Disclaimer: I do not own Danmachi

—

At first no one spoke, they all just stared each other down. Lady Freya looked as beautiful as always, standing there with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. But even more, attention-grabbing was the man at her side. As an adventurer Bell knew who he was, everyone did. Bell had even seen him before when he was training here, always silently standing by Lady Freya. But this was the first time Bell focused on him.

'He's strong.' Bell instinctively felt his strength even when he wasn't doing anything. 'Is he even stronger than Asterios?' He thought it was close, the pressure he emitted just by standing there was intense.

Bell didn't feel nervous though, because by his side was the strongest person he knew, Aiz. Even if the opponent was the only level 7 in the city, Bell was confident that Aiz would win. He knew it sounded silly but that's how much faith he had in her.

The first one who broke the silence was Lady Freya, "How strange to see the two of you together. I could have sworn that I forbade you from having contact with him, Aiz. You know the price for breaking a contract with me, right?"

Aiz glared defiantly at her but it was Bell who answered. He grabbed Aiz's hand as he spoke which caused Lady Freya's eyes to narrow with anger.

"My apologies Lady Freya, but I was the one who went up to her." Bell didn't know what was coming over him but since earlier he felt more confident than normal…actually that was wrong. He did know what was happening. The stress of the situation simply caused his feelings to burst free. He did think he did well keeping his feelings under control for six months.

But now that they were free he didn't think he could return to acting like before. Just standing here and holding her hand made Bell's blood feel like liquid fire coursing through his veins. It caused him to do reckless things like standing up to the strongest familia in the city. However, he knew he wasn't the only one who was burning up inside. Aiz, who was standing next to him was also heated up. Though she wasn't saying anything anyone could tell she was different from normal. Her normal doll-like expression was gone as she glared at the two in front of her with shining eyes. Bell had to look away so as not to get distracted by her.

"…I see," Lady Freya spoke after a moment. "I assume Aiz has told you everything and if so I can only ask one question. Why are you here?"

Bell didn't even need to think about his answer, "We came here to have you break the favor that Aiz owes you."

Silence once again overtook them as everyone waited for Lady Freya to speak. Bell swallowed, his throat drying up from the tension. This was the main point if Lady Freya denied it then it would lead to a fight. But honestly, Bell wanted to avoid a fight, especially a large one. If he had it his way it would all be settled by just the people right here.

While he was angry about the favor keeping Aiz away from him, he didn't hate Lady Freya. She reminded him of Syr, it was clear where Syr learned it from. She was flirtatious and very straightforward about her feelings. It was something that he respected in her since he too was motivated by feelings of love. But Bell already met the person he was made for and so he had to deny her feelings.

"Hmm, okay." Lady Freya casually agreed, snapping Bell out of his thoughts.

"…Huh?" Bell mumbled, dumbfounded that she agreed so easily.

"I will retract my favor from the Sword Princess, there is no need to worry about it anymore." Bell thought it was going to end better than he expected but then she continued. "But of course doing this will cause you to owe me a favor."

Lady Freya let out a beautiful smile and walked up to put her hand on his cheek. Bell couldn't help but blush at the look she gave him.

"I think you can guess what the favor is," She cheekily said. Before Bell could stammer out a response Aiz yanked his arm to pull him away.

"Ow!" Bell let out a yelp of pain as Aiz pulled him closer to her. Even though Bell was a level 4 it still hurt when Aiz was using all her strength. Bell gingerly rubbed his arm as he looked at Aiz who looked even more furious at the smiling Freya.

"No," Aiz finally spoke up for the first time since they arrived, "Bell isn't yours."

Freya ignored her, still smiling at Bell, "Why are you resisting so much, is it that awful to be in my familia? I'm certain that you would grow much stronger in my familia than your current one. And it's not like you still won't be able to see your old familia members. I'm not trying to lock you up, I just want to make you mine. Don't worry I'll show you more love than that pillow princess ever could. You will love it here just as much as Lyu is."

That last statement caused Bell's eyes to widen in shock. "So Lyu did join your familia?"

