Bell stood in a grassy field holding his sword with a blindfold over his eyes. The wind softly blew, filling his ears with the sound of the grass rustling. He remained still and calm, his sword in hand.
He quickly swung to the right and parried a blade before quickly ducking and feeling something go over his head.
Bell shot back up and blocked another slash at his hip, then jumped back and landed a few feet away. He listened closely once again and moved his head as a rock flew past.
Bell brought his sword up and blocked before kicking his assailant in the stomach. He heard air exit lungs and swung down.
Only for his wrist to be grabbed and him thrown over the assailant's shoulder. Bell landed on the ground, causing dirt to be kicked up and for him to let out a groan, with his blindfold being taken off.
His eyes adjusted to the light, and he saw his Grandpa staring down at him with a smile. "Got a little cocky there near the end."
He stuck his hand out to Bell, which the boy took. The old man helped Bell up and patted the dirt off his shirt.
"I thought I had you that time." Bell chuckled.
The old man gave him a smile. "You're still a hundred years too young to beat me, Bell. But you are getting pretty good."
The old man currently rested a dull Xhipos over his shoulder that he used for training. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and strong muscles. He wore a blue button-up shirt with blue jeans and a pair of overalls over top of them. His hair was grey, as well as his beard, which was bushy.
"Now, what has this training taught you so far?" The old man asked.
"That I can't rely on my eyes when I'm fighting." Bell groaned like he had said it before,
"Correct, and now look at you. Able to fight without being able to see at all. Winning, on the other hand, is a different matter."
Bell rolled his eyes as the old man started laughing. His Grandpa walked up beside him and patted him on the shoulder.
"Come now, Bell, let's get lunch. I, for one, am starving from winning all day."
Bell couldn't help but smile as he sheathed his sword and followed his Grandpa back home to their cabin.
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Bell awoke to the sun shining through his window with a purple tint thanks to the blinds. He yawned and stretched as he got out of bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and walked over to his dresser, where all of his clothes were now stored.
He opened it and grabbed a black long-sleeve shirt with black pants and the light brown jacket his goddess had gotten for him.
He quickly put them off and discarded his dirty clothes into the dirty clothes basket in his room. Once he was dressed, he grabbed his chestplate and put it on before securing his sword and dagger to his belt.
He would leave his backpack here as he wasn't going into the dungeon today. He grabbed his boots and quickly fastened them to his feet before grabbing a coin pouch with money he had set aside for today.
Once all that was done, he got up and walked out of his room and to the dining room. Astraea was already sitting at the head of the table, a cup of coffee to her right and a newspaper in her hand.
"Ah, good morning, Bell, ready for today?" She asked, giving Bell a smile.
Bell nodded. "Yup, just gonna get some breakfast, and we should be ready to head out."
Bell walked into the kitchen while Astraea flipped the newspaper over. Bell grabbed an apple with some water before walking back into the dining room.
"Have you already eaten?" Bell asked, sitting down.
Astraea nodded, setting her newspaper aside. "Yes, I had something light for breakfast. Who knows what type of food they'll have at the festival today."
Bell could see Astraea shaking in her seat a little from excitement. She had her hands folded over each other and resting under her hands, staring at him.
She was waiting for him to finish up his breakfast so they could get going.
"You seem excited," Bell commented as he took a bite.
Astraea quickly nodded. "I am, I didn't realize how much I missed life in the city. You can't find a culture like this anywhere else."
Bell took another look at his apple before looking back at Astraea. "Well, let's get going then, I can take this to go."
Bel stood up, and Astraea quickly did so as well. "Are you sure, Bell? I'm willing to wait for you to finish eating before we go."
Bell shook his head. "Nah, it's fine, neat thing about apples is I can take this with me. Now, let's go. I can see you're excited."
Bell walked to the door, and Astraea quickly followed behind him. "Wait, Bell, are you sure you should go dressed like that?"
Bell placed his hand on the doorknob and glanced back. "I'm sure, I need to make sure no ruffian hurts my goddess. What better way to do that than look like a first-class adventurer."
Astraea went to respond but realized Bell made a good point. So once the door was open, she quickly followed behind him, and the two ended up on the front porch.
Bell shut the door and locked it before putting the keys back into his pocket. He then stuck his arm out for Astraea to grab.
