Hey, I'm back with a new chapter. So if anyone plays Genshin, bloody hell the Archon quest was like wtf, but on the bright side I got both Neuvilette and Furina.

NarveraG, if that was what you meant, then I hope my version of Syr/Freya meets your expectations. But yes, for now Freya is trying to keep Syr and her goddess-self separate, and she definitely enjoys being Syr more.

The Quotable Patella, imo Loki and Freya were more focused on their own entertainment in canon, here both take things more seriously. Loki is more focused on well, life and shit, and Freya is more serious about helping Bell. And I'm glad my version of Freya gives you that impression, that was the point I was trying to make.

sadkali727, Nobu is one I'm still considering how to bring in to be honest. I have at least one Servant planned for most of the arcs at the moment, including the Moss Huge, Aphisbaena and the Juggernaut.

AnimeFan13579, now Bell can definitely take them, but he is still only one person. As for Nine Lives, you are right, so eventually Bell will be able to imitate it, eventually.

CrimsonDivision, no spoilers mate, you'll have to wait and read.

uselessman, you'll have to read on I guess ahahaha.

codywhite162, yep Bell messed up Apollo's captain. I'm glad some of you find the way I'm writing Freya to be good, Syr/Freya has always been one of my favorite characters in Danmachi, right after Ryuu.

Muhammad Ibrahim Faisal, thanks dude.

The Last Kenpachi, Cu Chullain is someone I wanna bring in, but the situation calls for Heroic Spirits that are more suited, considering how I plan to go with the War Game. So that will have to wait.

So yeah, here's the newest chapter, enjoy.

XXXXXX

A short while later, the group of three goddesses and one boy reached the now destroyed church.

Hestia let out a sigh, "There goes our home…"

Freya looked around, noting that almost everything was in flames, and she spoke, "Sorry for what happened, Hestia."

The goddess of the hearth shook her head, "No, it's fine. What's done is done."

Artemis looked at Bell, "Are you okay, Bell?"

The white haired rabbit nodded, "I'm fine, you're not hurt, are you?"

The goddess of the moon smiled, "No, none of us are hurt, actually."

Bell nodded, "That's good."

"Bell!"

"Bell-sama/dono!"

The four turned to see Welf, Lili and Mikoto running towards them, and Bell blinked, "Welf, Lili… and Mikoto?"

The redhead sighed in relief, "We finally caught up to you!"

Lili looked over the boy, "Are you alright?!"

Bell nodded, "Y-yes, I'm fine."

Mikoto furrowed her brows, "We heard that the Apollo Familia attacked you, so we wanted to help. But well…"

Freya's lips curved upwards, "There wasn't much you could do to help, is that right?"

The swordswoman blinked in surprise when she saw the goddess, and she stuttered, "Y-yes."

Welf did his best to ignore Freya and instead focused on Bell, "And what's this about a War Game?!"

Lili nodded in agreement, "We saw a bunch of gods cheering about a War Game between the Apollo Familia and the Hestia Familia!"

Bell nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fighting against the Apollo Familia in a War Game."

Mikoto's eyes widened, "What? But you're only one person!"

Freya chuckled, "Oh don't you worry. See, Bell has already bested most of the Apollo Familia on his own, and he's bested even the captain of that Familia."

Lili furrowed her brows, "But still…"

The goddess of beauty smiled, "If you're still worried, then how about you just join him? That will certainly even the odds, if only a little bit."

Freya looked at Welf and Lili in the eye, "No?"

The two didn't meet her eyes, and the goddess' lips thinned, "I see."

Artemis spoke up, "Freya, it is not that simple."

Freya looked at the goddess of the hunt, "And why not?"

The blue haired goddess furrowed her brows, but before she could answer, Bell spoke up instead, "It's okay, I can handle this."

The two goddesses looked at him, and Freya sighed, "Fine, if that's what you want to do."

Hestia looked at Bell, "So, what do we do now? We don't really have a place to stay, and I'm not really sure if Apollo's brats will stay away."

Freya smiled, "That can be easily rectified by yours truly, you know that, right?"

The goddess of the hearth rubbed her temples, "I was afraid you'd say that… But I don't want to trouble you anymore than I have, Freya."

The goddess of beauty laughed softly, "It is no trouble, I can assure you. Besides, I'm happy to be able to help my dear Bell, you know?"

Bell tried his best not to show his surprise, same for Welf, Lili and Mikoto, but the goddesses paid them no heed.

Until Bell remembered something, "Actually, I think we might have a place."

