Hey, I'm back! Gods it has been a while. I've been busy with work and studies, not to mention my Gunpla backlog that's still sitting there.

I barely touched one of them and only did the legs... Not to mention Lostbelt 6 just dropped... 700 sqs for Morgan, Np2 Barghest and NP5 Baobhan Sith... Hopefully I have enough for Melusine and Koyanskaya.

Anyway...

Guest, Achilles is someone I'm still considering. I have plans where Achilles may be used in a specific scenario, but it's basically down between Achilles and Penthesilea.

Exodus12345, I'm still thinking if I should make this a full blown harem fic. Ryuu is definitely a yes, and Syr/Freya is more of a side thing. Ais is a no go in this one, simply because their relationship is fundamentally different. Hestia, she is infatuated with him like in canon, but again, it depends.

codywhite162, glad you like the story so far.

AnimeFan13579, now a bit of a misconception I want to clear up. Bell inherits the powers of heroes from the Throne of Heroes, but he is not ready to use all of them, not by a long shot. His body is still very weak, so he can only use what his body can handle.

In most heroes' cases, their strength is mainly in a physical sense. For example, Heracles for his physical prowess and technique. Bell can't use even a fifth of that power. The same is for the other heroes.

Until Bell becomes strong enough, his access to EMIYA's armory (which is his point of strength), would be extremely limited. He will mostly be able to use weapons that are considered to be EMIYA's signature ones, like Kanshou and Bakuya. At least in the beginning.

So yes, you are right in that a lot of the fights will go differently depending on which weapon Bell can use, but it is a matter of IF he can use them. Also, I want to point out that he does not own the Unlimited Blade Works, not in a true sense. With enough mana, he can use it, but he cannot add to it. Or at least, not yet.

NeonGamer973, Bell's development is something we'll find out as we go, so do read on!

So yeah, here's the newest chapter, slightly longer than the ones before.

XXX

Bell blinked, "I'm sorry, come again?"

Hestia stared at him in the eye, "Bell, the Soma Familia's members, they're bad people, they will do whatever they need to get what they want."

The boy furrowed his brows, "But Lili hasn't done anything bad, rather, if you're saying her Familia is bad, I think she's caught up in some trouble with them."

The goddess folded her arms, "Then even more so that you stay away from her."

Eina spoke up, "Bell-kun, we're worried that you will get caught up in whatever that's happening with the Soma Familia."

Bell frowned, "But I can't just up and leave Lili alone."

Hestia grumbled, before she stood up, her twin tails straightening, "Dammit Bell! I don't care about that supporter! For all we know, she could be scheming something with her Familia to do something bad!"

The boy's frown deepened, but he took a breath, "You don't know that."

Both women blinked, "Huh?"

Bell stared at them in the eye, "Lili hasn't done anything wrong so far, I have no reason to just up and leave."

Hestia grumbled under her breath, before she spoke out loud, "And I'm telling you her background is bad! I know this is harsh, but do you really think she is trustworthy?!"

The white rabbit opened his mouth to respond, but the goddess cut him off, "I know you lost your knife before."

Bell froze, "Eh?"

Hestia scoffed, folding her arms again, "You weren't exactly quiet about it either. Everyone heard you on the streets."

The goddess shook her head, "But that's beside the point! You lost your knife right after you started teaming up with her! Do you really think you would drop your knife so easily?!"

Bell frowned again, "But we still don't know if it was her, it could be anyone!"

Eina could only watch as Hestia spoke up again, steel evident in her voice, "And you don't know if it wasn't her! If other adventurers are after her, there must be a reason!"

The boy let out a breath, "Then I'll figure things out, if there's a reason, then I'll make sure she doesn't do anything wrong, I'll make sure nothing goes wrong."

Bell stared at them in the eyes again, "What kind of hero would I be if I can't even do this much?"

Hestia growled, "You just became an adventurer not even a year ago! You're not ready to be a hero!"

The boy clenched his fists, and he turned away to the door, "Watch me."

With that said, Bell left the room, leaving Eina and Hestia in the room.

As soon as the door closed shut, the goddess let out a frustrated growl, "Gods dammit!"

The half-elf shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "Umm, is it really a good idea to let him go? I can ask other adventurers to help."

Hestia took a deep breath, "No, don't bother. Once Bell-kun makes up his mind, he won't budge even a single bit."

The goddess leaned into her seat, "Besides, it's not like he doesn't have the power to hold his own. I just panicked from what flat chested told us."

