And So, Bell Became a Hero
DISCLAIMER: Danmachi belongs to its respective owners. This story is a fan-made depiction of a fan what-if route of the original work and the characters in it abide by the fictional laws in the setting.
[Chapter 27] And So, The Stars Aligned (part 1/2)
Part 37
He was there, again.
One whose light flared crimson, blinding Her from Her duties.
Her fingers dexterously danced across vast strings, dimming the crimson light but failing to stop it from scorching her fingertips.
She snarled —A first, in eons— and took hold of the crimson light itself.
It would be snuffed, for it had no right to interfere with Her.
Alas, even She was not above making mistakes.
The wicked mistress of Fate winced as the light died inside her fist momentarily before it escaped through the seams of her fingers in a colder tone.
From crimson to verdant green, from verdant green to azure; nothing She tried stopped the brimming light from filtering through her grasp.
Negated —Her Authority was reduced to… Nothing.
Even when restricted by Her Primordial Divinity, the flaming singularity refused to obey Her Principles.
Why, She did not know.
But soon, the answer would unveil itself to her.
As it always did.
As it always would.
As it always will.
- 0 - AsBBaH Vol 2 - 0 -
All her life,
"We only want what's best for you."
Riviera was shackled by those words.
"We care about your future."
Enslaved to future generations that depended on her existence.
"We wish that you would think of us with the same goodwill we have for you."
Bound by the traditions of an old race, never able to think for herself.
"We do not wish to see you harmed, that's all."
Restricted from exploring her talents and called talentless so long as it'd get her to stop trying.
Dreams… What were they worth if she couldn't chase after them!?
"Why must you hurt us this way, Riveria!?"
Riveria?
No.
They never saw Riveria.
All they saw.
All they wanted.
Was the perfect Elven Princess of the High Elves —No, for the High Elves.
…
Shackled by the past.
Enslaved to the future.
Bound by traditions.
And restrained from exploring the world she longed for.
It was no surprise that Riveria—
"Do not make me regret this choice."
—Escaped the cage created by her parents.
Alas, a freed bird retained its handler's conditioning even when in the wild.
Until—
"Beautiful…"
—A singularity altered her self-perception.
It's not as if he was the first to have uttered those words, nor was he the first to have spoken like so from the heart.
A lengthy line of suitors awaited her if she ever were to return home; but none of those suitors, not a single one of them, had provoked her like him.
'Your eyes… It's the first time I've seen someone with such brilliance like yours."
For her, eyes had always been the door to one's soul, and he… he had found her soul to be brilliant and beautiful.
Not her face.
Not her body.
Not her fame.
Not her glory.
But her.
Alas, she believed his words to have come from his youth and selfish freedom. So, she looked away, interested but disinterested.
Except she had been wrong.
He was young but not naïve.
The choices he made were selfish but always had the well-being of others in mind.
Though it was not as if he was the first to have proven her wrong. Compared to his short-lived race, she had seen many young men and women surpass her expectations and he was no exception.
Except she had been wrong, again.
Riveria should've known from the start, what with those chaotic crimson eyes of his.
"For the last time… If you lay down your weapons… I promise you will live."
Riveria saw him fight, finally, and he'd lived up to everyone's expectations —No, he'd flawlessly overcame those expectations in the bloodiest way imaginable. Every swing of his weapon drew blood, every attack took a foe down; his white hair became crimson with the spilt blood of his enemies, his body equally stained by what he could not block.
But his words could no longer be ignored or laughed upon.
His resolve—tested—remained unwavering.
"To keep my loves ones safe from you, I won't regret killing you either."
Pure and utter human selfishness displayed in one the most gruesome ways.
No life besides those he cared for mattered.
So selfish.
So, so selfish.
Why then, was she so attracted to that selfishness?
Was it because she was raised to never be selfish?
Or was it because she saw her young self in him?
She did not know the answer, a genuine one.
Then they met again, finally.
"I'm glad to see you again."
There was another woman in his arms, not even one of his lovers, but his chaotic eyes—like the crimson flames of hell— stared directly into her own eyes that he found beautiful to look at.
Until—
"Mister Cranel, a moment of your time."
—Airmid took him away.
The person she was interested in.
Airmid took him away.
The person she needed to speak with.
Airmid took him away.
The person who could give her the answers that she wanted.
He was taken away— No, they took him away from her.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
She took him away.
"Riveria, where are you going?"
There was only one place that she would go.
"To the battlefield."
Riveria would not make the same mistakes of her past any longer.
He was human.
He was wild.
And he was selfish.
If she wanted to get answers, she would need to cast away the shackles binding her to her elven past— What worth was such past if it threatened her future!?
He cared not for her past either; so, why should she!?
In his eyes, she was not the Elven Princess of the High Elves!
In his eyes, she was Riveria: the woman with brilliant and beautiful eyes!
And he was but a man from a short-lived race who longed for more than they could realistically achieve in their short lives.
Was he, then, not a part of the world that she longed to understand?
How could she comprehend the world around her if she did not try?
Riveria had not escaped her traditional parent's cage by accepting their narrow view of the world. She was curious, longed for knowledge, wished to embark on adventures that would show her the true reality of the world and not the one constructed by her peers.
Alas, the World had been too vast for the little bird that Riveria once was.
She could only fly for so long before getting tired— No, before her snipped feathers could carry her too far from the sights and knowledge that she sought.
Alone, yet not truly alone; tired, yet not entirely tired; and confident, despite lacking confidence —There could only be one outcome for the Elven Princess.
Orario 'the city of Promises', that's where she should've landed and learned about everything that she wanted, but instead the Princes merely trapped herself in another cage, bigger but equally enslaving as the one made by her parents.
Shackled by the Divine, enslaved by the expectations of the short-lived mortals, bound to the same hierarchy that she fled from…
How did her life in the Royal Forest differ from her life in the City of Promises!?
It didn't!
Her peers followed after her, her servants followed after her, her maids followed after her; the shackles remained, the traditions trailed her every step —Her selfishness, denied yet again!
And Riveria only had herself to blame for the new cage that she trapped herself in.
But still, there was hope for her.
She could see it—her freedom—reflected in those crimson eyes that defied all orders of the Wo—
"Miss Riveria?"
—Riveria's trance was broken when her name was called.
Halfway down the stairs to the first level of the Hestia Familia's manor, Riveria turned her beautiful eyes to the person who called her name and found it to be the woman who obtained what she couldn't in the last ninety nine years.
Someone whose life had been turned upside down in the span of seconds, and despite initially abhorring her own traditions, was now seemingly glad to have adhered to them.
"Is everything alright?"
The woman's question was a thorn that dug into Riveria's heart, causing revolting emotions to prickle at Riveria's mind.
"I noticed that you were incredibly quiet earlier, Miss Riveria. Is there something weighing on your mind?"
Riveria took a few seconds to pluck out the metaphorical thorn in her heart before responding with a restrained tone, "I'm not sure yet. It feels as if I'm about to do something that I will regret for the rest of my life or be glad to have get it done over with."