The three goddesses and his three friends looked at him, and the boy looked at the church, "But first, I think we should see if there's anything we can salvage from the basement."

(Linebreak)

A short while later, at the Hostess of Fertility, Bell stood in front of Mia, with Hestia and Artemis behind him.

Once Freya had heard where he planned to go, the goddess had excused herself, saying she'll need to head back to prepare for the Denatus that would inevitably come later.

Welf and Mikoto had also left to report back to their gods, while Lili went back to one of her safe houses.

That left Bell and the two goddesses to go to the bar.

The dwarf rubbed her temples, "That is quite the situation you've gotten yourself into, brat."

Mia looked at Hestia and Artemis, and she sighed again, "Fine. They can stay in your room for the time being, but this better not be something that'll go on indefinitely."

Bell nodded, "Of course, I'll find a place after we're done with the War Game."

The dwarf nodded, "And they better not interfere with my business."

The boy nodded, "Thank you, Mama Mia."

Mia just waved it off, "Now get them up stairs."

Bell nodded, and he turned to Hestia and Artemis, "Follow me."

The two goddesses nodded and followed him up stairs, until they reached his room. Bell walked in, "We'll have to stay here for the time being, it's a bit cramped, but it's better than nothing."

Hestia asked suspiciously as they walked in, "Why do you have a room here?"

The boy made an uncomfortable face, "You know that thing I've been running off to do in the evenings?"

Artemis raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying you've been coming here all those nights?"

Bell nodded, "Yes, that's right."

The two goddesses made faces of disgust, and Hestia glared at him, "So all this time you've been fooling around here with those waitresses?!"

The boy blinked in confusion, "W-wha-huh?!"

Artemis sighed as she shook her head in disappointment, "I thought you'd be different, but I guess men will always be men."

Bell felt like he had been wronged, "W-wait! What are you talking about?! I've just been working part-time here!"

Hestia gaped, before she backed away in disgust and horrid, "Y-you… PART-TIME?!"

The goddess of the moon looked away as she sighed in disappointment, "I don't even have any words to express how disappointed I am in you."

Bell gaped, "H-huh?! W-wait, why?!"

Artemis backed out of the room in disgust, "And to think you wanted us to stay in that room. Disgusting."

The boy was even more confused, and for some reason, he felt a weird feeling on his back, as if the Heroic Spirits he'd contracted were laughing at him.

"I apologize if I was eavesdropping, but I believe there is some sort of misunderstanding."

The three turned to see Ryuu in the corridor, and Hestia glared at her, "YOU! ELF! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STOLE MY BELL'S INNOCENCE!"

The elf blinked, "H-huh?"

The goddess of hearth cried, "YOU SLUT! YOU TOOK AWAY HIS PURITY! BECAUSE OF YOU MY BELL WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!"

Ryuu blinked again in genuine confusion, "I-I… I have no idea what you're talking about…"

Tears threatened to fall from Hestia's eyes, "YOU TWO HAVE BEEN MEETING EVERY MORNING AND NIGHT! YOU MUST HAVE BEEN-! YOU HAVE MUST HAVE BEEN HAVING AN AFFAIR!"

The elf blinked, before her ears grew hot when she processed the goddess' words, "A-an affair?!"

Ryuu's face grew red when her mind went wild at Hestia's 'suggestive' words.

The goddess exploded, "SEE?! YOU'RE NOT EVEN DENYING IT!"

Bell panicked, "H-HESTIA-SAMA?! W-what are you talking about?! I'm not having an affair with Ryuu-san!"

Hestia turned to him, "THEN WHAT ELSE CAN IT BE?!"

The boy cried, "I'VE ONLY BEEN TRAINING WITH HER IN THE MORNING! AND I'VE BEEN WORKING HERE PART-TIME AS A WAITRESS IN EXCHANGE! THAT'S ALL!"

The two goddesses paused, and Ryuu managed to calm down from her fantasies, and Artemis noticed the wig on the nightstand, along with the waitress uniform that hung next to it.

The goddess of the moon walked in and took the wig from the nightstand, "So… You mean to say you've been cross-dressing as a waitress in the evenings."

Bell nodded quickly, "YES! I MEAN NO! Not anymore, considering d'Eon's powers let me transform into a female, but yes! I meant working as a waitress when I said part-time!"

The boy quickly chanted, "Load: d'Eon!"

Quickly transforming into his female form, Bella cried out again, "See?!"