Eina stared at the goddess, before she spoke out carefully, "I don't think it's a bad thing though, I mean, Bell-kun is still really green."

Hestia nodded, "I know... And that's why I'm worried."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, before the goddess glanced at the half-elf, "And speaking of which, why are so worried about him anyway? I thought guild advisors are supposed to keep a professional relationship with their advisees."

Eina jumped from the sudden question, "Eh? I mean..."

She trailed off when she saw Hestia's judging stare, and the goddess asked, "Are you sure you two are really just that?"

The half-elf found herself unable to answer, before she turned to the door, "ExcusemeIstillhavealotofworktodo! Haveagoodday!"

With that said, Eina left the room, and Hestia chuckled to herself, "Younglings these days."

She caught herself, "Wait no! I can't let her get to my Bell! I should've also asked for more backup!"

The goddess jumped to the floor and dashed out of the room, "WAIT UP HALF-ELF ADVISOR!"

(Linebreak)

With Bell, the boy found himself heading to the Hostess of Fertility, and he sighed to himself when he stopped outside the bar, "Guess I might as well eat dinner too."

The white haired boy walked into the bar, and he immediately found Syr greeting him, "Why hello there."

Bell smiled softly when he saw the waitress' cheerful smile, "Good evening, Syr-san."

The silver haired waitress beamed, "Table for one?"

The boy chuckled, "Yes please."

Bell followed Syr to his table, and as he sat down, Syr asked, "So, the usual?"

The boy almost said yes until he remembered it was Syr serving him and not any of the other waitresses, "No, just a plate of Mama Mia's signature pasta and a glass of juice please."

The silver haired waitress stared at him, "That's your usual order."

Bell almost chuckled, "If I said yes, I'd be broke tonight."

Syr stared at him again, before nodding approvingly, "Good, you're learning. I'll let this go tonight then."

With that said, the waitress gave him another smile before turning to put in his order. As she did, Bell sighed in exasperation, "Gods... seriously..."

"Well, that's Syr for nya, consider yourself lucky though nya, you're the only one she does that to nya."

Bell turned to see the chienthrope, and he greeted, "Hey Anya."

The boy made a complicated expression, "But I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

Anya giggled, "Me neither nya."

The waitress walked away to serve other customers, and Bell simply sat there waiting for his order.

His mind immediately went to Hestia's words, and he let out a breath. His goddess wasn't wrong, and he knew she was just looking out for him.

But it just didn't sit right with him, especially what with those other men he'd seen earlier in the day.

However, before the boy could continue his line of thought, Bell found a plate of pasta and a glass of juice before him.

Bell blinked, before he looked up to see Ryuu, "Oh, thanks, Ryuu-san."

The elf nodded, before she asked, "You seemed to be deep in thought."

The boy nodded, "Yes, I guess I was."

Ryuu hummed, "Would you like to share? I believe Mama Mia would be okay if its quick."

Bell gave a brief glance to the bar, and he quickly saw said owner of the establishment giving him a brief snort and a nod.

The boy looked at his food, before he nodded, "Remember that chienthrope with me when you found my knife?"

Ryuu's face stiffened, "... Yes, I do. She is your supporter, and if I remember correctly, from the Soma Familia."

Bell made a complicated face, "My goddess and advisor from the guild believes that I should stay away from her. Apparently the Soma Familia isn't good, and Lili may be plotting something against me."

The elf fell silent, before she responded, "I see... From your perspective, she's done nothing wrong, so you don't see any reason why you should stay away from her."

The boy nodded, "Yes. I think she may be in some sort of trouble, that's why I want to find out what is wrong and help her if need be."

Ryuu nodded, before she spoke again, "Objectively speaking, what your goddess and advisor said isn't wrong, especially the part about that familia. Personally I think you should do just that."

Bell stared at his food, "I see..."

The elf studied his expression, before she sighed, "Judging from your expression, I suppose that is the exact opposite of what you want."

The boy smiled humorlessly, "Am I that obvious?"

Ryuu snorted, "Yes."

The elf shook her head, "But my advice is to do what you believe is right. Just because your goddess and advisor are correct, doesn't mean they are right."

For some reason, those words seemed to resonate with Bell, and he felt his back grow warmer slightly, "Just because they're correct, doesn't mean they're right..."

Ryuu nodded, "But well, it also depends on what you plan to do."

Bell looked at her, and he smiled, "I think... I'm gonna party with Lili for a little longer."