"May I?" He offered.
Astraea giggled and took his arm. "You may."
The two began their walk down the street and toward Main Street. They gave a few greetings to those they met along the way.
"You know, people might think we're on a date." Astraea joked.
Bell laughed. "Oh gods, can you imagine the rumors? Returning goddess of Justice and young man, just what is their relationship?" Bell joked, mimicking a reporter.
Astraea giggled at the joke but still held onto Bell. "You do know this is not a date, though, right?" Astraea asked.
Bell quirked an eyebrow while glancing at her. "Uh yeah, it'd be pretty weird if it was, considering we've only known each other for like a month. Besides, you're a goddess, and I'm just some nobody you picked up on the side of the road."
Astraea frowned, hearing Bell talk about himself like that. She didn't like hearing him talk badly about himself. But she kept quiet.
Bell, on the other hand, was wondering why she looked sad. Did he say something wrong? No, he was sure he hadn't.
"Hey, Bell," Astraea called out.
"Yeah, what's up," Bell responded.
"When I meet my lost child again. Can you stay by my side? I don't know if I can do it alone." Astraea softly spoke. Her voice was so quiet Bell almost didn't hear it.
Bell stopped walking and looked at Astraea. "Of course, but I think once you two do reunite, I should let you catch up. You don't need someone like me around in the middle of your reunion."
Astraea furrowed her brow and lightly frowned. "What do you mean by someone like you?" She asked.
Bell held her gaze before looking away. "I mean, you don't need me around when you catch up. I mean, you've known this girl for years, and I would practically be a stranger to her. It wouldn't be fair for me to sit in on your reunion."
Astraea nodded as he did make a point. "But will you at least be with me before we sit down and catch up?"
Bell gave Astraea a comforting smile. "Of course, as I said before, it would be bad manners for me to just ditch you before that."
Astraea nervously smiled back. "Thank you, Bell, I'm just really nervous to see her again. I feel terrible for what I did to her."
Bell took Astraea aside, taking her to a bench so she could sit down. "And that's alright, it's ok to feel nervous. You did something you regret, and now you want to fix your mistake. I'm pretty sure you're one of the only gods to do something like that."
Astraea's smile grew upon hearing Bell's words. "You know, you're more mature than you seem."
Bell chuckled. "Oh, so I was immature beforehand, is that it?"
"No, it's not that, it's just, you're a lot more mature for someone your age, that's all."
"Well, I do like helping people solve their problems. I've always been good at listening when people talk about their problems."
Astraea smiled and patted his hand. "That's a good trait to have, but do you think she's ready to see me?"
"I think when she sees you, she'll be really glad you're back. If she did what you say she did, she might feel ashamed for her actions."
"But I told her to abandon her justice." Astraea brought up.
"You did, but I have a feeling she'll be happy to see you again. You're kind, and the effect you have on people is calming. She might cry at first and feel like she shouldn't be around you. But in the end, it'll be up to you to mend that gap." Bell calmly explained.
Astraea was a little taken aback by Bell's words. She didn't expect such wise words from someone as young as him. But maturity like that often comes from tragedy.
Astraea took a deep and nervous breath. "Can we stay here for a little bit? I don't think I'm fully ready to go out there."
Bell smiled. "Oh, course, I have no plans anyway, so you're not getting rid of me."
Astraea giggled. "Wouldn't dream of it, you make life so much more interesting now."
Bell raised an eyebrow. "Oh, how so?"
"Well, you're well educated in a few things. Like fighting, cooking, medicine, and even plumbing. I also enjoy our conversations as you always have something to say, and you're always honest, too. I haven't sensed a single lie from you our entire time together."
Bell somberly smiled. "Well, my Grandpa always said that lying was a sign of a weak character. "Only cowards lie," he would tell me. I guess I've just taken that lesson to heart. I don't want to be a coward, I don't want to disappoint him by lying. So I'll always tell the truth."
Astraea gave him a comforting pat on the back. "I'm sure he'd be proud of you now. I mean, look at you now. Helped a goddess deal with her grief instead of running away from it, and soon, you'll help me reunite with my lost child. I'm sure he'd be very proud of you."
Bell chuckled. "He'd also be proud because we're sharing a house together."
Astraea chuckled as well. "Right, I forgot you said he was a pervert. You sure his teachings didn't take to your heart?" She teased.