Artemis paused, before she took a deep breath, unsure if she should laugh or not, "I see…"

Hestia, on the other hand, was more relieved than anything, "So you're not doing naughty things with this elf? Or any of the other waitresses here?"

Bella cried, "NO!"

A part of Ryuu felt disappointed for some reason, but her face quickly flushed when she realized her thoughts, and she forced herself to calm down as much as she could.

The goddess of the hearth let out a deep sigh in relief, "Good. That's good."

The boy-turned-girl sighed, "By the gods… What the hell…"

"IF YOU'RE DONE SCREAMING YOUR LUNGS OUT UPSTAIRS! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE BRAT! YOU GOT WORK TO DO!"

Mia's voice reached their ears, and Bella jumped, "Y-yes ma'am!"

The dwarf yelled again, "AND YOU TOO YOU STUPID ELF!"

Ryuu jumped and she quickly went downstairs without a word, leaving Bella to get changed before rushing down as well.

The two goddesses stayed in the corridor for a good five minutes, not sure what to make of what had just happened.

Until Artemis spoke again, "At least Bell looks cute as a girl in a waitress uniform."

Hestia couldn't find it in herself to disagree, "He does."

A short while later, Bella was downstairs helping serve customers, and soon, the afternoon sitting for the restaurant was over.

As they cleaned up, Chloe grinned, "I heard everything earlier-nya."

Bella blinked in confusion, "I'm sorry?"

The taller cat-girl cackled, "What was it, an affair with Ryuu-nya?"

The white haired girl's face flushed, "W-wait, everyone heard us?!"

Anya laughed, "It's hard not to when you're not exactly being quiet about it-nya!"

Said elf was at the far end of the restaurant, not looking at them as she kept sweeping the floors.

Bella covered her face with her hands, "Dammit Hestia-sama…"

Lunoire giggled as she walked past with a stack of dirty plates, "Deal with it."

Chloe stifled a laugh, before she asked, "But seriously-nya, are you okay-nya?"

The white haired girl blinked, "I guess?"

The former-assassin furrowed her brows, "You did have to fight half, if not more of the Apollo Familia-nya."

Bella nodded, "I'm fine. And I'll be fighting in a War Game against them soon."

"So, what do you plan to do?"

The three turned to see Mia at the counter, and Bella shrugged, "No idea yet, I don't even know the type of War Game it'll be."

The dwarf hummed, "If you get a representative style match, I'd say you're guaranteed to win."

The white haired girl nodded, "But if it's an all out Familia war, I'll be up against all of the members of the Apollo Familia."

Mia nodded, "Exactly."

Bella wiped the table, "But… I sort of had a discussion with Ottar-san before, and I'll probably use a bombardment if that were to be the case."

The dwarf raised an eyebrow, "Ottar you say?"

The white haired girl nodded, "Yes, well some stuff happened, and I ended up with Ottar-san in a cafe."

Mia hummed, "I see."

The owner of the bar wiped her part of the counter, "But Bella, whatever happens, know that you'll have a place here."

Chloe's eyes snapped open, "Oh! If Bell-nya loses, you can just stay here for the rest of nya life! Like the rest of us-nya!"

Anya laughed as she rearranged the seats, "That'd make our team complete-nya!"

Bella chuckled as she helped the cat-girl with arranging the chairs, "I don't mind that idea, but let's hope that doesn't come to pass."

The white haired girl then asked, "Speaking of which, I don't see Syr around."

Mia spoke up, "She's coming in later, she has some stuff to take care of."

Bella nodded, "Oh, okay."

As they continued working, Ryuu kept to herself as she worked in silence, partially because she didn't want to face Bella after what happened, but also because of the War Game between Bell and the Apollo Familia.

(Linebreak)

The next day, all of the gods were in the Tower of Babel in a meeting.

Apollo folded his arms as he sat at a table at the center of the meeting room, "I want to make it clear, when I win, I'll be taking Bell Cranel into my Familia."

Hestia nodded, "And if we win?"

The sun god smirked, "Anything you want, we will agree to them."

Apollo glanced at the god recording the conversation, "Make sure you write that down, yeah?"

The goddess of the hearth asked, "Then let us move on. How will we settle the game?"

The god of poetry smirked, "What do you propose?"

Hestia hummed, "I only have Bell-kun on my side, so I propose sending out a representative from each side in a one on one match."

Apollo snorted, "Of course you would suggest that, but that's simply because you're too lazy to expand your Familia."

He looked at the audience, "How about we hear what everyone else has to say?"

