words "Don't be sorry, be better" a few times. Now most likely this is just coincidence since this saying is pretty common but is there a chance that that is also a reference to God of War? Because in the game that saying is brought up a handful of times.
Oh and after reading what you said about writing, I might try it, tho maybe in the future when I am not so occupied, I have seen many good stories get discontinued or the author suddenly just stops posting after not having the time or just giving up on it entirely. And If I ever do write I wouldnt mind letting you beta read if you wanted to. In fact if you want I could PM you the idea I had just so you can know what to expect if I ever do end up writing it.
Anyway this was a great chapter, nice to see Bell finally cleared his name, only to be brought into some other mess.
P.S. Bell's luck development in this story seems to only work last minute, kind of like fate *cough* the author *cough* just seems to love seeing him suffer for no good reason at all…
Author: Finn as a character is nosy, so I had to base it on that and evolve him from there. It's a long journey, but he will eventually reach a point where I'd say he's a better person and one worthy of the title he will get.
Also, great to hear you're considering writing. I meant it when I said we need more writers. It'd only liven up and make everything more spicy and interesting if we had more stories around.
As for Bell's luck ability… well, it's a divine protection for him, and no one else. It protects him actually dying and the like, but as I and Chalister have put it before as a rule, 'Everything comes at a price or equal trade', and that goes for development abilities too. Even luck. It protects him, but in doing so, it can endanger others as well in order to do so.
Nothing is all-powerful.