"Is it something dangerous?"
"Not at all," Riveria uttered with confidence that she didn't possess. "But it may upset a few people… No, I will upset a lot of people."
Riveria's actions would certainly upset the woman talking to her, to the woman hoping to be of help after Riveria had guided her in spite of her elven zeal.
"My mentor once told me that I should prioritize myself before others because servitude is not as rewarding as self-care, and now I understand that my mentor was right… Maybe those words are the ones my mentor has to live by too?"
…
…
…
Riveria exhaled and regarded her kin with an alleviated smile. "You've changed, Alicia."
"Yes!" Alicia's smile was one that Riveria had never seen before, "Was I of help, Miss Riveria?"
Riveria could only hope that Alicia would show her that smile again in the future, because…
"Yes. I know what I must do now, Alicia. Thank you."
Riveria would prioritize herself over others from hereon.
- 0 - AsBBaH Vol 2 - 0 -
And that was how Riveria used her nonexistent courage to take off her prim clothes that distinguished her as someone of noble heritage and changed into one of the many skimpy swimsuits that the Hestia Familia had on display for public use in the changing rooms at the lowest level of their villa.
The princess discarded everything that hid her true beauty, which so many egocentric nobles sought, throwing each piece into a pile in the corner of the room.
Even the white bindings that normally constricted her body beneath her robes went into the pile, leaving the marks of Riveria's past as clear and numerous as the days of summer; Every mark was an angry red line that contoured all around her body from how tight she wore those bindings.
It would take weeks— Nay, months for the lines to disappear, but he would not judge her for them.
Riveria was certain of that.
If anything, he would find them to be equally beautiful as her eyes to look at.
So Riveria did not stare at them for minutes as she would've done every day; instead, that time was spent trying on as many different ensembles, trying to find the one that would draw him back to her.
He was not above mortal desires.
Riveria was certain of that.
Riveria's certainty became her courage, and she used that emotion to pick an ensemble that felt somewhat symbolic to her current emotions and position in life; and one that would certainly leave the young man with his mouth hanging.
Her wrists and ankles were adorned with wide black wristbands, devoid of innocent frills, featuring a pattern of white broken chains woven into them.
Her hair flowed freely at the back, but at the top she wore a thorn like accessory that pulled back the hair on the left side of her forehead, leaving her right side with her usual emerald bangs framing her mature face.
A magical necklace hung around her neck, the string woven by herself and the pendant shining green with the magic she passively imbued it with since she was a child.
Below the string of her necklace hung a second string, the one holding together her swimsuit's top piece.
The black and white string looped thrice around her neck and connected at the front with a green-patterned bikini top that covered a radical portion of her breasts, with an elastic band that covered her upper ribs and patterned with the same broken white chains as her accessories.
Two sets of strings, one white and one black, connected to the two different bottom pieces that hung around her waist and hips, respectively. The white one connected with the outer piece, which was a transparent swimming boxer, patterned with black chains, and hugged her body to enhance her thighs and butt shape.
The black string connected to the inner piece, a scandalously small dark-green bikini bottom that would contest with the one worn by the healer who took him away.
Alas, for all her certain courage, Riveria still covered her lower body from the waist down with a wrap that was light in color and thin enough to still see the outline of what was beneath.
Riveria looked at her reflection in the mirror, "Whoever bought these swimsuits for exhibit truly has some… peculiar tastes." She muttered while biting on her thumbnail.
—Somewhere nearby, a certain redheaded mortal sneezed then apologized before continuing to tease her elven friend.
"I truly must be going crazy…" Riveria muttered again through bitten fingernails.
The courage that she gathered was faltering the longer she looked at herself in the mirror, and it almost evaporated entirely when she threw her arms down and her nipples almost peeked out of her top due to how small it was.
Perhaps, she was taking it too far, pushing herself too hard… It's not like Bell Cranel would fawn over her for simply showing more skin (he would, probably). Physical attraction could only help her so far before a deeper connection was required, and she did not wish for something merely physical with him. (though it would nice, probably.)
With her courage about to run out, and when she was turning around to look for another ensemble within the rack of questionable swimwear, Riveria picked up a faint sound.
"—?"
Riveria looked around and confirmed there was nobody else but her in the changing rooms at the time, but the muffled noises still echoed from somewhere extremely nearby.
She searched the stalls then, one by one, until she found the one from which the noises were the loudest and noticed it came from beyond the wall.
—Curiosity killed the cat, they always say, and satisfaction brought it back to life…
Riveria entered the stall and stared at the worn-down wall, one which had a small hole at chest-level.
A hole from where the noises were coming from, from where the light shone through, and where Riveria's eyes peeked into.
The self-shackled princess did not expect to see Bell Cranel on the other side of the wall, nor did the shell-shocked princess think she would see the Dea Saint with him, laying between the legs of the man that Riveria was interested in.
—Question is, was this cat's curiosity 'satisfied' with what it found?
A dark emotion immediately bloomed within Riveria's chest, seizing her heart and squeezed it, causing her blood to boil and run amok so fast that she could hear it pumping loud and clear inside her eardrums.
Was it anger?
No.
Was it fury?
No.
Was it indignation?
No.
"You are not going to be taken away from me this time, Bell Cranel."
It was jealousy.
Pure and utter selfish jealousy.
So simple, so plain, yet dark and potent enough to reinvigorate Riveria's dwindling courage back to its full might.
Stray eyes be damned; right or wrong actions to be taken, none of it mattered.
She would care no more.
Nobody but herself would be the judge of her actions after she was done with them.
After she was done with him.
Riveria stomped out of the female changing rooms and marched right into the male-section, curious eyes following her being completely ignored by the seething princess.
The noises became louder and clearer despite the running shower dampening them.
It was impossible to miss them, improbable not to find the correct stall on the first attempt, and implausible that Riveria wouldn't tear open the stall's door.
"What are you doing!?"
Airmid showed absolutely no care to the intruder named Riveria, namely because Airmid was fascinated by the thick coating covering her nose despite it being the third time Bell had released his lust afflicted by the Goddesses charm.
Airmid gathered the creamy liquid on her index finger and stared at it as she responded to the interrupter.
"What, you ask?"
Airmid's eyes switched from her digit to Riveria, an inexplicable emotion swirling within her purple gaze.
Riveria saw herself reflected in those swirling purple irises that bore down on her and could only stare as Airmid sucked the white liquid coating her digit before addressing Riveria with a sinister tone.
"I am merely taking care of… my patient."
Every dark emotion that Riveria had always ignored bloomed all at once in her heart, feasting on her jealousy.
She could feel them all then.
The anger coursing through her.
The fury welling up inside her body.
The indignation stemming from Airmid's actions despite her presence.
Hit all at once by so much… Riveria's eyes lost their beautiful glimmer.
"Treatment?"
Riveria scoffed and stomped forward, the stall's door closed behind her with a loud bang. She glared at the healer looking up at her with an equal dark gaze, neither betraying what emotions lurked within their minds.