Bell raised his hand. "As you as my witness, I swear my Grandpa's teachings didn't take to heart. Besides, I'd rather do all the stuff he taught me with someone I love. Not some random girl."
Astraea patted him on the back again. "That's a good mindset to have. Alright, I think I'm ready to conquer this day now."
Astraea took a deep breath and stood up, with Bell following her. "Alright, Astraea, let's go enjoy the festival before all that heavy stuff comes along."
Astraea nodded, and Bell held his arm out to her once more. She took it, and the two began walking once more.
"Kaguya, if you're watching me. I hope you can give Astraea the strength she needs to conquer her fear. I won't be much help, so I ask you and the others to give her the strength she needs." Bell thought.
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A few minutes later, Bell and Astraea arrived on Main Street and saw stalls filling each side of the street. The street was also packed with multiple different races of people. Prum, beastkin, humans, dwarves, elves. Bell could see what Astraea meant by only Orario having this type of culture.
"Oh my, that is a lot of people." Astraea gasped.
"Well, just make sure to hold onto me tight then. Can't have you getting lost in the crowds."
"My knight in shining armor." Astraea teased.
"At your service, my lady."
Astraea giggled. "Well, off we go, let's explore and see what this festival is all about."
The two then walked down Main Street arm and arm, drawing a few stares from onlookers. But they paid them no mind as they had other business to attend to.
As they walked, Astraea pointed things out to Bell. They were random things like a certain sign looking cool or a rose sitting on a window.
Bell didn't know why she pointed these things out, but it seemed she had an interest in nice-looking or pretty things. Bell made sure to keep a mental note of that.
"So what do you want to do?" Bell asked.
"I don't know what do you want to do?"
Bell looked around and saw some games the two could play. "We could try those out," Bell said, pointing to them.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Astraea cheered.
She dragged him to a stand with multiple pins stacked in a pyramid with balls in a basket below them. There were a myriad of prizes ranging from stuffed animals to even bigger stuffed animals. The stall owner was calling out for people to try.
"Step right up! Step right up! Can you knock down all the pins and win the grand prize!"
It was then the man spotted Bell. "You there, young man, care to try your luck?"
Bell glanced at Astraea and saw her staring wide-eyed at a giant teddy bear. Bell sighed and fished out the money in his pouch.
"500 for three balls, 1,000 valis for six."
"What a scam," Bell thought. He then glanced at Astraea once again. "But if it'll make her happy."
He deposited 1,000 valis coins into the man's hand, and Bell got six balls in return.
"Alright, young man, the rules are simple. Knock down all the pins with the balls, and you can win a prize of your choosing."
Astraea let go of Bell's arm and set the miscellaneous balls on the counter. He tossed the ball in the air before catching it. Then reeled his arm back and threw the ball.
It knocked down a set of pins, leaving only two sets remaining.
"Ooh, first blood, but can you knock down the other ones? Let's find out." The stall owner cheered.
Bell rolled his eyes but threw another ball and knocked down another set of pins. The stall owner gave a small clap, but Bell felt like he was being mocked.
Bell glanced at Astraea for a second and saw her staring at him with hopeful eyes. Her look kind of reminded Bell of a child. Not that he would ever voice that thought out loud, though.
Bell threw the third ball and knocked down the last set of pins.
"And we have a winner! Now, pick out your prize!" The stall owner cheered.
Bell grabbed the giant teddy bear Astraea was eyeing earlier and handed it to her. Her face broke out into a bright smile that threatened to blind Bell with its pure happiness.
"Smart choice, lad, care to go again?" The stall owner asked.
Bell shook his head. "No, I got what I wanted, just leave the other three balls for the next person that comes up. Let someone have a free game."
The stall owner smiled. "Very kind of you, kid, well now go and enjoy the rest of the festival."
Bell smiled and waved. "You too."
Bell walked to Astraea and gently took her arm to lead her away from the stall while she held onto the bear.
"That was nice of you," Astraea said.
Bell glanced back briefly at the stall and saw a young girl's eyes widen in excitement. "Well, I wanted to bring join to someone today."
"Well, you brought me joy to, look how big and cuddly this bear is." Astraea giggled.
"That bear is like half your size, I think we should find somewhere to put it."!
