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.
65: Of Grief and Despair
=Archian Manor=
"I suppose that makes sense." Bache hummed at one of Finn's comments.
"Indeed, the logical course of action for the enemy is to reinforce their fronts due to Kaius not being present. That buys us time to act, but that begs another question…"
"How should we prepare?" Ottar finished for the prum as they nodded to one another.
"The way I see it, the logical course of action would be to bolster our forces and supplies to prepare for the ongoing war. Contact Hephaestus Familia and order equipment, and stockpile supplies from Pharmaceutical and Agricultural familias such as Dian Cecht, Miach, and Demeter Familia." Riveria responded as a series of agreements went around.
"Aye, that's right. I'll contact my old drinkin' buddies back in Zollingham as well, should help as well." Gareth added.
"Hmm… it appears most of the menial tasks are being taken care of. My children will handle scouting, laying out the land for our preparations." Freya chimed in, Allen clicking his tongue, but not saying anything under the intense look from the level 8 next to him.
"That'd be splendid. The locations discussed should…"
Jannor tuned the rest out as he glanced at her sisters, both of whom had moved away from the group as he had.
"Hey, sis. What are you two talking about?" He asked, walking up to the two as their eyes turned towards him.
"Just worrying about Dad. He went all alone to Anfesera. Even if he's really strong, I can't help but worry." Aralaya told her brother, her eyes downcast. It was rare for the boy to see his twin sister with such an expression.
She always tried to look positive in any situation, but like the rest of them, the family was an outlier that could break the norm, especially when they were in potential danger.
"Yeah…" Jannor answered back, uncertain as to how to truly express what he thought. While his sister was clearly worried, he honestly didn't know what to think at all. On one hand, he trusted his father and mother like no other.
They had been there for him at all times, whenever he needed them, no matter the situation. They'd always supported him, and never tried to control him.
And due to that, he loved them so much that the other part wanted to rush over himself if only to make sure they are safe.
"Hey, Jannor was it?" He blinked as his eyes locked with a brilliant and expressive blue. The ocean came up in his mind for a split second due to its resemblance and beauty before he recognized who it was.
"A-ah, yeah haha…" He chuckled in return, bashfully lowering his head as his thoughts derailed towards frantically trying to cover up his heated face from how close she had been.
"Oh… you don't really look okay. Is it your parents… ah, if you don't mind me asking of course. I don't really want to pry!"
"No no, it's okay… Fiona, right?" She nodded with a bashful smile as she hummed along with it, Jannors two sisters glancing between the two's interaction, blinking in surprise.
They'd honestly just joked around when they'd saved them from a passing parade a month ago, but seeing the interaction now only made the two look toward one another.
Their grins could only be described as Cheshire cats who had just found a new toy to play with.
"Hey, Fiona!" The duo turned towards Adrienne's interrupting voice as the boy instantly chilled at the sight of their smiles, instinctively knowing that something was going to happen.
After all… they only get like this when they have a plan in motion. One that ninety-nine out of a hundred times included torturing him in one way or another.
"Yes…?" The black-haired girl asked, her sapphire orbs being wary at seeing the way they were looking at them.
"Our brother can be a bit stubborn, but he's worried… but hey, I got a pretty good idea on how to cheer him up." Aralaya nodded along to the side, giving Fiona an encouraging nod.
"Okay, sure. If it'll help, then I'll do it."
"Great, Jannor here needs something to get his mind off of it, so why don't he give you a tour of the manor?" Fiona blinked for a moment before nodding absentmindedly, Jannor beside her raising his eyebrows at the words.
That was honestly… rather tame for their grins. Why does he feel like there is something more to this…
"Oh, and…" Adrienne leaned forward and whispered into Fiona's ear which instantly sent the fear back into the boy's mind and heart. That most certainly was not good. What was she talking about? Why wasn't he listening? Damn it ears, listen!
"A-are you sure? I d-don't know…" Fiona squirmed awkwardly, eyes skeptical and cheeks red in embarrassment.
"Yes, it'll work. We know him the best after all. That's what sisters are for!" Aralaya reassured him, before giving Jannor a victorious smirk after the midnight princess nodded in acceptance.
He wanted to say anything, but the moment her blue eyes turned back towards him, his tongue got tied in what had to be the most intricate tangle ever made.
"So… should we?" She asked as he could do nothing but nodd, accepting whatever fate his sisters had planned.
Damn them… one of these days he will get them back, and he'd make sure of it.
'I can't wait for them to find boyfriends' Jannor thought as tiny plans of the teasing he could do whenever that occurs.
Heading out into the Hallway, Jannor led Fiona north into the manor, heading towards the baths as that was probably a good place to start.
"So…" Fiona uttered, hands behind her back as she leaned forward slightly, her hair falling down with an honest smile. It took all he had to not gulp and sweat buckets as his heart began to hammer.
"Where to first?" She finished her question as it took him a moment to formulate his words. Why was his mind so jumbled? Work dammit!
"Ah… Well, I thought that maybe the bathhouse would be the best place to start. It's our favorite place." He finally managed to answer as her smile grew.
"Really? What makes it so special? Maybe it has some special magic stone heaters…?" She asked, trailing off as she began muttering imaginations for what it may look like.
He couldn't help but take in her visage, the curious glint in her eyes, how she bit her lip as her mind worked through the possibilities. The way her hair fell forward as she looked down, covering her in an almost exquisite manner. She looked heave-
'No, stop that. Bad Jannor' He chastised himself, not wanting to continue that train of thought as he once again mentally cursed his sisters for springing this on him. What the hell were they trying to do? Torture and embarrass him at once? If they didn't share the same parents (at least the father in Adrienne's case), then he'd honestly wonder what conniving little Vixen sired them.
"I-It's big and has essentially any smell of soap you can imagine. I don't know what Dad did, but the water is divine. Never had better baths than here." He answered as seriously as he could manage. The fact that he never had better baths… he honestly didn't know why, but these ones always felt better.
Arriving at the destination, they walked inside one, knowing that it would be empty as the girl looked around blinking in surprise at the open space.
"Oh, wow! This is big! We don't even have a bath close to this size!" Fiona smiled, inspecting the room. Theirs was more confined with multiple bathing rooms where you took turns. This… was shared, but obviously split between men and women judging by the separating paths leading in.
Walking up to what she figured was the storage for the soap, she began to understand what he meant by any smell one could imagine. There was even some mint strawberry. What the hell was that even?
"Jeez, you weren't kidding… what's the most bizarre one here?" She asked as Jannors red eyes glanced towards the soap before turning back towards her with a chuckle.
"Here." He walked past her and grabbed one before handing it to her as she looked for but a moment before almost recoiling in disgust.
"WHY IS THERE AN EYEBALL HERE!?" She shrieked, scuttering away as Jannor couldn't help but laugh. Her eyes turned to him in horror as if he'd committed an unforgivable sin.
"Who made this!? Why do you have this!?" She asked as the boy shrugged, honestly having no clue.
"I have no idea. Whoever did it must have a few screws loose or something." Jannor said, laughing lightly at the image of someone actually brainstorming ideas and coming up and deciding that 'Eyeball soap' was a good idea.