"Yes, she joined last night after you left."

"I see. I'm glad that she was able to find a new familia, but even so, my answer won't change. I made a promise to my Goddess that she is the only deity I will ever serve." He resolutely told her.

"Is that so? I guess we are past the point of talking then. That means there is only one way to solve this….war games." She said the thing that Bell knew she was going to say.

"There's no need for all of that, we can settle it with just the people here." He hoped she would agree with what he was thinking.

"Ohh and what exactly did you have in mind, Bell?" Freya asked with an intrigued expression. Bell sighed inwardly, thankful for the deities' desire for entertainment.

"A fight between us, me and Aiz versus Ottar."

"And the reward for winning?"

"If we win then you break the favor without interfering with us and if you win…I'll join your familia."

"What!?" Aiz's head snapped back to look at him.

"Deal." Lady Freya agreed with a wide grin. "Now there's no backing out."

That was fine, Bell was someone who faced problems face-on. From the very beginning, this was the only way. Now all they needed to do was win.

"I was going to suggest something like this myself so I had everyone leave. We have the entire field to ourselves. So let's go shall we?" With that said Lady Freya began walking away to the open field behind the gates with Ottar following closely behind her. Bell started to follow but Aiz grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"What did you just do?" She asked him.

"I challenged the strongest adventurer to break you free of the favor." Saying it out loud Bell realized how stupid it sounded. A level 6 and level 4 would be at a disadvantage against a regular level 7. But this wasn't just any level 7, this was the King himself.

"What were you thinking? If you lose you'll have to join her familia. I-I don't want to lose you again…" she trailed off, her voice going quieter.

Bell stared at her in shock, it was always a bit hard to tell what Aiz was thinking. To have her clearly state that he was important to her made his heart rate skyrocket.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. This was my backup plan from the start. I knew the only way Lady Freya would agree was if I offered myself as the prize." He apologized to her for not telling her but he didn't want her to disagree with him.

"But it's fine, all we have to do is win." He finished with a smile.

"Do you really understand who we are going up against?" She questioned him.

"No, I've never seen him fight," Bell admitted before remembering something. "But didn't you train with him? How strong do you think he is?"

Aiz frowned before answering, "He's nearly the perfect warrior. His strength, experience, and willpower all are unmatchable by anyone. He's at least twice as strong as me."

Bell's eyes widened at that. He knew that Ottar wasn't going to be a pushover but to hear he was twice as strong as the person who he thought was the strongest. Bell could feel the tension rising inside of him. He knew from the beginning that it was going to be tough but it seemed like he was underestimating Ottar. But still, another emotion was rising up inside of him.

Excitement.

"Bell?" Aiz called out to him when she saw the smile on his face.

"Sorry, it's just I'm so happy."

"Happy?" She repeated, not understanding.

"Yeah, it's only right that we have such an amazing opponent for our first fight together." He said not trying to hide his joy. Aiz's eyes widened at that comment. They may have trained with each other and fought but not once had they stood by each other's side in a fight. "I told you earlier, right? I always try my best for you so don't worry. If I'm by your side I have the strength of a thousand men! So there's no way we can lose!"

Aiz didn't say anything, she simply stood there staring at him with her mouth hanging slightly open. Bell thought he saw her cheeks redden but couldn't be sure. Aiz eventually put her fighting face on and Bell could feel the passion underneath the surface of that calm expression.

"Let's go," she said as she turned and walked towards where their opponents were waiting. Bell followed, walking side by side to the one he always wanted to. Right before they reached them, Aiz said one final thing, "standing by your side gives me strength too."

Before Bell could think too deeply about that they stood in front of Freya and Ottar.

"Done with your little pep talk?" Lady Freya teased them once they arrived. "Well I hoped it helped, but let's move on. The rules are simple. The first side unable to fight or that surrenders loses. Does that sound fair to you?"

"Yes," Bell answered, looking at Lady Freya.

"I'm glad. Well since I would be in the way I'll watch from the safety of my room. Ottar, I leave the rest to you." With that, she walked away calmly having full faith in her champion.