The elf returned that smile slightly when she saw the fire in his eyes, "If that is what you believe is right."

The boy quickly dug into his food, eating with vigor, and Ryuu turned away, shaking her head slightly as she chuckled.

As the elf walked back to the counter, she noticed the looks she was getting from Syr, Anya and Lunoire.

Ryuu blinked, "W-what?"

The three responded in unrehearsed unison before walking away, "Nothing~"

The elf just tilted her head in confusion, before she approached Mia, "Mama Mia, is it okay if I take the next few days off?"

The dwarf gave her a weird look, before she sighed, "Do what you want."

(Linebreak)

Meanwhile, Lili walked through the alleys, careful to make sure she wasn't followed.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side today, and as the prum turned, she bumped straight into the very people she was trying to avoid.

"There you are, we were just looking for you, ya know?"

Panic made itself evident on her face, not that the three men before her noticed.

The largest man amongst the three, Canoe, a raccoon, smirked at her, "So, where've you been?"

Lili panicked, and fortunately she'd left her bag at her hideout, bringing a pouch of valis with her. Unfortunately, that same pouch hung by her waist.

Canoe snorted and grabbed her by the arm, snatching the pouch from her waist.

Lili tried to take it back, but the larger man simply held her away with his arm and squeezed on her shoulder tightly, earning a yelp of pain.

The raccoon smirked as he weighed the pouch in his hands, "Oh, not bad, this is more than what you usually get."

He smirked at her as he pushed her to the ground, "But this ain't enough, not even close, eh?"

Lili grunted as she regained her bearings, backing away from the raccoon, "I know..."

Canoe scoffed, "Do you? The only reason a useless piece of shit like you is in this Familia, do you know what that is?"

The prum swallowed a curse and spoke out shakily, "It's all thanks to you."

The raccoon smirked, "So you do know. Good, then be a good girl and earn some more for us, yeah?"

Lili took a deep breath, "Yes, I understand."

Canoe nodded, and before the girl could react, his leg lashed out, landing a kick on her face, sending her sprawling to the ground.

The raccoon smirked and turned away, "I'll let you off today with just that, but I expect more on the next round."

With that said, he turned to his companions, "Let's go, I know this place with some pretty hot chicks."

As the three men left, Lili sighed to herself, not even bothering with the bruise on her face, "Soon... I'll pay off that debt soon..."

The prum turned and picked herself up from the ground, slowly making her way back to her hideout.

As she walked, Lili's mind went to Bell, or rather, his interaction with the previous adventurer she had scammed, 'Tomorrow... once we're done...'

But before she could continue her line of thought, Lili paused, her time with the white rabbit surfacing her mind.

The prum took a deep breath, steeling herself, 'I'm not wrong... He's the odd one... And he's an adventurer anyway...'

She continued her way back to her hideout, 'And all adventurers... They're all the same...'

(Linebreak)

The next morning, Bell met up with Lili in front of the dungeon entrance.

Bell blinked when he heard Lili's words, "Huh? You want us to go down to the 11th floor today?"

The girl nodded, and she smiled, "Yep, I'm sure we can manage it. I've been down there before."

The boy considered the idea, "Hmm, I mean we've been down to the 10th..."

Lili nodded quickly, "Definitely! It won't be hard for someone like you! I guarantee it!"

Bell stared at her, and his conversation with Hestia and Eina came to mind, yet as soon as it did, so did his exchange with Ryuu.

The boy smiled, "If you say so, then I believe you."

The prum in disguise almost regretted her words, but she pushed it down and put on a smile, "Thanks, Bell-sama! Let us depart then!"

Bell nodded, and the two walked into the dungeon.

As they descended into the dungeon, neither of them noticed the group of men staring at them from afar, nor did any of them notice the hooded figure behind one of the pillars.

The first 5 floors were easy, especially when the pair didn't plan on clearing each floor entirely.

They simply made a beeline for the entrance to the next floors, and Bell easily took out any monsters that got in their way.

Soon, they made it to the 9th floor, and Bell now stood before a horde of kobolds and goblins.

Gripping the Hestia Knife in his hands, the white haired boy dashed forward, "Load: Heracles."

The air around him gave way, as the almost invisible aura formed around him again.

Bell swung his knife, taking out a few kobolds in a single swing, before taking a moment to scan the area.

As he did, more goblins and kobolds spawned from the dungeon walls, bringing the total number of enemies to a total of 15.

Lili yelled out in concern, "Bell-sama!"