"Yes, he s- no! Why do you guys have it?!" She reiterated her question as Jannor couldn't help but look away.
"I don't know… Dad found it somewhere… don't remember where." He rubbed the back of his neck in just the same manner as his father does. If any of his old friends had been there to witness it, they'd be taken on a trip into the past.
"Well get rid of it! It's creepy." She shivered, dropping it on the ground as she rubbed her hand on her leg before realizing she only contaminated the clothing instead.
"Well… I guess… Ehm- Should we continue to the garden?" He asked, trying to change the subject as she nodded rapidly, happily obliging in getting away from that creepy soap…
As he led her out and towards the garden, he looked outside at the now dark sky, clouds slowly moving towards Orario from the distance.
He only hoped that he'd survive whatever embarrassing things happened next… and that his parents would return alright.
It was the only thing keeping him from breaking down at the fear he felt.
=Forest of The Damned=
As Bell impacted the ground alongside Elora, he shifted quickly, his movements that of someone filled with panic as he shuffled towards his bleeding wife, grabbing her and clutching her face with desperation.
"E-elora… No… Please no!" He whimpered, rubbing her lips which were smeared with blood, unmoving.
"Come on… Please! Open your eyes… I'm begging you." After yet another unresponded request, he glanced down at her midsection and let out a mix between a sob and a choke.
His blade dug halfway through her stomach and tilted upwards towards her lungs and heart.
The image made him sick as something seemed to break in him.
Carefully clutching the blade, he slowly pulled it out as the blood flow intensified. Pressing his hand onto the wound, he gulped, preparing himself for what he had to do.
"Firebolt!" He called forth his spell as the flames ignited and burned her skin, cauterizing her wound before repeating the action again… and again… and again.
He did it over and over until finally, no more flood flowed. At least on the outside…
Looking back at her face, clutching it closer to him, and pressing his forehead to his own, he whispered to her… begged her to stay with him as his tears fell down, mixing together with the rain.
He had no idea how long he stayed like that. Seconds… minutes… hours? He couldn't tell.
All he knew was that he couldn't leave. He had to stay with her… because without her, he felt like he was nothing.
Because he knew that she was his hope in this world… and he could not go on without her.
It wasn't until the clouds cleared and the sun was high in the sky that someone finally found them.
He did not know who, just that someone was calling out for him. It all felt like a haze… the world passed by as he stared into his wife's seemingly lifeless body, cold to his touch.
"Bell!" Close by, Rethusa called out into the forest, having searched for an hour by now. They had done what Bell had asked. Evacuated the entire village, but he never showed up.
They'd gotten worried when hours had passed and after another one went by, Artemis had decided to search for him with Rethusa following along, leaving the new members to guard the villagers.
What she saw when she finally laid eyes on him was something that would never leave her for the rest of her life.
What she saw was a man, broken and battered, clutching his wife in his arms, staring at her as if he was stuck in limbo, his mind in a catatonic state.
No matter what she did, shaking him or trying to block his view. He didn't budge. It was eerie and sent shivers up her spine.
The only time did anything was when she tried to check on Elora and to do that, she'd have to get her out of his grasp.
The way he'd violently sent her flying in retaliation had quickly squashed that idea as it was clear he was in no state of mind to listen or even contemplate a single word he was saying.
"Rethusa! Did you find him!?" Artemis called out nearby.
"Yeah! But…" She stopped, not knowing what to say as she glanced back at the heartbreaking scene.
Coming around the bushed, Artemis laid eyes on the scene and gasped.
"Oh no…" she whispered before jogging forward, setting down her spear before putting her hands on Bell's shoulder.
"Orion…" She whispered as she looked at him momentarily before turning towards the woman in his arms.
Artemis nearly recoiled from the burns on her body, clearly due to him trying desperately to save her life by cauterizing the wounds. It wasn't pretty. Not at all.
First-Class adventurers were miraculous beings able to survive a ton of punishment, but blood loss is something to truly fear, even for them.
With how pale Elora was, almost a white chalk, she didn't know if she could be saved at this point. How much blood did a level 7 need to survive to begin with?
Not a lot to be sure, but just looking at Elora would make anyone question her survival chances.
"Ori- Bell. We need to get her to a healer. Please." She asked gently as Rethusa got down on one knee next to her goddess.
"You can stay with her when we're there…" She added to her goddesses' words as he finally seemed to show some awareness of them.
"I… I can't hear a heartbeat." He whispered, his voice so broken that it felt like their souls shattered in response to his own.
"She's-She's gone… I- I can't… I-" He choked on his breath as his face contorted, the tears exploding like a river as sobs turned into full-on wails of heartwrenching cries into his wife's body.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" His scream was guttural, almost primal as both recoiled back at its intensity.
They sat there, letting him cry for a long moment before finally moving up to him, whispering that they needed to get her to a healer.
For a moment, he clutched her harder, almost protectively as if a small part of him still believed she was alive and that he could save her… but it was clearly dying.
Eventually, the part completely disappeared as he went completely limp once again and Rethusa managed to snag her into her own arms.
"I'll get her to Orario as fast as I can. Maybe this Dea Saint can help somehow." Rethusa said to Artemis who nodded.
"Do that, it is worth a shot." She answered back as the redhead nodded and turned around.
In the blink of an eye, an arm stopped her as Bell reached out without looking, Rethusa turning back to him questionably.
"Bell?" She asked.
"...t-" His voice didn't come through completely as Artemis leaned forward with care as her green eyes tried to meet his red ones, but finding that he would not look away from the ground, a heavy and dark look in his eyes.
"I'll do it." He repeated himself without them having to ask. "It'll get her to Orario… before I do what I have to." He added at the end as Rethusa and her goddess gave each other a worried look, their faces paling at the implications of the statement.
"Orion… I-" Artemis said soon after, trying to reason with him. She had felt loss before when most of her familia had been slaughtered. That unbearable pain that squeezed at her heart was all too familiar.
But somehow, she knew that this was different. The pain he felt was written in every fiber of his being and told her that it wasn't even a comparison.
"I'll kill him." The words alarmed the goddess of the hunt and her child even more, the sheer venom and hatred in his voice sending chills down their spines.
"I'll make sure everything he and his goddess has burns to the ground…" The blade's handle in his hand strained against his grip as he clenched his teeth together hard, his eyes turning dark with that singular desire.
For a moment, the two swore that they turned a bright glowing red that illuminated the darkness of the night that sent a primal fear through her alongside the activation of Scourge.
"Orion… revenge isn-"
"DON'T YOU TELL ME IT ISN'T THE RIGHT WAY!" His voice exploded, his glare aimed at her as she jumped back in shock, gulping at his tone and look.
This wasn't Bell… This wasn't the Orion Artemis knows. This… this-
"I have to go…" he said after just a moment before exploding off into the distance, leaving the goddess and her child, now empty-handed, alone, confused, worried, and scared, all in one.
Because that look in his eyes right before he left said it all.
The look of a man, broken to his core, that's had enough of this world, and that would do anything in his power to destroy whoever stands in his way toward his goal.