"Understood," Ottar spoke his first words of the day and drew his greatsword for the sheath on his back.

"Is that…?" Both Bell and Aiz recognized that weapon. It was a blade that Aiz had once defeated and that Bell once used. But this weapon was different from theirs. This one was refined and reforged to be stronger than the material that was used. All Ottar did was hold the blade straight up but Bell felt the pressure increase.

"I will not be holding back," Ottar told them as he readied his battle stance.

Bell and Aiz quickly got in their stances. Bell was crouched low with both his daggers in a front-facing grip. Aiz stood straight up with her left hand held out as she had Desperate pulled back in her right hand. The atmosphere felt like it was heating up as their concentration rose. They focused all their attention on the upcoming battle knowing it was their only chance of victory. The world seemed to hold its breath as they faced off.

No one moved at first but as if they planned it beforehand Bell and Aiz bolted towards him. Aiz reached him first and thrust Desperate at full force at his face. In front of that fierce attack, Ottar turned his sword to the side to block it. At the moment of collision, there was the awful sound of steel scratching against steel and Ottar's expression changed into slight surprise as he was forced to take a step back.

Bell didn't let that moment pass by, with a speed he had never reached before he was by Ottar's side in his blind spot. He flipped the Hestia dagger in his left hand in a reverse grip as he slashed at Ottar's exposed side. Before it could land, Ottar stomped the ground with his foot. The resulting shockwave destroyed the ground and pushed them back.

Everyone got back into their stances but didn't attack again. The exchange started and ended in less than 4 seconds but everyone felt something was wrong.

'Did I leave up?' Bell wondered as he glanced at Aiz, seeing the same confusion mirrored on her face. He knew what it felt like to level up and his Goddess surely would have said something. This didn't feel like a level up but Bell couldn't deny that his body felt stronger than normal. He shook his head to get rid of the thought. They didn't have time to worry about this with Ottar standing right there.

It seemed Aiz had the same idea as her face wiped all confusion away. Once again they rushed Ottar, with Aiz rushing straight at him while Bell came at him from the side. Aiz unleashed a flurry of attacks but Ottar perfectly blocked them without moving a step. But that was fine as Bell rushed at Ottar from behind, swiping at his legs. Ottar didn't even turn around and sent a kick flying towards Bell. Bell's eyes widened and rolled out of the way before joining Aiz in attacking from the front.

If sneak attacks weren't working then they just needed to overwhelm him from the front. If anyone else was watching they would have been shocked to hear it was their first time fighting together. They moved in perfect harmony, when one struck high the other went low. Even though they were both attacking from the front they never got in each other's way, almost as if they knew what the other was thinking. Others might have been surprised but the two fighting weren't. After all, Bell had watched Aiz for so long and she was the one who taught him how to fight. Despite all of this…

'Are you kidding me?' Bell thought incredulously even as he never stopped attacking. Even through the fierce attack Ottar hadn't taken a single step back, much less taken a scratch. He and Aiz were striking in the most awkward spots to defend but Ottar was blocking all of their attacks like it was child's play. Despite the fact the sword probably weighed as much as Bell, Ottar was swinging it like it weighed nothing. There were no openings to take advantage of, he was swinging his greatsword faster than Bell could his dagger.

Aiz went to strike him from behind so Bell rushed forward to distract him. Right as he entered his range though, Ottar swung his sword for the first time offensively. Bell leaped backward, bringing his daggers together to block the strike, and was sent flying. He flipped a few times before landing cleanly on his feet. Aiz tried to attack during the opening but even while not looking at her Ottar was able to turn around and slice at her. Aiz couldn't even parry it and was forced back. After she took her distance they stood in a line with Ottar in the middle. Ottar simply held his weapon out waiting for them to attack.

"Huff…huff…" as he caught his breath Bell thought about a few points that he learned after the exchange.

They were at a disadvantage, of course, Bell figured it would be like that from the start but Ottar was stronger than he thought he would be. His fighting style kind of reminded Bell of his rival, Asterios, but Ottar had perfected it far more than he did. Bell could tell this wasn't simply a level difference, this was all of Ottar's experience shining through. How many fights did he go through to reach such a level?