The boy took a deep breath, and he decided to switch the Hestia Knife to his left hand, holding out his dominant right hand above him.

To the prum's surprise, a large sword made of stone appeared in his hands, yet the boy showed no signs of strain holding it, "What-?!"

Bell brandished the sword-axe, and he swung, taking out five of the goblins in a single swing as they came close.

Not missing a beat, the boy dashed forward and spun, quickly taking out six of the kobolds.

The boy's eyes darted around, mentally noting where the remaining two goblins and two kobolds were, 'Two in front, one each on both sides...'

He moved, and the nameless sword-axe danced to his will. Before any of the monsters could react, the stone blade was already upon them.

All the while, Lili could only stare in awe and shock as the white rabbit surprised her once again.

Simply because, despite the many Level 1 adventurers she'd seen, none of them had ever come close to matching Bell's prowess.

Hell, she doubted any of the Level 2 adventurers she'd seen could do a fraction of what Bell was capable of doing.

Bell had mentioned that his abilities came from a skill of some sort, and she'd seen it in action before.

But this whole thing with the giant stone weapon that seemingly came out of nowhere?

Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. He had shown zero, absolutely zero difficulty swinging that monstrosity of a weapon around.

15 monsters mixing armed goblins and kobolds? They were nothing before the white haired boy.

Lili was brought out of her musings when Bell turned to her, and to her shock once more, the giant sword disappeared in a swirl of blue and white as if it wasn't there.

The prum in disguise blinked, and she blinked again, 'What in the dungeon?'

Yet, the boy simply smiled at her as if nothing happened, "You okay?"

Lili reminded herself to respond, and she nodded absentmindedly, "Y-yes, thanks for asking, Bell-sama."

Bell smiled, before reaching into his pouch, "Good to hear, gimme a sec, okay?"

He pulled out a vial, popping the cork off before downing it in one go, and Lili barely recognized that it was a Mind potion.

The girl asked, "Was that magic, Bell-sama?"

Bell blinked, before he looked at the vial he was holding, and he smiled awkwardly, "Ah, this gave it away, did it?"

Lili nodded, "Yes, sort of."

The boy chuckled, "That's amazing, getting it just from me drinking a Mind potion."

The prum in disguise almost snorted, "Well, when you see as many adventurers as I have, you pick up these sort of things."

Bell almost missed the distaste in her voice, but he didn't react to that, and instead chuckled again, "That's amazing."

He pocketed the empty vial, "And yes, that was magic, or at least, the part with the sword."

Lili hummed, "So it is a form of enhancement magic, I presume?"

Bell smiled awkwardly, "You're not wrong, but I'd prefer not to talk about, my goddess might get mad."

The prum in disguise nodded in understanding, "Ahh, that ability of yours your goddess forbid you to tell anyone."

The boy nodded, "Y-yes, and well, using it to its full extent drains my Mind a lot, so I prefer to save it for when I really need it."

Lili nodded, "That is a smart idea."

She tilted her head, "But why did you use it just now?"

Bell blinked, before he laughed sheepishly, "Well, I mean, I still need to practice using it, right?"

The chienthrope stared at him, before she sighed, "Seriously..."

The boy laughed, "Now come on, the next one is the 10th floor."

Lili nodded as she picked up the magic stones, "Right, just give me a mo...ment..."

She turned, trailing off when she found Bell holding a handful of magic stones in his hands, the remaining ones she had yet to pick up, "Huh?"

Bell smiled, "Here, that's the rest of it."

Lili blinked as she accepted them, "T-thanks..."

The white haired boy smiled, "You're welcome."

The prum stared at the pile of magic stones in her hands, before at Bell again as he scanned their surroundings again, "Umm, Bell-sama..."

The boy blinked, "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Lili furrowed her brows, "Why did you pick up the magic stones?"

Bell blinked, "Huh? What do you mean?"

The prum in disguise stared at him with a frown, "That's my job!"

The boy blinked in confusion a few more times, "I mean... It saves us the time and effort if we work together, no?"

Lili, for the first time in so many years, was rendered speechless, "I... you... what... huh?"

Yet, Bell simply smiled again, "Now come on, I'll keep watch, and once you're ready, we can head further down."

For what was the nth time ever since they met, Lili felt like ripping her hair out again.

(Linebreak)

A short while later, the pair stood at the entrance of the 10th floor, and by entrance, they were at the end of the stairs leading into the hazy floor.