"B-but I want to hold him. Can't you play more games and win me more prizes while I hold him."
Bell sighed and shook his head. "And I'm the child." He muttered.
"Hey!" Astraea pouted.
Bell didn't respond and went to another game. But something was on his mind. If Monsterphelia had been going on for a while, why didn't Astraea participate in it? From the little information Bell had gathered, Monsterphelia had started sometime after the Zeus and Hera familia's left Orario.
If that were the case, why hadn't Astraea participated in the event earlier? Bell brushed that thought aside for now. He'd ask her about it later.
So Bell and Astraea went on with their days. Bell playing a multitude of games and winning prizes for Astraea, who slowly disappeared after getting each one.
"Astraea, we need to find somewhere to store everything." Bell deadpanned.
"But I can still carry more." Astraea protested.
"I can't even see the top half of your body. We're finding somewhere to store them."
He heard Astraea grumble but offered no protest. Bell shook his head and took some of the prizes away from her so she could see. The goddess was pouting slightly, but Bell just smiled.
"Come on, once we put these away, I'll win you more. Also, it's around lunchtime, so let's put these back at the house and get some lunch, deal?"
"Fine, but I want to pick what we have to eat. There's so much new food to eat!"
Bell rolled his eyes. "Fine, it's a deal."
Astraea let out a cheer, and the two began making a quick pit stop home.
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"Nya white hair, I need your help, nya." A catgirl called out.
The cat-girl had called out to the two on their way home.
Bell turned his head to the brown-haired catgirl with a questioning gaze. "Um yeah, what's up?"
"Silly Syr nya forgot her purse nya, can you go find her and give it to her nya."
Bell looked over at Astraea with a confused look. "Uh, did you understand what she said?"
"She's asking for you to take a coin purse to a girl named Syr," Astraea answered.
"Oh, I see, um yeah, sure, I'll keep an eye out for her. Do you mind if we keep our stuff here then while we look?" Bell asked.
The catgirl put her finger on her chin. "Hmm, I don't know if Mama Mia will allow it, nya."
"I'll pay her to let us keep our stuff here." Bell offered.
"Hmm, ok." The catgirl shrugged.
Bell handed the stuff to the catgirl after taking the coin purse from her.
"Wow, so much stuff, nya."
"Thanks for the help, we'll keep an eye out for Syr." Bell waved.
Once Bell and Astraea left, a nervous elf peeked around the corner. A basket of clothes in her hands. She couldn't believe what she just saw.
Her old goddess was back, and with a new member no less. Was she here to bring her to Justice for what she did?
Ryu didn't know, and she was also scared to approach her. How would she react seeing her after all this time? Would she be disgusted and outraged?
Ryu was too scared to find out. So she would just stay away. Let her goddess restart the familia of justice.
Without her.
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Bell and Astraea walked down the busy streets, no longer encumbered by their prizes. The sun shone brightly in the sky, signaling it was noon.
Bell was keeping an eye on Astraea as she examined each of the food stalls for something she wanted to try. She seemed easily excitable by all the choices.
"Ooh, look at that Bell, it looks good, or that I wonder what that is! Ooh, sushi!"
Bell didn't know what most of this food was, but he watched her excitement with a smile on his face. It was peaceful and calm. He enjoyed this side of her. Bell noticed she seemed more perked up when he was around.
"Maybe she's lonely when I'm gone?" Bell wondered.
He wouldn't put it past her. He was one of her only familia members. Maybe she was scared he would die in the dungeon, and she'd be left alone again?
"Well, she won't have to worry about that. I'm not gonna die anytime soon."
Eventually, Astraea said she wanted this thing called a hotdog. Bell paid for two and then got some drinks as well. Making their way through the crowd, Bell and Astraea sat on a grassy patch near the Coliseum.
"It's a truly beautiful day out," Astraea commented.
Bell nodded. "Yeah, it is, wish there were more like it."
"I'm just glad Orario's at peace. It's nice seeing people smile and go about their daily lives without fear of death."
Bell furrowed his brow. What did she mean by that? Was she talking about adventurers? Bell didn't feel like pressing further in case the memories were too hard for her. Maybe what she was referring to was the incident leading to the death of her familia.
Was she popular back in the day, then? Was her familia a fabled hall of heroes or paragons of justice? Bell didn't know, but one thing he did know was that they were dead.