But that wasn't the only problem.

The other was that Aiz's and his fighting style wasn't effective against him. Bell was told by Lord Takemikazuchi before that Aiz's fighting style wasn't good against humans but he didn't understand till now. It had always worked for him but that was when the skill difference wasn't so high. Against people of his skill or slightly better he had always come through, but Ottar wasn't someone who would be beaten so easily.

'We needed to think of something and quick,' Bell thought as he glanced at his arms. They were still shaking from the blow even though Bell blocked it perfectly. As Bell was wondering how to win, his attention was stolen by Aiz.

"Awaken, tempest."

Bell knew how important it was to never lose focus on the battlefield, especially against someone like Ottar. But that didn't matter, all his attention was focused on Aiz as the wind picked up and surrounded her in its embrace. Bell could feel her determination and will through the green wind. Her magic was so much more beautiful than anything he could have imagined. As she stood there hair blowing in the wind, sword pointed towards Ottar, Bell fell in love with her again.

"So beautiful…" Bell couldn't help but mutter his true feelings. It was as though the wind carried his words to her because he felt her concentration slip as she glanced at him with red cheeks. As Bell stared at her he felt his body temperature rise as his blood boiled.

What was he doing getting unnerved so soon? It didn't matter who it was, Bell believed in Aiz's strength full-heartedly. Which meant he needed to do everything he could to be slightly useful to her and not slow her down. As Bell thought that he raised his left hand towards Ottar.

"Firebolt!" He shot out multiple blasts at him. Ottar turned to face him and held his Greatsword in a way that blocked all his attacks. That split-second distraction was all Aiz needed. So fast that all Bell saw was a golden blur before she was behind Ottar. She started to slice at him when he kicked his foot at her. Just like Bell she rolled to the side and continued her barrage.

Bell could tell the difference from before and after her magic activated clearly. Not only was she faster, but her attacks were also stronger. Each swing of her sword sounded like a tempest as she sliced through the wind. The sound of steel clashing was overpowered by the wind that was furiously blowing. Even then though Bell could still see that it wouldn't be enjoy. While it did seem like Ottar was trying more to block her, she still hadn't landed a blow on him.

That meant it was Bell's time to jump in.

Bell dashed in and started to attack. Ottar barely spared him a glance as he continued to perfectly block everything thrown his way. In the middle of this clash that rang out with fierce wind and steel clashing a new sound joined in. The sound of a bell chiming. That sound forced even Ottar to pay attention to Bell. His left arm was glowing a bright white as small particles of light danced around it.

This caused Bell to only be able to fight with his right arm but that was fine. Ais realizing his intentions jumped in front of him to keep Ottar distracted. She slashed him from above but Ottar blocked the strike and when their swords were locked pushed her back. Aiz made a face of anger and desperation as she was barely able to hold him back for a few seconds. It wasn't a waste though, those 5 seconds allowed him to jump back and point his left hand at him.

"FIREBOLT!" He screamed and blasted his magic at Ottar. The magic roared as it reached its target and with a large blast, the area where he hit was decimated. The resulting shockwave blew dust and debris everywhere. Smoke billowed from the ground as fire surrounded the area.

'Did that get him?' Bell wondered as the toll for using Argonaut caught up to him. He took a Mind recovery potion as Aiz came to stand next to him and shield him while he recovered. He felt her wind wrap him in its embrace and let out a small smile at how comforting it felt.

Soon the smoke began to dissipate and Bell was able to see the figure inside the smoke.

"Haha…" Bell couldn't help but let out a laugh at the sight of Ottar standing there. He was a bit scuffed up but there were no visible wounds on him. That attack that did damage to the Juggernaut was barely able to put scratches and a few burn marks on him.

So this was the strength of the Captain of the Freya Familia. Bell felt his emotions start to boil over even more at the sight of the strongest man in the city. As he was beginning to lose himself in hero worship Aiz stomped on his foot.