"Really now? When Hestia suggests a type that doesn't suit you, you push it to us. You're quite the sly fox, Apollo."

The god scowled when Freya spoke up, "I am simply being fair, do not push your narrow minded way of thinking on me, Freya."

The goddess of love chuckled, "Oh, narrow-minded, am I? Or is it because our dear Bell has already taken out a majority of your Familia? Is that why you're scared?"

Apollo growled, "Scared?! ME?!"

"Yes, you're scared."

Everyone turned to see Artemis sitting next to Freya, and the goddess of the hunt stared at her brother coldly, "If you claim to want this to be a fair game, then what do you propose, Apollo?"

The sun god fell silent, not knowing how to respond, until he spoke up, "I propose we draw lots! We will have a selection of every type of War Game possible, and we will have someone draw it! How's that for fair?!"

Artemis just palmed her face, unable to believe that her brother really just said those words.

Hestia sighed, "Fine, we can draw lots."

Apollo's grin widened, "EXCELLENT!"

Soon, they compiled a collection of every type of War Game known to Orario, and they ended up having Hermes to pick.

The god of messengers sighed as he stood between the two gods, "Why me?"

Apollo looked at him confidently, "You are neutral! I trust that anything you choose will be fair!"

Hestia nodded, "For once, I agree with him!"

Hermes sighed, doing his best to ignore the stare Freya was giving him, "Alright, here goes."

The god of thieves reached down and ruffled the bunch of paper a few times, before grabbing one out.

All of the gods watched with anticipation as Hermes opened the paper to read, and his face turned blank.

Apollo asked impatiently, "Well?"

Hermes turned the piece of paper around, "It's an all out Familia deathmatch."

Hestia gaped, while Apollo laughed as if victory was already his.

The sun god smirked, "Wonderful! We shall settle this in an all out battle between every member of our respective Familias, I hope you're ready to hand over my new child, Hestia."

The goddess of the hearth scowled, "Don't get ahead of yourself."

Apollo cackled, "Obviously with the War Game being a deathmatch, we will have it take place in one of ruins outside of Orario. Both sides will have their own base, and the conditions for victory will be defeating every member of the opposing Familia!"

Hestia just frowned as the god of poetry laughed, until Hermes spoke up, "Excuse me, I'd hate to interrupt."

Apollo asked, "What is it, Hermes?"

The god of messengers smiled nervously at the glare Artemis and Freya were giving him, "I know Bell-kun's the Heir to the Throne of Heroes, but the numbers aren't really fair, so can we like… I don't know, let him have some help?"

The sun god snapped his head at Hermes, "Help?! Do you hear yourself, Hermes? If we allow him to have help, the sacred rules of the War Games will be tarnished!"

Freya smirked as she spoke up once more, "So you are scared."

Apollo glared at her, "What?! I am not!"

Artemis cut him off, "Then let Hestia have her helpers."

The sun god glared at them, "And why are you siding with them, Artemis?!"

The moon glared at her brother, "You had your children attack us while we're in that church, I have no reason to support you on this matter."

Apollo gaped, "But I didn't! It was all Hyakinthos' doing!"

Hestia scowled, "Are you pushing it on your captain now, Apollo? That's a new low, even for you."

The sun god glared at her, but before they could continue, Hermes spoke nervously, "Umm, I'd hate to butt in, but back to the War Game?"

The sun god glanced around, and every god looked on with anticipation, and he sighed in resignation, "Fine, she can get some help."

But before anyone could speak up, an idea popped into his head, and he spoke up loudly once more, "BUT! Only ONE PERSON! AND IT HAS TO BE FROM A FAMILIA OUTSIDE OF ORARIO!"

Apollo grinned as if he had just won, "I will not accept it if these conditions are not met!"

Freya chuckled, "I have no objections with that, so it just comes down to what Hestia thinks."

Artemis, on the other hand, simply palmed her face in disbelief that the sun god would be so petty and persistent.

The goddess of the hearth sighed, "Fine, I'll accept those conditions."

Apollo huffed, "Good, now we decide a date. Considering half of my Familia members are out of commission, I propose we have the War Game in a week's time!"

Hestia nodded, "You will have no objections from me on that end."

The sun god nodded, "Excellent, then that concludes our business here."

Apollo turned away and left with an excited grin on his face, "Now if you'll excuse me!"

Soon, most of the gods left the meeting room, and that left Loki, Hestia, Artemis, Freya, Hephaestus, Miach, Takemikazuchi and Hermes in the room.