"Will I be able to fill the footsteps?" Bell wondered.
Astraea looked over to Bell, who was deep in thought. "Something the matter Bell?" She asked.
Bell shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. "No, I'm alright, just having a few doubts is all."
Astraea frowned slightly. "Thoughts about what? Nothing bad, I hope."
Bell shook his head again. "Well, I wouldn't call it bad per se, I'm just wondering if I'll be able to fill the shoes left behind by your familia."
Astraea gave him a comforting smile while placing her hand on his shoulder. "Bell, you don't need to worry about that. You're a good man, you're only just starting out. Don't expect results to come right away."
Bell chuckled. "You sound like my Grandpa when he was teaching me the sword."
"Ooh, am I being treated to another one of your fabled grandfather stories?" Astraea joked.
Bell smirked as he bit into his hotdog. "I guess so, but this one's more combat-oriented. I remember he used to blindfold me and then attack me with a dulled sword. I'll tell ya, it hurt pretty bad when I got hit." Bell chuckled.
Astraea gasped. "Oh my, that sounds quite dangerous, no lasting scars, I hope."
Bell shook his head. "No, but my clothes were always dirty by the time we were done. He'd always find some way to knock me onto the ground. Whether by kicking my feet out from under me or throwing me over his shoulder. He'd always win."
"Sounds like he's a formidable fighter. But I expect nothing less of an ex-Zeus familia member. What did you do after the training?" Astraea asked.
"Go fishing, there was a river near our village, so we'd go fishing there after every training session,"
Bell smirked as he remembered the fond memories. "I remember this one time when he caught this huge bass. The thing weighed about 19 pounds. Safe to say we had a good dinner that night."
"I bet, you know I'm fancying myself some fish right about now. Why don't we go and find some?"
"Let's wait for a bit and try and find Syr. I know what she looks like, but with this many people, it'll be hard finding her."
"Ooh, tell me what she looks like so I can help."
Bell took a second to recall her features. "Well, she's short with grey hair and grey eyes. Oh, and she has a cute face as well."
"Oh, you find her cute, do you? Something you want to tell your goddess? Possibly about having a crush on this girl?" Astraea teased.
Bell groaned and rolled his eyes. "No, I don't have a crush on her. I just simply find her looks to be cute. Nothing more."
Astraea gave him a teasing glance. "Uh-huh, sure, is she the girl you hope to have a faithful encounter with?"
Bell smiled and shook his head. "'No, because she would have to be in the dungeon. Also, that was something my Grandpa spouted."
"But you do want a faithful encounter, don't you?"
"I'm gonna take your teddy bear away." Bell deadpanned.
"You wouldn't! Belly is mine!" Astraea protested.
Bell quirked an eyebrow. "Belly? Really? You named the bear Belly?"
Astraea pouted. "Hmm, what's wrong with that?"
"You could've chosen any name, and you chose Belly."
Bell started laughing while Astraea playfully hit his arm. "Stop laughing at me!"
Bell's laughter only grew, causing Astraea to pout more.
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Below the coliseum where the monsters were held, a woman in a cloak walked forward. The guards were on the ground, drooling and in some sort of haze.
The monsters in their cages roared and smashed against the iron bars, hoping to get free. The sounds of heels clacking reverberated throughout the underground storage area.
"Such beasts you keep down here, Ganehsa, and for what? To provide the crowd with entertainment. Such a recipe for disaster if handled poorly."
One by one, the woman looked into the monsters eyes, causing them to become docile with a small pink glow in their eyes, which quickly disappeared.
The woman then smirked and approached the cage, holding a monster she found worthy to give out her test. She looked into its eyes, causing the monster to cease all movement.
"Yes, you'll do quite nicely, now, chase the one with hair like mine. I want to see how bright he shines."
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Bell and Astraea still sat on the small grassy area next to the Coliseum. They had finished their lunch and were finishing their drinks before going to look for Syr.
"So, Bell, are you going to win me any more prizes?" Astraea asked with a grin.
Bell glanced at her. "After we find Syr, besides I've already won you like a dozen prizes."
"I know, but there's so many games we could play. Oh, I want to try that one where you bob for apples."
"I don't think you should do that one."
"Why not?" Astraea asked.