Bell took a moment to take in his surroundings, "Wow... This feels very different to the previous floors."

Unlike the 9th floor and above, the 10th floor was more illuminated, but the visibility was much worse.

He could barely even see the walls of the floor.

Bell let out a breath, "Alright, let's go."

But before he could move down, Lili stopped him, "Before that, this might be above my paygrade, but I have a suggestion."

The boy turned to her with a curious expression, "What is it?"

The prum in disguise pointed at his knife, "Your knife, you've been managing to destroy the monsters all this time by getting in close, but the monsters on this floor are a lot larger."

Bell nodded, "That's true."

Lili smiled, as she brought out a longer blade, almost the length of a short sword, "So I believe it may be better to use this, it's not as powerful, but I think the reach would be better."

The boy spotted a glint in her eyes, and he was sure he didn't like it, but the girl continued, "And I know you have that huge stone sword, but that drains your Mind."

Bell studied the blade in her hands, and against his better judgement, he nodded, "Okay, I'll give it a try."

Lili just beamed at him as he took the longer blade. The boy unsheathed it, "Hmm, it does have a longer reach..."

Bell nodded to her, "Alright, let's get going then."

The pair quickly descended the stairs, and they moved deeper into the floor.

As they did, Bell studied the dead trees around them, "Huh, this is new..."

Lili glanced at him, "Those are landforms, and usually we'd want to remove them as we clear the floors..."

She trailed off, before speaking up again, "But I don't think we have the time for that."

Bell turned to where she was staring at, and sure enough, he spotted a large figure emerging from the fog.

The young man drew the Hestia Knife in his left hand, and held Lili's borrowed short sword in his right, "Okay, I'm off then."

Without waiting for a response, Bell dashed forward, but as he did, he noticed the large figure, which turned out to be an orc, unrooting a tree from the ground.

That wasn't the surprising part. No, it was what came next that shocked the young man, as the tree turned into a club.

Bell cursed, "Shit!"

By now he had closed most of the space between him and the orc, but he wasn't close enough, and the monster took advantage of that fact.

The orc swung its club, and Bell barely had time to raise both blades in time to block the strike, sending him flying back to where Lili was.

The girl yelled in worry, "Bell-sama!"

Bell grunted as he got to his feet, "I'm fine... That was dumb of me..."

Lili held back her worry, and instead pushed herself to focus on her plans, "Here it comes!"

The boy nodded and dashed forward once more, but this time, he made sure to be mindful of the monster's extended reach.

The orc swung its club once more, but Bell was ready, and he ducked, landing a large gash on the orc's gut with the longer blade.

Not missing a beat, Bell moved forward again, using the Hestia Knife to slice at the orc's ankles.

Spinning the short sword into reverse grip, Bell kicked the orc with all his might, sending it sprawling to the ground.

With a yell, Bell stabbed the blade into the chest of the monster, leaving nothing but ash and the magic stone on the ground.

The boy let out a breath, but before he could celebrate his small victory, Lili's voice reached his ears, "Bell-sama! Here comes another one!"

The heavy footsteps reached his ears, and Bell turned, spotting not one, but three orcs this time.

The boy furrowed his brows, and he prepared to fight, only to catch a glimpse of something on the ground, "Huh?"

Bell's eyes widened when he realized what it actually was. A purple glob of flesh that released a bad pungent smell.

It was something Eina had shown him before in the guild. Bait for monsters.

And now that he'd notice one on the ground, Bell quickly spotted several of them scattered around him, "What?!"

A sinking feeling made itself apparent in Bell's gut, and he quickly took a deep breath, "Load: Hera-!"

He was cut off by a whirling sound, before he barely spotted a dart cut through his pouch at his waist and thigh, followed by a wired arrow stabbing into the pouch before reeling away quickly.

Bell's gaze snapped to his waist in shock, before quickly following where his pouch was flying to, only to find another wire wrapped around the Hestia Knife, before it got torn away from his hand.

The boy tried to grab it as it flew off, but was quickly forced to jump away to avoid a swing from one of the orcs around him.

Bell backed away, before snapping his gaze to where his knife had flown off to, and sure enough, Lili was on top of the stairs, holding his pouch and knife.

The boy frowned and yelled, "Lili! What are you doing?!"

Lili simply stared at him as she pocketed his knife and pouch separately, "Sorry, Bell-sama, but this is it. You heard everything from that guy, didn't you?"

Bell dodged a swipe from an orc, before slicing at its legs, giving him some breathing room as the orc fell into the path of the other monsters, "What are you talking about?!"