"You call this treatment?" Riveria pointed at Bell who did not know whether to hide his face or groin from the royal elven princess.
"Yes." Airmid succinctly replied with a smirk that infuriated Riveria further. "But you wouldn't get it. This is something far too beneath you for you to understand, Lady Riveria."
Airmid did not stop there. She placed her hands on Bell's naked thigh and gently caressed him as if he was a frightened animal.
Which he very much was—current events considered.
Riveria gritted her teeth— the new emotions festering in her heart were throwing her mental fortitude into disarray. Disrespect wasn't uncommon to her; she had lived through her peers speaking behind her back and those barking at her after she stepped on their pride, but this kind of disrespect shown by Airmid was different from those, a hurtful kind of different because…
Airmid spoke the truth.
Riveria, the "princess", was someone who considered mere physicals acts to be beneath her because they were shallow, superficial, and easy to fake… Something so carnal would never be considered as treatment in her eyes. However, it was Airmid who'd spoken and the Dea Saint was never one who lied when medical emergencies were involved.
Yet, to Riveria, it still looked so wrong—?
—Wrong?
"No."
—Something cracked inside Riveria's mind.
"If you had said the same to me an hour ago, I would've agreed."
Riveria's lips twisted into a dark smile as she took another step forward before stomping her left foot right beside Bell's head, drawing a muffled 'meep' from him as the wall cracked on impact. She slouched forward on her bent knee to get very personal with the nonplussed healer staring back at her.
"Miss Dea Saint," Riveria's sinister tone rung alarms in Bell's brain, "Mind explaining to me in detail why you're slurping Bell Cranel's seed as if it was the tastiest delicacy in the world?"
"Miss Riveria, Air—"
—Airmid covered Bell's mouth with one hand; her purple eyes swirled darkly in response to Riveria's lackluster jade gaze.
"If you have to know." Airmid licked her lips and sighed, her breath clearly smelled of Bell's essence. "It was indeed one of the tastiest delicacies in the world that I've ever feasted on, Lady Riveria."
Riveria's right eyelid twitched, "That is not an explanation, Dea Saint."
Airmid snorted, "I don't owe you an explanation, Lady Riveria." She immediately moved her hand from Bell's mouth to his semi-erect member and gently wrapped her fingers around it, causing Bell to yelp and shudder at her touch. "What I do with Bell is none of your business."
Again, Airmid had spoken the truth.
And it infuriated Riveria so damned much.
Rivera was nobody but a stranger with brilliant and beautiful eyes to the young man known as Bell Cranel, whereas Airmid was…?
"And just who do you think you are to Bell Cranel, Dea Saint."
Such question should've been enough to put into jeopardy any superiority that Airmid believed she held over Riveria because the both of them should be nothing but strangers that met Bell recently by pure Luck—
—Airmid smiled.
The healer's eyes shed their arrogance, competitiveness, and emptiness to reveal a multitude of bright emotions that caused Riveria to recoil upon recognition.
It was the same look that Alicia had given her not an hour earlier…
"I am someone who understands Bell better than you do." Airmid spoke with conviction and fierceness that did not suit her small body, "I understand why he acts so recklessly, why he strives so hard for his future, what moves his heart… And I will be someone who will protect Bell from those seeking to harm him and corrupt the determination burning in his soul."
…
Riveria closed her eyes.
It would've hurt less if Airmid had punched her in the face rather than hearing those words.
It would've hurt far less if Airmid hadn't glanced at Bell while she uttered those words.
It wouldn't have hurt so much if Bell's gaze didn't shine with adoration after understating Airmid's words.
Riveria was baffled by how Airmid had become someone who could receive the same kind of adoring gaze that Bell gave to his beloved werewolf, to the Ankusha, to the Holy Grail, and to Alicia who once was Riveria's attendant… She couldn't understand how they had gotten so close in such a short amount of time.
Why were they so close in the first place?
Hadn't Riveria shown worry and some care for him too?
What was the difference between them?
Why couldn't Riveria get his attention, his adoration too?
Why was it only them?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
—Something shattered inside Riveria's mind.
"Ah, so that's why."
Riveria was still restraining herself.
But she would, no more.
And so, it was about damn time that Riveria broke all her restraints.
- 0 - AsBBaH Vol 2 - 0 -
Ten minutes and three seconds.
That's how long it would take the three traveling Goddesses and one attendant to successfully arrive at Orario, the Labyrinth City.
The quietest Goddess of the three, she who was the oldest and most pale, was glad that their journey under the blistering Sun, the chilling Moon, and the flickering Stars was about to end. Now —if only— the other two Underworld deities would stop bickering with each other, her mental exhaustion would be somewhat alleviated.
She understood that ranting was their way of relieving stress after 'living' 'alone' for so long, but she could really do without their breast-swinging competition that went nowhere. Her silver-haired attendant deliberately adding fuel to their banter wasn't of help either, thus the quietest Goddess had no choice but to lag behind the group lest her peace be disturbed beyond the point of no return.
Soon—she believed—her mood would improve once she finally met the source of her worries.
Hekate's chosen one.
Hekate had not described his physical traits, choosing to leave it as a surprise for them, and had only spoken of his 'interesting' nature at length so the oldest Goddess could only wonder what the child looked like after all she'd heard about him. So many Celestials had blessed him, so perhaps he would be some kind of imposing and unruly human, or mayhap he would be another meek and unassuming person…
She only knew one thing for certain about the so-called 'Bell Cranel' and that was the color of his eyes— A crimson that would put Hekate's and hers to shame if they compared the radiance exuding from them.
Her conundrum continued even when the group of four arrived at the gates of Orario.
The grass wilted under her bare feet as she watched Hekate, and the dark-skinned Goddess cause a massive commotion with their combined presence and attitude towards the gate's guards.
… It would be another two hours of constant bickering between the two Goddesses and several guards before Ouranos's attendant appeared and ordered for them to be let in.
The elder God would test her patience and willfulness to stay peaceful again, but that's a story that she would bury in a nondescript grave since no mortal needed to know the contents of it.
At least, not yet— That is.
And so, all that was left was to meet with Hekate's chosen one, and her task would either end or her duties be prolonged for the unforeseeable future.
- 0 - AsBBaH Vol 2 - 0 -
Speaking of the so-called Bell Cranel— The young man was, currently, held at heel-point against a bathroom wall by Riveria and stuck in place since Airmid had seized him by the balls, literally.
Bell did not know what or where to look at since both beauties were dressed in such provocative swimwear that there was not much left to the imagination, and in Airmid's case, without her top there was no point speculating about the color or shape of her breasts.
Visual pleasantries aside, Bell was no fool to what Airmid and Riveria were fighting over.
He was flattered that they cared enough about him to the point they would be at each other's throats, but his heart did not have the resolve to respond to either of their feelings just yet—Not without mentioning the issue with his current lovers.