"Because you have to stick your head into water to grab them. You're wearing white clothes."
"I'm aware, what's your point?"
"White clothes can be see-through when wet."
Astraea's eyes widened in realization. "Ah, I see."
"You seem a lot more relaxed and lackadaisical today. What's up with that?"
"Well, I'm simply having fun. It's been so long that I can't remember the last time I spent the day with my familia in the city."
Bell smiled as a thought popped into his mind. "Then how about this, every year, you and I go out and celebrate Monsterphelia. Just the two of us until we get more members, and your old member can join us, too."
"Sounds like you're asking me out on a date Bell." Astraea teased.
Bell groaned and chuckled a bit. "You know that's not what I'm doing. What I'm saving is we can make this event a yearly tradition. Like Yule or New Year's."
"I know I was kidding, Bell. But that does sound like an excellent idea. Just a day where we can unwind and have fun."
"Yeah, and then you can use the newer members to win you prizes, too," Bell grumbled.
"Oh, come on, you don't like winning your awesome goddess prizes?"
"Never said that, but if you have more familia members, it's more prizes coming in at a faster rate. All the giant teddy bears and stuffed animals you could think of. Plus whatever else they're offering."
"Hey, what can I say? We didn't have stuffed animals in heaven."
"Really, a perfect place like that didn't have stuffed animals?"
"That right there shows you it wasn't perfect." Astraea pointed out.
The two laughed, enjoying a gentle breeze that blew. Once they were done, Bell grabbed both of their drink and threw them away. He made his way back to Astraea, but not before spotting a weird puffy candy off to his right. He'd come back to it later after he found Syr.
"Alright, let's get going, sooner we find Syr sooner we can have some of that fluffy candy on that stick."
"I believe that's called cotton-
A loud roar cut Astraea off, and Bell's eyes widened in shock. He spun on his heel, his hand reaching for his sword, but he froze when he saw the monster.
A brown Minotaur stood at one of the entrances to the Coliseum. It snorted, and steam came out of its nostrils as it looked around the crowd. Once it spotted Bell, it snorted once again and started to run after Bell.
Bell's body moved without thinking. He quickly grabbed Astraea's hand and started running with the Minotaur going after them.
Luckily for Bell, the Minotaur seemed drunk off something, so it crashed into buildings when it came across tight corners. Bell used this to his advantage and led the Minotaur to hurt itself.
But the Minotaur was slowly getting closer to Bell and Astraea. Bell was able to outrun the Minotaur thanks to his falna and the fact he was using its little intelligence to his advantage. But Astraea was slowing him down. Which left him with only one option.
"Sorry about this, Astraea," Bell said before grabbing her legs and picking her up in a Princess carry. Astraea yelled in fright as Bell began to pick up speed, leading the Minotaur throughout the streets.
He went through twists and turns, hearing the Minotaur crash behind him. Bell knew he couldn't fight this thing. Not with Astraea, so close to the danger zone. He needed to get her to safety so he could kill this thing.
He knew it'd be hard as he was a level one going up against a level two monster. But luckily for him, he knew all about the Minotaur, and the Minotaur knew nothing about him.
Bell heard another roar of anger from the Minotaur start to fade away as he pulled ahead of it. Bell quickly glanced back and saw the Minotaur's horns stuck into a wall.
He got lucky as that mistake had bought him some time to hide Astraea. Looking around in the streets, Bell didn't know where he was. But Astraea did.
"We're in Daedalus Street." She stated.
Bell didn't know what that was, nor did he have time to ask as he heard the Minotaur roar and the crumbling of stone.
He needed to think of something, and now. Eyeing an iron gate with a lock on the outside, Belk quickly rushed towards it. He opened it and set Astraea inside before quickly slamming it and locking her in.
"Bell, what are you doing? Get in here now so we can escape!" Astraea said in a panic.
Bell shook his head and drew his sword. "Sorry, I can't do that. That thing is hunting one of us, and I assume it's you because you're a goddess. I'll lead it away while you get to safety."
Astraea reached through the bars, trying to grab Bell's sleeve, but he pulled back before she could. "Bell, no, please! Please come in here and be safe!"
A roar resounded down the street, and Bell could see the Minotaur. "Don't worry about me. I'm smart. This monster isn't." He joked.