This was not going to end well.
=Outside Anfesera=
Bell shot past faster than he'd ever gone before, shooting toward the dungeon city at breakneck speeds that would put anyone else in the world to shame.
Scourge empowered him to a higher degree than he'd ever thought possible as that thought to be quenched the in his heart roaring like never before, clouding his mind as the raw power poisoned his veins.
It felt… almost good. He felt strong… like nothing could stand in his way. Like nothing could stop him as long as he had this anger… this hatred coursing through his blood.
He knew what he wanted, desired, and craved at the moment. Bell knew what he needed to do first, who to target, and how to leave nothing left to bury.
Bell still, even in his rage, and blood-red sight, was more focused on saving his wife. Her limp form curled up in his arms as her blood soaked his battered armor.
Even in under a minute, Bell could already see the walls of the labyrinth city. As the walls came closer, he readied himself to hurdle the barrier.
Bell could still not pick up a heartbeat… that in all likelihood, meant that she was dead. The rage towards those responsible burned, right alongside it, a self-loathing at his idiotic move at going alone. He should have brought along more people… The Loki familia. Maybe even Freya if she'd go along with it.
It had been stupid, immature, and quite frankly, made him look like an imbecile.
He knew better, he knew that no matter how strong you are, there will always be something or someone that can level the playing field. That can make all that strength seem meaningless.
Kaius and Varede had perfectly played their roles and put him in such a position, and Elora had done everything she could to protect him.
And it had most likely cost her life.
Rageful tears filled his eyes as he pushed his legs further, letting all the self-loathing, fury, and bitterness seep into his skill, empowering its effect as his zooming speed hastened.
The moment he reached the gates, he barreled past the guards, pushing one to the side, not really caring at the moment for being nice about it before entering the city.
Using Argonaut, he smashed his foot onto the ground and with the combined power of everything he had and Scourge, caused the ground to explode, the bricks flying left and right as he soared far into the sky, yet forward at extreme speeds above the buildings.
He had two choices as of this moment. Take her home… to his family. Or to the Dea Saint. Under normal circumstances, the former would have sufficed, but a small part of his heart still clung to the hope that she was alive, despite all evidence pointing towards the opposite being true.
So in a split-second decision, he switched direction mid-air with a kick, heading straight towards the Dian Checht familia shop where Dea Saint worked.
Slowly descending towards the ground, he eventually roughly landed on a roof, having in a part of it before dropping to the ground on the main street, surprising the residents on the packed road at his sudden appearance.
Not giving them a glance, he headed straight to the building of his destination and slammed through the door, causing the stoic girl inside to jump in utter surprise, eyes wide as she seemed to expect someone to suddenly attack her.
Airmid, when she laid eyes on the person who had so rudely entered the store and seemingly smashed the door off its hinges given its leaning state, made her want to reprimand him.
That was until she laid eyes on who he was carrying and the injuries on her.
She instantly sprang into action, practically springing around the counter as she grabbed an elixir.
"Open her mouth!" She instantly commanded as Bell didn't hesitate, getting onto his knees and pushing her mouth open.
Airimd practically shoved the bottle down Elora's mouth as used the time it took for the liquid to empty in order to inspect the rest of her wounds.
Her eyes expertly analyzed and snapped towards the parts most notable as her mind tallied them together.
'Broken arm, burn- no, cauterization of wounds. Most likely to stem the flow of blood caused by severe mutilation. Extreme loss of blood, estimation of around three to four liters.' As she finished, she instantly wondered if the patient was even alive.
The wounds themselves weren't that extreme for a level 7 like the one beneath her, even a fresh one, but losing the amount of blood she estimated that she'd lost, would be lethal.
As the bottle finally completely emptied, she threw it to the side, not caring for the mess before instructing Bell to put her onto the floor and turn her onto her side in a stable position.
Once done, Airimd pressed two fingers onto Elora's pulse point and positioned her ear onto her chest.
Seconds passed with nothing at all. Not giving up, she kept waiting as Bell stood up and began pacing, tears leaking down his face as his fingers slunk into his hair.
'Come on…' Airmid silently prayed-
Ba-dump
Bell's head instantly snapped towards the blond hair of his wife, his eyes solely rested on her chest where the Dea Saint had a look of relief on her usually doll-like face.
"Is…" He whispered, not daring to gain hope just to have it snatched away.
"Alive… for now. I still need to work. Blood loss this extreme never comes without consequences. I need to keep her here for a few days to monitor and make sure no other complications occur." She told him professionally. Bell nodded, as the hope began to burn s smidge brighter.
"What… ehm… what could the consequences be?" He asked, dreading the answer.
"Too many to count. Confusion, weakness… she will definitely heal slower and I can already tell you one thing for certain." She paused, checking Elora over another time before looking back.
"Due to the amount of blood that she lost, her heart stopped beating. For how long, I don't know, but it did. This means her other organs did so as well in order to compensate for the lack of oxygen intake and preserve as much of it as possible. It is dependant on how long she went without breathing or her heart beating as she may have between mild to severe brain damage." And with that, his face paled as the hope was completely smothered.
"B-brain damage…?" He whispered, his voice weak at the implications.
"Yes… it might mean she will never wake up." The moment that was said, Bell felt his legs turn weak as he was back at square one… Sure, she wasn't dead.
But was this any better?
He honestly didn't know. Having her so close, yet so far felt like a nightmare and the mere thought that she would never truly be close again was even worse. Like a tease of what could be, but cruelly never letting it be.
"Apolloyon… you should inform your family," Airmid advised as he nodded subconsciously as his mind continued reeling.
"In the meantime, I'll get her into the back and onto a bed. After a few days and making sure she's stable, we can move her to your home." She continued before carefully hoisting Elora up and walking into the back as Bell stood there.
Brain damage…
The term echoed in his mind, his eyes glazed over as he stared at the traces of blood on the floor, reminding him of what had originally been the cause for it.
The mere thought of that man sent a burst of fury throughout his entire body but he controlled it enough to at least calmly exit the pharmacy with reluctance, not really wanting to be apart from Elora though knowing there wasn't anything he could do.
That irked him to no end. That feeling of helplessness that he'd strived never to feel again.
He ignored all the stares he got from everyone around from his battered and bloody appearance before he headed off towards the Archian Manor.
He had to tell his family… tell everyone what had happened, before he did what he had to. Because there was nothing in this world that would stop him from destroying everything that Kaius held dear.
=Archian Manor=
Erebus had spent the majority of the meeting between the three families simply sitting to the side and giving his take on what the children planned, similar to what Loki did, though she was a bit more engaged.
Freya practically talked for her familia, with Ottar sometimes chiming in, a stark contrast to anything he or Loki did.
Though, to be honest, he was a bit worried. He'd felt the connection to either Bell or Elora weaken significantly to the point that it was barely noticeable and he didn't think this was the right time to tell anyone. At least they were alive, which did set his worry to rest if only for a bit.
It was clear by the strength of the connection that whatever happened was serious and that Bache and Finn had noticed his change in demeanor the moment it had happened, though not commenting on it.