The prum turned away, "I do hope you can escape, but well..."

She took a deep breath, "Farewell, Bell-sama."

With that said, she ascended up the stairs.

But right before she could exit the 10th floor, Lili found a fist in her face, "Huh?"

The girl was quickly sent sprawling down the stairs, her head spinning, "Ughh..."

She shook her head to regain her bearings, finding herself on the platform between the flights of stairs leading to the 10th floor. The sound of battle from beneath her reaching her ears, but so did the laughter.

"Seriously, I didn't think you were this dumb."

Lili groaned as she looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw the last adventurer she had scammed, along with Canoe and two other men from the Soma Familia.

The girl recognized him, Ged Raish, he was a greedy man, not the worst, but not a good person either.

Ged smirked when he saw her bag, "Quite the haul, eh?"

He glanced down at the boy fighting the orcs, and he had to hand it to him, for a newbie, Bell was doing really well.

Ged snorted, before he yelled out, "Hey kid! Need some help?!"

Bell glanced up, and he quickly noticed the group of men, whilst Lili was on the floor.

The ponytailed man chuckled, "Say, I'll give you one more chance, help us punish her, and we'll save your ass. She did steal your stuff, didn't she?"

Bell frowned as he saw Ged dangling his pouch in his hands, and he opened his mouth to refuse, but someone beat him to it.

"Hate to break it to you man, but that ain't happening."

Ged turned to Canoe in confusion, "What are you on about?"

The raccoon smirked and dumped a sack onto the ground, something mirrored by his two companions, and the adventurer's eyes widened when he saw the killer ants inside them.

Ged snapped his head at them, "You idiots! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?!"

Canoe smirked, "Of course, normally monsters don't leave their floors, but there are exceptions. Killer Ants happen to be one of them."

The raccoon jabbed his thumb behind him, "You still have time, so how about you leave everything here, cut your losses and live another day?"

Ged growled, "You son of a bitch!"

Canoe laughed, "Hey now, don't go insulting my mother. I mean she was a bitch, but still."

He stared at the adventurer in the eye, "Of course, you can try to take us on for the loot, but this is isn't the best time for that, is it?"

Ged growled, "Fuck it... I'm outta here!"

He tried to move back up to the 9th floor, but before he could, Canoe got in front of him, "What are you doing? I'm letting you have the loot!"

The raccoon chuckled, "Well, change of plans, I think it might be more fun to see you bite the dust."

Ged growled and drew his sword, "Fuck you!"

But before he could attack, Canoe gave him a hard shove, sending him off the edge of the cliff, "W-wha-! No!"

The raccoon laughed, "At least watch where you are, dumbass."

Both Lili and Bell could only watch in shock as the orcs quickly gathered around Ged and smashed him to bits.

The white haired rabbit quickly dodged another swing, before stabbing the sword into the monster's chest, destroying it.

Canoe laughed, "Now this is a treat! Monsters front and back, and we have no way of escaping."

He eyed Lili, "So, how about this, you give me everything you have, and we'll save you. With the three of us, we can pave a way past the Killer Ants."

The prum gritted her teeth, and she nodded, "Fine... I'll give you everything when we get out."

Canoe raised an amused eyebrow, "When we get out? No no no, you don't seem to understand the situation here. You give us everything, here and now, then only we save you."

Lili glared at him, before she nodded in submission, "Fine... But please, save him too."

The raccoon chuckled, "Of course, now, everything."

The girl pulled out a key, hung around her neck as a pendant, "This is a key to a gnome safe, everything I have is there."

Canoe smirked, "Good to hear."

He snatched the key away, ripping it off Lili's neck, earning a scream of pain from the girl, before he turned to the exit, "Now."

The sound of the killer ants reached their ears, and Canoe grinned, "This doesn't seem like a good spot huh?"

The raccoon leered down at the girl, "We're surrounded, behind us are stairs leading down to more monsters, and we have a bunch of Killer Ants in front of us."

Canoe chuckled, "What a place to be, yeah? Normally we wouldn't be able to get out without a fight..."

He reached into Lili's bag, and pulled out something wrapped in cloth, "We saw this, ya know? You used these to lure all those orcs out for the boy. Cheeky lil fella, aren't ya?"

Lili looked at him, "What are you planning to do?"

Canoe smirked, "Why, we're gonna use this to lure the ants away. Fortunately, this platform is big enough once we get all of them gathered at one spot."