Bell gave her one last smile before dragging his sword across the iron bars and whistling.
"Come here, you ugly bastard! Come on, I'm right here!" Bell shouted.
The Minotaur roared before running after Bell once more. Astraea watched helplessly as Bell and the Minotaur left her sight.
The goddess started to panic as countless thoughts ran through her mind.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! He's gonna die if he fights that thing. What is he thinking?!! Please, Bell, don't die!" Astraea thought as she ran down the tunnel.
She'd find a way out of here and go help Bell. She was his goddess, and as such, she would help him in his time of need.
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Bell ran further and further away from Astraea as the Minotaur followed him. He did more twists and turns, making the Minotaur hurt itself more and more.
As he was running, Bell was going over the strategy in his head on how to take it down.
"Alright, think Bell. I have better weapons and armor than the beast. I'm smarter and faster than it. Grandpa said avoid getting hit and to aim at the tendons. Take away its ability to move, and it's easy pickings. But I need to find an area to maneuver in."
Bell vaulted on a stack of crates, which instantly shattered once the Minotaur ran into them. After a few more minutes of running, Bell finally arrived at a plaza somewhere on Daedalus Street. It was abandoned, and Bell was surrounded by houses.
A few seconds later, the Minotaur arrived, huffing and puffing while Bell hadn't broken a sweat.
"You need to learn to pace yourself ugly." Bell taunted.
The Minotaur huffed before charging. Bell waited until the last second before moving and slashing the Minotaur's chest.
Bell quickly got to his feet and dodged a punch before slashing the Minotaur's arm. He jumped back and avoided another swing that was too close for comfort.
The Minotaur charged again, but Bell sidestepped it and cut across its back. The Minotaur roared in pain as another slash severed one of its tendons in its foot.
Bell stabbed the monster in the back, dragging his blade down and jumping back, dodging a backhand. The Minotaur stood back up, hobbling slightly as it only had one good leg.
Bell dodged another punch, slashing across its back again before ducking under its fist. He sliced upwards and cut one of its hands off, causing another roar of pain.
Blood spurted from the wound, painting the stone red as Bell rolled under a backhand. He drove his sword into the Minotaur's left knee before quickly taking it out.
The Minotaur kneeled on the ground, huffing and puffing in anger as its red eyes became bloodshot in rage. It looked at the human that was carving it up like a Turkey, starting to sweat slightly.
"Just need to sever two more tendons, and I can kill it. Don't get cocky now, Bell."
Bell waited as the Minotaur rose to its feet once more. He narrowed his eyes in concentration as the Minotaur roared and beat its fist against its chest.
Bell was slightly confused but didn't let it distract him as the Minotaur picked up a piece of rebar to use as a weapon.
"Hmm, it's smarter than I gave it credit for. Need to be care-
The Minotaur threw the piece of rebar like a javelin, causing Bell to roll out of the way. He quickly got up to his feet only to be close to the Minotaur. The monster capitalized on Bell's mistake and quickly backhanded the boy in the chest.
Bell went flying through the air and slammed into a house, going right through the wooden wall. He started gasping for air as it was knocked out of his lungs, and he held his chest in pain.
He had gotten extremely lucky. As thanks to his chestplate being made for a first-class adventurer, the armor absorbed most of the blow.
But unluckily for Bell, blood was starting to fill his eyes as his head bled and he gasped for air. The Minotaur slowly hobbled over to Bell, intent on killing the white-haired boy who could no longer defend himself.
He drew closer and closer and was mere feet from the boy. Until a small stone hit the back of its head.
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The Minotaur huffed and slowly turned around. It glared at Astraea, who held a small stone in her hand. She threw it, and the stone hit the Minotaur directly in the eye.
It huffed in annoyance as it marched to the goddess. It had lost its ability to charge thanks to Bell severing one of its tendons, but the sight of the monster coming towards her made Astraea unnerved.
"That's right, come this way. A goddess is a much better kill than a boy." Astraea nervously said.
As the Minotaur drew closer, Bell was still trying to catch his breath as blood completely filled his vision. He could barely see, but he saw something in front of him.
He could barely make out the sight, but it looked like a humanoid figure. That was all Bell could make out from it as his vision was tinted pure red.