Hephaestus sighed, "Now that went well."

Artemis snorted humorlessly, "You think?"

Hestia chuckled, "It did, actually."

Miach looked at her, "But Bell still will only be fighting with one helper."

The busty goddess grinned, "Fortunately, there is literally only one person I know who fits the description Apollo laid out for us, and I believe she is a Level 4."

Freya smiled knowingly, "That will work, I suppose."

Hermes hummed, "I see, so we'll have to ask her…"

Hestia looked at him, "Can I leave that to you, Hermes?"

The god of messengers sighed, "Alright, I'll do it. I do feel bad for drawing the type of game this time."

Hermes turned to leave the room, "I'll let you know how it goes."

As the god of messengers left, Loki spoke up, "Hestia."

The goddess of the hearth looked at the redhead, "What?"

The goddess of mischief folded her arms, "Look, I promised I'd stand behind your brat, so I think it's time I keep my promise too."

Hestia blinked, "Oh, sure, what do you have in mind?"

Loki grinned, "Simple, we'll get my ace team to train your brat!"

The other gods all blinked, and Hestia blinked again, "Wait, so you're saying you want to have your top members train my Bell-kun?"

The god of mischief nodded, "Exactly."

Freya laughed, "That sounds like a great idea, I'll have Ottar join in to help as well."

Takemikazuchi hummed, "A week… Regardless of how little time you have, I think training with the strongest adventurers in Orario will be of great help."

Loki grinned, "Then it's settled, just this once, I'll let him use my Familia home to train, we have a training ground for that, after all."

Hestia nodded, "Thank you, Loki."

The goddess of mischief smirked, "Hey, you still owe me one from last time, so we'll just add it to the tally."

Freya hummed, "Now, I believe that's all for me. Let me know when you want me to send Ottar over, Hestia."

Hestia nodded, "Sure, thanks, Freya."

The goddess of beauty smiled and left for her own quarters, leaving the rest in the meeting room.

Loki spoke up again, "Send your rabbit over any time you want, I'll let my kids know to expect him."

Hestia nodded, "Of course."

With that said, she too left the room, and Artemis asked, "So, shall we head back?"

Hestia nodded, "Yeah, I'll have to let Bell know to go to Loki's place."

Takemikazuchi shared a look with Miach. They too would need to find a way to help Hestia and her only Child.

(Linebreak)

Meanwhile, Mikoto, Welf and Lili were in a cafe. They had just finished diving into the dungeon, only going to the upper floors this time.

Bell had gone back to the Hostess', and that left the three together.

Welf stared at his cup of coffee, "What do yall think about what Freya-sama said?"

Mikoto blinked, "I beg your pardon?"

The blacksmith furrowed his brows, "She said we could just join Bell's Familia, that way we can help him."

The swordswoman frowned, "It's not that simple…"

Lili shook her head, "Not for me. I was already planning to go see Soma-sama later tonight."

Welf nodded, "I see… Then I'll ask Hephaestus-sama later too."

Mikoto looked at her cup, "You two are serious, aren't you?"

The blacksmith nodded, "Of course. Look, I know we probably won't be much help for Bell, but at the very least we can lessen the burden on him."

Lili nodded, "Bell-sama is strong, way stronger than any of us here, but there is something we can do."

Mikoto took a deep breath, "I'll have to think about it."

The other two nodded, and the prum in disguise spoke again, "I'll have to ask Hestia-sama what she thinks, of course. Then we can decide what to do."

The two nodded, and Welf added, "Let me know if you need help."

Mikoto nodded in agreement, "Me too."

Lili smiled, "Thanks, depending on how it goes, I might have to take you up on that offer."

Later that night, after letting Hestia know about her intentions, Lili was sneaking back into the Soma Familia home.

The prum was careful to not let anyone see her, which wasn't that hard considering half of them had been beaten up by Bell, the Loki Familia or Ottar.

Zanis was fortunately one of them, and as far as Lili could gather, he was currently bedridden.

That led to Lili standing before Soma in his room, still in the same place going through the same motions of brewing wine.

The prum took off her disguise, "Soma-sama."

The god didn't respond, but the brief pause in his movements told Lili she had his attention.

Lili spoke, "I have a request, will you listen to it?"

Soma spared her a glance, "Speak."

The prum lowered her head, "I wish to leave this Familia."

The god paused, "You wish to leave this Familia."

Lili nodded, "Yes."

Soma looked at her, "Tell me, why do you want to leave?"