He was thankful for that, even if he'd simply dodge the questions with sarcastic remarks as he always does.
After all, he may be the god of malevolence, but he did have a conscience and a heart, and seeing Jannor return clearly happy with laughter alongside Fiona, just made sure that he knew this was not a good time at all.
The meeting had been going on for over an hour at this point, probably two with about twenty minutes since the connection weakened, then slowly strengthened at a steady pace which had helped him focus on what was being said.
The children had come up with quite a lot of potential plans of action toward the empire too, mainly Aralaya, but the first order of action had been clear. What they knew wasn't enough at the moment. They could at most speculate on the most likely locations of strategic importance, and what they had to do was to scout the areas before making plans for warfare.
Loki and Freya's familia had been split in two as for the two fronts they'd handle due to their familias animosity towards one another (which was Freya's children most of the time), with Themis Familia splitting their forces between the two as needed.
Loki Familia would handle the Eastern front of Rakia while Freya would handle the southern one.
"Alright, I do believe that's as good of a course of action as we'll be able to make. Loki, Freya, would you like a copy of the map?" Erebus chimed in as the table turned to him.
"Yes, that would be preferable," Freya answered as Loki nodded along. The god of malevolence turned towards Fina with a smile and nodded, the girl walking forward and rolling the map up.
"Man, when are we going to start?" Adrienne asked curiously as Aralaya turned to her sister with a 'really?' look.
"Were you not listening? Whenever the guild issues for our cooperation, which should be no later than tomorrow." A couple of chuckles went around as Adrienne seemed to want to rebuke just as the door opened.
The first person to lay eyes on the person was Adrienne due to everyone facing her with her looking straight in that direction.
Her eyes widened, heart quickened in worry as she laid eyes on her father's battered and bruised appearance alongside the stained blood.
"Dad!" She called out as everyone turned towards Bell, Bache shooting up in alarm faster than anyone else, instantly noticing how his eyes did not leave the floor as they burned with hatred.
"Bell… what happened?" She asked as the entire room fell silent.
"Kaius… his second in command has a cursed magic that locks statuses." His answer was to the point as worried glances went through the group at the information.
"It should have been me…" were his next words, spoken in a whisper as Bache frowned, Bell dropped to his knees, cracking the ground as he did so.
Aralaya and Adrienne walked up next to her with Jannor not far behind. Ais seemed to want to go too, but refrained, not really feeling like it was her place… but that look in his eyes. It was all too familiar as she got a horrible feeling in her gut.
It took Bache a moment for the implications of his words to settle and work through her brain before she stumbled back a step, her legs feeling weak.
"No… no don't-" Her voice stopped, throat clogging as her heart stopped.
"Elora… she… he almost killed her. That bastard nearly cut her in half-" His teeth clenched at the words, eyes hardening further and further as horror-stricken looks spread across his family faces as it finally clicked for his children.
"Mom… no, Dad please tell me she's okay…" Aralaya stumbled forward, grabbing hold of her father's neck in a hug, meeting him on the same level.
Bell returned the hug, rubbing his daughter's back looking to comfort her.
"I don't know… I- I wish I did but. Her heart stopped. For eighteen minutes."
"Eighteen minutes…?" Finn muttered as he glanced towards Riveria with a sad smile as she stood there in shock.
"Where… Where is she?" Bache asked as Bell looked up to her, Jannor and Adrienne just standing still like statues, not moving a muscle, Aralaya now crying into his chest.
"Dian Cecht familia. Dian Saint treated her but… she doesn't know if she'll ever wake up." He told them as Bache didn't hesitate to burst out of the room at top speed, leaving.
The motion seemed to set both Jannor and Adrienne off, the two launching themselves into Bell's embrace, right alongside Aralaya as the rest of the group didn't say a word, feeling and knowing it wasn't their place.
Even Allen knew not to interrupt. They let them stay like that for a few minutes before Riveria seemed to be the one to finally break the unspoken agreement, stepping forward slowly.
The high-elven princess felt almost hollow in a way, her head swirling at the knowledge that her niece was in critical condition, her heart stopped for such a long time at that. Even for a level 7, such a long time would result in brain damage without fail, at least from what she knows of the human anatomy and the effects of the falna.
"C-can…" Her throat clogged as the familiar emotion of grief filled her as well. She closed her eyes as she felt the gaze of the red-eyed man hugging his children in front of her, gathering herself.
"Can I visit her… she'... she's my niece." She asked, opening her eyes again and immediately letting them fall to the ground, downcast as she honestly did not know if he'd allow it.
Sure, they were allies, and she'd say that the damaged relationship had been mended to some extent, no matter how small, but this… this was a delicate situation, one where emotions ran rampant, and she was no exception.
And thus, her demeanor and confidence of always looking someone in the eye, despite the situation faltered in the face of a possible rejection of seeing her (possibly) dying niece.
There was silence for what felt like an eternity, her senses picking up on the movements of all three children and their father before Bell stood up and walked up to her.
With no warning, he pulled her towards him, hugging her much to the surprise of most present. Lefiya honestly was torn between rushing forward and smacking him, or blushing.
Alicia looked furious as well until Riveria seemed to react in kind, wrapping her arms around him and practically shoving her head into the crook of his neck.
"Of course… I- How could I deny you the right to see her? Riveria, we may be of differing familias, and you all may have done questionable things, but so have I. Telling you that you can't see Elora, your niece would be… god. Sorry, it still-" He stopped his words as she nodded against him, still shaking before letting go.
Splitting apart, her green eyes met his red ones. The elven eyes, slightly bloodshot at the release of some of her emotions before he smiled at her.
"I'll take you there… the kids will want to see her too." He told her before giving one weak smile at the rest, mainly aimed at Ais who really looked like she wanted to hug him, before he turned around and headed to the door. The kids and elven princess follow behind.
"You know where I'll be Finn…" Riveria peeked back at the Prum who nodded at her, giving her a remorseful smile.
"Take your time. We'll handle it in the meantime." A silent thank you was whispered before the elf disappeared through the doorway, leaving the rest of the room with a solemn vibe hanging in the air.
=Dian Cecht Pharmacy=
Walking into the pharmacy for the second time that night, Bell felt a sense of dread as the chime sounded. He could already hear the footsteps heading in their direction, but his heart pounded.
Had the condition worsened? Was she in a permanent coma… was she even alive?
Questions plagued his mind as he naturally tuned out the world in favor of trying to deal with his frantic thoughts. He honestly did not know whether he wanted to see her current state, as horrible of a thought as that may be, but he knew it was for the better.
The moment the swinging doors leading into the back were pushed outwards, Bell's eyes instantly snapped up as the world resumed in focus.
"Ah, Apollyon and your children… alongside Nine Hell. Do you wish to grant her visiting rights?" Airmid asked as Bell nodded after a second.
"Yeah…" Was all he let out, gulping slightly as she nodded before motioning for them to follow her.
He didn't even notice that he was shaking until he felt Aralaya softly grab his hand as he shifted his attention to her before noticing the way she too shook slightly, afraid, just like him.