Problem was, Riveria had interrupted Airmid's healing session and so, Bell still had to deal with the Goddesses' charms that refused to go away despite all Airmid had done for him. Sure, his mind was clearer than earlier, but the charms had already poisoned a part of his soul with their Divinity, thus it was no wonder he could hear the whispers of the charms telling him to take advantage of the situation.
He ignored those whispers—barely—and focused on the burning sensation on his back.
Surrounding the crimson flame that he visualized to be his soul, Bell saw a wintry haze threatening to freeze what defined him. The haze wasn't as strong as before, but it was still there, slowly poisoning his mind and body again…
"Remember Bell, what really matters isn't what you try to do but what you end up doing. Decide wisely before acting and you'll always be rewarded for your efforts."
Bell scolded himself for allowing things to get to this point and took page out of his grandfather's metaphorical book of perverse knowledge.
Trying to stop the Goddesses' charm from affecting him was pointless, that's why he had failed and required Airmid's help to retain his sanity.
By trying, he had resolved himself to fail.
Failure was not an option, never was an option.
If Divinity harmed him, then Divinity would cure him.
After all, Falna was Divinity granted to mortals albeit in smaller quantities— But Divinity was Divinity, regardless; and Bell had more than one Divine Blessing in his soul. Known and unknown—it mattered not— Bell would use it them all.
Thus, the young man forewent fighting back against the wintry haze—the Goddesses' charm— and accepted their Divine poison into his soul where it would corrupt him momentarily, before the empyreal warmth burning on his back devoured the remaining poison, feasting on the Divinity presented to it, and turned it into sustenance that would continue fueling Bell's desires, his determination to never stop doing what felt right.
"Airmid."
Airmid broke her staring contest with Riveria to look at Bell.
"Don't antagonize Miss Riveria anymore, please."
Airmid was visibly taken aback by the tone of his voice, more so after he pried Airmid's fingers away from his balls.
"I'll probably never be able to repay you for what you've done today for me Airmid, but please don't let this misunderstanding get any worse than it already is." Bell pleaded with the astonished Airmid and, before she could retort, he directed his words to Riveria. "Miss Riveria, Airmid was truly treating me. I understand that this in no way looks like medical treatment but if it weren't for Airmid's willfulness, my sense of self would've been twisted beyond saving."
Bell could see some brilliance return to Riveria's gaze, so he continued: "My Goddess asked me to meet with her friends and some of them were Goddesses who used their charms on me one after the other."
Riveria blinked several times as she processed his words.
"Goddess Demeter, Goddess Ishtar, and Goddess Freya, to be exact."
Riveria's face paled upon hearing the last two Goddesses' name.
"If it wasn't for Airmid rewriting the charms' properties with this… method, I would've become a mindless servant to any of the Goddesses."
His explanation seemingly given, Riveria asked what she wanted—needed to hear from Bell himself.
"Then… you and Airmid aren't together?"
What a loaded question— Bell internally flinched.
"Not… exactly?" Bell glanced at Airmid who didn't seem to be annoyed by his negative response, perhaps she really had only come to his aid because she did not wish to see him harmed?
It was too hard to read what went inside Airmid's mind…
"As of now," Airmid placed her palm atop her heart, "We're not together in any way, shape, or form. What I've done was administer aid to Bell; however, I must admit to having developed some feelings for Bell after our hearts and bodies were in close proximity with one another."
"Oh." Bell oh'ed.
"If you're not against the idea," Airmid faintly smiled to Bell, "I'd like to see where these feelings take us."
Bell slowly nodded, "I'm not against the idea, but…"
"Do not fret," Airmid spoke. "I'll obtain your lovers' acceptance before we continue this conversation."
Bell sighed in relief, glad that Airmid understood his fears, before he gazed back at Riveria, 'Does that answer your question, Miss Riveria?"
"Yes… Yes, it does…" The brilliance in Riveria's jade gaze flickered dangerously. "This means that you're not against others pursuing your affection as long as they have your lovers' acceptance."
'That's a confusing way of understanding my words, but she's not exactly wrong…' Bell thought and slowly nodded in the positive.
"If that's the case," Riveria retracted her heel from besides Bell's head before she sat seiza in front of him. "I'll make it clear that I have also developed a keen interest and some confusing emotions towards you, Bell Cranel."
Riveria grabbed his face.
"Um—"
And kissed him.
"—mm!?"
She was somewhat clumsy but very firm with the way she pressed her lips against his, leading Bell to wonder if Riveria had no experience before she lightly pulled back, her jade gaze devoid of brilliance.
Riveria muttered against his lips, "These actions of mine may be unfair to you and many, but if I don't act now, express myself now, I'll never again have the courage to do so in the future."
Bell felt, more than saw, the conflict raging in Riveria's heart. He did not know much about Riveria, outside of what Alicia said when she chastised him for treating Riveria like another regular mortal being, but even he knew that the kiss Riveria gave him took monumental effort from her part to deliver.
Though Bell had said that he would only accept someone's feelings for him after they gained acceptance from his other lovers, he did not move away from Riveria who clumsily kissed him again.
…He'd made his conditions clear earlier; pushing away Riveria after she'd accepted them, even before the first kiss, wouldn't have hurt nobody as she, and Airmid, had accepted his terms…
So…
Why did he kiss back?
Why did he take the lead and gently guide Riveria's lips on how to move, to press, pull, nip, and sup on?
The answer was primitive, physical, and transcendental.
It was burning on—in his back: The Divinity Bell had assimilated from the Gods themselves.
He was no pure soul devoid of guile or malice, capable of withstanding evil with purity— His grandfather and Hekate did not raise him to be such an honest man. Thus, it was no wonder that the corruption from the charms would've exacerbated the savageness of men dwelling in his heart.
Riveria may have believed her actions to be unfair for others, expressing her interest in a physical manner before proper acceptance, but Bell would never believe her delusions in the future —After all; How would Riveria explain that after Bell took the lead of their second kiss, Bell had gradually pushed her body back and down until her back was against the floor with Bell pressing his weight down on her body while continuing to steal her breath away.
Riveria mental restraints were no more, her willingness to stop Bell from corralling her body under his arms did not exist whatsoever. Whichever small voice of protest in her mind went unheard in the raging storm of carnal thoughts.
A faint moment of clarity struck Riveria's mind when something hot and hard pressed down against her lower belly —She squirmed in place, fearing the unknown object, until she managed to squeeze her hands over her head and out of Bell's bodily prison.
Bell moved and immediately obstructed the clarity Riveria gained.
His left hand seized both of Riveria's wrist, pulling both limbs to rest immobile over her head, and his right hand's fingers grasped her jaw, holding it in place, before kissing her rougher than before.
The mix of fear and arousal put Riveria on edge, her body continued sending her numerous signals that her brain could not process fast enough but she did not try to escape again. The notion of escape ceased to exist when Bell slightly pulled away from her and his fingers moved from her jaw to caress her swollen lips with his thumb.