"Ow!" Bell looked at Aiz who was still looking at Ottar without any change to her expression. But Bell could feel her annoyance but he didn't understand why.

While he was trying to think what he did wrong, Ottar spoke for the first time since the battle started.

"You both have improved tremendously," he complimented them in a deep voice. "Sword Princess, for someone who specializes in killing monsters you are doing remarkably well. Compared to when you first trained with me it's like you are a completely different person."

"Rabbit Foot, it seems training with Hedin has taught you how to better control your magic. That last attack was concentrated at one point instead of spread out. And your swordsmanship is impressive as well."

"…However you should both have realized that you cannot beat me." In the same tone in which he just complimented them he laid out the truth. Despite using some of their best techniques they barely did anything to him. And while they hadn't shown all their tricks yet, neither of them was naive enough to think this was all Ottar could do.

He was right this was a bleak situation but even so…

"It doesn't matter. We have a reason that we can't lose, no matter what." The one who spoke was Aiz in a passionate voice.

Bell nodded along with her, "That's right if we aren't stronger than you, then we will surpass you right here and now."

Ottar's expression didn't change but they both felt the pressure he emminated increase.

"You will surpass me? Then show me you can, for Lady Freya's sake I will not lose." With that said Ottar went on the offensive. With one step he destroyed the ground and was immediately in front of them. With a side swipe, both of them were forced back.

After that, Otter charged toward Bell and brought his sword down from above. Parrying was impossible so Bell was forced to dodge to the left. But Ottar expected that and with speed that didn't seem possible with a body so big, drove his fist into Bell's gut.

"Ghlrk!" Bell let out a cough as he fell to his knees. It was only one blow but Bell could already feel his body becoming numb as he spat out blood.

"Bell!" He heard Aiz scream as she rushed forward and started hacking away at Ottar. The ferocity of the attack caught Ottar by surprise, as even he was pushed back. Bell tried to raise a hand to use his magic but they were too fast he could barely follow them.

Before he noticed Aiz was pushed back on the defensive as Ottar attacked her. Each swing of his greatsword held so much power and speed it was all she could do to block it. There was no room for parrying or dodging. Looking at them Bell could see how far behind them he was. But he still could help, he shakily stood up and was about to rush back in when it happened.

Bell's eyes widened as Ottar did a fierce upward slash and knocked away Aiz's guard. Her right arm holding Desperate was blown back leaving her wide open. Ottar didn't miss that chance and quickly brought his sword back down.

"Aiz!" Bell screamed as he tried to reach in time but he knew he wouldn't make it in time. As Ottar's blade came bearing down on her Aiz simply pointed her left hand at his face.

"Firebolt." She muttered and Bell watched in shock as his magic shot out from her hand, hitting Ottar dead on. Even Ottar was taken back and was forced to stop his swing from the pain. But Aiz wasn't done, in the split second that Ottar closed his eyes to protect himself, she brought back her sword and slashed him across the chest. As blood spurted from the wound Aiz went for another but Ottar recovered and pushed her back with a mighty swing of his sword. Aiz jumped back with the blow and landed gracefully near Bell, who was still staring at her in shock.

He wasn't the only one, Ottar with burn marks covering his face and a wound across his chest stared at her. Despite taking the magic directly to the face he ignored the pain as he looked at the Sword Princess.

"Were you planning that the entire time?" He asked her.

"No, I just had the idea pop into my head and it felt like it would work if I was near Bell," Aiz answered honestly. But Bell still didn't understand how she used his magic.

"Do you not feel it, Bell?" Aiz asked him. He didn't know what she was talking about. "I'm sorry I can't explain it very well. Focus only on me."

Bell was never one to deny Aiz so he tried to focus on her. As he did he began to understand what she was talking about. He could feel Aiz. He didn't know how else to describe it. Throughout the fight, he could feel her determination, anger, and other emotions he was familiar with. He didn't think of it at the time but now that he focused on it he felt like he could feel her presence.