Jannor and Adrienne were in similar positions, walking with their eyes wandering about, shifting nervously or in Adrienne's case, biting her lip.
Riveria looked composed, with just a hint of nervousness in her eyes before he turned back to Aralaya and gave her a soft squeeze, eliciting her gaze as he smiled.
No words were exchanged, and before they knew it, they turned left into an open room. Within it at the center by the window lay a bed, Bache sitting by the side, head on the bed and both her hands gripping the hand of the one person he wished he could talk to this moment.
Elora looked pale, almost lifeless. The only signs of life being that of shallow breaths and a weak heartbeat. Too weak…
Just seeing her in such a state after somewhat gathering his bearings, completely crushed his heart, locking his legs in place and blanking his mind completely.
What… what was he even supposed to do. He felt as if just getting closer would kill him from how much it hurt but… leaving at this exact moment was… that was just unfathomable.
No, he-
"Mom… MOM!" Bell was so far gone in his thoughts, he barely even noticed all three of his children barreling past him, almost in a frenzy, Bache's head snapping up revealing puffy eyes with hints of tears.
But it was the sound of despair in their voices as they continued calling for her as they got to the sides of the bed that truly broke him. The way that their voices cracked, revealed the pain and suffering underneath.
'Suffering he was partly responsible for'
That one horrible thought force him to bite his lips to suppress the tears, from truly breaking down in front of them when he felt he had to stay strong… and to not worry them when he was going to inevitably do what had to be done.
He had made a mistake… he went into that fight unprepared without truly using what he had learned over the years. He did not know enough about his enemies. He didn't know their past, their personalities, their habits, or even their capabilities apart from level.
Mortals are different from monsters in how they fight… and this time… he'd do it right. He'll scour every camp, get any information he can from any one of his men, and slowly destroy everything he's built.
He'd make him beg, to suffer… that black flame in his heart he'd quenched earlier reigniting for a split second before he took a deep breath.
There was a time for everything… but tonight… he'd spend it here—mourning, and being there for his family.
Walking towards the bed, he joined the rest as they stayed by Elora's bedside for the rest of the night.
=Archian Manor=
Standing by the mirror and brushing her teeth, Fina almost felt… hollow in a way. When Bell had come through the door and they'd received the news… she'd been… shocked at first. Then despite the short time she'd known Elora, she had felt distraught.
Elora had been the one apart from Bell that she was closest to without a doubt. She'd always volunteered whenever she had the chance to babysit Marx, chatting with her whenever she had the opportunity and generally being something she'd lacked in a long time.
A best female friend.
Don't get her wrong, Bache had filled a similar role, but she was far too brash and Amazonian-like for her to truly feel connected to her as she did with Elora.
Now, looking at the visage of her puffy eyes with the toothbrush moving monotonously against her teeth, she just had the urge to curl up into a ball on her bed and cry.
Not one month… this peace… this sense of belonging, safety, and family had just started and hadn't lasted for even a month before everything began crumbling.
Was… she cursed? Why was it that everyone she grew close to either died or abandoned her?
First, she abandoned Bell… then sister Syr disappeared, then Rye and Roux died… then her failed relationship with her ex… and now Elora.
The mere thought of losing someone else made her blood run cold with dread, face paling and ears flattening.
She did not know how much more she could take… how much more before she finally broke. This world was just too cruel and if this was how it was going to be for the rest of her time on this plane of existence… she would just want it to end as soon as possible.
Even if she had to do so herself-
Her eyes snapped wide open in horror at the train of thought as everyone sprung to the forefront of her mind. That's not what any of them would want… and Bell. He had gone out of his way to protect her, save her when she was at her lowest, and resorted to eating moldy food and dirty river water just to get enough sustenance to survive. If she did that very thing, how would he react?
How would Bache react… Aralaya, Adrienne and Jannor? Erebus? What about Marx? He still needed her and… god, she couldn't abandon them… even if it was oh so tempting.
Spitting out the toothpaste before washing her mouth and face, she slapped both hands onto her cheeks as she stared into her own red eyes
"Just… go to sleep and… handle it tomorrow." She told herself before taking a deep breath. Waiting a moment and nodding, she walked out of the bathroom and headed for her room, her patron god nowhere to be seen.
As she walked through the hallway, she couldn't help but peek out the window where the rain was pouring with an opening in the clouds just large enough to reveal the moon, shining brightly down at her.
'How poetic…' she couldn't help but muse, a bitter laugh to accompany her thoughts. Even the weather reflects the events of the day…
Turning back and finishing the walk to her room, she entered, finding Marx already sleeping in his crib… the one that had been provided to her from Elora.
Another pang hit her at the thought as she instinctively clutched her chest, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
'Just sleep… I'll handle it tomorrow' She repeated in her head, undressing herself before crawling under the sheets into a figurative and literal furball.
The only thing crossing her mind for the rest of the night as she tried her best to go to sleep, was a single prayer… one echoed across multiple people that night.
For Elora to hang on.
=The Hostess of Fertility=
The pub was in full swing, now closing in on midnight as the patrons truly began pouring in the orders for food and drinks.
It was always during these times that Ryuu dreaded the most each day for work as no matter how long she works at the pub, how many mistakes she makes or how many patrons she serves, she never seemed to be able to gain the same level of grace she held when in combat.
It was irony at its finest to the elf. In combat, she could practically dance around her opponents with relative ease with sharp and effective movements with minimal mistakes, here, she was the clumsiest of the bunch… well… Anya was basically on par with her but that's simply semantics.
She usually had either good nights, neutral nights or bad nights when it came to this clumsiness… and tonight, appeared to have already pointed towards the latter.
Within an hour of the full swing, she'd already dropped three plates and broken two sets of cutlery in her ignorance… well, more like a distraction.
Where there are plenty of bad things about working at a pub, there was one undisputed ace it had in its favor.
Information
You'd be beyond surprised how much information passes through here daily due to loosened lips caused by intoxication or ignorance.
This information was usually split between two types. Confirmed news or rumors. The former being self-explanatory, rumors could be anything. A supposed new boss of a gang, plans for a new casino or her personal favorite, Kidnappings committed by owners of said casinos.
They could be anything, no matter how ludicrous, and tended to be the most common type of information Ryuu seemed to receive to the point of it being a daily occurrence.
Tonight's rumor had distracted her as her thoughts plagued her. Specifically surrounding that of a certain white-haired man with ruby eyes and his wife… specifically his wife.
Elora Cranel, better known as Thúl was in critical condition and could die at any moment apparently.
It had distracted her as she knew that with them just returning from their expedition, they would not enter the dungeon, especially with the current crisis.
Which only meant one other option… someone nearly killed her- and that was something that had made her heart freeze.
Bell had already lost so much, so many. When he'd talked about his experiences of the outside world, she could see the pain in his eyes… that darkness that had so consumed her when her familia had been wiped out by that calamity, summoned by those Rudra bastards.
Now, with him seemingly on the verge of losing his wife… she instinctively knew that he would need his friends… people to remind him that he was not alone, unlike the loneliness she had felt. The loneliness that had allowed her to go on such a rampage and let the darkness consume her until she had been at an inch of her life.