The figure, whose feet didn't seem to touch the ground, approached Bell and placed its hand on his shoulder. Bell felt a surge of power fill his body as he finally caught his breath.
The figure then pointed outward, and Bell could feel the Minotaur moving away from him. He heard Astraea's soft voice, and adrenaline started pumping through his veins.
Once Bell grabbed his sword, he heard a soft whisper in his ears. It was two simple words, but for some reason, he knew what they were.
Astraea slowly backed away, still keeping the Minotaur's attention on her. It drew closer and closer, still hobbling but menacing all the same.
She cursed to herself, feeling her back pressed against a wall. The Minotaur seemed to smile as its prey was trapped and ready to be devoured.
"Agaris Alvesynth!"
Astraea's eyes widened as she heard that spell. Before the Minotaur could react, Bell was above it, his body covered in flames that didn't burn him.
He stabbed down the Minotaur's back once more, leaving a searing cut. The monster roared, but Bell was faster now.
He cut off one of its horns before stabbing it in the stomach. Fire spread inside its cuts before Bell took his sword out and cut off the last hand.
Smoke burst out from the Minotaur's mouth as Bell drove his sword into its other knee. He pressed the blade upward, causing the knee to pop out of the socket.
The Minotaur fell to its knees, and Bell finished it off with a final slash to the Minotaur's neck, cutting the monster's head off and killing the beast.
The flames around Bell slowly disappeared, and he dropped his sword. His hands no longer having the strength to hold it.
He could feel Astraea on his left but couldn't see her due to the blood in his eyes.
"B-Bell-
"Are you ok?!!" Bell asked as he stumbled forward.
"Bell, you're-
"ARE YOU OK?!!" He shouted.
Astraea was slightly taken aback. Y-yes, I'm ok." She answered.
"Good, that's good. I'm glad."
Bell's knees gave out from under him, and Astraea caught him before he hit the ground. His eyes were closed, and his face and legs were covered in blood.
Astraea quickly sat down with a bloodied Bell in her arms.
"Bell! Bell, please, no! Please don't die! Please don't leave me alone!" Astraea begged.
Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. There was so much blood, and she didn't know what to do. How would she even begin treating him with this much blood?
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Ryu quickly ran down the street in her maid uniform. She had heard of the monsters breaking out into the city and quickly rushed to find her old goddess.
She had heard word of a Minotaur chasing someone matching her description and a white-haired boy in Daedalus Street.
She didn't care if Astraea hated her or wanted nothing to do with her. All that mattered to her right now was keeping her goddess safe.
Once Ryu reached Daedalus Street, she jumped to the roofs and started jumping around looking for her. It didn't take her long as she heard a roar of pain, and then nothing.
Ryu quickly made her way over to the roar and came upon an unexpected sight. Her goddess was sitting on the ground. Holding a young and bloodied boy in her arms, begging him not to go.
Ryu landed on the ground, grabbing Astraea's attention. The goddess's eyes widened in shock and disbelief before she started begging.
"Ryu." Astraea started, her voice breaking. "Help him, please."
Ryu was quick to get to work. She was immediately by the boy's side and began chanting her healing spell.
"The song of a now distant forest. The nostalgic song of life. Please bring the mercy of healing to those that seek you. Noah heal."
A green light illuminated from Ryu's palm, and she hovered it over Bell. Slowly, his wounds started to close, and the bleeding eventually stopped.
Astraea leaned her ear down to Bell's face and heard the steady rhythm of his breathing. Her body sagged in relief, knowing he would be alright.
"Is there somewhere we can take him, Ryu?" Astraea asked.
Ryu, still nervous around her goddess's presence, nodded. "Yes, follow me back to the Hostess. Mama Mia will let him rest there."
Astraea went to pick Bell up but struggled because of his armor. Ryu, not wanting to see her goddess struggle, threw the bloodied Bell over her back and began carrying him.
Astraea was stunned into silence by Ryu carrying someone. But she held off on talking, Bell's safety taking her attention. Before she left, however, she made sure to grab Bell's sword, knowing its significance to him.
Standing on a rooftop overlooking the battlefield, the cloaked woman smiled as her cloak blew in the wind.
"Looks like you're smart, my dear. But you would've lost if not for Astraea's intervention, and it also seems you have the magic of a corpse. How beautiful."
Merry Christmas and happy New Years