'Was it a new skill?' With that thought he wished he stayed behind to look at his status sheet. First was how much stronger they had gotten since this morning and now this. He shook his head though, this wasn't the time for these thoughts. He could feel Aiz's passion and want to win flooding through him. That with seeing Aiz use his magic, made Bell feel like he was going to combust. He could feel all the heat and passion building within him waiting to be released, he just didn't know how.

Right as they were both about to jump back in, Bell heard someone shout from the building. Standing there was Lyu.

"Bell, the chant is Unlock Furnace!" She yelled at him.

He didn't understand what she was talking about but Bell trusted her completely. So without hesitation, he spoke the words.

"Unlock, Furnace!" The second he spoke he felt the change. All the heat inside of him exploded outwards. Aiz took a step away looking at what was happening to Bell. On his upper back was a roaring flame. It covered his upper back and shoulder and rose behind his hair. Bell could feel the heat from the flame but it didn't burn him. It felt invigorating. He felt all of his stats rise and the flame grew brighter on his back. He didn't know what was happening, all he knew was that with this power he could…

"Reach you!" With a shout, Bell dashed towards Ottar alone. Ottar, wary of the change, swung his sword down at Bell. Seeing that Bell darted to the left to dodge the strike. From there Bell brought Hakugen from a backwards grip to slash against his exposed hip but Ottar took a step back and dodged it. While he did that he swung his weapon from the ground to a diagonal upward slash, targeting Bell's open flank. Bell ducked under the sword and rushed at him again.

A thrust from the Hestia knife that was knocked away turned into a spinning slash with Hakugen that was sidestepped. Bell didn't stop though and went for a low slash at his ankles. Ottar jumped backwards to dodge and brought his sword down to strike at Bell who was already in front of him.

"Clang!" Bell was forced back by the attack but he wasn't focused on that. He looked at his left hand that clutched his Hestia knife. That was the fastest and strongest he had ever been.

"More…I can do even more!" He felt the flame on his back grow stronger.

"Don't forget about me," Aiz said as she stood by Bell.

"I could never," Bell said as they both rushed towards Ottar together.

—-

Freya watched as the two adventurers leaped towards her child. They were already at the level where she could barely tell what was happening. All she saw was a golden blur attacking Ottar who valiantly fought and a white and red blur circling and jumping in. Even with the fierce fighting, Freya did not doubt her victory. Ottar had only taken one clean hit and still had plenty of hidden strength left. Even with Bell's new power up and Aiz's strange ability to use Bell's magic, it wasn't enough to turn the tides of battle.

So what was it that she…

"How nice of you to show up," Freya said when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn't need to look to know who they belonged to, she had long since memorized what Lyu's footsteps sounded like.

"Sorry for the interruption," Lyu said as she walked by her side to better look at the fight.

"Hm, you certainly seemed fine when you interrupted the fight a moment ago. Where did you hear that by the way?" She asked, wondering how she knew what to tell Bell.

"On the way here from the Benevolent Mistress, I ran into Lady Hestia. I asked her what the problem was and she told me she needed to tell Bell something about his new status. I told her I would tell him and luckily she trusted me enough to tell," Lyu answered.

"I see, but that raises another question. As a member of my familia, why did you go out of your way to help Bell?" The whole time she didn't look away from the sight outside. As the flame grew on Bell's back she could see that he was moving faster. The Sword Princess shot a blast of fire towards Ottar but it was clear she wasn't used to such a magic and hit the ground along with Ottar's Swords. Using the dirt as a smokescreen Bell flew in but Ottar bent his knees and jumped far away from both of them as they chased him down.

Lyu didn't answer for a while, both of them entranced by the battle before their eyes.

"Lady Freya…no, Syr, before being a member of your familia I am a friend to you and Bell. But before even that I serve justice."

"Hehe, that attitude is what I love about you." Laughing at the sight of Lyu's red cheeks at the declaration of love. "So you're saying what I'm doing is wrong?"

"You know the answer to that better than me," Lyu told her in a gentle but firm tone.

Freya didn't answer, she just looked back at the fight. They were still going but they were going even faster than before so Freya could barely tell what was happening. But that was fine, the fight was entertaining but that was never what she was focused on. It was their souls she had her eyes on.