What stared down at Riveria was something she would never forget for they were the crimson irises that reflected her unrestrained and freed self in perfect clarity. Then again, it would be hard to forget with Bell's thumb gently pulling her lower lip for him to lightly nibble on before giving her another deep kiss.
Riveria's vision, hearing, taste, and tact were filled with Bell, leaving her little room to process which sense overwhelmed her the most.
Her skin prickled when her top was undone, her long elven ears picked up the sound of clothes splashing somewhere close, her eyes registered the movement of Bell's hand that released her wrists and caressed her ribcage instead, and her tongue found no place to rest inside her mouth with Bell chasing after it.
—Wherever she focused—
Fingers that curled inside his white hair.
Lips that submitted to his coarse lips.
Hips that searched his heat.
—Everywhere she didn't—
Nose filled with his scent.
Ears tingling by his hoarse groans.
Body curled within his amoral embrace.
—Something bombarded her nerves—
Her nose couldn't keep up with how fast she was breathing; The dizziness set in, disguised by arousal, and deprived her of mental capacity.
—At every moment—
Her nerves imploded, signaling euphoric release after one another.
—And any moment—
Her body exploded, concealing melancholic feelings after one another.
—In all places—
Her heart, her soul, her body.
Her brain, her chest, her belly.
—Nowhere was safe—
What had broken in her mind was hammered by Bell's fierceness into a fine dust and scattered so that it would never restrain her thoughts or actions evermore.
And so, when Bell finally grasped Riveria's naked breast to take it further, Riveria's mind couldn't bear the load anymore.
- 0 - AsBBaH Vol 2 - 0 -
Airmid stared in rapt fascination as Riveria's head slumped to the side, a trail of blood running down her nose, as her whole lower body shook violently under Bell for several seconds before it too slumped down almost lifelessly.
It was only then that Airmid's medical instincts kicked in, round-housing her own arousal and jealousy.
"Mister Cranel!"
She wacked the back of Bell's head, hard.
"Stop!"
Bell froze, his body obeying Airmid's words. "—Eh!"
Airmid huffed, "Move aside."
"H-hai!" Bell awkwardly shuffled away from Riveria's slumped body and watched apprehensively as Airmid checked on Riveria's breathing and pulse.
Thankfully, Airmid found nothing wrong with her except…
"You were too rough with her." Airmid so succinctly said, "Though I won't hold you accountable since it's clear that Miss Riveria wanted you to respond to her confession immediately."
Bell scratched his cheek, unsure whether Airmid was angry with him or not (again).
"Fainted elf aside," Airmid pinched Bell's cheek. "I hope that you will learn to control your lust better in the immediate future, Mister Cranel, otherwise we'll need to have a serious and painful conversation about the wellbeing of your partners during sexual encounters."
"Hui," Bell mumbled and breathed a sigh of relief once Airmid let go off his cheek. "Um… You're not angry, right?"
"Why would I be?" Airmid genuinely asked, "I am not your partner so I can't dictate what you do or don't with others regardless of how jealous I may feel, and even if I was so, you've shown that you can, and will, care about anyone pursuing you almost equally."
Bell blinked, "But—"
"It is not your place to dictate whether I am alright with you having a harem, either." Airmid flicked him in the forehead, "You worry over your own emotions, and I worry about mine's. So long as you don't force someone into loving you against their will, then I will continue believing that you're worthy of my feelings."
"I… understand," Bell awkwardly accepted Airmid's several nuggets of wisdom. "Thank you Airmid."
"Good." Airmid faintly smiled. "Now, help me dress up Miss Riveria and set her against the wall; oh, and stop the shower too."
"Hai!"
Bell stood up quickly, intent on following Airmid's orders, and had all but forgotten his own state of dress… and of his arousal which he just so kindly moved to be at eye level with the healer still kneeling, and cast a towering, looming shadow over her face with it.
Airmid's eyebrow twitched.
There was a time and place for everything and taking care of Bell's needs didn't take priority over making sure that Riveria didn't suffocate with her own blood or saliva while passed out; so, Airmid did not bother Bell at all as he carefully, and rather unsuccessfully, tied Riveria's swimwear top.
'Too many strings' Bell grunted to himself, then it was one string too long and another too short, but after several attempts, he found a way to tie the strings properly and safely secured Riveria's bosom inside the bounds of her tiny top.
Absently, Bell noted that he did not feel any shame or embarrassment from seeing and handling Riveria's naked bosom. Regardless of his growing expertise with the opposite sex, he'd normally have some feelings of apprehension when it came to a woman's body but that was gone altogether.
He didn't know whether that was a good thing or not…
Though in this case, it was a blessing in disguise since he didn't stumble around while positioning Riveria to rest more comfortably against the quoin.
His job done, Bell turned to Airmid, "Is this alright?"
The healer in question was readjusting her swimwear too, hands over her head as she shrugged her tube top downwards to hide her bosom. "One moment."
Again, Bell thought that he should've looked away— either out of courtesy, respect, or shame— yet his eyes stayed glued to Airmid as she finished rearranging her clothes.
When she found his unburdened gaze on her, Airmid cast a questioning glance of her own.
"Is something the matter, Mister Cranel?"
His immediate thought was to lie and keep the issue to himself but after a moment's thought, Bell knew that Airmid would likely either have an answer or give him some insight into finding an answer of his own.
"I'm not sure how to say this, but… it feels like I've lost something?" Bell said carefully. "It's like… I don't have as much anxiety as before when I look at others…?"
Airmid flicked her hair over her shoulders before responding, "That's a given, Mister Cranel. The basis of the Goddesses' charm was to loosen your sense of self so they could manipulate your emotions. What I did was deny their ability to manipulate your emotions and… anchored your ego with something tangible."
Said 'something' tangible approached Bell with no smile on her face and put a small, cold hand on his chest. "It is not that you've 'lost' something, but 'gained' what was originally there in the first place. Mortals, by virtue, hold back from committing many things but you now have less reason to hold back, in the purest of senses."
Bell frowned, "Doesn't this mean I'm more dangerous to others now?"
Airmid shrugged, "No less dangerous than leveling up, not acclimatizing to your new strength, and assaulting someone of lower level the moment you wake up."
Bell winced, "That—"
"Was a mistake, I know." Airmid huffed. "What I mean to say is, you're only as dangerous as you make yourself out to be. If you were to purposefully use the full extent of your skills on someone weaker than you, there's no doubt about the outcome… However, will you actually do so?"
Obviously, "No." Unless, "Not unless it's a do or die situation."
He was not an honest, pure, or upright man, after all.
Airmid faintly smiled, "And that is why I've said that, until the day you misuse your blessings, you will always be worthy of my feelings and respect as someone who cares more about others than about themselves."
"Oh," Bell oh'ed and really understood what Airmid meant earlier now that she spelled it out like that. "Thank you. I will do my best to always be someone worthy of your feelings…"
"That, you will. I'm certain." Airmid boosted his confidence with those words more than what he expected. "The only dangerous thing about you as of now, Mister Cranel, is this thing that hasn't gone down in the last thirty minutes we've been here."