The girl looked down, "I… I want to join the Hestia Familia. I want to help Bell-sama."

The god studied her face, finding no lies in her words, and he spoke, "You will no longer be able to drink the wine."

Lili snapped her head at him, "That doesn't matter to me! Please, let me leave this Familia!"

Soma didn't respond, until he reached down and grabbed a glass, filling it with wine.

He placed it on the table, "Drink this, and tell me what you want again. If it is the same, then I shall grant your wish."

Lili took a deep breath, the smell of the wine filling her nostrils, and she almost felt dizzy just from that.

She grabbed a hold of the cup, "I understand."

Lili looked at the cup, before she downed the cup in one go, dropping it almost immediately after she finished it.

Everything turned blurry, and Lili lost track of all of her thoughts.

More, she needed more wine.

It was just so good, she could never have enough.

As Lili fell to her knees, Soma sighed with disappointment, and he simply returned to brewing his wine.

A good few minutes passed, and the god was about to ask for someone to bring Lili away, until he heard her speak up.

"P…Please… L-let me…l-leave…Fa…milia…"

The god's eyes widened slightly as he turned to look at Lili, the prum on her knees, and despite the drunken expression on her face, Soma could see how determined she was.

Soma's eyes softened, "Very well…"

He turned and grabbed a potion off his shelf, uncorking it before he helped Lili down it in one go.

Almost immediately, the girl's eyes cleared up, and she blinked, "W-what?"

Soma stood up, "That was a potion I had Dian Cecht make for me, to clear up the effects of alcohol quickly."

Lili just stared at him, dumbfounded, "Oh."

The god of alcohol gestured to a chair near his desk, "Sit, I will release your blessing."

The prum nodded as she sat on the chair, taking off her shirt as Soma pricked his finger with a pin.

In the next moments, Lili felt the blessing from Soma leave her, and she turned to him after putting on her shirt, "Thank you."

Soma just turned away, going back to his wine making.

Without another word, Lili left the Familia home, and as she did, Soma stared at her shrinking figure from his balcony, before he returned to brewing his wine once more.

(Linebreak)

Earlier that afternoon, Welf stood in Hephaestus' office.

The goddess of the forge closed her eyes, processing the words her favorite child had just spoken, "Are you serious, Welf?"

The redhead nodded, "I am."

Hephaestus frowned, "And did you think I would simply allow that? I have nothing against Hestia, but not anyone can just join my Familia and leave."

Welf grinned in return, "The goddess I admire and love would be disappointed in me if I didn't."

The goddess cursed her favorite child for knowing exactly what to say, "Do you not want to forge swords stronger than magic swords?"

The younger blacksmith nodded, "Of course I do, but as long as I have a forge, a hammer and my passion, I can forge a good blade anywhere. You taught me that."

Hephaestus rubbed her temples, "Alright… I'll ask you one last time, are you sure you want to leave this Familia?"

Welf met her gaze, "For my friend, for the young hero who acknowledged not my ability to forge magic swords, but for my ability as a normal blacksmith. Even if I cannot help him as much, if I can lessen his burden for even just a bit, yes, I am willing to leave this Familia."

The goddess let out a deep breath, "Okay. Fine. You can go to Hestia's Familia."

The redhead lowered his head, "Thank you, my goddess."

Hephaestus sighed, "But before we let you go, there's one more thing I want to talk about."

Welf blinked, "There is?"

The goddess nodded, "I was planning to wait until you grew a bit more, but I guess now'd be a good time too."

The man looked confused, but simply waited as Hephaestus reached down into her drawer and pulled out a magic sword.

But it wasn't just any magic sword. It was one of the first few magic swords Welf had forged when he first entered the Hephaestus Familia

Welf blinked, "Wait, that's…"

The goddess nodded, "One of the first magic swords you presented to me when you first joined us."

The blacksmith gaped, "You kept it?"

Hephaestus chuckled, "Of course, it is a good sword. It is rough in some ways, but a good weapon nonetheless."

Her smile dropped, "Welf, I know you've hated magic swords for a long time. But have you considered that it can be help save the lives of other adventurers? Hell, it'd be a great boon to your ability to fight in the dungeon."

Welf didn't meet her gaze, "You know how I feel about them."

Hephaestus nodded, "I do, but tell me honestly, how much of that is because of your pride?"

The redhead's eyes widened, "My…pride?"

The goddess of the forge walked around her desk to stare at him in the face, "Yes, your pride. All of us should have some pride, that I agree. I myself have pride in my own work, in every one of you in my Familia."