Bell souls, which had been dim the last few days now shone more beautifully than she had ever seen. His soul was still a clear color and was shining so bright that it reminded her of a star. But shockingly that wasn't what she was looking at. She was staring at the line that connected Bell's and that girl's soul. It was a mix of their soul colors that extended from one to the other. It was the first time she had ever seen something like that.

Freya looked at the girl, the one was in her way. She never thought anything much of her. No matter how much Loki bragged about her all Freya could see was a sword with no will or personality. When she figured Bell had a crush on she assumed it would be child's play to break them apart. But the girl, no, the Sword Princess, in front of her was nothing like she used to be. Her golden soul was shining just as bright as Bell's as she waged everything on beating Ottar. That expressionless weapon was gone, she was replaced by a warrior who was fighting for what she loved. And as much as Freya hated to admit it, she was beautiful.

However even with all that beauty and strength they couldn't beat Ottar. Freya could tell how strong someone was by the brightness of their souls. Right now by the looks of it, that girl was rapidly reaching level 7 strength. And Bell despite being a level 4 looked like a level 6 in her eyes. If they were against anyone else Freya was sure they would win, unfortunately for them they were fighting Ottar.

'When was the last time I saw you having so much fun?' She wondered as she stared at Ottar. To the others, he must have seen the same with his stern face but Freya saw the tale tell signs that he was enjoying himself immensely. His soul was brighter than she had seen in years. Was it the thought of finding people that would surpass him at this rate? He always did love being the challenger, more than the champion.

As she watched them a thought echoed in her mind, 'If Ottar won right now, would their souls still shine as bright?'

—-

Aiz and Bell kept attacking Ottar like a storm, they never stopped moving and attacked from anywhere they could. Ottar blocked all their attacks and swung his weapon with such force that even the wind from the strikes could cut them. Bell and Aiz had small slashes all over their bodies from where they couldn't dodge the wind in time. Things weren't looking well for them. No matter what they did, Ottar seemed to be prepared.

Bell and Aiz glanced at each other and with complete understanding they both jumped back a fair distance. Long-term wasn't going to work so before Ottar got serious they needed to beat him in one attack.

From both directions, Ottar heard the sound of chimes. Bell's right arm started to glow white as he charged another Firebolt blast. And Aiz's wind surrounded her in a green cyclone before it turned white and burst out. The wind surrounding her was white and had small crystals of light surrounding her as she crouched her knees and prepared her strongest attack.

Every second that past they charged their strongest attack with Bell's Argonaut skill. Even if Ottar managed to stop one of them, the other would nail him. There was no way even Ottar could defend against that. Ottar understanding let out a feral grin as he activated his beast transformation. His muscles bulged and his canines grew. He held his sword straight up and began to activate his magic.

"What a man," Bell let out a sigh of admiration. Instead of defending or taking one of them out, Ottar was going to take both of them head-on with his strongest move.

'It doesn't matter how strong it is…we will be victorious!' With that thought in Bell and Aiz's mind, they began to get ready for the final attack.

But right as they were about to move a voice called out.

"Stop!" Lady Freya told them to stop as she walked towards them. None of them let down their guards though and waited for what she would say.

"This is our loss, we surrender."

"…huh?" Bell said as the chiming stopped and the Mind he was saving went away. Aiz also stopped but she kept her sword pointed at Ottar.

"Are you certain, My Lady? I'm fine, there is no need to be concerned," Ottar told her.

"Yes, I know you will be. But even if all of you manage to survive this attack, and you win I wouldn't be able to get what I want. The Bell I love wouldn't exist anymore if I forced him to join me." She replied with tears in her eyes.

Bell didn't know what to say, the adrenaline rushing through him made thinking about anything about the fight difficult. Once his blood cooled down enough to understand what she said he lowered his weapons.

"So Aiz is free of her favor?" He asked to make sure.

"Yes, now both of you leave before I change my mind." She told them.