Bell blinked, looked at what Airmid was pointing, and found himself pointing up at, well, himself.
Right, he was still naked.
"Aha…" Bell awkwardly laughed, "It'll go down on its own?"
Airmid stared blankly at him, "Do you really believe so?"
No, "Yes."
Airmid blankly stared.
No, "Probably?"
Airmid stared, blankly.
No, "…no."
Airmid faintly laughed, "For someone worried about how dangerous he is to others, he sure has some self-restrain despite the obvious."
That was a compliment, Bell was sure of it.
Right!?
"If you're not against it," Airmid slid her middle finger across his length, from the base to the tip, "I do believe we were interrupted midway through your treatment…"
His first thought was to back away from the obvious, but his instincts told him there was no real need to. He trusted Airmid, Airmid trusted him, they were attracted to each other, neither was taking advantage of the other either…
"We won't have sex."
Airmid actually laughed out loud, "Gods no. I would never have my first time inside some decrepit bathroom stall and without being taken on a date to an expensive dinner first." She pinched his cheek and mirthfully added, "I merely wish to take care of this issue so we can return to the party."
Bell sighed in relief and accepted Airmid's relief.
"It… may take a while." Bell warned Airmid.
With a blank stare and a devious smile, Airmid responded: "Ten minutes is all I need."
- 0 - AsBBaH Vol 2 - 0 -
Ten minutes and three seconds later, Bell and Airmid stepped out of the male's changing room. He carried the unconscious Riveria on his back while Airmid walked ahead, licking her lips clean.
Bell was lucky that nobody seemed to notice him coming out of the male's section with two women in tow; however, it didn't take long for his presence to be noticed by his Familia's guests. They didn't get to question him directly about Riveria since Airmid deflected any questions thrown their way and nobody managed to stop them from heading towards the manor at the third level of the villa.
Not until a member of the Loki Familia blocked their way on the stairs towards the second level.
The adventurer in question was a blond pallum who had a wine glass in hand and seemingly stumbled upon them by mere chance, but Bell could see past the relaxed façade of the Adventurer.
"Is— Is that Riveria?" Finn disarmingly asked, but Bell wasn't fooled. "What happened to her?"
The change in the pallum's posture was minuscule but it was enough to alert Bell that depending on their response, there would be a fight.
Bell opened his mouth to respond but Airmid pinched his side before he could utter a word and she responded instead.
"Miss Riveria was overwhelmed by positive emotions and fainted. Therefore, we're taking her inside the manor where she can rest and recover."
…
'She isn't exactly wrong with that explanation…' Bell thought to himself and readjusted Riveria on his back so he had one arm free in case the pallum wasn't satisfied with Airmid's response.
"As for what overwhelmed Miss Riveria," Airmid's monotonously continued, "I would recommend hearing the reason from Miss Riveria herself rather than from a proxy such as us, Mister Finn."
Airmid's straightforward answer sounded less like a recommendation and more like an order, with no hints that she would respond to any other question that Finn may have.
"I see." Finn swirled the wine in his glass before sighing, his posture fully relaxed once more. "If that's the recommendation of the Dea Saint, I'll be sure to do that. I won't hold you back any longer."
"It was nice meeting you, Mister Finn."
Airmid lightly bowed before she stepped past Finn without sparing him a second glance. Bell followed closely behind Airmid however, the moment he passed by Finn, Insight triggered—
—His hand shot out and caught the wine droplets thrown his way by the unassuming pallum staring at him.
Bell's crimson gaze narrowed into a deathlike glare to which the pallum did not respond to.
"Yes?" Finn disarmingly asked.
"Nothing." Bell muttered and made some distance between him and Finn before looking away from the blond pallum.
The captain of the Loki Familia stared at Bell and Airmid until they disappeared once they reached the second level, only then Finn mutter to himself, "To have caught that… I don't know whether I pity or envy Riveria for finding someone like him." He downed the wine in is glass and added, "She's in safe hands, if nothing else."
- 0 - AsBBaH Vol 2 - 0 -
Bell and Airmid had to stop several times more while on the second level since various members of the Loki Familia hung around there, and they were both curious and worried about the unconscious Riveria on Bell's back, but Airmid had expertly deflected away their questions and worry with more truthful lies.
It was thanks to the healer that Bell didn't have to worry about what to say to others and had an easy time reaching the third level where the mansion was built on, find an unoccupied but furnished room at the base floor, and gently place Riveria on an impeccably dressed bed at Airmid's discretion.
He was stretching his arms and shoulders above his head when the door to the room creaked open and a mane full of red peeked through.
Rose scanned the room and smiled brightly when she spotted Bell near the bed, "There you are~"
Bell's beloved werewolf hurried into the room and all but tackled him with a warm hug that Bell melted into within seconds. He buried his face into Rose's neck and whispered a soft, "Hey…"
"Mmm!" Rose giggled due to his warm breath tickling her skin. "I needed this," She whispered back while rubbing her cheeks against his hair.
Bell did not say it, but he was also in severe need of Rose's warm hugs that always calmed his heart and thoughts, more so after everything he just went through… and everything he did out of his own volition. He knew Rose would forgive him, his beloved werewolf was just so incredible like that, but the diminishing rational, loyal, part of his mind still reminded him that he did her wrong —medical treatment and unexpected confession notwithstanding.
"I saw you carrying Riveria up here, did something happen?"
Bell winced, his muscles tensed, and he pressed his face further into Rose's neck. "A lot."
His whisper was accompanied by the tightening of his arms around Rose's body, actions coming from his deep-seated fear of losing what was dear to him for what he perceived to be his mistake.
Rose responded exactly as he knew she would, an endearing kind and loving: "Are you okay, my mate?"
He kept quiet, not knowing whether to respond with the truth of 'feeling fine but knowing he wasn't' or 'knowing he was fine but feeling he wasn't'. His silence worried Rose, her palms caressed his back in a soothing manner that made his insides twist painfully.
"Is he okay?" Rose asked again, not to him but to the healer checking on the unconscious elven patient on the bed.
"As you had expected," Airmid clinically responded, "The Goddesses tried to charm Mister Cranel but failed, thanks to my intervention."
Rose growled and clutched Bell to her bosom tighter.
Airmid continued, "Other than his instinctual impulses being heightened for the foreseeable future, Mister Cranel is unharmed."
Rose sighed in relief and lifted Bell's face from her bosom, their visual meeting was filled with confusion and understanding. "I can deal with that," Rose replied to both Bell and Airmid, with a quick peck to the lips for Bell whose confusion increased.
He knew Rose would take care of all his needs, he needed just ask and she would provide with no hesitation. His confusion did not come from here lack of love for him, but from: "Did you know the Goddesses would attempt to charm me?"
Rose shook her head, "I had an inkling that they would try so I asked Airmid for help beforehand… I really didn't expect them to do so but I'd rather be safe than sorry, my mate."
If he didn't love Rose enough to fight against the entire world for her before, Bell sure as hell did so now because without her, he would've likely lost his ego and everything he cherished in one fell swoop.