He chuckled as he grabbed Lili by her hair, lifting her up, earning a scream of pain, "But you know? I'm not too sure about how well your bait will work, so we're gonna use real bait, what do you say?"

As the raccoon spoke, he shoved the monster lure into Lili's pocket, before holding her arms to stop her from taking the lure out.

Canoe turned to the exit, "Now, off you go!"

With that said, he threw Lili to the edge of the stairs, the killer ants backing off warily in case they were attacked, but they were quickly attracted to the lure in Lili's pockets.

Taking the chance, Canoe and his two lackeys dashed up the stairs, batting away the few Killer Ants that remained and vanished into the upper floors.

With Bell, the boy dodged yet another swing for the orcs, and he glanced up, "Lili!"

The girl barely regained her bearings, and she realized she was totally surrounded by the Killer Ants, with zero openings for her to escape.

Her bag laid some distance away from her, but she couldn't possibly reach it, and behind her was a cliff leading to a fall that would surely kill her.

Lili sighed, "I guess... this is it..."

"DON'T GIVE UP, LILI!"

Bell's yell reached her ears, and the prum glanced down at a side, where the boy was still fighting the never ending army of orcs.

The prum sighed to herself again, "It's hopeless, Bell-sama... I'm not strong enough... besides, I guess this is punishment for me..."

She stared at the Killer Ants, all squeaking eagerly as they surrounded her warily in case she did anything.

With Bell, the boy growled at himself, and he breathed, "LOAD: HERA-!"

Everything stopped around him, every monster around him froze, the orcs, the Killer Ants, everything stayed still.

"Even now, even after knowing she's deceived you, you would try to save her?"

A presence, one much like the one he'd felt when he first used Heracles' powers, appeared in his mind, but this time, he heard a clear voice.

A male voice.

Bell furrowed his brows, "Of course I will!"

"Why?"

The boy's frown deepened, "What do you mean why?! I don't have time, I need to help her now!"

The presence made itself more apparent, and Bell almost froze.

"Answer me. Why?"

The voice sounded in his mind, but instead of anger, Bell felt that it was more curious, even amused.

The boy clenched his fists, "It's not wrong to want to help people. I can't just let her die like this."

"Even after she stole that knife from you and left you to die?"

Bell nodded, "There must be a reason for her to do that, and I still can't let her die just because of that."

The voice chuckled, "You seem adamant to save her. Why? And no, I won't accept just 'I can't let her die' as an answer."

The boy took a deep breath, "If you really need an answer, it's because she reminds me of myself."

"Oh? How so? The two of you can't be any more different. You are a hero in training, she is but a thief."

Amusement, sarcasm, cynicism, all of that made itself apparent in his voice, but Bell still answered, "Because she's lonely, just like how I was before I met my goddess. Just like how my goddess took me in, I want to help her too."

"... I see."

The amusement vanished from the voice, left with something Bell couldn't quite identify.

"Then one final question. You're trying to save a girl who tricked you, just because she reminded you of yourself, if only a little bit. Will you try to save everyone who fits that criteria?"

Bell blinked, before he shook his head, "No, I'm not that arrogant. I won't be able to save everyone, I'm not trying to be some savior. But for those that I meet, those that need help, those within my reach..."

He clenched his fists again, "I will do everything I can to help them."

The voice laughed, "I see! Very well! Then burn, burn yourself out as you try to save them all! And until you do, I shall watch over you, hero."

With that said, the presence vanished, and time resumed.

At the same time, Bell's mouth moved, almost involuntarily, and he realized what was happening, "I am thou, thou art I..."

The orcs closed in on him, but before Bell could move, they all exploded into ash.

The boy's eyes darted around, and he barely caught sight of a shadow, a green hooded shadow vanishing into the mist.

"Thou hast acquired a new vow..."

But the boy paid the shadow no heed, and instead, focused on chanting as he dashed towards the stairs. And as he did, images appeared in his mind.

"Thy body shall serve under mine will! Mine fate shall be thy sword!"

Images of a hero of justice appeared in his mind, a hero who wanted nothing more than to save everyone.

"Let an oath be sword here! I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven!"

An orc appeared in his path, but yet again, it simply exploded into ash.

"I shall dispose of all evil of all of Hell!"

Bell didn't stop, and the images continued to appear in his mind, as the hero sold his soul to the World to save everyone, only to meet despair.

"If thou dost accede to this will and reason, then answer my call!"