Bell didn't hesitate and hurriedly ran over to Aiz, who finally dispelled Ariel. They looked back at Ottar with mixed feelings but left knowing that they couldn't trust the whims of a deity lasting long. Freya watched them leave as the tears began to fall. Ottar walked up behind her and stood silently with her.

"You can ask," she said as the pair slowly left her vision.

"I would have won," He simply stated.

"I know you would have, but if you won Bell's soul would decay. I underestimated how much he loved her and how much she cared for him. I should have gotten him sooner." She said as she thought about that unique bond she saw between their souls. "And besides you wouldn't have been happy if they stopped getting stronger, right?"

"As long as you were happy I wouldn't have minded," Ottar said, causing Freya to laugh as she wiped her tears away.

"Liar."

—-

Bell and Aiz were silent as they left the Freya Familia home. They didn't know where they were going; they simply walked. Both of them were covered in scratches and bruises. Now that the adrenaline and his new magic were gone the toll on him was starting to show. The few punches Ottar landed on him were starting to ache. He tripped over his feet but before he could fall Aiz caught him.

"S-Sorry!" Bell apologized and tried to move away but she grabbed his arm. Before Bell realized what was happening she slung his arm over her neck and grabbed his waist. He blushed as people watched them walk by.

"It's fine, you fought hard." Being complimented by her caused him to blush even harder.

"I didn't do much." He said, feeling angry at how little he was able to do to help her. He was barely able to draw Ottar's attention away. "I still have to get so much stronger to stand next to you."

That fight taught him how weak he still was, he wasn't even able to land a hit on Ottar. Even in that final attack they were charging Ottar had his move at the ready. His beast transformation was even stronger than he could have imagined. The only reason they won was because Lady Freya gave up for some reason. It was Aiz who interrupted his self-deprecating thought process

"You need to take better care of yourself." She told him.

"But…I have to rush. I want to be by your side as quickly as I can." He said while looking down.

There was a pause before she responded in a quiet voice, "I don't want to see you hurt."

Bell looked at her and saw her look ahead, but saw her red cheeks. Of course, Aiz would know how to hit his weak point perfectly. Bell's cheeks burned as he hurriedly tried to change the subject.

"Well at the very least you don't owe Lady Freya a favor anymore. Ah, I got to go apologize to Lyu and Syr later for turning her down." Bell said as he thought about how Syr set this up.

"...you're not going to keep training with them, right?" She asked him and Bell could feel the emotions behind that question.

"No, I think that bridge is burned. I don't mind though, because I have you." Bell was sure later he would be embarrassed about what he was saying but he was too tired to care. "Uh, by the way, where are we going?"

"Anywhere away from her," and Bell didn't need to feel her emotions to tell how much she didn't like Freya.

"Okay, well we should probably head home to look at our status sheets." At the very least Bell had a new magic and Aiz got a new skill. With the expedition only a few weeks away they would need to figure out how they worked. As he was wondering what they would say, Aiz spoke up.

"I want to stay with you a little longer."

There was nothing Bell could say in response to that except okay. So with that Aiz lead them to their secret training spot. More people spotted them and Bell knew new rumors would be popping up within a few days but he ignored them. Once they got there they both collapsed to the ground. Their wounds weren't that bad but the exhaustion of fighting the strongest left its mark. They didn't say anything, just watched as the clouds drifted by. It was still early in the morning and they could hear the sounds of the city waking up. But for them, it was like they were the only two in the world. Everything else like statuses and their familias could wait till they woke up. Right now they just wanted to enjoy the break they earned and relax in each other's presence. And in minutes both of them were sound asleep underneath the golden light of the sun with their hands clasped together.

—

Sorry for the late chapter. I never read Vol 18 so I don't know how Ottar fights but I believe that as a level 7 who could be a level 8, he would be too strong to beat. The next chapter will be a split POV with Bell and Aiz. It will be the clean-up of this arc and it will show their statuses. I've also been thinking that I might ask someone to be a beta reader so I don't fall behind, but I don't know anyone who knows the show. So if anyone is interested please let me know. The next chapter should be out in 2 weeks this time. As always hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave comments.