As she headed back towards the kitchen to pick up another order, Mia gave her a glance, one she was used to over the years that spoke volumes.
She wanted to talk, and so, the large dwarven woman followed her into the back as Ryuu prepared herself for a verbal lashing.
"Mama Mia, I-"
"What's bothering ya?" Gulping, Ryuu tried to formulate her words as the brown eyes stared down at her. For a long moment, she looked like a gaping fish before composing her features with a frown and looking down, thoughtful on what to say.
"Does it have anything to do with the lad's wife being with Dian Cecht?" Ryuu's eyes snapped back up to Mia's brown ones, now looking at her with a sort of understanding that confused her.
Understanding of what?
"Yes, how did you…"
"It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. The lad's lost so much, and no matter how strong the man, everyone has their breaking point."
"...That is what I am afraid of." Ryuu finally uttered, voicing her fears as the large woman hummed.
"Right, you are. He will not take this sitting down, and I honestly feel pity for whoever decided to screw with him of all people. That lad has grown into a monster I tell you. I might not show it, but when he first entered, I truly thought it was Zald or Alfia in their prime returning from the dead." In all honesty, Ryuu could understand the sentiment. He had grown so powerful that she didn't know if there was anyone in the world that could control him anymore if he went berserk.
"Tell ya what. Take tomorrow off, you've earned enough overtime as is. Do with it as you please." Mia smiled, Ryuu blinking in return. For a moment, she was about to tell her that can't be right as she'd used hers recently, but she realized what Mia was doing right before and instead gave her one of her rare real smiles.
"Okay, Thank you, Mia."
"Ah, don't make a big deal out of it, alright? Just make sure to earn me good money today!" She laughed boisterously as the mood lightened and all the elf could think of was that tomorrow, she would be there for Bell, as a friend should.
After all, there was only a short supply of people in the world she held dear, one of which was Bell- and she would do everything she could to make sure he didn't go down the same path she did… one filled with regret, pain, and suffering.
=Twilight Manor=
The mood of Riveria Ljos Alf as she returned from her admittedly long visit to see her niece, was somber and heartbroken. Seeing her in such a condition had been… hard. It had put her back in her shoes when she was young, in that home she so despised, always forced to follow procedures, to look regal and act as such.
Many had asked why she had gained such a rebellious nature and none had truly gotten their answer and simply assumed. Things like she had longed for the outside world from reading books and wondering about the possibilities. Or that she had gotten a taste when she was young because she had gotten lost, and got hooked on it.
There were countless theories on it which honestly was embarrassing at times, though some did come close to the truth… but none truly touched the real topic of the birth of her desire.
Her younger sister. Elethia Alanis Alf, had always been freer than her with Riveria being expected to marry and progress the clan. She herself had always been the one having duties forced onto her while Elethia had been free to do as much as she liked and was not watched anywhere near as vigorously.
Due to that, she had been able to sneak out, explore and see much more of the forest, and even at times, travel outside of it.
But all that had changed when she'd been persuaded, although reluctantly, to come with her on one of her excursions… and it's one thing she will never regret.
They'd spent an entire week outside the forest together, visiting villages and interacting with other people that didn't treat her as if they should lick the ground she walked on. People treated her like just another person… and she found that they liked it.
It felt liberating in a way she'd never experienced and seeing the happy, smiling face of her sister that day had made her crave that feeling even more.
Like all things, it eventually had to come to an end, and they returned to the forest much to the relief of the family who'd thought them kidnapped and for a time.
She and Elethia had kept quiet about what really happened and had repeated their excursions almost monthly. For a time, this was a pattern. For fifteen short years, they'd grown closer than ever and she'd even watched Elethia fall in love with a regular elf who did not treat them as something special, and just like normal people.
She watched as she spent more and more time in his village before eventually leaving the Royal Alf forest with a surprising lack of backlash from… well anyone.
It was as if no one cared, as long as she stayed. So she did, occasionally visiting Elethia secretly and even attending her wedding.
Shortly after, her desire for freedom had grown to an all-time high as she'd seen just how happy her sister was, the very opposite of how she felt so… with the simultaneously hardest and easiest decision of her life when meeting a certain prum during one of her excursions… She left. Joining the Loki familia in the process and becoming an adventurer.
Sadly, even after hearing the news of her sister giving birth to two children, she was not able to visit for a long time, and by the time she finally gained permission to leave the city for a period… she found out some of the worst news of her life.
They had been killed… All of them. Her sister and her entire family…
During her time as a member of the Loki familia and slowly rising the ranks, a level 4, nearly 5 at the time, had seen plenty of death. Had seen friends fall in battle and thus, felt the pain of loss… she truly did not expect it to hurt so much.
Her heart had despaired as for the first time in her life, she had wailed out, the scream coming from every fiber of her lung, sucking the air out of them as her heart had seemed to clench in a way that was suffocating.
Her sister was gone… she would never see her smile again… never hear her sing-like voice again.
She never even got to meet her two Nieces…
It had taken days, but she eventually returned, and even Finn had looked shocked at her drooped ears and hollow eyes. The elves of the familia especially had tried everything to console her, but nothing could really work. They didn't understand…they didn't get it.
For weeks she stayed like that… and those weeks turned into months as she began hearing tales of a new adventurer of Hecate Familia. A female blonde elf with beauty that many would consider to rival that of even goddesses.
At first, she figured it had just been yet another elf from another forest making a name for herself. Within two years, she reached level 2, receiving the alias Thúl, and it wasn't until their familias ran into one another that she truly found out who she was.
The young girl, no older than ten years of age was unmistakable. Although she had blonde hair and amber eyes, those facial features were all her… all Elethia. It was like looking into a mirror to the past, the smile she held was the exact same, one that could charm anyone into submission if she so desired.
She had tried to talk to her… to interact with her in any way but much to her surprise and horror. That smile had turned into a frown and… fear?
Did she… fear her? Why would she- they were family! She loved her sister, and seemingly her child held fear for her and a clear desire to stay away… and thus, she looked into it.
Elora Carleen had become her sole research subject, and after a time, she had found out her real name, Elora Myrrh Alf. The daughter of her sister and her husband… and how they died.
To say she had been livid at her father… at her family for what they had done was an understatement. If Finn had not talked her down, she would have burned the forest down herself.
Previously, she had simply held a pity for her family and their suffocating life of royalty, but after this… that had bordered on hatred.
She had met Ais, and had her duties filled with keeping her in check as much as she could so she did not die from her lack of restraint… truly falling into the role of mother hound of the familia (which she secretly liked)...
When Astrea Familia had been wiped out in the dungeon one night and the Gale Wind went on a rampage. What she had not expected to follow that only a year later, was her niece being banished along her familia after losing a wargame.
The rest… was history to the high elf. Meeting Bell Cranel who seemed to bring out the best in Ais… all the madness that occurred in the short 5 months around before his banishment…
The next thing she knows, she sees her niece again alongside a masked man who she seemed to hold immense affection for… who she married and had children with… her grand-niece and nephew.