Hephaestus extended the magic sword to Welf, "You can follow your pride, but Welf, I don't want you reach a point in time where you have to choose between your pride or the lives of your friends."

Welf froze at her words, and simply stared at the magic sword in her hands.

The goddess continued, "You have seen the weapons from Bell Cranel's abilities, have you not?"

The redhead nodded slowly, "I have."

Hephaestus asked, "What do you think of them?"

Welf met her eyes, "They were well forged, like they were made by you yourself. But…"

The goddess smiled, "They are copies, or weapons that are embedded within Bell's soul. My point is those weapons, the originals, they belonged to heroes, and they served their masters well."

The red haired man furrowed his brows, "I don't see where you're going."

Hephaestus pushed the magic sword into his hands, "The reason why you've always been so against magic weapons is because they break. If that's the problem, why don't you just forge one that doesn't break?"

Welf gaped, "W-what?"

The goddess of the forge snorted, "Are magic swords any different than normal weapons? In the end, they are still blades, only imbued with a bit of magic."

The redhead looked at the magic sword in his hands, "I… I never thought of it that way."

Hephaestus nodded, "I know, that's why I'm telling you now."

Welf tightened his grip on the magic sword, "I… I'll have to think about it…"

He looked at the goddess, "And do you mind if I keep this?"

Hephaestus smiled, "Of course not, you can keep it."

Welf nodded, "I think… I might get back into it, and maybe… maybe I'll forge a magic sword worthy of you."

The goddess of the forge giggled, "Then I shall look forward to it."

The redhead nodded, "Thank you."

Hephaestus shook her head, "It's fine. Now, let's release your Falna."

Welf nodded as he turned and took off his shirt, and in a few moments, the goddess released his Falna.

The man put his shirt back on, "Thank you, Hephaestus-sama."

Hephaestus smiled, "If you ever get tired of Hestia, you're always welcome here. But of course, you'll have to work your way up again."

Welf smiled, "I'll keep that in mind."

He bowed, "Then I'll excuse myself, Lady Hephaestus."

The goddess nodded, and with that, the man left the room.

After a short while, the door opened, revealing Tsubaki at the door.

The captain asked, "You sure you're okay with this?"

Hephaestus snorted as she fell on her seat, "What do you think?"

Tsubaki hummed with a suggestive grin, "But hey, now that he's in a different Familia, things might work out?"

The goddess threw one of the forge hammers on the table at her, "Shut up."

The captain just caught it easily with a shit eating grin, "Nope."

Hephaestus sighed, "They really grow up so quickly."

Tsubaki chuckled, "You're not getting old on me, are you?"

The goddess snorted, "Old? I guess it'd be nice if I could."

The captain went and grabbed the goddess' arm, "Alright, come on then, you need a drink."

Hephaestus frowned, "A drink at this hour?"

Tsubaki grinned, "Exactly, now come on!"

She pulled her goddess along, and the goddess of the forge couldn't find it in herself to resist.

(Linebreak)

At the same time, Takemikazuchi was pacing in his Familia home. Miach had decided to supply Bell with a bunch of potions to use in the War Game, and both Loki and Freya were helping train Bell.

He had no idea what Hephaestus was going to do, but the Japanese god still felt the need to provide aid to his friend in her time of need.

Takemikazuchi rubbed his temples as he tried to think of something.

There was no point offering to help train Bell, considering the boy was probably already strong enough to destroy his own Familia.

But before the god could continue his thoughts, Mikoto's voice reached his ears.

"Takemikazuchi-sama, I have a request."

The god turned to see Mikoto in front of him, and he raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

The young woman paused, as if contemplating her decision, before speaking, "Please let me join Bell-dono's Familia."

Takemikazuchi's eyes widened, "You want to join his Familia?"

Mikoto nodded, "I want to help him."

The god took a deep breath, and he nodded, "Very well."

The young woman blinked, "Wait, just like that?"

Takemikazuchi chuckled, "Just like that. I knew you always felt bad for getting Bell and his party into that Pass Parade, and you've been starting to join them in their expeditions recently."

Mikoto blinked again, "Oh."

The god nodded, "Let's go find Hestia then."

(Linebreak)

That evening, Bell stood in front of the Twilight Manor, and he approached the two guards at the door, "Hello, I'm-"

One of the guards nodded, "Bell Cranel, yes, we've been expecting you."

The other guard looked at the first one, "I'll bring him in, okay?"