But Airmid had to continue speaking, reminding Bell that more had happened after the Goddesses had acted.
"As for Miss Riveria, she was overwhelmed by Mister Cranel's lack of control over his impulses."
He tensed in Rose's arms again, but she would have one of that; she knew him better than he knew himself, so with a look that said, 'I know you did something again.' Rose held his face so, so gently before reassuring him that she wasn't angry with him with another mind-searing kiss that left him wanting for more.
Normally, in his grandfather's stories, it was the woman who was left melting into the man's ever-loving embrace, but Bell found himself to be in their place as Rose placated all his worries with her tongue to the point that he didn't know if he was still standing, or she was keeping him upright with her arms.
"What am I going to do with you, my mate?" Rose teased and giggled as he slowly recovered from seeing stars.
"Eh-um," Airmid cleared her throat, a hint of a blush on her face, "If you would be so kind as to hear me out, Miss Rose, there's an important matter that I wish— need to speak with you about concerning Mister Cranel."
"Oh?" Rose's eyes crinkled like a wolf who'd found new prey.
He knew that look.
He knew it all too well.
Rose was going to have her way.
And it would benefit him, and her, but mostly him.
Definitely most him.
'Gahaha! Truly a unique one, you've gotten yourself boy!'
Airmid walked to a nearby table and sat on a chair, pointing at the chair on the other end, "If you would, please?"
He wanted to lift Rose and drag her away from Airmid before Rose could have her way but…
"I love you and that won't change no matter what you do," Rose pressed her forehead against his, a devious grin on her lips, "Or who you do."
Rose laughed out loud at what no doubt must've been his best impression of a fish out of water.
"I'll hear you out, Airmid, but first…" Rose spoke loudly, directed her eyes at Bell, and kissed him with such fervor that he had no choice but to respond back lest his beloved werewolf gain the upper hand.
Before he knew it, he was standing in the hall, panting with a need for more, as Rose's satisfied face with a grin teased him from inside the room.
"You promised me that you would enjoy the festivities we prepared for today, right?"
"Hai."
"And you never break your promises, right, my mate?"
"Hai."
"I'll take care of you in a while, okay?"
"Hai."
Rose closed the door, but just before it was shut close, she whispered through its gap a teasing, "I love you~"
—Click, clack.
Bell stood still for several seconds until he realized that Rose had possibly tricked him, backstabbed him with her mind-numbing kisses, and bamboozled him into obtaining more for himself than he could ever deserve.
Still, "I love you too you, you insatiable woman." Bell whispered to the door with a 'what can I do' smile.
And so, unsure of what to do, but with a promise to fulfill, Bell went outside (after calming down) to enjoy the 'festivities' as his beloved werewolf had so kindly (and tricked him) into doing so.
- 0 - AsBBaH Vol 2 - 0 -
Bell felt like a stranger in his own so-called home.
People he had never met before swarmed him now that he was walking by the premises alone, asking him questions with words that he couldn't make head or tails of.
They did not care about his discomfort or the time it took him to respond but Bell persevered through the onslaught of questions.
Time passed, regardless, and the adventurers swarming Bell disappeared one by one after stealing a moment of his time until Bell was left alone to enjoy the peace and silence around him —and as he promised, the 'festivities' set up by his family.
But his resilience had been tested.
He learned through those conversations that nobody seemed to have an issue with what he'd done during the War Game. In fact, there were groups who were praising him for winning when the odds had been stacked against him, and groups who believed he should've done even more to solidify his family's position in Orario.
His face was, now, well-known in Orario.
His body, unrelenting to injuries, was acclaimed to be the 'peak' of an Adventurer's body.
Fame, glory…
He'd earned them for his Family, but it all felt so vain, so empty.
No.
That wasn't right.
Making sure that everyone he loves would be safe from someone seeking to harm them filled his mind with security, having reunited lovers in the afterlife regardless of what hell or heaven they met in eased his sense of mind.
It was the fact that causing death during a War Game was taken so nonchalantly by those living in Orario.
He was someone who believed every life was precious and should be treasured; and remembered, even when taken from those who'd committed unforgivable sins, but the public did not seem to care about anything deeper beyond the entertainment brought from the safety of their homes, of where they drew the line of what affected them or not.
Human nature, inherently, did not normally care about those other than the self…
Why?
Bell would never reach the answer by himself; even a group of philosophers would never, as it all came down to mere guesses and general consensus rather than the real truth, the genuine, pure, and utter, truth.
Bell shook his head.
He was thinking too much into it, about all of it.
'Trust what you know. Do what you must. Never regret what you've done. Cherish what you have.'
He focused his grandfather's words until his somber thoughts were no more.
His throat, parched after all that talking, required a drink, and perhaps some ale to help keep his mind balanced with lowered inhibitions.
Bell searched for the bar where Eden, Alicia, and members of the Loki Familia served his Familia's guests, and found it all the way across the pool on the second level of the estate. Three minutes is all it would take him to walk across the numberless chairs and tables set up for his Familia's guest, but faces he did not recognize, faces he did recognize, waved—saluted—stopped him from reaching the bar, until—
"Ah, Sir Bell?"
The woman whose breasts' he'd first seen without consent, and without meaning to, stopped him a dozen meters away from the bar.
Her black hair was done in a neat high ponytail, and she wore a gray, pattern-less. one piece swimsuit that accentuated her hips with skin-cuts and the shape of her body far too well that Bell could not stop his eyes from roaming over to the point that her eyes caught his stare and garnered a healthy blush in response.
He did not feel shame for what he'd done; In fact, his heart throbbed painfully for a second before he finally found his voice.
"Mikoto?"
"My apologies if I stopped you from something, I just noticed your presence and wished to have a word with you…" Mikoto trailed off, rubbing her elbows with some very clear shyness that Bell did not miss on.
He felt like he was looking at a small animal with nowhere to hide, awaiting a quick and painless end at the jaws of something bigger than them, but at the same time, felt like he needed to protect that very same small animal.
Conflicting, confusing, nauseating, but Bell didn't show it on his face.
"I was only going to get a drink, that can wait." Bell scratched his cheek, "You look stunning, by the way."
He blinked after the words left his mouth— they were unneeded, so why did he utter them?
Why did he feel so good when Mikoto's face lit up in a darker red and stammered a bearably audible, "Tha-thank you!"
Something was not right.
He was not alright.
But he was fine.
He felt fine.
'If…" Mikoto pressed her index fingers together, "If's fine with you… Lady Chigusa did not like her drink so it's sitting by our table nearby… you could have that instead of ordering something new…?"
Mikoto was so hopeful, Bell could feel it, could see it.
'Act, —#$%^^—'
'Regret, —#%$&—"
"Hai, if your Familia doesn't mind?"
"No, they won't!" Mikoto's face lit up with a bright smile and content emotions, her eyes shone as her fingers grasped his hand and dragged him to a table some meters away from where they met. An empty table, four chairs around it, of which one was a tanning beach chair that Mikoto hesitated for a moment on sitting on before she fully plopped down and pointed at the simple chair next to hers. 'Here, Sir Bell."