That man turned out to be Bell Cranel and now… now…
Riveria's eyes glanced up at the manor, being showered in the rain as she felt the weather quite fitting for how she felt.
How had things come to this? She had just begun to repair her relationship with her niece… just gotten to truly know her and it's all threatening to be ripped away from her.
'Perhaps… I should take it day by day… I'll visit tomorrow as well' She thought to herself, slowly walking towards the manor doors in a mirror image of how she had looked when coming back from finding Elethia and her family killed.
Heading inside the manor, she was not surprised on finding everyone waiting for her up by the railing, perking up at the sight of her before instantly becoming alert.
"Riveria!" Lefiya called out, heading down the stairs with Alicia close behind. Then Tiona practically leaped across the railing while Finn and the rest walked down more leisurely,
"Is she okay!?" Tiona asked the moment she had come up to her, seemingly wanting to hug her but refraining.
"She's…" She stopped, now knowing how to describe it. "She's… in a coma. Airmid said she may never wake up…" All hesitation from Tiona had ceased as she launched her body into the high elf, hugging her as if trying to convey to her that she was there.
Even Lefiya hugged her from the side as the rest made it to her.
"I… I am sorry Riveria." Finn spoke up as the two pairs of eyes met. It was rare to truly see Finn sad, to see him be affected, but she knew that he was trying to change. It was gradual and he still reverted to old habits at times but… he was trying.
"It's hard… thinking for so long that… that my sister died with her family… and now so close to losing my sister's daughter too…" She voiced, keeping her voice as controlled as possible from betraying her emotions.
"Riveria…" The high elf perked up slightly at the sound of Ais' voice invading her ears, meeting her sad gaze.
"It's okay to cry…" Those simple words were all she needed. Those words she had told her to console her so many times before for both her parents and for Bell…
That it was okay to cry… and the dam broke, and for the first time since her sister died. The crown princess of the royal elven family… cried.
=Archian Manor=
Returning for Bell and his family… apart from Elora, it had been quiet… desolate even. No one talked, as they were all stuck in their own world of despairing thoughts after seeing Elora in such a condition.
Much crying had been done… but Bell knew that everyone needed time… to grieve in their own way… and as everyone left for their chambers to go to bed… he instead headed straight to Erebus' room.
Giving it a knock, he opened it once he heard the familiar sound of his god's words giving permission to enter. Walking inside, Erebus sat in a chair leaning forward as if contemplating, a piece of paper in his hands.
"Bell… I'm guessing you're going after him." Blinking, the white haired man's red eyes widened before a frown spread furrowed his lips.
"How did-"
"It wasn't hard. I won't stop you Bell, this is your choice, your life and your story. I told you I would stand to the side as you went down the path you found fit for you and that still stands. But at least hear me out on this, not as your god, but as your friend. What you're doing, will do nothing, the path you're choosing isn't just hard or dark, it's self destructive. It will eat at you, slowly destroy you from the inside. It may even break your relationships with others around you." He stopped for a moment as Bell listened, slightly agitated but hearing him out.
"Are you one hundred percent certain that this is what you want to do, despite the possible consequences?" For a split moment, he hesitated, truly thinking about it.
Was this worth it? Going after Kaius like this? Alone…
Yes
A dark voice in his head told him as his gaze hardened before he nodded.
"I am certain." Was his response as Erebus sighed, almost disappointed but understanding.
"Alright, come here. I'll level you up. You're going to need it." Erebues waved at him as Bell stripped his shirt and got onto his knees in front of him.
"Just remember, even if what you're doing is foolish, I want you to know that I will help you every step of the way." The god said, beginning the update.
"If you need me to update your status, I will be there. If you need my help, I will do so." Swiping his finger, letting the number on the letter flip to the next digit and all his stats reset.
"Thank you…" Bell uttered as the two fell in a silence for a moment before Erebus stopped drawing on his back with his ichor.
"What development do you want? You've got Survivor, Thermal Resistance, Strong Defense and Supreme Vigor." Bell thought on it for a second before blinking.
"Supreme Vigor?" He asked.
"Supreme Vigor enhances just as it says. Your strength, stamina and even your endurance. I remember Zald and Alfia having supreme development abilities, and my running theory is that they are the strongest development abilities there are of their respective classification. This one focuses on your general health." Bell thought on it for only a second more before nodding.
"Pick it." Nodding, Erebus began drawing before finishing up. Copying the status on a piece of paper, he handed it to Bell who quickly looked it over.
Name: Bell Cranel
Lv 7 - 8
Status:
{STR} SSS-1353 - SSS-1399 - I-0
{VIT} SSS-1399 - I-0
{DEX} SSS-1387 - SSS-1399 - I-0
{AGI} SSS-1399 - I-0
{MAG} SS-1165 - SSS-1254 - I-0
Magic:
Firebolt: Swift strike magic. Casts a bolt of fire and electricity on command that explodes on impact upon contacting any surface.
Legacy's Rebirth: Catalyst Magic. Generates a shroud of lightning around the user that interacts with the body, strengthening it and protecting from outside dangers. May also be used offensively as magic but takes a strong toll on the body if doing so.
Requires a Storm Crystal as a catalyst to activate.
Skills:
Liaris Freeze: Precocious Maturation. The effect is maintained so long as the user maintains their feelings, and the effect is heightened depending on how strong these feelings are (Current Bonus: 401%)
Argonaut: Heroic strike, the possibility of turning any situation around with an overwhelming amount of force. Able to be dual charged but drains massive amounts of mind power.
Scourge: Raises the power of the user exponentially depending on the amount of Malice the user lets out
Blade Master: When the user uses a bladed weapon, increases proficiency of the weapon and technique that is currently used
Dragon's Bane: Dramatically increases all basic abilities when fighting draconic type monsters. (+1000 to all stats)
Vesta: As long as the user's desire to protect something remains, regenerate wounds and fatigue at an increased pace. Heightens defence against any flame or heat by a large margin. All fire based attacks have increased effects.
Strength of the effect is based on the strength of the user's desire to protect.
Development Abilities:
Luck: S
Abnormal Resistance: A
Psych: B
Intuition: B
Strong Body: E
Mystery: G
Supreme Vigor: I
Bell didn't even so much as react but simply hummed before burning it to a crisp with a whisper.
"I have to go." Erebus frowned before nodding.
"I understand… take care and…" For a split moment, Erebus' eyes lit with a fire that Bell had not seen before as the two stared into each other's eyes.
"Make sure they suffer." All Bell could do was nod at the first hint he had ever truly seen in him of what he presided over… Malevolence.
With that, Bell left, leaving Erebus to let go of that malevolence he had channeled for a second, truly realizing that he'd come to enjoy his time away from it.
Turns out… even for the god of it… such a thing was tiring. Shaking his head, Erebus picked up the piece of paper he had held and read when Bell had entered and looked it over.
His family would not be able to go after him, not with this order from the guild… the order that was predicted which told the top 3 familia's to spearhead the reclamation of Rakia.
With the Themis Familia being so small in comparison, there was no way Bache, Adrienne, Aralaya or Jannor would be able to do anything.