It was a story Bell was familiar with, a story Bell's grandfather had told him before, but a story that was vague in details, for even the god didn't know the hero's true name, only calling him a nameless hero.

"Come forth from the rings of restraint, o' Protector of the Balances!"

It was frankly a story his grandfather only knew vaguely, and was told to Bell to stop him from becoming a hero who cared not for his own wellbeing.

Now, Bell found a name for that nameless hero, and that name was...

"LOAD: EMIYA!"

The air around him gave way as a small aura formed around him, not as obvious as Heracles, but it was still there.

Once more, Bell moved his lips, "Trace... on!"

A pair of short swords appeared in his hands, white and black, and Bell dashed forward.

In the blink of an eye, the boy swung the married swords.

His arms moved in perfect rhythm, the married blades guiding his hands as they sliced through the orcs like paper.

They stood zero chance against the boy, and Bell quickly leaped up the stairs, "LILI!"

The prum stared in shock and surprise as Bell leaped into the air.

Just mere moments ago he was struggling to fight the army of orcs, and now, he was up here, a pair of new swords in his hands.

Swords Lili was sure weren't with him when they came down.

The white rabbit's arms moved, and in the blink of an eye, each blade sliced through a Killer Ant, and the boy threw the blades.

Kanshou and Bakuya sailed through the air, slicing through monster after monster before ending up back in Bell's hands again.

Soon, all of the Killer Ants were gone, leaving Bell and Lili alone on the platform.

The boy let out a breath as he felt the powers of EMIYA leave his body, and he quickly turned to Lili, "You okay?"

The prum just stared at him dumbfounded, "...Why?"

Bell blinked, "Huh?"

Lili gripped the edges of her shirt, "Why did you save me?"

The boy blinked again, and he let out a breath before he smiled, "I couldn't just left you to die now, can I?"

The girl frowned, "But... But I left YOU to die! I stole your knife! I even used monster lure! DID YOU THINK I DID ALL THAT AS A PRANK?!"

Bell was almost taken aback by her yelling at the end, and he smiled, "No, but I figured... maybe there's a reason."

Lili gaped at him, before she glared at him, "You FIGURED?! Bell-sama! I LIED TO YOU! I STOLE FROM YOU! I EVEN LEFT YOU TO DIE HERE! AND YOU JUST FIGURED?!"

The prum panted from her screams, and she continued, "I've been lying... deceiving you this entire time! And not once did you even notice! Our split loot was never 50/50, I always took more! Sometimes they were 40-60, and I even did 30-70 a few times! I even lied to you about the item costs!"

Bell simply stared at her, letting her continue, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! I'M NOTHING MORE THAN A THIEF! A LIAR!"

The boy nodded, "And?"

Lili lost it, "AND?! After all that and all you say is AND?!"

Bell smiled, "Then what do you want me to do?"

The prum glared at him, "YOU SHOULD'VE JUST LEFT ME TO DIE!"

The boy let out a breath, "But that's not what I want to do."

Lili froze, "Huh?"

Bell smiled, "Lili, I saved you because its you, because you called out to me to be my supporter. It might not mean anything to you, and you probably planned it all out, but I'm really happy to have met you."

The prum just stared at him in shock, but the boy continued, "Besides, what sort of hero would I be if I couldn't even save a single friend?"

Lili gaped again, and she lost it, "A HERO?! ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! A HERO WOULDN'T SAVE A THIEF! A HERO WOULDN'T HELP SOMEONE WHO LEAVES YOU TO DIE! A HERO WOULDN'T-"

"A hero wouldn't leave his friend to die."

The girl blinked, "What?"

Bell held her by the shoulders, "Lili, in spite of all that's happened, I really do think of you as a friend. So please, if you have any problems, talk to me, I will help you however I can. I promise."

The dam broke, and Lili broke into tears, "... Sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..."

Bell just smiled as he held onto her as the prum cried.

Unbeknownst to both of them, a single green hooded figure watched them from within the mist, a wooden sword in their hands, and they sighed in exasperation, before vanishing deeper down into the fog.

XXX

That's the chapter done!

So we have EMIYA now, like what I said above. He will have very limited access to the weapons within the UBW, at least for a while.

Also, I'm not sure how I handled Lili's arc here... Hopefully it wasn't too bad.

So for now, Bell has Heracles and EMIYA. It is based more on the Nameless version than the actual F/SN one, or at least, the story that Bell was told by Zeus.

So yeah, read and review please.

Until next time.