Bell hadn't finished sitting when Mikoto was offering him one of the four drinks on the table, one that was full to the brim and of multiple colors denoting the different alcohols used to mix it, "This is the one that Lady Chigusa did not drink as it was too strong for her tastes…"
He accepted the drink and took a sip, his face mellowed slightly as he tasted the many assorted flavors permeating the drink's taste, "This is good, strong but good."
Mikoto smiled, her shoulders relaxed slightly as she took a sip of her own drink, "The lady with long red hair at the bar prepared them, said she made it to fit our personalities…"
Bell took a moment to process her words, discerning that it was Eden who'd prepared the drinks and tried to decipher the meaning behind Mikoto's velvety red at the bottom, blue at the top, drink meant…
"Ah, my apologies again if I've dragged you against your will, Sir Bell, but…"
"You didn't," Bell assured, "Have you been well?" better to ease her nervousness some before Mikoto would tell him why she wanted to talk to him.
"Yes!" Mikoto fumbled somewhat and looked into the far distance as she spoke, "After the day we met, I trained harder to overcome my shortcomings and managed to level up!"
Bell blinked, "What level are you?"
"Two."
Bell blinked again, "And you were level one for how long?"
"Three years, though I've gained experience in the dungeon for the last two years so…"
Bell blinked for a third time.
Three years as a level one…
Three years… versus…
"if it isn't too sensitive of me to ask but, would you be willing to disclose your own level, Sir Bell?"
"Three." Bell put his, now empty, drink on the table. "I turned level three a day before the War Game."
"O—Oh." Mikoto was awestruck for a second before her eyes showed genuine, innocent, curiosity, "About the War Game… Are you okay, Sir Bell?"
"Huh?"
"When we met… you didn't strike me as someone who would be 'fine' with drawing blood but…"
'Huh?'
—Different.
—She was different.
Mikoto's question was born out of innocent curiosity, asked out of sheer concern and something else, with the same lack of care about his discomfort but with a physical show of expecting no response…
He could only respond in kind to such innocence, "Not exactly. My mind is still in conflict about what I did but I understand that I had to do it for the wellbeing of my Family."
Mikoto nodded, a serious smile adorned her face, "I understand, Sir Bell. If I was in your shoes, I would've done the same for my own Family, no matter what."
'Huh!?'
"—koto! Are you coming to the pool!?"
Mikoto looked away from him to someone at the pool whom he noticed to be Lady Chigusa, and Mikoto responded with a physical wave of the hand over her head and a loud, "In a bit!"
Bell had a lot to think about after hearing everything Mikoto had said, so he said, "I shouldn't be holding you from joining your Familia…"
"No, no, no!" Mikoto vehemently denied, even taking hold of his arm before he could stand up, "You're not holding me back at all, Sir Bell! My family would understand if I didn't join them for a while if I was talking to you in the meantime!"
Bell blinked, yet again, mind processing, understanding, and # !#% the words Mikoto said.
"Oh." Bell oh'ed, not knowing what else to say…
Because what else could he say?
Why else would Mikoto not let him go?
Her eyes, shining like bright amethysts, pleaded that he did not leave her alone, to continue talking to her, speaking with her, !$ #^ to her.
—This isn't right.
Bell knew.
'Or who you do,' Rose whisper echoed in his brain.
—This !$% right.
Bell knew.
"Actually," Mikoto laughed sheepishly as she released his arm, "I haven't even prepared for entering the pool, so it's not like I can just join my Familia right now either."
Yet again, Bell blinked, "But you're wearing your swimsuit?"
Mikoto shook her head and pointed at something on the table, "I have not lathered myself with the cream that protects us from Lady Amaterasu's might."
As if he hadn't blinked enough already, Bell did so again, "Oh."
"A-actually," Mikoto stuttered, her face turning a deep red, "If… If it's not too much to ask of Sir Bell, if you would be so king… would you be willing… to help me with the cream?" Mikoto averted her eyes from him, "I can't… quite reach my back that I'm most worried about…"
Bell gulped, thought about it for a split sec—"Yes, sure. If you're comfortable with me."
"Y-yes!" Mikoto stuttered again but smiled as if she had won the wealthiest lottery.
—"! #!#%"
Bell watched as Mikoto laid face down on the tanning beach chair and thought himself for second that it would be fine, he would be fine, that there was nothing wrong with what he would do until Mikoto undid the zip on the back of her one-piece swimwear, lowering the zipper until everything about her back was exposed if Bell were to slightly pull at her clothes.
Still, unsure of what he felt, but with a #%^ to fulfill, Bell took the bottle on the table and lathered his own hands with a healthy dose of cream that 'would protect' Mikoto from 'Lady Amaterasu's might' as she so had put it, he prepared himself to put his oily hands on the creamy skin of Mikoto's back that she presented to him.
Bell placed his hands on Mikoto's shoulders and…
She wasn't soft.
She wasn't tough either.
His eyes glitched as he stared at Mikoto's shoulder muscles.
He kneaded her shoulders, not understanding what the sensation in his palms meant.
So, he kneaded her back some more.
Her sides.
The sides of her stomach.
Her hips.
The sides of her waist.
Her thighs.
The inner and outer sides of her legs.
Her calves.
The base of her feet.
In between her toes.
Yet he couldn't say what he felt.
Mikoto wasn't soft, she wasn't hard, she wasn't exactly malleable neither was she unyielding.
It wasn't a perfect mix either, as if some of her muscles were trained for specific movements whereas others hadn't received enough training to sustain said movements.
Her arms were the same, with one having more developed muscle than the other…
Was this what a swordsman—er, swordswoman's body was like?
"Mikoto." Bell called her out.
But received no response.
Blinking, Bell focused his thoughts to reality and noticed Mikoto was out cold with drool coming out of her mouth, her face… and… "M—Mikoto!?"
"Ara~"
That tone, that voice, it made his heart race.
Yet Bell glared at the owner of that voice.
Demeter's soft, benevolent, clumsy, yet ravenous eyes looked back at him, "What have we here…?"
His response came out as a growl, "Nothing you should care about, Goddess Demeter."
"O—oh," Demeter faltered, putting a hand to her bountiful and swaying bosom, "Such hostility… You must've really hated what I've done to you, my dear…"
Bell did.
He hated what she did.
He hated how she made him feel.
"I do." Bell muttered, "Why did you do so, Goddess?"
He had to know.
He was not kind, but he could forgive her if she gave him a good reason.
Demeter was Goddess Hestia's friend, after all.
Demeter's airy mood disappeared, "Because I #### you."
- 0 - Ch 27 / Part 37 ( Part 1/2) - 0 -
Author Notes: My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.
- Jas / Shiiva
P.S: Yes, I'm still alive. Barely. If you want to know why, visit the Discord and read the announcements there... I'll respond to reviews in next chapter...