Sighing and looking out the window, he couldn't help but wonder how this all would turn out… he just hoped it was for the better.
=Western Wall of Orario=
On top of the wall under the rain, covered in his obsidian black armor with red trims, Bell stared out into the distance where he knew Rakia lay. Being here now, on the edge of no return, the decision had never felt heavier of what he was going to do.
How he was going to go out there alone… to do what he felt was what had to be done…
He had never truly felt like such a hypocrite. People saw him as a hero, a preserver of life, but here he was, supposedly going on a one-man mission that would cover his hands in blood.
'Rivers and ashes…' Bell thought.
He had never felt like such a fraud… Like such a 'fallen argonaut' as some would say.
But this… it had to be done. Taking one last look back towards the city, feeling the presence of his family… of Elora, despite her weak state… he let it fill him one last time, warming him to his soul.
Before he let go, tipping over and shooting off into the distance, beginning his mission for the one thing he never thought he would do.
Vengeance.
Aaand, done. God, this took way longer than expected, and I have honestly no good excuse apart from being a lazy bum. I plan on getting the next one out by the end of the week as I've recently rekindled my spark for Danmachi after reading through a bunch of fics.
Anyways, Bell grieves with his family, Riveria's backstory is altered from canon of course to fit Elora and her mother, Ryuu wants to be there for Bell and of course, Bell departing for his one-man mission (the name drop of the fic was intentional and I giggled at it. I am not ashamed)
Also, here's Bell's total stats before the war begins:
{Str}: 8886
{Vit}: 8916
{Dex}: 8899
{Agi}: 9643
{Mag}: 8774
Quite ludicrous, ain't it? Well, I'll not keep you any longer and instead get right into the reviews.
Allen Ux Ultor: ...okay nah, for real? Imma unfollow next chapter if she's for real dead. I'm sorry, but I don't do fridging mate. Like, I'm cool with characters dying, don't get me wrong, but this isn't just killing, this is killing and stuffing her corpse corpses the fridge for Kyle Raynor to find.
Author: Well… she ain't dead… so… not unfollow xD? Also, that was one hell of a description lol.
Frey55639: Welp Kaius has signed his death warrant in every language known to Gekai.
Author: Pretty much, not gonna lie.
Guest: God. For the longest time, I could tell Elora was going to die but actually reading it is different. How long have you been planning this? I feel like it's been foreshadowed for a long time now.
Author: Long time in all honesty. I think Chalister brought up the idea all the way in chapter 13 back in 2021, and slowly morphed into what it ended up being… though it's not really death as you can tell… but it's almost worse.
Zasun: Sweet fuck. Bell's down, Elora probably dead, goddess revealed, and how will the vanguard go?! SO GOOD.
Loved all that Freya goodness, want more of her in my life.
So.. Elora dies, Ais fills the void? Or you subvert everyone's expectation and Ryuu comes in to save the day of his broken heart?
Amazing chapter, keep it up!
Author: You'll just have to find out… but let's just say that everyone will feel pain. This is just the start. Also, there will be more Freya since from here, her role in the story does take more prevalence.
After all, I want to create as much of a conclusion of the story and danmachi as a whole for The Fallen Argonaut, which means a lot of characters need to have their time to finish their stories.
Freya and her familia just happens to be one of these stories.
Stevenpiskunov2: What a cliffhanger indeed. Idk how far I am with this guess but from what I can see, the only way I see Bell surviving this is if he somehow was able to get his level up from Erebus and I don't remember if Elora leveled up yet but if she did then things dont look to well for her. Then again im not sure if just gaining the level up would even work in that instance as I have no idea if that would even work.
And when you responded to my last comment saying that that luck is supposed to be for him and not others around him, that also makes me think that that may foreshadow what may happen here with Elora and Bell though we will have to wait and see.
And I am gonna be honest, any god in any anime, movie, or show can hold a grudge for the most unreasonable things, like even here it wasn't Bell's fault Ishtar is in heaven, but like most beings that are out gor revenge if they cant get their first target then they settle for the closest thing.
The problems just get worse and worse with each arc holding us in suspense making us think if any of your beloved characters will actually die here, I can only imagine what you will do whenever they eventually have to fight the One Eyed Black Dragon.
Author: Elora did level up to level 7 and all of this is building up to something at the end, trust me, every arch has its purpose for how the story ends. Both me and Chalister are actually really excited to reach that point, but it will be some time. You'll just have to wait and see ;)
RebornLikeablackPhoenix: I think.. no I hope she does not die..
Well, it is your choice though but I think Bell would completely lose it if she died
We will see
Author: *Coughs into hand* Yeah… well… hehe
Rakks: No dude you're killing me :(
I'm really really hoping Elora lives because she's such an amazing character and she's so well written! I never usually like OCs in stories like these, but Elora honestly feels like a character that could be in the actual story itself.
Tbh, I'm also kind of biased against this going into an Ais route since there are just so many fics out there that have that ship (understandably so), but one with an OC is new and I really like have been a lot of death flags on Elora and a lot of signs of Bell getting together with Ais, but I'm way too attached to Elora to see anything happen to her. I feel like I'll just cry in a corner when the next chapter comes out.
Author: Well… she isn't dead, though her final fate is still to be seen. Though it ain't looking good.
Thanks by the way, we really tried with the OC's.
Pix25: NOT ELORAAAAAA
Author: BUT IT HAPPENED TO ELORAAAAAA!
Aidan12: I hope there isn't a plot twist where Eleanor survives. It's annoying when everything goes well for someone so loosing Eleanor could develop Bell's character in an interesting way. At this point though I wonder how Bell will escape, unless something unrealistic happens Bell really can't win at the moment
Author: There is a difference between surviving, and living. One can survive, only to remain in a life worse than death… now… I wonder which one Elora is destined for.
Sokka1127: This is an absolute cliffhanger and i can't wait for the next chapter but i highly doubt that Elora will die from these wounds. Bell possibly will go on his villain arc to annihilate the entire empire.
I've noticed how you said Bell activated Scourge to the max but considering that the god who robbed him of his life in Orario and destroyed his reputation as well as killed Hestia(she's my favourite in the story because like who doesn't love her and her caring personality towards Bell, she's the best god in Orario and i said god to include both the female and male deities because they're trash compared to her besides Hapheaustus). Kaius is there to add fuel to his rage as using Bell's gift to Elora to kill her you might give us a Scourge overdrive and not max because all his life's anguish and pain stand before him and threaten to destroy everything he loves now.
For some reason i just felt like it was Kita Dhiaga Mahal that came to save Bell and not Elora for some reason.
Bell has every reason to go all out but give us a good beatdown scene even though he might lose because he was tunnel visioned during the battle and that scourge reduces his durability so he'll probably lose because of the assassin pulling out a cheap trick when he's about to kill Kaius
Author: That's a unique take, but everyone has their own way of viewing things… and you may be onto something with scourge there xD
Well, I can't answer anymore or this chapter will become a review answering one. God there were a lot this time, but that's to be expected with the end of the last one.
Anyway, as always, I hope you all enjoyed it and to see you all next time!