The first guard nodded, "Sure, go for it."

The second guard looked at Bell, "Follow me."

The boy nodded and followed him into the mansion, and they quickly found themselves in a relatively large training area, where Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Bete, Ais, Tiona, Tione and Lefiya were waiting.

The prum smiled, "Bell, welcome."

Bell nodded, "Thank you for doing this, Finn-san."

Finn chuckled, "It is something our goddess promised, so don't worry about it."

The boy nodded, "But thanks anyway."

The prum hummed, "But before we begin, I just want to ask you a few questions."

Bell blinked, "Sure, of course."

Finn nodded, "What is a hero to you?"

The boy blinked again, "I beg your pardon?"

The prum smiled slightly, "I want to know what a hero means to you. I saw your battle against Hyakinthos, and that is not something someone would call… shall we say, hero-like."

Bell fell silent, he knew what Finn meant, and he took a deep breath, "Ever since I inherited this power, I thought about it. I might have mentioned this before, but the powers I inherit, they come with the memories of the hero."

Finn nodded, "So I've been told."

The boy nodded, "All of them, they weren't perfect, and they weren't the same. But all of them accomplished something, something big enough to be considered a hero in the eyes of humanity. To be a hero, you have to become a monster to someone or something else."

The prum considered his words, "I can see the logic behind that."

Bell nodded, "But that's just if you want to be seen as a hero, if I want to be a hero, a true hero. I have to be able to do the right thing."

Finn hummed, "For example?"

The boy nodded as he continued, "If someone is in need of help, I want to be able to help them. I don't want to have to stand at a side and do nothing."

The prum nodded, "I see, so you want to be able to help people, to become a symbol of hope to others."

Bell nodded, "Sort of. It's a bit hard to explain, but before I can do all that, I also have to make sure I can protect the ones closest to me."

He looked at Finn in the eye, "That's why even if I want to help people, even if I want to become a hero, I have to take down the Apollo Familia. If I can't even protect my friends and family, then I have no right to call myself a hero."

The prum closed his eyes, before he smiled, "An excellent answer. I'm impressed, to be honest. You and I share similar opinions I suppose."

Bell blinked, "Eh?"

Finn chuckled, "I won't lie, that was my own way of testing you. If your answered something else, I might have sent you away."

The boy blinked, "Oh."

The prum shook his head, "But no matter, in fact, I think what I had planned before won't be enough."

That surprised the people around him, and Gareth asked, "Not enough, you say?"

Finn nodded, "Bell here wants to prove that he's not to be messed with, and obviously he already has the power to do it. Before, we were just planning on sparring with him with all of us here to get him used to fighting multiple enemies instead."

"Then what do you propose we do now?"

They all turned to see Ottar entering the training area.

Finn smirked, "What Bell needs, is the capability to be able to fight the large number of members of the Apollo Familia in a tactical manner. Power alone won't cut it, we need Bell to be able to crush them flawlessly, both in terms of strategy and power."

Riveria sighed, "You better not be suggesting what I think you are."

The prum laughed, "You know me so well."

He looked at Bell, "Our Familia home won't be big enough for this, so we'll have to head into the dungeon."

Finn ignored the looks from his comrades, and instead grinned, "For the next six days, you will be up against 100 of us, that includes everyone you see here and Ottar, and other members of our Familia to make up the 100 people. We will do so on different floors each time we fight."

The boy's eyes widened, "Wait. What?!"

Bete gained a smirk, "I see where you're going with this, this might actually be better than I expected."

Lefiya spoke up, "W-wait, he's only one person, up against all of us?"

Riveria nodded, "That's the point of it, if he can handle the hundred of us, including all of us here and Ottar, he will have no difficulty destroying the Apollo Familia."

The younger elf furrowed her brows, "But didn't we just say that Bell-san has the power to take them all down?"

Bete spoke up with a scowl, "Oh he does, but what we wanna do is crush those pissants from the Apollo Familia, we want him to crush them to dust."

Riveria looked at her student, "Besides, Bell Cranel is but still one person. Anything can happen in a War Game, if he slips, then that is it."

Lefiya looked down, before she took a deep breath, "I understand, I'll do my best to help."

Bell considered the idea, before he nodded, "I'll be in your care then."

Finn nodded, "Then get ready, we'll depart in 30 minutes."

The boy nodded as they all went to prepare.

XXX

DONE.

So the next chapter will show the training part, and maybe we might see the beginning of the War Game.

Otherwise, until next time.

Read and review please.